Best part is any grenade lobber would have to be standing right next to where we left it.

I wonder how many they've got in there? Should only be a few mikliks left, we got the grottle, and the vernauts wouldn't fit through these doors.

>I don't think we have any grenades! Didn't we use them all in the assault on the queen?
We used the last 2 pieces of C4, and one smoke. We should still have 2 smokes and 3 frags, I think.

Tell Rokoa to finish her cut, then go check the room across the hall for the C4'd bike. Tell her to shoot out any cameras so they don't know what she's doing. Slow up your cutting so you don't finish until she's finished checking. If the C4 is there, have her retrieve it, and make sure it's armed. Then Rokoa stands to the right of the door, ready to throw the C4 in.

>>457697
I do like the plan to deflect their initial grenade barrage by the both of you holding the rubble over the hole. Wait a second after the door chunk falls in, so that they can pull their pins and have to throw their grenades. There's still going to be gunfire, but if you have the C4, Rokoa can lob that through the hole and you detonate it in midair.

Hey, in case it comes up later, the best way for us to break the illusion would probably be making a shipwide announcement. Saying that there's a gas leak and they should all get rebreathers, maybe. Or we could be ambitious and tell everyone to apprehend any miklik they see.

Polo 2012/09/25(Tue)06:09 No. 457832 ID: f09b71
File 134857854761.png - (9.93KB , 1117x246 , 991.png )

>Any grenades?
Although I am beating myself up over not thinking to get C4, I did stock myself with a couple of grenades again.

Rokoa takes a moment to try and look in the other room, but the door is shut. Despite that one having a passcode entry, the CAI must be denying her access, so we finish opening our door. She puts the piece of rubble against it just in time to have a couple of grenades bounce off.

>"Shit! Stupid arkots!" another miklik yells, while a couple of grenades are thrown down the other hall to our end.

I simultaneously hit my detonator to the old C4, and I hear the motorcycle in the side room blow up. It looks like they relocated it after all.

Hmm. Something else we overlooked in the initial comm eavesdropping: they plan to grab the POWs on the way out. That means they're going to hit the infirmary. That's not so good. Although maybe when the scientist we gave the mask snaps out of it, he'll start working on an escape plan? He may not want to be a warhive prisoner, but he jump at the chance to not be a Salikai slave either.

>Arkots.
Huh. Didn't realize they'd bothered to send any up. Still, they don't have their main advantage here- no reinforcements.

With all the explosions going on, seems a good chance for Rokoa to move the rubble to the side and Polo to start shooting whoever's on the other side of that door. Rokoa can draw her gun (she has one, right?) and mow down whoever comes out of the other door.

Biggest problem here is time. Since the Salikai didn't give a launch order, and was planning (future tense) what they were going to do to mess up the war hive politically, that means the CAI must not have launched the nukes yet, and probably hasn't secured access either. But we have no idea how long hacking into the launch controls will take, or how long they've been at it. Which means the CAI could finish hacking at any moment, and we have to press hard.

Best weapon choice is probably your shotgun. You can take out multiple targets at once, possibly detonate incoming grenades, and you'll be prepared to blast the CAI node as soon as it enters you line of sight. You shouldn't be afraid to use your own grenades either. We need these guys dead, fast.

Through the door. Priority is locating that node. Your the crack shot so give Rokoa the boomstick. She likes explosions after all. You use your rifle. No time for subtle though so explosive rounds.

Polo 2012/09/25(Tue)07:25 No. 457838 ID: f09b71
File 134858311673.png - (20.38KB , 1259x716 , 992.png )

>"Get back!" I hear them yell.

Rokoa shoves me to the side before she gives us a chance to shoot and holds the rubble up from the explosion to protect us from the shrapnel. Mostly her unarmored self. I offer her my shotgun, but she prefers to use the machine gun on account that she thinks the machine gun should see use, and I won't be able to give a weapon that size good use.

>"Caught a glimpse." Rokoa says. "They shut the damn last door to the bridge. Gotta do the same thing."
Getting through the first door took about 20 seconds.

I just noticed that the jammer bubble to the bridge is down. It makes sense, it may have been done before, but I sense the science hiver doing something dangerous. I do not know what, and I do not like it, but I don't have his intentions felt out. He is making a spirited sprint at us, and will arrive in under a minute.

"NUCLEAR LAUNCH INITIATED - 60 SECONDS UNTI-- NUCLEAR LAUNCH CANCELLED, IGNORE THAT."

>"Just bypass it!" the salikai shouts into the comm.
>"No can do." The CAI, at least the most informative voice of the CAI, says. "There are physical nodes elsewhere that operate parts of the nukes, and it's digital magic that we got this going in the first place. It's going to stop if we stop focusing. May as well just wait it out."
>"Fine! Protect the CAI node, I don't care if the whole hive swarms you! Flank those two if they advance!"

