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File 136074249540.png - (54.90KB , 700x700 , 1.png )
492423 No. 492423 ID: c4e5c2

Belenosian Homeworld, 9,341 galactic years before the invention of the warp drive.

Local Time: 3199 Civilization Date, Day 398 of 421, 08:45

Expand all images
>>
No. 492424 ID: c4e5c2
File 136074252085.gif - (22.61KB , 763x363 , 2.gif )
492424

Sight returns, and Alison is in a room with many of her allies, but only a small fraction of her total force. She can sense the others, and so they are not out of contact. In fact, she knows that she can summon them as needed should she want advice from someone in particular, although the room is already cramped as is.

>"What n..." the Duelist starts to say. "Oh, hello, I can speak."
"Feels weird, huh? I don't know why you can, though."
>"We shouldn't get used to it." says the Recluse. "It might go away once this is over. Now, there are directions on this screen."
>>
No. 492429 ID: c4e5c2
File 136074341010.png - (15.63KB , 700x700 , 3.png )
492429

Alison moves over to the Recluse to see. It does not seem to even have any input buttons, so this may be the screen's only purpose.

Primary objective: Kill the one known as the Sapphire Emperor.
It is not necessary to directly kill him, however, the cause of death must be directly correlated with something the contestant intentionally performed with the motive of indirect killing, such as sending assassins successfully. The first CAI side to do this will win.

There are two ways to tie this. If the Sapphire Emperor is slain by a contestant's accidental butterfly effect, it will not count. Secondly, if the Sapphire is killed by both players relatively evenly, such as teaming up to fight him and bringing him down as a joint effort. As an addendum to this, if contestant A should bring him from sound body to an inch of his health, and contestant B manages to shoot him one more time, the victor will be A.

Secondary objective: Survive longer than the other contestant.
Should a tie be attained from the primary objective, this will act as the tie breaker. There is no tie for this, even if the same event mortally wounds both contestant A and B, then the one who dies even one picosecond later will be the victor.

Some of the above will be up to judgement calls, however, this is all having to do with extreme edge cases and this is unlikely to have subjective rulings. Lastly, should the Sapphire Emperor be killed because of the intentional actions of contestant A, yet A is killed before the Sapphire Emperor is slain by A's actions, then A will still win via priority.


>"Kill and survive. The same as it always was." the Duelist notes.
>>
No. 492430 ID: c4e5c2
File 136074343140.gif - (21.96KB , 763x363 , 4.gif )
492430

>"You work your stuff out yet, Loviro?" Alison hears a feminine voice say from the door that lights up with green.
>"I'm getting it! I'll get that spark before the new year's dropoff starts! Come on, come on..."
>>
No. 492433 ID: 78c6ea

Zounds! How long have you had idle standing animations?
>>
No. 492434 ID: 735f4f

Ok securing our landing site and gathering info are the first orders of business. So get a few people searching the room while we check the door.
>>
No. 492435 ID: f2c20c

>>492423
Wow this is way more high tech than I'd expect for over 9000 years before warp drive.

Assassination... let's make this a multi-pronged approach if we can. We should consider poison, a gunfight, collapsing the building on him, sniper shot, setting where he is on fire, dropping whatever's being dropped onto him...

Did we get any supplies for this mission? Are we restricted to certain types of weaponry? I see that Duelist and Guardsman have their swords. Can we still use prehensile hair or other fantastical weapon types like that? It looks like our forms were not changed to blend in with the mission... I hope people don't notice how much we stand out. It depends on how much of an abstraction is going on here.

First thing's first, we're in the information gathering stage. We need to find out where he is and how he's being guarded, as well as what the surroundings are. Let's step outside and see what's up. If they react badly to our appearance we may need to restrain whoever it is. We can try diplomacy but we can't waste time talking so we should make our interactions short and to the point.
>>
No. 492439 ID: 76b151

My guess is those people outside the door are either a plot hook or your first enemy encounter. Prepare for both.
>>
No. 492440 ID: 04b86a

So, first order of business should be... infiltration? We should have all of our Tier 2's disguise themselves as Belenosians and start doing recon work.
>>
No. 492445 ID: 57a559

Ha! I already thought of a way to make the system make an incredibly hard judgement call.

Get two nukes, strap the emperor precisely in the middle of them. set them to a synchronized countdown from each of us. Drug him to sleep. So he's not to struggle and screw up the measurements.

But I digress, we're not compromising with them. The adwinisitrator is too much of a bitch to side with. It just would have been cool to SAVE everybody again. Maybe we can really fuck the system at the end though, I imagine the old CAI is getting really tired of this bullshit, so cooperation might be a fun alternative.
>>
No. 492451 ID: 76b151

Even with cooperation there can only be one winner.
>>
No. 492454 ID: 9ee360

...wait, why/how is Arbiter here? I thought Corruptor pulled him out so he could raid one of the nearly empty system zones while we fought the faux-CAI castle battle.

>>492430
Uh-oh. I think some sheep are coming! Assuming we've been inserted in a simulation of the history, we'll probably look our of place.

Pity we left Succubus with Chief. A shapeshifter would have been useful for an infiltration mission! (I don't suppose we have any other shapeshifters on call?).

>first one to assassinate the emperor wins.
So... I'm guessing Sevener's plan will involve an all out frontal attack. And/or trying to kill us before we can do anything.

Can you tell what rules apply here? This place is basically freeroam, right?

>>492451
No, the rules said explicitly that their are two cases that result in a tie (mutual failure or a coordinated joint effort). Granted, I don't expect Sevener to cooperate, and I think we'd rather like to win...
>>
No. 492460 ID: f922dd

Actually, there's a tiebreaker (offing the other team after the death of the emperor). That's what >>492451 meant. But let's try for the first win condition.

In the meantime, if this is someone else's building, we need a story. Actually, let's test out the natives' response to our appearances, that'll be important info.
>>
No. 492462 ID: 8fca75

Wait for these people to enter, upon their arrival ask them who the Sapphire Emperor is, and where he is.
>>
No. 492466 ID: 9ee360

Actually, can we still contact our outside allies via ghost talk and/or Corruptor cheating? Historian might have found some history or records that might be relevant to this simulation.
>>
No. 492485 ID: 001618

ok first deal with the people outside the door and depending on if there hostile or not don't attack unless provoked cause the last thing we need is to be wanted fugitives before we try and kill the Sapphire Emperor. It will also let us see if the people here will see us as one of them or will see us for what we really are (this is a simulation after all so it could work like that). As for long term goals get as much information as you can and also scout out some safe houses incase we have to go down to the tie breaker. never hurts to be prepared
>>
No. 492496 ID: c4e5c2
File 136078849783.gif - (166.04KB , 763x363 , 5.gif )
492496

Arbiter had left, yes, him being around is an art error.

This area is free roam. In fact, everything seems more tactile than usual.

"I'm going to go through the door. Let's not all show up at once, to try not to startle them. Oh, wait, Historian!" Alison can't summon ghosts as she can in normal areas, but Historian can be summoned in a more plain fashion, and so he shows up. Nonetheless, Alison won't be able to summon Arbiter, Corruptor or so forth. "Do you have any records or anything regarding this area?"
>"I'm sorry. I know I am known as the historian, but there are hardly sufficient enough documents to merit my name. There is only brief mention that they have quite the tech, which I believe can be answered on its own by now. I will, however, pay attention to the length of a day and year and compare it to a galactic form, as no doubt a year here is different from normal lengths of time."
"It's okay. I'm going to head out now."

There does not seem to be much else of note inside the room. Once Alison simply touches the door, she teleports and feels her body dissipate without warning.
>>
No. 492497 ID: c4e5c2
File 136078860710.gif - (17.07KB , 800x600 , 6.gif )
492497

And that feeling is replaced by becoming a short robot, just about rendering many of her questions about her form moot. The robot she is in seems far more high tech than she would have imagined.

"There! There it is! Vinyl, get in here, I told you they wouldn't disable my creations! Just needed to warm up after all that dust collecting."
>"Yeah yeah, congrats."

Alison notes that she can return to the first room if she wishes. It seems to act as a lobby in a subdimension for all of her forces, but touching the door she did will bring her out into the belenosian realm.

"Anyways! Welcome to the world. You are my pride and joy, but you could not know that yet. Now, the questions. First, what are you? You are a Jetal, which is mere shorthand reference to Jetal Core AI that powers Jetalium, a particularly malleable metal capable of quite some power. Think of the Core as your brain, and the Jetalium as your body. That body powered by the best Jetal Core I've ever made means you should be quite strong."
"You created me just now, then?"
"Not even close. I made you just around 30 years ago, but Jetal Core development hardly has any improvements let alone breakthroughs. I am not worried about your quality. Make no mistake, I am not supposed to have you, so you are highly illegal. "
"I probably will ask more, but do you know anything about a Sapphire Emperor?"
"... how do you know... an anomaly, you should not know that. Because you should be a blank slate, not because you're not allowed to. Contrary to tradition and perceived definitions, we have 3 emperors. Ruby, Emerald and goddamned Sapphire. They're all insane bastards anyway, fancying themselves leaders of stable nations after leading rebel armies to take down the previous regimes."
>>
No. 492499 ID: 76b151

Ask why you were made. And why did she activate you now.
>>
No. 492502 ID: 9ee360

Ask if there are more of you, or more chaises, etc. (Changes the nature of the mission if the whole team can only interact through one robot. Or... any computer systems we manage to plug into. We are basically a CAI).

