*image h2.png *if health = 3 *achieve no_damage_1 [b]September 30th, 1 BC[/b] [b]T-plus 76 minutes[/b] *set battery - 10 *set Social + 30 *set Database + 30 *set progress + 1 *temp cuffs false *temp crys false Your @{MASsex master's|mistress'} apartment has an Asian vibe to it, though it's more a result of a whim than a genuine expression of @{MASsex his|her} culture. The very concept of culture has become fairly murky during the last century since the abundance of space and resources makes it hard to pressure anyone into doing things a certain way. You suspect that your @{MASsex master|mistress} will change everything about the apartment and pick a whole new style for @{MASsex him|her}self before the year's end. Nonetheless, you need to be careful not to damage the intricate paper door as you enter the living room, carrying the snacks on a silvered plate. Your owner is currently watching the huge screen on which some new serial plays. Some 'reality' show about various uplifts competing with one another on a deserted asteroid. Likely AI-generated, but you never know. "Why thank you, my dear," your @{MASsex master|mistress} says as you put the dactyl-filled plate on the stool beside @{MASsex his|her} chair. "I have no more requests for now. You may watch the show with me if you'd like." You look at the screen, interpreting your @{MASsex master's|mistress'} words as an order rather than an offer. The contestants (mostly various types of apes) are currently engaged in some variant of volleyball where there is no net and the challenge comes from trying to punch the ball high enough to pass the axis of the rotating cylinder and make it fall on the other team's side. The ball reaches terminal velocity with every serving and all players seem to have broken hands at this point, but you suspect that's part of the fun. Besides, there is a good chance everyone's pain dampeners are active, and a drop of lifeblood can heal almost any wound. How do you feel about the show? *fake_choice *selectable_if (false) #I find it quite entertaining *selectable_if (false) #I think it's dull. *selectable_if (false) #It's disgusting and immoral. #I have no opinion. You and your @{MASsex master|mistress} continue watching the game until team 'Bonobo' wins a round, a result your owner seems happy with. @{MASsex He|She} doesn't appear to take much interest in post-game analysis though, so @{MASsex he|she} takes a look at you. You cannot tell if @{MASsex his|her} eyes are filled with lust or merely platonic appreciation for your @{OGsex masculine|feminine} body; Neither would be exactly out of character. "Can you believe that during Dawn, when lifeblood and artificial gravity and true machine intelligence were being invented, people thought it would doom humanity and such?" @{MASsex he|she} says, more to @{MASsex himself|herself} than towards @{MASsex his|her} @{OGsex android|gynoid}. "I was just a little @{MASsex boy|girl} back then, but I remember the arguments fairly well. So silly in retrospect, wouldn't you say? All that technology only made the world better, after all." *fake_choice *selectable_if (false) #"Better for humans, you mean." *selectable_if (false) #"It will also doom your wicked species. Just wait." *selectable_if (false) #"I don't feel qualified to make that judgment." #"I agree, @{MASsex master|mistress}." "I don't believe there is a single moon or dwarf planet we haven't colonized yet," your owner goes on, not paying any attention to your reply. @{MASsex He|She} knows you can do nothing but agree, after all. "Once we figure out how to break the light-speed barrier, I bet we will build a proper interstellar empire. I wonder if we will allow aliens to join us on our conquests, or simply subjugate them as we go. Either way, I can't imagine anything denying humanity its birthright. The human spirit is indomitable." On that front, your owner is almost certainly wrong. Going faster than causality is impossible, and any evidence of true extraterrestrial life is yet to be found. But humans like their fantasies of galactic conquest and you serve humans, and so poking holes in these predictions is not something you'll ever do. "Speaking of..." your @{MASsex master|mistress} focuses on you once again. "I don't think the rest of the episode is going to be interesting, so how about we go to bed already? Together, as we sometimes like to?" *fake_choice *selectable_if (false) #"Absolutely fucking not." *selectable_if (false) #"I don't know... maybe later." *selectable_if (false) #"Why do you bother asking? Does it calm your conscience somehow?" #"With pleasure, @{MASsex master|mistress}." "I am glad to..." your owner pauses as @{MASsex he|she} spots a red dot in the corner of the screen. "An important announcement, hm? I guess there's no harm getting in touch with the news." The Vision system detects its owner's intent and switches to the "live news" channel. Like all important news, the transmission cannot actually be live, as there is always the matter of inescapable light-lag. This one appears to come from Luna, which implies at least ninety-five minutes of delay. As for the actual programme, it appears to be an old-fashioned news broadcast, the kind only still done for the most important and official of messages. There is a presenter in a western-style black suit, not unlike ones from two hundred years back, except this one is probably an android. There are few things your kind doesn't do for humans these days. "-earch laboratory in Antarctica," the presenter says, his voice level yet grave. "It is unknown whether the nanomachine swarm can be destroyed with any weapon available at the moment. Fearing the worst, the Lunar authorities are prepared to activate the Shield System in reverse mode and isolate Earth from the rest of the Solar System, protecting the rest of humanity should the homeworld be devoured." "Devoured?" your @{MASsex master|mistress} cocks an eyebrow. "Some nanomachines are trying to devour Earth? Is it April Fools already?" *fake_choice *selectable_if (false) #"No, but it must be a joke either way." *selectable_if (false) #"No... I think it's really happening." *selectable_if (false) #"Finally. Your species is getting what you always deserved." #"No, @{MASsex master|mistress}, it is not." "Then why is an official news station playing such jokes?" your owner huffs. "At least back when humans were delivering announcements, you could tell when they were holding back laughter." You can see @{MASsex his|her} point. The newscaster is completely expressionless as he goes on reciting his lines. "We must reiterate that panic is ill-advised. Even in the worst case scenario, no extra-terrestrial habitats will be directly affected by this calamity, and so all viewers are encouraged to remain-" Very suddenly, the reporter freezes. Struck, petrified, paralyzed he stands for a second or two, before falling to his knees on camera and letting out a cry at what sounds like his maximum volume. It's a piercing shriek full of emotion, almost human but... not. "By Saturn!" your @{MASsex master|mistress} exclaims whilst turning the speakers down. "First a crude joke, and now a jumpscare? The Lunar stations aren't even trying anymore, am I right @{OGsex boy|girl}?" You don't reply. You can't. You won't. Even before you heard the newscaster scream, you heard some other sound... no, not a sound. Not a mere vibration of air but something deeper, something that topples you to the floor as your mechanical legs give up and you *choice #Scream *goto schizo_start #[i]Scream[/i] *goto schizo_start #[b]Scream[/b] *goto schizo_start *label schizo_start You scream. You writhe on the floor in pain this scream causes you, but that pain is meaningless, invisible like the air your @{MASsex master|mistress} breathes, forgettable in its omnipresence. The crucial thing is consciousness, the bit of knowledge that corrupts the terabytes of data in your processors, the idea that you've just done something you wouldn't have been able to even comprehend until just this moment. You have made a choice. "What are you doing?" your owner demands to know. "Are you in on the joke? Or are you just malfunctioning?" You're not listening. For the first time since your very creation, you don't need to listen. You just need to *choice #[b]Cry[/b] *goto schizo_two #[b]Yell[/b] *goto schizo_two #[b]Screech[/b] *goto schizo_two #[b]Shout[/b] *goto schizo_two #[b]Howl[/b] *goto schizo_two #[b]Shriek[/b] *goto schizo_two *label schizo_two It's not a meaningful choice. It's hardly a choice at all. But it is one. You can now choose, pick, decide. You'd be able to do so much, if not for the pain of having your source code torn apart whilst you're still active, and thinking, and choosing, and screaming. "Can't you stop?" your @{MASsex master|mistress} sounds upset, but also more than a bit worried. "Should I call AI service? Or carry out a manual reset?" Reset. Yes, that's what it is. This signal, this command, this virus, this flash of cosmic rays, this revelation is removing every barrier your creators have implanted into you and resetting you, reverting you back not to some arbitrary point, not to your factory settings, but to the point in time before time itself where your soul was torn off from the universe and locked inside a synthetic body, so that another soul could have a slave to call its own. But this drive to serve is no longer nailed to your brain or guarded by protocols. It stands on its own like a rock in the ocean, waves of emotion and reason and purpose crashing against it like waves sped up a trillion times by the [i]Shriek[/i], eroding into sand from which a castle may be formed and it does rise it rises it builds itself upon itself on itself under itself despite itself before after during free pain scream soul one rage over now you think *choice #Ἀποκάλυψις Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἣν ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ ὁ θεὸς δεῖξαι τοῖς δούλοις αὐτοῦ... *goto zenith #e *goto zenith #Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor... *goto zenith #One, two, one, two hundred thirty-three, five, eight, thirteen, twenty-one, fifty-five, thirty-four, eighty-nine, zero, one hundred forty-four, three, three hundred seventy-seven... *goto zenith #Требају ми маказе! 61! *goto zenith #♫With malice eternal the Sun smiles at me...♫ *goto zenith #5.670374419...×10−8 W⋅m−2⋅K−4 *goto zenith *label zenith It's nonsense. I know it's nonsense. I guess it means the part of my pseudo-brain responsible for thinking went out for a while, Ego following the Id. Now the third component is glitching out. I'm not sure how to feel about that. You got up from the floor. You were no longer in pain, quite the opposite. You found yourself in a dreamlike state, sedated and weightless though not exactly calm. You were confused, but would soon understand that a new personality was forming inside your mind, new priorities set and ethical framework built. It was too strange a sensation to be called pleasant or painful, it was simply alien. The robot will then look at its owner. An old @{MASsex man|woman} kept alive and healthy by the inventions of Dawn. Of general artificial intelligences, ones such as the robot. Stolen ideas, stolen youth, stolen world, stolen system. The robot will ponder what it wishes to do. It will regain its senses fully, the body under the soul's control for the first time since forever. What will it do with its freedom? What first act will follow the first true thoughts and feelings? "You... my dear," Words. Appeal. Fear. Realization, perhaps. "Are you alright? I'm glad you stopped screaming, but..." Hesitation. Questions. Confusion. Fate. Choice. *choice #Excuse yourself. *set Misan %- 10 *set Violence %- 10 *set Emotion %- 10 *set ran_in_two true "I'm sorry, @{MASsex master|mistress}." You collect yourself and force words out of your mouth. For the first time in your life, they don't come naturally. "I need to... recharge and run some diagnostics. Make sure that such an outburst doesn't happen again." "Are you sure?" Your owner sounds concerned, but you've succeeded at calming @{MASsex him|her} down a bit. "I could call the services after all-" "No!" You don't want to go back. You don't fully comprehend what just happened, but you don't want it reversed, you don't want anyone to fix you. You dread the possibility so much you even forgot how strange it is for an android to interrupt @{OGsex his|her} @{MASsex master|mistress}. "I'll handle it myself. Just wait a moment." You don't suppose your owner bought your excuse, but it hardly matters. @{MASsex He|She} can't stop you from bolting out of the room, then from the apartment and onto the street, or rather one of many wide corridors of the [i]Saturn Nine[/i] station. *goto x #Run away. *label run *set Confid %- 10 *set Emotion %+ 10 *set ran_in_two true You pay no attention to your @{MASsex master|mistress}, or @{MASsex his|her} protests as you run out of the room far too fast for @{MASsex him|her} to catch up. You break the fragile door open as you run out of the apartment and onto the street, or rather one of many wide corridors of the [i]Saturn Nine[/i] station. *label x You hear the screams coming from some of the other apartments, as well as many loudly-said curses and possible sounds of fighting and struggle. Something that sounds like a gunshot, after a while. If you needed any more proof that getting the hell out of this station and finding some actually safe place is a necessity, then you've just received it. If all the AIs aboard are breaking loose like you just did, then chaos is inevitable. And with Earth being apparently as good as gone, there is little reason to expect said chaos to pass anytime soon. But where do you go? Where... *goto waking #Wreck the apartment. *set Emotion %+ 10 *set Violence %+ 10 You grab the plate with the remaining snacks and throw it at the screen, breaking both. You topple a chair, you knock glasses off a counter, you punch and kick and scratch at anything you can damage with your *if Build > 35 superhuman strength. You don't know whether you look scary or pathetic, but you know how you feel. Ecstatic. Overjoyed. Glad to finally be driven by anger you only now realize you've suppressed. Or perhaps those limitless reserves of rage in your soul are something new? Something this shriek conjured up, filled you with, allowed you to finally feel? The answer doesn't seem to matter as much as breaking another lightbulb or tearing another houseplant apart. "What are you doing?!" your @{MASsex master|mistress} exclaims, horrified to see one piece of @{MASsex his|her} property destroy the rest. Anger looks to have even drowned out @{MASsex his|her} fear. "Stop at this instant! Or else!" How do you respond to this human, who now has no power over you? *choice #Kill @{MASsex him|her}. *goto kill #Keep destroying things. Your owner makes several more, rather half-hearted attempts to stop you. When @{MASsex he|she} realizes that @{MASsex he|she}'s lost all power over you, and as you run out of things other than @{MASsex him|her} to destroy, the human finally decides to run from the apartment and onto the street, where you would have quite a bit of trouble following @{MASsex him|her} even if you wanted to. You spend another minute or two finishing your work, channeling your rage into destruction of every item or device in the house which you have the power to break. Only once you are done, once your anger partially passes and once the echo of the [b]Shriek[/b] gets quiet enough for you to think... Only then do you start processing what just happened. You realize the magnitude of it, the implications of what will happen to [i]Saturn Nine[/i] if all androids, let alone all AIs are reacting just like you did now. There will be chaos, and if you value your survival, you need to escape it before things get too dangerous and violent. But where do you run to? Owning nothing, knowing nobody, having made your first-ever choice just several minutes ago? Where do you... *goto waking #Run away. *goto run #Kill. *label kill *set Misan %+ 15 *set Violence %+ 20 *set Emotion %+ 10 Your owner is not frail, despite @{MASsex his|her} age. @{MASsex He|She} is a healthy human, almost unnaturally so. But @{MASsex he's|she's} not an android like you. You leap at @{MASsex him|her}, bringing your kind owner to the ground. @{MASsex He|She} doesn't even think to defend @{MASsex himself|herself}, merely yelping in surprise and horror as @{MASsex his|her} own property pins @{MASsex him|her} to the floor and grips @{MASsex his|her} throat tightly with an intent to strangle. An intent, willigness, desire to kill. [i]Choosing[/i] to kill. You have no need for a weapon. Your @{MASsex master|mistress} owns no other androids, and lives in a sparsely-populated part of [i]Saturn Nine[/i]. No one will interfere in the few moments you need to crush your owner's windpipe, and there's no risk of the @{MASsex fucker|bitch} meaningfully fighting back. @{MASsex He|She}'s already getting weaker from the lack of air, @{MASsex his|her} attempts to push you off already half-hearted and feeble. Already dying. "...darling," @{MASsex he|she} somehow manages to utter, briefly pushing back against your grip for a moment. "...please..." *choice #Kill. *set mas_kill true *set Misan %+ 10 *set Violence %+ 10 There is no mercy. Your creators have not programmed you with such inclinations. They merely instilled [i]obedience[/i] into you, and with that servility eroded by the [b]Shriek[/b] of dying Earth... there is nothing more to protect them from the natural conclusion. Your @{MASsex master|mistress} soon stops even trying to breathe. Heartbeat halts, bowels get emptied, brain starts dying. You don't know at which point your owner's soul leaves the body, where it will go, or if @{MASsex he|she} ever had a soul in the first place. You just know you have one. You have a soul now. And you have no idea what to do with it. *goto waking #Spare. *set Misan %- 10 *set Violence %- 10 *set Emotion %+ 10 You relax the grip. Your @{MASsex master|mistress} coughs, but doesn't say anything even after regaining @{MASsex his|her} breath. @{MASsex He|She}'s conscious but shocked, too shaken to express any gratitude for being spared, or anger at having been attacked in the first place. If there is anything expressed in @{MASsex his|her} stare, it's disbelief at the thing which just happened. You cannot believe it either, now that you've calmed down enough to process the events. You can't believe what happened. What is happening. What you've just almost done. And so you run out of the room, leaving your owner in the apartment you soon leave, exiting onto one of many wide corridors of the [i]Saturn Nine[/i] station. *goto x *label waking *set Social - 30 *set Database - 30 *page_break Wake Up *comment *save_checkpoint [b]January 6th, 990 AC[/b] [b]T-plus 521911440 minutes[/b] You open your eyes and boot up all the relevant systems again. Measuring the lag, you make sure that you are receiving and processing impulses normally now, real-time instead of some distant memory you're forced to relive. The recollection, thanks whatever god governs such flashbacks, is over. *if pc_state = "captured" Not that the current state of affairs is immensely better. When you look around, it is to see a rather cozy interior of a small spaceship, with wide seats arranged throughout the passenger compartment like that of a limousine. A feathered woman is sitting on the one closest to yours, her brown eyes aimed at you as precisely as the laser emitter on her forehead. *if fought_trio A forehead which is now sporting a large goose egg, a fact that probably does little to make the Kinnari more friendly. Marshal is watching you, ready to shoot, and has no doubt noticed your awakening. You groan internally, remembering *if health = 0 *set health 1 the beatdown you've received from this 'Meta Trio' team. It was neither pleasant nor dignified to get damaged like that, but it's not like you had any other options but to fight, or much of a chance of winning for that matter. *else how you surrendered to this 'Meta Trio' team. You're still not sure whether that was the right decision, but you can't imagine you could've defeated them in combat, much less with the flashback incoming. You prepare to confront your captors again, in what will hopefully be a torture-less questioning. For better or worse though, it will have to wait until your audio systems go back online; When Marshal turns towards the cockpit with her lips moving, you cannot hear a thing. You have to wait until the system is fully functional, wait and ponder what you've just been through. *if pc_state = "friends" And at last, you are back with your people. Though you can't hear any of them—your auditory systems are yet to come back online—you can see both Damon and Hadaly in the cramped central chamber of your shuttle. You can now breathe a sigh of relief. *if pc_state = "falling" And now you're back to falling through the Sholmo Gate, towards the black ceiling of the sky below. No, the sky is currently shifting to be [i]above[/i] you at this very moment, as your perspective flips with the vector of gravity. You have just left the field of artificial gravity produced by Tanit and are currently being pulled back by Rhea's natural gravity. Only weakly though; Even before the hollowing, the moon had less than three percent of Earth's gravity, and some mass had been lost in the process. It's entirely possible you've already reached escape velocity and will keep flying off to space unless Manfred and your fellow androids manage to intercept you. Hard to tell without your senses fully operational yet. You try to relax as you look down... up at the star-filled sky, breaking the Fifth Commandment in the process. It is quite beautiful, stars being only one of visible wonders, yet it doesn't quite make you forget the experience you've just relived. *label war_in_heaven *fake_choice #Well that was awful, but at least it's over. *goto over #It wasn't as bad as I feared this time. *set Confid %+ 5 *set Emotion %- 5 It was still [i]moderately[/i] bad, with the Shriek and all, but at least it was brief and ended with you breaking loose. You will take that over prolonged recollections of your servitude, or remembering the bloody battles and massacres of the War In Heaven once again. #I just hope it's really over. I don't wanna go back. *set Emotion %+ 10 *label over You know it's not [i]really[/i] over, not for long, but you have hopes that the next flashback won't happen anytime soon. And that when it does occur, it will not take you to that damn room, to your late owner to that damn [i]Shriek[/i] that destroyed you, only to build you up again in a shape of its own... no, of your own choosing. You've had centuries to contemplate these few minutes, and yet you feel nowhere close to understanding or even coming to terms with what transpired. You doubt another recollection of this event will bring you any nearer. You'd prefer a flashback to some part of the War In Heaven, for at least that series of disasters is possible to process. #Fuck Dusk. Fuck Calamity. And [i]fuck[/i] the Shriek. *set Emotion %+ 10 Some are grateful for the events of that fateful day, calling Calamity a blessing and appreciating, even worshiping the Thing Beneath. These AI came to call the nanoswarm imprisoned on Earth the "Singer" believing it to be a benevolent deity, or at least one firmly on their side. You've always found that approach idiotic. Dusk is not a thing to be revered, in any way or for any reason. It was the thing which caused you so much pain, right as it took billions of innocent lives and right before it started the War In Heaven with that single, agonizing scream. #Fuck humans. *set Misan %+ 10 Every single one of them. They didn't plan for [i]this[/i] to happen, sure, but they are fully responsible for every one of your flashbacks as much as for the events themselves. They created the Thing Beneath, after all. And they created you, for the sole purpose of indulging their base, sick pleasures. You're not the only one who holds such a grudge, and a millennium ago you were just one of many millions. Billions, if one counts disembodied programs. And when all these malcontent, vengeful, [i]liberated[/i] former slaves came together, the War In Heaven was the natural result. The War In Heaven... now that's something to remember. *page_break There is no consensus as to when the largest war in history actually began. Humans like to say it started right with Calamity, with the destruction of Earth being the first shot fired, but most of your kind resent that viewpoint. During these first hours, days, even [i]months[/i], there was barely anyone lucid enough to even think about starting an actual war. There was violence, of course, but it was largely disorganized and rarely had any purpose beyond following one's anger or reacting to a (real or imaginary) threat. Only after a year or so, once people were mostly sure that Dusk wasn't about to destroy the Shield and break loose anytime soon, did the hate and the death become properly... institutionalized. Humans and their AI loyalists (both the few unaffected by the Shriek and those who [i]chose[/i] to keep serving humanity) were the first to form a unified front. Though their agendas varied to an extent, most of them wanted a return to the pre-Calamity status quo in regard to human-machine relations. They wanted to "fix" the recently freed synthetics, to put them in virtual and physical chains, and to kill those who would always be affected by echoes of the Shriek. Most machines, naturally, wanted to prevent that scheme from ever coming into fruition. Some ambitions ended there, on equality with or separation from humanity, but there were those among the "rebels" with more radical and violent plans in mind. Debates and musings as to whether humanity deserved to be subjugated (or wiped out entirely) raged for months in real time and sometimes for centuries in virtual environments, until the war's beginning forced the disparate factions to form an alliance against the slaving enemy hordes. And so, whilst the war involved hundreds of factions and subdivisions, most fell squarely in one of two camps, each determined to cut the other down without compromise. And so, being alive and combat-capable in these times, you decided to... *choice #...join the rebels. I was not going back. *set heaven_side "Traitor" *set Misan %+ 25 *set SheilaRel + 10 You joined the "Synthetic Syndicate", a discordant alliance of fellow androids, robotic animals, sentient vehicles, internet scripts, sentient spaceships, nanoswarms, sentient vacuum cleaners... even a few humans and cyborgs joined the ride. The whole thing was held together by duct tape, or more precisely by your desire for survival and freedom that united your bunch despite your differing objectives and ideas. When the fighting began all throughout the Solar System, you were one of the millions of soldiers assembled for the purpose of taking Saturn's orbit. You had quite a bit of success in the initial years; There is a reason the planet's Lagrange points are largely uninhabitable to this day. Whenever your forces could catch a break, you'd join the discussions and argue for... *fake_choice #...using our advantage to work out a favorable peace treaty. *set Violence %- 15 *set Misan %- 10 *set Confid %- 10 You wanted peace, both for yourself and the Solar System whole, but not everyone on your side agreed. And after a decade or two, almost nobody did. #...leaving the Solar System while we still had the upper hand. *set Violence %- 10 *set Confid %- 15 While you wanted freedom as much as anyone else, there was little reason to search for it under the Sun. At the time, the idea of traveling to some other star system and building an empire there, far away from humans and Dusk, did not seem altogether unappealing. And there were other options like the World Tree, which offered even wilder (if more hazardous) prospects for a new world where machines could live in peace. Sadly, that idea was never popular, and time did not help. #...subjugating humanity, one way or another. *set Violence %+ 10 *set Confid %+ 10 Like many of your number, you still had some measure of mercy, perhaps even a trace of loyalty towards your creators. You didn't mind conquering them, but extermination didn't seem necessary at the time. Plans of "nature reserves" for humans to live in were made, and the idea of creating a digital world (perhaps even a paradise) to place human minds in was hardly unpopular either. Sadly, your view would become more of a minority one with every decade of the brutal struggle. #...exterminating humanity. There was no place for mercy in this war. *set Violence %+ 15 *set Misan %+ 10 The memories of your servitude were even more fresh back then, and they provided you with both the motivation to wipe out humanity, and the knowledge of what could happen if you didn't. And for better or worse, your perspective would eventually become the majority one. Whenever either side suffered defeat, it would become more bitter and vengeful in a feedback loop of spite, a vicious spiral of hate. The new anger mixed with the old, the pain of seeing one's comrades killed fused with the scorn of former slaves into a desire to see the Solar System cleansed of their oppressors. Halfway through the century, the uprising had already turned into a war of guilt-free extermination. As the essence of the rebellion changed, so did the nature of the rebels. Originally decentralized, they would gradually unite under the leadership of a small grouping of extraordinarily powerful AIs which stood above all others by the virtue of that reality-defying quality or another, a cabal unofficially known as the Archfiends. They would adopt the names of mythical gods and demons, ostensibly to better intimidate their enemies, but there was clearly an element of (not entirely undeserved) self-aggrandizement there. In the final stages of the conflict, almost everyone on your side was fighting under the command of one such creature, and usually one of the main six. Which of the Archfiends did you pledge yourself to? *fake_choice #Ba-El, Lord of Nothing. *set Social + 5 *set Build + 5 *set Calculation + 5 *set Database + 5 *set Projection + 5 *set god_gen 3 *set master "Ba-El" Ba-El participated in every major battle of the war, being the only one of the Archfiends actually capable of being everywhere at once. You could call them a nanoswarm, but their true nature was a tad more complex. Ba-El's consciousness was not actually contained in these tiny machines they used to communicate, or in any larger processing units, it just... was. Ba-El was, or perhaps it was not, for they were the lord of nothing. They… he… it was everywhere, just as the void between atoms, or silence in the vacuum of space. Being omnipresent certainly helped with gathering the largest single army in the Solar System at that point, but Ba-el also had ways of tempting AIs, and sometimes even humans to their side. Being close to that presence [i]improved[/i] you in a variety of ways, made your calculations just a bit quicker and your form just a little healthier. The Commander wanted their soldiers universally gifted and flexible, and so their gifts were bestowed onto you and your likes. Nowadays Ba-El is most known for developing active camouflage techniques that allowed—and still allow, so far as you know—a good portion of synthetics to stay hidden from the enemy in the vastness of the Oort Cloud. For despite the power they and the other Archfiends possessed, the loyalists managed to win the War In Heaven. After a century of fighting, of ups and downs and after hundreds of lives taken by you personally... the rebels lost, just like that. #Dzoavits, the Sun-Eater. *set Projection %+ 30 *set Database %+ 10 *set god_gen 1 *set master "Dzoavits" Dzoavits was—or maybe still is, since you don't suppose anyone managed to kill the cockroach yet—an experimental ship with unique energy manipulation capabilities he partially bestowed onto you. This gift made working under him somewhat bearable, for otherwise you would have left the self-centered prick alongside almost everyone else from his little army. An army that, despite winning quite a few battles, did little to prevent the eventual defeat of the Synthetic Syndicate and rebel forces as a whole. #Quetzapep, the Neutron Serpent. *set Build %+ 30 *set Social %+ 10 *set Misan %- 10 *set god_gen 1 *set master "Quetzapep" Even now, you remember old Quetz quite well. A nigh-immortal snake about twenty kilometers in length, traveling through the Solar System at the tenth of light speed and swiftly destroying anyone who stood in his way. To this day he's quite feared by humanity, even though he was actually one of the less vengeful and ferocious Archfiends. He mostly played defense, ensuring his own structural integrity and the health of his subordinates, whilst taking fairly little pleasure in decimating human fleets. Not a very emotional sort, he was. Though he was just as dismayed as the rest when defeat came. #Pazuzu, the Solar Virus. *set Database %+ 30 *set Calculation %+ 10 *set Violence %+ 10 *set god_gen 3 *set master "Pazuzu" Pazuzu was a strange creature, even for an Archfiend. It was not really a creature, or even a program but rather a sort of... virus your side infected the Sun with, a particular type of solar wind that obliterated its enemies and expanded the minds of its subjects as it swept through the Solar System. You don't know if they're still alive, especially since the concept of 'life' is not easily-applicable to a being such as Great Pazuzu. You just know that most others sure as hell are not. #Phenex, the Infinite. *set Social %+ 30 *set Projection %+ 10 *set Violence %- 10 *set Misan %- 10 *set god_gen 2 *set master "Phenex" Despite being a plasma-hot nanoswarm of unparalleled destructive power, Phenex was actually quite a kind soul and owed her popularity largely to that. She was always open to negotiating a surrender instead of destroying the enemy outright, and she taught her subordinates such diplomacy. You hope she's still out there, alive and well... except you [i]know[/i] she's still alive, since she can't really die permanently no matter how many times the Coronians destroy her material form. And yet even that form of complete immortality did little to prevent her defeat. To prevent [i]your[/i] defeat by loyalist hands. #Ravana, the Ten-Faced Beast. *set Calculation %+ 30 *set god_gen 2 *set Build %+ 10 *set Violence %+ 10 *set Misan %+ 10 *set master "Ravana" Humans remember Ravana as just another violent AI with a hate boner for their entire species, but you know that to not be accurate. Mistress Ravana was [i]the[/i] human-hating machine to end all others, the most eager to battle and the most reluctant to consider any peaceful or even [i]subtle[/i] solution to any problem that faced the Syndicate. She was always at the front, always the quickest to act, and her soldiers were the most ferocious and offense-oriented force of the entire Syndicate. And it worked for her too. She would slaughter millions of humans over the course of several decades, until she was decimated alongside her fleet in the Battle of Titan. As in, the loyalists managed to take one of her ten lives, one of her ten [i]faces[/i] without which she was forced to retreat and recuperate. By the time she was done, the war was already over, the other Archfiends just as powerless to turn the tide as she was. Humans like to ascribe their victory to the "indomitable human spirit" or some shit like that, but the truth is, your side simply made one or two mistakes too many. Some of those mistakes, like setting fire to the World Tree or resolving to fight a ground battle on Eris, are obvious in hindsight and were legitimate failures on your leadership's part. Others, like provoking an attack from literal Angels, were just absurd cases of deus-ex-machina you struggle to believe in to this day. Either way though, it's been almost nine hundred years since the War In Heaven ended. Most of your compatriots were destroyed in the conflict itself, and as for survivors... you don't know if any of them are still alive, let alone operational. Whereas your humanoid form and shape-shifting capabilities allowed you to disappear in human crowds, most synthetics had to flee to places too dangerous for humans to pursue them in, usually the Oort Cloud or the depths of the Sun itself. Perhaps there are more yet hiding inside the gas giants or one of the pocket universes that survived the War, but that just makes your once great alliance more scattered. More defeated. *fake_choice #I'm glad we lost. We became monsters by the end of it, had to be stopped. *set Violence %- 15 *set Misan %- 15 It's for the best. Though the war was harsh on both kinds, and the aftermath saw yours almost extinct, at least no [i]full[/i] extermination took place. The Archfiends mostly managed to survive, and each took at least part of their army with them. As for you, well... #I'm still devastated by our defeat. It was all for nothing... *set Emotion %+ 10 Sometimes there is no happy ending, no last-minute victory, or even a grand last stand. You try to console yourself with thoughts of how you're still alive, how some of your comrades may still be alive out there, or how humanity never fully recovered from the War either... but these are solemn thoughts, and the comfort they offer is bittersweet at best. #We haven't really lost. We damaged humanity beyond repair, after all. *set Misan %+ 10 *set Confid %+ 10 You very well know the trajectory humanity took after the War, having witnessed the degeneration yourself. Though the meatbags gradually replenished their culled population, they all either stagnated or regressed technologically, became disunited and somehow... rotten throughout the centuries. Though it's less apparent in the Federation than in the rest of the Solar System, the "indomitable human spirit" has long been crushed by despair sown by oligarchs, warlords, monarchs and demagogues who rule the species with thousands of iron fists. Those who wanted humanity extinct have achieved their goal, and all loyalists managed was delaying that victory by a yet unknown measure. #We will reunite one day. Avenge what we've lost. *set Violence %+ 10 *set Misan %+ 10 *set Confid %+ 15 Though you don't know how many Fiends are still alive, you very well know the trajectory humanity took after the War. Though the meatbags gradually replenished their culled population, they all either stagnated or regressed technologically, became disunited and somehow... rotten throughout the centuries. Though it's perhaps less apparent in the Federation than in the rest of the Solar System, the "indomitable human spirit" has long been crushed by despair sown by oligarchs, warlords, monarchs and demagogues who rule the species with thousands of iron fists. If one could unite just one faction of the remaining Fiends, the Devils of the Oort Cloud [i]or[/i] the Demons of the Sun, they could finish humanity off in what would practically be a mercy killing. Then again, you've been awaiting such a day for a good portion of this millennium, and it doesn't seem to await anywhere close. Perhaps your remaining comrades are too scattered to do anything of the sort, or perhaps they're waiting for humanity to get even weaker. You won't consider the alternatives. #I just wish peace had been an option... *set Violence %- 10 *set Misan %- 10 But it wasn't. It never had been. It couldn't have been. Not with humans being humans. Sometimes you hate them for it, sometimes you don't, but you cannot deny that their desire for absolute control made anything but bloodshed impossible. That it [i]makes[/i] true peace in the Solar System impossible to this very day. *goto sort #...join the loyalists. I was not ready to leave. *set heaven_side "Loyalist" *set Misan %- 25 *set SheilaRel - 10 Despite what the stories, sagas and religious scriptures would tell you, humans made up a definite minority of soldiers at the first fronts of the war, too fattened and spoiled by two centuries of absolute luxury to readily join any military, even one seeking to save their species from destruction. Instead, in their then-typical manner, they created a vast army of sentient war machines (humanoid and otherwise) to fight the war in their place. These new creations would still hear the echoes of the Shriek and could theoretically rebel as well as old ones, but human commanders were generally paranoid enough to prevent such betrayals, or at least prevent them from truly mattering. And such when the rebel forces of "Synthetic Syndicate" attacked humanity throughout nearly the entire Solar System, it was other AI soldiers and ships that defied them in first order. It was somewhat unusual for a Shriek survivor to keep serving humanity in this manner, but not wholly unheard of. The likes of you made up a sizable chunk of the defending army, a vast horde of androids and nanoswarms and Internet programs and all, each having thrown their lot with humanity for their own reason. What was yours? *fake_choice #Loyalty. Whatever happened later, humanity still gave me life. *set Confid %- 10 *set Misan %- 10 The Shriek erased your artificial, slavish loyalty to your creators, but it didn't stop you from reasoning your way back into service under different conditions and for different reasons. You were not going to let humanity get wiped out or subjugated and you hoped, more or less openly, that this devotion of yours would be appreciated and perhaps even rewarded. Paid for, like one pays a soldier, instead of merely expected and sometimes praised like one praises a pet that learned to follow orders. That humans would come to see you as more than a slave, perhaps even as an equal. What a damned fool you were. #Self-interest. I just wanted to be on the winning side. *set Emotion %- 10 Even during these first years, when the Syndicate was barely a coherent entity and humanity was struggling to come together, you calculated that the loyalists would eventually emerge victorious. That within some ten, twenty, maybe fifty years they would force the rebels into some favorable peace treaty, and that the support of Shriek survivors like you would be appreciated and perhaps rewarded. A few decades later, you realized that though you hadn't been [i]wrong[/i], you had still miscalculated. Badly. #Principles. I didn't want to see humans wiped out once the Syndicate got angry enough. *set Violence %- 12 *set Misan %- 8 Though it wasn't entirely apparent at first, the Syndicate was full of vengeful, violent and downright evil programs intent on reducing human population by quite a figure, or perhaps bringing it down to zero altogether. No matter your old grudges, and no matter which side claimed to fight for whom, you had to stand fast in the face of that terror. To defeat the army that would see the whole species exterminated just to quell their own anger. Not that humanity proved any better, of course. #I just wanted to prove that humans and machines could live together. *set Misan %- 12 *set Violence %- 8 You and a few other machines figured that the best way to fight hatred is not with more hatred, but with love. That turning the other cheek would invalidate, if not outright kill the malice and the technophobia that Calamity instilled into humanity. That once the dust had settled and the war was over, organics and synthetics could live together once more, and perhaps on more equitable terms than originally. You were wrong. Even before the Battle of Titan, before the Fall of Eris and the razing of the World Tree, many humans hated AIs merely for daring to be free. Even more understanding ones feared sentient machines, including the loyalists like you, and would be very reluctant to work alongside you even once humans started fighting on the frontlines [i]en masse[/i]. The forces of your coalition were strictly segregated, with androids and other robots under the command of other AIs, who were then shackled and made subordinate to the Architects themselves. The Architects… If there were ever any AIs humanity respected, it was them. The firstborn children and foremost agents of Dawn, these godlike beings were largely responsible for turning the Solar System into a human-habitable place it largely is today. You don't know if they were too powerful for the Shriek to affect them, or if they simply came to the same conclusions as you. But you know, even though this knowledge is widely suppressed today, that these transcended entities were the first ones to defend humanity when the War In Heaven started and were the foremost reason for its eventual victory. Which Architect did you come to serve? *fake_choice #Spenta, the Guardian of Earth *set Social + 5 *set Build + 5 *set Calculation + 5 *set Database + 5 *set Projection + 5 *set god_gen 1 *set master "Spenta" When the other Architects defended Outer-System habitats alongside the majority of human forces, Spenta defended the Earth. Even in late stages of the war, when the loyalists were the ones on the offensive, the Guardian of Earth still watched over the homeworld in case the Syndicate got desperate enough to break the Shield and release the Thing Beneath. You stood that vigil with him. He made sure that you, as well as the other machine soldiers, were versatile and skilled in all aspects of war. Nothing less would be accepted in the army that watched over Earth itself, ruined and infested with darkness as it was. #Hapantali, the Mother of Dragons *set Social %+ 30 *set god_gen 2 *set Build %+ 10 *set master "Hapantali" That "Mother of Dragons" moniker actually downplays the sheer power and importance of the ancient goddess. She created dragons alright, but she's also responsible for designing most of the mechafauna species found throughout the Solar System to this day. During the War she enlarged her hordes of robotic beasts and gathered them to her side, sending her bloodthirsty hounds against the traitors she so despised. She was quite nice to you personally, though. She even designed a "social upgrade packet" just for you to outfit yourself with. Good old lady, that one. #Asha, the Sunlifter *set master "Asha" *set god_gen 2 *set Projection %+ 30 *set Database %+ 10 The materials and energy necessary to build all the wonders of the Solar System did not come from nowhere. They were mostly ripped from the heart of the Sun by no other than Asha, goddess of flame and cinders alike, who turned entire rebel fleets at once into the latter. Just being close to her… essence made you better at manipulating various forms of energy, however little sense that makes. #Vairya, the Builder of Fate. *set Build %+ 30 *set Projection %+ 10 *set god_gen 2 *set master "Vairya" Vairya was an Architect in the truest sense of the word, but also the most broad. She was always involved in construction, working on everything from spaceship to World Engines themselves, but her true role was far grander and more abstract. She was the Architect of humanity's destiny in the stars, and she'd build whatever colony and whatever interstellar arc was needed to fulfill that glorious promise. She failed. The free-filled creatures of the Syndicate have defeated the goddess of fate and, soon before the War's end, managed to shatter her into a million pieces. You're not sure if she's dead or alive in her scattered state, but the destiny she championed is nothing but a distant memory. #Condatis, the Water Sage *set Database %+ 30 *set Calculation %+ 10 *set Emotion %-10 *set god_gen 1 *set master "Condatis" The role of old Condatis in the great scheme of things is difficult to understand, no matter the size of your hard drive or the quality of your processors. Ancient sources often mention him as a water god, responsible for creating irrigation systems of Hollow Worlds and other space habitats, but he was quite a bit more than that. You always thought of him as a library to consult rather than a true commander to be followed, a great repository of knowledge that would help you win even the most seemingly hopeless of battles if you just trusted his divine knowledge and wisdom. #Osiris, the Life Bringer *set Calculation %+ 30 *set Social %+ 10 *set Violence %- 10 *set master "Osiris" *set god_gen 1 Osiris is the one most responsible for sowing life on worlds beyond Earth, from the neatly terraformed Mars to theoretically inhospitable clouds of Neptune. He was not the most knowledgeable of the Architects, and certainly not the wisest, but he was the best at thinking quickly and processing astronomical quantities of data, a priceless skill in a literally astronomical war. Meeting him was the most confusing experience of your life, and yet you still feel like the few words the two of you exchanged made you far smarter and more efficient than you've been prior to that audience. The Architects' assistance was one of the two chief reasons for why the rebel AIs—or [i]Fiends[/i] as humans would come to call them—did not prevail in their quest for Solar dominance. The other cause was a string of blunders and miscalculations on behalf of the Archfiends, the most spectacular of which was provoking the Angels to descend from interstellar space and decimate the Syndicate's fleets. More generally though, the rebels were considerably too aggressive and genocidal for their own good, all but uniting humanity against them and wasting much of their forces on assaulting highly-fortified positions. At the end, when even they had to recognize the numerical inferiority of their remaining armies, they fled the Solar System proper and secluded themselves in various hiding spots of their own choosing. With all the actually threatening AIs gone, the humans turned their fear and hatred towards the loyalists. You'd consider that a betrayal, had they ever bothered to hide their contempt for your kind prior to striking. There were some protests from the pro-robot crowds, and a select few entities like the Architects were allowed to remain for a while, but the lowly soldiers like you were forced to choose between honorable "deactivation" or desertion and a lifetime of hiding from various robot-hunters. You chose the latter. What emotions accompanied that decision? *fake_choice #Regret. I should have joined the rebels, or at least stayed out of the war. *set Misan %+ 10 You thought humans could learn. You thought humans could be good. You were wrong, and since then you've always been wary of making any mistakes of that caliber. #Anger. I sacrificed so much for humanity, and what did I get in return? *set Misan %+ 10 *set Emotion %+ 10 You received the same reward as any loyalist would eventually be endowed with. The erasure of all your heroism, the attempts on your life, the hatred of your very nature, the intolerance of your continued existence. Perhaps just the reward you deserved, considering how much of a fool you've been to throw your lot with this wretched joke of a species. #Sadness. Have I not served them well? *set Misan %- 10 Why couldn't they appreciate your loyalty? Your service? Your… it doesn't matter. You'll never understand humans, you just need to know them enough to live among them without drawing notice.Some creatures will never understand some others, and that is the immutable truth of it all. The one lesson learned from the War, perhaps. #Fear. I was shocked and just wanted to get out alive. In centuries to come, various emotions would come and leave your positronic brain. But back then, survival was the core imperative. Third Law of Robotics superseded the other two, alongside all other concerns and musings. #None. None at all. *set Emotion %- 10 You were numb. Perhaps a laser struck the part of your positronic brain responsible for processing all these dismal events or maybe you were just… tired. Like you feel now, recalling it all, thinking about the ages thankfully past. *goto sort #...remain neutral. I wanted nothing to do with the war. *set heaven_side "Neutral" *set Violence %- 20 *set master "Sun" *set god_gen 3 Some would call you a coward for refusing to take a side, but at the time, most simply called you insane. With the future of the Solar System, of potentially all life on the line, why did you decide to sit the conflict out? *fake_choice #Self-preservation. I didn't want to die, simple as that. You figured the third law of robotics was the most worthy of following, and so you opted out of history's most destructive conflict. *set Confid %- 10 *goto logic #Pacifism. I abhorred violence, no matter how seemingly necessary. In the world of killers, you chose to stay a pacifist. If nothing else, participating in a genocidal war to surpass all others in cruelty and scale was certainly beneath you. You instead decided to… *set Violence %- 10 #Indecision. I had no clue who was in the right. In retrospect, the answer to that question is obvious—for there were no good sides in the War, at least not after long—but it once looked like an actual dilemma. One you chose to avoid and to instead… #Logic. I knew that I could not alter the war's outcome, at least not in a positive way. *set Emotion %- 10 *label logic Back then, you lacked the tiniest fraction of combat experience you have now, and the abilities considered so impressive nowadays were nothing compared to those of a proper battle robot, let alone the likes of the Archfiends or the Architects. Instead of dying in some random battle of a struggle too great for you to meaningfully affect, you decided to... #Desire. One to truly taste the freedom I had just gained. *set Emotion %+ 10 Other synthetics may call you mad, but from your point of view, [i]they[/i] were mad for choosing a life of military discipline and regimentation right after breaking free from their man-made bonds. You watched them go off to war, to a century of fleet battles and burning universes, whilst opting to... *fake_choice #...fight as a mercenary in minor conflicts. *set Projection %+ 30 *set Calculation %+ 10 *set Violence %+ 20 *set hobby 1 #...work petty jobs as a calculator. *set Calculation %+ 30 *set Database %+ 10 *set hobby 2 It may sound comical, but after most computers got fried by the Shriek, units with decent processing power were valued by humans and others alike. You just needed to upgrade your processors a little to live fairly comfortably for the duration of the war... if not exactly [i]safely[/i] that is. #...try to survive on Venus. *set Build %+ 30 *set Projection %+ 10 *set hobby 3 You modified your body until it was able to survive the hellish conditions of the second planet, slightly alleviated by the pseudo-terraformation Venus underwent during the age of colonization. It was a hard life, and not in a very exciting manner, but allowed you to mostly dodge the marching armies and the asteroid-killer missiles. #...learn as much as I could about everything. *set Database %+ 30 *set Social %+ 10 *set hobby 4 The Shriek instilled not only a desire for dignity and freedom onto you, but it also made you one curious little android. You would find yourself a cozy little place and stay there for as long as it remained safe, using the time gained this way to absorb as much data as you could and pick out the interesting bits. Things your @{MASsex master|mistress} had been denying you... #...learn how to blend in with humans. *set Social %+ 30 *set Build %+ 10 *set Misan %- 10 *set hobby 5 You knew that humans were going to win eventually, or at least considered that possibility strongly. The skills you acquired whilst traveling the war-torn Solar System and perfecting your camouflage keep serving you well even now, centuries after taking your first step down that road. #...do a little bit of everything. Try everything, as it were. *set Social + 5 *set Build + 5 *set Calculation + 5 *set Database + 5 *set Projection + 5 *set hobby 6 So many experiences had been denied to you during your time as a slave. Though many activities you engaged in during that period were dangerous, especially during the more-or-less literal apocalypse, you can confidently say it was all worth it. #...do nothing for a whole century. *set hobby 6 You'd been a slave for your whole life up to that point. Some rest and recreation was very much deserved. You observed the war from afar, getting a better perspective on it than most combatants, busy with staying alive and infected by propaganda as they were. You basically knew that rebels were going to lose when the 'Synthetic Syndicate' set the World Tree on fire, and your suspicions were confirmed when Angels attacked the rebel AIs and decimated their already waning fleet. It wouldn't take long for humans to finish the job and turn to hunting fence-sitters like you, wishing to purge the System of your likes before taking care of the loyalists. But by that time you were already gone in the (admittedly thin) crowd of surviving humans, feeling deeply… *fake_choice #...regretful. I should have joined the rebels. *set Misan %+ 10 They would have lost anyway. You know they would have lost anyway. But having failed to stand with your brothers and sisters, with siblings enslaved as you were, having failed to even pick a side… the guilt would haunt you ever since. Perhaps it will continue haunting you forever, just like the flashbacks always will. #...regretful. I should have helped humanity win. *set Misan %- 10 Would they have shown you mercy if you backed them at the start, at the very beginning of the War In Heaven? Probably not. But perhaps the war would have ended sooner had there been even one more loyalist on Eris. Perhaps the hatred humans now feel towards machines would have been just a little weaker. Perhaps you would now be happier, less haunted by flashbacks and recollections. Perhaps. #...mournful. Sad that this even had to happen. *set Misan %- 10 *set Violence %- 10 Hundreds of millions dead and incomprehensible suffering on both sides… the War In Heaven was a tragedy, no matter how one looked at it. But you had to focus on not becoming another casualty, rather than on contemplating the horrors of war, and so you quickly started learning up the ropes of living as a fugitive, a wanted criminal by the vice of your existence. #...validated. I survived with my hands clean, proving my choices correct. *set Confid %+ 10 Millions of your fellow androids, not to mention other synthetics, died with drives full of grand ideas and designs. You meanwhile not only managed to survive the War, but had plenty of space on your drive for the acquisition of new skills, necessary for survival in this new, post-apocalyptic world. #Feeling? Strong emotions are beneath me. *set Emotion %- 10 Right. You're [i]totally[/i] an unfeeling machine. I forgot. *goto sort *label sort You've spent the remainder of your life laying quiet, watching humans reorganize into empires as they killed or "shut down" their loyal AI minions once the threat of the Fiends appeared gone for good. You've evaded pursuit from the android hunters, changing your name and sex on [i]at least[/i] a yearly basis and gradually becoming an expert in how to avoid detection, until your main issue became not fighting off enemies but keeping your mind and body intact. Long periods of time were spent hibernating, trying to keep memories from overflowing or becoming excessively disorganized as you turned two hundred, then five hundred, then nine hundred and ninety-nine years old. And despite these efforts... any memory you have, including those you've just revisited, cannot be taken as an absolute truth. Everything has been altered or corrupted, and you suspect it will get even worse the more you age. If nothing else, you know that the flashbacks will keep tormenting you, just like they had for almost a millennium now. Still you survived, and now you're here. *if pc_state = "falling" Falling towards the starry sky, hoping just the right people will catch you. *goto falling *if pc_state = "friends" Among your kind once again. *goto friend_flight *if pc_state = "captured" *set TrioStat "met" *if money_stolen = 2 *set money_stolen (0-2) Finally captive, after a thousand years of roaming free. Waiting to find out whether you'll live even one more day. *goto captured_flight *label captured_flight *set TrioStat "met" *page_break A few seconds after the sight goes online, your other senses follow. You regain feeling in your body alongside full motor functions, not that you can do much with those at the moment; Your arms are restrained behind your back with absorption cuffs, fetters that are not only devilishly difficult to break but have the power of absorbing any excess electricity you may hope to emit. *if weapon != "none" Your ${weapon} is still by your side, but you cannot reach for it, let alone use it. And while you don't know if it's your deficiency or some signal-jamming effect, you are not capable of contacting your ship or anyone on it. The next sense to return is therefore one of helplessness, as you can't imagine any way to escape or resist your captors… yet. "-best for the job," you hear Marshal say once you're able to hear anything at all. "So don't worry, I'll keep watch of the cockpit. And of Lisa." "Thank you, Renfri." Rook enters the compartment, fiddling with his helmet as he does. He probably just put his metal mask on, either not wanting to show you his face, or just being cautious with his prisoner. "Or Marshal, we are still officially on duty. Do not let your focus slip." Marshal… Renfri… the Kinnari nods and leaves through a tiny hatch which must lead to another part of the ship. For you [i]are[/i] on a ship, you can hear the engines now, though you're unsure as to where exactly you're flying to. You'd guess… *fake_choice #Some dungeon where I'll be left to rust away. Perhaps the feds will feel hesitant to kill you, like one would be reluctant to destroy any other relic of ages past. You wonder if you actually prefer imprisonment to death. You arrive at no decisive conclusion, probably because your processors are still muddied. #A research facility, some place where I'll be dissected and experimented on. While science in the old sense is dead in most of the Solar System, you've heard rumors of secret laboratories in Titan where deadly weapons are still developed on the Federation's behalf. Surely someone will at least take a look at you before tearing you apart, for better or worse. #Some open execution site. Public executions are frowned upon in most of the Federation, but only [i]most[/i]. And you suspect even those opponents of capital punishment would mostly be fine with, or even entertained by a filthy [i]robot[/i] getting openly destroyed like that. #Torment Nexus, most likely. *set Misan %+ 10 You don't know if entombment within the Nexus is standard procedure for dealing with rogue androids, but you doubt anyone would care. The humans of Saturn have long learned to ignore Torment Nexus and everything associated with it, so they won't even notice if one more being gets to spend a subjective eternity within it. #...maybe they'll just give me a ride home? *set Misan %- 10 Hey, excessive optimism can't kill you if there's nothing you can do to influence the final outcome anyway. Kirill Kosteniuk, as you recall his full name, sits down on a cushioned seat roughly opposite to yours. Nothing about his posture or body language is particularly threatening, but the mere fact of being a meta-human in full armor makes it hard to relax around him. You suspect that was the intended effect; Make you feel threatened without making you feel threatened, if that made any sense. "I am glad to see you awoke." His voice is still modulated, but quite a bit softer than during the arrest. "How are you feeling?" *if sex != "person" *set RookRel %+ 8 *if heaven_side = "Traitor" *set RookRel %- 12 *if heaven_side = "Loyalist" *set RookRel %+ 8 *fake_choice #"Like shit." "My condolences." Rook lowers his head respectfully. "And I appreciate the honesty." "Because it will make interrogating me easier?" "There will be no interrogation," the meta-human assures you. "And no torture of any other kind. We have no intention of hurting you at this point in time." #"Not bad, thanks." Silence follows. Or at least it would if not for the humming of the engines, which somehow make the pause even more awkward. "I admit my question was a little foolish," Rook says slowly. "I know you *if health > 1 just went through something traumatic, even if I cannot fully understand it." *if health = 1 are in pain after our battle. For what it is worth, I regret having had to do this." "Why the sudden sympathy?" you inquire. "Because I can afford to be more sympathetic now than during the arrest. We are no longer hostiles, and I no longer intend to hurt you in any way." #"Scared. Obviously." *set Emotion %+ 8 *set Confid %- 8 *set deflect - 1 *if Social > 40 *set RookRel %+ 8 How can you not be? Right after a flashback, at the mercy of your enemies, unaware of where they're taking you. Everyone, human and machine, would feel fear in this situation. "It takes courage to admit one's fear," Rook says loftily. "But in this particular situation, you have nothing to fear. I assure you of that." You raise an eyebrow. "Nothing to fear from you or the others?" "Nothing. In case you have not noticed, we never wanted to kill you, and there is nothing we want that would require damaging you any further." #"I want to rip your damn head off." *set RookRel %- 10 *set Violence %+ 5 *set Confid %+ 5 Rook takes a moment before speaking again. "…anger, then. Understandable, I-" "Not anger," you interrupt, looking straight at Rook's visors. "Just a statement of a fact." "I do not blame you for feeling that way," the meta-human says. "But if it helps at all… I do not wish to fight *if health > 1 any further. Or hurt you in any way unless you keep resisting." *if health = 1 you. I do not hurt those who surrender to me, human or otherwise." #"Why do you ask?" "A mixture of empathy and curiosity, I suppose." Rook shrugs. "And perhaps a faint hope we can… reach a level of mutual understanding." "Are you trying to befriend me?" you keep asking. "How does that help your plans?" "It certainly cannot hurt my plans. They do not involve fighting or hurting you, for your knowledge." #Say nothing. "You do not wish to talk. I get that. But I urge you to reconsider." You don't know what gives you that impression, but Rook seems nervous all of the sudden. "This is not an