GalaxyNES- No Horizons

[Daedwartin]

"The Coaluques have come together to discuss a matter of great important"

"We have recently discovered a new people, these Rn'hrn. What must we do about them?"

"It is illogical to attack them. Trade will benefit us by spreading new technologies and goods."

"Agreed"
"Agreed"
"Agreed"
"Agreed"
"Agreed"
"Agreed"
"Agreed"
"Agreed"
"Agreed"
"Agreed"
"Agreed"
"Agreed"
"Agreed"
"Agreed"
"Agreed"
"Agreed"

"It is decided: Trade will be extended"
"We must still prepare for the possibility of war. military build up is needed just in case."

"Agreed"
"Agreed"
"Agreed"
"Agreed"
"Agreed"
"Agreed"
"Agreed"
"Agreed"
"Agreed"
"Agreed"
"Agreed"
"Agreed"
"Agreed"
"Agreed"
"Agreed"
"Agreed"

"Now, this new world must be colonized. we agreed on this the day we discovered it. But exploration is a interesting matter. Their is evidence that two stars coreward are life-supporting. We must send our scouts at full speed that way to confirm this. if true, send colony ships to colonize these worlds.

"Agreed"
"Agreed"
"Agreed"
"Agreed"
"Agreed"
"Agreed"
"Agreed"
"Agreed"
"Agreed"
"Agreed"
"Agreed"
"Agreed"
"Agreed"
"Agreed"
"Agreed"
"Agreed"

"We have yet to determine where the message came from yet. it could be either direction"
"It was old...but rim-ward is more likely every check"
OOC: the two apparently life-baring worlds are those two core-ward slightly grayed out stars that are just on the edge of visit-able space. telescopes can determine whether a world might have life. the scouts can confirm.

 

[Lord_Iggy]

To: Collective Coaluques
From: Rn'hrn

Ah, our masters! You have returned swiftly indeed. As ever, we are readied to do battle on your behalf!

 

[Daedwartin]

To: Collective Coaluques
From: Rn'hrn

Ah, our masters! You have returned swiftly indeed. As ever, we are readied to do battle on your behalf!

OOC: WTF? well then.
IC: Begin Uplifting them and trading. Also, on the side, investigate the reason for this reaction.

 

[Lord_Iggy]

Naggarok Cometh

Once again, we have detected that your ships are approaching us in an aggressive manner. Our observation and interaction with your fleet will continue until your behaviour has become predictable to us, at which point we will proceed to the next phase of our diplomacy.

Godar Yorl of Hamme Jormund could barely suppress a contemptuous snarl as he responded.

"You... idiots. We're fighting. We've been fighting for years. There's no diplomacy. The Logsogumadur of the Hammenammir has decided upon its course, and... void take it the Leidangr is going to see that promise through. You'll be naught but a pile of radioactive dust once we're through."

We see that your response proceeded eight tenths according to projection. Now we will observe if your tactics in battle are equally predictable.

Yorl cut the connection.

"Ziijin freaks."

"I'll be quite pleased when they're extinct. Naggarok is too good for them."

"Naggarok?" Yorl looked thoughtful for a moment. "I doubt it. Our final enemy would not be so..."

"Annoying?"

"Quite. Now, to business. Bring the fleet up to visual. How long until we are in range?"

"40 seconds, my Godar."

A projection of the Ziijin fleet materialized. The fleets looked like the partially smashed remnants of some sort of dimpled, hairy alien fruit. They were loud and garish in colour, and were saved from being utterly repulsive in appearance only by the fact that they seemed to possess a very strict sense of symmetry. This particular fleet seemed to be significantly smaller than his own, and heavy on the yellows and purples- Ysir exosociologists had yet to determine the meanings behind the colours, but Yorl would be happy enough to destroy yet another blatant crime against aesthetics.

"20 seconds, my Godar. Commencing final range judgement, weapons fully charged."

Yorl tensed, like a predator about to strike. A smell of smoke, from some Knaarsam burnt offering, passed through his nose.

Abruptly, an alarm went off.

"What was that? Full report fleet."

"My Jormund Godar, we've lost-"

The connection abruptly dropped. The Migrant Hammenammir fleet was deafened to itself, as harsh red beams tore through their ships with surgical precision, leaving spinning piles of slag in their wake. All about him, great rips opened up in space. From them emerged the stuff of nightmares. Black metal, festooned with lights of red, lazily slid out of these gaping wounds in the void. Terrible machines unfolded, spidery, spindly and festooned with sharp edges. From within radiated tremendous energy, which spat out at nearby targets with pinpoint aim.