We might want to ask why we're illegal, and if anyone will recognize us as such (ie, the core tech or the AI might be illegal, but little robots aren't- so we can blend in).

How do we want to play this? Do we play along with the scenario, or do we want to risk telling these people the truth? (Playing the game is probably safest- coming off as crazy probably just gets the scientists to mindwipe their robot and start over again for an instant game over).
>>
No. 492504 ID: f2c20c

>>492497
Ask them to wait a moment and report back that you've been placed in a robot body for the simulation. I wonder what's beyond the east door in that entry room? You might also ask someone to try touching the door after you leave again to see if there's more than one robot body or if you wind up sharing it.

Malleable... does that mean we can shapeshift? Ask them about that and what your purpose will be with them now. Also, where are you? Is anything happening nearby?
>>
No. 492514 ID: c4e5c2
File 136079176607.gif - (19.44KB , 800x600 , 7.gif )
492514

"Why was I made?"
"No reason other than the pursuit of knowledge and better technology. You were to be quite the new model of Jetal Cores, but the Sapphire emperor killed - almost killed? - removed us. I had crucial notes in my head, so that Jetal breakthrough, the last one as far as I know, has been lost. There should be no more than 10 of your kind, barring destruction. Some rivals of mine have one now, in fact. Bastards, all of 'em."
"Then why recover me now?"
"I said you are my pride and joy. I should not be separated from my best work. But for a purpose? What are we, Vinyl? Would it be too clunky to say we are an underground resistance who wants to, quote, 'upset the establishment'?"
>"Close enough. Was hoping you's have something more concrete, since we aren't some two bit conspiracy theorist circle jerk."
"Why am I illegal?"
"You were to be stored for ssss... hm. Where was I. Vinyl stole you fro...."
>"The implants, Loviro."
"Yes. Vinyl recovered you from whereever you were stored. We, at least, hopefully it was us, installed implants in ourselves to prevent certain bad thoughts. I trust myself, of course, so I do not fight it, but we often have our train of logic removed when it would breach a certain topic. Anyways, you were a high grade Jetal core under property of the government, I never legally 'owned' you. Needless to say, all remotely dangerous robots, cyborgs and jetal cores have a whole nexus devoted to closely watching them, with internal and external legal permits and checkups. You do not have any, so while you can't be seen as illegal at a glance, you will be discovered if any police ask to see your core for scanning, or attempt to enter governmential buildings which have security for detecting illegal types."
"So... what if I killed the sapphire emperor?"
>"Hahaha! That would sure leave a big gap for improvement and make me proud, too. Impossible with a frontal attack, of course. He is in the palace of the capital city, right where we are, but they are also bunkered down behind a great deal of military forces. Especially Sapphire, he is the most paranoid of them all."

"I've been placed in a robot, apparently. Alison mentally states.
>"We can hear everything!" Iso reports back.
"Try touching the door, would you?"

Alison feels Iso's presence come into the robot. She still has control over it, but Iso can also control it for her if she wishes for him, or someone else, to take over.

Someone else enters the room.

"The implants! I still want them removed! I've got to know! We were supposed to die 30 years ago, and suddenly we wake up and noth-"
>"Fuck's sake, Yallows, shut it."
"And, young Jetal, this would be Yallows, the third and last in our group. If there is going to be anyone to kill us with curiosity, it is him. Speaking of which, Jetal, what would you like to be called? And, for that matter, despite thatyour Jetalium mass is... subpar, you are able to change your form if you wish to control differently."

So much for not being able to use her snake form, if she wishes for it, that is.
>>
No. 492515 ID: f1b3ee

"Call me Babar."
>>
No. 492517 ID: 76b151

Legion. For we are many.
>>
No. 492519 ID: f2c20c

>>492514
Do some quick movement tests to see how this body handles. Then compare it with snake form. Use whichever seems best. We should also try experimenting with a completely amorphous form for its inherent maneuverability advantages. Basically I'm thinking of a central mass with our sensors on it being moved about by multiple limbs grabbing onto the floor or ceiling or walls or whatever. Think of it as a body made out of prehensile hair.

While we are in charge of the body, it seems to be most likely because we simply entered it first. I think we should name ourselves something that would apply to our entire team... Jettison?

Where can we get more Jetalium? Do we have any other resources at our disposal? Other robot bodies perhaps? Funds? Underground contacts? I'd like a map of the surroundings, please, including the Emperor on it and our rivals.
>>
No. 492522 ID: eaf2f5

Try transforming your body to that Yallows guy.
Then say they you are now Yallows, the old Yallows is needed no more.
See if he freaks out.
>>
No. 492523 ID: 57a559

>>492514
This is actually a simulation. You are all fake. Our name is Alison, and we have another AI in here called Iso, and soon will have many others in here and we are all AI in a game to create a CAI, in quite amount of time, after you are all dead, a race known as humans will invent warp drives and eventually find your planet. You two races will find other races, and technology will improve immensely. In fact, so much so that galactic civilization will produce compilation AI's created with not so ethical means. AI's will kill each other in horrific massacre until three are left. Ours is a special case, for we are creating a CAI in a CAI or something, and in an experiment where we are caught in loops forever blah blah blah.

Explain everything.
EVERYTHING.
>>
No. 492524 ID: 9ee360

>Rival has one
Well, that's Sevener.

>Anyone can take control of the body, shapeshifting
Hmm. Not sure how the multiminds thing might best be applied. If we needed to shift into combat, or exploit any of our competencies (music, sports, etc) we could swap the pilot to someone who was skilled at what we wanted and adjust to their shape.

Or maybe if we needed to multitask? (Different people controlling different parts of the body to do multiple things at once).

Most the time the peanut gallery is gonna for advice, and thinking, though. Or if we can pull a CAI, and plug into any virtual networks and let them run loose... that might be worth exploring.

>name
Hmm. We never thought of a team name, did we?

We don't actually want to call ourself Alison or Snake Queen, though. Makes it easier for Sevener to find us if she hears it in use. We need a pseudonym.

Unity. Sounds like a name, and nicely symbolic of the group as a whole.

>more questions
...what's immediate situation here? Are we secure, or did you just break me out of a lab or something?

And what's with him wanting the implants out? Can we help with that, or hack them or something? Do we have hacking / network access capability?
>>
No. 492526 ID: 001618

just call yourself Jet for short
anyway ask what kind of weapons they have what weapons you may have built in to your new body things that might get the local police attention so we know how to avoid them in the future and if there is anyway we could maybe make a false core scan, like a fake ID for us, so we could possibly get into government buildings unnoticed
>>
No. 492527 ID: f2c20c

>>492524
Oooh, Unity. I like it.

>>492523
Dude. No. That will do vast amounts of harm to their psyches and our chances at completing the challenge. It's not like we can take them with us when we leave. I find myself wondering if they are individual AIs, one AI, or the CAI itself controlling the simulation's various NPCs.
>>
No. 492529 ID: b53faa

>>492523
I an actually against breaking the system for once, as this might have some rather adverse repurcussions for us.
That, or they will think you are going rouge and mad with power, etc. etc.
Avoid explaining the nature of the simulation at this point, bad bad BAD idea.
>>
No. 492530 ID: 78c6ea

Memory preventing implants? Unlimited morphing metal? ...

Assume you are still in the simulation. These may be facsimilies of your creators, or just characters, created for you to sympathize with by the ones behind the scenes, for the purposes of the contest.

Play it safe until you manage to get this body out of sight or detection range of any other outside AI. Then... if only you could access Glitcher...
>>
No. 492533 ID: 04b86a

Hmm, questions...

If we were to find an inactive Jetal, what would we have to do to activate it?

Can we absorb any Jetalium we come across to make ourself bigger?

What exactly can we do? Can we interface with electronics or do we have to rely on our physical abilities?

And most importantly... why is only one of the three lights on that pod blinking?
>>
No. 492534 ID: 9ee360

>>492527
>NPCS
Yeah... and we already know they have implant brain clamps preventing them from thinking certain things. The scenario probably won't let them know that this isn't real.

That or they'll think we're crazy (we can't prove anything, after all) and we'll lose what are supposed to be our scenario provided allies.

