I like "Dahl". He is cool, I want to be like him when i grow up.

He is right you know? Scavenging is bread for today, hunger for tomorrow. You need to think big. Getting out of this rock, see the world, make something out of yourself besides selling trash. Won't be easy, but nothing worthwhile ever is.

You shouldn't depend on Stair, true, but keeping contact with her would be wise, making a good impression. Working with the hive will help too, if we get the gig.

We should try to learn more things. Like fighting. Or things like that. Clay was on the right track.

>>1033477
Call the number he gave you, give them the code phrase and address, then wait for them to come get the body. Don't do anything else.

>>1033494
>put him on the floor
When he told us not to touch anything on the body, I'm pretty sure that includes the body itself. We should just leave him where he is and let the cleaners get rid of him for us.

>>1033477
Hmmm. Call the Neumono mining company people and ask if theres any mining equipment we can buy.

.....We are gonna rummage through this guy's stuff anyway, right?

I say we should inform Livy of this stuff once he gets back.

And....I'm not certain, but should we tell the police about this?

>>1033477
Something to consider. Our alien friends probably have access to advanced firearms. Well, anything more advances than nailguns and Dahls basic bitch supressed pistol. If we do enough jobs for our dog friends, we could convince them to letvus but some of the good stuff.

I honestly like them over the other corporation. Despite their hive being a company, theyre like a big family oriented one. They'll expect you to pull your weight and work you like a horse, but they'll care for you.

>>1033523
>police
We’ve been told that there are no police here.

Call the number and don't touch the body.

>>1033510
When he said touch, he clearly meant taking any of his stuff. We're just moving it, the cleaner will take care of any fingerprints, if tobaks even have those.

Tobak Quest - Thread 2 END Dowser 2022/05/25(Wed)16:55 No. 1033579 ID: 8082cf
File 165352290250.png - (250.00KB , 800x600 , TQ91.png )

>no police
There are police in the form of the Saxum Overwatch. Only thing is that they are funded by the companies, and the companies operate above them and take priority over any actions they take,
>Do tobaks have fingerprints
Not really, the patterns on the surface of our fingers change.
>I say we should inform Lyvy of this stuff once he gets back.
He will probably be able to smell that someone has been here. I'll tell him that a few guys came in and offered me a job, which he won't ask further about as he probably wouldn't care.

>Let's buy a lot of hair dye in preparation for the mission.
Maybe not a bad idea. I've always wondered how I'd look in pink.
>Maybe we could look a bit more like Clay. He will get a surprise when he wakes up.
It would be interesting to see how Clay would react to me imitating his appearance for a change.

>Note to self: never mess with Dahl’s stuff
Noted. I'm not going to touch the stuff on this guy's body.


A wait around for a few hours before calling the number, just in case somebody else comes knocking and sees people taking a body away. When I feel like it's safe, I call the number.

Eventually, I get a knock at the door. it's a male rin-reida and a group full of those arkot things. The arkots go to work transporting the body outside while the rin-reida walks up to me and starts to make small talk. It's very unusual to stand next to a male of any intelligent species shorter than myself.

>"Name's Ruce, nice to meet you! I take it that this is Dahl's handiwork? It's cool. Kirter was such a jerk!"
"I'm not paying for this, am I?"
>"Nope. Unless you actually want your carpet steamed, which wouldn't be too hard, seeing as there isn't much!"
"Right. Cool."
>"Say... You're not that tobak with the crazy sect roommate, are you?"
"The description fits."
>"Reila mentioned you!"
"Reila?"
>"Yeah! she's the Rin-Reida with the white fur and the flat snout, and those cute ears and those... pretty eyes and..."
"I think I know who you're talking about."
>"She said you two saw her while she was cloaked, pretty neat! So, did she uh... mention me?
"I'm afraid not."
>"No worries. It's cool. Did she say anything about what she was into? Like what her favourite flowers are? Or if there was a movie she wanted to watch?"
"Our conversation was somewhat brief and on-topic, so... wait- do you have a thing for her?"
>"Noooooo! noooo. uhhhhhhhm maybe. sure... Yeah, you got me! I'm really into goth chicks, and her being a sneaky assassin with a neat gun collection is a bonus."
"Don't you have a job you should be doing?"
>"No need! These funny little green dudes are helping me out this time around. I wonder what they wanna do with the body, but it's part of my job not to ask questions!"
"Who do you work for exactly?"
"Carter’s carpet cleaners! And also Dahl. But that’s it though. Not sure where the little green guys came from, but it’s cool. Probably the place that Reila works at."

They leave, and it looks like I have a call to wait on. When Clay comes back, I’ll have a lot of explaining to do.