You know what? The best way to get people out of that illusion to to disrupt it with danger. And I bet that announcement was ship wide. I wonder.... can you try and reverse your training? Can you start broadcasting your feelings of danger and alarm... harder, and louder?

Anyway we need to get through that door quick. Rokoa and you start cutting, Rokoa should keep half an eye out behind you for flankers, her machine gun is better at discouraging that sorta thing.

Once you are in the bridge room ignore everything but locating the CAI node. Let Rokoa handle the arkots and mikliks.

>NUCLEAR LAUNCH INITIATED!
Well, good to know I read their godsdamned intentions right. Thank goodness for redundant non-networked safeguards, though. Whoever designed this ship was smart, and deserves some praise.

Too bad about the bike. If it was in the side room, that means we could have used it as a suicide charge. Again.

I really wish we hadn't let Pilon eat. Be nice if we had more than a two person team.

>Planning on flanking us.
Sounds like a good use for our grenades.

Additionally, they're trying to protect the node. As soon as you breach the bridge, you'll know where it is- the console the troops are protecting you want to slag that with the shotgun or a 'nade immediately.

>Science hiver
I don't think we should mow him down instantly. Obviously we should be prepared to do so, but he might not be here to attack us. He might be rebelling against those who've enslaved him.

>>457838
Great, if the CAI can start the countdown instantaneously we have 40 seconds total after opening the door to damage the node, not counting the ability to abort the nuke's explosion entirely if the CAI hasn't deleted that function yet. Hopefully that is actually completely analog process it can't control beyond the abort signal it launches to the nukes, but hopefully that's an unjammable type of radio or some other vibration wave instead of a network signal.

At least, that would have been the smart thing to do when designing the system for fucking nukes.
Whoever can cut faster handles the door, someone else just cover the flank. And instead of cutting the entire door, try looking for the mechanisms that hold it shut. You could also create a small hole to spam explosive rounds through or chuck grenades in.

If you get in fully, leap into prone position and fucking hit every goddamn terminal you can see in there with your shotgun while Rokoa provide cover fire ahead, fuck the flank.

>Who the hell patched us into this conversation and controlled that turret

Two choices. The science hive wants to be free and are helping us... or this is a rogue CAI (Alison!)

Polo 2012/09/25(Tue)08:28 No. 457851 ID: f09b71
File 134858688964.png - (10.40KB , 1117x246 , 993.png )

We keep an eye out for the flank, but given the room, I end up having to keep by the original door. If they get here, they can just lob grenades into the hole, or shoot us like fish in a barrel.

A few arkots poke their heads out, but I'm able to cover fire well enough with a rifle such that they're forced to keep their distance while the seconds pass. The rest of the hive is feeling uneasy from the nuke announcement, but I wouldn't know what they heard. They aren't doing anything convenient like rushing the bridge.

>"Almost done." Rokoa says. "How do you want to handle the opening? Gonna bet they've got their big guns pointed at us right now."

Grenade time. Rokoa should use one of the door panels as a shield. Its better then nothing.

As soon as possible get to a console for cover. I remember there being several int he center of the room. However remember the objective is not to get in a fire fight but to kill that CAI node, or nodes if theres more then one.

>What do?
Opening with grenades sounds reasonable, as does Rokoa using the door as a shield. If possible, lift the cutout up and forward initially so you can throw the 'nades out low. Then you can start shooting. Smoke may not be advisable- it'll slow down your locating the CAI.

Pay attention to enemy formations, and to whatever the Salikai is yelling on their comms. Between the two, you'll probably get an indication of where in the room the CAI node is. Blow it the fuck up. You can fall back behind cover and clear the bridge more cautiously afterwards, but the node has to die, ASAP, before the CAI finds a way around those security measures.

>>457850
I still think it could be simple incompetence. We have one of their comms, they're setting up a conference call, and they're likely running off backup equipment in the middle of a full retreat. There's enough going on there that they could have just mistakenly not blacklisted our number right.

Not that it wouldn't be nice to have someone helping us on the inside.

How far out is the science hiver? If he's close, you may want to deal with him before popping the lid.

Polo, grab a piece of whatever and hold it in front of you.

"Rokoa, I'm going to be the neumono shield this time. Use me as cover when you go in, flank right. If I'm still conscious I'll follow you. Make it count ok?"

Toss a grenade down that hallway toward the dead arkots. Should stall them a second or two. Toss anything left into the hole before you go in. Push in immediately afterwards. Don't even worry about hitting yourself with those. It's going to be nothing compared to their fire at you.

Can you block the hole you cut behind you with rubble?