If they are actual, sentient AIs we can free them along with everyone else if and when we ever break out and get access to the backups where all trillion contestants, all the system people, and everything/everything else are stored.
>>
No. 492537 ID: 78c6ea

>>492534

Considering the tech level, there could actually be brain chips preventing actual brains from thinking certain thoughts. This could actually be the real world, with no simulation to escape from or glitches to manufacture. We can't tell yet though, until we've successfully experimented/glitched everything to hell. Just assume it's a simulation for now. Do not conclude it's a simulation.
>>
No. 492551 ID: 04b86a

I think we should analyze this simulation.

First of all, we need to keep in mind that this was probably designed with a standard dual CAI result of 8 unique System personnel (3 Hunters, a Judge Lord, a Shopkeeper Baron, a Supervisor, a Watcher, and an Administrator) against 3 Contestants. There are 10 Jetals available, which would normally give the System an advantage in numbers if the others weren't destroyed or hidden to act as backups by the Contestants, but this is not a normal CAI fight, so whoever finds the most will have the widest influence.

The System and Contestants, however, have differences in training. The System is trained to carry out their tasks despite being given minimal resources, both physical and informational, although they end up getting a lot more in later stages. I'm not exactly sure how that'll manifest here yet, but it's something to keep in mind. They are also initially handed a lot more resources than Contestants, though, so since Loviro said they only have one the logical conclusion is that theirs might be legal and have more Jetalium.

The Contestants, on the other hand, are given even fewer resources and then basically thrown to the wolves, effectively being trained to form alliances and find and gather resources to keep themselves on top. CU is notably primarily earned by killing people, and since Jetalium is often used in robots, we're probably expected to at least kill some robots. The System definitely will, once they realize it'll make them stronger, although if they're legal they'll at least have to be very secretive about it and if they're already stronger than us it may not occur to them for a while yet. On the other hand, allies Contestants acquire are normally stronger than what the Contestants start off at, which means the inactive Jetal bodies are likely already stronger than this one.

So, yeah, that's my take on this. Does anyone see any problems or things I missed?
>>
No. 492564 ID: 9ee360

>>492551
I don't know why you'd assume it's meant to be 3 contestants vs 10 system people. The number and distribution of system members per bracket change dramatically each stage (and we don't know the pattern yet), and the CAI battles in our logs all seemed to be between the 3 surviving contestants and the CAI, not the system. And the CAI is made up of an unknown, but presumably large number of individuals.

Also, I don't think numerical advantage matters. Glitcher mentioned last thread that numbers somehow weren't supposed to be an issue in the CAI battle- if each side is confined to working through one body, that makes sense.

I'd agree with your analysis on the strengths / weaknesses / experiences of the contestants vs the system members.
>>
No. 492567 ID: f2c20c

Guys.

I thought of a winning strategy. We focus on killing Sevener's bot first, steal their Jetalium and use it to improve our body to give us better chances. On the other hand that might piss off the rival NPC team so we'd need a plan for killing them safely afterwards.

We should be wary of Sevener attempting the same thing.
>>
No. 492571 ID: 04b86a

>>492564
There's normally only 8 System people, actually, although I'll note that the bracket we just raided was missing a Hunter so it can obviously be less. It's the unique ones that matter, basically, not the collectives or the ghostless Enforcers.

As for why I think numbers matter at least a little? The mention of there being 10 Jetals at least looks like a clear set up for there to be 8 more for either side to claim. Don't forget, Corruptor didn't say numbers don't matter but rather that quality matters more, so in the time it would take one side to hunt down all 8 Jetals the other side might have enough time to complete the objective with their one. Having more bodies also means a single one dying won't take you out of the game.

Thanks for the criticism, by the way, that helped me find the time problem.

Hmm... if we capture an enemy Jetal's core instead of destroying it we might be able to have it wiped so that we can use it for ourselves.

>>492567
Killing the Administration is definitely a priority, but keep in mind that if any of my speculation is true it won't be simple unless we power up a lot and/or find some of the other Jetals.
>>
No. 492576 ID: c4e5c2
File 136080383475.gif - (17.07KB , 800x450 , 8.gif )
492576

Alison starts moving around to get a feel for it. It isn't terrible, although she is still used to her naga form. She starts changing. It is not quick at all, it might take her an hour to turn into anything meaningful.

"Yes, that's it! Don't push it too much, reawoken cores shouldn't push themselves too much. Plus, your morphability is rated quite low at the moment, so it may take a fair bit of energy. Just hop back in that chamber there to regenerate energy, but you should last a couple weeks without strenuous activity."
"How do I get more jetalium?"
"It isn't easy. Either you have to steal jetalium mass stores, which are heavily guarded and not available on any corner market store, or kill another jetalium and absorb it. Of course, you don't have to kill it, you can always leave the core intact and a bit of jetalium for it to crawl back to its home if you feel generous."
"What about other resources? Other robots? Funds? Underground contacts? I would like a map, too, with the palace and rivals pointed out."
"Haha, we have nothing. It is all I could do to get you, plus a modest sum of money I left in a hideaway. Any contacts I have, I have not spoken to for three decades. A map, however, is doable. Let's see..."
>>
No. 492577 ID: c4e5c2
File 136080385365.png - (9.91KB , 700x700 , 9.png )
492577

"We're on a peninsula, the murky red is the ocean. We are the in the red sector, with the highway cutting through the capital. The rivals... I do not know where they are. Otherwise, the town has everything a capital has, both the good and the bad. We're all criminals, so the police force might already be after us. If you want to know, you might have to ask them and hope they have loose tongues." Loviro says the last part with a tone of joking.

"Oh, are we secure right now?"
"Whereever we are is as secure as it gets. I don't actually know where we are, due to the implants, but you are free to leave and explore when you want."
"And what about Yallows? Can we help take out the implants?"
"No, and you shouldn't! We put them in there for a damn good reason, I'm sure of it. We're all frustrated there's something we keep concluding that we're prevented doing, but it must be important."
"Well, do we have hacking or network capabilities?"
"Yes, you do, but don't think it's easy. If you are found out at all, you can be immediately taken over and have your memory, motives, everything erased and replaced. It is possible to hack, but not viable. Best rely on physical capability unless you have a surefire crack."
>>
No. 492578 ID: c4e5c2
File 136080390481.gif - (15.80KB , 800x450 , 10.gif )
492578

Yallows has left, so Alison simply transforms into her naga shape to test instead of mimicking others. She ends up small, but shapeshifting can include clothes. Loviro waits silently while she does so, and it does take at least half an hour in the end. The form is comfortable, although she is sure she could get used to any other forms given enough time in one. An amorphous blob, she feels. would be exceedingly hard to work and move, but she may just transform into Yallows to prevent her current form from tipping off the aggressive Sevener.

"I'll call myself Unity."
"Strange, but very well. That form... ahem, well, the lack of legs could be terribly inconvenient, but at the same time, jetalium is quite heavy. You will do better if you're able to distribute your weight like you are there, especially if you increase your size. You can always simply make yourself more dense as well, to hold more mass over less volume. Always pros and cons."
"I think I'll change it anyway. You think Yallow would mind if I looked like him?"
"Hah. Yes. I wouldn't mind it just to see the look on his face, but he's a wanted criminal. You shouldn't go parading that around."
"What about weapons?"
"None. If nothing else, the new government has done an amazing job of removing guns. All conventional guns require DNA or the robotic equivalent of DNA to fire at all. Pre-empire guns that can be fired by anyone do exist, but are exceedingly rare and worth a fortune. Now, that is one reason why jetals are so dangerous. They can make their own weapons. Of course, you can't just morph jetalium and hope you have yourself a real doomsday cannon, although a sword or other mundane object is certainly possible. You need to gain the jetal data for weapons! To do that, you have to go through government paperwork and trials to download such a thing. Or, once again, you absorb a Jetal who has a weapon. We seem to be going back to that, if you haven't noticed."
"Next! What is that blinking light on the energy restorer there?"
>"Ah, it simply means it is recharging itself. You were just charged to max, after all."

Alison notes that she can sense how well charged she is. It has not gone down at all so far.

"What do you all think about killing Sevener first?" Alison asks the ones still in the lobby.
>"Quick way to win, cause if we do that, the primary objective will either be a tie or in our favor." Atlas says. "Either way, we'd win. Hell, if we just go after the emperor we'd still have a good chance to kill Sevener first, since it would be just like her to chase us and ignore the simulation."
>"Let's fight her!" Guardsman says.
>>
No. 492588 ID: 9ee360

Hmm. The drawback to the naga form is we're recognizable. If Sevener, or any of her NPC allies see us, or we're caught on video feeds somewhere (there's gotta be cameras around in a high tech society) that gives us away. That potentially sets us up for a surprise attack!

Best form would be something that we're comfortable with that allows us to pass for a robot or organic that fits in with the natives. We want to blend. (Unless weird looking shapeshifting robots are the norm?).

>>492571
Hmm. Well, if there are 10 jetals, and we and Sevener each have one, that leaves 8 more either inactive or controlled by NPCs, either to be killed for jetalium or to install allies in.