Hold up: goth chick? Explain further. Ideally with visual explanation.

thanks for running.

>>1033579
>It's very unusual to stand next to a male of any intelligent species shorter than myself.
It must feel nice to not be the shortest person in the room, huh?

>When Clay comes back, I’ll have a lot of explaining to do.
He's definitely gonna pester you with a bunch of questions.

>>1033580
>goth chick? Who is that?
He literally just told us it was the female Rin-Reida in the cloaking suit that we met yesterday. This lady right here: >>1030506 .

>>1033585
You'll understand when you're older.

>>1033579
QUICK! Buy some clothes, get some fake contact lenses, and dye yourself red and pretend you're Clay.

The smaller males seems like a tendency. I hope when the reproduction explanation is revealed this will make sense as an evolutionary strategy.

Nice to meet a fellow romantic. Is his specie also majority male? Are all dreamers inspired by alien movies about romance?

It seems Clover's arkot enjoyed the tie.

1/5 ? 2022/05/25(Wed)18:31 No. 1033595 ID: 8082cf
File 165352868757.png - (218.81KB , 800x600 , TQ-B1.png )

"I'm looking for a tobak wearing a lab coat and a floral shirt."
>"Come again?"
"A tobak wearing a lab coat and a floral shirt. Did he come through here?"
>"I can't say."
"Did he come through."
>"I'm not at liberty to give out any information about who comes through here. Unless you're a detective with the proper paperwork."
"Did he come through."
>"You got a hearing problem? I can't give out that information. Are you another detective?"

2/5 ? 2022/05/25(Wed)18:31 No. 1033596 ID: 8082cf
File 165352870676.png - (327.87KB , 800x600 , TQ-B2.png )

>"Hey, what's up with your eyes? Aren't you tobak things supposed to wear goggles to see in lit areas?"
"You assume that I am a tobak."
>"I don't know about you, but my eyes are working just fine. You look like a tobak to me."
"How does a session of philosophical theory sound?"
>"Who starts a conversation like that? "
"I will make this quick. Have you been made aware of a thought experiment by the name of 'the ship of Theseus?'"
>"Is it a ship that can get me off this planet? If so, I'd be interested in thinking about it."
"Say you have a ship. A ship made of one hundred wooden parts. Every time a part needs to be replaced; it will be replaced with a metal part. This goes on for years until the ship is eventually entirely made of metal. Is the metal ship the same ship as the wooden ship?"
>"Nah, it's something totally different."
"Now apply the same idea to a person. If what had originally remained of this person was completely replaced, would It still be the same person?"
>"Uh... hmmm. Let me finish this page, and I'll get back to you."

3/5 ? 2022/05/25(Wed)18:32 No. 1033597 ID: 8082cf
File 165352872465.png - (230.99KB , 800x600 , TQ-B3.png )

"Do you have a neumono working here?"
>"That's an odd question. But yeah, we actually do. Why? Did you want a hug or something?"
"Call over the neumono in question."
>"HEY LISOP, WE GOT A GOAT OVER HERE ASKING FOR YOU."

"You won't tell me if you saw the tobak wearing the lab coat and floral shirt. You follow rules. I respect this. But to what ends will you defend your ideas?"
>"I can't tell what you're asking."
"I am asking if you would you be willing to die for your ideas."
>"Is that a threat? What are you going to do? Nail me to the wall?"
"I have things far stronger than a nail gun."
>"Unless you have a rail gun in your bag of tricks, my boots will remain un-quivered. Not that death is an unattractive prospect. It blows down here, and over time, I've become the one thing I hated in life. A bureaucratic slave. You know, humans aren't supposed to be this pale-"

4/5 ? 2022/05/25(Wed)18:32 No. 1033598 ID: 8082cf
File 165352875171.png - (264.29KB , 800x600 , TQ-B4.png )

>"Hey, where are you going? Aren't you coming through to the elevator?"
"No. I was never going to come through here. I came to ask that question, and also to bring you something."

"What the hell is going on out here? I'm picking up empathy."
>"Empathy? From where?"
"From the other side of the desk.

"I trust you all will take care of this."

"It's... off. Like it's dull. It all lacks clarity. The emotions themselves are unclear..."

"This isn't over. I'm not done with you."
>"What? What are you talking about?"
"I wasn't talking to you."

5/5 ? 2022/05/25(Wed)18:32 No. 1033599 ID: 8082cf
File 165352877865.png - (238.59KB , 800x600 , TQ-B5.png )

"This empathy... it feels... empty."

"This will continue as long as you keep coming back. And as long as you do. I will bring you death. As many times as it takes."

...

>"Hey... do you hear beeping?"
"I think that's the microwave. My casserole is done."
>"Can I have some?"
"Get your own, mooch!"