A reminder, this is what our side of the bridge looks like:
>>456653

1/2 Polo 2012/09/25(Tue)11:35 No. 457869 ID: f09b71
File 134859810155.png - (20.46KB , 675x685 , 994.png )

>Can you block the hole you cut behind you with rubble?
Not in a reasonable amount of time, especially with the turret still operational. That will also

I toss one grenade into the bridge, and Rokoa holds the first door's cut out panel up against the bridge door. There weren't any clunks this time from grenades hitting the panel, but I should still keep an eye out on the first hall.

The scientist is getting close, fast. He'll be here in the matter of seconds, but as he gets closer, I am beginning to think that he is going after the salikai's minions and was merely using Rokoa and I as a beacon. He is getting more desperate as he gets closer, although something tells me it isn't because of any nukes.

2/2 Polo 2012/09/25(Tue)11:35 No. 457870 ID: f09b71
File 134859813730.png - (45.63KB , 675x685 , 995.png )

Then I get flung aside! They have explosive ammo too! Although the carried panel may have taken a chunk of the impact, she gets hurt pretty bad for what is otherwise a direct hit.

It doesn't help me out much, either. My grenade goes off, and I swear I hear the turret fire some shots at the scientist as he runs to us.

Alright blocking that fire isn't going to work. Lets hope the grenade caused some damage because otherwise this is going to suck.

Though I'm curious on what the scientist wants theres really no time for a conversation right now. Dive through the door guns blazing.

Drop a smoke grenade in the room you are in. I fear a second volley is coming your way. Retreat back out into the hallway and shoot any arkots that have taken up position there.

Hmm. No Salikai helpfully shouting out orders. Too bad.

Damn. Charging is suicide, and if they can lob explosives in, this little room could become a killing chamber. You can't really retreat either, as you'd have to climb through the previous door and they're pretty much lined up.

Use what cover you can, and return fire! Explosive shotgun shots through the door, and toss a smoker. We need the cover. Maybe another frag too. Then turn and be better to deal with the scientist. He better be feeling helpful, or you're gonna have to shoot him.

Possibly want to fall back through the previous door after that, so you can deal with people trying to flank you, and the ones trying to kill you in the little room too.

Ummm you do realize retreat is not an option? We give the CAI 60 uniterrupted seconds and they will launch those nukes. I can see clearing a path first but being forced to retreat is a bad idea. Get some smoke grenades out as well as frag to both force them under cover and make it so we can get into the bridge.

Smoke grenades are our friend. Toss one in the other room, and one in here. Once there's a bit of smoke, lob some frag grenades in to distract them. Your goggles have infrared, right? Infrared can see through standard smoke grenades, so unless these are something special, they'll be at most a minor hindrance to you. Pop out with your sniper after tossing the frag grenades and take a pop shot at the guy with the explosive gun before they go off. Pop behind the corner for the explosion. After they go off, the smoke may have been disrupted, so wait a second before popping out again. Have Rokoa crawl out into the main area at this point. Pick off targets of the highest threat level - obviously explosive weapons, infrared goggles, etc.

If they have a LOT of guys or tough guys in there, the odds are that they'll start shooting into the hole at this point regardless of whether or not they'll hit anything, so that will be time to GTFO. Hold up the door piece as a shield and back out the door into the main area and rendezvous with the scientist.

If they DON'T have a lot of guys there, you should press the advantage as long as possible and keep picking people off through the smoke. Until Rokoa recovers enough to either aid in a charge or provide covering fire for a retreat.

>>457877
I only meant falling back a room and fighting them from the previous doorway. It's a slightly better defensive position then where we are now.

And it's only 60s to launch once the CAI finds a way around the security measures that stopped it last time. We don't know how long it'll take to find a fix for that, although we certainly want to hurry.

We can't just run into the room shooting like with the Queen though- we don't know where the target is this time, the enemies are toting heavier ordinance, and they aren't going to spare us this time.

>>457879
That sounds good! I like using the infra-red to see through smoke.

>>457870
Have Rokoa find out what the scientist wants.

You get in there and deal with whatever's shooting at you.

1/2 Polo 2012/09/25(Tue)13:25 No. 457897 ID: f09b71
File 134860471901.png - (29.64KB , 700x700 , 996.png )

"Rokoa, get in..." I trail off. She wobbles, stumbling towards the bridge side of the room. I still lunge to get the piece of door that landed where she is going, picking it up as I see where this is going. She collapses and goes out cold, making matters significantly worse. I am holding it against her that she acts as though she is at 100% when she is barely hanging on. We're at least out of direct fire, but before we had any time to recover from the blast, shots come in and begin ricocheting as the arkots and mikliks start open firing into our hole. I am still able to put in a smoke grenade over. I do not have long, but a few seconds should be a good investment with night vision should I try to get through that mess.

>"I think the big one is down!" the same miklik who spoke last says.
>"Get the other! Just a bit longer, make sure some arkots are acting as meatshields to the CAI node!" the salikai says. Nothing helpful.

