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Post by logan on Jan 21, 2022 16:57:39 GMT -6
"I think... there is no reason for Torris to know of our agreement. It is good to move quietly- save when you roar. If I stepped on the Iron Ship with your warriors, they would suspect both of us, and distrust us- for as you say, together we could be strong. A few weeks is not long. I will return to Theta, and head to Winmerica. You're arrival will make waves, and I must prepare before things get choppy. I'd be happy to teach Spenglish when I return- hopefully after your arrival in Winmerica goes smoothly."
Steve raised a chalice- "To agreement- and may it grow in the future."
From there, Steve ate dinner- or breakfast, as the Sun was no rising. He chatted a bit with the commander, and formally greeted his squadron. Proper introductions would have to wait- he had much to do, and little time to do it. As he left, he saw Jori watching him. Steve nodded in his direction as a parting goodbye. He returned to his hovercraft, and set sail for the blue waters of Theta.
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Post by A Witness... on Jan 28, 2022 17:24:24 GMT -6
The vehicle held together even as it left a easy-to-follow-trail of red cloud behind it. Steve considered if it was just getting too hard to keep Theta's location a secret. The asylum, at least one Hawkoid, ape and mole... who likely talked to their home clutch about it. Winmerica building train tracks under 3 miles from the bunker. Enough dirt had come off of it that it shone brighter than the radiant mesa in some spots at certain times of the day. But what to do about it?
The 'turtle' cruised north east of Goldeneye, Sulfur and the Mesa. He actually hovered over the tracks, but this section was complete and there were no workers here. He covered the 30 miles in less than 20 minutes. Gaftwud sure opened up when you got off a horse. Based on Milas' calculations from the tower and the on-board computer Gaftwud was 1,500 miles at it's longest measurement. If he had enough charge, if he didn't stop, and if he had a flat surface the whole way he could cover it in just a bit less than a day. Of course that was a lot of ifs, but the curiosity of what lay out there beyond the wastes was something he'd have to itch eventually. Winmerica had said there were visitors from Itaxless occasionally.
The tower looked a little bit like a volcano from this angle. Activation had started to shed dirt and rocks, and Steve could make out the observation dome on top. The large metal airlock at the base was the back-up lower one, but it was connected to the floors that had been compromised. The floors that he was regulated to now.
MuNu: Welcome back Major. Security is 100% on command floors. Robotics lab is at 45%. Hydroponics and other life sustaining sundries are at 100% DAMAGE REPORT Life support, including radiation protocols is at 100% Electrical at 95% Exterior Bunker Security 100% for blast doors and cameras Interior Bunker Security 70% Command levels and above Robotics Lab 46% crews are in restoration mode. Hydroponics 100% Sundries and smart waiters on-line. Sufficient stock for all approved living occupants. Observation deck 100% Motorpool/Hanger 100% Bio-Arcs 100%
The tank flew into the much smaller motorpool and Steve parked it much more skillfully this time. The doors sealed.
Several things to do. He could check in with MuNu from here, check in with the human personnel (including himself?) from his office, remotely check out the observation deck footage, or check in with the Asylum... he also could get radio contact with his embassy from here.
Lots to do.