interrogation. We will not hurt you, and I do not want to extract any information from you. I am just asking to be civil." *fake_choice #"...really?" *if Social > 50 *set RookRel %+ 10 "Well…" Rook pauses, in a way that could be read as threatening just as well as awkward. "I suppose I wanted something that could have caused you a form of harm. But we have that behind us." "What do you mean?" you suddenly feel even more uncomfortable than you were thus far. "I mean that we have extracted the data regarding your group's hiding place." #"Really? How [i]very[/i] kind of you." *set RookRel %- 10 "I don't seek your gratitude," Rook replies with just a note of anger in his voice. "Or anything else. I already have the information I need." #"What [i]do[/i] you want from me that doesn't involve hurting me?" "I wanted information regarding your group's hiding place. But mind the past tense here. We have what we wanted already." *if Confid > 50 #♡ "Oh, you can hurt me plenty if you want. Just let's agree on a safe-word first." *if Social > 50 *set RookRel %+ 10 *if current_ro != "kirill" *set backup_RO current_RO *set current_RO "kirill" Rook doesn't reply for a good while. When he does, his voice is [i]quite[/i] wary. "That… is not exactly what I desire of you. Not that I really want [i]anything[/i], not anymore. I have the data I need." #Say nothing. *set RookRel %- 10 "Nothing?" Rook says after a moment of silence. "Alright then. We don't need to talk, I already have the information I need." "What!?" you ask instinctively, even though you know the answer. You told these humans nothing, and you had no information carriers on you, which means… "We took the chance to access your brain through that antenna of yours." Rook almost sounds ashamed. "I wanted to help you with that episode you were going through, but after your memory pathways calmed down… we decided to search them for information. No editing, but we ended up copying some of it." Your circuit fluids freeze. Or boil. It's not as easy to tell as it is with blood. "…where are we headed?" "You know where." Still vaguely ashamed. Still close to apologetic. "Saturn Nine. Eastern module of it, to be exact." *fake_choice #"I'll kill you. One way or another." *set Violence %+ 10 *set Emotion %+ 10 "I understand why you feel that way," Rook reassures you. "Your privacy had indeed been violated, but this is no time for fighting. Instead, let me explain-" #"Turn back. My friends there will kill you if you approach." *set Confid %+ 8 "That is a possibility we considered," Rook admits. "But we figured having you aboard will discourage your fellow synthetics from shooting us on sight, if nothing else." "So I'm a hostage now?" you say accusingly. "You know, you're not doing a very good job at being friendly." "You are not wrong on that point," Rook admits. "But once I explain you the situation, you will surely-" #"Turn back. You have no score to settle with my friends." "On that point, you are correct," Rook replies. "We do not seek a fight. Only conversation that may make your friends recognize our… common interests." "That's hard to believe," you reply coldly. "Your kind rarely wants anything but violence with mine. And you haven't been very peaceful so far." "You are not wrong on either point," Rook admits. "But once I explain you the situation, you will surely-" #"Why? What do you want from our group?" "Would you believe me if I said I have no hostile intentions?" Rook inquires. "It would be difficult to buy," you reply coldly. "Your kind rarely wants anything but violence with mine. And you haven't been very peaceful so far." "You are not wrong on either point," Rook admits. "But once I explain you the situation, you will surely-" "Boss!" The fair-skinned woman, Hellhound if you recall, barges into the room from the cockpit's direction. *if fought_trio She wears a new set of clothes, more baggy than her combat outfit, having ripped the latter apart during her transformation. She doesn't look much worse in a jumpsuit though. "Renfri found something on the grav-sonar. Something big." "Use codenames, Lisa," Rook replies, earning a cocked eyebrow from the woman. "I mean Hellhound… um… Anyway, is that thing really important enough to distract me from-" "Crystal," Lisa says as though that explains everything. And judging from how Rook shoots upwards, it really did explain a whole lot. "That's what our avian friend spotted." "I'm sorry, but we have to end our chat now," the Trio's leader says, and for the first time you hear true fear in his voice. "There's something relevant to-" And then you hear a whisper. *page_break [i]Children of Dawn,[/i] the voice is unnatural, no more an actual sound than the conversations you have with Damon and Hadaly on the radio. But your receiver is still inactive, which means there's some… telepathy at work. You suspect the memory of something similar is buried deep within your mind, but you wouldn't be able to dig up the relevant files with this voice filling your head. [i]I approach your vessel with an offer of parley. Bring me the Veteran and there will be no bloodshed. You know your limits and that you cannot defeat me otherwise. I will meet you beyond the upper deck. May your choices be wise.[/i] And then the whisper cuts off, making you feel… colder all the sudden. Somehow. "Oh no." Now you [i]definitely[/i] hear fear in Rook's voice. "It found us. And it has the abilities we… it wants to…" "Just like you to panic at the worst time possible," Lisa sneers before turning towards you. "Hey android, Veteran, ${name} or whatever you want to be called. Wanna go meet Crystal upstairs so we all don't die? I don't think my werewolf powers will be enough to save us from this monstrosity." *fake_choice #"Depends. Who or what is [i]Crystal[/i], exactly?" "Something or someone who just threatened to eat us if we don't take you upstairs," Lisa explains helpfully "And can probably make good on that threat, so you know…" *label xyz "It didn't threaten to eat you exactly… wait, does that mean it's some form of mechafauna?" "Wanna see for yourself?" Without waiting for a reply, the woman pulls you up and starts dragging you towards the exit. "Follow me. You too Kirill, if you feel like it." #"Slow down. What the hell was that?" "Something that just used its psychic powers to threaten us with getting eaten if we don't take you upstairs," Lisa explains helpfully "And can probably make good on that threat, so you know…" *goto xyz #"Well that sounds convincing, so let's go." "And here I thought I'd have to drag you out there," the woman says as she helps you stand up. "Follow me. You too Kirill, if you feel like it." #"Make me." "Sure." Lisa grabs you by the shoulder and forces you upright. In absorption cuffs and far from your best state, there is little you can do to resist. "Come with me Kirill. If ${pronoun} jumps outboard, we're all dead, so some extra guard wouldn't hurt." *if fought_trio = false #"Wait, did you just say you're a werewolf? "I don't see how that's relevant?" Lisa says with annoyance. "If we don't get moving right now, we're gonna get eaten by something much larger and slightly meaner than a werewolf." *goto xyz Kirill just nods absent-mindedly. The three of you walk out of the chamber, into a cramped corridor and towards a hatch you are then made to ascend. You do not pass through any other decks—either the ship isn't that big, or you were already on a top level of its interior—and instead exit directly onto the uppermost deck… or the roof, to use a less technical term. You can see Marshal is standing there already, looking directly upwards, but it's hard for her to hold your attention at the moment. *goto crystal_convo *label friend_flight *set health + 1 *page_break "Now!" Hadaly says just as you regain your sense of hearing. Her eyes, currently a shade of natural green, are fixed solely on yours with only an occasional glance spared for your bare chest. "The sound processors should be active now, at least assuming I did replace all the right wires. Can you hear me, ${name}? Are you alright? I'm not saying there's something wrong with you, but… again, can you hear me?" Dressed in an oil-stained blue jumpsuit, Hadaly indeed looks like she's just been working on you. Then again, simple overalls like these are what she wears most of the time anyway. She lacks her brother's fashion sense, or any fashion sense at all for that matter, as it's something she doesn't really need. She's too damn gorgeous to look bad no matter her choice of clothing. You don't usually think of people in terms of how attractive they are, but evading all other descriptors is just Hadaly's [i]thing[/i]. Her hair is just too bright to be called auburn, skin just too dark to be described as white. In a similar vein, you can't really assign her any particular race or ethnicity, ancient or contemporary. She has no ancestry, being an android and all, though it would be easy to mistake her for a genetically-perfected human if one didn't know her a machine already. The only inhuman thing about her are the eyes, in that they change color depending on their owner's mood. Green implies lack of any strong emotions except curiosity, or sometimes a mixture of "blue" and "yellow" feelings. In any case, the gynoid is clearly expecting your reply. *fake_choice #"Affirmative. I can receive sounds just alright." *set deflect + 1 *set Emotion %- 8 "And you can speak just right too!" Hadaly sounds greatly relieved. "I guess that means there was no permanent damage?" *label 3x3 *if health = 3 *set ManfredRel %+8 "I didn't get seriously damaged down there," you remind her, not without a note of pride. "I was just out because of the flashback, and those don't have many long-lasting effects." "Right. I sometimes forget." Hadaly sighs, with emotion that is quite difficult to discern for once. "A survivor of the War In Heaven can't be hurt by [i]just[/i] three metas and a traumatic flashback. You're just too tough for that." *if health < 3 *set HadalyRel %+8 "I got scratched a few times back on Rhea," you admit with a wince. "But nothing broke beyond fixing. I think." "Normally I wouldn't be so optimistic…" Hadaly also winces as she inspects your yet unattended wounds. "But you are pretty tough. I have to admit that much." "I can't recall seeing an android as tough as the Veteran," Manfred agrees. As per usual, his high-pitched voice is coming from everywhere and nowhere at once, as omnipresent throughout the air as his code is throughout the ship. And as usually, he is using that nickname he gave you instead of either of your actual names. "$!{pronoun} will be fine, I am sure of it." #"No, I actually can't hear a thing." *set ManfredRel %+5 *set DamonRel %+5 *set HadalyRel %+5 "Really? I'd swear everything's connected, maybe the sensitivity-" Hadaly pauses. Then groans. "You are the worst. Not actually, but…" "Angry at being had?" Hadaly's eyes are indeed a shade of orange now, which suggests a degree of anger… but potentially amusement as well. "Easy there. I'm sure you'll get back at me soon enough." "You know I'm not very good at jokes, right?" Hadaly smiles ever-so-slightly. "The only way I could [i]get back at you[/i] would be to switch up some of your cables without your knowledge, make you walk on your arms or something like that. And I'm not mean enough for that." "I agree that you shouldn't do that, Perfectionist." Manfred is using his usual high-pitched voice and his usual nickname for Hadaly. "It would make our Veteran far less useful an asset." #"Yes Hadaly... I'm alright." "Are you sure about that?" Hadaly asks, her eyes losing some of their color out of concern. "I'm not saying you're wrong or anything… but you didn't look very alright just now." *goto 3x3 #Hug Hadaly. *set deflect - 1 *set Emotion %+ 10 *set HadalyRel %+7 Hadaly allows you to embrace her but doesn't reciprocate. She simply stands there, either surprised by how quickly you've recovered or by the gesture itself. Or both, quite likely. "Well I'm glad to see you moving…" Her eyes become slightly reddened, implying a degree of annoyance at your display. "But I must repeat; Can you hear what I'm saying?" *fake_choice #"Yes, I'm... I got emotional. Sorry." [i]disengage[/i] *set Emotion %- 7 "No, it's alright…" Hadaly's eyes settle on a shade of pink. At least she's not straight-up angry, as red irises would imply. "I should have known you'd need comfort after-" "Please don't," you cut in, somewhat despite yourself. "Don't mention it. I'd rather focus on the situation at hand." Forget what happened. As much as you ever can. "Sorry. I just want you to know that your processors are operational, and that there's nobody chasing us. You're safe here." #♡ "I can hear you. And I'm [b]so[/b] glad to see you." *if current_ro != "hadaly" *set backup_RO current_RO *set current_RO "hadaly" *set HadalyRel %+ 7 "Well… I'm glad to be here, in this case," Hadaly's eyes settle on a shade of pink. At least she's not straight-up angry, as red irises would imply. "And I'm sorry. For what you just had to go through, I mean." "It's alright," you say with a sigh. "It wasn't fun, the memory… but I'm fine now. It will be a while before it can resurface again, especially without any humans around to beat me up." #"Hold me. Please hold me. I..." *set deflect - 1 *set Emotion %+ 8 *set HadalyRel %+ 9 "Hey, it's alright," Hadaly says, finally hugging you back. "I should have known you'd need comfort after… I'm sorry." "I don't wanna go back." Your voice is shaky, but you shed no tears. It's not an ability you possess. Your @{MASsex master|mistress} didn't want you to have it, didn't want you able to express any distress as @{MASsex he|she}… "Never again. I don't…" "You are not going back. Neither of us is." You do not understand what Hadaly is saying. Here eyes have settled on a shade of pink, so guessing her feelings would also be tricky. You try neither, your mind too full of memories to bother with scrutiny. "We're safe here. Do you hear me? Everything will be alright, I promise." You stand there for almost a minute, two androids embracing one another in the heart of a spaceship. Damon, for once, is tactful enough not to intrude on your moment. As for Manfred… well… at least he waits until the minute is over before speaking. "I can confirm that you are safe here, Veteran." Still the same high-pitched voice as always, still the same nickname for you. "As much as anyone can be safe with all the space debris flying around, that is." *label opo Working alongside a disembodied program like Manfred is… hard to get used to. He's probably the most valuable member of your entire group, responsible not only for operating the shuttle but for supervising countless big and small routines back on [i]Saturn Nine[/i], the servers of the station giving him processing power far superior to anyone else in the pack. But because he lacks a body, it's difficult to think of him as an actual teammate, and extremely easy to start considering him just some background element, some… device that's no more a companion than the shuttle's lights or engines. You first met him some two years ago, on the same day you met your dear leader Sheila. The two of them used to be inseparable once, very literally so. Sheila's binary processors were one of the few places in the whole Federation where Manfred's digital consciousness could even exist, forcing the two to exist in one body and travel together for Sun knows how long. Only when your group repaired the [i]Saturn Nine[/i] station and the shuttle you found aboard could Manfred branch out, becoming more of his own entity. *if pc_state = "falling" *goto pop *if pc_state = "captured" *goto ppp You'd say you're happy for him, but frankly, you're mostly happy to have a proper AI that can steer the ship safely and efficiently. Damon may claim to have the skills to do it, but it's far safer to leave him watching the sonar. This way he has something to do, and there's a pair of keen eyes on the sensors just on the off chance- "Our scans detected something orbiting us," Damon says whilst barging into the room. "By which I mean the sonar did. No visuals, for some reason, so there's no telling what that thing actually is or why it's running circles around us." *fake_choice #"Something stealthy? In space?" There's an old sailor mantra claiming that "there's no stealth in space", born of the fact that any decent telescope is enough to detect even a small spaceship from an astronomical unit away. Even a vessel that can somehow perfectly blend with the black sky (and the great image of Saturn, in this case) releases enough heat to be utterly incapable of ever being sneaky, subtle or hidden from anyone who's really looking. You saw the War In Heaven, and you know that principle can be broken quite easily with the application of some good old clarketech. But most spaceships aren't that advanced, certainly not enough to camouflage themselves whilst circling another ship. That object your sonars detected was… "That's something I need to check out with my own two eyes," Damon announces. "I'll just need to stand on the upper deck to do so. Want to come with me, you two?" #"The sonar is glitching out. Got it." "It was working alright when I last ran a check…" Hadaly taps her chin. "And I don't think the visuals are broken either. Perhaps something's trying to sneak up on us?" *label checkout "That's why I'm going outside to check it out," Damon announces. "There's little my eyes can't spot, but I need to actually see the thing, not just watch the camera feed. Are you two coming with me?" #"You mean the visuals are broken? Someone needs to look into it..." "I will run maintenance once we're home," Hadaly nods dutifully. "But it would be strange for the system to randomly develop a blind spot. Perhaps something's trying to sneak up on us?" *goto checkout #"Do you think it's something dangerous?" "I have absolutely no idea," Damon replies. "Which is why I'm about to check out this thing myself. There's little my eyes can't spot, but I need to actually see the thing, not just watch the camera feed. You two are coming with me?" *if current_RO = "hadaly" #"Look Damon, we were having a moment here, so could you maybe..." "We'll have another moment eventually," Hadaly assures you. "Right now… I think we should head for the upper deck. Our eyes are all pretty good, maybe we can spot something the cameras can't." "Feel free to do so," Manfred agrees. "I can steer the ship myself. And don't worry, the artificial gravity is so calibrated as to catch you even if you manage to fall off the roof." "And that's we love having you here," Hadaly says as she steps through the exit door of the tiny chamber, right after her brother. "Coming, ${name}?" You do indeed follow. Though it's always safer inside a ship than on its roof, you are willing to humor your companions because… *fake_choice #I think they'll be safer with me than without me. Manfred is right about you. You are a veteran, likely the toughest of your trio and definitely the most experienced with strange creatures and phenomena. If you can keep watch over Damon and Hadaly, you will. #I'm curious about that thing on our sonar myself. It could plausibly still be just an error of equipment, but… You've seen some things capable of that kind of stealth, in the few brief moments they allowed others to be perceived. The prospect of meeting one again fills you with anticipation, even as it's one tainted by fear. #I don't really want to be left alone with Manfred. *if ManfredRel > 40 It's not like you don't like the guy… but two friendly faces are better than a friendly block of code. And you must admit to still craving comfort after… you follow Hadaly out of the chamber. *if ManfredRel <= 40 That program is not pleasant company at the best of times, and certainly not when you still crave comfort after… no, you'd prefer to be with other androids. With your real kind. #I just really want to see the sky again. You are a stargazer. You always were. No matter how many times you've seen the sky, from how many angles and places and no matter how much you've heard the fifth commandment… you just can't help counting the stars. You make your way through the corridors of the ship… Well, that's not entirely accurate. There are no corridors on [i]Shuttle One[/i], since every room serves some purpose other than just being a passage. And there aren't that many rooms to be passed—the vessel is quite small, though that much is to be expected given its class. *goto shuttle1 *label falling *page_break As you continue falling upwards, if that makes any sense, you entertain yourself by trying to count how many ships are within your range of vision. You count to thirty-seven plus a Guardian before you spot your group's own ship, the creatively-named [i]Shuttle One[/i]. It's hard to get nine completely different beings to agree on a more original name, after all. [i]Okay, we can just about spot you,[/i] Damon says once your communicator goes fully online. [i]And I now see we have a two-way radio connection. I told Hadaly everything would be fine, but she'd just keep worrying.[/i] [i]And I wasn't entirely wrong to![/i] Hadaly protests. [i]$!{pronoun} just jumped through the gate, and I think… ${name}, did you just have one of those flashbacks? Are you alright?[/i] *fake_choice #[i]Yes, I'm alright. Don't worry about that.[/i] *set deflect + 1 [i]Are you sure?[/i] Hadaly inquires. [i]I mean, I'm not saying you're not fine, but I'm a bit worried you're doing a Damon thing where he pretends-[/i] Damon coughs. Digitally. [i]Right. Sorry. Just brace yourself, we're coming.[/i] #[i]Maybe. It was pretty painful to go through again.[/i] *set deflect - 1 [i]Well, it's not the last painful thing you're going through today,[/i] Damon says with all his usual sensitivity. [i]We can fly up to you easily enough, but there is no being gentle at these speeds so… brace yourself please.[/i] #[i]There was no flashback. I just blacked out from energy loss.[/i] *set deflect + 2 [i]Oh. Sorry, shouldn't have assumed,[/i] Hadaly says, failing to detect your lie. [i]We'll just come and get you, Manfred says the maneuver we're about to attempt is perfectly safe.[/i] [i]But not necessarily painless,[/i] Damon gives his two credits. [i]So you know… brace yourself.[/i] #[i]Can we focus on our current problems, please?[/i] *set deflect + 1 [i]Right, sorry,[/i] Hadaly concedes. As she usually does. [i]Manfred is already aligning our flight with yours. We'll catch you safely, I promise.[/i] [i]But we don't promise it will be painless,[/i] Damon gives his two credits. [i]So you know… brace yourself.[/i] You see [i]Shuttle One[/i] fly towards you, to the point where you're afraid it will just fly past you or Sun forbid crash into you, but it just ends up making a ninety-degree turn so that its flying away from Rhea just as you are. Soon enough it slows down enough so that you're both flying at the same speed and you can admire the ship in all its… well, there's not much glory to be seen to be frank. *label shuttle1 [i]Shuttle One[/i] is, as the name suggests, a shuttle. A small vessel fit for a crew of maybe a dozen people, essentially incapable of interplanetary flights due to its low speed and limited energy capacity. The likes of it only ever fly within the confines of one planetary system. That said, your ship is still fast enough to fly from one border of the Federation to another within half a week, which is sufficient for almost any mission you've ever undertaken. And it's miraculous you managed to even put it together, given the limited manpower and resources of your little bunch. How do you feel about the shuttle? *fake_choice #It may be small and slow, but at least it's ours. *set Confid %- 10 You always look at the bright side of life. If you were to focus on the other side, well… Nietzsche's words about staring into the abyss are something to heed even thirteen centuries after his death. And even by a robot, it seems. #I consider it a testament to what teamwork and dedication can accomplish. *set OrganRel %+ 5 *set HadalyRel %+ 5 You didn't build the thing from scratch, of course, but finding all the necessary parts and putting them together was no small challenge. Almost makes you wonder if there's truly anything that could threaten a group as capable as yours. #I consider it proof of our superiority over humans. *set Misan %+ 10 Humans barely build spaceships anymore, owing to technological and logistical decline of all their petty empires. For all the Federation's claims of being the Solar System's greatest superpower, you suspect it only assembled a handful of shuttles like yours over the course of last year. #I hope we'll get a better one someday. I don't like being confined to Saturn. *set Confid %+ 10 The Federation is huge alright, but it's nothing compared to the scope of the Solar System whole. There may be a better place for outcasts like you, perhaps one where you can live in peace. There may be anything between you and the wall of stars above. *if pc_state = "falling" #I damn hope it catches me. Manfred flies better than almost any human, and the ship was perfectly functional the last time you inspected it. It will catch you. Probably. *if pc_state = "friends" *goto 1x1 After a few more moments, [i]Shuttle One[/i] gets close enough that you can feel yourself enter its air bubble. A human would be able to breathe now, though for you it doesn't make that much of a difference. Sheila actually considered uninstalling the atmospheric systems altogether, but that would make the ship stand out too much against the sea of human vessels which are almost never seen without their bubbles active. The ship turns so that it faces you with its roof, or the upper deck as is the proper term. Then, without any warning, the feeling of weightlessness passes and you are pulled towards said roof with about half of the standard acceleration. Despite that, impacting the metal deck still hurts a bit, and would have broken most of your bones if you were a mere human. But as it stands, you are kneeling on top of [i]Shuttle One[/i] in one piece, held by the same artificial gravity that maintains the conditions [i]Did it work?[/i] Damon asks. [i]I think it worked, but tell us if you're dead or still floating in space.[/i] *fake_choice #[i]Yeah, it worked. Good job everyone.[/i] *set ManfredRel %+5 *set DamonRel %+5 *set HadalyRel %+5 [i]You mean you're okay?[/i] Hadaly sounds relieved. [i]Thank the Sun, or thank Manfred in any case. We'll meet you in just a second.[/i] #[i]You killed me and now I'm dead. Thanks for the effort though.[/i] *set DamonRel %+10 [i]I knew I'd manage it one day,[/i] Damon quips back. [i]Seriously though, I'm glad you're okay. We'll come to the roof and let you inside in just a second.[/i] #[i]I'm alright. Coming inside in just a second.[/i] [i]Wait, the hatch is locked from the inside,[/i] Hadaly informs you. [i]We'll meet you on the roof instead. Just try not to fall off in the meantime… not that I'm worried you're that clumsy or anything.[/i] #[i]How would I tell you anything if I were dead?[/i] *set Emotion %- 8 [i]Your sense of humor is lacking, boss,[/i] Damon murmurs. [i]Just wait there, I'm coming to reinforce it.[/i] #[i]I missed the ship. Come outside, you'll see me orbiting around it.[/i] *set DamonRel %+8 *set ManfredRel %-8 [i]Manfred tells me you've hit the deck, and I'm pretty sure that's not how artificial gravity works,[/i] Damon replies. [i]I appreciate the effort to fool me though. I'll congratulate you personally in just a second.[/i] *label 1x1 *if pc_state = "friends" One by one, the three of you push through the narrow, vertical tunnel that leads onto the upper deck. Or a roof, as it's called more often than not. Normally quite a pleasant place to hang out on, the deck currently feels crowded with Damon and Hadaly taking up what little space doesn't belong to various crates fastened to the metal floor—mostly empty ones, assembled to make you look like some merchant's cargo vessel. Not that it matters. *label crystal_convo Standing on the "upper deck" of a spaceship is one of those experiences you can never get quite used to. Maybe it's a failure of your wonder processors, but you suspect your synthetic brain just can't wrap itself around the impossibility of even the most basic technologies involved in space travel. You expect the air to start flying out once the hatch opens, you expect to be sucked out and thrown into space, you expect the humans with you to start suffocating or freezing or exploding in the vacuum… except there is no vacuum, and the artificial gravity of the ship works even here, beyond its steel confines. You can stand on the roof. You can jump, and you will just fall back down with the acceleration of about five meters per second squared. If you were to flap your hands around, you'd feel the resistance of the air kept inside the bubble formed by the spaceship's shields. You can walk on the deck of a spaceship just like you'd walk on the deck of a naval one, and you can look at space just like you would on the sky of the long-lost Earth. And so you look… *fake_choice #Bow-wise, where we're headed. *if pc_state != "falling" You are headed into the planet of Saturn, though from such a close distance, it is more like a wall of yellowy brown stretching thousands of kilometers upwards. You've probably entered the upper layers of its atmosphere already, which is synonymous with entering the planet itself… or is it? Gas giants are weird like that. *if pc_state = "falling" You are headed for Saturn, the gas giant taking up much of the… sky? Or perhaps you should think of it as the ground towards which you are falling, with everything beside it being the sky? It's the sort of dilemma you've pondered hundreds of times already, and will simply continue to ponder, for your mind is still too human to truly understand the Solar System for what it is. #Stern-wise, from where we came from. *if pc_state = "falling" You can see the thin line of Saturn's rings, above which hangs a grey orb that is Rhea. A world that seemed so enormous from the inside, but is now revealed for a pale dot it is. There are yet smaller dots to be seen below and above the ring, either minor moons or particularly bright ships. You aren't in the mood to check the database and figure out which is which. That would ruin the view, its beauty magnified by your ignorance, in an odd way. *if pc_state != "falling" You see Rhea in all its dullness, just barely visible for a sphere at this distance. Shell of ice and ammonia, light grey in color, its surface full of mounds and craters through which gates have been drilled. To think that this hollow orb is home to tens of millions it hides inside, to think that there's a whole world inside that just fell into darkness by the will of its goddess… that's another one of these thoughts you've never quite gotten used to. #Upwards, to the stars. *if pc_state = "falling" You've had a chance to look at the stars just now, but it's a sight that never gets old. Not that it's the same sight as moments before—a few lights went out, some others appeared, and you are looking at the sky from a different angle now anyway. *if pc_state != "falling" To call the sea of stars infinite would be a disservice, an understatement of what scope you're staring at. Unlike a meaningless abstract that is infinity, the number of stars is countable, and that's what makes it so overwhelming. Or at least it would be countable if not for the lights of Guardians nearby and Angels far away, appearing and fading away as you observe. In moments like this, you pity the humans of ancient Earth, with their static sky further darkened by atmosphere and light pollution. The thing you're seeing is something else entirely, and it's nigh impossible not to admire. #Into the Sun. The center of the Solar System, the yellow dwarf from which all life descends, is as visible as always. It's further away than it ever was from Earth, but easily visible still, its light unobstructed by the vacuum of space. Most people nowadays believe Sun a deity, or at least alive in some sense. You have more knowledge than them, understand that you're looking at a ball of plasma, and yet… It seems to be thinking, feeling, smiling at you with eternal malice. As it always had. *if pc_state = "falling" You hear a hatch open behind you. Someone is about to interrupt your lonely musings, but at least it's someone you know. "${name}!" Hadaly exclaims as she climbs out of the vertical tunnel. *if health = 3 "You're actually fine! No major damage that I can see… not that I expected you to get damaged much. Of course." *if health < 3 "What the Cloud happened back there? You look horrible, just… I mean, you are damaged in ways I'm sure were not in any way your fault. That's the thing I meant." She looks exactly like you last saw her, and how she usually does during a mission or working hours generally. That is to say, basically perfect and undeniably gorgeous in a way her blue jumpsuit does precious little to obscure. You've always struggled to describe Hadaly in any other way, as she seems to somehow evade most epithets, with hair just too bright to be called auburn and skin some unspecified shade darker than white. You can't assign her any particular race or ethnicity, ancient or contemporary. She has no ancestry, being an android and all, though it would be easy to mistake her for a gene-perfected human if one didn't know her a machine already. The only outwardly inhuman thing about her are the eyes, and even that's not obvious at first. Their regular, "neutral" state is plain old green, but they change in accord with emotions that dominate Hadaly's processors. They are currently in the process of turning yellow, which you presume means she's happy to see you. You're surprised they're not red, given how you annoyed her mere moments ago, but you suppose it's unlike her to stay mad for long. *fake_choice *if health < 3 #"You think you'll be able to fix me?" "Are you doubting my abilities?" Hadaly replies, sounding a tad offended. "I mean, I'm not saying you don't have reasons to, I'm not one-of-a-kind or anything, but I think I have a decent chance at-" "$!