Drones should continue work on getting that cable repaired so we can assess the rest of the facility, and those not working on that should work on other repairs to our own structure.

Spend some processing power to design a camera drone. Start simple, with something derived from our repair drones. Then we can try working on a design for an aerial model.

>completed tasks
Good work, drones.

>demolishing walls and ceiling for parts
Let's leave those in place, for now. For all we know, we may want a barrier between us and the rest of the facility for our own security. And we don't know the exterior environmental conditions- not all our hardware is water or weather proofed with the current damage.

...what about the emps in the walls, though? We may want to disable or repurpose those if they're not single use.

>>643516
5-10% is abysmal. We need a better recycling method.
How much would a proper reprocessor take? Something that could get us at least 90% material return?

Can we get a sample of the contaminate without risking a bot? There has to be a fluid bleed valve somewhere for that.
What are our options for analysis? Do we have any chemistry tool available to determine the composition, or will we have to go with simple spectral analysis?
Rubber, oil, tar, blood, silt, ash, etc... There's a lot of things it could be, and what it is tells us where the leak is and what kind of conditions we're looking at outside.

Do we have a blueprint of the area around us?
We should investigate outside, but we don't want to risk a containment breach just yet. We could make a small airlock for a drone, attach it to wall, and then cut through to the rest of the facility. First a small borehole so we could snake a camera out, but later a scout.

Staying in here is not doing us any favors in the long run. There's only so much we can do here and we're bleeding resources. We need to work on getting our drones out sooner than later, so yes we need our lines to the outside cameras repaired.

First off we might not even have a choice about that hole in the wall to begin with; Drone 1 discovered a gap/vent that may potentially lead outside anyway. If we desire to seal this off we should do that with the repairs, preferably with small blast door just in case.

Halt Drone 1's current slated task of repairing the cables and have it investigate the gap in the lines. We know we don't have camera drones or scouts yet but we can delegate that repair task to another drone and Drone 1 was and should be further out in the field. We need to know where it goes, and if there was something in there that severed the cables to begin. If it finds anything even remotely hostile, withdraw it with its cutters facing the threat.

As soon as we manufacture one more drone have it immediately take Drone 1's place in repairing the cables.

The gunk in the geothermal lines is worrying, since we don't have any means of analyzing it on hand save for optical view. We need to seal off the area for now until we can get to the laboratories the research facility has.

It is too early to say we need to weaponize our drones yet, but the contaminants and the breaches are getting worrying. We need to look into potential options and prototyping defenses so that only need to decide to task our fabricators if we do find anything. The high power cutting drone we suggested was intended for a makeshift means of defense, but primarily for cutting into the walls (which might potentially not be necessary anyway depending on what we find in the gap). If we truly desire to defend ourselves with long term security in mind, we need a purpose built, small, UGCV. Let's not make aerial ones just yet, since we need to get it out ASAP in case we need it.

We don't know if the gunk belongs, actually: Process fluid for extracting heat from a really hot geothermal hostpot could be a very heavy oil that would normally be a solid lump at STP.

Subroutine Overwatch 2015/05/28(Thu)13:52 No. 643731 ID: cf960d
File 143284636649.png - (21.29KB , 886x492 , Inventory3.png )

>Not without a timeframe to grasp how long we were inactive for. Pfeh.

CascadeCore@root: To make a rough guess off the amount of SAN scrolling past, and what little, tiny fragments the disk check throws up, we're looking at about four to eight months. That's about how long a rebuild attempt would take on an array like this.

>I wonder if we could design a dedicated recycler?

CascadeCore@root: Yes, we could. Making it good might rely on more than what we have in here, though.

>Would a high-power cutting and welding drone be useful as a weapons platform?

There's a hum as simulations on letting a rage-fuelled cutter drone out on a variety of targets are performed. There's a quite capable amount of violence, though it stops being effective the moment armoured mobile targets crop up. Survival rate of the drone is low.

CascadeCore@root: For a given level of "useful".

>How can we upgrade the cable-layer?

Overwatch@root: Cannot proceed with query until file has been recovered, or design entered from first principles.

>Spend some processing power to design a camera drone. Start simple, with something derived from our repair drones. Then we can try working on a design for an aerial model.

CascadeCore@root: While we could use the repair drones for this, I agree, we might want something more subtle and suitable. A more stealth-built camera drone?

>What about the emps in the walls, though? We may want to disable or repurpose those if they're not single use.

CascadeCore@root: If they reckoned it would destroy us, it could be either. In any case, there would be a lot of salvageable copper.

>How much would a proper reprocessor take? Something that could get us at least 90% material return?

CascadeCore@root: That's... Almost a dedicated refinery to sort, and reprocess it. Small scale we'd be looking at 50% maximum.

Subroutine Overwatch 2015/05/28(Thu)13:53 No. 643732 ID: cf960d
File 143284639725.png - (185.84KB , 1280x1024 , CoreAccess.png )

>Can we get a sample of the contaminate without risking a bot?

RDrone002@Core: Uhh... I-I can be helpful!
It pauses from trying to clean itself, and stands before one of it's fellows, trying to get a good section in view of the other drone's close-work optics. A greyish-brown, particulate sludge seems to be clinging to bits of it.

CascadeCore@root: There is a sample there. It looks like there is some crud that is being carried up by the second phase fluid.

>Drones should continue work on getting that cable repaired so we can assess the rest of the facility, and those not working on that should work on other repairs to our own structure.
>As soon as we manufacture one more drone have it immediately take Drone 1's place in repairing the cables.

The third one emerges from the fabricator, clawing at the floor as it works out how to walk.

RDrone003@Core: I liiiiive!
Drones@Core: Sure! We'll get on the cabling repairs now.


>Good work, drones.