>Decapitated neumono with ticking bomb ignored over the counter
Someone's going to get fired... one way or the other.

>>1033600
>Decapitated neumono with ticking bomb ignored over the counter

I think that's a tracker for the keys, doesn't look much like a bomb.

My favorite thing about Berserk was a mortal man challenging powerful nearly immortal demons. Admittedly the fairy healing goes against that aspect, but if Guts were a neumono a lot of the charm of fighting against all odds would lose the effectiveness.

Is that Mr. Robak? There was no indication of pink armor bellow his clothing, so I guess not.
This must be someone from neumono company looking for the key. They must also be participating in this race.

Lak must be very confident that he will survive whatever comes his way, because he doesn't seem to make any attempt to remain undetected. Guess the disguise was only for that first mission.

>>1033599
>neumono
Lak must be part neumono, or has neumono parts in him.

Guys? Is Lak talking to us? Or us the CAI A.I. units?

>>1033610
I doubt its a neumono from the mineral company if thats what you mean. Theyre not the sole neumono pressence on this planet so it could be anyone.

Oh, man. Don't tell me Lak also has a head-friend coming along for the ride.

Great quest so far, Roaway! We couldn't have asked for a better adventure!

>>1033635
Pretty sure the empathy is from the headless body.

>>1033640
Would losing the head cause a Neumono's empathy to feel, well, empty? I forget, can they even regrow from that with their memories intact?

If so, his entire Ship of Theseus screed was about Neumono regeneration. This guy looooves philosophical quandaries, seems like! It also means he is actually speaking for the benefit of the headless Neumono through the recording at the checkpoint - who in the future will probably be looking at it!

Of course, if the Neumono themselves really are dead dead, there could be something else inside their body that's using it to give off that very empty empathy. Maybe something like Clay or whoever's in Kaddi, a thing that managed to survive and who also seems like a very... 'keeps coming back' sort of lifeform.

I do wonder about that armor, though. MK 0? Mark 0? A prototype? Stair said they'd sent hunters after Lak. Maybe this Neumono was a rogue working for him and had some cool shit tech on they were testing.

One of the arkots has "The tie" given by Clover desired by most. So we know whose arkots are those.

About the bomb, is not explicity said but implied. Did Lak killed the other tolbak in the last thread? We don't really know but is left out to our imagination until more information is given.

>>1033645
>Did Lak killed the other tolbak in the last thread? We don't really know but is left out to our imagination until more information is given.
He basically gave him the "No country for old men" speech the main antagonist uses before the guy from the movie kills a man to steal his car with the same air pistol farmers use to kill livestock.

Probably safe to assume the raider guy is dead.

>>1033641
It's possible that a neumono that's on the very edge of death would have empty empathy, but I feel like it's more likely Lak is a former neumono. He's even got a neumono name!

>>1033646
Not so sure. Lak clearly doesn't give a shit about 'being made' since he walks up to a security desk with a camera hauling a corpse, and there was no threat of being reported or killed by raider guy.

It's possible he might actually have given the fellow a genuine 50/50.

That is not a bomb. It's a key detector. And it's beeping because there is a key near.

And this is the first time i hear of a neumono survive without a head. I think Lak was confirming if the body was still alive when he ask for a neumono to come?

We might have put Dowser in a terrible place.

>>1033652
>And this is the first time i hear of a neumono survive without a head.
It was confirmed that Neuomono can survive without a head if they are given immediate medical attention and put on life support as quickly as possible.

>>1033599

>Mk 0

Hmmm ... don't know about you, but I think it's time Shinji-kun Dowser gets in the motherfucking robak.

>>1033654
Huh... I this the case though? It sounded to me that Lak is trying to kill them, but they can't.

>>1033599
Is ths next thread gonna start with Dowser in the sub, or on his way to the sub?
Is there a Q&A thread for this quest?

>>1033599
Can we get pur own arkots? Theyre pretty stupid, but i bet theyre fun to habe around. Plus they xould help us carry around loot.

>>1033685
I feel like Lak was either talking to us (spooky) or someone in his head that doesn't like death(did he touch the ore?).