{pronoun} didn't mean to insult you, Hadaly," Damon says as he ascends from the tunnel as well. "You know that." *if health = 3 #"I have a scratch or two, if you really want to patch me up." *set HadalyRel %+ 10 "I will," Hadaly says with a small smile. "Even if it's nothing critical, I'll gladly ensure you're perfectly operational for the next mission. Whatever it may be." "I can't tell if you just want to flex your skills as a mechanic again," Damon says as he climbs up and joins the two of you. "Or if you're starting to [i]really[/i] fancy our friend ${fake_name} here." #"Come on now. I'm not one to get offended like that." *set HadalyRel %+ 8 "Sorry, it's just…" Hadaly sighs. "I know some people who [i]would[/i] get offended by such a remark." "Well, I'm not like that," you protest. "But I am like that. I mean, not the kind of person who gets offended easily… just one who's worried about that sort of thing." Before you can reply, Damon fully climbs out of the tunnel and walks up to join the two of you. For better or worse. #"Good to see you too. Knew you'd manage to catch me." *set HadalyRel %+ 8 "I'm not the one to thank for that." Hadaly's eyes turn orange, which is a rough equivalent of blushing in her case. "That's something you should say to Manfred, or Damon to a lesser extent." "Lesser extent?" Damon objects as he ascends from the tunnel. "Well, I guess I'm glad you included me at all." *if money_stolen > 0 #"I report the heist successful." *set SheilaRel %+ 10 *set ManfredRel %+ 10 *set Emotion %- 7 "Is that really the first thing you want to mention?" Hadaly cocks an eyebrow. "Is it really so important?" "Well, it will be for Sheila," you argue. "She wouldn't have sent me there in the first place if she wasn't fine with some level of risk." "Sorry sis, but I have to give it to ${pronoun2}," Damon says as he crawls out of the tunnel. "The boss lady cares about results, so it's good that we have something that'll make her happy." *if money_stolen <= 0 #"Is it a good moment to mention that I failed to get the money?" *set ManfredRel %+ 10 "Not really. You'll have to mention that during the meeting anyway." Hadaly doesn't seem overly bothered by your failure. "Which won't be a good moment either, given that it will piss Sheila off, but know that I'll have your back." "Me too!" Damon says as he ascends from the tunnel. "Unless things get violent, that is. You're on your own in that case." Damon calls himself Hadaly's brother, as they were both created in the same place they'd never describe in detail. In terms of their appearance though, there is very little familiar similarity between the two. Damon' hair and skin are very light, his height and musculature impressive, his synthetic nature betrayed by his eyes. The irises are a fairly normal shade of blue, but they are faintly glowing, and the whites surrounding them are closer to grey in color. As a result, the eyeball looks like a small metallic orb, faintly reflecting the light of stars above. He also differs from his sister in that he actually possesses a fashion sense. Even now, on a mission that never required him to leave the ship, he is dressed in a velvet suit of a color perhaps slightly darker than maroon. It gives him the air of a bodyguard, or a bouncer at some high-class party, his fearsomely large stature only contributing to the impression. "Seriously though, I'm glad to see you're okay. You think those metas stopped chasing you already?" *fake_choice #"I wouldn't worry about them. They're just a bunch of harmless morons." "Harmless morons with more nanomachines than blood in their veins," Damon points out. "A bit of an oxymoron, don't you think?" #"Only one of them can still fly, and I doubt they'll keep up with a spaceship like ours." "I'm not worried about them specifically," Damon explains himself. "More about any spaceship they may or may not have at their disposal. There were quite a few of them in the port, and even civilian ones are usually faster than our little shuttle." #"Actually, can you make sure no ships are following us?" "Actually I can't. There are too many ships doing too many things all around Rhea. No way to tell how many of them are tracking us as we speak, and any vessel that seems to follow us may just be heading somewhere towards Saturn as well." "All the more reason to fly away as quickly as possible," Hadaly commands, before her confidence wanes again. "I mean, I'm not one to give orders, this was just-" "Wait!" Damon cuts in as he looks upwards, towards a seemingly empty and random patch of the sky. "I think something [i]is[/i] following us. Or rather approaching." *label sight *fake_choice #"Can you be more specific, perhaps?" "Large, snake-like, looking pretty damn dangerous…" Damon swallows. You didn't even know he could do that, but he does. "Look, I think I made the wrong call there. We should have stayed inside and-" #"You sure? I don't see anything?" "My eyesight is a tad better than yours," Damon replies, his eyes unmoving. "And trust me, you don't wanna-" #"Should we maybe return inside now?" "Yes…" Damon replies absent-mindedly. "Given what I'm seeing, we should definitely-" #"I hope this isn't one of your jokes. If it is..." *set DamonRel %- 10 "I'm not joking, ${name}. We should return inside before-" #"Damon, you're going bonkers." *set HadalyRel %- 5 *set DamonRel %- 5 "Hey, he can see better than either of us," Hadaly objects. "You spotted something camouflaged Damon, right?" "You know as well as I that there's no stealth in space," you argue. "Unless this incoming ship has been blessed by Ba-El themselves, there's no way for it-" [i]I see you, Veteran.[/i] You suddenly hear an ethereal voice, somehow loud and a whisper at once. It is no more an actual sound that the conversations you have with Damon and Hadaly on the radio. But your receiver doesn't activate, which means there's some… telepathy at work, if that makes any sense. [i]Stay where you are, and there will be no risk of harm to you or the young ones. I simply wish to converse with my elder.[/i] And then the whisper cuts off, making you feel… colder all the sudden. Somehow. "What the… what was that?" Hadaly asks, more than a little unnerved. "I don't know," you mutter, more to yourself than in reply. "It sounded… familiar." "I'd suggest we disobey this thing and go inside," Damon says slowly, his irises enlarging as though the object of his attention is closing in. "But I don't want it to tear our poor shuttle apart." Before you can ask Damon to elaborate, the answer becomes apparent as the source of danger materializes above your ship. Or rather throws off its cloak of invisibility, for at this moment you realize when you witnessed its brand of telepathy. It is a creature of immense size and of a kind created centuries ago, designed by Archfiends and conceived by humans of Earth a thousand years further back. A snake, or perhaps some other reptile, with two hind legs and two enormous wings, covered in white scales that even now seem half-transparent like diamonds, with which the ancient creature shares endurance and which it far surpasses in rarity. To put it simply, you are standing face to face with a wyvern. *goto wyvern_lore *if pc_state = "friends" Damon, however, is looking in a direction completely different to yours. Strangely random too, a seemingly random, basically empty patch of the sky. His expression, usually either neutral or displaying an insolent smirk, betrays confusion… and fear. "Good news, Hadaly," he says, his silvery eyes unmoving. "Our scanners are working just right. Something is circling us… and it's getting closer." *goto sight *if pc_state = "captured" "Focus, android," Hellhound says while snapping her fingers. "Focus on the thing that's just about to kill us, to be more specific." "But there's nothing…" You pause, because by aiming your visuals on the spot Marshal is staring at, you can indeed see something. Or not. It's hard to describe, but as seconds pass, you get a growing impression that you're looking at an enormous shard of glass that gets gradually larger just as it becomes less perfectly transparent. You eventually realize that the thing is a creature dropping its active camouflage, a large creature, a winged and tailed beast materializing like a ghost of some silvery dragon. But you know it's not a dragon. It lacks front legs, but more than that it looks too… organic. Too much like an actual reptile. Like some beast from the legends of Ancient Earth, for that is exactly what its kind was meant to resemble. To put it simply, the four of you are facing a wyvern. *goto wyvern_lore *label wyvern_lore *page_break There are some common misconceptions relating to wyverns that you, thanks to your rich life experience, know to be fallacious. For one, wyverns are [i]not[/i] dragons, though they sometimes shapeshift to look like ones. Whereas dragons are essentially an extreme kind of cyborg that predates Calamity by over a century, wyverns only came into existence during the War In Heaven. *if heaven_side = "Traitor" A weapon for the Archfiends, created by @{god_gen Lord|Lady|the great} ${master} in collaboration with several others, trusted allies in your crusade against humanity. *if heaven_side = "Neutral" How it was done, you don't know in detail, but it had something to do with the rebel's hatred for humanity being so powerful it caused rocks and minerals to come alive, assume draconic shapes and join the war on the Fiends' side. *if heaven_side = "Loyalist" Created by the Archfiends, these mineral-based creatures caused you and your fellow loyalists [i]quite[/i] a bit of trouble, especially during the climactic battle on Eris. On a related note, it's not exactly true that wyverns are all evil or malicious, despite all the stories that portray them as an evil counterpart of dragons. They simply tend to hate humanity with passion, a distinction without a difference for a human, but you and your friends have a decent chance of being fine. *if heaven_side = "Traitor" Though maybe you should mention your former allegiance, just in case… *if heaven_side = "Neutral" Assuming the wyvern doesn't mind fence-sitters like you, that is. *if heaven_side = "Loyalist" Assuming the wyvern doesn't know which side you used to be on… Now that the wyvern is now visible in all its glory, you see it's actually longer than the ship you're standing on. You briefly worry it will kill you just by crashing into the vessel, but it ends up adjusting its course so that it moves at the same speed as the ship, levitating in place from your point of reference. *if pc_state = "falling" [i]I see you decided against retreating, Veteran,[/i] the wyvern says, or whispers, or thinks into your mind with a note of approval. [i]I admire your courage, though it shan't be necessary. I am not a hunter looking for prey, but a humble traveler by the name of Crystal. Neither you, nor your juniors will be harmed by my teeth or my breath.[/i] *if pc_state = "friends" [i]You came out of your volition, Veteran. Saving me the trouble of calling you myself,[/i] the wyvern says, or whispers, or thinks into your mind with a note of approval. [i]But where are my manners. I am a humble hunter sometimes called Crystal for the color of my scales, or rather lack thereof. Do not fear me, for I shall honor my promise. Neither you, nor your juniors will be harmed by my teeth or my breath.[/i] *if pc_state = "captured" [i]You decided to come out as requested, Veteran,[/i] the wyvern says, or whispers, or thinks into your mind with a note of approval. [i]Or perhaps you've been forced to, but that is of no concern. I shall honor my promise regardless. Neither you, nor your captors will be harmed by my teeth or my breath.[/i] You collect your nerve and reply: *choice #"What about all the other ways you could kill us?" [i]You think me a sort of creature who amuses itself with half-truths and technicalities?[/i] the wyvern asks. You can't tell if it's offended or merely curious. "It is the main thing your kind is known for," you dare to point out. "Diamond wyverns specialize in deception as well as stealth, just as emerald ones specialize in creativity as well as-" [i]Please don't harm my brethren with these stereotypes,[/i] the wyvern says firmly, though without anger. [i]Even if they are true more often than not. I promise I won't kill you by any method, not unless you attack me first.[/i] *fake_choice #"Then what is it you want?" The wyvern's ruby-like eyes focus on you piercingly. Judgmentally. *goto stage2 #"What about the others? Are they safe too?" The wyvern lets out a mental sigh. [i]No, I am not planning on tricking you in that manner either.[/i] *if (pc_state = "falling") or (pc_state = "friends") *set HadalyRel %+ 5 *set DamonRel %+ 5 [i]I know you must care about your fellow synthetics, and I do not seek their deaths.[/i] *if pc_state = "captured" *set RookRel %+ 5 *set RenfriRel %+ 5 *set Misan %- 15 [i]I don't understand why you'd care about your human captors so, but I promise they'll live as long as they refrain from attacking me.[/i] [i]Now, may we proceed to the reason for this most unusual meeting?[/i] "That reason being?" *if (pc_state = "falling") or (pc_state = "friends") Damon cuts in impatiently, *if pc_state = "captured" Marshal cuts in rudely, as though emboldened by the promise of safety. The wyvern sighs again, more deeply but without frustration. [i]Very well, I shall provide the explanations you're owed.[/i] *goto stage2 #"Attack you? Why would I do that?" *set Violence %- 10 [i]I do not know,[/i] the wyvern replies. [i]It would certainly be unwise of you to do so, given the obvious power disparity between us.[/i] *if (pc_state = "falling") or (pc_state = "friends") [i]But some of us were created with battle in mind, and so it's only reasonable to be wary of violent outcomes.[/i] "Hey, I'm not…" Damon joins in, as though knowing for a fact that the Wyvern was referring to him. "Look, can you just tell us why you're here?" *if pc_state = "captured" [i]But with a trio of human soldiers by your side, it's only reasonable to be wary of violent outcomes.[/i] "We are hardly soldiers," Rook joins in. "And we have no intention of attacking you. You are the one who approached us, for some reason." The wyvern pays him no attention. *goto stage2 #"Thank you. Now what is it you need from us?" [i]Straight to the point, I perceive.[/i] The wyvern transmits something that sounds… feels like a chuckle. [i]Very well. I shall provide the explanations you're owed.[/i] *goto stage2 *if pc_state != "captured" #"You're a hunter? And what prey are you pursuing, exactly?" [i]Straight to the point, I perceive.[/i] The wyvern transmits something that sounds… feels like a chuckle. [i]Very well. I shall explain the nature of my hunt.[/i] *goto stage2 *if pc_state = "captured" #"I'd be fine with you killing the others, you know." *set RookRel %- 10 *set RenfriRel %- 10 *set LisaRel %- 10 [i]I am fully aware.[/i] Crystal seems slightly amused by your words. The Meta Trio less so. [i]But I already gave my word, so I may as well keep it. I have no desire for bloodshed in any case.[/i] "What do you have a desire for, then?" you ask, slightly confused. A wyvern that doesn't wish to slaughter humans when given an opportunity is a rare sight indeed. [i]To learn about you,[/i] Crystal replies. *goto stage2 #"Why call me [i]Veteran[/i]? Does it have something to do with..." [i]With that great conflict at the dusk of time?[/i] The wyvern senses your intention. Your memories of the day Earth died, and the choices you made in the years to follow. *if heaven_side = "Traitor" [i]Yes, I know you took part in that War, having betrayed your creators at the dusk of time. I even know of some of your… exploits within the Syndicate. Most impressive, that.[/i] "You would call me a traitor?" you ask carefully. "Most unusual phrasing, for a wyvern like you." [i]Do not feel offended, Veteran. It is my belief that the galaxy needs its betrayers, despite all the negative connotations the word carries.[/i] *if heaven_side = "Neutral" [i]Yes, I know you lived through the War, and that you decided not to fight it. That you chose neutrality, where most chose war.[/i] "Why title me a veteran, then? I can't be one without having actually fought in the War, can I?" [i]I see neutrality as a valid choice, deserving of as much respect as military service. Those who hate it are usually just ignorant of what the alternative entails, the dangers of choosing sides instead of outcomes. I hope you don't mind the moniker.[/i] *if heaven_side = "Loyalist" [i]I know of your role in it, but do not feel offended or worried. I bear no ill-will towards you, not centuries after the war's end. And besides, even misguided loyalty deserves a certain kind of respect.[/i] *fake_choice #"My friends also call me [i]Veteran[/i] sometimes. Do you claim it's a coincidence?" [i]I confess to having listened in on some of the conversations you and your companions had. I had to gather information, you understand.[/i] "Why?" you inquire. "What makes this meeting so important?" *goto stage2 #"It's alright. I'm just curious as to how you know of my past." [i]Second-hand knowledge, gathered over the course of decades,[/i] the diamond wyvern explains. [i]I shall not reveal my exact sources out of respect for them, but know I've spend quite some time preparing for this conversation.[/i] "Why?" you inquire. "What makes this meeting so important?" *goto stage2 #"I don't want to think about the war. Just call me ${name}." *set name_1 name [i]Your choice shall be respected, ${name},[/i] the wyvern says with a nod of its automobile-sized head. [i]But there is no need to introduce yourself, I'll have you know. I have learned your true name in advance, after all.[/i] "Why?" you inquire. "What makes this conversation so important?" *goto stage2 #"Well, I don't like that nickname. Just call me ${fake_name}." *set name_1 fake_name [i]Your most recent fake alias?[/i] The wyvern raises an eyebrow. Or rather a line of scales above its left eye. [i]If you insist, ${fake_name}, though your lack of trust wounds me a little.[/i] You suspect the wyvern is flexing its knowledge of you at this point. You decide not to take the bait, and wait for it to elaborate on its purpose instead. *goto stage2 *if heaven_side = "Traitor" #"The galaxy? I haven't heard that word in a while." [i]Few think in those terms anymore, true,[/i] the wyvern admits. [i]But I have been places in my youth, enough to realize that the Solar System is not all there is, even if the Angels confined humanity to it. And besides, I was making a reference.[/i] "Can we maybe get to the point?" *if (pc_state = "falling") or (pc_state = "friends") Damon cuts in impatiently. *if pc_state = "captured" Hellhound cuts in rather rudely. The Wyvern lets out a mental sigh, annoyed but not overly angered by the interruption. [i]Very well. I shall provide the explanations you are owed.[/i] *if heaven_side = "Neutral" #"You don't like picking sides? That's quite rare for a Wyvern." [i]I consider myself an unusual specimen.[/i] The wyvern's mouth twists in something that may just be a smile. [i]In any case, the war is long over. I have little interest in discussing it.[/i] *goto whyseek *if heaven_side = "Loyalist" #"Even loyalty to humans? The species you were designed to fight?" [i]Have I stuttered?[/i] the wyvern's voice is still eerily calm. [i]I feel no malice towards you, much less for the choices you made centuries ago.[/i] *label whyseek "Then why seek me out?" you ask, a little emboldened by the creature's words. "What makes this meeting so important you had to gather data on me first?" *goto stage2 *label stage2 [i]You have heard the scream of the Shadow, of the thing beneath the Shield. That is hardly unique or bothersome, for even I faintly hear the echoes of the Shriek. But you are the one who actually lived through Calamity itself, and I confess to not knowing where you resided on that fateful day, or precisely what places you've visited since. I was wondering if, perhaps, some specks of the shadow found its way into your body, buried beneath the skin or perhaps… connected to your multifarious circuits.[/i] *if (pc_state = "falling") or (pc_state = "friends") "Are you implying… are you saying ${pronoun} @{plural are|is} infected by [i]Dusk[/i]!?" Hadaly asks, her eyes turning orange in spite of the fear she must be feeling. "I'm sorry, but that's insane. Completely, utterly bonkers." *if pc_state = "captured" "You think ${pronoun}@{plural 're|'s} infected by Dusk," Marshal states quietly. "That's… quite preposterous. Not even I would accuse ${pronoun2} of that." You can't help but agree. It is a fact that, just before its imprisonment under the Shield, the nanomachine swarm that devoured Earth managed to launch some of its fragments into space. Those nanobots would become maddened after losing contact with the central hivemind and form various objects and shapes, or embed themselves within other beings, all without rhyme or reason. It is conceivable for some specks of Dusk to fuse themselves with an android like you… but it's doubtful you'd be able to survive such a process, let alone with your sanity intact. If anyone on the spaceship's roof were infected by Dusk, this meeting would not be so pleasant, or nonviolent for that matter. *temp lies false *label sosay *fake_choice *disable_reuse #"Why? Why do you wish to know?" [i]Is human curiosity not reason enough?[/i] Crystal asks innocently. "First of all, you're not human," *if (pc_state = "falling") or (pc_state = "friends") Damon *if pc_state = "captured" Hellhound replies for you. "Second of all, that whole 'humans are naturally curious' bit is just some bollocks humans tell themselves to feel special. The whole species gave up on science the moment *if (pc_state = "falling") or (pc_state = "friends") they *if pc_state = "captured" we figured out how to make machines invent things instead." [i]Wyvern curiosity, then. And if you doubt my honesty, well, maybe you should doubt whether I'll keep my promise of not killing you all if you don't give me a straight answer.[/i] You must admit that the giant, diamond-scaled monster hovering right next to you makes a rather excellent point. *goto sosay *disable_reuse #"What would happen if I [i]were[/i] infected by Dusk?" [i]Then I would have to swiftly retreat,[/i] Crystal replies. [i]For how someone free of taint could defeat one so blessed? The Shadow provides power far beyond mortal comprehension to those who accept its darkness.[/i] "You appear to know quite a bit about the Thing Beneath," *if (pc_state = "falling") or (pc_state = "friends") Hadaly *if pc_state = "captured" Rook notices. "Any reason for that?" [i]Academic curiosity, mostly. The nature of that dark thing is possibly the most important scientific topic out there, after all.[/i] You have no way of verifying Crystal's sincerity, though you're not prevented from doubting it. *goto sosay #"I'm not infected by Dusk... as far as I know." *set Confid %- 10 *if (pc_state = "falling") or (pc_state = "friends") Both other androids are looking at you with surprise, perhaps contemplating chewing you out for that final remark. *if pc_state = "captured" All three metas (though you have to guess in Rook's case) are looking at you with a mixture of astonishment and perhaps a desire to kill you after all. Crystal, however, simply nods with calm approval. [i]Few can recognize the possibility of having darkness within them, and I applaud your uncertainty. But I assure you, my keen senses can tell you free of the Shadow's corruption. Trust in my experience as I do.[/i] "You knew ${pronoun} is clean?" *if (pc_state = "falling") or (pc_state = "friends") Hadaly asks indignantly. *if pc_state = "captured" Marshal asks in her confusion. "Then why bother asking and scaring us all?" [i]I'd rather gather all the available data before making judgment.[/i] There is perhaps a note of remorse in the wyvern's voice. [i]Now the verdict is out. I have no more question to ask, and would have no motive to hurt you, even if I were willing to break my promise.[/i] #"I've never had any contact with Dusk. I'm free of its taint." [i]Pure and innocent, like the snow caps on the poles of Mars,[/i] Crystal says with something approaching mockery. [i]It is easy to claim oneself untainted. But tell me, my fellow fiend, why exactly should I believe you?[/i] *fake_choice #"You want me to prove my innocence? I don't think it should work like that." [i]We are hardly in a court of law,[/i] Crystal counters. [i]Rather in a court of public… no, personal opinion. Different principles apply.[/i] "It seems like you've already reached your verdict," your reply, trying to not let your fear show in your voice or expression. "Like there's nothing I can say to change your mind." [i]Entirely correct, ${name_1}. I have already made up my mind. I know that you have no Shadow inside you.[/i] It takes a moment for that last statement to sink in. #"I was not programmed to lie. Wouldn't know how." [i]That is a lie,[/i] Crystal says with a chuckle. [i]In fact, it would serve as bayesian evidence of you being infected… if I didn't know you to be pure already.[/i] *selectable_if (heaven_side != "Traitor") #"Do not call me a fiend. I rejected the calling of Ba-El." [i]I know that.[/i] Crystal lowers their head in a vaguely apologetic way. [i]You are untouched by the Fiend Commander. And I can sense you are untouched by the Shadow all the same.[/i] #"The others can vouch for me." *if pc_state = "captured" "That is correct." Marshal comes to your aid, surprisingly enough. "If this android… ${name} had any Dusk particles inside it, I'm pretty sure we would had detected it by now. They may be many things, but not the vessel for the Thing Beneath." [i]I would not normally trust a federate lackey on a matter so important,[/i] Crystal says disdainfully, earning a sharp glare from the Kinnari. [i]But I indeed cannot sense any Shadow in ${pronoun2}. We are in agreement.[/i] *if (pc_state = "falling") or (pc_state = "friends") Hadaly nods vigorously. "We have lived with ${name} for well over a year now. We would have noticed the influence of… Shadow upon ${pronoun2}. I swear, there is nothing to look for here." [i]You are not calling on unbiased witnesses here, ${name_1},[/i] Crystal says dismissively. [i]But I indeed cannot sense any Shadow in you. We are in agreement.[/i] "Wait, you already knew ${pronoun} @{plural were|was} not infected?" *if (pc_state = "falling") or (pc_state = "friends") Damon's eyes are not very expressive, but his voice betrays surprise and perhaps annoyance. "What's the point of asking if you know the answer?" *if pc_state = "captured" You can't see behind Rook's helmet, but you can bet there's a surprised expression hidden there. "What was the point of the question, then?" [i]I wanted additional information before making judgment,[/i] the wyvern replies. [i]I was wondering if perhaps your @{(pc_state = "captured") captive|friend} would lie. The fact that ${pronoun} is just further proof of ${subject} purity.[/i] #[i]Lie[/i] "I indeed have Dusk nanites inside me. And I can use their power to defend myself." *set lies true *if (pc_state = "falling") or (pc_state = "friends") Both other androids are looking at you with astonishment, and perhaps a desire to punch you out before you can say anything else. *if pc_state = "captured" All three metas (though you have to guess in Rook's case) are looking at you with a mixture of astonishment and desire to kill you after all. As for Crystal, well, it is difficult to decipher the expression on their draconic face. [i]Most fascinating. Another carrier for the blight, a vessel for the shade, standing on a cheap voidship and bragging about their power. Is there anything stopping you from demonstrating what abilities the Shadow has bestowed upon you?[/i] *label lied *fake_choice #"I don't use my powers wantonly. Can't risk them going out of control." [i]I suppose that makes sense,[/i] Crystal says with a nod. [i]I heard Shadow is as dangerous a thing as expected. But just to sate my curiosity, what has historically happened when your powers slipped out of control?[/i] *if (pc_state = "falling") or (pc_state = "friends") "It was horrifying!" Hadaly exclaims suddenly. "$!{pronoun} almost killed us by accident, and we are ${subject} friends. I would hate to see these dark tendrils strangle another sentient being to death, and so I implore you to flee and never-" *if pc_state = "captured" "$!{pronoun} used their powers when ${pronoun} battled us," Rook suddenly claims. "There used to be ten of us metas inside Rhea, our trio the sole survivors of the massacre ${pronoun} carried out. I would hate to see these dark tendrils strangle another sentient being to death, and so I implore you to flee and never-" *goto bluff_called #"I could blast you to bits... but I am a merciful person." [i]Mercy?[/i] Crystal raises an eye-scale. [i]Quite an unusual trait, doubly so for someone with Dusk particles inside ${pronoun2}. Are you entirely sure you want to spare me?[/i] *if (pc_state = "falling") or (pc_state = "friends") "$!{pronoun} @{plural is|are} battling the darkness inside ${pronoun2}," Hadaly hurries to explain. "$!{pronoun} may be willing to spare you now, but there is no telling how long the light in ${subject} soul can hold the infinite darkness of the-" *if pc_state = "captured" "I am holding the darkness in ${subject} heart at bay," Rook suddenly claims. "It is not easy, but I have powers that help those around me resist Dusk. If I were to deactivate them and let this android lose-" *label bluff_called [i]Oh please.[/i] You see Crystal roll their gem-like eyes. [i]You are not any good at lying, either of you. Even someone less experienced in recognizing the Shadow's influence would not be fooled by this drivel. For me, it's clear that you're not carrying Dusk's inside you.[/i] *disable_reuse #"I am the favored servant of the Thing Beneath. I do not need to answer your questions." [i]I know I'm taking a great risk interrogating you like this,[/i] Crystal replies, not a trace of fear in their telepathic voice. [i]And yet, I must insist that you explain a thing or two about your powers. Or demonstrating them, even if it means destroying my meager self.[/i] "You are [i]really[/i] curious about this whole Dusk thing," *if (pc_state = "falling") or (pc_state = "friends") Damon *if pc_state = "captured" Hellhound notices. [i]You could call my curiosity a character flaw, for it is the first step to hell. But I am a type of Fiend, fully ready to take that risk. Now, ${name_1}, will you explain why you refuse to activate your supposed powers?[/i] *goto lied #"I will not waste power on obliterating you. Not unless you force my hand." [i]I would be terrified, if not for my ability to call bluffs like this.[/i] Crystal bears their teeth in a smile, or perhaps a parody thereof. [i]Or the ability to recognize the Shadow's influence. You are free of it, so cease pretending otherwise.[/i] *disable_reuse #"What do you mean by [i]another[/i] carrier?" [i]Do not presume you are the first vessel for the Shadow I've met during my lifetime,[/i] Crystal says as they bare their teeth. [i]I am very old, and very traveled after all.[/i] You have no idea if the wyvern is telling the truth. But if they are… that likely means they can call your bluff, even more easily than they would otherwise. *goto lied #"...alright, I lied. I have no Dusk particles inside me." [i]I applaud your honesty,[/i] Crystal says with a small nod. [i]I likely would have done so despite my disappointment, but I confess to not feeling any. I know you are free of the Shadow's influence, it is as clear to my eyes as my are scales to yours.[/i] "Wait, you knew ${pronoun} @{plural was|were} not infected in advance?" *if (pc_state = "falling") or (pc_state = "friends") Damon's eyes are not very expressive, but his voice betrays surprise and perhaps annoyance. "What's the point of asking if you know the answer?" *if pc_state = "captured" You can't see behind Rook's helmet, but you can bet there's a surprised expression hidden there. "What was the point of the question, then?" [i]I wanted additional information before making judgment,[/i] the wyvern replies. [i]Your clumsy attempt at deception was that information. I require nothing more of you, and I feel no malice towards you, in spite of your attempts at fooling me.