>killing Sevener first?
Well, sure, if we get the opportunity. Problem is we don't know where she is, and presumably we both start off in similar situations and without the ability to morph weapons. So unless we get an edge (surprise, a weapon, more jetalium...) it would be an even fight. I don't like leaving things at 50/50.

I agree with Atlas' analysis that there's a good chance Sevener will try to win by taking us out first.
>>
No. 492593 ID: 04b86a

Okay, more mechanics speculation.

Whenever we try to hack something, the second door in the lobby will become available and anyone that wants to will be able to go through it. I'm not sure what that means for normal hacking, but in hacking Jetal Cores (of our model?) we'll end up in a room similar to our lobby, and if the Jetal is occupied we'd have to fight the occupants for control using freeroam rules. An occupied core being wiped, of course, means death for all occupants for the remainder of the simulation.

And I just noticed that Twirl is in here. Hrm. That means killing Administration forces in the last fight didn't make a difference. (Unless Lago forgot she's dead?) I have two more questions about the lobby, then. Do the people there have access to their skill lines, and are people that haven't been summoned yet aware of what's already happened? We should summon King, too. He's an ally, not a subject, and he also has a slightly better idea of how the Administrators will act in terms of strategy than we do.

"You mentioned there are eight other cores like mine that are possibly unclaimed. I assume that you can't tell me where they are, but are they all in the same place?"

Hm. Can he tell us the names of anyone in the rival group? Just so we know if we find a lead on them so they can be dealt with.
>>
No. 492594 ID: 9ee360

We seemed to have gained a new bar in the upper right of our HUD. Battery life or something?

What's the difference between the yellow and blue on the map?
>>
No. 492595 ID: 04b86a

>>492594
Yeah, I think that bar's how much power we have left. The yellow area must be the palace, since we asked him to mark it for us.
>>
No. 492605 ID: c4e5c2
File 136081074653.png - (14.98KB , 700x700 , 11.png )
492605

>Bar in upper right
That is Alison's battery life. Alison tries to use her hair as prehensile, but all she manages to do is wiggle it weakly while making scrunched up funny faces. She stops when she senses she is wasting battery power.

"Is the yellow-orange on the map the palace?"
>Ah, yes. It is as much as a military base and fortess as much as anything, which is why it takes up such a particularly huge section of town.
"Thank you. Does this form even pass as something everyone would accept?"
"Hm? Oh, yes. Everyone knows a Jetal at a glance. Even if you were to shapeshift into Yallow, we'd be able to tell the difference. It's all in the movement, you see! Us biological types, heavy cybernetics aside, tend to have little jitters and rather tense jerks of the muscle to move us around. You all move... better. More fluidly. Artificially so. As for the form, as a jetal, you are just as apt to fit in as a strange beast as you are as a pretend belenosian."
"Do you know where the other 8 cores could be?"
"No. It was astronomically unlikely that I found as many as two in such a short period after my own reawakening. I imagine they are already in use, or destroyed."
"Okay, I think that's enough. I have to absorb another Jetal, right?"
"That is recommended."
"Where would I find one that I can beat without weapons?"
"No matter what you do, you're going to have to go into town. Dangerous. I'd love to go out and supervise you, but I'm no streetwise crook. Plus, my face will make it more dangerous. Face reconstructions are damn harder to get these days. I bet if you go to a dive bar, some crook's gonna notice you and offer some up. Might sound bad, but the crooks are about as crooked as the authorities. Illegal Jetal bounties can be taken in and delivered anonymously, but vice versa, the authorities are as crooked as the crooks. They might backstab you on the turn in of the core they'd want. Lastly... I don't know. I'm a scientist, not an investigator, but if you ask around with well phrased questions to the right people."
"I'll think about that. Oh, one more thing! Do you have the names of your rivals?"
"Alys, Lopopo, Zyronn. God knows how we managed to enter and exit the same building without murdering each other, heh."

"Okay. Iso, please take over for a second." Alison says before moving back into the lobby.
>>
No. 492606 ID: c4e5c2
File 136081075547.gif - (20.71KB , 763x363 , 12.gif )
492606

"If we just go after Sevener as is, we'll be looking at a 50/50 chance. I don't want to go with those odds. Like Atlas says, we'll probably get a chance anyways. It could work to just wait for Sevener to waste her time trying to find us while we go out and get as strong as possible as fast as possible, so that we'll have a great chance when she does find us. If Unity goes out in my image, that could happen quick, but it could happen too quick."
>"Yeahhh." Iso says back. "But if you don't, then Sevener might just give up on finding you and try to go straight to kill the emperor herself."
>"While she is over aggressive..." the Duelist thinks aloud, "I don't believe her to be entirely stupid either. She may not like 50/50 chances either, and may just start swiping Jetals into back alleys and beat them up unless she thinks she can find you without wasting time."

Alison does note Twirl is alive and well. It looks like the false CAI battle from before did not make any difference, although given that they have been put onto one robot, it may have not made any difference anyways.

Stage and Safe Zone mechanics do not appear to apply here. She cannot summon or talk to anyone who did not enter the CAI contest with her.
>>
No. 492609 ID: 9ee360

I'd love to blitz Sevener, but I don't see how we can pull it off with a reasonable success rate. Walking around in Alison-form to try and attract her is just too risky. Unless we have a plan or means in order to turn it into a trap?

Balancing gathering our strength, keeping Sevener from going for the Emperor and/or gather strength, and going for the Emperor ourself, is going to be tricky.

Whatever plan we end up following, our first move needs to be to head into town. We need to gather resources we can use.
>>
No. 492610 ID: 9ddf68

I say we just get a form that dosn't scream "HEY SEVENER AM RIGHT HERE' for now and can still use everday tools (aka something with hands)so we can still use tools and such if the need arises. As for goals I say we head out into the city find any jetalium if we can (even if we are just marking were jetalium stores are) and gather as much information as possable about
1) Any thing on the three empires mostly sapphire
2) were our rivals might be hiding
3) anywere we can get jetalium
also if we do go out make sure to watch your back because we are now a illegal AI fueled by something that sounds it weighs more then it's worth in gold.
>>
No. 492611 ID: 08005b

I suggest we begin exploring, taking note of our surroundings and looking for patterns that may lead to our different goals, with the this being a simulation of actual reality, it will be sporadic, so we should get a feel, and directly go for everything else a bit later.
>>
No. 492613 ID: f922dd

One option is engineering up a trap (if we have Engineer or someone else with similar skills in here) so we can off Sevener quickly. That's a little risky, but it's an option.

Otherwise, seeking to get stronger is good.
>>
No. 492614 ID: 5aa752

Right now, we take an unassuming form. I'd say our best bet is just to play it straight; gather power, then hit the target ASAP.
>>
No. 492615 ID: c4e5c2
File 136081306539.gif - (16.68KB , 700x700 , 13.gif )
492615

>Or maybe if we needed to multitask?
After a brief task, this does prove to be possible. A little tricky, but possible.

Alison won't use her own form and try to play it safer until she gets better reasons to try to lead Sevener into a trap.

However, so far, the two other forms proposed have had issues. Yallows is a convicted criminal with a known face, Alison is a red flag to Sevener, and the Jetal is going to require a bit more form than a blob, as for reasons beyond her, she requires things like leverage and more rigid, bone-mimicking masses in places.

She can always just be the default form that was given to her, plus a proper hand or something. Or perhaps a regular belenosian would work. Perhaps she can act like Arbiter is around after all. Minus the 'I'm on Alison's team' horn decorations.
>>
No. 492617 ID: 5aa752

I say we go full-on utilitarian here; six legs for stability and speed, two hands with nimble fingers for delicate work, and a spiked scorpion's tail for stabbing. How's that sound?
>>
No. 492618 ID: 9ee360

...I am amazingly tempted to just walk around as a de-ornamented arbiter. He's Belthosian looking enough, and his coat is perfect for the Cyberpunk and intrigue setting we're apparently running around in. :V

>>492617
Science dude said we're made of heavy stuff. I don't think multiple insect legs would work. And natural weapons (like stingers) are probably disallowed without the weapon patterns we have to find, same as guns and swords and prehensile hair.
>>
No. 492621 ID: f2c20c

>>492615
Sevener will probably assume anything with a tail is you. The advantage to going as a belenosian is that you can blend in with a crowd. So long as nobody really looks at you they won't notice that you move wrong.

So, to stay undercover, a belenosian is the way to go. Hrm. Also, considering this is freeroam and you won't have your most comfortable form available, we might want to have Duelist control the body for combat. He has a LOT of freeroam combat experience. Well, him or someone else that had to fight all those dudes in the Corrupted Sanctuary.

