Kozmos
Jew Detective
Excellent I need some uncertainty.
NiNES: A Broken Galaxy
- Thread starter Niklas
- Start date
Global Nexus
Terran Confederate
- Joined
- Jul 13, 2003
- Messages
- 1,109
An “Assault Ship”? Is…is that really the name of it? I mean, doesn’t that name apply just to every other warship ever designed?
—Alesia Maradoth speaking to Colonial military officials
***
Newly Commissioned Starship Classes
LANDER-CLASS
Active Units: 2
Class: Transport
Role: Carry Troops for Reinforcement or Invasion
Origins: Pre-Scourge
Starship Intelligence:
CORSAIR-CLASS
Active Units: 1
Class: Frigate
Role: Combat Support, Seize Enemy Ships
Origins: Colonial-designed
Starship Intelligence:
—Alesia Maradoth speaking to Colonial military officials
***
Newly Commissioned Starship Classes
LANDER-CLASS
Active Units: 2
Class: Transport
Role: Carry Troops for Reinforcement or Invasion
Origins: Pre-Scourge
Starship Intelligence:
Spoiler :
CORSAIR-CLASS
Active Units: 1
Class: Frigate
Role: Combat Support, Seize Enemy Ships
Origins: Colonial-designed
Starship Intelligence:
Spoiler :
I've gathered some very simple statistics from the stats for your pleasure. Of course there are plenty of things that they don't take into account, so don't make too much of them. They're just for fun, mine and yours. And of course for trash talking each other. 
Code:
[B][U]Faction Prod. Tech Force Total[/U]
[COLOR="Red"]NAM[/COLOR] 99 82 46 227
[COLOR="Lime"]Emergents[/COLOR] 100 58 41 199
[COLOR="Pink"]Capella[/COLOR] 75 74 20 169
[COLOR="Cyan"]Colonials[/COLOR] 73 24 54 152
[COLOR="Blue"]Shuurai[/COLOR] 63 28 61 152
[COLOR="Yellow"]Furians[/COLOR] 63 4 79 146
[COLOR="Purple"]Nekomi[/COLOR] 81 20 42 143
[COLOR="Orange"]Democrats[/COLOR] 64 4 58 122
[COLOR="DarkRed"]Cybrans[/COLOR] 60 32 29 121
[COLOR="#C0D600"]Ascendants[/COLOR] 60 8 37 105[/B]Spoiler calculations :
Kozmos
Jew Detective
?????, Tarsus
23:15 / January 29th / 0015 AC
23:15 / January 29th / 0015 AC
"Gage, turn on the damn TV, I wanna see what's on."
*click*
Hello fellow Cybrans, my name is Doctor Zlotofsky. I want to tell you of a magnificent new invention that will help you in your everyday life. Yes, I am talking of the new advanced robotic prosthetics. Like you I was a simple, honest, hardworking citizen until an accidental weapons discharge at the research lab blew off my leg like it was piece of carrot. Despair took hold of me, I was lost and depressed, but then I got a visit from the General Secretary of the Cybran Nation, Aleksandar Radoshevsky Kozmos. He filled me with hope, directed me on the right path and gave meaning to my life.
With his help and motivation I invented the advanced robot prosthetics. Sure, it is a bit strange and takes some getting used to, but I tell you I am glad that lost my old leg. Not only it is good as the old one, it's much more stronger and durable. Regular bullet shots just bounce off of it and I can kick down small trees. So if you are missing any body parts at all, simply head down to the nearest Medical Node and we'll set you right up...
*click*
Need a vacation? Are you tired of routine? Looking for a fresh start? Or are just simply looking for adventure? A paradise awaits you just one Quantum Gate away. Sirrah, the answer to all your problems. The new colony founded just fourteen years after the collapse is quickly becoming the fastest redeveloping planet. Fame, fortune and lucrative opportunities just wait around the corner. Come, Score, Enjoy & Prosper. Sirrah, a system where everything is possible.
*click*
MEGADEATH ARENA!!!
This takes reality TV to a whole new level! We'll take 40 recently paroled guys, equip them with grenade launchers and flamethrowers...and let them hunt each other down while fighting through a massive complex filled with deadly traps and prototype FRENZIED KILLING MACHINES!!! The game doesn't end until there's only one man left standing!! Tune in nightly, or watch the 24 hour live webcast! It's wicked sick and that's the way you like it!
MEGADEATH ARENA!!!!