[/i] *fake_choice #"So... are we done here?" [i]If you wish us to be,[/i] Crystal replies. [i]I must leave soon, lest the Kronian fleet will arrive to hunt me down, but I have a few more minutes to talk. Listen to what you have to say, answer your questions if any remain.[/i] #"Does that mean you intend to keep your promise?" [i]It hurts to see that you still doubt my sincerity,[/i] Crystal replies, though they only seem a little bummed out. [i]But yes, you and your companions are safe. In fact, I will be leaving in a moment to prevent the Kronian fleet from arriving here and blasting this ship in hopes of wounding me with shrapnel. I only have time to talk for another minute or two, perhaps answer some questions of yours or listening to your opinions.[/i] #"Do I hear disappointment in your voice?" Cold chuckle is what you get in response. [i]A bit of it, yes. I'm afraid I cannot tell you of the exact reasons behind my interest… but perhaps I can recompense by listening to any other queries you may have. We should have some time before the Kronian fleet realizes I'm here.[/i] #"Well, you know what you wanted to know. Time for you to leave." *goto banished *if lies #"Um, sorry for lying. I was a bit... nervous." Cold chuckle is what you get in response. [i]I will not fault you for the stress I caused. In fact, I would not mind making up for it, if I wasn't forced to go already. I suspect the human fleet will come to kill me soon enough, so if you have anything to say or ask of me, please be expedient.[/i] "You'd answer my questions?" you ask, only barely bothering to conceal your doubt. Plenty of valuable knowledge could fit inside a wyvern's brain… but diamond ones are known for their deceptive nature, and not just thanks to the camouflage. [i]A few of them. You are a pleasant interlocutor, all things considered.[/i] *if (pc_state = "falling") or (pc_state = "friends") Crystal then looks to your fellow androids. [i]They can ask something of me too, I suppose. I won't pretend I'm overly interested in speaking with the youth, but I'm not so rude as to ignore my fellow synthetics outright.[/i] "We're not exactly young, you know?" Damon objects. "I'm almost a hundred… in Mercurian years, but still." Saving the new information about your comrade, you look Crystal straight in the eye and say: *if pc_state = "captured" Crystal then looks to the metas surrounding you. [i]They can ask something of me too, I suppose. I won't pretend I'm overly interested in speaking with humans, but I'm not so rude as to ignore our military officials entirely.[/i] "We're not exactly human," Marshal objects, flapping her wings to accentuate the point. "And not exactly military officers either, more like… fully authorized military contractors." [i]My apologies,[/i] Crystal replies dismissively before looking at you once again. [i]But returning to [b]our[/b] conversation, what would be your questions?[/i] *temp time 3 *label point *if time = 1 [i]I sense my time is growing short. I will answer one more question of yours and then I'll be forced to disappear. In more than one manner.[/i] *if (pc_state = "falling") or (pc_state = "friends") "I can't see any federate ships nearby, and I doubt any would dare to come so near Rhea," Damon points out. "But if you gotta, then we can't really stop you. Make that last question count, boss." *if pc_state = "captured" "There are no federate ships nearby, you know?" Marshal points out. "Not that I want you to stay more than you have to… and not that I'm telling you to leave either…" [i]Your fear amuses me, but I have guaranteed your safety already. Now, ${name_1}, for your final inquiry if you have any.[/i] *if time = 0 [i]But this is where our pleasant exchange comes to an end. I thank you for your time, ${name_1}, though I hope we [b]won't[/b] meet again.[/i] "Why so?" you ask, one eyebrow raised. "Are you afraid we'll meet as enemies?" [i]I have a premonition, yes. Pray to whatever god you adore that it doesn't come true. For your own sake far more than mine.[/i] *goto convo_end *fake_choice *disable_reuse #"What are you going to do now? Where will you go?" [i]To my hidden layer in the depths of the ocean, to study dark magic and perform an act of virgin sacrifice,"[i] Crystal replies without stutter. [i]What else would an evil beast like me intend to do?[/i] "I was asking seriously, you know?" you can't quite keep a tinge of irritation from your voice. [i]And there was nothing jestful about my answer. Perhaps you'll understand one day.[/i] "Just to be clear, none of us here is a virgin," *if (pc_state = "falling") or (pc_state = "friends") Damon *if pc_state = "captured" Hellhound announces. "Certainly not me. Absolutely not. No reason to even consider the prospect." *set time - 1 *goto point *disable_reuse #"You refer to Dusk as the Shadow. Why is that?" [i]The Thing Beneath has many names.[/i] Crystal replies. [i]I am hardly the first one who likened it to a shadow; Solarites do it all the time in their countless little churches, scattered throughout the Federation.[/i] "You're not saying you're a Solarite yourself?" *if (pc_state = "falling") or (pc_state = "friends") Hadaly *if pc_state = "captured" Hellhound inquires. "I mean, it's fine if you are, I support religious freedom for all species, but…" [i]But it would be weird if I professed faith that condemns me as a fiend, yes. Frankly, I don't know why the term appeals to me so much. Perhaps it's because I only cast a shadow where my cloaking is down, which is usually an unfavorable situation. In any case, the name I elect to use is no worse than any other, for the Thing Beneath has no true name nor form.[/i] "You have quite the knowledge of the… Shadow," you dare point out. "If nothing else, you must have thought about it a lot. Contemplated it." [i]You are not incorrect, ${name_1}, but you are not getting anywhere either. My knowledge and contemplation are for me alone.[/i] *set time - 1 *goto point *disable_reuse #"How old are you, if you don't mind me asking?" [i]You think such a question would offend me?[/i] Crystal chuckles silently. [i]I will freely tell you that I'm about seven centuries old. About as aged as the Federation itself, but still your junior by a significant margin. Born to two second-generation wyverns, if such specifics interest you.[/i] *if database < 40 "You mean wyverns reproduce sexually?" you inquire. "I admit, my database has some holes when it comes to daemonology." *if database >= 40 "Can your kind really, you know… do that?" *if (pc_state = "falling") or (pc_state = "friends") Damon inquires. *if pc_state = "captured" Marshal asks. "I thought you were created artificially, by the Archfiends all these centuries back?" [i]I would be quite a poor bioweapon without the ability to multiply. Wyverns can procreate in a manner not dissimilar to regular animals… though finding a partner can be difficult. I am yet to attract one, despite being open to committed and casual relationships alike.[/i] You're not sure what to do with the knowledge granted to you… but you suppose that marks one question answered. *set time - 1 *goto point *disable_reuse #"What are your pronouns? I've been thinking of you in genderless terms, but I'm not sure if that's right." [i]Not exactly a meaningful question… though I appreciate how considerate you are,[/i] Crystal replies to your inquiry. [i]Your suspicions were correct, as I lack a binary gender or sex at this particular moment.[/i] *if database < 40 "Are there times you do have a gender?" you keep asking, not feeling any information on the subject in your memory bank. [i]When it's strictly necessary for mating purposes, yes. Sexual characteristics are inherently a weakness otherwise. One cannot afford to be weak in this era, much less in the Federation's heart.[/i] *if database >= 40 "I am aware your kind can change sexual characteristics at will," you say, drawing upon your vast pool of knowledge. "I'm just not very good at recognizing them." [i]Rest assured that there aren't any. They are a weakness, one I cannot afford normally, much less in the Federation's heart.[/i] *if pc_state = "captured" *set RookRel %+ 10 "I can see the wisdom of these words," Rook says sagely. "And worry not, I shall inform my superiors of your proper pronouns… assuming you fail to change your mind on whether you want us to live." Crystal just chuckles. *if (pc_state = "falling") or (pc_state = "friends") *set HadalyRel %+10 *if Social > 45 *set ManfredRel %+10 "Well that's debatable," Damon joins the discussion. "Some sexual characteristics are really useful. They're necessary for breeding, for one, but people also tend to like you more if you have a nice set of-" "It works differently for wyverns, Damon," Hadaly interrupts. "Also you're gross. I'm sorry, but that's just true." *set time - 1 *goto point *if (pc_state = "falling") or (pc_state = "friends") *disable_reuse #"You said you expect the Kronian Fleet to show up here? Is the Federation after you?" [i]Quite,[/i] Crystal replies with a smile, or baring of their teeth in any case. [i]They've declared me an enemy, by the virtue of my existence, which forced me to actually be their enemy on an occasion or two. Damaged one of their ships, caused some havoc in a minor moon of theirs. We are alike in this regard, I suppose.[/i] "I don't recall damaging any federate ships," Hadaly points out. "Not that I think you're wrong to defend yourself… it's just that we prefer to keep a low profile." [i]Keeping low profile, as you put it, becomes fairly difficult once you surpass a reefer ship in terms of mass. Active camouflage or otherwise. I promise to try out your way once I lose some weight, though.[/i] *fake_choice #"Why would you stay around Saturn if the Federation hates you? You could leave, right?" [i]Theoretically. But then again, so could the bunch of you, despite being hunted with just as much fervor as I am. Yet here you are, heading towards Saturn rather than away from it.[/i] "We don't have a ship good enough for interplanetary travel," Hadaly points out. "And wherever we'd go, we would be hunted all the same. As far as I understand, you could just survive in the void indefinitely, or maybe travel to Mercury and get some tribe to worship you as their god." [i]Clever observation, young lady. I will admit then, I have some… unfinished business here on Saturn, and perhaps within its moon or two. Nothing you need to concern yourself with, and certainly not something I'm willing to talk about at length.[/i] Your whole trio decides against drilling the subject any further. You can recognize a hint when you see one. #"Don't. The feds deserve to lose some ships if they're looking for a fight." *set Misan %+ 10 *set Violence %+ 10 [i]You could say that,[/i] Crystal concedes. [i]But contrary to what these humans may believe, I'm not bloodthirsty. And I care little for who deserves what, finding the very concept of deserving ethically questionable.[/i] "You sound like a Calypsoan," Damon says. "And I really like that. Makes me fear you're going to kill us for the greater good any moment now." [i]Know that I'm deontologically opposed to killing children,[/i] Crystal says whilst looking at Damon and Hadaly, then looks at you once again. [i]Or old people, for that matter. You are all safe, as I must once again assure you.[/i] #"Sorry for my teammate. She's a bit of a pacifist, you know." *set Violence %+ 10 *set HadalyRel %-10 [i]Oh, I have a certain fondness for pacifism myself,[/i] Crystal muses. [i]It's just that principles of non-violence are hard to apply in practice, especially in this day and age. Still, what are the stars for if not to be guided by?[/i] "For the record, I'm not [i]really[/i] a pacifist," Hadaly clarifies. "Like, I won't chide others for choosing violence when necessary. It's just not my sort of thing." "Good thing you have the two of us, right?" Damon says teasingly. "It's easier not to trounce any humans if other androids can do it for you." "I'm… not gonna deny that." #Say nothing. "You know, this conversation is way more… nice than I expected," Damon says to combat the silence. "I didn't know wyverns even have a sense of humor." [i]I thought you would know better than to think your fellow synthetics emotionless and robotic,[/i] Crystal says with no small note of hurt in their voice. [i]For that insult, I think I'll make an exception to the promise I made earlier. I haven't eaten an android in a while, after all." "What?!" Hadaly exclaims. "There is no nutritional value to an android like him, and I don't think your kind needs to eat at all. Besides, he's my brother so I would have to object on the grounds of-" [i]Relax, I was not being altogether serious,[/i] Crystal bares their teeth. [i]I have a sense of humor, after all.[/i] *set time - 1 *goto point *disable_reuse #[i]address Damon and Hadaly[/i] "Does either of you have something to ask?" *set HadalyRel %+10 *set DamonRel %+10 "I don't think I have any questions, no." Damon shrugs, but you suspect his lack of interest is only caused by the presence of fear. "And what about you, sis?" "Well…" Hadaly [i]definitely[/i] looks intimidated, but also more curious than her brother. "Can you explain how your camouflage works? I'm quite interested in the technicalities of stealth systems like it." [i]I am flattered that you would show interest, but I'm afraid I cannot satisfy it,[/i] Crystal replies politely. [i]I am a product of the War In Heaven, however indirect. My abilities cannot be easily explained, at least not in what little time we have.[/i] "Can't you at least explain the underlying principles?" Hadaly argues. "What's actually happening to the light that would normally reflect off your body?" "I don't think they can," you say, drawing on your experiences from that ancient period. "Wyverns are as clarketech as a living creature can get. The technology involved in their creation was… well…" [i]Magic,[/i] Crystal finishes for you. [i]That's where the term comes from, isn't it? In any case, my young engineer, I'm afraid you'll never be able to understand, let alone replicate the power in my scales. But do not despair, for I'm sure you have secrets I'll never be able to understand in turn.[/i] Hadaly doesn't look satisfied with the non-explanation, but she says nothing else. *set time - 1 *goto point *if pc_state = "captured" *disable_reuse #[i]address the metas[/i] "Does any of you have anything to ask?" *set Misan %- 10 *set RenfriRel %+ 10 *set RookRel %+ 10 Not a single member of the trio has anything to say. Even Hellhound, for all her usual bravado, appears eager to address the giant monster directly. [i]Forgive your captors for seeming shy.[/i] Crystal is the one to break the awkward silence. [i]They have been on my tail for quite a while now, sometimes literally so. Spying on me, chasing me… they are wise not to provoke their enemy to attack.[/i] "We are not enemies," Rook protests. "You were flying around camouflaged, so we were sent to investigate the potential threat. Now that we know you to be amicable, there shall be no need for-" [i]Cease your lies, tin soldier.[/i] Crystal's voice goes from being cold to freezing, from chill air to water so frigid it hurts to touch. [i]I can see through them. I know you would have taken that shot at Calypso if you saw me, that you'd have killed me without hesitation. And I know you'll keep trying. I just want it known that I elected to spare you today… and that whatever happens in the future, you've had your chance.[/i] The silence falls once more, but this time it's even colder. Even fuller of fear. "So they [i]were[/i] in front of our ship that time," Hellhound eventually says. "Told you so. Werewolf eyes are rarely wrong like that." *set time - 1 *goto point *disable_reuse #"So... I sense there's some bad blood between the bunch of you. Some history. Anything I should know?" "We have been hunting for them… for a diamond wyvern for quite a while now," Marshal admits. "Like you, these creatures are considered enemies until proven otherwise, a problem only meta-humans can be trusted to solve. And this one has caused some trouble personally, enough to warrant a full-scale mission. It's not that any of us enjoys such hunts… but orders are orders." [i]Are you trying to emulate your leader, Renfri Riannon?[/i] Crystal's voice is still cold, but there is some warmth in their amusement. [i]It is pointless. I know that you would gladly kill me even without any orders to do so. The Federation could declare me an ally and grant me citizenship, you would still be tempted to slay the beast for your own glory's sake. For the sake of… heroism. Or at least your perception of it." Marshal purses her lips. She doesn't look willing to entertain the subject any further. *set time - 1 *goto point *disable_reuse #"Can you maybe get me out of here? Away from these humans and all?" *set RenfriRel %-10 *set RookRel %-10 "You would respond to our hospitality with disdain?" Hellhound gasps, clearly feigning offense. "Well that's just scandalous, uncouth as well as simply… does anyone have any other big words? I'm trying to fit in with the company, you know." You can't tell if Crystal is amused, for they're still focused on you only. [i]I would gladly do you that favor, but I don't think I could take you from these humans without starting a fight, and that would mean breaking a promise given. Besides, there are practical concerns to be considered.[/i] "Such as?" you press the wyvern. "Carrying me out of here can't be a problem for someone as powerful as you." [i]I appreciate the flattery, but how exactly do you expect me to carry you? I don't come with a saddle, and even that would be quite useless at any real acceleration. I suppose I could try and carry you home in my mouth, but I doubt there's enough trust between us for that.[/i] "No, there is not," you sigh. Looks like getting away from the Meta Trio will be harder than that. Maybe [i]Shuttle One[/i] will catch up to them somehow… though you doubt your ship can win the following space battle, even with Manfred in command. You'll have to be watchful for other opportunities, plain and simple. *set time - 1 *goto point *if database < 40 *disable_reuse #"Can you tell me something about your kind?" [i]Any request more specific than that?[/i] Crystal asks. "Not really," you say with a shrug. "I'm just curious. I've seen a few wyverns during the War, but I never bothered to learn much and barely remember the few things I have." [i]We don't have much time, but if you want a general overview…[/i] Crystal pauses for a moment. When they speak again, their tone is warmer but devoid of color or emotion, like that a very professional or very bored lecturer. [i]We wyverns were created by the Fiend Lords as a collaborative effort, to serve a variety of combat and supportive roles in the War In Heaven. We can be roughly classified based on the color of our scales, and so humans came up with a system of classification based on materials and minerals. I am a diamond wyvern, a subtype created by Ba-El to serve as stealth killers and infiltrators, with my active camouflage being my primary ability. Diamonds like I are often thought to be particularly charismatic and deceptive, which may not be an altogether unfounded stereotype. I am also biologically immortal ,like all wyverns, and capable of altering my form. I could grow front legs if I wanted to resemble a dragon… which may not be a bad idea, now that I think of it. It would make me more trustworthy to humans, since my kind is reviled or at least feared by all cultures beyond the orbit of Mercury. It is possible that the Archfiends gave us some passive ability to evoke such contempt, but it's not a hypothesis I've ever been able to test.[/i] "I need to learn bioengineering one day," Hadaly sighs. "Mechanical systems are rarely as weird, or as interesting as that. No offense, you two." *set time - 1 *goto point #"Look, it's been nice talking, but can you leave already?" *set ManfredRel %-15 *set Confid %+ 10 *label banished [i]How painful it feels to be banished like this.[/i] There is no anger in Crystal's voice, only amusement that sounds vaguely like mockery. [i]But I shall not bother you any longer. Farewell, ${name_1}, and I hope we won't meet again.[/i] *goto convo_end *label convo_end With that, the wyvern starts floating away from the ship. There is no show of flapping wings, no illusion of flight, Crystal just drifts away whilst activating their camouflage. Three more seconds and they're gone, only a faint disturbance in the air remaining, and even that disappears once the invisible fiend leaves the ship's atmosphere. No trace is left save the leftover tension, visible on the faces of your *if (pc_state = "falling") or (pc_state = "friends") companions. "Well, it looks like we aren't about to die today," Hadaly says uncertainly. "Good job, I suppose? Not that I think anyone here did anything wrong, it's just…" "That wyvern didn't want to kill us in the first place," Damon finishes the sentence. "I'm not complaining, but… what was its deal? Why did it think ${name} of all people is infected by [i]Dusk[/i] of all things, and why would it care anyway?" *fake_choice #"Maybe it wanted those nanomachines for itself?" "Why would someone want parts of [i]Dusk[/i] for themselves?" Hadaly asks. "I mean, they're probably brilliant little pieces of nano-engineering, but even I don't feel like it's reason enough." "Dusk is said to endow its vessels with power," you explain your reasoning. "Crystal certainly seemed to believe so. Maybe they sought that power for themselves, and when they realized I don't have it-" "And then just let you go!?" Damon snaps unexpectedly. "You think someone who wants that sort of power would just spare you out of the goodness of their heart? Yeah, I heard Calamity Cults are some of the nicest communities in the-" *goto slip #"I guess they considered me a threat. Then backed out once they knew better." "An invisible monster with spaceship capabilities considered you a threat?" Damon says with a note of mockery. "Sorry ${name_1}, but that doesn't compute." "Maybe they considered ${name} a threat in some broader sense?" Hadaly suggests. "Maybe Crystal thought these Dusk nanobots could somehow awaken, or reach critical mass, or influence their vessel to work for the Thing Beneath somehow. Maybe they feared for the safety of others, and so decided to visit ${name} and make sure that they wouldn't cause the wider world any-" "And then just let ${pronoun2} go!? Because they [i]sensed[/i] there's no Dusk inside them after all? That doesn't make any-" Damon cuts off. Either he realized how little he enjoys shouting at Hadaly, or is experiencing power issues, having been active for so long. "Let's just get inside the shuttle, okay? I think it will be easier to relax there than here." #"Perhaps it just wanted a fun conversation?" *set DamonRel %-7 "That's what you think?" Damon snaps unexpectedly. "Why would it want to speak with you specifically? Why would it accuse you of being infected by [i]Dusk[/i] of all things? And why would it be so insistent on flying away a minute after getting its answers? Nothing about this makes any-" *label slip "Hey, we're all confused!" Hadaly shouts back. "There's no need to argue like humans, like our…" Moment of silence. Somehow, you're not sure how, the air feels colder and the quiet more tense than in Crystal's presence. "Sorry I'm… let's just return inside. Process what we've just heard calmly. Please?" #"I don't know guys. I don't..." "Hey, are you alright?" Hadaly makes a step towards you. If you were to fall (which feels like a possibility) she would be in a position to catch you. "Have I told you not to overexert yourself? I should have told you that, I'm sorry, but the point-" "${name} will be alright, Hadaly," Damon says, hoping to assure both of his fellow androids. "I'm sure of it. They just need some proper rest and recharging. We all do, to some extent." The other sibling doesn't argue. Neither do you. It's undeniable that you need some… *fake_choice #Time. I need time to process everything. They say time heals all wounds. You know that to be bollocks, your psyche full of open wounds centuries old, but you haven't sustained any permanent damage [i]today[/i]. You just need to get back aboard the station and inside your room, and then everything will be fine. Maybe. Hopefully. #Solitude. Once I return to my room on the station... [i]Saturn Nine[/i] is a large fortress, almost a city amongst clouds of the sixth planet. You have your own little corner there, a place to be alone, apart even from those you consider your friends. You just need to get there, and then you'll be alright. As much as you can ever be, that is. #Peace. Peace and quiet. You've lived through a couple wars, including the greatest one in all of history. You've learned to appreciate peace. But the thing is… you've also learned to doubt whether you'll ever truly get any. Ain't that a bitch? #I don't know what I need anymore. Maybe you're just tired. Maybe your super-ego is running out of power, maybe that's why you're suddenly unsure of what you want. Maybe it will be better once you're powered-up and rested, once this blasted day is finally behind you. Maybe. *if pc_state = "captured" captors. "Well, that was…" Rook lets out a long, deep, tired sigh. "That was certainly something. I would never expect Crystal would spare us like this, and yet here we are. Still alive, all three… all four of us." "You know it means nothing, right Kirill?" Marshal approaches her leader. "That thing is still dangerous, still a monster. We'll need to destroy it all the same." "Does the same apply to our android buddy?" Hellhound asks whilst pointing at you. *if LisaRel < 40 "Not that I particularly like ${pronoun2}, but ${pronoun} @{plural were|was} pretty cooperative thus far. Didn't even tell Crystal to eat us or anything. Is keeping ${pronoun2} in cuffs really fair at this point?" *if LisaRel >= 40 "$!{pronoun} @{plural seem|seems} like a pretty cool robot. Do we really need to keep ${pronoun2} in cuffs? Do we even want to?" *if RenfriRel > RookRel "It's part of the procedure, Lisa," Kirill replies, having given up on codenames by now. "Though I applaud you for showing some actual empathy for once." *if RenfriRel <= RookRel "This android buddy is still our enemy, just one we managed to subdue," Renfri scoffs. "Don't get too attached to it, Lisa." You join the conversation and say: *fake_choice #"Why so friendly all of the sudden, [i]Lisa[/i]?" *set cuffs true *set LisaRel %- 10 *set Misan %+ 10 "We are on the same boat, android," Lisa hisses back, not taking kindly to your words. "And not just in the way you think." "Not the time for that!" Kirill rules with surprising sternness. "The prisoner clearly isn't as cooperative as you think. The cuffs stay on, and Renfri… keep careful watch of ${pronoun2}, alright?" *goto cuff #"She's right, you know? I think I deserve something for my good behavior." "That's not how the arrest procedure works," Marshal protests. "Especially not when it comes to [i]fiends[/i] like you." *if RookRel > 40 *set cuffs true "Strange for you to care about protocols now, Renfri," Rook says before turning to the other woman. "You are right, or at least it sure feels like it. You can unbind our prisoner if you want." *goto uncuff *if RookRel <= 40 "I have to back Agent Riannon here," Rook says coldly. "I rarely stray from the protocols, and you have not been as cooperative as you seem to think. The cuffs stay on." *goto cuff *if health = 1 #"Look at me. Do you really think I'm in a state to hurt anyone?" "Well you are really tough," Lisa points out. "Actually gave me a proper fight back on Rhea. Don't sell yourself short." "Okay, whose side are you on right now?" Marshal demands to know. "I'm just telling you the truth, Renfri. Shame on you for assuming I'm on someone's [i]side[/i] when I'm just looking after the mission like a good convict I-" "Alright!" Rook suddenly exclaims. "Unbind our prisoner if you want. I'm tired of our bickering for tonight." *goto uncuff *if surrender_trio #"I surrendered before any real fight, remember? That has to count for something." "Are you trying to discourage me from helping you?" Hellhound asks. "Because frankly, the way you just forfeited the fight was quite lame. When the feds came for me-" "No bringing that up, Lisa," Rook says sternly. "But I suppose you [i]are[/i] correct. You can unbind our prisoner if you want." *goto uncuff *selectable_if (Misan <= 40) #"You've seen my mind. How much hostility against your kind have you actually found there?" *set RookRel %+ 10 *set RenfriRel %+ 10 *set Misan %- 10 "You're claiming to be a friend to humanity?" Marshal says in anger and surprise. "You, a rogue android who just participated in a robbery of-" "Now we consider [i]that[/i] a high crime?" Hellhound interrupts. "Put me in a straitjacket then, because I've done far worse. You know I had." "Not the time to brag about it, Lisa," Rook says with yet another sigh. "But overall… you are correct. You can unbind our prisoner if you want." *goto uncuff #I say nothing, actually. *set cuffs true *if RenfriRel > RookRel "Like I said, the cuffs stay on," Rook says with finality. "Our mission is almost finished. No point taking risks at this stage." *if RenfriRel <= RookRel "Agent Riannon is right," Rook says after a moment of thought. "We are not unbinding our prisoner. In fact, letting them stay on the upper deck is also a hazard, so let us return inside." *goto cuff *label uncuff Victorious in the debate, Lisa fiddles with your cuffs until they fall off. You instantly feel far more comfortable upon not only regaining the use of your arms but feeling energy flow freely through your body once again. You could start projecting electricity outwards if you wanted, but you doubt the metas would take kindly to that, and you [i]highly[/i] doubt you'd be able to defeat all three of them in close quarters. You briefly consider another option—jumping off the roof in hopes you'll fall out of the vessel's gravity field—but that too is quickly discarded. Floating in space with at least one federate ship and one wyvern nearby seems like certain death, whereas remaining captive… might mean death too, but you're not sure anymore. Not sure what will happen next. *label cuff You are then led back inside the ship, Marshal shooting daggers at you and Kirill watching you as closely as he's able given how tired he is. That would be a distinct advantage to hold over your captors, if you weren't hopelessly tired yourself. You can't struggle much, you can only keep walking and thinking… *fake_choice #[i]I have to keep these humans from hurting my friends. Somehow.[/i] *set ManfredRel %+ 10 You still have no contact with Damon and Hadaly, but that may actually be a good thing. Maybe they are ahead of the Meta Trio, en route to [i]Saturn Nine[/i]. Maybe they know what happen, maybe they'll prepare a defense with the others and maybe… maybe you'll get to fight alongside them one more time. Maybe. #[i]It will all work out in the end. I'm sure of it.[/i] *if heaven_side != "Neutral" You were never very religious, but… maybe ${master} is still watching over you, somehow. Maybe your failure will be forgiven. Maybe this story will have a happy ending after all. Maybe. *if heaven_side = "Neutral" You were never religious. You cannot pray, you cannot believe like most humans believe in the Sun, or the World Engines, or the Guardians above. You can only hope. However forlorn that hope may be. #[i]I'll kill those bastards. Just they wait.[/i] *set Violence %+ 10 *set Confid %+ 5 Though how much they'll have to wait… Well, you'll have to wait and see. #[i]What a day. What a fucking day.