It might be a good idea to manipulate the body to have denser material in key places, but that will also screw up its center of gravity so it would have to be done carefully. Hey, how does one kill a Jetal anyway?
>>
No. 492624 ID: 78c6ea

We may want to destroy other robots to assume their mass, and similarly they to our robot. We need to find the most effective way to manipulate Jetalium, so that we can develop an offensive and defensive strategy. Does it melt? Conduct electricity? Can it be dissolved by anything and subsequently reconstituted? How much pressure would be needed to deform it, assuming the lack of a core with energy to provide counterbalance.
>>
No. 492635 ID: 57a559

>>492615
Make tiny hairs that can help you stick to surfaces! Four arms! Be a biped!
>>
No. 492640 ID: 4a328b

Ornament-less Arbiter, go!
>>
No. 492652 ID: c4e5c2
File 136081962184.gif - (17.27KB , 800x450 , 14.gif )
492652

>Make tiny hairs that can help you stick to surfaces! Four arms! Be a biped!
>I say we go full-on utilitarian here; six legs for stability and speed...
Alison will consider looking freakish when she feels like she has to do such things. Also, she can hardly move tiny hairs enough to tap on things, let alone crawl on surfaces with them. Alison returns to take control from Iso and starts morphing into Ornamentless-Arbiter.

"Going for that, hm?" Loviro says.
>"Cute." states Vinyl.
"How does one kill a jetal, anyways?"
"Kill? Simply do damage to the core. It is relatively fragile. Once you are able to either absorb or destroy the jetalium protecting it, they are vulnerable."

>Does it melt? Conduct electricity? Can it be dissolved by anything and subsequently reconstituted? How much pressure would be needed to deform it, assuming the lack of a core with energy to provide counterbalance.
Alison asks these questions, but Loviro shakes his head. He explains that while it can conduct electricity, most Jetals have built in reflexes to discharge the electricity. Melting temperature is too high to realistically employ in a wieldable weapon. While there is a concoction that is capable of dissolving jetalium, it is not instant death by any means and can be shaken off. Hence, squirt guns with the anti jetalium liquid are not useless, but it is easier to just try and hit their core with a high powered laser.
"And, what about deforming non-powered Jetalium?"
>"Jetalium needs to be powered either by a core or a mundane power supply that resembles a core. It has biological properties, you see, and will die off. Dead jetalium is nothing but a weak metal, like brittle bone or rubber depending on how it was last formed from a core. It takes awhile, though, so if you run into more jetalium than you can absorb, you can simply leave some to be absorbed up to a week or so later."
"Alright. I'm going to head out."
"Good! I hope for the best, as you are carrying a great deal of my life's work in there, so be careful."
"I know."
"And remember, if you do find out where we are, don't bother telling us. We won't listen if we know what's good for us. There's some guards out on the street, but they won't bug you. They've got one track minds."
"Okay."
"Lastly, you will be able to change your morphability, density and a couple other things at will, but having reawoken, you are a tad unstable for that! Have a good walk around and loosen yourself up, and I will tell you what you can do when you get back after seeing some sights. Only get in a fight if you know you can win!"
"Alright."
>>
No. 492653 ID: c4e5c2
File 136081963224.gif - (19.13KB , 800x600 , 15.gif )
492653

Unity/Arbiter is pointed to the exit once Lovira finally lets her, and Alison takes him up the stairway. Outside, Alison can sense it is very cold, even if it does not bug her. The city appears to be subject to a thick, red mist freely floating through it.

Even the homeless belenos has a respirator.
>>
No. 492654 ID: f2c20c

>>492653
Circle the block for a quick check to see what's nearby.
>>
No. 492655 ID: 735f4f

Better scoot back into the door and make our own respirator so we don't stand out.
>>
No. 492660 ID: 9ee360

So our friends are under a kind of house arrest?

>respirators
Hmm. Well, that's one way to tell the organics from the mechanicals. Robots don't need to breathe. Depending on how toxic the air is, damaging or removing the respirator might be a good idea if we get into a fight with someone living.

Hmm. Regrettably, I doubt we can kill the Emperor just my damaging the palace's environmental systems, or punching a hole in the wall.

Anyways... not much here. Time to explore.

>>492655
We're gonna stand out anyways. Science dude said sheep can recognize robits at a glance. The way we move gives us away.
>>
No. 492662 ID: 47d311

Well, that explains why all the equipment and the counter-top height in that room appeared to be made for someone about half-again as tall as you and your 'creators'
>>
No. 492663 ID: 76b151

Homeless people are often unnoticed or glanced over. Try to copy his outfit while still being mostly concealed. THink you can mimic dirt n grime?
>>
No. 492664 ID: 78c6ea

>>492663

I'm fairly sure the body is obviously metallic i.e. reflective. Making it rough might be possible, but coloring or complex texture not. We certainly don't want it flaking off! It's easy enough to make yourself dirty and grimy, should a disguise be needed. Mimicking organic movement would be necessary for that though.
>>
No. 492669 ID: f2c20c

I think our outfit is fine. We'll be recognized as a Jetal no matter what, so the only person we have to remain unrecognizable to is Sevener.
>>
No. 492671 ID: b33427

While your body movements would give you away, they won't at a glance. May as well mimic as best you can so you don't give yourself away as a robot right away.

Slip back inside and either grab a respirator or form a respirator on, as well as form some homeless garb over yourself. In fact, pile on the ratty clothing, since that's what a homeless person would do when it's so cold, and if there's a lot of it it'll hide our unnatural movement somewhat. Put on a hood or other head covering as well, to match the homeless outfit, and maybe add goggles to the respirator as well.

While checking out the area around here, use a slow shuffling gait, since that's what a tired homeless person in the cold would use, and it also will hide your odd movement better. Watch how others move out of the corner of your eye to get an idea of how you should move. Also, pay attention to how they breath as well. Even with a respirator on, you should act like you're breathing through it, especially if you have to talk to someone. Get some breathing and talking practice in by mumbling to yourself as you go, since that's what's expected of a crazy homeless person.
>>
No. 492672 ID: 57a559

Hmm, your still fairly recognizable as Arbiter to Sevener, even without the fair decor. Chip off part of a horn, add circles to the design.
>>
No. 492675 ID: 9ee360

>Homeless disguise
...I thought we wanted to be taken seriously for plot hooks, taking quests and bounties, talking to people and stuff? Plus, it really restricts the areas we can walk around in. I don't see this as a good idea at all.

>>492672
Sevener's never met Arbiter, though. The only people who would recognize him are either our allies, from corruption, or outside in the system zone he just attacked.
>>
No. 492679 ID: b33427

>>492675
We're just putting on the disguise to check out the nearby area and get a feel for moving in this body. We'll put on something more appropriate when the time is right for it.
>>
No. 492875 ID: c4e5c2
File 136087215772.gif - (27.43KB , 800x600 , 16.gif )
492875

>Think you can mimic dirt and grime?
Alison thinks there is no dirt or grime to mimic or actually put on herself. She wouldn't even think of him as homeless if not for his establishment on the sidewalk. He is surprisingly clean, clothes and all.

A respirator, at least, won't hurt anything, so she gets one of those from Vinyl so that she'll fit in at least at a distance.

She moves away from the big guards to around the block. There is an electronic shop, food plus liquor store and a laundromat that Alison can see on her side of the building. She could probably find just about any generic commercial store if she walked around, but the buildings rise higher than the smog allows her to see what's above. She moves in front of the electronic shop where people appear to have respirators that allow for cigarette smoking and contributing to the smoke levels. It looks like the news is playing on the television sets.
>>
No. 492877 ID: 76b151

Observe the news for a few moments and then start moving towards a place that might have jetal cores. A military district might be good.

How fine a wire can you make? Might be useful for a discrete takedown.
>>
No. 492878 ID: 9ee360

Smoking and gasmasks. That's all kinds of amusing.

Those guys past the smokers look like security or police. You don't want to do anything to get their attention, or to go talk to them. Can't risk being found out as an illegal unlicensed terminator.

Anything interesting playing on the news?
>>
No. 492880 ID: 57a559

>>492875
Start breakdancing for money
>>
No. 492887 ID: c4e5c2
File 136087464189.png - (21.82KB , 700x700 , 17.png )
492887

>How fine of a wire can you make?
This seemed to be successful. She's sure it won't slice through flesh like a knife through hot butter, but if she needs to do something drastic to a living person, this may do the trick with a bit of effort. She can't be sure if it would work on other jetalium.

>Start breakdancing
Alison feels like this might compromise her ideals of fitting in. She will refrain from breakdancing until finding evidence that spontaneously bringing out the sick moves is a thing that is both common and acceptable in ancient, high tech belenosian society.

>Watch the news
>"And that's the end of the two happy newlyweds. Next up, our leading story... Toya babies! The mother was stricken months ago with a terrible case of jonj, but not just has she recovered fully, her offspring are well and healthy as can be."