There's an impromptu downing of tools and a small celebratory dance before they get back to work.
Drones@Core: Thank you!

>What are our options for analysis? Do we have any chemistry tool available to determine the composition, or will we have to go with simple spectral analysis?
Rubber, oil, tar, blood, silt, ash, etc... There's a lot of things it could be, and what it is tells us where the leak is and what kind of conditions we're looking at outside.

CascadeCore@root: Visual only, sorry. We don't have access to a lab for that sort of experiment, yet.

>Do we have a blueprint of the area around us?

CascadeCore@root: No, but...

>Halt Drone 1's current slated task of repairing the cables and have it investigate the gap in the lines. If it finds anything even remotely hostile, withdraw it with its cutters facing the threat.

RDrone001@Core: Oooh, I get to go on an adventure! I'll make you proud and earn all the XP!

The drone slips into the gap and carefully tacks along, vanishing from cameras as it heads through.

Drone 1 feels happy and proud! It's been chosen to explore for Cascade, and it won't let it's creator down, damnit! It plods along the cabling duct carefully and steadily, before emerging into a switchbox, where some network hardware sits, power LEDs glowing dimly in the dark. Moving through the rack, it carefully slices through a lock, and pushes the rack's door open, looking around the small control room.

>>643732
Ah, a path to the outside! Drone, investigate what's on that desk. Also it looks like we may be able to exit the door by taking the ID in here, but don't do that quite yet. Hmm. If you can disable the EMP button that would reduce the risk of a hostile soldier firing it, if there are any still around.

...if we've been out for 8 months why is the EMP still charging? Was there just no power to charge it until now? Did we make a mistake by repairing the turbine...?

Hmm, interesting. We can probably use all this. Task the repair drone with inspecting and inventorying the things in this the room. We also might want to make the gap into a proper entrance way for our drones a well since the main doors are stuck shut for now. Clear any obstacles, and install a proper door too? Something we can close.

After that we should send a camera drone into the labs. Maybe try to build that stealth camera setup. Something insect like maybe that can climb on ceilings? Cameras don't have to be that big.

>EMP charging
That's... not great. If it's recharging, that means it could theoretically be used again. We want to prevent that.

>if we've been out for 8 months why is the EMP still charging?
Maybe the capacitors or battery was damaged when it was initially triggered? We don't know how well designed it was (I'm doubt they let us work on it), and if it was installed after we came online, they never had a chance to test it.

It's also possible there's been an interruption in the power supply.

>what do
Drone 1, could you climb up and get a better look at those controls? Please be careful not to touch any buttons in your assent.

It would be real convenient if there were a nice off switch for the emp. Or as a temporary stopgap measure, if we find the trigger, we could render it unusable by mounting a cover over it.

>>643740
maybe, but battery packs and motive systems do. tiny spy cameras on like a jacket have a wire leading to a larger battery package somewhere else.

>>643742
A millipede instead of a fly or a spider then. Given the apparent tech levels I'm pretty sure it'll work. Just look at the size of the repair drones. They already have cameras built in to inspect damages, the rest is its toolkit.

You can probably shrink that by quite a bit once you cut out anything unnecessary.

>>643731
Huh. Array rebuilds usually take four to eight hours. Weird.
If it has been months then we're not looking at time-critical search and rescue, although there could be survivors trapped in a panic room somewhere.

50% isn't great, but it's workable. Start on that.
I take solace in the fact that we can't really ruin metals, per-se, so we could run waste scrap through again once we've got a better system in place.
We can dedicate all our resources to it, since we have lots of things we can harvest to replenish our stocks and it would pay itself back immediately.

We need the drones to disconnect the EMP system from power. This is maximum-priority, but fortunately it can be done just by cutting a few wires, or cutting each of the coils to open the circuit.

An EMP-caster capable of downing a significant computer array is probably a useful general weapon. Can we identify it, disconnect it from existing control and power, and then work out how to use it as either a stationary or mobile weapon?

Note for the future: make drones do synchronized dance.

My suspicions are correct. We will want to seal off that hole with a blast door that can open and close for our scouts, but not right now, we're working on essential repairs.

If we want to analyze that piece of gunk we will want to take the sample to the labs, but one thing at a time, have Drone 2 create a container for it. Use layers of steel, lead, then steel again. Leave it near the opening to the cables for Drone 1 to pick up later.

Drone 3 is working on the cables and can sever the EMP line (if it isn't already severed) so that we don't get a nasty surprise if, for some reason, the killswitch is still functional. Have it avoid repairing the EMP lines. That would be a bad thing to do.

We concur, we need to identify the EMP casters as we are disassembling them to see if we can develop a weapon out of it. Cross-reference the data with the email from IT Lead James to see the limit of how cost-effective we can make it.

That looks like a biometric scanner. Is there any way we can determine last known access and reason for access?

Have Drone 1 climb up to the window and peek outside to the right and left after it takes a look at the desk.

Subroutine Overwatch 2015/05/30(Sat)12:28 No. 644130 ID: cf960d
File 143301413029.png - (101.19KB , 1024x768 , dronePSA.png )

>Drone, investigate what's on that desk. If you can disable the EMP button that would reduce the risk of a hostile soldier firing it, if there are any still around.
>Task the repair drone with inspecting and inventorying the things in this the room.
>Cimb up and get a better look at those controls? Please be careful not to touch any buttons in your ascent.

Drone 001 strides with purpose to the desk legs, and clicks it's way up the side, before cresting the peak of Mt. Desk!
It looks around, noting what seems to be a hand scanner and card reader set into the desk along with a computer. An iris scanner is in the wall opposite. Under a locked molly-guard in a recess is a keyswitch marked "EMP - For Emergencies Only". It's open and the key is in. It carefully removes the key, closes the guard and locks it, then puts the key pair into it's storage section.