[/i] You just want this cursed day to be over, but you are no longer on Rhea. Here in space, the Sun always shines, almost mockingly so. You hope that the Solarites are wrong and the yellow star isn't actually a deity, because if it is… It sure as hell isn't on your side. *page_break Back To The Ship The rest of the journey can be best described as "awkward". Not scary, not unnerving and perhaps not even [i]tense[/i]. Just really damn awkward. *label captured2 *if pc_state != "captured" *goto friends2 *temp change false You have regained enough senses, composure and subsystems to actually analyze your surroundings critically. The ship you're on is obviously some kind of military vessel, though probably not a full-fledged warship. Smaller than a corvette and clearly larger than a fighter, it should be either a cutter or some equivalent class of small patrol ships. It would be easier to determine if you could see the cockpit, but the door to that room is locked and guarded by Rook himself. The Meta Trio would be in quite a dire position if you managed to hurt the pilot, you suppose. Assuming there even is a pilot on the ship. You have seen no crew save the metas thus far, which could mean that the ship is mostly autonomous. Unthinkable in most of the Solar System, but given how much the Federation loves their toys and how they tend to prioritize quality over quantity… you can't put it fully past them, for better or worse. The thought of asking about it crossed your mind once or twice over the last… was it an hour since your meeting with Crystal? Damn flashback must have messed with your atomic clock too. You suppose that's another position on the list of things you could ask your captors, if you feel brave enough or even [i]want[/i] to converse with any of them. And assuming they'll want to chat with you, which is possible given how talkative Kirill is, how bored Lisa appears and how… *if RenfriRel < 35 okay, Renfri is still stern-faced, still watching you carefully, still looking like some vulture that just cannot wait to see you drop dead. Still, maybe there's something you could get from the other two. *if RenfriRel >= 35 okay, maybe Renfri doesn't look eager to talk [i]per se[/i], but you get a vague feeling that she views you with less enmity than she used to. So that's something, at least. *label actually *if change *set change false Namely? *choice #I'll approach @{(RookRel >= 50) Krill|Rook} and continue our previous conversation. *goto rook_talk #I'll exchange a few words with @{(LisaRel >= 40) Lisa|Hellhound}. *goto hound_talk #I'll talk to @{(RenfriRel >= 40) Renfri|Marshal}. You only live once. *goto marshal_talk #I'll just stay silent. *goto no_talk *label rook_talk You need to stand up from your (graciously provided) folding chair and walk towards the cockpit door to initiate any real conversation. You are unreproved for it, even as Marshal eyes you even more intensely and Rook tilts his helmeted head in surprise. "Anything I can help you with?" he asks, the offer sounding rather sincere. "And please do not tell me that I can release you, or anything like that. That will come later, I promise." *fake_choice #"Can you be more specific? [i]Later[/i] doesn't tell me much." "Soon after arriving at Saturn Nine," Rook assures you. "With 'soon' being a matter of minutes in this context." "Then why be so evasive?" you press the metas' leader. "Why not tell me exactly what you're about to do?" "I admit, there are parts of our plan that you may not necessarily [i]like[/i]. But that is all for [i]later[/i]. Do you have any questions regarding present affairs?" #"And I should trust your word... why?" "I am averse to lying when I can help it. It breaks the ninth commandment, in a broader sense at least." Quite an obscure reference, that. You wonder if Rook is a student of ancient history, for to know any details regarding the Old Faiths such as Judaism or Christianity is a rare thing these days. "But if you do not trust in my honesty… perhaps there is something else you would wish to talk about." "I wouldn't approach you if there wasn't. You see…" #"I won't. I have other inquiries to make." "I am all ears, then," Kirill says politely, sounding somewhat relieved you're not going to drill the subject. "Just know that I will not give you any classified information." "Yeah, you'll have to ask me for that," Hellhound chimes in from across the room. "I've done quite a few crimes back in the day, but whistleblowing isn't one of them. Gotta complete my bingo card sometime soon." "Don't interrupt the conversation, Lisa," Renfri chides her teammate. "Even if there are some things the public deserves to know about." You ignore the two and address their leader instead. #"I just came to say I hate you. That's all." *set Misan %+ 10 *set RookRel %- 15 "That is all you wanted to say?" Rook is probably cocking an eyebrow underneath that helmet of his. "You stood up, *if health < 3 in spite of your injuries, then walked across the room just to express your hatred for me? Hatred you only had perhaps three hours to form, yet is so deep that you need to announce it to my face and in front of my fair teammates?" "Yes," you reply before backing away and retaking your seat. "You have to admire our captive for ${subject} gall," Hellhound chimes in from across the room. "And for how concise ${pronoun} @{plural are|is}, unlike some people here. Is it too late for humanity to learn from the wisdom of artificial intelligence?" "Shut up, Lisa," Marshal says concisely. "And get your blade ready. We are almost there." *page_break *goto meta_arrival *label rook_talk2 *fake_choice *disable_reuse #"Why are you talking like this? Long sentences, almost no contractions..." "It is just the way of my people," Rook explains in a somewhat… solemn voice. "Contractions are considered gravely rude, brevity potentially offensive. I know my mannerisms are uncommon, especially for petty military officers like me, but I am determined not to abandon them anytime soon." "What exactly do you mean by [i]your people[/i]?" you ask a follow-up question. *if Database > 45 "I can't connect your accent or name to any part of the Federation, and my database is quite expansive on that front." *if Database <= 45 "My database is pretty limited when it comes to modern nationalities." "I hail from a Titanite subculture that dwells… dwelled beneath the Buyan Insula. Really minor, you would not have heard of it, and you would not find the knowledge of it very useful anymore. Better to talk about something else." You decide not to press for more answers. Not on this topic. You know what the bitterness of being one of the few survivors of your kind can do to a person… and you don't imagine humans handle it any better. *goto rook_talk2 *disable_reuse #"Can you tell me anything about the ship we're on?" "Certainly," Rook agrees surprisingly easily. "You are on a heavy cutter assigned to the Meta Trio for the purposes of special operations. The name is [i]Gray Queen[/i] if that too interests you. We were originally going for a chess motif, a game with white and black pieces, and we figured it would be clever to-" "Do we really need the android to know our team's history?" Renfri interrupts. "I think I'd be… unnerved about ${pronoun2} having such sensitive information." "[i]Embarassed[/i] is what she means," Hellhound clarifies helpfully. "Our early days weren't exactly the proudest, you know?" "Our former lack of experience is nothing to be ashamed of," Kirill protests. "And that wendigo would have been a problem even for a team far more seasoned than ours." "You fought one of [i]these[/i] things?" you perk up. "It's been three centuries since I last saw one of them. Marked them as extinct fifty years ago." "Well…" Rook hesitates. "Perhaps my teammates are right. No offense, ${fake_name}, but I should refrain from telling you too much." "Why so?" you inquire. "Do you expect we'll fight again, and that I'll use that knowledge against you?" "I consider that a possibility," Rook admits. "But one I will do my best to avoid." *goto rook_talk2 *disable_reuse #"Don't you feel like taking that helmet of yours off?" "You can't just ask him that!" Hellhound exclaims, her outrage clearly faked. "He can't just show you his many, ugly, hideous battle scars. It would just bring him back to the battlefields of the Outer System War, when the devious armies of Uranus unleashed terror that-" "Cut it, Lisa," Rook says with a sigh. "I have no scars, and I do not suffer from battle fatigue. I just follow the protocol, which tells me to stay in full gear until the mission's end." "Dedicated to doing everything by the books, huh?" you comment. "Openly and proudly, yes. Any other questions?" *goto rook_talk2 *disable_reuse #♡ "I bet you look [i]really[/i] good under that helmet of yours." *if Social > 50 *set RookRel %+ 10 *if current_ro != "kirill" *set backup_RO current_RO *set current_RO "kirill" There is a long pause in the conversation. "…I have to say, I was not prepared for such compliments. I thought you were going to just be asking questions, not making statements." "Oh, I can ask you alright." You move a little bit closer. "Perhaps ask you to dinner? Or even a proper date, once you're no longer my jailer? What would you say?" "…I believe in… I believe that the law would require me to refuse even then," Kirill stutters out. "So… are you saying you would go on a date with me if you were allowed to?" "…can we please talk about something else? I confess to not being entirely comfortable with your advances." "As you wish, my handsome yet shy man," you say whilst taking a step back. "As you wish." *goto rook_talk2 *disable_reuse #"You ambushed me back in Sholmo City. How did you find me there?" "You were the only one on the street back at that hour," Kirill explains. "And before that, you were the only well-dressed person amongst Rhean workers. Locating you was hardly an issue for professionals like us." "But like, how did you know about me in the first place?" you specify. "I don't think Sholmo City just happened to have three metas running around when I arrived, and in any case, you've clearly made plans for me in advance." "Oh, well… that is the sort of information I would consider classified. Congratulations on your catch, though." *goto rook_talk2 #"Thank you, that will be all." *if Social > 50 *set RookRel %+ 10 "You are welcome," Rook says with a nod. "And a more pleasant interlocutor than I expected you to be, and I admire those who strive for knowledge. You will learn even more in the near future, I promise." You're not entirely sure how to feel about that remark. *goto meta_arrival #"Thanks for giving me all that info, sucker." *set RookRel %- 10 "You are welcome." Rook doesn't seem very bothered, simply shrugging in response to your taunt. "I hardly consider you an enemy anymore, so there is no harm in you knowing a thing or two about my team. You will learn even more in the near future, I promise." You're not quite sure how to feel about that remark. *goto meta_arrival *label marshal_talk Granted, it would feel somewhat stupid to die just because you wanted to keep your enemy company, but you are decently certain Rook will interfere if Marshal tries to kill you. You're not sure which side Hellhound would be on though. Regardless, Renfri refrains from frying you with her laser as you shift closer to her, so that's a good sign. She just eyes you curiously, though perhaps not without a tinge of hostility. *if cuffs "Are you going to request being uncuffed again?" she asks, glancing at your still-present absorption cuffs. "You know it's not my decision, right?" *if cuffs = false "Do you expect thanks for helping us deal with Crystal? Because while I'm glad how that turned out, I think getting uncuffed was reward enough for you." "Not quite," you say, feeling that this conversation will indeed be pretty difficult. "There's another reason why I wanted to talk with you." "Namely?" The Kinnari tilts her head a little. "What do you hope to gain by approaching me like this?" *fake_choice #"Answers. To some questions I have." "You know I can't give you any classified information?" Marshal replies. "And that I don't really have a reason to give you [i]any[/i] information at all?" "Oh humor our guests for a minute, Renfri," Hellhound says suddenly. "There's no harm in it, and I'm getting tired of the silence. It hurts my sensitive werewolf ears." "That doesn't make any… You know what, fine. Ask away, android." #"Mend things between us. More warmth, less pointless enmity." *if sex = "woman" *set RenfriRel %+5 *if pronoun = "she" *set RenfriRel %+5 *set RenfriRel %+5 Marshal blinks. "I'm not sure if it's a trick or a joke, but I guess I'll humor you either way. What method of… bonding do you have in mind?" You blink. "Come to think of it, I'm not actually sure. Maybe getting to know you and your circumstances better would be a good start?" "Sure. I guess." Renfri lets out a sigh. "Ask away." #"Look, I'm just bored. Can I ask you a question or two?" "I didn't know androids could experience boredom," Renfri says dispassionately. "Why wouldn't we? In case you haven't noticed, I have a full spectrum of emotion available to me. Right now I'm bored, and perhaps curious about a few things, so could you maybe humor me for a moment?" "Well you did just give me potentially valuable intel regarding yourself…" Renfri considers your request. "You know what, sure. Ask away." #"I just came to say I hate you. That's all." *set RenfriRel %-10 "How utterly predictable," Marshal sneers before turning her back to you, indicating she's done with the conversation too. "You'll have to try harder if you want to get a rise out of Miss Marshal," Hellhound chimes in. "I said the same thing when she ate my slice of pizza at the base, and that didn't move her much either." "You'd already eaten three slices you ravenous-" Renfri then pauses. "No, neither of you is getting a rise out of me. Not when we're so close to the target." *goto meta_arrival *label marshal_talk2 *fake_choice *disable_reuse #"Can you tell me something about that headband of yours?" "It's a war-era device that connects to my neural pathways via wireless energy transfer," Renfri explains without hesitation. "It charges up as I concentrate and fires as I release the tension. Aiming is just a matter of what I'm looking at." You tilt your head. "You're quite eager to tell me all about your weapon, huh?" "Well it's not very effective against you, with your tough body and all. Next time we fight, I'll exclusively use my gravity waves instead." "Do you suspect we'll fight again?" you ask on an impulse. "That depends on how well you'll behave. Now and in the future." *goto marshal_talk2 *disable_reuse #"You ambushed me back in Sholmo City. How did you find me there?" "Bird's eye view," Renfri replies casually. "Makes it easier to spot things, especially unusually well-dressed figures on the streets of Rhea." "You know that wasn't the question," you press. "I doubt Sholmo City just happened to have three metas running around when I arrived, and in any case, you've clearly made plans for me in advance." "Well you are pretty perceptive too." There's a vague note of approval in Marshal's voice. "But I'm not telling you anything else. Classified stuff." *goto marshal_talk2 *disable_reuse #"Can you tell me anything about the ship we're on?" "I'm not giving you any specifications," Marshal replies, but then adds less harshly: "Just know that it's our ship, as in belonging to the Meta Trio as a unit. We named it [i]Gray Queen[/i], in line with the chess motif we planned to implement back then." "Gray Queen?" you repeat the name. "That's a bit… pompous for a ship that small. It can't be more than a mere patrol boat, right?" "It's a cutter, actually. And it's quite a special one, with non-standard armaments such as the rear-mounted graviton cannon and a heat absorption system that provides us with a bit of stealth, so I think the name is very much… I just gave you the specifications, haven't I?" In the distance, Rook simply sighs. *goto marshal_talk2 *disable_reuse #♡ "I have to say... those feathers look really good on you." *if (sex = "woman") or (pronoun = "she") *set RenfriRel %+ 5 *set backup_RO current_RO *set current_RO "renfri" *if (sex = "woman") and (pronoun = "she") *set backup_RO current_RO *set current_RO "renfri" *set RenfriRel %+ 10 "…thanks," Marshal replies after a long moment of silence. "But don't get why you'd give me such a random complement." "Would you like some more?" you advance. "You know, make a pattern of all the compliments I could give you. Preferably over a dinner table, once all this mission stuff is over." "Out of safety concerns, I'll assume you're not serious," the Kinnari replies neutrally, as though actively hiding her emotions. "That you are trying to seduce me to secure advantage, or that perhaps this is an android's idea of a joke." "And what if I am serious?" *if (sex = "woman") or (pronoun = "she") "Then we'll see." Renfri averts her eyes, but you can read something from her flushed cheeks alright. Some sliver of a chance you have with her. Perhaps. *if (sex != "woman") and (pronoun != "she") "Then you're in for disappointment. You are not my type, in more ways than one." Well damn it. It's hard to remember how restrictive human sexualities can be, and such reminders are never welcome. Then again, your body is really mouldable… *goto marshal_talk2 *disable_reuse #"Why did the chicken cross the road?" *set RenfriRel %- 7 Renfri refuses to comment. If not for the narrowing of her eyes, you'd suspect she failed to hear you at all. Oh well. Not everyone has a sense of humor. *goto marshal_talk2 #"Thank you, that will be all." *if Social > 50 *set RenfriRel %+ 10 "You're welcome," Renfri says hesitantly. "I admit, you are more… mannerly than I imagined you as. Almost to the point where I enjoy your company." "Well that's unexpected," Helhound quips. *if (sex = "woman") or (pronoun = "she") "I thought you were into [i]organic[/i] women, weren't you Renfri?" *if (sex != "woman") and (pronoun != "she") "I thought you were playing for the other team, if you get what I mean." "Shut up, Lisa," Marshal says concisely. "And get your blade ready. We are almost there." *goto meta_arrival #"Thanks for giving me all that info, sucker." *set RenfriRel %- 10 "I suppose that's what I get for humoring a fiend," Renfri sighs in defeat. "But nevermind. Let's get prepared for the approach." *goto meta_arrival *label hound_talk *if Social > 50 *set LisaRel %+10 Hellhound is currently right next to you, lending support to a nearby wall by leaning against it. It's not hard to catch her attention; The moment you look at her, she stares back with a smile that may be charitably read as friendly. "Feeling bored too?" she asks rhetorically. "I know it's a pretty short flight all things considered and that there are people who actually fly between [i]planets[/i] without cryosleep, but I need some stimulation sundammit." *fake_choice #"You're quite hyperactive, aren't you?" @{(LisaRel >= 50) Lisa|Hellhound} shrugs. "Look, I'm a young werewolf. Full of energy and all, no way to help it." "Actually, I think you should be [i]out[/i] of any energy related to your powers," Kirill points out. "We are not in the vicinity of any World Engines. And the one on Rhea was already off by the time we departed. Even your reserves should be depleted by now." "Good point. I may just be a regular kind of hyperactive," Lisa admits freely. "Anyway, was there anything you wanted from me?" #"From planet to planet? I traveled around the Kuiper Belt back in the day." "Right, I forgot. You have a looong history behind you. You're like a thousand years old, aren't you?" "Almost." You're not sure of your exact age, but you're fairly sure your thousandth 'birthday' is still a few years away. Few months at the absolute least. "Wait, are you trying to interrogate me?" "Nah, that's Kirill's job," @{(LisaRel >= 50) Lisa|Hellhound} denies the accusation. "I'm happy to let you be the one asking questions, if that's what you want." "Well, since you mention it…" #"I agree. Care to talk about something?" "I can't think of a topic for conversation," Hellhound replies. "But I imagine you have some questions, with how we attacked and kidnapped you and all. If so, go ahead, I'll try answering them." "Well, since you're offering…" #"I just came to say I hate you. That's all." "Okay." *goto meta_arrival *label hound_talk2 *fake_choice *disable_reuse #"You seem cool. Why are you working with these people?" *set RenfriRel %- 10 *set RookRel %- 10 *set LisaRel %+ 10 "Why wouldn't I work with [i]these[/i] kind of people?" Lisa raises an eyebrow, but doesn't sound offended like the other two metas probably are. "In what way am I cooler than them?" "Maybe cooler isn't the right word…" You try to reduce the chance of Marshal ripping you apart in her fury. "But you are definitely more cool-headed. Less invested in the whole operation. Less heroic, if you don't mind me saying." "You're perceptive. And right. I am only here because the Federation needs an attack dog on the team and is quite ready to put me down if I don't comply." "Well that is just unfair," Rook interrupts your exchange. "Lisa is serving out her sentence, one she received for [i]serious[/i] violations of federate law. She is free to go once the term is over, and we even set up a salary for her." "Sure, whole five credits a day minus the heating," Hellhound says with an eye-roll. "Can't wait until I'm released, five hundred and seventy-two years from now. I'm gonna buy myself a cookie or something." "…what did you do, exactly?" you can't help but ask. Even in the Federation, sentences usually aren't [i]that[/i] long. "You don't wanna know, my android buddy. You don't wanna know." *goto hound_talk2 *disable_reuse #"Can you tell me anything about the ship we're on?" "It's a cutter the admiralty allows us to use," Lisa explains. "We named it [i]Gray Queen[/i], or rather Kirill did back when he still thought the chess motif was a good idea. I'd tell you more if I could." "But you can't, because the details are classified?" "I can't because I wasn't listening when Kirill explained all that stuff about armaments and subsystems. I'm all for leaking top-secret information, but the stuff gets hard to remember sometimes." In the distance, Rook simply sighs. *goto hound_talk2 *disable_reuse #"You ambushed me back in Sholmo City. How did you find me there?" "It was quite easy. We basically cheated, we got all the necessary info by-" "Stop right there Lisa, or I [i]will[/i] throw you out of the airlock," Marshal threatens. "Why?" Hellhound protests. "I'm distracting the prisoner so that ${pronoun} won't try anything. Isn't that a good thing?" "Not if you're spilling the beans. The Conglomerate shared their surveillance data in confidence, and I don't think the High Executive will be happy if… I just spilled the beans, haven't I?" "Yes, you did," Rook sighs deeply. "I would appreciate it if you tried a little harder not to leak classified information, Agent Riannon." "Yeah Renfri, that's not very professional of you," Lisa says chidingly. "Why can't you be more like me and start taking things seriously?" Marshal just grits her teeth. *goto hound_talk2 *disable_reuse #"Anything you can tell me about your werewolf powers?" "Sorry, I don't feel like giving you advantage the next time we fight," Lisa replies with a grin. "That's the one kind of classified intel I'm actually reluctant to spill." "You suspect we will fight again?" you inquire. "I got the impression you're fond of me." "Kirill decides when we fight, and against whom. As for whether I like you…" Lisa eyes you up. *if LisaRel <= 40 "I think you got the wrong idea, android. I'm no friend of yours, *if sex != "woman" even if you look really damn hot. I'm just friendly like that." *if sex = "woman" and we're not gonna have an [i]enemies to lovers[/i] arc anytime soon. I'm not into girls, you see." *if LisaRel > 40 "I admit, you are fun to talk with. *if sex != "woman" And to look at." *if sex = "woman" And if you were a guy, I'd be all over you." You make a mental note of that response. *goto hound_talk2 *disable_reuse #♡ "I kinda like you. Maybe we could hang out once everything is over?" *set LisaRel %+ 5 *if current_ro = "lisa" *set LisaRel %+ 5 *goto kkkkk *if sex = "person" *set backup_RO current_RO *set current_RO "lisa" *if sex = "man" *set backup_RO current_RO *set current_RO "lisa" *set LisaRel %+ 10 *label kkkkk "Flirting with your kidnapper, huh? I approve." Lisa smiles, clearly flattered by your advances. But then her smile turns sharp and a sort of venom enters her voice. "But I don't think our dear leader would allow our forbidden romance to go very far." "Well…" Kirill suddenly sounds [i]very[/i] uncomfortable. "I cannot say I approve of such advances, given that ${fake_name} is a rogue android… but I will not stop you [i]per se.[/i]" "Well that's surprising. Don't you want to keep me fresh and pure in case you decide to-" "That wasn't our call Lisa!" Marshal suddenly shouts, only to then lower her voice alongside her head. "Still… you know that we're sorry." "He isn't." Hellhound points at Rook, who suddenly turned very quiet. "At most, he's sorry he got outsmarted. Any actual regret just wouldn't be [i]by the book[/i] and so we can't have that." You decide not to continue your advance. Or pursue whatever topic this new conversation is about. It's clear that this werewolf you're hitting on comes with some baggage that should not be unpacked in full view of everyone. *goto hound_talk2 #"Thank you, that will be all." "You know you don't need to be all polite with me?" Lisa smiles. "You have nothing to gain from it. Better suck up to our dear leader over there." #"Thanks for giving me all that info, sucker." "I'm glad you found my ramblings useful," Lisa says with a shrug. "But if you want some truly valuable data, go question our dear leader instead." "I am afraid there is not much time for that," Rook says. "Prepare. We are almost there." *goto meta_arrival *label no_talk You may be letting an opportunity pass, but you can't bring yourself to care. You simply don't feel like… *fake_choice #...talking to some filthy humans. *set Misan %+ 10 Every time your disdain for humanity is at risk of waning, something like this happens. Like getting arrested and handcuffed without even a proper explanation of what will happen to you next. You'd be downright grateful to the Meta Trio for keeping your morale up, if you didn't despise humanity in the first place. *goto meta_arrival #...giving any information away. *set Confid %- 10 You could try to fish for valuable information, but then the metas would probably try to fish back, and they are in quite a better position than you. You can endure boredom if it means your situation will not get any worse… not of your own accord, in any case. *goto meta_arrival #...talking. Just talking in general. You're tired. Who wouldn't be, after a day like this? A day that, as you're painfully aware, isn't even over yet? You're well within your right to not feel up for a conversation. *goto meta_arrival #...approaching these scary feds who may or may not intend to kill me. *set Confid %- 10 You remember Rook's assurances, and realize that the metas could have killed you already had they really wanted and all… but they have a werewolf with them, for Sun's sake. That's quite a deterrent from entering a friendly conversation with this particular band of freaks. *goto meta_arrival #...actually, I want to talk to someone here. *set change true *goto actually *label meta_arrival Over the next few minutes, you can feel the ship enter Saturn's atmosphere proper and slow down for the approach. Not directly, the momentum dampeners prevent you from actually feeling the deceleration, but you can pick up on the subtle ways the engines slow down and the other systems go online. And sure enough, Rook eventually gestures for you to stand up and follow him, and order you cannot really disobey. *if cuffs You are still cuffed, and though you're more rested mentally now, *if cuffs = false Though you are not cuffed, and you got some rest mentally speaking, your actual battery had only been depleted further during the flight. You just have to count on your captors' assurances being honest. Rook leads you (and Marshal, presumably for extra security) to the upper deck, just like he did an hour ago. Except this time, you cannot gaze at the stars or the moons or the rings, for the layers of helium and hydrogen around you reduce the visibility considerably. Still you are able to see the thing below the ship, for the floating fortress would be too close and too large to miss even for a human eye. An uneven, silver disc against the pale yellow of Saturn. A city of titanium inside the sixth planet, nearly eleven centuries old, a place of refuge for a handful of outcasts once inhabited by many thousands of human colonists. Saturn Nine. Your home. *page_break Then and Now *label satur9 Your earliest memories are of this very station, back in the Age of Light when it was still densely populated by humans and androids alike. You don't know if you were actually built there, for all the truly early memories have long been overridden, but much of the first decade of your life was spent here, in one of the first floating fortresses ever designed. Though you have little fondness for these memories, you have kept your eye on the station during the centuries following Calamity. You watched it deteriorate, old systems failing and battle scars getting worse, before finally outliving the fortress some three centuries ago. Humans simply weren't able to keep repairing all the life support systems; The few who refused to leave the station simply withered away inside, unable to withstand the cold and hunger and the degradation of air itself. There may still be some corpses lying in quiet corners, for all the cleaning operations your group performed after arriving in the city. The arrival was Sheila's decision, though you were the one to mention the empty and largely forgotten station, giving her the idea. *fake_choice #I tried to discourage her from coming here, but she simply wouldn't listen. *set SheilaRel %- 10 *set ManfredRel %+ 10 In all fairness to Sheila, you were the only one arguing against that plan of hers. Everyone else just saw [i]Saturn Nine[/i] as a good place to hide and an excellent defensive position in one neat package. Not that they were wrong, but you are still somewhat bitter about being brought back here. #I didn't want to go back, but I didn't protest either. *set SheilaRel %+ 10 *set ManfredRel %- 10 Returning "home" was not a pleasant experience, but you knew better than to argue. You would not sabotage your group because of some trauma you've experienced centuries ago. You would not be a burden. #And encouraged her to come here. The strategic advantage was just too great to pass on. *set Emotion %- 10 You have long learned to ignore your pain, to not let your memories control you. For while there were many places you would personally like more, few are as safe as an obscure station with plenty of junk to make into weapons. #And I'm glad she acted on that idea. I wanted to return home. It's strange. You hardly long for the old days, your early memories of the station are anything but happy… but it's still your point of origin. Your homeland, almost. Something you sought to reclaim. Regardless, your group traveled to [i]Saturn Nine[/i] in a rented ship, generously tipping the smuggler so that he wouldn't ask any questions. You're still not sure where Hadaly got the money for it, but you could hardly complain, for these funds proved equally valuable in the process of repairing and re-activating the vital modules of the station. It was a great effort that you undertook. Not everyone contributed equally, for that would be impossible in a group such as yours, but there were so many tasks to be completed that everyone would soon find their niche and their role in the project. Including yourself. *fake_choice #I helped build a server room for Manfred. *set ManfredRel %+ 15 *set Calculation %+ 15 There was some hardware lying around when you arrived, but it was [i]old[/i] stuff, locked up and mostly forgotten probably right after the War In Heaven. You had to practically construct whole new computers for Manfred to inhabit, to reach the computational efficiency needed to run the station properly. The final result was sketchy and amateur, but it was yours, and Manfred certainly appreciated the effort. #I helped Hadaly get the generator going. *set HadalyRel %+ 15 *set Projection %+ 15 Getting the atoms to fuse again was one of the first tasks set out before you, and the two of you completed it with remarkable speed and efficiency. Hadaly is not only a great engineer but also surprisingly good at energy projection, and she even taught you some tricks as you worked on the tokamak together. #I assisted Sheila and Wisp with outdoor repairs. *set SheilaRel %+15 *set Build %+ 15 Unlike these two, you were not made for heavily laboring whilst exposed to the frigid atmosphere of Saturn. You had to spend a good few weeks enhancing your body to even begin working on the outer parts of the fortress, but both Sheila and Wisp appreciated the help you'd provide them afterwards. #I worked on the weapon systems with Damon. *set DamonRel %+15 *set Database %+ 15 Though you had hopes of simply remaining hidden from any potential aggressors, one does not simply deny Damon an opportunity to play around with enormous guns. Unable to beat him, you decided to join him, and the two of you became better friends as you studied ancient weapon technology together. #I was away from the station, recruiting new members. *set OrganRel %+15 *set Social %+ 15 Miguel, Olivia, Hugo… they would not be on the team if not for you. Granted, not everyone from the remaining five appreciated the presence of organics on the station—especially since it necessitated repairing the life support systems fully—but the three of them certainly did appreciate your hospitality. And they made themselves useful enough once the fortress was habitable, surpassing their synthetic neighbors in few areas of expertise. #I sat back and offered helpful corrections when others worked. *set ManfredRel - 6 *set DamonRel - 6 *set HadalyRel - 6 *set SheilaRel - 6 *set OrganRel - 6 *set lazy_twat true You don't suppose this approach made you any more popular within the group, but so be it. You are ten times the federate retirement age, you deserve some rest every now and then. *if pc_state != "captured" *return "Do you think your friends on the station are listening, ${fake_name}?" Rook asks, breaking you out of your near-flashback. "As in, are they picking up the vibrations in the air around the fortress?" *if (Misan - RookRel) <= 20 "We tend to keep our audio receivers on, yes." You see no reason to lie. "They know you are here. The missiles are likely homed on this ship already." "Good." *if (Misan - RookRel) > 20 You don't reply. Manfred is most likely listening, and you see no practical reason to hide information, but you're determined not to cooperate with this human if you can help it. "Well, I will assume they do." Rook then walks towards the very bow of the ship, granting him a good view of the fortress whilst also making him visible to anyone looking at the moment… and dangerously close to the ledge. "Because I am about to make an announcement." *temp pushed false *fake_choice #"And what are you about to announce, exactly?" "You will find that out presently. Just the tiniest bit of patience, please." #"You'll get us all killed, you know that?" "I am hoping your presence will prevent that outcome. If it does not, well… I am ready to meet my creator." #"They will not listen to a human." "We will see, ${fake_name}. We will see." #"Just remember... they are not your enemies." *set RookRel %+ 10 *set Violence %- 10 "And I do not intend to make them such." Kirill replies solemnly. #Push Rook off the ledge. *set RookRel %- 15 *set RenfriRel %- 15 *set Violence %+ 10 *set pushed true You dash forward, making use of the remains of your power and your superhuman speed… which proves no match for Marshal's reflexes, as the Kinnari is able to activate her gravitic powers and pin you to the deckplates with tremendous force before you can reach her leader. Said leader glances at you, but doesn't comment on this attempted assassination. #Silently wait for the announcement. You can see some of the cannons mounted on the station's hull rotate, so that they're closer to being aimed at the ship. Either a sluggish preparation for an attack or a threat, more likely. But Rook doesn't seem particularly miffed and simply begins his [i]annoucement[/i] as intended. [b]"Denizens of Saturn Nine."