......Natural selection.......has come home!!
<quiet speech> Sponsored by the Cybran Robotics Department. Please remember to put litter in it's place. <end quiet speech>"
*click*
"Uhm hello....I have a package to deliver for Mr. Anderson?"
"My name is Zophia, Mr. Anderson is not here....but I want to take a look at your 'enhanced' package."
"Oh yeeeaah."
It's the hottest dirty movie star who worked as the secretary of the K-Man himself. Damn straight it's Zophia Loren starring in Maximum Fornication 11.
*click*
This is a government public service announcement. Do not try to switch your channel or adjust your TV. Thanks to the hard work of our young bright minds and skilled technicians the nanite recycling system is back online. This means 72% of garbage and waste can be recycled and used in construction and redevelopment purposes. Specialized recycle bins have been distributed everywhere. Failure to dump the trash in the mentioned bins will result in consequences. Remember we know where you live and we have ill-tempered cybernetically enhanced sea bass. Thank you for your attention. You may now switch your channel.
*click*
"Welcome back to National Issues. I am Maurice Chavez and we were talking about the Nekomi faction. Are they friend or foes? With us tonight is Pastor Richards of the radical sect of the usually passive Church of Jesus Christ the White and an actual Nekomi citizen who claims to be an independent adventurer and explorer. Miju, what everyone is interested in, what do you think of your genetic modifications and what are they good for?"
"Well back on the Nekomi homeworld, it's pretty normal. Almost everyone is biomodified and it is a part of our culture. These changes are mostly cosmetic, but these additions have proved to be very useful in a post-scourge environment. They helped us survive and it has become a tradition to pass it on to the offspring."
"Yes, I looked up on a dictionary and the Nekomi perhaps has been derived from Nekomata, in Japanese folklore, a cat with supernatural abilities like to raise the dead. Interesting. Pastor Richards, your thoughts on our guests?"
"These heathens are disgusting and immoral. I plan to raise 50 million kredits and go to their homeworld to build a massive statue in my image to frown upon these degenerates. If 300 million kredits are raised, the statue will rotate. I shall try to save as many souls there as I can. Everyone can be saved by a small donation to my account. Eventually when enough money is raised the statue will blast off to space, while we drop enough nukes to start a nuclear winter and kill everyone on that God-Forsaken Planet. Halleluyah brothers!"
"Actually sir, it might not be safe there, currently a war is going on..."
"Silence heathen, you have defiled this place with your presence long enough. *pulls out a PES21* Shall I send him to hell Maurice?"
"Yes. I mean NO. SECURITY!!!"
*click*
Feel like a moron because folks sling around words like "Universal Constructor," "gray goo," "mecanocarbons," and "Bucky tubes"? Well, no longer! "Nanotechnology for Stupid People(tm)" will guide you through the small, small word of tiny machines. Why is this important? Why should you care? Imagine a million microscopic robots no bigger than a red blood cell constantly scouring your arteries for plaque and cholesterol... imagine a supercomputer the size of your thumbnail that can record everything you see and hear... imagine buildings that assemble themselves overnight -- well imagine no longer! The future is here (or will be soon, and it's made of little atoms -- that's right, atoms, the building blocks of all matter in the universe.)
Nanotechnology simply pushes the little building blocks around to make new, interesting, exciting things. Even now, scientists worldwide are making huge strides in perfecting the Universal Constructor that will make a nanotechnological future possible, but already the benefits are being reaped from their research. You'll learn the history, the inside scoop, the buzz words, and what the future holds -- all inside "Nanotechnology for Stupid people(tm)"! Stupid People -- When You Don't Have Two Neurons to Rub Together(tm).
Check out our other books including the bestselling "Giant Death Robots for Stupid People" and "Programming AIs for Stupid People."
*click*
"Goddammit, 5000 channels and not one sane thing. Screw this, lets go out and get pissed drunk."
"I'm not gonna argue with that."
Disenfrancised
Beep Beep
@Cleric:
Nylan
Characters Welcome
It's frustrating knowing I'm "in the game" so to speak but currently must be idle. I have the itch to write like crazy right now, but I don't want to post anything until Nik puts me "officially" in the game.
Oh, and hi, btw
I'm your new victim
Oh, and hi, btw
I'm your new victim
Erik Mesoy
Core Tester / Intern
To: United Planetary Nations Council of Sol
From: Emergents of Providence
We offer to loan you our Hunter-Killer capital ships from Alpha Centauri to defend your neutrality, at least this year and possibly further. (Also, our crew would probably like to visit Earth.)