>>1033755
You could be right. Just because we found the weird bacteria mineral rock doesn't mean it's the only one of it's kind. There's a chance Lak touched one, or maybe he is talking to something like us. Maybe

1/3 ? 2022/05/28(Sat)02:18 No. 1033836 ID: 8082cf
File 165372952515.png - (312.19KB , 800x600 , TQ-B6.png )

>"Boy, it is good to be back! I must admit, I missed being where I belon.! I need this place nearly as much as this place needs me!"
"Welcome back Kellie. I washed and ironed your shirts, as requested."
>"Excellent! So, how did cycle fifty-one go?"
"It concluded with minimal issues."
>"Great! Who were our winners this time?"
"Still only the sentient racers. The AI does seem to be advancing at a considerable rate, but still, I doubt they'll ever be close to the sentient contestant levels of intelligence. Would you like to speak with the winners?"
>"Nah. Just go ahead and wipe their memories. So, any observations of note?"
"Only that we still have contestants that find ways to break the simulation. Are these something you'd want to look into fixing?"
>"Nope. It's nothing to worry about. None of them remember anything past each cycle, so we have everything under control. We can step in if things get too out of hand."

2/3 ? 2022/05/28(Sat)02:19 No. 1033837 ID: 8082cf
File 165372955682.png - (267.09KB , 800x600 , TQ-B7.png )

"I have taken notice of contestants with unusual abilities - one in particular you might want to keep an eye on. It's a recent development, but it can break everything it touches."
>"Does the damage carry across cycles?"
"No."
>"See? Nothing to worry about!"
"You're not concerned?"
>"Why should I be? I like it when surprises keep things interesting. Watching races all day can get pretty predicable."
"We're not here for your entertainment."
>"Could have fooled me! Anyhow, I've got a good feeling about cycle fifty-two! We have a few new sentient contestants to fill out the brackets."
"Still a drop in the bucket compared to what we need to get any good results."
>"We work with what we have! Making something from scratch is never easy. Sure, we don't have super ancient alien tech to do all the work, but what we do have is the most advanced computer on the planet! Not to mention Stair's benefactors granting us all the time and resources we could ask for. Plus, think of the benefits of this new system! We can see exactly what goes on in real time, and with this cycle a day pace, we'll discover something fruitful sooner or later. We're on the verge of something, I can feel it."
"I don't see much obvious progress."
>"Are you saying I don't know what I'm doing?"
"Yes."
>"I know a thing or two! Like that slot over there? don't try using it as a cup holder, or else it'll make a noise and sparks will fly out of it. And see that disc tray? don't use it as a glazed donut holder, biiiiig mistake! "

3/3 ? 2022/05/28(Sat)02:19 No. 1033838 ID: 8082cf
File 165372956868.png - (192.78KB , 800x600 , TQ-B8.png )

"Start taking this more seriously. Are you forgetting that we're putting sentient life into this? Don't forget how morally irresponsible this all is."
>"It's talk like that which is why I'm the senior, and you're the assistant. Our participants are gonna be fine! It isn't like any are gonna die in there for real."
"They don't know that."
"Gotta crack a few eggs my friend. I bet you're just cranky because of the collar."
"Wearing this explosive collar is the only way they would let me anywhere near this project. I will gladly do so if it is considered necessary for me to be here."
>"Can't blame them for being cautious. There is a reputation with you neumono, I'm sure you are aware."
"Which reputation is relevant?"
>"You know which."

"..."

>"Look, if we can make this BSCAI, they'll be putting us in the history books! We just need a way for these simulations to produce sentient AI. That's the end game, the way we get there doesn't matter. The ends always justify the means."

"You know Kellie, we do have an air conditioner. It might be nice to put on pants for once."
>"No can do! Pants disrupt my concentration. It’s the shirts I need more of. And another soda."

...

"So, what happens now?"
>"Isn't it obvious? We move forward with cycle fifty-two!"

>>1033837
Now whatever could be that collar he's wearing/ Hmmm.

>>1033838
What's the darker grey color stripe on his neck? Is that a natural fur pattern? It can't be a scar else it would be a lighter shade.

Oh my god, that's what the corpses are for. They're hooking up the brains to the simulation.

huh, so they're trying to make a CAI simply through trail and error and hoping for the best. I mean I guess it makes sense when you're forced to do your research on a backwater world where the most common form of technology looks like it was ripped right out of the late 20th, early 21st century and your head scientist is from a race that was probably uplifted from cave men only a few decades ago at best.

So they are a bit like the OPA... If the OPA's CAI project were run by apathatic incompetents instead of Likol.

Also, from what I've gathered the purpose of the dead tobaks is to train the AIs until one of them manages to emulate sentience. If there are any AIs among the ones that manage to break the sim, they're the interesting ones that should be promoted.

Other possibility is, they really are part of the OPA and even have a Likol clone.

Fantastic little helper. I wonder how far Kell abuse of authority go...

Is there some place where we can buy Summit info? Would be nice if we had a general idea for where we can find all their abandoned hardware. Dahl also had a good point about Prospecting being a dead end job.

Perhaps we could collect as many printers as we can and try making out own mercenary company? Enough printers to make some weapons and armor to start things off.