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Post by logan on Jan 28, 2022 23:57:09 GMT -6
As Steve pulled into the metallic dome, he had a sinking feeling this would be the last time it could boost anonymity. Theta was exposed, near a railroad, with multiple different groups all knowing roughly where it was. There was no stopping people from finding out. No more hiding in the shadows, as safe as they may be. Theta could step into the light, or be thrust into it- Steve had been thinking this since Winmerica. Whether he could convince his commanders in the upper regions of the bunker... he thought he could, but he wasn't sure. The problem was, he had spent more than a month just getting his bearings in the waste- it took multiple different encounters with the waste's... vibrant- inhabitants just to get some grasp of normalcy so he could function effectively. He couldn't imagine what it was like up there- confined, maybe with a surplus of VR luxuries, but confined underground with no knowledge of what creeps in the shadows, no way to defend against them, their only interactions with the outside being scattered reports of insane monoliths and strange powers, questionable video footage from Steve's first encounters- actually, they had first hand knowledge of that, thank God Steve-2 is up there-, and dissections' of the unholy abomination that killed dozens of their crew. The mental pressure would be immense. Steve was torn between two impulses- keep Theta as locked away as possible, to protect it while he dealt with the barbarism of the new world or that they needed fresh air, and the sooner they came out the better. Probably somewhere in between. Enough, Steve chided himself as he docked. He had work to do. 6-8 days- call it a week, but potentially as few as 5 days- didn't leave him much time. He wanted to leave here by tomorrow at worst. He needed to set the board in Winmerica before the lizards arrived, otherwise it might be game over. What do we do first? Well, that's easy enough- maintenance. And so he set to work. Pulling the van into position, he accessed the consoles in an attempt to activate the auto-mechs, the same ones that built the thing to Angelo's specifications, so he could customize the orders. The first thing to do was to see if he could download an AI into the van- it would take time, but after it was uploaded, it could do a self-diagnostic and save him from wasting his day fiddling with the machine- though he did love to fiddle with machines. More importantly, while it downloaded, he could work on writing a field report. Before doing that, he needed to set the parameters for the mechs- he didn't want to waste Theta resources, so his priority would be to focus repairs on the parts that could be easily recycled or replaced. He set his laser rifle to charge as well. As he worked on setting the parameters, a part of his mind focused on thinking about what he wanted to accomplish here- he was on a schedule, so he needed to be precise. A: Report back to command. Get clearance for continued operations within Gaftwud, especially the Winmerica Project, the Exogen Project, and the Western Waste Surveying project. B: Submit Bio-Samples for analysis. C: Get a "low-down" view of the situation upstairs from Steve-2. D: Reprovison. The "turtle" likely wouldn't be large enough to hold the entire Squad, and Apollo would be to fast, meaning he had to prepare for a sustained overland hike. E: Retrieve equipment (and sergeant Anderson) for the Winmerica generators. F: Talk to the Asylum. He had a very important package from them... and a very important letter. The field reports and mission briefs were ramshackle, he had to admit- but serviceable. When he sent them in, he included a short note asking for a debrief later in the day with the commander.
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Post by logan on Jan 29, 2022 22:06:38 GMT -6
Steve got up, stretched, and sighed- or more accurately, yawned. Even as the auto-mechanics worked on the van, doing whatever minor repairs it could assess before the full diagnostic ran, he had remained busy. He looked back at the data tablet and sighed again, for real this time. While he was doing paperwork- the term stayed long after the “paper” part of it had vanished- he might as well finish his equipment requisition. He grimaced a bit- he didn’t know how many Omegabucks he had left, but he bet it wasn’t many. Quite a bit had happened- aside from his own equipment requisitions, Irrian had taken a good amount out of it for his trinkets, and he wasn’t sure how much The Posse had drained, and his scavenging had returned. He actually hadn’t looked at his account since the “Divorce”- his personal term for the Steve-2 incident- but he bet it didn’t help matters. At best, they probably would split the funds within it prior to services rendered.
Irrian Underhill... There's a name I haven't thought of in a while. He wondered what had happened to him- he flashed back to the green and black kobolds at the camp. A problem for another day. Not much I can do about that now. We’ll just see what I can afford. It’s high time I was actually prepared properly for once.