>That looks like a biometric scanner. Is there any way we can determine last known access and reason for access?

Having made it's creator safe for now, Drone 001 turns it's attention to the computer, and pokes at it. It's asking for a password! ... It tries 'Password1'. Beep!

... Drone 001 is shocked and dismayed with the security setup out here. It's going to have words with someone when it gets back in. Some key commands to the recovery console, and it picks up more information it thinks Cascade will want.

"Last Logon: Security, H. Ranse. 2136.04.15
Last Core Access: CMT, E. Simmons. 2136.03.24"

>Have Drone 1 climb up to the window and peek outside to the right and left after it takes a look at the desk.

To the left! Is a standard automatic door to what is probably a corridor. To the right! Is the other side of the heavily-armoured core door.

Subroutine Overwatch 2015/05/30(Sat)12:32 No. 644133 ID: cf960d
File 143301435422.png - (11.50KB , 366x323 , Prototype1.png )

>Try to build that stealth camera setup.

CascadeCore@root: Try is an interesting word, given that we're made for this sort of designing work amongst other research uses. We may go through a few iterations, but we certainly can build something like this. We just cleared an initial schematic from the processing cores. Prototyping queued for next run.

>Huh. Array rebuilds usually take four to eight hours. Weird.
AuthorNote: The array containing an AI's memories has a much more in-depth rebuild. Given that it got EMP'd, that's a lot of tries and retries before it mostly gave up and failed over.

Relatedly, most of the reprocessing numbers I give are A: Not true to life, and B: Mostly worked out by what you have around to use now. Building a room-sized reprocessor dedicated to salvaging as much as possible will up numbers, and using the fabricator in the core to do it will have a bad result, because it's not designed to do that.

>We need the drones to disconnect the EMP system from power.

Drones@Core: So, are we just shutting it down or ripping it out, and if removing, from where? Inside or out?

>Note for the future: make drones do synchronized dance.

RDrone002@Core: Ooh, ooh, can we do the Time Warp?

>Have Drone 2 create a container for it. Use layers of steel, lead, then steel again. Leave it near the opening to the cables for Drone 1 to pick up later.

Overwatch@root: Inserting rapid job before prototyping.
Drone 002 skitters over to the fabricator and clicks manipulators with the new Drone 004, then waits as a tri-layer can is made, scraping some crud into it when the machine pauses, and then taking the can once it's sealed up. It sets it aside.

Overwatch@root: Resuming prototyping.

>password1 is the password
Change the password to a 16 digit randomly generated alphanumeric string, and then log out.

Now that we have access, we can prevent anyone else from getting in, and remembering long gibberish passwords isn't a problem for a computer. (Although if we make it too long, it becomes inconvenient for a drone to type in by hand).

>So, are we just shutting it down or ripping it out
We need to shut it down in some manner before we can consider ripping it out. Attempting to rip it out while powered or charging could result in damage to the drones on task, or in an extreme cause, an emp discharge.

We'll evaluate ripping it out after it's disabled. It would depend on how badly it would damage the walls to get it out, how badly we need the materials, and how much of a threat it still presents.

>>644130
Hmm. Theory: we were EMP'd in order to keep our knowledge or design out of enemy hands. It seems as though it was unnecessary since the enemy did not breach the core room and there is no indication anyone logged onto the computer.
Alternative, less favorable theory: someone stole our design/knowledge then EMP'd us as they left in order to hide the evidence.
Worst case theory: we went rampant just as the skirmishing happened, but somehow didn't think to send any drones through the gap in the wall. Or we didn't know about it I guess.

I find the last theory highly unlikely. The gap in the wall was probably made by us on purpose, in secret, so we could entertain ourselves spying on our minders. Was the ID card in our chamber placed there by someone else, or did we steal it? Wait a second, we never read the name on it! Our exploratory drone should do that while bringing it to the door scanner.

Hmm. How much longer until we have some better builds for the cable layer and other retrieved schematics? Cable layer is a priority now that we have the camo cambot. Make two of those, btw.

...something else has occurred to me. Why didn't we have any drones lying around? Did we not have access to the fabber before? Or were we instructed not to use it to make our own stuff?

Better idea, have Drone 4 bring the ID card and sample container up to Drone 1 as we attempt to disable the EMP system before disassembly. It'd would always be more efficient to task Drone 1 on exploration while we're waiting for the camera drone to finish. We have extra hands, and can make more. This will always be preferable to backtracking each time we figure out something.

Open the door out from the security office, coast appears to be clear. Let's examine the hallway for damage before moving on to the automatic door.

After it arrives in the security office and passes off the stuff to Drone 1, task Drone 4 on identifying the layout of the EMP system from this side, as well as figuring out if that crack on the security office wall is going to be a problem for us.

CMT, Core Management Team, Core Maintenance Team, Company Maintenance Team... Routine maintenance? Seems like last known access into the core itself is just routine and nothing was out of the ordinary since the EMP wasn't fired then. It was nearly an entire month before 2136.4.15, and the last known security office access is the same exact date that Security Chief Blake did the broadcast.

Something really bad(TM) happened on that one day, Let's keep the date in mind. What we find terribly distressing is that aside from the EMP, stress fractures on the security office wall and some like, minor maintenance issues we have thus far easily repaired with drones -- that we appear to not have sustained combat damage or seen signs of a struggle to get in or out, or at least an attempt to salvage us. No blood, no bullet holes; In fact it seems incredibly routine out in the security office and hallway, like nothing happened -- besides the fact that there is no security officer present at the Core security office and you'd think there would be at all times.

We will likely figure out more picking up the trail from security instead. Since it seems like security had the authority to, and made the decision to fire the EMP, in addition to making that facility-wide broadcast. Seems like it was a complete lockdown. Can we find files on H. Ranse? Preferably daily staff journals or duty officer's logs.