The machine guns slow down, but still have intermittent shots at us as they are probably advancing forward on us. I should get in and shoot, but the scientist is on us. He's about to jump through right at us and I don't want him to turn out hostile with my back to him. I do not know if he is doing something extreme, or is just thinking it is an extreme act just to get closer to us.

2/2 Polo 2012/09/25(Tue)13:25 No. 457898 ID: f09b71
File 134860473575.png - (37.53KB , 700x700 , 997.png )

....... it is the former. He dives right through the first door, respirator removed, looking like he is trying to relocate the entire armory's explosive room through here.

Without looking at us, he just lets out a simple 'thanks', in regards to opening the way for him, and as it turns out, giving him much needed smoke cover. He is somewhat apologetic, and I could not say if that is because of what hand he's had in what has happened, or his hand in what he is about to make happen.

Oh fuck hes suicide bombing.... Hit the deck!

Throw a smoke grenade into the bridge. Start shooting through the hole as soon as he is through it. They will be slightly distracted. Shoot anyone who might stop him.

"God's speed."

...godspeed.

(Or whatever the appropriate nuemono equivalent would be. We don't have much data on your belief structures yet, but you should express the sentiment as he goes by. He is sacrificing himself for you, after all).

But yeah, hit the deck, cover Rokoa, and then be prepared to move in fast and mop up and surviving resistance after the bombs go off. Make sure to check under the pile of arkot bodies for the CAI node and that it's dead.

War hive should really consider trying to turn, or at least offering some kind of amnesty, to the other science hive prisoners. They do not like being slaves, or used as tools of attempted genocide.

>>457900
I agree about the smoke grenade, however thats gonna be one hell of a backblast. We want to cover Rokoa and ourselves up as soon as we chuck it.

The guy is literally armed to the teeth with explosives...

>>457898
Holy crap. Get to cover.

1/3 Polo 2012/09/25(Tue)14:51 No. 457917 ID: f09b71
File 134860987079.png - (12.45KB , 700x700 , 998.png )

I just wish him well. I'd throw in another smoke grenade, but he's going too quick. It is not personable, he will not hesitate to blow himself up even if he knows we will die with him. Not as though he shouldn't be. I want to shove Rokoa out of the first door to get to better cover, but he could go off at any moment, and I can only see myself dragging her like a lead ragdoll as he offs himself, right in our vision.

>"5 seconds to open the vents!" he screams as he dives through. He's wired himself to blow if he falls.
I can take some comfort in his confidence, however he managed to keep track, that there is at least that much time until the nukes go off.
>"You!" the salikai replies.
>"The vents, or your countdown cut off in 2!"
>"CAI, do it... it's done. Now --"

2/3 Polo 2012/09/25(Tue)14:51 No. 457918 ID: f09b71
File 134860989097.png - (447.94KB , 675x685 , 999.png )

From there, my vision is limited to flashes of bright explosions as everything else goes dark.

3/3 Polo 2012/09/25(Tue)14:53 No. 457919 ID: f09b71
File 134861001942.png - (19.51KB , 700x700 , 1000.png )

And that's how I retired to become a fish... wait, where am I.

"Rokoa, what...?"
>"We're dreaming, idiot. A real one, none of that school shit."
"... I just cannot get away from you. And normally when I realize I'm dreaming, I wake up. This is supposed to be rare anyway."
>"Bound to happen. We've been out for a week straight at least. I woke up for awhile at some point. Trust me, we both look a whole lot better in here than we do out there."

You get any information while you were up?

>>457919
Ask her if the nukes got launched. Did that magnificent bastard make it in time? Also, a general status report would be nice.

Wait, is that Three Stripes? Is he nearby in the waking world, then?

>>457919
Dawww, it looks like Three Stripes is worried about you.

Ask her what we've missed out on.

>>457919
The most important thing to do right now is figure out why Three Stripes appears to 6" long and super cuddle-able.

A week? Shit.

Ok, what did you pick up while you were awake, Rokoa? Still no nukes going off? Any more big unexpected attacks?

>>457919
Ask Rokoa to fill you in on where exactly you are right now, beyond "unconscious."

Then figure out why Three Stripes is here. Is that just part of the dream or is he trying to encroach on this somehow?

Get Rokoa to fill you in on things beside "Unconscious" we a head in a box or not?

Then figure out why Three-Stripes is here, if he's actively here or if it's just a figment of our dream where we have a tiny predator lounging with us as we fish.

Then we do what could be objectively the most important thing right now.

We dunk Rokoa.

>we both look a whole lot better in here than we do out there."
I look like some kind of lanky freak.

Huh. So we're back in the brig, or the infirmary, I take it? Did you get a chance to find out any of what happened when you were awake? Like how'd the battle end? We still in orbit, or did the ship set off? Am I still on death row?

...and please tell me three stripes isn't really in here with us.

Cuddle Three Stripes and introduce Rokoa to him.