TL9 Data Player: A cheap palm-sized viewing screen/speaker for data of various sorts. Has a data-chip drive, a cable jack, and wi-fi connectivity. Battery life/100 hours, 0.05 lbs, $5, (Ultratech Pg 52)
TL9 Radio Communicator: TL9 walkie-talkie. Ten-mile radius when “talking” to people on a similar device. (Steve did the math- under optimal conditions, it could potentially talk to the Winmerica radio tower at 100 miles, and Theta Bunker at 300, assuming they would risk sending out a signal.) Battery life/10 hours, 0.5 lbs, $200, (Ultratech Pg 44)
TL9 Pocket Pack: Contains a penlight, a Swiss army knife (screwdriver, scissors, small knife, file, tweezers, bottle opener, and toothpick), a roll of vacuum proof sticky tape, a marking pen (will write on metal or glass, in temps from -150 to 400 degrees and in zero gravity/vacuum), a single meals worth of food tablets, and a candy bar. 0.75 lbs, $25, (Ultratech Pg 38) TL9 Night Vision Electro-Optical Binoculars (Televiewers): Includes a digital HUD, laser rangefinder, and digital camera. Night Vision 9 and 64x magnification. Battery life 100, 0.6 lbs, $500, (Ultratech Pg 60)
TL9 Boot modification: Ensure that Assault Boots contains smart-matter fabrics and anti-blister tech. Counts as highest quality equipment and grants a +4 to hiking skill. (Price assumed in cost of boots, minor alteration to boot material, Ultratech Pg 174) TL9 Bandage Spray Can: A transparent spray on anti-infectant coagulating bandage. Can be applied to stop bleeding and gain 1 HP back in ten seconds. Usage gives a +2 to first aid skill attempts. Six applications. 0.5 lbs, $15, (Ultratech Pg 197)
Steve looked at the list and tallied the total. At best, $745 Omegabucks and 2.4 extra pounds. He should have enough to carry that total… Screw it. He added, if he had any funds left, another two items-
TL9 Radio-Frequency Bug Detector: Detects and located radio transmitters and microphones. Requires a quick contest between Electronics Ops (surveillance) for the searcher and hider. Locating a bug involves sweeping the room with the device, range 1 yards. It can scan 100 sqft in 10 seconds (Steve figured it might be useful in securing the Embassy). Battery 10 hours, 0.1 lbs, $200, (Ultratech Pg 106) TL9 Filtration Canteen: Hold 1 quart of water. Removes impurities, salts, microbes, and poisons. It can filter salt water, but not raw sewage or toxic wastes. It can purify a quart every 30 minutes and requires changing every 100 quarts of water. A tab changes color as the filter is exhausted- though there is often a few quarts left of capacity even after it is fully changed. It adds a +1 to survival skill checks. (Steve figured it might help him avoid a few rads- besides, it wouldn’t do for him to die of mutated dysentery). 1 lb (empty), 3 lbs (full), $180. (Ultratech Pg 75)
Extra 3.1-1.1 lbs, $380 (5.5 lbs, $1,125 total)
Steve looked at the list with some satisfaction as he submitted it. It wasn’t doombots or electrolasers, but he felt it would give him, and maybe the wastes, a better shot. As he submitted his requisition, he decided he might as well submit the biological samples for analysis now. He moved to one of the smartwaiters in either the laboratory or medical bay, and slowly, carefully, placed withdrew three items from his bag and placed them in the tray- with a “Potential Biohazard” label, of course. The first vial contained the blood of the minotaur, which he marked “Hominin taurus”. The second was the black tar that its magic had created. Then, gingerly, like it was a bomb, he placed an 8 oz. vial of the Caretaker brain fluid in the tray. He wrote Xeno-Mutagen on it- then paused and wrote something else. “X-1”. He watched the samples disappear up the gleaming white metallic shaft. Well… I suppose that might net me a few Theta bucks.
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Post by A Witness... on Feb 5, 2022 20:19:50 GMT -6
Steve spent the rest of the day at work. He'd wrap up the logistics and paperwork first, and then socialize.
Tank repair and download of Atuin AI... probably going to cost a chunk of OBs. Hans was in the machine shop wielding something, and looked up to wave. It seems he had been given full access here and was in the middle of a project. Time to talk later. If MuNu processed quickly Hans might find out about his new orders before Steve told him.
New gear loaded up, 5.5 lbs may not seem like much, but Steve felt it might slow him a bit more. Of course this assumed he was in full armor for 23 lbs, and carting around the Laser Rifles battery tank... it was 24 lbs. It was more than half of the 77 lbs he slugged around.
The requisitioned solar generators began manufacturing. There would be enough of them to at least demonstrate his capabilities to the council. He wondered if Dorbil and his fungus farm would see him as competition. MuNu approved the initial batch, but since this was a new initiative that didn't exactly bring in artifacts Steve would have to front the OBs.