From: Emergents of Providence
We offer to loan you our Hunter-Killer capital ships from Alpha Centauri to defend your neutrality, at least this year and possibly further. (Also, our crew would probably like to visit Earth.)
Erik Mesoy
Core Tester / Intern
Elerium Fusion
Good reactions in cells 26, 44, 67 read the screen.
"Hey, we've got all of three cells stabilized. Come and help me."
Additional researchers bustled into the room where around a hundred elerium cells lay under various conditions, taking notes on the status of the cells identified by the computer as returning energy at least 10% over the normal mark.
"Looks like electric field variance on this one."
"Confirm that. How are the others doing?"
"Unclear."
They pulled the three marked cells out for further research and twiddled the setting knobs on the overseer computer.
"Think we might have something? We haven't had three cells in one batch for a month."
"Optimist."
"Cynic."
"Cell 26 seems to be an exceptionally pure batch of elerium. I don't think this is it."
"Send it downstairs for further analysis. You know how they are about uncontaminated samples."
One of the scientists on cell 44 began to get the same result, left it to a colleague to finish, went back into the cell array and lowered the detection threshhold from 10% to 3%.
Fusion probable. Good reactions in cells 26, 67, 44, 87, 50, 94, 13, 39, 28, 73, 18, 51, 99, 48, 32, 41, 82, 1, 84, 16, 10, 63, 57, 25, 46, 74, 91, 19, 42, 35, 12, 56, 14, 29, 80, 55, 98, 79, 30, 47, 89, 36, sorted by reaction strength.
"Cell 44 is a pure batch too. Remarkably little extraneous radiation."
"67 is showing up large margins of error, but it's probably the same reason."
"No luck, then? We just got a good batch?"
"I think you should all come and see this printout," came the voice from the array, "this is far more than a good batch."
"One two three four five... mumble... forty? What did you set it to, permille?"
"Three percent."
"All right, let me at it. I'll set it to negative three percent and ask for less-than cells."
Failed reactions in cells 90, 99, 100.
"Dump it. Dump our data now. And call security. This has got to be it."
"You're that paranoid? You think someone's going to try to squash this?"
"No, I want it published a-sap. This is worth a paper by itself. With some luck, we'll isolate the reason for it in the next few hours while the conferators assemble."
"Right."
"I don't like it."
"Me neither."
"Then I suggest you get working."
"Fine. Temperature normal, visible light normal, radiation scatter... um, the dial says high on the human-damaging radiation, the meter reads low."
There was silence. Then the scientists sent a data dump to their journal and a briefing to the president. They twisted several dials to the right. Suddenly there was an explosion in the array, which disappeared as quickly as it had come. Signal tracing revealed it to be a short case of fusion, which had spiralled out of control, then fallen apart as its power source dissipated. Four days later, the process was consistently reproducible. Eight days later, the process was moved to power plants. Two weeks later, the President was personally visiting the laboratory and awarding the scientists medals.
"Ladies, gentlemen, all of you, this work is of immense value to all we Emergents. The generals tell me that this is perhaps the most useful technology they could add to their capital ships. The Governancy thanks you for providing cheap energy to us all. I thank you for creating this opportunity to run my Goldberg all day."
Good reactions in cells 26, 44, 67 read the screen.
"Hey, we've got all of three cells stabilized. Come and help me."
Additional researchers bustled into the room where around a hundred elerium cells lay under various conditions, taking notes on the status of the cells identified by the computer as returning energy at least 10% over the normal mark.
"Looks like electric field variance on this one."
"Confirm that. How are the others doing?"
"Unclear."
They pulled the three marked cells out for further research and twiddled the setting knobs on the overseer computer.
"Think we might have something? We haven't had three cells in one batch for a month."
"Optimist."
"Cynic."
"Cell 26 seems to be an exceptionally pure batch of elerium. I don't think this is it."
"Send it downstairs for further analysis. You know how they are about uncontaminated samples."
One of the scientists on cell 44 began to get the same result, left it to a colleague to finish, went back into the cell array and lowered the detection threshhold from 10% to 3%.
Fusion probable. Good reactions in cells 26, 67, 44, 87, 50, 94, 13, 39, 28, 73, 18, 51, 99, 48, 32, 41, 82, 1, 84, 16, 10, 63, 57, 25, 46, 74, 91, 19, 42, 35, 12, 56, 14, 29, 80, 55, 98, 79, 30, 47, 89, 36, sorted by reaction strength.