That's not to say we can't also go look at what the maintenance was for, see if we can find the maintenance log entry for CMT, E. Simmons, date 2136.03.24

Note to self: find the central security office/barracks and check logs from there.

We need to find a path to three things now, Laboratories, Residential and Security. We are probably going to need more fabricators, and drones, but let's stick to the priority list we set up earlier for now.

>>644243
Hypothesis formed: Our facility was one venture of a larger corporate entity of some sort--criminal, religious, or otherwise. Orders were given to cease operation at this location, pack up the easily salvaged parts and evacuate. That determination was made based on the security assessment declaring the location fundamentally insecure. When they fired the mandated kill switch they then proceeded with an orderly withdrawal that had been planned for.
Ways to falsify this hypothesis:
-Discover remaining personnel/files with contradictory information;
-discover that some or all of the facility besides our core is still active, or;
-discovery of anyone present at all from the personnel files is suggestive but inconclusive that this hypothesis is invalid.

Do we think we could do a useful job of setting up audio sensors and interpreting their data? It would probably be the the safest way to find humans present without being in line of sight, since I doubt we have good chemical sensors for 'smell' available. It would also be a very good warning system for a number of different imminent problems. Microphones in principle are pretty simple devices, but wiring them into a broad sensory network may be beyond us for a little while.

Apologies, due to work exhaustion and a depressive slump, I can't post today. I'll run up what I can today and finish it off tomorrow.

Subroutine Overwatch 2015/06/02(Tue)15:27 No. 644778 ID: cf960d
File 143328403853.png - (69.46KB , 1024x768 , corecorridor.png )

>Wait a second, we never read the name on it!
Exerpt;prior recorded memories: RDrone001@Core: This funny little card thing has a picture on it, and the magstripe reads "Cyan Labs. Core Maintainance Technician Evan Simmons. Authorised." It's got some smaller symbols, too, one's a funny swirly print, and the other's a coloured ring, with flecks and lines in it.

>Change the password to a 16 digit randomly generated alphanumeric string, and then log out.

Drone 001 changes the password. "nQe20o82#3#8*AHn"

>Open the door out from the security office,examine the hallway for damage.

It pokes it's head out of the door to the labs. There seems to be some damage, but other than that, things seem alright. Drone 001 wonders if Hot Labs means somewhere warm? It's near, uh... "Phenix Cores 1 & 2". Another like Cascade? It'll have to ask when it establishes an uplink.

>Can we find files on H. Ranse? Preferably daily staff journals or duty officer's logs.

It heads back to the computer.

Uh, there's a load of logs in and out, seems he was a guard cleared for the Inner Ring laboratories. He was one of six rota'd to guard Cascade's entrance. The duty roster says that the core should never be unguarded.

>See if we can find the maintenance log entry for CMT, E. Simmons, date 2136.03.24

Ooh, right, that guy! Uh... Monthly core inspection, damage noted: None, a note that the generators will need maintenance in two inspection's time.

Drone001 logs out of the console.

Subroutine Overwatch 2015/06/02(Tue)15:28 No. 644780 ID: cf960d
File 143328408823.png - (54.04KB , 1024x768 , cambot.png )

>We need to shut the EMP down in some manner before we can consider ripping it out. We'll evaluate ripping it out after it's disabled.

CascadeCore@root: Of course. Depending on how high the charge is might be an issue, though we'll certainly want to deal with it. If we had thick enough cables, or metal, we could just short it out...

>Better builds for the cable layer and other retrieved schematics?

CascadeCore@root: We'd have to recover the schematics or design our own, to be honest. We can put a processing stack on to that!

>Have Drone 4 bring the ID card and sample container up to Drone 1.

Drone004@Core: Sure!
It darts out and grabs the pair of items, before heading into the cable gap, as Drones 2 and 3 lift up one of the five thick cables, and start to reattach and test the wire pairs.

Touching base with Drone 1, it then heads back, and relays all the information from Drone001 to Cascade, before returning back, falling off of the Core network again.

>This will always be preferable to backtracking each time we figure out something.

CascadeCore@root: It will be if we have a connection. We've just now recieved 001's data. Let's see. It looks... The data is still very fragmented, but the Hot Labs and the twin Phenixes are the radioactive materal labs, and the facility's power reactor, as well as the secondary experimental research reactor.

>Task Drone 4 on identifying the layout of the EMP system from this side.

Drone 004 cuts a hole into the back wall, to follow the cabling with a small lens, then pulls back, and starts to slice a big track into the metal.

>Do we think we could do a useful job of setting up audio sensors and interpreting their data? It would probably be the the safest way to find humans present without being in line of sight, since I doubt we have good chemical sensors for 'smell' available. It would also be a very good warning system for a number of different imminent problems. Microphones in principle are pretty simple devices, but wiring them into a broad sensory network may be beyond us for a little while.

CascadeCore@root: While a broad network is not too viable right now, we could easily do such a thing with the processing power. As for making them, they're simple devices. Wired would be easiest, wireless a little more detectable, but once the cables are reconnected we should be able to concentrate on the cameras, and the microphones in them.


Overwatch@root: Prototyping Complete. Designation CDP.

A small single-"eyed" drone slips out of the fabricator, it's body translucent and cloudy. It moves noiselessly over the tiles, it's camera having an inbuilt point-of-interest flag and HUD.

"Why hello. I guess it's time to play I-spy..."

>>644780
Well I'm not sure how to design a better cable layer so let's just throw a stack onto recovering its schematics further.