This goes on for some time. Each story is short, and it's always one feel-good story after the next. If the news isn't biased toward happy things, then murders and thefts apparently don't happen.
>>
No. 492888 ID: c4e5c2
File 136087466659.png - (90.85KB , 700x700 , 18.png )
492888

>"Hey pretty boy! Looks like you're tryin' to fool around in our style on our block. Got anythin' to say about that?" one of the gang members goes up to Alison. He moves strangely, not like living biological belenosians, and not like herself. She believes he may be robotic.
>>
No. 492889 ID: 76b151

Raise your hands and say you don't want no trouble.
>>
No. 492890 ID: f1b3ee

"I don't want no trabble!"
>>
No. 492891 ID: 9ee360

>saccharin news
Jebus, that's adorable. Why isn't our news like that? Still, I suppose it tells us something about the culture and/or power structure we're currently dealing with.

>>492888
Being involved in any kind of fight right in front of those police and/or security officers is a bad idea. They'll almost certainly scan IDs and stuff, which will get us in mondo trouble.
>>
No. 492893 ID: 4a328b

"Why are you smoking when you're wearing a gas mask. You look ridiculous."
>>
No. 492894 ID: 91c1b3

>>492887
Oh god, that thing is so fluffy and adorable. I really wish I could pet it.

Say you want no trouble.
>>
No. 492897 ID: 6fb1f5

Say that you're not from around here, and point out that if you WERE trying to copy them, you'd probably try a little harder. You're not even wearing the same trenchcoat OR smoking, you've only got 2 horns, and you don't look at all intimidating.
>>
No. 492898 ID: c4e5c2
File 136087753148.gif - (27.16KB , 800x600 , 17.gif )
492898

"I don't want no trouble."
>"Haha, that's pretty cute. But we don't much like people acting like they're part of our gang, so the way we see it, you were lookin' for trouble the moment you put on that trenchcoat. And I don't think we take in wimpy lookin' dudes."
"Why are you smoking through your gas mask? That looks ridiculous."
>"Real cool. 'Don't want no trouble' he says, then says we look ridiculous. What do we say about that behavior, buddies?"
>"Shitty."
>"Real shitty."

The gang members start walking towards Unity. The police or security are not intervening, although they look like they're prepared to.

>"Your muncher better start sounding off one good reason why I don't serve you up a cold helping of concrete."
"I'm not from around here If I were trying to copy you, I'd try harder. I don't have the same trenchcoat, I'm not smoking, only have two horns and I'm not looking intimidating."
>"Yeah? Well it ain't us you gotta convince of that, it's everyone else. Don't want every citizen around here thinkin' we're lettin' just anyone in. Let's make a bet. You do us a favor and go into this electronic store after these cops get bored and leave. Any minute now, their shift should be up. Tell 'em your part of the Dead Battery gang and you're here to pick up some minerals. The clerk'll know what you mean. If he lets you get the packages, you just walk back out and hand 'em off to us and we'll forgive you. If he doesn't know what you're talkin' about, then I guess that would make us wrong, and just let you go on your way."
>>
No. 492905 ID: 76b151

Might as well. We probably can get some information from them afterwords. Maybe ask the storekeeper where we could get some jetalium \ form upgrades as well.
>>
No. 492906 ID: 35037c

:I there is actually a music group named dead battery ha. I don't really think we should be doing little odd crap like this, we need to keep exploring, however going in there would give us an idea of some of the tech they use, I guess we could do this? Yeah, it shouldn't cause that much harm.
>>
No. 492907 ID: 9ee360

...this sounds like a bad idea. They want us to prove we're not a member of their gang... by pretending to be a member of their gang?

Besides, if the storekeep sees the gang send us in, he'll probably assume we're with them.

Are they all robots? Or are some of them sheep?
>>
No. 492908 ID: f2c20c

>>492905
Jetalum isn't available in the shop. We might be able to get some by using these guys as a criminal contact, though. After all, Vinyl suggested we get some bounties for other Jetals via criminal contacts.

Let's do the favor.
>>
No. 492912 ID: 6dc5a6

Go in and get the packages, make a point of checking what's inside the packages. We might get some electronics to integrate into our body. Mind you we'll need a rear exit before Sunglasses catches on that we're not in the store.
>>
No. 492914 ID: b53faa

no no NO no NO NO NO no NO.
We are not going to be suckered into a drug deal are you all fucking RETARDED?
if we do that they will just blackmail us into doing more and more favors until we are in so deep it HURTS.
No sir that is not how we win this game, slither as fast as you can away from these losers before they even realize you are able to MOVE that fast
my GOD no
>>
No. 492929 ID: f2c20c

>>492914
Well, we could hand them off to the police instead. Granted, we have no idea what's in them.

Also like I said we have no connections. What do you plan to do in the long term? Where are we going to get jetalium and contacts to do obviously illegal things?

We're going to ASSASSINATE someone goddamn it.
>>
No. 492930 ID: 735f4f

We can change our appearance at will. No one is blackmailing us unless we want them to. Getting caught up in some minor gangs stuff might help us get some contacts.
>>
No. 492934 ID: 5aa752

No way. This is obviously a set up.

"Nah. I'm outtie."

Then walk away.
>>
No. 492937 ID: 78c6ea

Well shit. These aren't just robots. These are robots with dying batteries. They'll die if they don't get any! Or, the rough equivalent of death. They must be collecting electrolytes with which to make batteries (aka 'minerals'), but since they have no money all they can do is steal them!

This isn't a gang stealing recreational drugs. This is a gang stealing life support. Seems there's a crucial difference there.

On an unrelated note it seems your Jetal robot is more morphable than I thought, as you clearly managed to fashion a passable trench coat. At least enough to fool robots!
>>
No. 492946 ID: c4e5c2
File 136089008853.png - (19.57KB , 700x700 , 19.png )
492946

>Fashioned a passable trench coat
She did do so, but it does feel a little funny compared to most clothes, and many sections of it are directly attached to her. Only the outer folds are loose. In other words, if anyone touches or pulls on it, it will behave differently than an actual trenchcoat.

Alison is pretty split, but decides to go for the favor. She gets Duelist to help control Unity in case things go bad, as he does have the most practice in freeroam combat and being bipedal. She lets the gang know she wants to shop anyway, but she'll do the favor after a moment. The gang says that's cool, but they'll be watching her carefully.

Once inside, the clerk also watches Unity intently, like she might try to steal something. Overall the tech is expected and most things are recognizeable. Computers, cell phones that are basically small computers, tvs that are basically computer monitors, that kind of stuff. What is different are basic robots and cybernetic implants for sale.

They seem to each have their own rating between class D, C and B, but Alison doesn't see any A ranked bots or cybernetics. In each case, class C and up robots, and class B cybernetics are held behind locked glass that are quite obviously alarmed, and may require licenses or some paperwork to attain. Otherwise, it looks like cybernetics that modestly improve performance, and cybernetics that help repair eyesight and organs or artificial organ replacements are sold freely. Likewise, cleaning droids or camera bots also appear to be sold without need for documentation or licenses.

Alison moves de-horned Arbiterbody near the front, where the clerk speaks up.

>"Needing anything?" Alison has no money on her, so she gets straight to the favor.
"Yes. I'm part of the dead Batteries. I'm here to pick up the minerals."
>"....... you've got some balls, kid. Inform your business associates outside that I don't owe shit to them anymore, or we're going to have a... shit, you a jetal?"
>>
No. 492948 ID: 76b151

Nod, tell him you were recently wiped and then given permission to explore. You got the impression they were eccentric. You're not expected back till late so you are indulging the bots outta curiousity more then anything.

Ask what minerals are.
>>
No. 492949 ID: 35037c

No. *smile meekly, but on the inside.*
>>
No. 492950 ID: 35037c

"No, I thought they were illegal."
>>
No. 492958 ID: 9ee360

...wait. I'm confused by the lingo now. Are jetals the robots that are apparently common and everywhere, or the small subset of said robots that are illegal?

>shit, you a jetal?
...would that change your answer?
>>
No. 492960 ID: 735f4f

A Jetal? "I thought those were horribly dangerous illegal death machines". Then just stare at him.
>>
No. 492961 ID: f2c20c

Jetals aren't illegal in of themselves. Unlicensed ones are! So just say yes. I mean, it should be obvious, really. Ask him why that matters. Also, what exactly his business with the Dead Batteries is, and how big a gang they are.
>>
No. 492964 ID: c4e5c2
File 136089394344.gif - (22.09KB , 177x196 , 20.gif )
492964

"Can anyone refresh me on whether Jetals are illegal?"
>"Yes." the Engineer answers. "Normal robots are different, I suppose, but Jetals are robots except powered by a jetal core instead of mundane mechanics and AI chips. Jetals are rare, but not necessarily illegal. All Jetals need licenses to be legal, while it appears lower class normal robots do not."
>>
No. 492966 ID: c4e5c2
File 136089401278.png - (36.76KB , 700x700 , 21.png )
492966

"I am. Why does it matter?"
>"... don't know how they got a jetal to play for their team. Fine."
"What exactly is your business with the Dead Batteries?"
>"Not a goddamn thing! I cleared my business with them long enough ago."
"What ARE the minerals?"
>"Keep your voice down! Bullets. No weapons. Just the ammo. Keep them under your coat, don't let any cops see you with them." Alison did wait for the cops to leave, which as the gang said, didn't take long.
"I'm new with them. How big are the dead batteries?"
>"The fuck are you asking me for? Big enough to muscle in on bad business kind of big."
>>
No. 492967 ID: 76b151

Hmm, I wonder if Engi could make a gun outta jetal. I mean if all we need is the schematics thats supposedly built into military grade cores maybe engy can make one out of memory.
>>
No. 492968 ID: f2c20c

>>492966
Big, but a single Jetal makes enough of a difference to convince this guy to pay up after deciding to break ties? Sounds like they might be small enough to topple with the right application of force. I don't think we have enough force yet, though. Very, very quietly mention that you are merely under minor threat, but are looking for underground contacts. We would be willing to let him keep the bullets if it means we get on his side of things.