"Cell 44 is a pure batch too. Remarkably little extraneous radiation."
"67 is showing up large margins of error, but it's probably the same reason."
"No luck, then? We just got a good batch?"
"I think you should all come and see this printout," came the voice from the array, "this is far more than a good batch."
"One two three four five... mumble... forty? What did you set it to, permille?"
"Three percent."
"All right, let me at it. I'll set it to negative three percent and ask for less-than cells."
Failed reactions in cells 90, 99, 100.
"Dump it. Dump our data now. And call security. This has got to be it."
"You're that paranoid? You think someone's going to try to squash this?"
"No, I want it published a-sap. This is worth a paper by itself. With some luck, we'll isolate the reason for it in the next few hours while the conferators assemble."
"Right."
"I don't like it."
"Me neither."
"Then I suggest you get working."
"Fine. Temperature normal, visible light normal, radiation scatter... um, the dial says high on the human-damaging radiation, the meter reads low."
There was silence. Then the scientists sent a data dump to their journal and a briefing to the president. They twisted several dials to the right. Suddenly there was an explosion in the array, which disappeared as quickly as it had come. Signal tracing revealed it to be a short case of fusion, which had spiralled out of control, then fallen apart as its power source dissipated. Four days later, the process was consistently reproducible. Eight days later, the process was moved to power plants. Two weeks later, the President was personally visiting the laboratory and awarding the scientists medals.
"Ladies, gentlemen, all of you, this work is of immense value to all we Emergents. The generals tell me that this is perhaps the most useful technology they could add to their capital ships. The Governancy thanks you for providing cheap energy to us all. I thank you for creating this opportunity to run my Goldberg all day."
Erik Mesoy
Core Tester / Intern
On the heels of the attempted assassination event and during the continuing inspection of the derelict battleship, President Nicholas Churchill could do little wrong. Seeking to apply this political favor, he convened the Governancy on one of the normal dates to increase attendance and announced that he had three proposals.
"I'd like to take the liberty of announcing the Governancy to be in session." He tapped theatrically on the table with a hammer. There were quiet smiles from some members. "Attendance?" It was a meaningless question. The Governancy didn't take roll calls. Members checked in to a session with personal ID cards, were noted down in records, and an overhead display on the side of the main debate screen continually displayed total attendance.
40 6 3 6 X | 65 |Fleet
...Late arrivals continued to stream in.
48 7 5 6 X | 76
...He decided to wait until fewer than ten were missing.
50 9 7 6 X | 82
...The three missing Heads of Fleet checked in as a group.
52 9 10 7 X | 88
"I will upload now." All eyes turned to the main screen.
Proposals from President Nicholas Churchill
~1~ Encourage private research initiatives, initially distributing the data from the derelict.
~2~ Redevelop Chara and Alpha Centauri to competitive habitats.
~3~ Found an internal intelligence agency subject to public supervision.
Churchill stood at the microphone, waiting a minute for everyone to finish reading. When he finally spoke, he was enthusiastic, his voice strong enough that it could have carried through the chamber unaided.
"The Cygni Derelict may be a key piece of our future. It was on a data collection mission through several systems. While most of the data was destroyed by the Scourge as expected, one form of storage proved highly resilient - microfilm. I have viewed a great deal of it personally, and it suggests that the ship was a joint venture by multiple independent research groups. When separated this way and sharing information noncontinually, their research would have been resistant to a groupthink bias which I fear may permeate our current laboratories and think tanks."
52 9 10 8 X | 89
Pause for effect to let everyone consider the ramifications of possible systemic bias within the research agencies.
"This ties directly into my second proposal. Until we have thriving communities on Chara and Alpha Centauri, and they are serious alternatives to Benalia, any research done there will likely be academic and isolated. Conversely, an incentive-driven exodus could stagnate or become a vacation spot rather than a residency. Or a pleasure resort." Churchill paused again. He intended for people to think of Capella and their positively dreadful caste system which had grown out of a pleasure resort. But most of the Governancy would probably be thinking of something else. "You see, I am sure, that it would greatly decrease overall costs to combine industrial redevelopment of these systems with the creation of citizien-driven laboratories, and we would not have to offer as many incentives for people to move. Will you please give me a noncomittal vote of favor?"