He checked his account with MuNu and was taken back a bit. Between his reports, and preliminary scans of the materials he brought back his balance was still a solid 13,507 OBs. It helped that his contract with the organization took care of his room and board, and that and his income piled up while he was on the road.
He hit the office, the communicators there would be much cleaner.
The panel lit up and after weeks of heavy encounters and negotiation it was good to hear... his own voice? "Hey brother. I got notice that you were back. Good thing we don't have another clone. You went off the scanners again the last couple of days. Everyone's pretty excited to read your new reports... after MuNu approves our security clearances." Once again it hit Steve that MuNu was really in charge here. He wondered how far that would go and how much of a problem it could make for what was left of humanity.
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Post by logan on Feb 5, 2022 23:25:55 GMT -6
Steve had known that MuNu called the shots- he wasn't sure how much authority Colonel Davidson had, but he knew it wasn't as much as he had wanted. Steve didn't care, as long as whoever was calling the shots knew enough to stay out of his way and let him do what he needed to do. Let Davidson and Munu duke it out for all he cared, as long as it doesn't tear Theta apart. He focused his attention back to the task at hand, and couldn't help but smile. As complicated as their relationship was, Steve couldn't help but genuinely like his clone. Whether it was a desire for a familiar face, or because Steve-2 was from the same time period, or good ol' fashion narcissism, Steve found him the closest thing he really had to a friend- the only person he could really be open with.
(Following previous convention, bolded is Steve, italics are Steve-2)
"Hey 'bro'. I'm back alright, back and dead tired. Don't put too much stock in those sensors- for all of Theta's tech, they're dead easy to cut of. You go underground far enough, get far enough away, a little faraday cage action, and they just kaput." "Huh... I'd have thought they'd be strong enough for the given mission." "I know! I'm honestly a little disappointed in them. Of course, if they were better, I'd be talking into a mirror instead of a video screen." "Yeah, that's true. Hey- this is gonna sound a little weird but... how did you handle not having a... backup? I'm trying to figure out to say it-" "No, I get what you mean. I guess... it was a little disappointing knowing that "this" (Steve broke off to gesture to himself) was it, but at the end of the day, it was never going to be "me". Talking to you is proof of that. The clone tanks aren't immortality- trouble starts when people make that mistake. It was just reassuring knowing that even if I slip up, Theta would have my skillset to continue, that the people I know would have a replacement. I just wish I got one more good upload in- given you a few more tools to work with. Also might have been a bit more cautious with the rads." "Well, I'm doing just fine with the tools I have, thank you very much. I get what you mean. It's odd for me, but I know a few people up here are having a few issues accepting that they aren't the original. A few people, from the mushroom incident- they never had a chance to upload before dying. They woke up, not knowing they were clones. We were prepared for that, in case of a cryofreeze loss, of course, but not for "ah, yes, you, you were awake but got yourself killed, go do it again without getting yourself killed". I am glad you uploaded before you left. The last thing "we" remember is preparing to go on a nigh-suicidal mission with Simiae. How is he doing, by the way?" "..."
"..."