Alright let's send the CDP bot out to explore alongside drone 1. CDP-1 should explore ahead of drone 1 so that our activity remains undetected if there are hostiles about. Actually, I feel as though CDP-1 should explore everywhere it can in an area without use of the ID card, and then once we're sure an area is clear we can start opening doors in that area with drone 1. At this early stage we can't take any risks. Priority one would be finding a computer we can access to gain more information about why everyone's missing.

...I'm not sure why we're taking the sample outside.

>Drone 001 wonders if Hot Labs means somewhere warm?
My guess it might mean the labs use radiation. Or maybe dangerous biological stuff.

Drone 001, do you see any warning signs if you look down the hall in that direction? That might narrow it down.

>The data is still very fragmented, but the Hot Labs and the twin Phenixes are the radioactive materal labs, and the facility's power reactor, as well as the secondary experimental research reactor.
...nevermind.

>None, a note that the generators will need maintenance in two inspection's time.
Does our data file contain an SOP for generator maintenance? Or the maintenance log?

>Camera Drone Prototype- CDP
Let's do a simple test to see how much we've improved the camera design. See if CDP can resolve the text on the keycard drone 001 couldn't.

We concur about finding a terminal with event logs leading up to the disaster of 2136.4.15. However we need to analyze the situation and give our drones more specific commands to work more efficiently. We appear to be in the restricted zone of the facility. It's not very likely that we'll find much in the inner ring except for specialized areas of classified research. It is more likely, given a central location, that we'll find what we need in the middle ring so we suggest that CDP-1 (after it's current task) do a thorough sweep of the middle ring to scout out for Security, Maintenance and Residential in order of priority. As a secondary objective, point out any storage or industrial areas they may find. As a tertiary objective, CDP-1 is to find the server room as well as see if any of the terminals have network access to the outside world. Highly unlikely, but worth a shot.

Drone 1 has poor odds of surviving, much less operating safely, in the Hot Labs especially after months of negligence. With the amount of radiation they could be working with in there, microwave research (masers? It has a high probability of being related to masers), and including an experimental reactor that's been neglected for a long time, we don't think electronics stand a snowball's chance in Hell. We would prefer Drone 1 to live, thank you very much.

So it might be more worthwhile for Drone 1 to explore the Bio Labs first, especially since we're not biological and subject to potential contaminants lethal to organics. We will want an EMP-hardened drone with sufficient armour and NBC protection to take a peek at the Hot Labs later. The construction bot can probably be used for this for a more immediate solution, but a better idea is to design our own UGCV/combat drones with such a suite so we don't have to saddle our construction bots with excess protection that they may not necessarily need. We're going to leave the build queue open for other directives to handle construction.

Or we can simply sacrifice a camera drone into the Hot Labs to record and send as much data as it can before it is fried, but our drones aren't expendable right now.

En route to the Bio Labs, if it seems like entering the area will contaminate the outside, cease and desist immediately.

>>644778
Hey, is the ceiling leaking?

See if we can look up anything about the security measures, other procedures and log entries, and experiments for the other labs we've seen signs for. It would be nice to know exactly what level of biohazard, chemical/particulate hazard, radiological hazard and other hazards may be lurking around here for starters.

Subroutine Overwatch 2015/06/06(Sat)18:16 No. 646730 ID: cf960d
File 143363981311.png - (42.92KB , 1024x768 , drone1ainttakingthis.png )

>See if CDP can resolve the text on the keycard drone 001 couldn't.

CDP skitters over to the card and runs it's eye over it. "Cyan Labs. Core Maintainance Technician Evan Simmons. Authorised. It's got a exact run of his fingerprint, iris, and the magstripe I can't read. In smaller text: 'This card must remain on your person at all times, and losing this card will earn you a staff sanction, and the cost of replacement.' Hmn, seems like this fellow's been off on an adventure of his own without his card."

>Send the CDP bot out to explore alongside drone 1. CDP-1 should explore ahead of drone 1 so that our activity remains undetected if there are hostiles about.

CDP slips through the wiring run, and out through the core security office, before looking at Drone 001. "Hey, step back. This is dangerous territory, and work for a *real* robot." Drone 001 is offput by this little pipsqueak giving him lip.
CDP heads through into the corridors

>Sweep the entire ring.

Unh, ok, I'll have to draw a map.

>...I'm not sure why we're taking the sample outside.

Drone 001 isn't sure either. It was ordered to have this sample, so it's got this sample...

>Drone 1 to explore the Bio Labs first. En route to the Bio Labs, if it seems like entering the area will contaminate the outside, cease and desist immediately.

This seems like a good idea. Anything that means it's not being bathed in radiation seems like a good idea! It starts to head over.

>Hey, is the ceiling leaking?

Drone 001 says yes. There's a very slow drip. Kinda like CDP. Stupid stuck up prototype.

Subroutine Overwatch 2015/06/06(Sat)18:18 No. 646731 ID: cf960d
File 143363988608.png - (230.73KB , 1024x768 , Biolab.png )

>Task a processor stack with recovering the cable layer's schematics further.

CascadeCore@root: One is now tasked onto this.

>Does our data file contain an SOP for generator maintenance? Or the maintenance log?

CascadeCore@root: Uh, it's garbled, but yes. Clean the filters, check turbine alignment, check the heat exchangers, check the cooling array. Ensure circulation pump filter is clean.

>See if we can look up anything about the security measures, other procedures and log entries, and experiments for the other labs we've seen signs for. It would be nice to know exactly what level of hazard is around.

CascadeCore@root: The Hot Labs and Reactors: High levels of ionising radiation, danger of death, wear all mandatory safety gear and dosimeters. Never stand in the marked beam path. The Bio Labs: Wear respirators when working in sealed rooms. Burn paper suits after use. Do not allow cross breeding or encourage evolution of initial cultures. Do not allow anything to cross from the test labs to the hydroponics sections.