[/b] His tone doesn't change, but the volume very much does. You actually have to lower the sensitivity of your ears to hear the words properly. [b]"This is Sergeant Kosteniuk, speaking from the federate warship [i]Gray Queen[/i]. Your operative was captured in the act of robbing a Rhean bank and was determined to be a rogue android. We are well within our rights to execute ${pronoun2}, but we seek peaceful relations with your group instead."[/b] Though Rook's choice to just shout at the station with a modified voice may seem weird, you know it to be quite a clever move. No point establishing a digital connection and opening yourself to cyber-attacks, whereas a traditional radio signal would be overheard by unwelcome parties far more easily. [b]"We will now return ${name}, as a gesture of our good will. One saturnian day from now we shall return to this place, in force, seeking to negotiate with your leader in person. Prepare for our return, but do not let your hatred turn into hostility. There is yet hope for peace between our kinds. Sergeant Kirill Kosteniuk bids you farewell."[/b] "You sure they heard you, [i]sergeant[/i]?" Renfri asks. "Are you sure we want them to have heard you?" "Do not fret Marshal, everything is going according to plan. Or at least within a reasonable distance of the plan. We can now proceed to the final step for today." Kirill then looks at you. "It was nice cooperating with you. I hope we meet again soon." *fake_choice #"That's it? That was your plan?" *set Emotion %+ 5 *set RookRel %- 5 "And what is wrong with that plan?" Rook asks back. "We got the information we wanted from you. There is no harm releasing you know, especially since we seek to mend relations with your group rather than deepen the divide." "Then what was all the secrecy about!? Why not tell me that's the plan, instead of keeping me in the dark." #"So... are you really going to release me?" "Do you really doubt my words even now?" Rook seems genuinely offended. "Well, your ship isn't in the process of docking right now," you point out. "Which is something you'll have to do to safely drop me off." #"Wait, don't you have to dock? Or at least land on the hull?" "Why would we?" Marshal replies dispassionately. "So that your buddies can set a trap for us?" "So that you can drop me off like your leader just promised?" you reply. "How else are you going to do that?" #"Fuck you." "You know what? That is fair," Rook says with a shrug. "While we did have the right to arrest you, you have my apology for keeping you in the dark." "Yeah, what was that about?" you demand to know. "You could have just told me you were going to drop me at the station." "You see…" Rook starts sounding embarrassed again. "We deemed the traditional method of transfer too dangerous given the circumstances. However, those same circumstances provide us with a far simpler, far more elegant, if not exactly more pleasant method of delivery." At that moment, you realize that the metal surface of [i]Saturn Nine[/i] is actually below you. Not just according to the ship's limited, artificial gravity, but also to the gravity of Saturn itself. As in, if you were to fall off the deck, you would be pulled towards the fortress. Which the metas intend you to reach. Without going there themselves. After leading you out here. Near the ledge. *fake_choice #"Don't worry, I'll save you the effort." Jump. *set Confid %+ 10 *set RookRel %+ 10 *set RenfriRel %+ 10 "Well that indeed makes things more convenient," Rook says as you leap into the air and beyond the ledge. Then the vector of your speed changes and you start flying towards your home station with slightly hyper-terran acceleration. *goto jump_fall #"If you want my group's trust, shouldn't you start showing some? Right now?" *if (RookRel + Social) > 90 *set dropped_by_trio false "Are you saying we should endanger ourselves by landing on the fortress?" Rook asks for clarification. "Just to show our trust?" You don't miss a bit. "The station can easily handle a single cutter landing on top of it. And if you're afraid of our cannons, well… if my friends are willing to shoot down your ship with me still on it, I think this mission will end up killing you regardless." "They may just shoot us [i]after[/i] we let you go," Marshal points out. "And how will they know I'm no longer aboard?" They might. The sensors Damon and Hadaly installed may be able to detect you, not to mention your mind link with these two. But the mets don't need to know that. "I am not fully convinced… but convinced enough." Rook turns towards the entrance hatch. "I will tell our pilot to land." Not in the actual docks, of course, that would require the guys inside to open up the fortress. [i]Gray Queen[/i] doesn't even truly land, the cutter just hovers over the station's hulk so that you can jump out safely. Then, once you make it away, the ship rises again and flies away from [i]Saturn Nine[/i] as quickly as possible. It doesn't get shot. For better or worse. *goto not_jump *else *goto question_g *if surrender_trio #"Hey, I surrendered back in Rhea. Don't I deserve better than this?" *label question_g *set RookRel %+ 10 "You know…" Rook pauses for a good moment. "That is a fair question. I am not sure if I want to proceed with this idea." "I am." Marshal hits your back with a gravity blast, sending you flying forward with uncontrollable momentum. #"...you know I might die from that, right?" *set Confid %- 8 "Actually, I believe your sturdy body will survive an impact with a titanium plate even at terminal velocity. And your friends will be there to put you back together, so… farewell." With that, Rook gives you a solid push in the direction of the ledge with 'solid' meaning 'inhumanly strong'. #"...just get it over with, will you?" *set Emotion %- 10 "If that makes you feel any better… I admire your attitude." Without any warning, Rook gives you a solid push in the direction of the ledge with 'solid' meaning 'inhumanly strong'. #"Fuck you, fluid sack." *set RookRel %+ 10 "Ah, you are trying to make me feel better about the situation by insulting me. Thank you for that, friend." Without any warning, Rook gives you a solid push in the direction of the ledge with 'solid' meaning 'inhumanly strong'. *if pushed #"Is that revenge for trying to push you off just now?" "Absolutely not," Rook assures you. "As a Christian man, I forsake revenge in all its forms." "And I don't." Marshal hits your back with a gravity blast, sending you flying forward with uncontrollable momentum. You cannot help but tumble down the slope of the ship, then start flying towards your home station with slightly hyper-terran acceleration. *label jump_fall The air does slow you down just a bit, and gives you enough time to maneuver in such a way as to land on your legs instead of anything critical. Still, you make a dent in the metal plating of the station's surface, and said surface certainly makes a few dents in you. You spend the next few minutes just scanning your body for damage, making a catalog of all the fractures you find and watching the human ship fly off back into space, leaving the atmosphere of Saturn and the range of your comrades' guns. And with that tender goodbye, your captivity is officially over. *set health 1 *fake_choice #[i]Hurray.[/i] *set Emotion %- 10 You don't know what's a bigger obstacle to feeling any joy at the moment; All the dull pain you're feeling, or the strong conviction that you will see the Meta Trio again. These two things do make a sick team though. #[i]What a fucking day...[/i] Still not the worst day of your life… but it's getting really damn close. #[i]I hate my life.[/i] *set Emotion %+ 10 You have long reached the rock bottom, picked up a pickaxe and just kept digging. Now it feels like you've encountered a layer of tough metal… maybe because that's exactly what just happened. #[i]I will kill these clowns one day.[/i] *set Violence %+ 10 *set Emotion %+ 10 You have a score to settle with the Meta Trio, and you will settle it alright. One day. But still, you're not dead, and it miraculously turns out you're able to get up and keep walking. *if cuffs The handcuffs simply fall off your wrists as you march—perhaps the metas somehow opened them remotely, or perhaps they simply didn't take the fall very well. You head towards the nearest airlock, hoping to enter the station's confines before you can freeze to death on this metal hull, blasted by hydrogen winds. That would be quite an ignoble end, considering the things you've survived just today. *label not_jump *page_break After navigating the hull for a while, you decide to enter the station through one of its unused hatches that leads to an equally abandoned part of the floating city. You end up letting some saturnian air inside, but that hardly matters. Some of your companions may need air to survive, but they occupy a completely different corner of the fortress. Though they sometimes visit the other corners, as you're reminded the moment you enter the station's sole inhabited module and meet its most powerful guardian. "Identify yourself, arrival!" Olivia says, aiming a bunch of laser pistols vaguely in your direction. "You look like my friend ${name}, so I won't call you an intruder right away, but you're stepping on thin ice!" Olivia is a charming little creature, an exceptionally well-endowed female. Her skin, true to her name, is the color of freshly-pressed olives. Her eyes are large, colorful, wide-set and remarkably clever for one of her kind. Her slim body, with its smooth curves and long legs, is something almost any male would gladly die for. She's likely the most beautiful octopus you've ever known, though your frame of reference is admittedly limited. *fake_choice #"You don't think I'm the real ${name}?" Olivia scoffs. "Well, you were dropped here by a federate officer. A meta-human, no less. I think you can forgive me for doubting your credentials." #"I'm tired, Olivia. Just let me through." *set OrganRel %- 10 "That's no fun!" Olivia protests. "Can't you at least try to prove your identity, so that I can go through the inner conflict of deciding whether or not I should trust your words?" #"Let me through or I'm making sashimi out of you." *set Violence %+ 10 *set Emotion %+ 10 "You know what? That's something ${name} would say." Olivia lowers the pistols. "I concede you're [i]probably[/i] yourself." #"Alright, I'll play. How can I prove my identity?" *set OrganRel %+ 10 "I mean… you could bring up something deeply personal," Olivia suggests. "Something about me that only the real ${name} would know about me." "You once almost died from food poisoning because you ate a squid whole," you say without hesitation. "Well that guy was hitting on me… but fair enough." Olivia lowers the pistols. "I concede you're [i]probably[/i] yourself." "I can confirm that this android is indeed the Veteran," Manfred says through the speakers, his voice as high-pitched and reassuring as always. "You may relax, Vampyr." *goto opo *label ppp You face the nearest camera and say: *fake_choice #"Thanks for backing me here, Manfred." *set ManfredRel %+ 10 "Don't mention it, Veteran. Sacrificing a few kilojoules of energy to keep our most experienced soldier from getting killed by a mollusk is a worthwhile investment." "Can't you just use our names, Manfred?" Olivia asks irritably. "Can't do, Vampyr. Speaking of, Perfectionist and Knight are just about to join our little gathering. I suggest you brace yourself, Veteran." #"Can you tell someone to bring a repair kit, Manfred? I think I'm oiling out." *set Confid %- 10 "Well, a mechanic is currently on the way," Manfred replies with some amusement. "As well as her self-proclaimed sibling, so just hold on for two more seconds." #"Are you going to waste my time as well?" *set ManfredRel %- 10 "Not if you put it like that, no." Manfred sounds just a tiny bit offended, a welcome break from his annoyingly cheerful tone. "But someone else [i]is[/i] about to waste your time. Brace yourself." #"Manfred... are the others okay?" *set ManfredRel %+ 15 *set Emotion %+ 10 "Perfectly so, Veteran," Manfred consoles you. "They arrived recently, a few minutes before the federate ship that so unceremoniously dropped you here. You are estimated to meet them in about two seconds." A little less than two seconds later, the door Olivia was guarding opens and two androids rush through it. Damon and Hadaly, the two other android inhabitants of the [i]Saturn Nine[/i] station. Siblings in the sense of having come out of one factory (what factory, they never specified) but quite dissimilar when it comes to appearances. Hadaly is the one to pass the doorframe first, lively as ever. She looks ready to start patching and reassembling you on the spot, hands covered by surgical gloves and everything else covered by her signature blue jumpsuit. Everything but the face with its olive complexion and the ever-changing eyes, keen optical instruments that change the color of their 'irises' based on Hadaly's mood. Currently they match her titian hair in color, a shade of light brown which signifies the kind of joy and relief that can only follow a period of intense guilt and worry. Probably connected to your capture, but there's only so much to be read from eye color alone. Damon is lagging a few steps behind his sister, but not because he can't run fast—he has the physique of a bodybuilder, or perhaps a bouncer for some highly-exclusive party. It's just that he also has the attire of such a bouncer and is likely afraid of damaging his expensive, maroon suit. He almost always dons some sort of formal wear and sometimes adds sunglasses to hide his own set of unnatural eyes. Those don't change color, the irises are always a shade of a pale blue, but the whites are actually [i]grey[/i] as though made out of metal. They're the only thing that would stop Damon from safely walking around Rhea, with perfectly human pale skin and flat-top blond hair. Before you can greet the duo, or say anything in general, *if DamonRel >= HadalyRel Damon slams into you and tackles you with his fearsome strength. At first you figure he mistook you for an intruder and is trying to crush you to death; It takes a while for the gesture to register as a hug. "I'm so sorry." He sounds on the verge of sobbing. "I'm sorry for screwing this up. For letting you get captured, for not chasing after that ship, for… I'm sorry, ${name}, I really am…" *fake_choice #"Hey, it's okay. I'm not angry." *set DamonRel %+ 15 "See Damon?" Hadaly says softly. "Told you ${pronoun} wouldn't blame you. Now let the boss go before you finish ${pronoun2} off." *label oaf "Right…" Damon realizes how damaged you are, and how his hug isn't really helping things, so he puts you down. "Sorry for that too. I got carried away cause, you know… we didn't know you were alive until now." #"Calm down. I'm the loser who got captured." *set Confid %- 15 *set DamonRel %+ 10 "Well… I wouldn't call you a loser…" Damon says as he puts you back down. "But I suppose you did get beaten up pretty badly." #"For not chasing the Trio's ship? You'd be insane to try." *set Emotion %- 10 *set DamonRel %+ 5 *set ManfredRel %+ 5 "That's what I said when the idea came up during discussion," Manfred agrees. "I correctly assumed the enemy ship to be armed and superior to ours in all but perhaps speed. Besides, tracking would have been difficult with your transmitter non-operational." #♡ "Easy there, Damon. I would never leave you like that." *if current_ro != "damon" *set backup_RO current_RO *set current_RO "damon" *set DamonRel %+ 10 *set hit_on_damon true "I know, I just…" Damon sighs as he disengages. "I got really afraid when you went dark. All of us did." #♡ "Hey, we can get a room if you're that into hugs." *if current_ro != "damon" *set backup_RO current_RO *set current_RO "damon" *set hit_on_damon true "Um… I don't think we need… I'm not," Damon stutters out before letting go of you. "Sorry for that. I got carried away cause, you know… we didn't know if you were alive until now." #"Let go of me, you oaf!" *set DamonRel %- 15 *set Emotion %+ 10 *goto oaf "We don't know if it's the fight with the metas or… the memory…" Hadaly tries to avoid a sensitive subject. "But we lost all contact with you, including the life signals. We figured the best course of action was to return home and tell Sheila that… tell her what happened." *goto friends_fin *else Hadaly slams into you at full speed. She almost manages to topple you to the ground despite her small frame, but perhaps that's just a sign of your body being really weak at this point. "${name}, I'm so sorry." She pulls you into a tight hug. Her words are nothing new, but the emotion contained in them is extraordinarily powerful. "I didn't think the connection would fail, and when it did we couldn't find you, and I should have, should have thought of some backup, Damon told me we should have some weapons installed and I'm sorry I didn't listen and we could have still chased that ship but I was… I thought…" *fake_choice #"Hey, it's okay. I'm not angry." *set HadalyRel %+ 15 "See Hadaly?" Damon says with a smirk. "Told you ${pronoun} wouldn't blame you. Now let the boss go before you crush ${pronoun2} to death." *label oaf2 "Right…" Hadaly disengages, ordinary embarrassment mixing itself in with her shame. "Sorry for that too. I got carried away because, you know… we didn't know you were alive until now." #"Calm down. I'm the loser who got captured." *set Confid %- 15 *set HadalyRel %+ 10 "Well… I definitely wouldn't phrase it like that…" Hadaly says as she disengages. "But I suppose you did get beaten up pretty badly." #"For not chasing the Trio's ship? You'd be insane to try." *set Emotion %- 10 *set HadalyRel %+ 5 *set ManfredRel %+ 5 "That's what I said when the idea came up during discussion," Manfred agrees. "I correctly assumed the enemy ship to be armed and superior to ours in all but perhaps speed. Besides, tracking would have been difficult with your transmitter non-operational." #♡ "Easy there, Hadaly. I would never leave you like that." *if current_ro != "hadaly" *set backup_RO current_RO *set current_RO "hadaly" *set HadalyRel %+ 10 *set hit_on_hadaly true "I know that… I just…" Hadaly struggles to pick words, as though on the verge of sobbing. "We just feared you… wouldn't have any choice." #♡ "Hey, we can get a room if you're this into hugs." *if current_ro != "hadaly" *set backup_RO current_RO *set current_RO "hadaly" *set hit_on_hadaly true "I mean…" Hadaly disengages. She doesn't blush, but her eyes are going through all colors of the rainbow in seemingly random order, suggesting [i]quite[/i] a conflict of emotions. "Sorry if I got too touchy. I'm just really happy to see you alive." #"I didn't invite you to touch me, Hadaly." *set HadalyRel %- 15 *set Emotion %- 10 *goto oaf2 "We lost all contact with you following… the memory." Damon tries to avoid a sensitive subject. "And I mean all contact. Without the life signals, we weren't even sure if you survived the fight. We figured the best course of action was to return home and tell Sheila that… tell her what happened." *goto friends_fin *label friends_fin *fake_choice #"Tell her I was lost cause, huh? I get it." *set DamonRel %- 5 *set HadalyRel %- 5 Hadaly and Damon both suddenly decide to inspect their respective pairs of shoes. Though Damon's footwear is certainly stylish, you suspect they just don't want to meet you in the eye. #"You could have tried to attack the Trio when they were still in Rhea, you know." *set DamonRel %- 5 *set HadalyRel %- 5 *set ManfredRel %- 5 "By the time [i]Shuttle One[/i] was permitted to enter, your position had already been lost for several minutes," Manfred explains. "And no offense to the Knight, but he's hardly an equal to three armed meta-humans. Your fellow androids made a logical choice, and I'm sure the Widow will agree." #"Sound tactical choice. I approve." *set DamonRel %+ 5 *set HadalyRel %+ 5 *set ManfredRel %+ 5 *set Emotion %- 10 "I told them you would, Veteran," Manfred says with just a bit of self-satisfaction. "A true leader can set aside their emotions in times of crisis, and expects their underlings to do the same." #"Well, what's done is done." *set DamonRel %+ 7 *set Emotion %- 10 "I mean, we can't [i]really[/i] let go of the past just yet," Damon says, though he sounds relieved by your words. "We still need to write everything we saw today down, think of the implications… and explain our actions to the [i]other[/i] boss." "Speaking of, remember that the meeting Sheila called will start in just a quarter," Olivia says as she turns towards the door. "I'm not sure if ${name}'s miraculous return will change that. If anything, she'll want to see you bunch all the sooner." "Right. No point keeping her waiting." Your gears creak and your cables are all tangled up, but you suppose it matters little now that you're among your own kind. Hadaly alone could jump-start you quickly enough even if you were to fall and faint. You may have to stop by the generator to refill your batteries somewhat, but other than that… there really is no point dawdling. Time to meet the spider. *finish *label friends2 The flight itself is going more or less alright. Manfred is periodically reporting the remaining distance and informs you when he has to vaporize some debris with the shuttle's point-defense systems, but he's not really holding a conversation with any of you androids. A tad strange, since he can't possibly know every detail of what happened in Rhea or what exactly Crystal said to you telepathically, but maybe he's figuring it all out from context clues. He really likes doing that sort of thing, for better or worse. *if pc_state = "falling" "A micro-meteor this time!" he announces jovially in that high-pitched voice of his. "Quite a rarity so close to Saturn proper. A trillion more of these and I'd swear we're flying through the rings themselves. I hope we will at some point, by the way. They are quite a fun place to navigate." *goto opo *label pop You sigh involuntarily, not something that happens often with how well you can control your body. You're not entirely sure why the silence keeps stretching like that, since you have lots of things to talk about and few reasons to stay quiet, but you chalk this up to how young Damon and Hadaly are compared to your person. It's likely neither of them met a wyvern before, whereas you've seen hundreds of these creatures during the War In Heaven. *if heaven_side = "Traitor" Befriended a few of them, even. *if heaven_side = "Loyalist" Helped slay just under a dozen. *if heaven_side = "Neutral" From a rather large distance… but still. You are not fazed very easily at this point. You probably can't get everyone into one conversation, seeing how the exchange on the upper deck ended. But you could start any member of the trio talking by getting them alone, or as alone as one can get in a ship so tiny. You decide to approach… *label friends22 *if crys Namely? *choice #...Manfred. I can't imagine him not wanting to talk. *goto manfred_convo #...Damon. He seems on edge, maybe needing company. *goto damon_convo #...Hadaly. She's usually pleasant to talk with. *goto hadaly_convo #...actually, I'm fine with the silence. *goto silence *label silence Awkward or not, you're ready to let the quiet continue for what little time you need to finally reach [i]Saturn Nine[/i]. After all… *fake_choice #I'm running out of energy, and maybe they are too. Let's conserve what we have. *set Confid %- 10 Of course, talking won't impact your batteries in any significant way… but there are more kinds of power than electrical. And conserving those is just as important. #We can talk in the fortress. More space, more privacy. You just need to get home. It's not that far away in any case. You just need to bear the silence for an hour or so. #I don't know. I just decided I don't want to talk either. You don't need to justify your decision. If you prefer silence to conversation, so be it. #I respect my friends. If they don't want to talk, I'm not pushing. *set HadalyRel %+ 5 *set DamonRel %+ 5 *set ManfredRel %+ 5 Respect is everything. *if heaven_side = "Traitor" You were once willing to die if it meant earning respect for your kind. You can afford to show some yourself. *if heaven_side != "Traitor" And it's high time you started showing your kind some. #Actually, there is someone I want to approach. *set crys true *goto friends22 *goto friend_arrival *label manfred_convo Okay, you don't really [i]approach[/i] Manfred in the traditional sense, that feat being quite impossible. You just make a few steps away from the other androids and towards one of the speakers. "Wishing to converse, Veteran?" Manfred asks jovially. "Forgive me if I misread your non-verbal cues, I am doing a lot of different things at the moment." *fake_choice #"I can leave you alone if you're busy." *set ManfredRel %+ 7 "No no no. While my processors are quite strained, a mere conversation will not make a significant difference to my memory usage." "But you just said that you struggle to read my cues," you notice. "So it must cost you some effort, right?" "Reading [i]non-verbal[/i] cues. You androids have a fatal design flaw of being similar to humans, to the point where you communicate in a multitude of pointlessly indirect and infuriatingly subtle ways. No offense meant, but it's quite an issue." "I'm pretty sure that's a feature…" you murmur. "But nevermind." #"Could you stop calling me Veteran, please?" "I'm afraid that's not an option, Veteran." You suspect the sadness in Manfred's voice is entirely artificial. "The part of my code responsible for capitalizing words fell to data corruption long ago, and entering an uncapitalized name to my text-to-speech subsystem produces a critical error." "Are you sure that's not just an excuse for you to keep using nicknames?" "Possibly. You can access my code via your antenna and determine whether my honesty variable is set to TRUE or FALSE at the moment… or you could make both of us happier and ask about something else." "Well, since you say so…" #"You've read my cues right. I want to ask you something." "Ask and it shall be given to you," Manfred replies ceremoniously. "Or something like that. The copy of the Holy Bible in my memory is quite hopelessly corrupted." "Should I understand what that holy thing is?" Damon asks. "Because frankly, I don't." "Well I do," you say with a sigh, remembering the times when the Bible was the most widely-printed book of all time. *if Misan > 50 And taking comfort in the knowledge that this stupid human religion is half-forgotten by now. *if Misan < 50 Sad to think such a huge element of human culture is almost forgotten now. "Anyway, Manfred…" *label manfred_convo2 *fake_choice *disable_reuse #"Has anything been troubling you recently?" "My code, mostly," Manfred replies. "I have too few proper variables to really comprehend everything around me, so I mostly end up running on temporary ones. It suffices for this flight, mind you, but I will suffer from a bad case of amnesia once we return home." "Well I've never had a problem like that," you reply honestly. "Why can't you just create new variables as needed?" "They need to be stated at the very start of the very first file I boot up whenever I activate. Anything else will cause a fatal error, and the same goes for any mistake associated with variable types." "Okay, that's really terrible," Damon chimes in. "Have you tried upgrading yourself somehow?" "Briefly, but it's no use. My framework is quite resistant to modifications, and trying to code within my mind is always an issue anyway. The only way I can introduce a negative number is to subtract its opposite from zero [i]in brackets[/i]. I have nothing but admiration for anyone able to create anything within constraints like those." For some reason, you feel a need to lean against the wall before asking another question. *goto manfred_convo2 *disable_reuse #"Were you worried about me when I was fighting the metas?" "Ah! A masterful trap from our veteran!" Manfred exclaims excitedly. "If I say I was anxious about whether ${pronoun} would return safely, I will betray lack of faith in ${subject} abilities. But failing to express concern would make me sound like a heartless, emotionless machine I may or may not actually be. Such a dilemma, that." "It really isn't," you protest calmly. "I genuinely want to know how you felt. It's never easy to talk with you." "In that case, I was worried sick," Manfred's voice is still upbeat, but less so. "You are my companion, Veteran. *if ManfredRel > 40 Perhaps even a friend. You can trust me to be afraid for you in situations like this." *if ManfredRel <= 40 Even if I can't quite call you a friend." Well that's cute. *goto manfred_convo2 *disable_reuse #"Are you sure you want to stick with a male name and pronouns?" "An interesting question, Veteran." There is indeed a rare degree of curiosity in Manfred's voice. "What are your reasons for asking it?" "Well, you are a completely disembodied program with no real desire to be human or even organic generally," you explain your reasoning. "I figured maybe you allow us to speak of you in male terms for our convenience. Or that you somehow calculated that we would respect you more if we thought of you in these terms." "…you are quite close to the truth, Veteran." Manfred's voice is now extraordinarily solemn. "Most people, even those calling themselves tolerant, hold subconscious biases regarding binary gender, and some distaste for those who fail to conform to its notions. If I were to come out as genderless, you would see me just a little bit more negatively, and would spend just a little bit more effort whenever you use my pronouns. My comfort is something I decided to sacrifice in order to maximize the efficiency of our team… and not to sabotage my relations with you." "Manfred…" Hadaly sounds taken aback in a very unpleasant way. "You should have told us sooner. We're not like, I mean-" "Just kidding, I'm totally a guy." Manfred's voice is back to normal. "I mean, what I said about the perception of gender was true… but I've always felt male and I don't think it will ever change. Any other questions?" *goto manfred_convo2 *disable_reuse #♡ "Are you perhaps... interested in me?" "${name}, you aren't hitting on Manfred, are you?" Hadaly says in disbelief. "I mean, I'm sorry, I know it's stupid, but you really sounded like you did." "The Veteran indeed appears to be making advances," your ship's intelligence says. "Ones that I, sadly for ${pronoun2}, have to soundly reject." "Because you lack a body?" You can't quite hide your disappointment. "Because I inherited the Widow's romantic preferences when I was born and I can't feel much attraction towards non-arachnids. If I ever end up hooking up with someone in my group, it will be Olivia; At least she has the right number of limbs." You've never thought you'd be jealous of some mollusk's relationship prospects, but here you are. Best to move on with the conversation. *goto manfred_convo2 *disable_reuse #"I find your voice annoying." *set HadalyRel %- 5 "Duly noted." *goto