At last, the silence broke in every vessel, as a sepulchral voice boomed through all of the hijacked communications systems.

"Cower, mortals, and scatter on the cosmic winds, for I am the Zan Jadu, Master of a Thousand Suns. I control both burning heat and crushing dark. Flee now, little insects, while you are but an annoyance to me, for none have survived my anger."

Yorl may have tried to flee at that moment. More likely, he cried out in defiance. At this point, however, his actions faded to irrelevance, as his great vessel, the Sword of Auric, was cloven in two by yet another glaring red beam. On the far side of the battle, his erstwhile enemies were faring no better, their vessels shredding apart and popping grotesquely under the onslaught. Yorl may have shouted out some last orders, but they were lost beneath the howling of wind escaping his flagship. As his consciousness began to fade from loss of air, the mighty Godar saw, in a dreamlike state, the combat drones of the Zan, rapacious and merciless, descend upon his vessel.

At the very end, he knew that he had found it. The Ultimate Enemy, the force his people were destined to overcome and be overcome by at Naggarok.

But it would not be today.

And, he thought, as the drone's razor arms eviscerated his body, it would not be by his hand.

It was his last, small regret.

 

[Lord_Iggy]

First Contact Report of the Collective Coaluques with the Rn'hrn

We may be in very over our heads. Probes indicate that they already possess very advanced technology, nearly on par with if not beyond our own. This is particularly pronounced in their weaponry. When confronted with the idea of trading, they seemed confused. They are familiar, however, with the concept of exchanging services for goods.

It is important to tread lightly, as we know well that we are not their masters, or at least that we were not their masters at some point in the past.

We postulate that they have already encountered some other alien species, and have mistaken us for their 'masters'. Alternatively, some matter of their beliefs has both prevented them from developing space travel and accustomed them to worshipping people who fly through the heavens and speak to them from a distance. Again, it is important that we tread carefully here, as it is unclear how they will respond if we correct their mistaken assumptions.

At any rate, the Rn'hrn are a highly militarized and regimented society. It is almost as if the entire planet is one giant barracks, although the implications of this particular theory are somewhat troubling.

 

[Lord_Iggy]

I'm going to be updating this NES on the coming weekend, by the way.

 

[Optical]

Sorry that I haven't got any RP in as of yet. I'll try to do a bit by Friday.

 

[Grandkhan]

As will I, i've been a bit busy setting up my own NES.

 

[Anonymoose]

After a few short months, the atmospheric conversion had changed the whole look of Hon' Tok. The converters had all but eliminated the purple gas of the skies and replaced it with dark, black clouds spilling acidic precipitation onto the heads of the Nurm. Wherever the rain pooled, thick orange mats of bacteria were beginning to grow, and the Nurm were harvesting the mats to supplement their diet. The peaceful time of science and eating was interrupted soon, though, by unfamiliar vessels in the skies above Hon' Tok. The vessels paid no mind to the little rock, probably assuming it uninhabitable, but the scientists feared being treated to belligerence. They knew that their presence would be noted by even crude sensors if they did not find a way to evade. Gan' and Ano' collaborated on designs for a subterranean dwelling that would shield them from electromagnetic scouting or worse, bombardment. The blueprint of the honeycomb complex was so aesthetically pleasing that they began excavation right away, and within a Hon' Tok day had made several meters of progress. Their only concern was delving too deep...

 

[merciary]

"What do you mean the Judge knows where we are? How did this happen?"

"Well it appears that the T’kavit that come by to trade for water don't understand the concept of secrets and told the it that they had come across another settlement filled with a similar species. The Judge did the math and now know where we are."

"This is the worst case scenario we need to start preparing to evacuate the planet!"

"You and your people can flee if you want but I and most of the rest of the Council intend to remain here. The uninhabited planets are within T’kavit space who will liking repeat their actions."

"How do plan to fight an entire planet of suicidal soldiers?"

"Suicidal they may be but they are all still cowards. The Judge can't get them to do anything without convincing them they'll still be connected. That gives us time and an advantage."

"Yes, yes. That was why the Net program was started but with our location already know what can a jamming system do. The Judge can still wipe us out outside its range."

"Have you forgotten its programing? It won't kill anymore of us than it has to. A ground invasion is its only true course of action, anything else it does will be a bluff. I've also heard that one of the developers have found a way to create a ranged EMP weapon, this will aid us greatly."

"I've heard this as well but it will only work for so long. The Judge will eventually adapt. What then?"

"I've heard some promising things from the ARMOR department the might level the field some."