Of course. How could Steve forget. Steve-2 had known Simiae- not well, but he had been a friendly face. Maybe the first real mammalian friendly face at least. Back to reality. "That's right. You haven't read the report. Honorary Thetan Rex and Underhill... they need to be classified as "inactive"." "Oh- fuck, man. You alright? I knew Simiae a bit, but not well. What happened?" "The usual. The wastes are a bitch. We were exploring an abandoned megastructure to investigate a potential threat to Theta." "And?" "Well, we breached the building, and descended into the basement. Turned out, it wasn't so abandoned, and we got into a running fire-fight with some hostiles- couple of man-bulls and an octopus headed freak. Whole place is in some kinda melt-down, no idea what sort of tech its running on. I was able to grasp that it was close enough to Theta to be Very, Very Bad if it went boom, and Rex and Underhill sacrificed themselves to stabilize the compound." "Whoa." "Yeah. Unfortunately, extraction had fallen to shit by then, and the entire place was under siege by an army of giant humanoid lizards. I was able to bluff my way out of it by talking to the commander, who spoke a bit of Spenglish. I think he was curious due to the nature of the ruins. Anyway, we get to chatting, and he starts telling me about their society. While they may be regressive in tech, they're actually a militarized hierarchy based around rule of law, who have grown tired of chaos of the waste. He gives me back the hovervan- why they had it isn't very important-" "I presume the reason they had it involves the copious amount of bullet holes in it?" "You would presume correct. Anyway, we use it to go talk to his commander, basically the guy in charge of dealing with humans and non-lizards. Kinda their version of me, come to think of it, since I'm apparently our most-used diplomat now. He starts talking about joining Winmerica's council, but he doesn't really know much about human politics. I give him a rundown, and basically say what Theta's all about, preserving knowledge and rebuilding civilization, and give him some advice for dealing with the humans in town. I get the feeling that a lot of folks discount them due to the scales, and I think he was happy to find someone- anyone, really- who stood for something. They respect 'causes' a great deal. Then he starts talking about other contact, and he starts discussing the ape tribes to the west, that Simiae came from. Long story short, he needs a diplomat to go there and establish first contact, act as an intermediary, etc., but he doesn't have anyone who speaks their language. Well, I speak their language a bit, Simiae taught me, and since he was one of their chieftain's son, I'll need to bring news of his death. So, he gives me a squadron of trained warriors and tells them to guard my life or don't bother coming back. I'm like "thanks, but let me do this thing first real quick, and report back", and I book it. Now, I've got a week to establish myself as an Winmerican councilman before they arrive, and then I'll have to trek across the waste into parts unknown. Hopefully I bring back some useful artifacts for MuNu." "That it?" "Yep. The short version." "Holy shit dude. You know, this is why we're always excited to read your reports? They're literally the most interesting thing that happens around here. Ya got f^%&in' buckaroo bonzai shit going on out there. "The usual" my ass." "Come on, it can't be that bad." "You'd be surprised. Theta's movie library is extensive, but I can watch "Scott Pilgrim" only so many times." "Blasphemy." "The most interesting thing I've done is fiddle around with that robot you dragged in- good news there! I think MuNu is almost satisfied with the decontamination procedures- after all, you can clean metal pretty thoroughly- so I might actually get to fiddle with it in person. The tech isn't groundbreaking, but I need something to do that isn't "initialize repair infrastructure-bot". I'm sure the lab techs had more to do, but MuNu put the kibosh on testing the mushrooms after the incident- which still leaves your samples the most interesting thing they can screw around with. Speaking of which- the "brainbug" you sent up died of knife wounds." "Yes. Because I stabbed it." "May I ask why you stabbed it, in lieu of- anything- else?" "Didn't want to waste ammo." "Of course not. Why would you? Shall we start calling you Dundee?" "Whatever. The sad part is, I try to tone my reports down so they sound slightly more plausible." "Eh... by the way, you should know not everyone is in your fan club. I'm not positive, but I get the feeling that- well, you know our contact team is pretty well fucked. Morton and Montgomery were lost. A lot of the other "contact specialists" lost their originals. You've pretty well, if informally, stepped into the role of Morton as contact command, at least until we get down there. A few of the contact specialists are a bit salty that a gearhead is doing their job. They treat me fine, and they don't trash you or anything- just a heads up that you might have competition." "Oh no. I'm terrified. Look at my terrified expression." "Smart ass. Come to mention it though, you look tired. When did this all happen?" "Over the last" (Counts on fingers) "33 hours?" "Jesus. Go to bed." "Still got a bit to do, I'm afraid. One more message to deliver tonight. Tight schedule, you know. Then rest." "Only two of us left, Austin. Be careful with what you have." "I haven't been careful enough." END TRANSMISSION
Steve coughed. His clone was right. He was running on fumes. He had one last stop though. He couldn't put it off any longer. Not in good conscious. So, despite himself, he found himself in the center of the Asylum- facing down the hulking frame of the Gevarian. The other's were around too- he could see several of them come to greet him- though their relatively welcoming expressions seemed to die down at his dirty armor and grim expression.
"So", Steve began. "First off. Simiae's... Simiae's gone." There was a pause, an intake of breath. "Underhill too. If you care."