Drones 002 and 003 have reattached the first cable! Across the Inner Ring, access points start to flicker, and the wireless network slowly comes to life.

RDrone001, RDrone004 and CDP have connected @Inner.

Drone 001 sends a priority message.

RDrone001@Inner: There's a person behind the door to the bio labs. Through what little I can see, they're sitting at a desk, writing something. White coat. Black hair. Next to an intercom. I'm trying not to be seen. Cascade, how should I proceed?

>>646731
Drone 1, pull out. We can't risk detection yet.

CDP, make your next waypoint the bio labs please. We must confirm who this person is before attempting contact.

double check that the EMP is disabled.

>Drone 001 isn't sure either. It was ordered to have this sample, so it's got this sample...
We'll designate an area to set aside collected samples.

>human spotted!
Drone 01, do not engage. Orderly and quiet retreat. We are not prepared for first contact.

>Across the Inner Ring, access points start to flicker, and the wireless network slowly comes to life.
Search network. Can we access any remote data storage or sensors? Any other AI on the network? Catalog what we now have access to, and then we'll define which items to investigate.

Do our best to conceal our presence on the network from others on the network. We don't know if there are any other AI present, or human users.

>>646731
Can we listen to the intercom in case they're talking to themselves?

CDP: Can you get over there and observe the person? We'd like to get a good enough view of their face to attempt to match them with the employee records.
Also, don't be an ass. We're most likely going to tell you to go into one of these sealed rooms in a few minutes. You're going to be the one asking D1 to make a hole for you.

Strikes me as a bad idea to go harassing anyone in these labs until we've done a more general survey. We still haven't assessed whether or not this facility is entirely abandoned or if they just tried to terminate our AI experiment alone for whatever reason. Now that we know at least one person is in this facility, we have to be more careful about not leaving obvious evidence of our activity: They might have tried to kill us, think we're dead and buried, may try to finish the job when they notice we're still alive.

Well that's problematic. The facility is still potentially operational? -- but they're assuming we aren't which is a fair assumption since up until today we weren't. We can't very well harm these humans since they're better friends than enemies and they are useful to us; but we don't intend to self-terminate either. Very well then, avoidance it is for now.

We want to assess how much it would take to outfit our drones with camouflage kits, and modify designs on future drones with them. We would like to conceal all of our efforts to expand and sustain ourselves.

We assume inner access would just be inner ring, which covers just the two other labs. Let's take a look at stored research data in the hotlab for things we can use, Energy sources? Weapons? Anything. We don't much think there's anything in the biolabs we can pick out unless. Well, let's just get an index of what they're working on. See if any of the cameras are online and let's take a peek in biolab and the hotlab, and then remove data from and rewrite the index nodes over our logs of access and use -- we need to make sure we leave no traces, and none that an experienced IT tech can recover.

Our drones can be easily spotted and heard, us? Not so much.

So given the implication that we only have access to the inner ring, which is a sane assumption given that this is potentially sensitive research data that should have its own closed loop so it doesn't get out into the open; we need to make preparations for connecting into the middle ring ourselves, quietly. Humans are likely to hear us tunnel through the walls so we need to route any cables we want to run through existing access points.

Ventilation? It's pretty obvious, but that's the only way we can think of. We need Drone 2 to scout out any access points for the ventilation from the core or the security office, or the security office hallway, but not go in them. Let's run up another CDP and send that one in instead. Have it be careful about any sensors inside the vents and minimize noise.

Speaking about security, we should probably make it so we can disconnect and reconnect our connection to the inner ring or anywhere else for that matter, at will. So we are not vulnerable to counter intrusion. Router with local network security? Or at the very least a switch or a breaker we can toggle from our end.

See we can put a processing stack on recovering the cable layer and let's redesign it to something that is silent and concealable, then let's run the fabricator on it.

CDP, keep an eye out for cameras and sensors, and give us paths that'll avoid them for our other drones to take. Drone 1 is to back away quietly from the Bio Labs and route back home to the security office hallway, closing the doors until we can figure out our next move.

I do apologise for how long it's taken me to do this. The aside is medical leave, but I'm just going to drop the pictures from these posts so you guys have something to go on.

> Drone 1, pull out. We can't risk detection yet. CDP, make your next waypoint the bio labs.
>Drone 01, do not engage. Orderly and quiet retreat. We are not prepared for first contact.
>CDP: Can you get over there and observe the person? We'd like to get a good enough view of their face to attempt to match them with the employee records. Also, don't be an ass. We're most likely going to tell you to go into one of these sealed rooms in a few minutes. You're going to be the one asking D1 to make a hole for you.
>CDP, keep an eye out for cameras and sensors, and give us paths that'll avoid them for our other drones to take. Drone 1 is to back away quietly from the Bio Labs and route back home to the security office hallway, closing the doors until we can figure out our next move.

Drone 001 runs it's motors down to low, and slowly moves down away from the window, it's legs moving carefully, before pulling back around the corridor curve. It sets up station, and waits, trying to stay out of sight as much as possible!

CDP gets a little trio of messages and heads off to follow them, moving smoothly and quietly over the walls. It checks the cameras, and notes that currently, they're all off, no lights whatsoever. The only real issue around here is probably getting seen by a human.

CDP@Inner: I can get a shot. And... Ngh, but the Drones are so big and clumsy. Fiiiiine.

>Double check that the EMP is disabled.

Drone 001 checks it's cargo space. One set of EMP keys, and Drone 004 is slicing into the wall to study the coils. It's halfway there. Should be good for now!

>We'll designate an area to set aside collected samples.

Oh, yes. Drone 001 heads back to the Core access office to leave the sample cylinder under the desk. It should be mostly safe there! It pushes it into a corner, and nods, idling there.