Ask what Rokoa thinks of our adventure.

Polo 2012/09/25(Tue)15:18 No. 457931 ID: f09b71
File 134861152658.png - (10.27KB , 700x700 , 1001.png )

>Is that Three Stripes?
I think he is bigger. It is probably about as real as the muddy water I'm sitting in. Don't know why that of all things came up. Therefore there will be no cuddling.

"Nukes?"
>"All good. They didn't go off."
"Good. Where am I right now? And don't say 'a lake.' Also, are we in orbit or anything?"
>"Huddling away under some hospital covers. Our expense. And for the next question, you're in the clear, our hive will let you go. Begrudingly, I hear, but still good to go when you're good to go. We're still on the planet, by the way. Given an extension of time, since our ship is hardly space worthy after the bridge became a mad scientist's grave."

>Dunk Rokoa
"Also good. Anything else? What have I missed out on, besides your new telepathic ability?"
>"Outside world thinks you're dead, apparently. See, we didn't want to get their hopes up by saying you're on the fence, then have you die anyway. Besides, now you can go surprise your cuddlebuddies with your not being dead."
"Right. Okay. That's it?"
>"If there was anymore, they knocked me back out so they could operate. Still got a few bullets. Oh, right, Pilon ended up hanging around in the hospital too, what with his own wounds. And since he wasn't using any, he volunteered to give the supplies for a skin graft."
"...excuse me?"
>"We did catch on fire, and it was some time before they snapped out of it and found us."

>>457931
Haha, does that mean we're gonna be wearing Pilon's skin now? First Rokoa's, now Pilon's. Come to think of it, he could just lop off his ears to cover you, Polo. Just go ahead and make that joke. It needs to be done.

When we wake up we're gonna have to ask Pilon if we were dating in the fake college. It really really sounded like it.

>>457931
Yipes. Sounds like the both of you are lucky to be alive.

Well... now what? It would seem that you and Rokoa both are still going to be out of commission for some time.

Well at least hes the right colour.

>>457931
Ask if this means you're going to grow ears larger than you are.

Any news on the Salikai, or the facility?

OHHH and don't forget about the Salikai, and the CAI. It's been weeks- did Rokoa's hive assault them? Or did they turtle up?

>>457931
On a scale of one to that QI we absolutely fucked up at the start of this nonsense, how are our bodies? (The one where we shot at her own gun with, horrifically maiming her in an explosion.) How is that QI now by the way? She's all right, right?

>"We did catch on fire, and it was some time before they snapped out of it and found us."
Suddenly I regret bringing all my gear instead of leaving it in that nice, safe locker. (Goodbye bio armor, green armor, custom built sniper rifle. We'll miss you).

>Everyone thinks Polo's dead
Hey, works to an infiltrator's advantage!

>skin graft
...so Polo's going to wake up a different color? Or at least temporarily have a calico thing going on.

You really got under his skin! *ba-doom-pst*!

What about the Salikai? I assume they slipped away?

"When we wake up you wanna stay and hunt salikai with me? How many science hive guys do you have as POW or otherwise?"

"Oh, and it's nice to see you alive. I can't believe I'm saying that."

>>skin graft
>...so Polo's going to wake up a different color? Or at least temporarily have a calico thing going on.
Wait, no, I got a better one.

"...suddenly I'm thankful I asked what shampoo he uses."

Also: ...so what the hell are we supposed to do in here?

1/2 Polo 2012/09/25(Tue)16:11 No. 457952 ID: f09b71
File 134861470414.png - (16.45KB , 700x700 , 1002.png )

"Half of that guy's ears would be enough to cover me. Glad I asked what kind of shampoo he uses."
>"If that. It's me that'll keep him down for a bit. I wasn't wearing armor at all. Your everything is pretty much destroyed, if you didn't know."
"I assumed. Does this mean I'm going to have stupid big ears?"
>"... good joke."
"It was one."
>"Good.
"On a scale of 1 to that one QI I exploded the shotgun of, how do we look?"
>"QI and a half, at the start. We've moved down to half a QI."
"How is that one, by the way?"
>"Hell, she's already running around again. She's fine."
"It's been a week, but I assume the Salikai got away. I will still go after them."
>"I expect you to, because I won't be able to. Too much pressure for us to get off this place. Yeah, they got away, and caved in the tunnels behind them. Real thorough job, it's going to take a long time to find them again."
"Still good to..." see you alive. Can't finish that sentence out loud.

>What now?
I... don't know.

"So what are we supposed to do in here anyway?"
>"Never shared a dream before?"
"Not in age- what are you doing?"

2/2 Polo 2012/09/25(Tue)16:11 No. 457953 ID: f09b71
File 134861471363.png - (17.37KB , 700x700 , 1003.png )

>"Dreaming."

The lucidity of this dream is giving me the power to fully acknowledge how grody the water is. I do not think there is much to do other than wait till I can get off this ship.