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Post by logan on Oct 27, 2022 22:58:10 GMT -6
It was late now. The "party" had disbanded. Rikko and Tickles had started the walk back to the Embassy, but Steve stayed a little longer. He and Doakes could ride back via Apollo, so even if they left ten minutes after the others, they still might beat them there. That was what Steve said anyways- but he wanted to have a few last minute words with the Captain. Doakes stood outside, guarding the door.
It was just The Captain and The Major.
"Before we part, I had three topics to breach. It shouldn't take long, but they are important for you to know so that you can understand why I am doing, and will do, what I do. I hope that one day you might return in the favor, when it comes time for me to guess at your actions."
"The first is related to something you said- why Theta wanted a seat on the council. Two reasons- the first is that each council member is expected to have capacities and resources beyond the ordinary, if not as far beyond as you or I. Placing Theta on the council gives it a façade- a weak façade, but a façade nonetheless- of normalcy. The second reason is that I don't want Theta to be looked at as just a mysterious company, selling electricity out of the wastes, or shadowy group that could be anywhere. I want it looked at as a source of authority, legitimate authority. I want legitimacy."
Steve grasped the air in front of him as he talked, as if he could reach out and grab the concept. He took a long breath before calming down. No taking back what he was saying now. The ticking of a clock- looked like it was rebuilt out of about a dozen different ones, with mismatched hands and numbers- was the only sound in the stillness of the room. Steve filled his mind with it, relying on the old training Simiae taught him just in case. "The second is in regards to the Tower. I've told you-" Steve broke off to wiggle his head a bit- "most of what's immediately important, that I know anyway. I don't know as much as I'd like to. The Tower- you need to understand why I am not- incredibly- alarmed by five hundred Sleastaks. I saw the other side! The Tower is once again closed, but the Sleastaks had more than a Squadron arrayed outside it- they had multiple squadrons. Maybe as many as ten thousand total. It's under siege. That's why the Tower must remain closed for the time being."
Steve stopped. He could feel the Captain's eyes on him, watching him intently, not allowing a single word to pass him by, but the thought of his companions briefly took Steve back. "After this, I spent time in the Sleastaks camp, talking to their officers, learning about them. They talk of codes and law and order- in that, at least, they have some minute common ground with Theta- but they are ultimately aligned towards the conquest of this world. I agree with you here- this cannot be tolerated in the long run. However, you and I both know that thinking emotionally leads to undue haste, undue haste leads to mistakes, and mistakes leads to getting people killed. Both of us need to consider how to use this to our best advantage now, while considering how we set the table for the future. 500 Sleastaks is not easily dispelled, and they have fortified, so direct confrontation is unlikely to succeed."
Steve paused to check the Captain's reaction and collect his thoughts for a moment. He had discovered something interesting about the Captain here- normally the Spider at the center of the web, the Captain had an unusual outburst of emotion in regards to the Tower... and the Sleastaks. That's part of the reason why Steve was having this discussion- he needed him sharp, and able to rationalize why working with the Sleastaks might be an unfortunate necessity. At the very core of Steve's brain, behind layers of mindblocking, a part of him asked him where his real loyalties here laid. "Theta", every other part of his brain answered. Everything else- even his integrity- was just politics.
"They believe they will be warmly welcomed by the people of the town. Toris has led them to believe their ways will be celebrated. They have learned they must deal with humans to prosper in this land, but they are still bad at it. They have issue understanding our motivations and how self-interest is the only philosophy most people here have. They are currently isolated but wary. Any action taken will be by their initiative. They will not allow it any other way."
Steve coughed. Steve didn't think the Captain had the room bugged- he didn't have the tech background to do it well and he seemed like the kind of person who would be more likely to install a jammer than anything else- but Steve couldn't be sure, so he choose his words carefully.
"Understand that, without provocation, Theta must remain openly neutral, and from a purely self-interest perspective, I see no reason not to attempt short-term mutually beneficial arrangements to secure Theta's immediate position. That being said, interested parties should begin preparing for tomorrow before it arrives- and Theta would also have no compunctions about dealing with those who would prove troublesome to the imperial ambitions of certain parties."
Steve leaned back in his chair.