He sat down and pulled out his ID card, inserting it into the voting slot of his seat. There was a great shuffle and whisper around the chamber as eighty others did likewise.
Noncommittal vote of favor on proposal from President Nicholas Churchill:
"Greatly encourage civilian, industrial and scientific development at Chara and Alpha Centauri."
0/0/0 0/0/0 0/0/0 0/0/0 0/0/0 | 0/0/0
...
44/4/4 2/6/1 4/2/4 7/0/1 5/5/0 | 62/17/10
Passivity from the Army, and division among the Fleet. Not surprising. Churchill rose before someone else could take the floor.
"Thank you very much for your confidence. Now to the last matter, which comes as a direct consequence of the recent attempt on my life. I propose that we found a proper intelligence service, rather than having our security forces to extra duty. This service will have its existence publically known and be subject to public oversight and review, of course."
The President sat down, exhausted and bored. He would not be allowed to propose his own version of the bills he suggested, only modify the presented ones, so now he would have to sit back and listen to the Governancy debate. It was a healthy form of government, naturally, but it resulted in a great deal of irksomeness upon seeing one's proposals mangled. Oh, the bills would pass, he was sure of that now, but it would be boring and probably not as he had envisioned it. He swore to begin changing the intelligence agency as soon as it was created... now, what to call it? He could occupy his mind with that while Representative Dojonis blathered on about clay deposits at the Alpha Centauri colony. And so on.
"I'd like to take the liberty of announcing the Governancy to be in session." He tapped theatrically on the table with a hammer. There were quiet smiles from some members. "Attendance?" It was a meaningless question. The Governancy didn't take roll calls. Members checked in to a session with personal ID cards, were noted down in records, and an overhead display on the side of the main debate screen continually displayed total attendance.
40 6 3 6 X | 65 |
...Late arrivals continued to stream in.
48 7 5 6 X | 76
...He decided to wait until fewer than ten were missing.
50 9 7 6 X | 82
...The three missing Heads of Fleet checked in as a group.
52 9 10 7 X | 88
"I will upload now." All eyes turned to the main screen.
Proposals from President Nicholas Churchill
~1~ Encourage private research initiatives, initially distributing the data from the derelict.
~2~ Redevelop Chara and Alpha Centauri to competitive habitats.
~3~ Found an internal intelligence agency subject to public supervision.
Churchill stood at the microphone, waiting a minute for everyone to finish reading. When he finally spoke, he was enthusiastic, his voice strong enough that it could have carried through the chamber unaided.
"The Cygni Derelict may be a key piece of our future. It was on a data collection mission through several systems. While most of the data was destroyed by the Scourge as expected, one form of storage proved highly resilient - microfilm. I have viewed a great deal of it personally, and it suggests that the ship was a joint venture by multiple independent research groups. When separated this way and sharing information noncontinually, their research would have been resistant to a groupthink bias which I fear may permeate our current laboratories and think tanks."
52 9 10 8 X | 89
Pause for effect to let everyone consider the ramifications of possible systemic bias within the research agencies.
"This ties directly into my second proposal. Until we have thriving communities on Chara and Alpha Centauri, and they are serious alternatives to Benalia, any research done there will likely be academic and isolated. Conversely, an incentive-driven exodus could stagnate or become a vacation spot rather than a residency. Or a pleasure resort." Churchill paused again. He intended for people to think of Capella and their positively dreadful caste system which had grown out of a pleasure resort. But most of the Governancy would probably be thinking of something else. "You see, I am sure, that it would greatly decrease overall costs to combine industrial redevelopment of these systems with the creation of citizien-driven laboratories, and we would not have to offer as many incentives for people to move. Will you please give me a noncomittal vote of favor?"
He sat down and pulled out his ID card, inserting it into the voting slot of his seat. There was a great shuffle and whisper around the chamber as eighty others did likewise.
Noncommittal vote of favor on proposal from President Nicholas Churchill:
"Greatly encourage civilian, industrial and scientific development at Chara and Alpha Centauri."
0/0/0 0/0/0 0/0/0 0/0/0 0/0/0 | 0/0/0
...
44/4/4 2/6/1 4/2/4 7/0/1 5/5/0 | 62/17/10
Passivity from the Army, and division among the Fleet. Not surprising. Churchill rose before someone else could take the floor.