Nothing to do but enjoy this dream with Rokoa, play with her, fight her, kiss her. It is only a dream afterall.

>>457954
Yes, make out. You know that some part of you really really wants to.

I realize it isn't really something than can intentionally be done, but try to drag Pilon in here for that threesome you were wanting to have with him and Rokoa.

If it's a lucid dream, one can do anything they want here. Go nuts, enjoy coffee cake, make the skyline red and the ground blue

...Is this where we learn that Polo doesn't know how to have fun because she dedicated her life to becoming a surgical scalpel for the defense and offense of her Hive?

Hmm. Polo being presumed dead and coming back covered in Pilon-fuzz is a pretty good cover, actually. No one outside of those who would recognize her by link would know who she is (so it would be secret to just her hive). Gives us a chance to lull the Salikai into a false sense of security before going after them.

What's happening to the science hivers? Are we talking them down with us? They could be useful in figuring out what we might be up against, especially if they hate the Salikai as much as that last one.

>>457957
Yeah, coffee cake and roughhousing like idiots is pretty much all you got to do now. Have some fun. Remember, since this is a dream, your physical size doesn't actually matter. You have a chance of actually getting the best of her in this mud-wrestling match.

Have fun, try not to end up liking Rokoa too much. You're not gonna see her for a while.

"I'd really like to back you up going after the salikai. Are you sure there is no way you could stay till we kill them? I'm sure my hive would go with it. You've saved everyone twice, including me. And frankly I don't give a fuck what the other hives think of that."

Can you lucid-dream the water cleaner? Dis is gwoss.

>>457953
Wrestling is a loss. Be the shark in the water. If you get completely sick of her you could try going silent to kick her out.

Things to do when we wake up (and hopefully not timeskip past):

Check out your weird new coloration and poofy fuzziness (it'll last till your regeneration runs out of other things to fix and starts overriding it with your natural blue fuzz, I assume).

Say goodbyes to Pilon, thank the son of a bitch. You didn't know him very long, but we're gonna miss that guy.

Maybe awkardly bump into Kork and Tirrek, or any of the other QIs you beat up.

Recruit the science hivers into coming with you, to eventually save the rest of their hive. Maybe one of them worked on your armor or rifle, and knows how to build a new set?

Steal a new bioarmor on the way out. ...or maybe just ask for one. They might be happy to give you something to kill the Salikai with.

Well, she's naked. Be naked too.

1/2 Polo 2012/09/25(Tue)18:10 No. 457989 ID: f09b71
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"Oh, what about the science hive?"
>"Taken away by an ultrahive collective. Same with the tribal hive we had up here."
"And I would have thought you'd have tried to stick around to fight the Salikai."
>"Of course. Too bad the hive mentality is sick of fighting. Lost a damn lot of guys in the last few month. From several thousand to maybe several hundred, if that."

I get the water clean. It is harder than it should be considering this is a joint dream and Rokoa is confident the water should be dirty for some terrible reason, but she relents.

>Try not to end up liking Rokoa too much
Of my concerns, a fate of liking Rokoa is up there with getting struck by a stray meteor. Terrible to happen, but so unlikely it is not worth worrying about.

>Be naked, kiss her
No. I do not even know why she is naked, but I have refrained from asking because I do not want to know.

I'm not so much in the mood to 'have fun', but it won't help anything to go sit and glare at Three Stripes or something. I might indulge in taking out some pent up aggression on Rokoa, if just to help pass the time.

2/2 Polo 2012/09/25(Tue)18:10 No. 457990 ID: f09b71
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We eventually wake up around the same time, enough that we are able to get out of bed. They did not bother shaving Pilon's extra fluff off me, and I am embarrasingly uneven. I think they found it funny. I am weak and tired, but I am otherwise alright. They say I will get significantly better, and after, now that I can exercise some and eat normally.

Pilon helps me with physical therapy. I make sure to thank him for that, and everything else that he has done.

Kork, Tirrik, and some others including but not limited to the QI's I beat up visited a few times, and ultimately made a Get Well card that was a mix of well wishes, vivid threats and begrudging respect. Often all 3 from the same people.

I ask, and am given a 30% bioarmor as well.

>"We've been, well, 'encouraged' to purchase foreign repair crews to help expediate our bridge repairs and to get out of here. We'll most likely have liftoff in 4 days. You should be mostly fine, but either way, we'll have one of our guys give you a lift, and you can parachute down to your hive." he says at the end of a day.

>>457990
What about kissing HIM? You've got four days to hang out together. That's enough for a goodbye fling. Considering you won't ever see him again since he's going off-planet soon... Screw what the rest of his hive thinks. Or you could go on those dates outdoors, where nobody else is around to make things awkward.

Might want to do that after trimming yourself though.