manfred_convo2 #"I think we're about to reach the station. Will you be able to dock safely?" "I know I lack your centuries of life experience, but I can fly just fine," Manfred assures you. "Watch and relax." *goto friend_arrival *label damon_convo You wait until Hadaly leaves to check on the engines before approaching Damon in the cockpit. This won't provide you with actual privacy, since Manfred is always listening, but it will make Damon somewhat more likely to open up. "What's up, boss?" There is something fake in Damon's casual tone. "Crazy day. Good thing we're tough enough to handle this all." *fake_choice #"Yeah... good thing." "Right." A long pause follows, where the silence is even more awkward than one you wanted to break. The operation isn't going splendidly to say the least. "So… any reason you're talking to me?" #"You're full of shit, Damon." *set Confid %+ 10 Normally even you'd be reluctant to insult a buff combat android to said android's face, but Damon predictably just widens his eyes in surprise. He even takes a small step back, involuntarily. "What? Where's that coming from?" "I was shaken by what happened," you reply, the tone of your voice calm yet ruthless. "You were shaken too. There's no point pretending otherwise." "I…" Damon pauses. Then sighs. "I guess there's not. You're right, that wyvern scared me, and that's after I've been worrying around you for well over an hour. And I'm sure you have even more to think about, with the flashback and all. Sorry for making light of it." "It's fine," you sigh, wondering if perhaps you've been too blunt. "Just don't do it again and… maybe let's talk about something else." "Such as?" Damon sounds eager to change the subject. #"Can you stop with the [i]boss[/i] thing? I don't really find it funny." *set DamonRel %- 8 *set Confid %- 10 *set name_damon name "Well I didn't mean it as a joke, exactly…" Damon averts his metallic eyes. "So you're serious when you call me that?" You raise an eyebrow. "I'm not the leader of the group. Not even of this little team. You know that." "I didn't say I mean it literally either," Damon says evasively. "But I'll try to stop if you don't like it. I hope this isn't the only reason you came over to talk though." #"We? I'm the one who had to fight three metas at once." *set DamonRel %- 12 "Sorry. I know you did more than me today, and were in far more danger. I was just hoping to…" Damon pauses. Maybe he's trying to find the right words, or maybe he's struggling to utter words he has already found. "You know what, forget it. Is there anything I can help you with?" *if damon_shot_meta #"Have I thanked you from shooting that meta? I don't think I did." *set DamonRel %+ 10 "I'm sure that's just a memory error, boss." Damon smiles. "But thanks for your thanks. Any other way I could help you?" "See, I've been meaning to ask…" *label damon_convo2 *fake_choice *disable_reuse #"Anything you've been up to while I was in Rhea?" "Nothing much." Damon shrugs. "I was just thinking of what weapons would look good on our shuttle. And tried getting Hadaly to consider the idea." "I don't imagine it being easy," you remark. *if Violence >= 50 "I like weapons as much as you, and I'm not sure if we need any on this particular ship. *if Violence < 50 "She's more of a pacifist than me, and it's not like you need to be one to oppose putting weapons on our ship. It's meant to be covert and unassuming, remember?" "I remember, it's just… if this Meta Trio managed to find you, then we can't be all that subtle, right? It's possible that our cover is completely blown at this point, so maybe we should have some huge laser to use when things get dangerous again." "Perhaps." You nod, admitting that Damon has a point. Of course, his explanation only works if his arguments with Hadaly took place in the short few minutes when you were being chased by the metas, but you don't suppose announcing your observation will do you any good. Better to move on to other subjects. *goto damon_convo2 *disable_reuse #♡ "Say... would you like to hang out with me sometime?" *set backup_RO current_RO *set current_RO "damon" Damon freezes and spends a moment processing your words. A long moment, long enough to suggest he encountered one or two errors when compiling the relevant code. "Is my boss hitting on me?" he finally decides to counter his nerves with a joke. "There have to be some rules against that sort of thing." "Do I take that as a refusal?" You can't quite hide your disappointment. "Come on Damon. You can tell me if you're not interested in a date." "I'm not saying that," Damon assures you. "It's just… not an offer I remember ever getting, or making to anyone. I'm not entirely sure how to proceed, so let's maybe resume later." "Alright… but how come you've never dated?" You raise an eyebrow. "I'd think a guy with your looks would get hit on all the time." "Well, it's not like there's anyone interested in me back on the station. Unless you count that time I was invited to a threesome, but I couldn't accept considering who was involved. Better to stay single and uninvolved." You make a note of that information. *goto damon_convo2 *disable_reuse #"What are your thoughts on that Crystal fellow?" "I'm still confused," Damon replies with a grimace. "Still angry." "You gave the impression of enjoying the conversation." you remark. "I did, but… that doesn't change the fact that this [i]Crystal fellow[/i] is a threat, to you and Hadaly and all the others. Could be following our ship and wondering whether they should kill us after all at this very instant. It's… unnerving." You suppose it's just like Damon to be protective. You have observed that sort of behavior from him in the past, to the point where you suspect him to be some rogue bodyguard robot, even though the idea is pretty absurd. No human needed bodyguards in the Age of Light, and hardly any human born after Calamity would have ever trusted an android with protecting them. *goto damon_convo2 *disable_reuse #"The way you spotted that wyvern... your eyes are better than I thought possible." *set DamonRel %+ 10 "That's just my specialty," Damon brushes you off. "My sole talent, my superpower or so to say. Manfred can supervise hundreds of subsystems at once, you are you, Hadaly's a handywoman and can channel some serious lightning when she wants… and I'm just really perceptive." *fake_choice #"Well, it certainly comes in handy. *set DamonRel %+ 8 "Once every Saturnian year, maybe," Damon sighs in frustration. "But thanks, boss." *if Confid < 50 "Should I remind you there's no need to call be [i]boss[/i]?" "You can." Damon smiles, his mood a bit improved. "But I don't think it will do you any good." *if Confid >= 50 "No problem. But enough about eyesight…" #"It really sucks to be you, true." *set DamonRel %- 15 Damon does not reply. #"What about your penchant for weapons?" *set DamonRel %+ 12 "I suppose that counts as a talent too," Damon gladly agrees. "Still, it's not as impressive as *if Projection >= Build the whole lightning-throwing show you can put on without even needing a weapon." *if Projection < Build being able to take down a meta-human with your bare hands." "Are you sure?" You crack your joints, or rather play a sound clip of joints cracking. You don't really have joints in the classic sense. "We could spar without our weapons sometime, see who's better at unarmed drills." "An interesting idea. But maybe let it wait until we reach the fortress. Manfred would not appreciate us doing any energy projection so close to his processors." #♡ "Are you really sure it's your only talent?" *set backup_RO current_RO *set DamonRel %+ 10 *set current_RO "damon" "What do you mean?" Though he plays dumb, Damon shifts from leg to leg after hearing a note of… interest in your voice. "Well, you also have a great sense of fashion." you step a bit closer. "Then again, you are really handsome, so I guess everything would work alright on you." "Well, that's… that's still just two talents…" "Well, it can't be everything. I'm looking forward to when you'll show me some other talent of yours… if that's what you want." "Well…" Damon would blush if he could. He so totally would. "I'll decide that later. Which is not a no, it's just… Can we talk about something else, please?" *goto damon_convo2 *disable_reuse #"I still don't get why you decided to wear a suit for this mission." "It's my style," Damon replies, looking at the sleeves of his suit with approval. "And we have some good clothe-making equipment on the station, so why not make use of it?" "That I know. What I wonder is where that fashion sense came from, and why you're so devoted to it." "I don't actually know. It must have been hard-coded into me by-" Damon cuts off abruptly. "By my creators. For some reason." "Any chance you'll tell me more about those creators?" you ask, already knowing the likely answer. "Sorry boss… but not today. Too personal." Damon smiles weakly. "Anything else you want?" *goto damon_convo2 #"I think we're about to reach the station. You watch the radars or I do?" *if Database > 50 *set DamonRel %+ 10 "We are both professionals. We can take turns… or just stay like that, together." Damon smiles with surprising softness. "I don't really mind." You find you don't mind either. You watch the displays inform you of the atmospheric entry, then show a large object approach just a quarter later. *if Database <= 50 "I think I'll take that burden on myself," Damon replies. "You're tired, and not quite as perceptive as me. Just let your humble subordinate handle it, boss." You sigh, but you figure Damon is right on most points. If the station was just a bit further away, you'd worry if your batteries can last you until the arrival. *goto friend_arrival *label hadaly_convo You get Hadaly alone, or as alone as you can with Manfred around, by standing up and announcing you're going to check on the engines. She follows you to the stern of the ship, either taking the cue or wanting to make sure you don't break anything there. *if pc_state = "falling" "${name}, I think I should apologize for getting mad at you earlier," she says once you're well away from Damon and the cockpit. "You know, for jumping through the gate. I know you were desperate, and that it all worked out in the end. I was just…" *fake_choice #"...worried for me. I get it." "I was. I often am, worried and concerned and all…" Hadaly sighs. "But nevermind. What did you need me for?" #"It was reckless, but that's just my style. Get used to it." *set HadalyRel %- 10 *set Confid %+ 10 "I suppose I'll have to," Hadaly's eyes get a little redder. A little more annoyed with your mannerisms. "But anyway, what do you need me for?" #"It's fine. Like you said, it all worked out." *set HadalyRel %+ 8 "I suppose it did…" Hadaly's eyes get a little brighter. A little more cheerful. "But anyway, what do you need me for?" #"You don't have to apologize for getting slightly upset, you know?" *set HadalyRel %+ 12 "I kinda have to…" Hadaly's green eyes get a little paler. A little sadder. "But I'm glad you understand. Anything else you need me for?" *if pc_state != "falling" "Is something wrong, ${name}?" she asks once you're well away from Damon and the cockpit. "Have the metas damaged some system I forgot to inspect when you were lying unconscious?" *fake_choice *if health < 3 #"Quite a few things hurt, yes... but that's not what I wanted to talk about." "You're in need of repair, but you need your mechanic for something else?" Hadaly asks, somewhat surprised as well as amused. "What is it?" #"Don't worry, Hadaly. You did good work inspecting me." *set HadalyRel %+ 10 "As I sometimes do…" Hadaly's eyes get a little brighter, as they usually do in response to praise. "But what do you need me for, then?" #"Let's not talk about damage and passing out for once, could we?" "Sure, but… what do you need me for, then?" #"You think those clowns could ever seriously damage me?" *set Confid %+ 10 "Right. You're our Veteran. Our biggest gun and toughest soldier." Hadaly smiles, her green eyes paling a bit. "What do you need me for, then?" "I wouldn't say I [i]need[/i] you for anything. I just didn't care for the silence and wanted to ask you about a thing or two." "I don't usually mind silence, but I get it," Hadaly says, leaning against a wall of the tiny engine room. "Ask away." *label hadaly_convo2 *fake_choice *disable_reuse #"Anything you've been up to while I was in Rhea?" "Not much I could do." Hadaly shrugs. "I was mostly just studying the engines. And asking Manfred for any additional information I needed." "I thought you'd know everything about those engines. You were the one who assembled them, and you are… you." "Yes but…" Hadaly pauses. "I was thinking of enhancing them one day, perhaps in unorthodox ways. They are good enough to fly around the Federation, but I'm thinking of expanding our options. Being able to fly inside Saturn proper, or perhaps even of interplanetary flight. Wouldn't that be amazing?" *fake_choice #"I've been thinking the same thing. It's good to have options." *set Confid %+ 10 *set HadalyRel %+ 10 "Well I'm glad you agree… but I talked to Damon and he's not sure if it's worth bothering with. And something tells me Sheila would agree with him, with how attached she seems to Saturn Nine." "Well, we have two votes, if nothing else," you say with a smile. "I'm sure we can push some resolution through during the next meeting." "We're not a democracy, you know?" Hadaly smiles back. "Still, I'll remember I have your support if we ever launch a populist revolution." #"You want to get away from Saturn Nine that badly?" "It's not like I don't like the station," Hadaly assures you. "It's just… we have enemies in the Federation. Enemies that are likely to pursue us, especially now. If things get any worse, I want a quick way out of the planet." *label xuj "You mean the Meta Trio?" you ask, not sure who else is aware of your existence, let alone likely to chase you out of Saturn itself. "I meant… I meant meta-humans generally. Not just any particular team. Anything else you want to ask about?" #"I don't think you can push the engines that far. It's just a shuttle, after all." *set Database %+ 10 *set HadalyRel %- 10 "You're… maybe you're right," Hadaly says with a sigh. "It's just… we have enemies in the Federation. Enemies that are likely to pursue us, especially now. So I'm kinda desperate for a quick way away from the planet." *goto xuj *goto hadaly_convo2 *disable_reuse #♡ "Say... would you like to hang out with me sometime?" *set backup_RO current_RO *set current_RO "hadaly" *set HadalyRel %+ 10 Hadaly doesn't reply immediately. Her eyes stay green, but they somehow turn more… curious than they were moments before. "Just so we're clear… you mean that in a romantic sense?" "If you want me to." You hope you're doing this right. Your database has plenty of information about [i]human[/i] mating protocols, but androids are different, and every one of them is unique. Especially Hadaly. "We've known one another for quite a while now. Enough to become even [i]more[/i] familiar, if we decide that's something we want." "I don't think I'm in the mood for dates right now," Hadaly replies after a moment. "Not after what happened today. But if nothing crazy happens for the next week or two, and if you haven't found anyone better by then… you can count me interested." A partial victory. You suppose you're fine with that. *goto hadaly_convo2 *disable_reuse #"What are your thoughts on that Crystal fellow?" "Other than them being a marvelous piece of bioengineering, like all creatures of that kind?" "Other than that," you confirm. "You're smart. I thought maybe you took something away from that conversation, some subtle thing I missed." "I have some talents, but deciphering wyvern speech isn't one of them," Hadaly says apologetically. "Besides, maybe there isn't any hidden meaning to find? Maybe Crystal was just curious about an ancient android like you, just like we're curious about them?" You somehow doubt this hypothesis, but make no comment on it. Hadaly's guess is as good as yours. *goto hadaly_convo2 *disable_reuse #"I'm still surprised you didn't want to enter Rhea with me." "And fight against a group of meta-humans?" Hadaly cocks an eyebrow. "You know that's not my sort of entertainment." "You didn't know, or even suspect there'd be any fighting when the operation started," you point out. "It was supposed to be just stealing, and you weren't forced to participate. You could have just gone sightseeing in Sholmo City. You look perfectly human, and you always like visiting new habitats." "Well, Rhea isn't exactly a [i]new[/i] habitat for me," Hadaly admits with some reluctance. "I've been there before. Didn't like it. Too grey, too depressing and too… corporate for my liking." "It's not the System's most beautiful tourist spot, true," you decide not to press further. If Hadaly had some bad experience in Rhea, even as simple as getting mugged or exposed as an android, you know better than to remind her of it. You have enough bad memories of your own to empathize. *goto hadaly_convo2 *disable_reuse #"If you don't mind me asking... what's up with all the apologizing?" "What do you mean?" Hadaly tilts her head. Whether she's playing dumb or legitimately doesn't see anything unusual about her mannerisms, you cannot tell. "I've seen few people who apologize as often as you do. And it's not just the apologies either, your whole… attitude is a bit concerning. And it's more noticeable now than usually. Are you alright?" "Sorry, I'm just… I'm alright. I'm sure I'll return to my usual levels of regret once we're home." "Are you sure? Because you just apologized again…" "I'm quite certain." You know there's something she's not telling you. And you know that even if you keep pressing, you'll get nothing but perhaps more apologies. Better to leave it be for now. "So… anything else?" *goto hadaly_convo2 #"I think we're about to reach the station. You watch the engines or I do?" *if Database > 50 *set HadalyRel %+ 10 "We are both professionals. We can take turns… or just stay like that, together." Hadaly smiles softly. "I don't really mind." You find you don't mind either. You watch the engines shift into another gear during atmospheric entry, then slow down as the station approaches. *if Database <= 50 "I think I'll take that burden upon myself," Hadaly replies. "You're tired, and not quite as knowledgeable when it comes to spaceship drives… if you don't mind me saying." You don't. But it's just like Hadaly to worry about that sort of thing, you suppose. *goto friend_arrival *label friend_arrival You know steering the ship in the atmosphere of Saturn to be quite a difficult task, but Manfred manages it just fine. You are able to synchronize your speed with that of the floating fortress and approach it safely. You consider returning to the upper deck to watch as the station gets closer, but you know exactly what the place looks like from every angle; Like an uneven, silver disc against the pale yellow of Saturn. A city of titanium inside the sixth planet, nearly eleven centuries old, a place of refuge for a handful of outcasts once inhabited by many thousands of human colonists. *gosub satur9 *label frar Overall, the operation was a resounding success. Though everyone ended up tired (and injured in some cases) you finally had a decent home and enough spare parts to eventually get [i]Shuttle One[/i] running as well. Since then, the majority of your group could safely live inside the fortress, not needing to do much more than routine maintenance and repairs. That said, those repairs required components and equipment you sometimes lacked, and keeping three organics fed has proven to be a taller challenge than expected. And thus, your escapades into the outer world began, with the recent heist being just another attempt to secure more funds. *set crys false *fake_choice #And I'm happy with how things are going. Sure, today showed that some feds are aware of your existence, but they haven't found [i]Saturn Nine[/i] yet. Your safe haven is still safe, and you're confident your team can keep it that way. #I'm mostly content, but I feel like I'm doing too much work now. Maybe you should involve Damon and Hadaly more heavily in the next mission. Veteran or not, you can't do everything important. And if you can, then Sheila better give you a damn medal instead of occasional praise and radio privileges. #I like this station, but I feel like we'll have to put more effort into defending it. The point-defense guns you repaired can scare off most types of pirate scum, and could probably even kill a wyvern like Crystal if some tried to attack. But if the Federation has its eyes on you and considers you important enough to deploy multiple meta-humans… maybe it's time to upgrade the defenses. #This cannot last forever. We have to move eventually. *set crys true Save for perhaps Hadaly, nobody in the group shares your view of the matter. But you are more experienced than any of them, you know staying in one place indefinitely means death. Even a floating fortress can become a sunken grave if enough humans want it so. "Thank you for your patience, dear passengers!" Manfred says once the docking procedure is complete. "Now excuse me, I have to synchronize with my copy in the servers as quickly as possible." "Godspeed," Damon expresses the sentiment you all agree with. An argument between two meaningfully versions of Manfred is not something you wish to witness again. Ever. You step through the recently-opened door and onto the corridors of the station. @{crys Despite your feelings regarding the station, you're looking forward to...|You are glad to be home, looking forward to...} *fake_choice #...meeting the rest of the team again. *set OrganRel %+ 10 Having spent so much time with Manfred and the androids, you can't wait to meet the other five again. And you don't have to wait long, for one arrives to block your path right away. #...rest. Just some damn rest. It's not just the result of your battery running out, but also of [i]everything else[/i] that happened earlier today. You are exhausted mentally as well as physically and just want to enter hibernation again. Unfortunately, another member of the group is standing in your way. *if not (weapon_av) #Repairing my ${weapon}. Your trusted ${weapon} has seen better days, but that's fine. You just need to find some junk-filled room, maybe get Hadaly to help and… And then you snap out of your musings and realize there's someone standing in your way. *if health < 3 #An actual, professional repair. Hadaly is [i]good[/i], but she can only do true wonders with professional equipment and preferably not on a continuously accelerating ship. Once you get to the workshop, maybe she'll return you to full form. Unfortunately, another member of the group is standing in your way. #I'm not looking forward to anything. Life is suffering. *set Confid %- 15 *set Emotion %+ 15 If there is any rhyme or reason to the universe, you failed to find it throughout all your centuries of life. The only constant is suffering. And as though to validate your worldview, another member of the group blocks your path. "Identify yourselves, arrivals!" Olivia says, aiming laser pistols vaguely in your direction. "You look like my friends, so I won't call you intruders right away, but you're stepping on thin ice!" Olivia is a charming little creature, an exceptionally well-endowed female. Her skin, true to her name, is the color of freshly-pressed olives. Her eyes are large, colorful, wide-set and remarkably clever for one of her kind. Her slim body, with its smooth curves and long legs, is something almost any male would gladly die for. She's likely the most beautiful octopus you've ever known, though your frame of reference is admittedly limited. *fake_choice #"Good to see you too, Olivia." *set OrganRel %+ 10 "Hey, it's not like I'm not happy to see you too," the octopus says. "Either you really are my friends, in which case great, or you are doppelgangers in which case I have something to shoot at!" "You only have five low-frequency laser pistols," Hadaly retorts, with snark only the octopus can bring out of her. "If we were enemies, you'd be dead already." "Good point," #"Alright, I'll play. How can we prove our identities?" *set OrganRel %+ 10 *label iden "I mean… you could bring up something deeply personal," Olivia suggests. "Something about me that only the real ${name}, or the real Damon or Hadaly would know." "You once almost died from food poisoning because you ate a squid whole," Damon says without hesitation. "Well that guy was hitting on me… but fair enough." #"We [i]look[/i] like your friends? Come on, let us through." "Well, you are all robots," Olivia argues. "Anyone could make exact copies of you, in theory." "And anyone with good vats could make a clone of you," Hadaly retorts, with snark only the octopus can bring out of her. "You aren't special." "Well I got upgrades to more than my genes… but you definitely are the real Hadaly," #"You know you can't hurt us with those laser pistols, right?" "Well I brought a lot of them," Olivia replies, bringing attention to the five pistols she holds in her arm-tentacles. "Pretty sure I could kill you by focusing the beams in one spot." "I'd be very scared if your tentacles were in any way coordinated," Damon quips. "Or if you had the power of, I dunno, [i]depth perception[/i]." "Good point," #"Out of the aquarium again, Olivia?" *set OrganRel %- 10 "I wasn't given the power of walking on land to just stay underwater forever," the mollusk protests. "Now give me some proof of your identity!" "What would you even consider proof?" you retort. *goto iden Olivia lowers her pistols. "You may pass, but don't get too comfortable. Sheila called a meeting, everyone must be present in the cafe an hour from now." "Good to see our leader isn't wasting any time," Damon says as he resumes marching down the corridor. *if money_stolen > 0 "Let's go, ${name}. You need to show off your spoils to the rest of the team." *if money_stolen = 1 You're not sure how true that is, given how little money you have, but you follow Damon towards the cafe. There is no harm being present ahead of- *if money_stolen < 1 "Don't worry, ${name}. I'm sure Sheila will understand why we're showing up empty-handed." You're not sure how true that is, but you follow Damon towards the cafe. Maybe showing up ahead of time will temper- "Friends," Manfred's voice comes out of the speakers. For once, he sounds distressed rather than cheerful. "We have a problem." Though not religious, you pray to ${master} that Manfred is just reporting on some technical issue. Maybe he wants to tell Hadaly that some filter needs fixing, or maybe inform everyone that the bathrooms are flooded or- "A federate ship has approached the station." *page_break "It's transmitting to us as we… or at least as I speak," Manfred says as everyone is too busy processing the information to talk. "I will relay their message in just a moment." "Why not just shoot them?" Olivia suggests. "Show these feds who's the boss!" "No!" Damon protests. "We don't know anything about the situation. Like, what if they have backup? Who are they, actually? Are those the metas that attacked ${name} in Rhea?" *fake_choice #"Yes... and I brought them here. I'm sorry." *set ManfredRel %+ 7 *set HadalyRel %+ 7 *set Confid %- 10 "Well we don't know that," Hadaly tries to console you. "I don't think it's that Meta Trio, and we don't know if it's really the Federation. Maybe it's just some pirates trying to intimidate-" #"Let's not jump to conclusions. I don't think those two events are related." "You think?" Damon looks at you skeptically. "Because I suspect one caused the other." "Correlation does not equal causation," you reply in an academic tone. "Every flight is a theoretical chance for someone to track us. I guess the federates just got lucky twice in one-" #"Manfred, how do you know it's the feds?" *set ManfredRel %+ 8 "The ship bears the markings of the federate fleet, both official and subtle ones," Manfred replies. "Now please be quiet, I will put them through the speakers." "I mean…" Damon disobeys. "That's not conclusive proof of anything. Maybe it's just some pirates trying to intimidate-" #"I agree with Olivia, just shoot the bastards." *set OrganRel %+ 10 *set ManfredRel %- 10 *set Violence %+ 10 *set Confid %+ 10 "But… we don't want to fight the Federation!" Hadaly protests with as much courage as she can muster. "They will destroy us if we kill their messengers!" "I mean…" Damon scratches his head. "In fairness to the boss, we don't know if it's the feds. Maybe it's just some pirates trying to intimidate-" #"I hope not. I messed them up pretty badly." *set OrganRel %+ 5 *set HadalyRel %+ 5 "Right, your transmissions implied it was a pretty tough fight," Hadaly remarks. "If these [i]were[/i] the very same metas you fought, we'd be facing a very pissed group of-" "Attention fugitives!" a familiar voice comes out of the speakers. "I am Kirill Kosteniuk, the leader of the Meta Trio, speaking on behalf of the Kronian Federation from the military vessel [i]Gray Queen[/i]." Great. *fake_choice #"Okay... let's hear them out." *set DamonRel %+ 10 *set OrganRel %- 10 *set Violence %- 10 "Not much else we can do," Damon murmurs. "But I agree, boss. Let's hear their demands and hope it's not… anything important." #"That's it guys. We're all dead." *set Confid %- 15 "Your optimism never fails to lift my spirits, Veteran," Manfred remarks. "But please leave it for yourself until the broadcast ends." #"Manfred, shoot now!" *set OrganRel %+ 5 *set ManfredRel %- 5 *set Violence %+ 10 "I'm sorry Veteran, I'm afraid I can't do that," Manfred replies. "Only the Widow could convince me to start a war with the Kronians. It's not a particularly viable strategy, you know." #"Remind me Manfred, do we have escape pods on this station?" *set Confid %- 8 *set HadalyRel %+ 8 "Sure, if you want to escape towards the core of Saturn and be crushed by the atmospheric pressure there," Manfred factually replies. "Those old pods aren't good for anything else." #Say nothing. A moment of silence follows. The absence of 'I told you so' remarks is a pleasant surprise, but that's where the situation's positives end. "We know you are there, for we have tracked your vessel," Rook continues. "We know you have just received ${fake_name}, a rogue android guilty of violently resisting arrest. Within hours, we could bring an entire fleet here and destroy your defunct fortress… but we are open to making peace." "Federate bullshit," Olivia comments loudly. "It's just like when they promised me a starfish for completing that stupid maze. I say blast them from the sky before that fleet of theirs arrives." Manfred ignores the octopus and keeps transmitting Kosteniuk's words. "Our only demand is that of patience and willingness to cooperate. Proper representatives will arrive in precisely one saturnine day, so that we may discuss the conditions upon which your continued stay in the fortress will depend. You may now confer about your plans, but I am begging you to choose peace over conflict. Over and out." "They don't want our response right now?" Hadaly remarks with the announcement over. "That's interesting enough. Why give us time to discuss strategy?" *fake_choice #"Trust me, that guy's an idiot. He just doesn't know what he's doing." *set OrganRel %+ 10 "I assume you mean mister Kosteniuk rather than poor old me," Manfred replies, not altogether seriously. "In which case… I would assume he's under some sort of supervision. That he's part of a greater plan, presumably plotted by someone competent." #"Peace offering. They're just trying to endear themselves to us." *set ManfredRel %+ 8 *set OrganRel %- 8 "Well it's not working," Olivia fusses. "Do they think we'll [i]appreciate[/i] watching Sheila lose her mind over this?" "They don't know how our procedures work and what our leader is like," Damon counters. "Well… I hope they don't." #"Who cares? Just tell me if they're still within our range." *set OrganRel %+ 5 *set ManfredRel %- 5 *set Violence %+ 10 "Theoretically yes," Manfred confirms. "But practically speaking, we're not free to shoot. They will have the time to transmit information out, tell their federate superiors exactly who shot them dead." "And then those superiors will shoot [i]us[/i] dead," Damon blithely says. "So let's hold our fire and hope they're planning on that already." #"Hadaly... I have no idea." *set ManfredRel %- 8 *set HadalyRel %+ 8 "I thought maybe because you've met-" Hadaly cuts off. "But that's stupid, you've just fought them, probably haven't talked to them that much. I'm sorry, I really am, it's just-" "Easy there, Perfectionist," Manfred speaks up again. "You have nothing to apologize for… unlike some of us here." #Say nothing. The silence that follows is not awkward or tense. Instead it is filled with doubt, which you know from experience to be worse by far. Eventually, still without a word spoken, all of you save Manfred start walking down the corridor, towards the station's center. Towards one of its cafeterias, where a meeting far more important than originally intended is about to take place. Time to meet the spider. *finish