"Thank you very much for your confidence. Now to the last matter, which comes as a direct consequence of the recent attempt on my life. I propose that we found a proper intelligence service, rather than having our security forces to extra duty. This service will have its existence publically known and be subject to public oversight and review, of course."
The President sat down, exhausted and bored. He would not be allowed to propose his own version of the bills he suggested, only modify the presented ones, so now he would have to sit back and listen to the Governancy debate. It was a healthy form of government, naturally, but it resulted in a great deal of irksomeness upon seeing one's proposals mangled. Oh, the bills would pass, he was sure of that now, but it would be boring and probably not as he had envisioned it. He swore to begin changing the intelligence agency as soon as it was created... now, what to call it? He could occupy his mind with that while Representative Dojonis blathered on about clay deposits at the Alpha Centauri colony. And so on.
Erik Mesoy
Core Tester / Intern
>im nbg
Mike isn't in the worldsuit; too slow at the moment, when he's just been outside in reality, where the news still arrives first. The "im nbg" opens an instant message window to his friend Nash.
mcv: The governancy labs are releasing data from the derelict.
mcv: It contains relics of steering computers.
nbg: What?
mcv: Damaged by Scourge, but it'll help us a lot.
nbg: Yay. I suppose it can run the engines.
mcv: I've looked at the data. It's efficient and designed for arbitrarily large engines.
nbg: I'll call 'Frog and ask him for the status of the elerium fusion engine adaptation. Arbitrarily?
mcv: Yes.
nbg: I want that code.
mcv: It'll be out in a week. Call whoever else is on, will you?
nbg: Doing so.
mcv: I'll join you in the Cyberlands shortly. Have to clear some stuff.
>w
password?
>[not shown]
accepted
>bgdo cybersend | bgdo newsget
Working.
>logout
login? (Use "guest" if necessary.)
Putting on the worldsuit and entering the Cyberlands is an unnoticed formality for Mike now, repeated and forgotten like underwear. He's been working on the Project (it hasn't been given a proper name) and developing hyper-efficient military-grade code for over a year. If the eight of them on Project had applied for normal jobs, they probably could have gotten them with a lot less work, but doing Project work and sending a finished accomplishment to the scientists and spaceship commanders appeals far more to their rebellious personalities and (lack of) work ethics. The steering system grew out of a space combat game that required a great deal of commitment from all players, since there was no good AI to take over a ship if a player dropped out. Several volunteers stepped forward, and were given assignments to handle the various realistic parts of ships: this group to handle steering, this group to handle weapons, this group to handle power allocation. After the first month, most of the groups broke up again, but the Project group fused tighter together, intending to develop their already realistic steering system into a complete steering AI, hoping to land well-paid government or military jobs where they would never have to lift a finger again.
It didn't quite work out that way. Mike and his friends were kept together by the growth of the Cyberlands and a jointly owned commons, becoming obsessed with the Project. They rewrote the steering code repeatedly, first basing it off the game, then reverse-engineering specifics for the engines of the Hunter Killer ships, later modifying it to take into account the re-research of AI and the Elerium Fusion process which could put far larger amounts of power in engines. Perfectionism has made them better programmers or microcoders than the average graduate of a five year program.
Numbening serum. Mouth wires. I hate this. Well, the microphone sucks. I'll think of a better way to handle this shortly after the time I move to Alpha Centauri or the sun burns out. Mike finishes putting on the only noticeable part of the worldsuit and joins his Project friends.
"Hello, Mike." Nash says, having been waiting here since he got Mike's message.
"Hello, Nash, hello everybody. Two missing - Jake and Gareth. Are they coming?"
"Yes. Eleanor has a trick she wants to show you."
"It's not so much a trick as it's an applied piece of code." Eleanor objects.
"You know what I mean."
"Mike," says Six, "if I got this right, we're getting computer bits from the Cygni Derelict. Any idea why?"
"It's microfilm, not computer bits, actually. I'll tell you all about it once Jake and Gareth arrive." And my bloody news feed compiles, thinks Mike.
Mike's newsfeed compiles a moment later, and the six Project members present pass the time by launching a Hunter Killer running at twice normal speed and firing finger dart pings at it.
Gareth comes flying in from his entry point, which is the nearest to the commons. The other Project members tend to teleport in. Six even puts on a wizard cape and hat when doing so.
"I was in the Cyberlands, but I had coursework which I wanted to finish. Applied memetics." Gareth says.
"Do be kind and send me a copy," says Six, "I'd like to hear about it."