Try to convince the hive to let Pilon and/or Rokoa come with you to hunt down the remaining salikai (ask if Pilon wants to, or any other volunteers for that matter). Explain it's the next thing you will be doing after you are combat able. And any help would be wonderful. Rokoa would be happier fighting than anything else.

Get in touch with whatever this "ultrahive collective" is. Ask them about who they got out, who is confirmed dead, etc.

Ask what was left of the bridge and if they could identify any of the dead. Even so little as what species they were.

Oh goodness. You have to keep that card. You'll get something to stick on the mantel back home, and I'm sure the contents will weird people out (I can just imagine Rikek or Rakae going through it).

How long have you been dead by this point anyways? (ie, how long since you boarded the warship).

Pilon should at the very least get a goodbye hug. Dunno about a kiss, honestly, I think we're crushing on him a lot harder than you ever did (dem eyes, and fuzzy ears!). You two are oddly almost natural friends though. Pity about the circumstances, and that you won't see him for a long while (maybe he'll tag along when Rokoa eventually shows up for that rematch?).

Are the sheep still around, or did they get away in the confusion of the hallucinogen? If they're still on board, you should say goodbye to Emere, and thank her for the help as well.

>Ultrahive
What's an ultrahive? And we should probably visit them to talk to the science peeps before you go after the Salikai again. They might know something useful, or be interested in helping liberate the rest of their hive.

>>457995
It's not their hive that needs convincing, mostly. It's the rest of the hives that are pushing them off the planet.

Ask Pilon what's Rokoa's favorite food. Then you can surprise her with it when you two have your rematch.

They probably didn't get much when they were down there, but ask Pilon if his hive could send copies of any records and data they got from the salikai's facility along to your hive and your hive's allies. Combing through it might reveal clues to where the salikai went, and if there's info in there about the research on those damn nanite neumono hijackers or the hallucinogenic gas, that'll be good for developing countermeasures.

You'll want to keep the fact that your alive as secret as you can, since it may be helpful, but you'll still have to let your hive know your alive. Is there a secure secret channel you can use to send a message back to your hive such that only a very few on their end will see it?

Oh right, and ask him if you were dating in the college-hallucination.

>>457999
It's also kind of cruel to ask any of them to stay, since they'd be exiling themselves from their hive with no good way to get back.

>Is there a secure secret channel you can use to send a message back to your hive such that only a very few on their end will see it?
Warn them? No way. We're dropping out of the sky, walking up to whatever stunned guard comes running up to investigate the incoming warhive paratrooper, and going "hey". Cue spontaneous hysterical reunion.

>>458004
Hey, did Polo's hive already come around and pick up Rikek and Rakae? Probably not with Rokoa's hive still hanging around. Maybe Polo could go back down to the spire and wait for evac with them. They're probably wondering what the hell is going on with Rokoa's hive still around after a week, and worrying a lot.

Polo 2012/09/25(Tue)19:26 No. 458015 ID: f09b71
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>Keep the card
I may as well have a souvenir. May as well get Pilon and Rokoa to sign it as well.

>What's an ultrahive?
A possibly misleading term for a collection of hives that have allied with each other for sake of peace in a safe nexus. They are still individual hives more than a single huge hive.

"What happened to the embassy, anyway?"
>"They escaped at some point, through one of our escape ships. We could locate it, but, it isn't worth the trouble by this point.
"What is Rokoa's favorite food?"
>"Raw meat, with epo spice."
"Never heard of the spice."
>"It's a snowland thing."
"I would still like Rokoa's, and you if you're willing, help in dealing with the Salikai. Did you guys send off any information, records, data and all that from the facility?"
>"Believe us, while you were out, the ultrahive came and pilfered through every nook and cranny. You'd have to convince the other hives to let us join in, but hey, this isn't a minor little thing, this was a global incident. There are whole armies after the salikai now. The salikai are as good as toast, but will be handled with care knowing the biological weapons they have. You won't need us."
"Anything of note in the bridge?"
>"A piece of claw there, some burnt fabric there, nothing much more than that."
"When is your birthday?"
>"67th of winter, like I said."
"Like you said. By the way, Rikek and Rakae, if you know of them, they were..."
>"Yes, they were picked up soon after we were raided properly after the nukes nearly went off. Thankfully our security camera database was not blown up, so we were able to prove that we were not, in fact, trying to nuke everything. It kept the exile as is rather than a brutal execution. Thank you for everything, by the way."
"Kneel down for a second."

I would not date him, but a kiss is not a solemn vow of partnership. That gets a rise out of others, but I hardly care.

Well, head home, get some rest, recover fully, then it's salikai hunting time.

>Kiss
D'aww.

Well, that's it. I can't think of anything to do aside from final goodbyes, and maybe Rokoa teasing you for what you just did. Time to head home.