"Hmmm.... that might be enough, still plans should be made for the worst case scenario."

*****Across the Void*****

NEW INFORMATION UPLOADING...

Location of unprotected settlement found, Information provided by T’kavit Species

ASSESSMENT...

Unprotected settlement must be brought under JUDGE protection

PROBLEM DETECTED...

Lacking Faster-Than-Light engine technology

SOLUTION FOUND...

Divert civil engineering scholarships to theoretical physics
Additional solution: Increase trade with T’kavit species to increase knowledge

PROBLEM DETECTED...

Unwillingness of population to leave the SYSTEM's range.

SOLUTION FOUND...

Divert further funds into interstellar communications
Temporary Solution: Use of probes until communication issue solved.

ASSESSMENT...

Strategy needed

PROBLEM DETECTED...

Insufficient information present for an efficient strategy
Query paused until sufficient information present

ASSESSMENT...

Possible uses of T’kavit species:
Labor source
Trade partner

ASSESSMENT:

Conquest of T’kavit provides optimal benefit for Phaska

PROBLEM DETECTED...

Insufficient information of T’kavit capabilities

SOLUTION FOUND....

Maintain relations with T’kavit until information is obtained and FTL and communications problems solved.

 

[Lord_Iggy]

Awesome! I'm starting to work on the update now, although it's the holidays, so I'm likely to be a little distracted by family matters for the time being.

 

[TerrisH]

"Production of ships on methane world proceeding well. current ships bring needed complex-parts from Collectivity worlds, and return with raw materials and exotic chemicals. trade lucrative."

"colonies spread to several new methane worlds overlooked by Collectivity Oxygen-life. scouting efforts have mapped dozens more, often in systems overlooked by oxygen-life."

"per agreement with Collectivity, spread of jubbla to oxygen-worlds already settled by them has been limited to invention only. two Collectivity worlds have permitted our settlement. several scouted unsettled in Collectivity space, and agreements for co-settlements are in the works."

"war-fleet is growing. thirty ships dedicated so far, under collectivity guidance. priority command on capture of second bio-ship, though no success so far."

 

[tuxedohamm]

Popkspok looked at the figures. Data on all the recently found habited systems streamed past Popkspok’s eye. While there were more unique looking creatures out there, those closest to the Poy-Op seemed to share an amphibious trait. The Samaynoch and the Poy-Op all had a more apparent water-based design which seeded a thought in Popkspok’s mind.

A quick search through the history files brought up what he was looking for. Pre-spaceflight Poy-Op culture had a religious monument on the since recycled homeworld that honored a water deity. According to ancient myth the great K’poksss’pop a number of stars in the sky before appearing above the Poy-Op homeworld. K’poksss’pop was poised to destroy the planet when it saw the Poy-Ops prostrating themselves before it in their crude housing. It had mercy and spared their planet and star.

Many early Poy-Op cultures had mentions of the sky-sea god. However, the primary story came from a region known as Kss’poysss on the homeworld. K’poksss’pop spent much of its time above the region, and for a long time the seas remained much higher that tradition had held. However, any time that it had moved and left the sky, the seas would drop. There were even mentions that at some instances, the sea would drop so low that it could not be seen from any known shoreline.

Those Poy-Ops living in the region made the assumption that the K’poksss’pop was the creator of all. For a number of generations, they relied on the heightened tides. They had become used to their locations and their effect on the local climate. However, the sky-sea god remained for less time over the region and spent more time away. Many said the tides had shown a marked decrease from generation to generation, but many more said they were fools. Apocalyptic theories became rampant and sects splintered from the primary belief.

There was no sudden change. K’poksss’pop came less and less. Eventually, a whole generation passed without the sky-sea god visiting. K’poksss’pop slowly drifted into myth, some doubted that it ever really existed. Some said they still saw distant stars disappearing for no reason, but no one could prove it was the sky-sea god.

Prior to the homeworlds destruction, there was extensive studying into the geology. Poy-Ops had advanced to early planetscaping and their only reference was their own home. There was historical evidence for the strange tides to have existed, but some proposed other ideas to avoid invoking K’poksss’pop.

Popkspok read the histories, the whole idea of planetscaping came as an attempt to emulate the power of K’poksss’pop. The Poy-Op had been mostly successful. They couldn’t tear apart a whole system at the mythological speed of their ancient god, but they could do possibly more by recreating a new system of their own design. The Poy-Op had become their own K’poksss’pop.

The Samaynoch existence suggested to Popkspok that maybe the sky-sea god was real and had created other forms before or after the Poy-Op.