There's no pop of rushing air as Jake appears, since this isn't reality. This fact is made painfully clear by the other fact that he teleported into a fountain and is walking up to them through it.
"What, have you got distortions?" Mike asks.
"No, I punched in the location manually." Jake replies.
"Wibble." Gareth says. "That is totally alien to me."
"Enough talk," says Eleanor, "coding time." She draws a hoop and steps through it. The others follow her into one of her plots of Cyberland.
One of the walls in this place is a headache. It violates most taste guidelines and stretches the Cyberland display protocols. It consists of code in the third lowest level possible, layered on top of itself in a 2½-dimensional fashion.
"Watch this." Eleanor brings up two rough models of Hunter Killer ships, and twenty diagnostics. "The red one is using the new code, which I've pasted into the wall for you to look at." Unsurprisingly, the red ship beats the blue one, but it's unclear exactly why. Luck isn't playing a part here. Eleanor explains the new modifications which she's been synthesizing from several of the others' code, pointing at diagnostics. Judicious movement of code between functions and levels makes the red ship 7 permille more time-efficient, not enough to be visible, but enough to multiply with the dampening effect of the plating and turn into a reasonable advantage. The blue ship is using last week's code and already it's losing every time, says Eleanor, who ran the simulation a dozen times with different starting conditions.
Mike pulls up his processed newsfeed and drags out what can be found of steering code from the Cygni Derelict. The rest of the team begins mulling it over, pondering how to integrate it with their own code, as Mike delves for the full steering code. The microfilms are being shown as-is, and nobody's converted all of them yet, the various newscasters only have their own samples done. The team works for three hours straight, some getting hungry, most of them on IVs. At the end of that time, they have all the relevant microfilm in code form, and one of them has to leave, so three others do so too, and the four who will remain in the Cyberlands go to do other things. Later, they'll hear about the offer to go to Chara or Alpha Centauri, and they'll take it up.
From: UPNCS
To: Emergents of Providence
We thank you for your offer, however at this point we feel we must decline. Our neutrality cannot be based on and backed by military might, in particular that of a specific faction, for then it would be true neutrality no longer. We wish to be respected for who we are and for our position. Had the ships been a gift, it would of course have been a different matter...
To: Emergents of Providence
We thank you for your offer, however at this point we feel we must decline. Our neutrality cannot be based on and backed by military might, in particular that of a specific faction, for then it would be true neutrality no longer. We wish to be respected for who we are and for our position. Had the ships been a gift, it would of course have been a different matter...
Kozmos
Jew Detective
Wee a new ship design. Crappy quality though and oversized. Will fix in future releases.
Spoiler CDS Painkiller from the Sirah Genocide episode :
Erik Mesoy
Core Tester / Intern
From: Emergents
To: UPNCS
Very well. This is understandable. In that case, we would like to send an [Escort Carrier], carrying visiting personnel instead of fighter craft, to visit Earth. Would that be acceptable?
To: UPNCS
Very well. This is understandable. In that case, we would like to send an [Escort Carrier], carrying visiting personnel instead of fighter craft, to visit Earth. Would that be acceptable?
From: UPNCS
To: Emergents
Any non-military, or demilitarized, ship and personnel is welcome at any time, with prior notice.
To: Emergents
Any non-military, or demilitarized, ship and personnel is welcome at any time, with prior notice.
germanicus12
First Citizen of Rome
OOC: Why not allow us to build a cruise ship or the like, so we can have people tour the galaxy with stops at Earth and other planets worthy for stops, IE the capital planets for every faction?
Story to come later.
Story to come later.
Disenfrancised
Beep Beep
Woudl that be what a transport is? just fill it with luxury accomadation rather than trooper barracks.
Who says I don't allow that? Not sure what you'd want it for but... And since it's not a military ship, it wouldn't follow the normal build list anyway.
And yeah, what Dis said.
alex994
Hail Divine Emperor!
Lightning Across the Ages
For to win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the acme of skill. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the acme of skill. Sun Tzus Art of War
And that is why we have to finish the project before the next year, any questions?
Why the sudden hurry to finish the project? Did something come up that we have not been informed about?
Nothing happened that needs to concern you, just know that the estimated amount of money has been allocated by the Imperial Senate for the research project. If theres no more questions, this meeting is over. Tang, still for a moment will you?
As the people in the room filed out with their white lab coats following behind them, they left behind a young man with a quizzical expression on his face, Wang Tang, one of the Ascendancys Rising Stars in the field of science who at the tender age of 24, already had his own research project.