"For instance, the wastes are home to many groups. The Sleastaks must choose their fights carefully, but they do intend to fight, to prove their strength. If they fought carelessly, heedless of the dangers of the waste- 500 could become 400 quickly, no? I have no dog in this fight, but I don't like potential threats growing under my nose. I've been ambushed by their patrols once- they won't get the drop on me again."
Steve sobered for a moment. He looked around, checking the room for imaginary phantoms, before leaning in, and talking very, very quietly. "Did you know that Simiae thought a lot like you? He didn't like them here, in Gaftwud, very much. He was fine with them in their home, but not his home, if you know what I mean. See, he realized that 500 is a lot, but individually, not a huge amount, right? Not one by one. Lizard's aren't recognized as anything close to human around here. In fact, I thought they were Bunnimen before I got settled in. Simiae actually thought the same- they were a new type of Bunnimen." Steve stared at the Captain's eyes, before almost whispering- "The Bunnimen have a bounty on them, don't they? As long as there's gold, there's someone willing to collect."
OCC Just wanted to give this little bit extra to the convo. Can take it as far as you want, especially about planning Torris's death. Also, do you want to RP the convo's with the councilmen here? Could say Steve did some early morning visits to the various councilmembers. The ones he would be most interested in talking to (in descending order) -Dorbil -Echart -Kory/Charl -Harper -Veeca -Sillous
I figure meeting Whittiker should be played out, though any information I can gather on him would be good.
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Post by A Witness... on Oct 28, 2022 16:59:51 GMT -6
I'm cool playing out some of your visits here to speed things along. We'll assume they happen first thing Friday morning for those you can get a hold of quickly (Dorbil, Vecca & Silious). Status below.
THE CAPTAIN "You mean well I'm sure, but you talk about legitimate authority at the same time you talk about neutrality. Trust me, once you get mired in Winmerica politics it is impossible to get out again. Well, there's one way out, but I haven't been desperate enough." "You have my vote." "I imagine Charl is with you for now. Once he knows about the Sleastaks and that you're at worst not speaking up against them we'll see how he reacts." "Dorbil likes you very much and is on the outside of the rest of the council after being ousted from the Academy." "That's three of 10. With Toris, Atrous & Lister with Witiker that's a 'tie'." "That leaves Echart, Silious, Vecca, & Harper. I wish you luck with them as they all have their own agendas." - Steve sensed a air of apathy around this topic, especially for something that may determine the course of Winmerica. The words seem liked a cold list. It was as if as soon as he 'sold' his vote the Captain wanted to get on to more important things.
"The tower closed, eh." - The Captain mulled this over. His face twisted as if a bitter taste in his mouth. "It is fine that the Shadow Squadron is cut off from Myskdit, but do not underestimate them. As you say they need to be cautious. They can't just rely on muskets and magic. They will infiltrate however they can. You talk about their numbers, but they can breed, and quickly. Large clutches of eggs nursed underground." He was quiet in a way that Steve felt like the Captain had lost this negotiation. "The vote is yours. Just deliver the gear. And you have my thanks." This last part a statement of very sincere gratitude. Steve received it as the first bit of statement that wasn't a negotiation or backed by an agenda. The Captain looked tired.
DORBIL After passing through the guardian gun guild known as the steel horsemen, Steve was escorted underneath the motor-pool. Steve had never been underground at the garage before. Above ground it was all oil, grease and circuits. Underground it was a maze of research rooms filled with vats, and goo, and surgery rooms. Dorbil raised his goggles when Steve stepped into a large room filled with moss tanks.
"Ah, yes, yes, Stephen. Very good to see you again. The radio tower is working well. The extra electricity those panels have provided has helped my experimentation as well. Please, enjoy some moss and sit with me a bit. I've been head down in research for several weeks and am interested in what's happening under the sunshine."
ECHART Steve is recognized by The Loaded, a very expensive gun guild and the personal guards of house Echart. Steve is greeted by a receptionist flanked by two of The Loaded. They scan Steve up and down looking for gaps in the armor. "Councilman Echart isn't here. Both he and Mr. Qunicy are very busy preparing for the ceremony. Unless of course you have the material requested." She is reading from some notes, and clearly doesn't know what material is being referenced.