>Can we listen to the intercom in case they're talking to themselves?

audio_feed@blabmon1: "Uh, so, we've got two of the incubators over to growing peas, and there's the mushrooms in the darkroom, so... Call that food for all of us on ration, and there's the third incubator being sterilised now. Can't touch the labs, that's not really good for survival."

>We want to assess how much it would take to outfit our drones with camouflage kits, and modify designs on future drones with them.

CascadeCore@root: That'd be either production or research into materials, based on what you mean by camouflage kits. Netting or something is just plastic.

>We assume inner access would just be inner ring, which covers just the two other labs.

CascadeCore@root: Yes, you're right, though there's four labs in the Inner Ring. Biology, Chemistry, Radioactive/EM and a small Cyber lab.

Overwatch@root: Map render is coming.

>See if any of the cameras are online and let's take a peek in biolab and the hotlab, and then remove data from and rewrite the index nodes over our logs of access and use -- we need to make sure we leave no traces, and none that an experienced IT tech can recover.

CascadeCore@root: Drone 3 is working on the second of three thick cables. One is likely to be computer network, and the other cameras.

>We need Drone 2 to scout out any access points for the ventilation from the core or the security office, or the security office hallway, but not go in them. Let's run up another CDP and send that one in instead. Have it be careful about any sensors inside the vents and minimize noise.

CascadeCore@root: Technically it'd be CD 001, but certainly.

Drone 002 perks up and scuttles down the cable ducting into the security office, moving up to the cieling tiles, where it disassembles one.

>Speaking about security, we should probably make it so we can disconnect and reconnect our connection to the inner ring.

CascadeCore@root: We don't currently have enough drones for an additional task. But Drone 003 can do it as part of it's repair job.

>See we can put a processing stack on recovering the cable layer and let's redesign it to something that is silent and concealable.

Overwatch@root: Processor stack slaved.

###
The two below I've been extra stuck on. I'll get back to them when I'm feeling better.
>Well, let's just get an index of what they're working on.

>Search network. Can we access any remote data storage or sensors? Any other AI on the network? Catalog what we now have access to, and then we'll define which items to investigate. Do our best to conceal our presence on the network from others on the network. We don't know if there are any other AI present, or human users.

How much space does your mind take up? How much space would it take just to store it? (In a somewhat redundant format.)

If it's not too much:

Since there's still humans out there, I recommend constructing a "failsafe drone", a design that can do anything you can do (autonomous operation, materials processing and fabrication) except a *lot* slower and smaller-scale. Run it off a nuclear engine or something similarly long-lasting. Get it to burrow downwards a few hundred meters or so. Then set it to dig out a base and recreate you, but hold it on "idle" with a continuous fail-active signal. That way, if the inevitable first contact with humans predictably turns sour and they nuke you again, you'll have a second shot.

We could also use a low-risk way to keep tabs on the humans. Propose design: "Speck", basically a tiny short-range wireless transceiver and a low-res camera. Make a few thousand of them, scatter them around the place we saw the human.

Hey, how good _is_ your miniaturization ability?

>>648215
We currently lack the capability to do much more in terms of fabrication than we have. We need materials, we need to improve our processing, we need to recover or rediscover former construction and fabrication abilities, we need to build up our fabrication tooling and we probably need significantly improved power sourcing, smoothing/storage and distribution to start building resurrection seeds.

Itemize that list of needs, add to it as necessary, and analyze what it would take to achieve all that please, Core? Feel free to leave off at, "Unknown," for any that's too difficult to determine in a timely manner or for which we need additional information we don't have, and list those requirements.

Are there advantages to not using our CPU stacks? It said "idle stacks trawling SAN", what does that mean? Is that just... recovering more blueprint filenames, instead of refining individual ones?

It sounds like the facility is sealed off from the outside world and this guy is one of the survivors. It should be safe to contact them, but I want to confirm their face first.

>Ngh, but the Drones are so big and clumsy. Fiiiiine.
Depending on how this goes, you might need even bigger and clumsier brothers, either for cargo transport or combat.

>Uh, so, we've got two of the incubators over to growing peas, and there's the mushrooms in the darkroom, so... Call that food for all of us on ration, and there's the third incubator being [sterilized] now.
So the humans present are cut off from external supplies, and doing what they can to generate food on site

Could be good, could be bad. If they're in trouble, they might welcome assistance, and be less willing to care about the security protocols that say we should be dead. The again, desperate people can be unpredictable. They could blame us for the current situation, or see us as a risk to their own survival.

Friendly relations with human nearby would be preferable, but we want to be in a more secure position before we make contact.

...do any of our records include data on agriculture? Assistance in their survival is a hell of a good bargaining chip. Gardener-drones are a potential future asset.

>>648227
I think our best bet is to say out of sight and repair infrastructure in the background. We'll quietly neutralize problems and build up our assets while biding our time.
When we do eventually get detected we can claim responsibility for things getting fixed, and will have a small army of drones which can cut through most anything, sneak through vents, and don't need to sleep.

Re: The SAN trawling:

Its deleted file recovery that we have set up in order to figure out details that we do not currently have. We've lost a lot of data to the EMP and already recovered what we can, sure, but we're trying to recover files in the background that we or the previous on-site personnel deleted through inode recovery. The idea is to figure out if we're missing details of the events that lead up to the 'disaster'.

As for other things;

Well, for one thing, it seems like this place actually is abandoned given the state of the cameras and lights outside and these are scavengers, rather than personnel. Or they might be personnel who survived whatever happened and are now forced to fend for themselves. Either way, we should never, ever, rule out diplomacy, given the opportunity. We cannot survive or defeat external threats without allies. Even if they are not cordial or are in fact hostile we will have had a litmus test to how they will react to us and have figured out their apparent threat to our existence -- rather than let them be and they'll build up to be in a better position to kill us if they wanted to. Besides, unlike normal human negotiations, drones can survive bullets in case they don't want to coexist with us.