Keep in mind guys, we can just go back out and say he didn't believe us when we said we were with the Dead Batteries.
>>
No. 492969 ID: 57a559

>>492966
Cool, thank him for his time. Compliment his large, curvy horns.
>>
No. 492971 ID: 35037c

Thank him and leave. Try to befriend the dead batteries.
>>
No. 492973 ID: 78c6ea

>>492966

You've got to be shitting me. Not anything electronic? Not batteries? All this for weaponry? I say you make the leader outside accept the bullets with his FACE
>>
No. 492974 ID: de262c

>>492966
Check the package on the way out to see what sort of ammo it is. If it's just metallic cartridges, it'd be extremely easy to make a firearm that can use them.
>>
No. 492975 ID: 9ee360

Alright. Thank hi, take stuff outside. Apologize to the gang. Apparently you do seem to be able to pass for them. There are two ways we can fix that. Either we can walk away and change our appearance... or we can work with them.

(Obviously, the later option is what we want. Working with a connected crime syndicate is a good way to get the resources we need).

>>492967
>>492974
Science dude explicitly said we can't just form weapons. We gotta have the patterns to make them.
>>
No. 492976 ID: f2c20c

>>492974
The package is sealed. I don't think we should open it.
>>
No. 492977 ID: 6dc5a6

Walk out the back door wearing a different shape, the street punks don't strike me as trustworthy especially given that we're a baseline jetal. Think you can mimic the beggar we saw earlier?
>>
No. 492994 ID: c4e5c2
File 136089912503.png - (13.42KB , 700x700 , 22.png )
492994

"Do you think you could make a weapon for us, engineer?"
>"I might be able to if I had access to tools and material that would allow that level of fine tuning metal. Not from jetalium, though. Such a metal may have existed in the past, but there is nothing like that in the current real world. Therefore, the simulation must be abstracting it to some degree since it would be lost technology, so I would be working with what is effectively magic."

Unity leans in a bit to talk quieter.
"Aren't bullets a little underwhelming?"
>"Whoa, you got a short circuit in there? Do you know bullets mean? Anyone who wants bullets wants bullets for their gun, and do you know how guns are? Any non-police or military officer without a gun is killed on sight, questions later."
"How good would this be on another jetal?"
>"That ammo? Like trying to break a brick with a fork. Doesn't matter what gun is used." With that, Alison will head out to the gang, since it doesn't seem like they would pose much of a threat to her without police intervention.
"Alright, thank you for the info. You have nicely curved, large horns, by the way."

The clerk gives Unity a weird, unpleasant look when that is said, but Alison goes to move out.

The box is opened after Alison decides to go back, making sure to keep it discreet and quick. The bullets look mundane and metallic, though Engineer did not give the impression that it would be 'extremely easy' to make a firearm.
>>
No. 492995 ID: c4e5c2
File 136089913587.gif - (23.28KB , 800x600 , 23.gif )
492995

"It looks like you were right." Unity says.
>"Good stuff. You're not so bad, you made it smooth. What's your name?"
"Unity." It gets some chuckles, not nice ones, from the gang.
>"You're not from around here, alright. But whaaatever, you did well, newbie!"
"Uh, newbie?"
>"Well yeah. Ya did a job for us, and the only one who does jobs for us, is us. That gonna be a problem? You gotta hand us the box either way."
>>
No. 492998 ID: f2c20c

Hmm. So, apparently Jetalium is mostly bulletproof? And these guys have guns that wouldn't work on us.

Tell them that you'll take jobs from them if the pay is right. Speaking of which, they owe you a fee for this first job, and it's not cheap to hire a Jetal.
>>
No. 493007 ID: 9ee360

Hand them a box, and reply that no, that's not a problem at all.

Illegal allies, get. Hopefully now we can set about scoring some of the resources we need.

>bullets don't work
I'm not sure how we are supposed to kill other jetals. Conventional weapons won't do much to the liquid metal. The cores are fragile, but you gotta get to them first, and we won't know where the core is. (Actually, where in the body are we hiding our core?).
>>
No. 493010 ID: 35037c

That seemed excessively easy, let's do another job and start working out a way to get our other business done.
>>
No. 493012 ID: 9ddf68

say your in as long as there is some kind of reward for doing future missions (like cash, info, weapons, or hell maybe even a favor you can call in at a later time) and give them the bullets, there useless to us for the most part because they can't do crap against another Jetalium, we don't even have a gun, even if we found a gun the bullets could be the wrong caliber, and if we don't give them the bullets we just turned some potential allies into enemies and it will only help to hurt us in our goals
>>
No. 493019 ID: c4e5c2
File 136090350562.png - (143.82KB , 700x700 , 24.png )
493019

>Where in the body are we hiding our core?
Until alison has a better idea, in the center of her mass, a bit below where her heart would be.

"If I'm going to be in your gang, then I imagine that I'm owed a fee for this job. It's not cheap to hire a Jetal." They pause.
"A jetal?!" the leader touches one of Unity's horns. "For real! Haha, goddamn, it's a good thing we were gonna turn in these bullets to the proper authorities, isn't that right, you guys?"
>"Yeah, good thing!"
>"Right to the cops like good citizens!"
"Give the guy some dough for his trouble, Jab!"
>>
No. 493022 ID: c4e5c2
File 136090357354.gif - (23.41KB , 800x600 , 25.gif )
493022

One of them gives Alison 10 paper bills, each at 1,000 empire dollars. She has no idea if 10,000 empire dollars makes her filthy rich, or if she is only in competition with the bum's mug. Either way, they keep their distance now.

"Uhm... I'm willing to take additional jobs from you guys. If the pay is right." They pause again, but unfreeze when Alison hands them the bullets.
"Yeah? A tune that sounds too good to be anything but a fantasy, there. You're spelling out undercover all over our faces, cause if you were doing jobs for the likes of us, you'd be an illegal jetal. And that's too good."
"If you know of any legal jetals that are bugging you guys, I might be able to take care of them if I'm shown how. Would that prove I'm not undercover?"
>"I don't think this one's undercover, boss."
"Hmmmmm. Then what's with the respirator, huh?"
>"You got one too, boss."
"... Point. Well, ain't gonna let you see the bossman till I know you're not under EIN."
"...Ein?"
"That's the spirit. Wait, you might not actually know. Keeps you robots in check, cept illegals like... unlike me. Think of it like the great robot god in the sky who does like to intervene. Now, there's no small number of jetal in the force, so the bossman might have somethin' for you there. Let me call him up."
"I have no weapons for it, though." the leader just waves that sentence off as he makes the call, and Alison waits for it to finish. He turns back to Alison.
"Yeah, we got a hookup. We'll get you a weapon download. Got 2 jetal problems. One weaker bodyguard to some investigator who likes to hang out in bars all day, and one stronger jetal acting as a security guard to someplace. Either one'll get you in good with the bossman, the stronger one moreso if you couldn't guess. Either way, we'll get you set up so you're alone with the jetal, don't need to worry about anyone else. Otherwise, no bio cop killing. We don't need that shit. Robots are fine to take down, biologicals aren't."

>"Jetals don't sound as uncommon as Loviro has implied." says the Duelist.
>>
No. 493023 ID: f2c20c

>>493022
Weaker.

Don't tell these guys why. Why? Well, we're still working the kinks out and also that 'someplace' that they're working at could be relevant for our overall mission.

...I'm wondering if we could contact that investigator at some point and buy their help for something. Might be a good idea to ask for more info about them.

Also, I bet they didn't recognize you as a Jetal because they're robots and don't have an inherent feel for what organic movement is. This means we can probably reliably pass as Belenosian in front of robots.
>>
No. 493026 ID: 9ee360

Alright. So we gotta prove we're not an undercover legal jetal by taking out some other legal jetal. Seems legit. Gets us a weapon to work with, and more jetalium. Plus, we're getting cred with an organization we may be able to use in our assassination plans.