CHARL Charl isn't in town yet, but happy to talk on the Radio. If it can wait until Saturday we can talk in person.
HARPER Harper is overseeing the shipping of food in for the ceremony and is quite busy. We can set an appointment for first thing "Monday".
VECCA Vecca will see Steve at the drop of a hat. She welcomes him into her lush, velvety office. It has a carved desk, and a bed. **I'm wondering if Steve brought anyone with him?**
SILIOUS Also very busy, but can give you 15 minutes. Steve goes into this office early Friday morning. He is a large man. Steve think he sees a hint of The Rott. He wears tough tanned leathers made from turtle skin. He is terse and gets down to business. "Pleasure to finally meet you. What can I do for you today?"
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Post by logan on Oct 28, 2022 20:45:14 GMT -6
DORBIL-
Steve walked slowly as he was taken underground, absorbing everything he saw- the layout of the rooms, the experiments he could see, and the extent of the compound. As he entered the moss room, he gave Dorbil a warm smile as he took the... moss... Dorbil offered. "Always good to see you again. Even deep underground as you are, I'm sure you've heard the hullabaloo around Miller and the railroad. Frankly- I think it's going to get a lot louder before it gets quieter. Everyone seems to think now is the time to get rich or get lucky."
Dorbil looked up from the... calculator? he was fiddling with. "I have heard that Miller has lost hold of his facilities, yes. I have heard about the Ironship celebrations as well- I admit I appreciate the appreciation of progress, but the celebrations seem far too pointless for me to hold much interest in them." He sighed, and put down the gizmo. "I may actually have to interrupt my work for the proceedings."
Steve looked around as he slipped chewed his moss. "I like what you've done with the place. Oddly feels like home." In a sense, it did. It felt very much like Gaftwud brand Theta. None of the shine, all of the rust, and crude instead of advanced- but still similar. Steve glanced to the darkened corners- he could envision a brain bug nesting here quite contentedly. He turned back to Dorbil. "I'll get to the chase. I have a business proposition, a personal proposition, and a need for some advice. I think you'll find all of them intriguing."
"Oh?"
"The business proposition is probably most pressing. You should know- heck, you probably do know- that I'm trying to arrange a councilman position for myself. I'd have someone fill in for me, of course- the Captain has the right idea there, going to every meeting seems like an awful waste of time-" Dorbil nodded "-and I have more important things to focus on. Every councilman controls or provides some resource to the town- I plan to provide energy. Within five years- easily- Theta could have enough solar panels in place to provide energy to electrify every home in Winmerica. Now, the panels themselves shouldn't be too much maintenance. I'll be leaving someone here- I'll introduce you soon enough- to work on them and ensure the embassy is kept up to date. My problem is simple. The electrical infrastructure in Winmerica? It's nonexistent. I'll have to build some up over time of course, but the majority of it will have to be built by the town- either the council itself or citizens who want power. Many districts will want to buy power from Theta, but the problem is, when those poorer districts try to set up their own transmission wires and burn down a full block of buildings as they try to handle megawatts for the first time in decades, or longer, who will be blamed?" Steve gave a toothy grin. "That's where you come in. We can provide the power, but we need someone to handle setting up transmission wires and ensuring the system meets basic safety guidelines. Anyone who wanted power would have to go through you and your group. Together, we can make Winmerica an Electric City- without burning it down in the process. Are you interested?"
Echart- Steve is calm as he's surveyed. He doesn't worry about them finding any holes in his armor, though he isn't wearing the full thing. Without the full outfit- he customarily didn't wear the flak jacket, helmet, or gloves around town to avoid alarming the populace- if they wanted a target, there wasn't much Steve could do if they decided to aim for the head.
(Apparently, the Forge game is paused, so I can't open my notes. Is the material the stuff Regilis mentioned about Whitiker?)
Charl- Nothing that can't wait until later.
Harper- Excellent.
Will respond to Vecca and Sillious later.
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Post by A Witness... on Mar 23, 2023 10:22:57 GMT -6
Yes, that sounds good. I look forward to meeting your man.
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