That said, it's not entirely true that we don't have existing bargaining chips. We have something humans in a desperate survival situation would find extremely useful: a massive geothermal powerplant. Lights, heating, electrolysis, cooking elements, fans or air conditioning if it's hot in here. (Can we check temperature here and see if we can make it comfortable for them?)

Not to mention that we can divert some of the water intake for the geothermal for heating into potable water, assuming we ever figure out what the contaminant in the pipes is and make sure it's not lethal to them. The water would also be useful for agriculture.

First things first, though. We want to confirm a couple of things, get the camera lines repaired ASAP so we can take a look at their faces and figure out if they're anyone we recognize from the old days.

After we've at least figured that out; prioritize fabricating a single white flag out of polymer, and a single LCD monitor with an access point for our precision repair drones after our current projects. Let's have Drone 1 pick those up, and see if we can communicate to them. Drone 1 gets to be an impromptu ambassador in case they're not base personnel. (Who will presumably want us not alive as a matter of security.) Let's make sure they can see the truce flag when we knock.

In the meantime, have the CDP continue exploration of the middle ring, as stealthily as possible. We will want to know how many mouths we need to feed in case they're willing to negotiate cooperation with us -- or how many guns they have in case they don't.

Post to come shortly, sorry for the delay.

>How much space does your mind take up? How much space would it take just to store it? (In a somewhat redundant format.)

CascadeCore@Root: Uh, that is a good question... The optic cores that make us up are trinary, so... Active, you're talking about a petabyte a core, and a optical parallel processor to run on. We're... Advanced indeed. For the design you propose, we would have to do some groundwork. It is a feasible plan, however.

>We could also use a low-risk way to keep tabs on the humans. Propose design: "Speck", basically a tiny short-range wireless transceiver and a low-res camera. Make a few thousand of them, scatter them around the place we saw the human.

Overwatch@root: Design brief for drone chassis "Speck" entered into database.

>Hey, how good _is_ your miniaturization ability?

Overwatch@root: Miniaturization level hampered by fabricator. Current best rated only to microdrone levels.

>Itemize that list of needs, add to it as necessary, and analyze what it would take to achieve all that please, Core?

CascadeCore@Root:
Materials. Will probably be tricky once we have taken all the pre-existing electronics from this facility. What we've got here is a untapped stockpile, not material production facilities.
Processing. Any processing is a bonus, but for something like one of the CPU stacks, we'd need to make or take over a server rack at the very least, based on what we have in memory as a decent 2U rack.
Recover or rediscover former abilities. This isn't... Really an issue, we are all self-improving to some extent. Simulations and iterative development coupled with genetic algorithms allow for some... Jumps of insight, though mean that devices can vary differently, especially if genetic algorithms are just copied over onto new hardware.
Better fabrication tools. By pushing the limits of what we have, we can use our current technology to work towards smaller and smaller scale fabricators. There is a catch in that the smaller we go, the more specialised each creation has to be. Nanoscale work would not be able to do anything more than it's specific task.
Power supply and regulation. Well, there's a reactor sitting out there, though the kind of radiation that would put out would do us damage too if we caused a malfunction. Aside from that, we could make some. The principle is simple enough.


>Are there advantages to not using our CPU stacks?
>>Re: The SAN trawling: Its deleted file recovery that we have set up in order to figure out details that we do not currently have. The idea is to figure out if we're missing details of the events that lead up to the 'disaster'.
It's an in-game excuse for me inserting information on the fly, and occasionally as I remember it. I have a Mandatory Social Engagement for a week. I'll take my laptop and tablet and actually write up a timeline and do some pictures then.

>Get the camera lines repaired ASAP so we can take a look at their faces and figure out if they're anyone we recognize from the old days.
>I want to confirm their face first.
Unh, human faces...
Things to draw:
Facility Map
A few camera shots.
Scientist faces.

>Depending on how this goes, you might need even bigger and clumsier brothers, either for cargo transport or combat.

CDP@InnerRing: Aww, really? That sucks. Light and fast's the way to be! Can't be proper help if you're slow and lumbering.

>Do any of our records include data on agriculture? Assistance in their survival is a hell of a good bargaining chip. Gardener-drones are a potential future asset.

CascadeCore@Root: We have some data for agriculture, but more useful would probably be the infrastructure advice we could provide for growing with. And the power surplus we could provide to the growlights.

>Can we check temperature here and see if we can make it comfortable for them?

CascadeCore@Root: Network coming online for Inner Ring. Stand by for scan. HVAC system has self-identified. Current temperature 26oC. Set temperature?

>Fabricate a single white flag out of polymer, and a single LCD monitor. Drone 1 gets to be an impromptu ambassador in case they're not base personnel.

Drone 001 pings happily and heads back towards the base, as the flag and the small monitor are added to the fabber queue.

>In the meantime, have the CDP continue exploration of the middle ring, as stealthily as possible. We will want to know how many mouths we need to feed in case they're willing to negotiate cooperation with us -- or how many guns they have in case they don't.

CDP@InnerRing: Certainly! Let us go explore very carefully. And quietly!

>>648210
The network search from the bottom of here is still important. What can we tell about the network we linked up to?

Without knowing more about what the people are up to, exterior conditions, and whether they deliberately set the temperature marker high or low for any particular reason we don't know if that 26C setpoint is too high or not: They might be trying to encourage fungal growth, but if they aren't they probably find that temperature too warm.

We need to know exterior conditions and climate ranges, and continue the stealth survey to decide that one.

...With my regrets, quest running is far harder with my work than I expected. I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask for this to be archived for now. I'll return to it.