>Ultra-hive, global incident
So you don't have to organize everything yourself. That's a good deal of pressure off. Although you probably want to be involved in the eventual assault. You're gonna be nearly the only person left on the surface with combat experience against the Salikai and their creatures.

Besides, you owe those bugs some payback by this point.

>>458015
I predict that Rokoa will try to get her rematch just before she has to leave, assuming both of you are recovered enough for neither party to be handicapped for the fight.

Be prepared for it.

Tell Pilon to drop you a letter from wherever his hive eventually settles, and you'll let him know how the salikai hunt turned out, and what's happening back here.

>The Ultrahive took copies of everything
Hope that means that whatever corporation, or corporations, that armed the war hive is publicly outed and gets on every neumono's shit-list forever. Any group that sells nukes, and the ballistic missiles to launch them, to someone like the Red Queen deserves to get smacked down.

Maybe you should take some of the time you have left recuperating to start writing down your record of what happened. You're going to need notes for what looks like it'll be a week long debriefing when you get back.

SUDDENLY YOU WAKE UP AND EVERYTHING IS EXPLODING BECAUSE IT WAS ALL A DREAM... AGAIN!

1/3 Polo 2012/09/25(Tue)21:35 No. 458053 ID: f09b71
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A day or two passes again before I'm in good enough shape to head off. I get poked fun at occasionally, partially for my odd use of the word 'coffee cake'. Apparently a lot of effort was given trying to figure out what I meant, as though it were in code. Now, to this hive, they've started saying 'sent on a coffee cake run' instead of 'a wild goose chase'.

>SUDDENLY YOU WAKE UP AND
A fear that has plagued me every other time I wake up now, as it has felt like a very long time since I have slept in an honest bed.

>Keep notes
I make a summation of everything that I can remember, from start to finish. Rokoa looks them over when I sleep or do other things, apparently interested in my side of the story, namely what she wasn't around for.

2/3 Polo 2012/09/25(Tue)21:39 No. 458058 ID: f09b71
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A nexus pilot is brought aboard to bring me back. It has been accepted that in the interest of possibly infiltrating the new salikai home to soften their defenses or do other things, my survival will be kept as secret. It has been shown that the salikai already have some degree of satellite access of some sort, and so it is tempting to assume the possibility that they have miklik or other spies.

Rokoa and Pilon are around to see me off, the rest see me off in empathy range.

"I'll try to put in a good word and see about getting enough time for you guys to fight if you like."
>"Have you ever dealt with an ultrahive before?" Pilon asks.
"No."
>"They make up their minds first, and hold meetings to discuss second. They are good at holding peace, but are just not good listeners. They also think it may take weeks or longer to find them, and getting us an extension would be difficult like that. You can try, but I suspect we may not see each other again for a long time, unless you ever head off into space. I'll give you a galactic contact number, if you ever do get curious where we've gone."
"Thank you. Send me a letter letting me know how you guys are, sometime. Goodbye, you two."
>"Goodbye, Polo." Pilon replies.
>"Remember, I haven't forgotten our duel. You better not let yourself get careless in a few years. Till then, unless you work a diplomatic miracle, you'll have to give the salikai a reason to wish for hell for me." says Rokoa.
"Of course."
>"Now here's a present for your ride back. See ya, Coffee Cake."
"... Thank you. Goodbye, Rokoa."

I like it how in the end, we sort of befriended the whole damn hive by beating them up and saving them repeatedly.

>>458058
Oh my goodness. That airport departure picture. It looks like they're your parents sending you away from home for the first time. XD

>End
...goodbye, Polo. I wish it wasn't, but I have the sneaking suspicion this is the end of the intermission and we won't be seeing you for a while. Enjoy your time at home, you've earned it.

Till we see you again. Good luck against those Salikai.

>>458060
I can just imagine the disbelief of the other members of Polo's squad.

What started out as a simple mission to recover a moton egg resulted in her being stranded behind enemy lines, but because of that she protected her hive twice from annihilation, uncovered the location of a secret biology lab, defeated multiple elite warhive members on her own, and assassinated a hive queen. Through all that, she STILL completed her original objective and brought home a moton egg.

I just wish we had also managed to keep ahold of that fucking badass suit of armor and rifle. Those would've been fantastic to research and replicate, and fit Polo perfectly.

>>458068
Tag on to the list of accomplishments that we then saved said warhive from destruction at least twice, befriending them practically by force. Not to mention we also kept the weak offworlder they expected to be a write off if things went south alive, and we rescued our rescue pilot too.

And I'm hoping we can get some of the liberated science hivers to fabricate us new gear. Someone designed that armor and rifle, and if we're lucky, we nabbed 'em.

we need the fate of three stripes!

Bye, Polo! We'll miss you.

>>458058
Her smile is actually sane. I find that strangely touching.

>>458058
Wait, what was the present?! More coffee cake?

>>458089
Best ending.