With a pushing of a button, the Admiral sealed the room making everything happening inside the room invisible so to speak to those outside.
Everything we discuss in this room as of now is top secret, Order Nan Ku, by Imperial Decree and Resolution of the High Senatorial Council. To disclose this information to anyone unapproved by either of the said parties is treason and will be treated as thus. Sign here and the said information will be released to you. Youre the first to be shivering in excitement
Ive just waited my whole life to do this its exactly like how the spy movies are.
Im sure theres a leak in that department, but lets continue. At 0700, Fleet Command received a message from one of our advance scouts reporting communications with a scout from another nation. The details are not important, but what is important is that were not the only humans around with firepower.
I see. And thats why you want my project to be completed as quickly and efficiently as possible. I dont see a problem sir, we will easily have the prototype tested long before the time youve set before us.
The end time for your project is also the end time for the launching of two warships, the first two warships that weve constructed so far. You are aware of what Doctor Van Andries is working on? Good, the warships are under his jurisdiction of research. I believe his Imperial Majesty have already chosen names for the two vessels.
That would be a bit difficult. I dont think we have the existing industrial base to produce what Im working on in sufficient numbers and quality to fit out two warships, youre asking perhaps a bit too much from us
Its an order Doctor, not a recommendation or request, an order. You have the money needed, just get the job done. These people weve just encountered may be a serious threat and we need military power to defend ourselves. Do it.
Yes Sir.
Nylan
Characters Welcome
Somewhere in Northern Kalia
Hey Greg, take a look at this A short, stocky man with matted brown hair and a wide, toothy grin turned to look at Greg. He was hunkered down over something, and was waving him over to share in his discovery. Greg, a 16 year old stocky teenager with a cybernetic eye a remnant from the pre-scourge years, who had been contracted into the scavenger corps walked over curiously, and then stared in amazement.
Is that . He stammered, Is that w wwhat I think it is?
Thats right boy the strange man replied, Its still intact too. Quite impressive, considering the amount of damage this baby sustained.
He was referring, of course, to the main computer aboard the now defunct HMS Queen Elizabeth, a battleship in the service of the British Navy (in reality, it had part of the Interplanetary Trading Company). He and Greg were on assignment scavenging derelict ships in the great northern wastes of Kalia. They had discovered the Queen by pure happenstance something involving running from still functioning security drones still feeling the effects of the scourge and hiding underneath a glacier where they ran into Elizabeth but thats a story for another time.
What mattered is that they had managed to recover a fully intact Ships Computer. While the government had already constructed replacement technology, there was no telling how much information there was to be gleaned from the ships records. Greg pushed the short man out of the way so he could get to the keyboard.
Get out of the way Karl I want to see this.
Careful Greg, Karl replied, Theres no way to know if this thing is infected, and even if it isnt, you damage any of the information on those drives and HQ will have your head.
Its worth the risk. I have to see something.
He booted up the main computer which by some miracle still had power wait the ship still had power?
Why is this thing still running? Karl wondered aloud
But Greg wasnt listening. He activated the ships logs and tried to access the security video footage
>Security level 3
>Please provide access code
Great access code .now how are we supposed to get in? yet another question from Karl. Karl had a lot of questions Greg thought perhaps he had too many. He fingered his six shooter hungrily.
Karl may have been one to ask a lot of questions, but he certainly knew something was up. Greg had been acting more and more odd since they had first seen the ship. Had he seen the ship before? Did he have some personal connection to it?
But then his blood ran cold. The scourge!
Greg stood up and turned around slowly. His cybernetic eye was twitching madly, and he was breathing very heavily the eye must have damaged his brain
Karl radioed for help, and tried to run, but it was too late
Three shots
And silence
***
Eight hours later, a squadron of marines in hazmat suits walked onto the bridge to find three shots in Karls back, and Greg was nowhere to be found.
Simon!
Yes sir?
Take Ramirez and Hambridge with you and search the ship for signs of life, or any intact drones. Shoot anything that moves.
Walton
Sir?
Transfer the ships hard drive onto a memory file and make sure it doesnt get lost. Were gonna turn it in to HQ for analysis.
Yes sir
And so off they went, fulfilling their separate tasks, copying the computer, removing spare parts, eliminating scourge resistance. The universe was still a dangerous place, but how dangerous?
That was yet to be seen .
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