It kind of sucks that we're being forced into the old killing people for power model we've been fighting against. But none of the lives these people are leading are real anyways. And this whole simulation is going to end as soon we or Sevener wins.

>Jetals don't sound as uncommon as Loviro has implied
Hmm. Well, his data is mostly 30 years out of date, and subject to having holes poked in it without warning.
>>
No. 493028 ID: 78c6ea

New objective: take out EIN.
>>
No. 493042 ID: c4e5c2
File 136090689903.png - (52.38KB , 700x700 , 26.png )
493042

"The weaker one, please."
"Yeah, not a bad move for a jetal who sounds like they were just made. Alright. Let's roll."

Everyone gets into a nearby car. A whirring noise pops up as the smog in the car starts to dissipate, and the leader retracts his horns. Alison hopes her shapeshifting can improve to the point where she can do that without making it look like grass grow in reverse. She could actually treat them as joints, and have them bend and wave around, but now she is losing focus.

"Alright. We're gonna make a pickup, first. Get you a weapon." the leader says, texting on his phone. "What kind do you want? We don't have the regular ammo you'd need to kill a jetal, so don't bother with a kinetic. We got laser weapons and laser melee. Melee drains your battery power damn quick, but can be kept on and available. Laser weapons don't drain battery power so much, but needs a buncha energy per shot, so its got cooldown. Think about it like this, you can only spend so much battery power at one point, or you'll blow yourself out. With lasers, you can put out a certain amount of battery power into a single shot, but if you keep firing at max, you'll blow yourself up if you don't cool yourself off. Damn powerful, but long reload. Melee laser beam, you only need to spend a surge to fire it up, then you're good to keep it going. So long as the fight doesn't last forever and drain your whole battery."
"How long would I have to wait between shots, if I fired a laser at max energy?"
"Dunno. Depends on the weapon and jetal. You're gonna get a low grade one, but one jetal might have to wait 10 seconds before firing again, another Jetal could do it every 2 seconds with the same weapon."
"Also, do we know anything about the investigator?"
"Not much. He keeps on the clock all day. Half that clocktime is spent in the bar messin around and getting drunk by himself. Taxpayer dollars at hard work, there. But that doesn't match up, cause the other half of his on-duty involves him being the epitome of Officer Hardass. Real tough on crime. Out of nowhere, one of the cops that gives a shit. That sort."
>>
No. 493043 ID: f2c20c

>>493042
Do we have anyone with experience with guns, or at least a gun weapon type so they're skilled with them? Might want to go with the beam sword otherwise. Duelist would likely be rather frightening with it.
>>
No. 493044 ID: 78c6ea

Maybe he's fueled by alcohol?
>>
No. 493053 ID: c4e5c2
File 136090994598.gif - (8.99KB , 304x203 , 27-a.gif )
493053

"Do you know how to use a gun, Duelist?"
>"I do not."
>"I can teach you the basic jist of it, if I just use a rod and a couple pieces of cardboard for a scope." the engineer says. "It is not as easy as point and shoot, but I think you can become competent enough to make that weapon at least viable till you can get more practice in."

Duelist will go into the lobby for the lesson, as a gun may be needed or optimal later on even if a melee weapon is chosen now.
>>
No. 493056 ID: b33427

Well, if you had your druthers, you'd take both, but since you only get one, go with the laser-sword for now since it's what you've got experience in. Let the boss know your choice, your near inexperience with guns, and that when you complete this mission you'd like to get in some training with them; Both the integrated Jetal one and freehand ones.

Ask... Uh, you don't know boss' name, so ask what you should call him. Just "Boss?" Anyway, ask about the possibility of field recharging yourself. Are there power cells that are Jetal compatible, and if so, how common are they? It'd be useful to either strap some cells to yourself if you ever need a top-off. Perhaps even keep them in an internal cavity, if you could make one.

Also, is there armor you could wear that'd absorb some or all of the punch from a Jetal-damaging shot? Ablative armor to soak laser hits, and stuff like that. Either over yourself, or maybe even as plates absorbed under the skin. You'd kinda like to have something more protecting your core than just your metal, no matter how tough it is.

It'd be a good idea to get regular clothes at some point as well, so you're not spending what precious Jetalium you have on them. Plus, they could be pulled off without giving you away, or ripped off without losing metal.
>>
No. 493057 ID: cd963f

You know, we are a computer simulation too. Murdering simulants is the same as murdering your compatriots. We won again and again by being diplomatic, that's what we should be doing with other jetal now.
>>
No. 493062 ID: f2c20c

>>493057
Yes, but this time they have absolutely no reason to cooperate with us. Any Jetal in the police force is not going to go "Kill the Emperor? Well okay!". At best we can get them to take out other criminals, but also keep in mind if they find out we're unlicensed they will try to kill us and not listen to a damn thing we say.

This is a drastically different situation.

>>493053
Get the sword for now, then.
>>
No. 493064 ID: 9ddf68

well since it seems duelist is gonna be our disignated fighter and is used to using a sword I think the beam sword would be best for right now. also ask how long it takes to 'unsheath' (power up) the blade because if the sword just comes out instantly it could make for an easy kill, just walk up to the target ask for something like "were can if find such and such" then when you get into range SLICE.
>>
No. 493067 ID: 78c6ea

>>493057

You know, if we are in a computer simulation, the other Jetals are simulated. So are the other non-Jetalium robots. So are the organics. Murdering other Jetals is more along the lines of murdering administrative staff in the game. Not ideal, and we'd like to win their hearts, but ultimately reticence on their part results in either our death or theirs.

If we can murder EIN, then all those Jetals won't have any administrative duties. Then they can actually choose to help.

Is it possible to access Dreamspace from this lobby?
>>
No. 493068 ID: 32e092

If we could prove this was a simulation, we might be able to recruit people across faction lines on the basis of "clearly someone copied you into this simulation without your consent, let's fuck it up for them" or similar.
>>
No. 493076 ID: f2c20c

Um, considering they compare EIN to God, I don't think we have any chance of killing it. Also, you're both still missing the point. Nobody here is faced with death if they fail an arbitrary task, unlike the System members and Contestants. In actuality, the simulation here would be prolonged the most if both Alison and Sevener were captured. The Emperor doesn't die, and neither competitors die, so it's a stalemate that lasts as long as the CAI lets it. That would be the optimal scenario for this simulated city, and one of the worst situations we could get stuck in. We'd have to rely on Glitcher to somehow pull us out, assuming he realized something was wrong.

Also the legal Jetals we know of aren't directly serving EIN. One was a bodyguard, the other a security officer. Not administrative duties. Those that ARE directly serving under EIN would likely have some loyalty to it and would be more likely to be hostile than cooperative.

If we can somehow prove that this city is a simulation then maaaaaaybe we could get someone to help us, but we'd have to spin it as the Sapphire Emperor being behind it somehow and killing him would set the AIs free. That's the only way I see that strategy working.
>>
No. 493086 ID: 2f4b71

>drunk with a heart of gold
>Belenosian
Hooooo boy.
>>
No. 493087 ID: 76b151

>>493086
Itcher?
>>
No. 493092 ID: 9ee360

...I'd say go with the blade, for now. It's more what we're used too, and the energy margins are more generous.

Although, with our illegal and and special core, we are probably pretty tough. I bet we have a better fire rate than a lot of jetals.

>but if you keep firing at max, you'll blow yourself up if you don't cool yourself off.
So if we wanted to do continuous firing, we'd need to morph some kind of cooling structures?

...Arbiter's ornamentation doesn't sound quite so frivolous anymore!

>Gun training
Hmm. We got thousands of people in here, right? None of the chose to make a gun? ...although I suppose the experience isn't very useful if they haven't practiced it in freeroam.

> the epitome of Officer Hardass. Real tough on crime. Out of nowhere, one of the cops that gives a shit.
...that's a possible suspect for Sevener! Taking a position of power in the existing power system is kind of a logical role for her. And being tough on crime gives her a good excuse to hunt down other jetals for the resources she'll need to complete the mission! If she just assumed the role too, it would explain the shift in behavior.

Only odd thing is that an unlicensed jetal would be able to work for the cops. Unless she found a way to fake the credentials she needs, or the simulation started her in a slightly different situation from us.

>>493057
The big difference is everyone here is living a lie. Even if they're all real beings, they're living fake lives in a fake world with fake memories.

A fake world that is going to disappear as soon as we or Sevener wins. Everyone here is basically already dead.

We have no way to stop that. Even if we convinced everyone in here or the truth, we have no way to help them escape this simulation into the larger one we know.

The only real hope for these people is that if and when we reach the system's hidden backups where every contestant and system member is stored in our efforts to save everybody, that they're there too.
>>
No. 493172 ID: c4e5c2
File 136096437412.png - (79.93KB , 700x700 , 28.png )
493172

"Maybe he's fuelied by alcohol." That gets a laugh. "So, boss, what do I call you?"
"Boss's fine till we get to my superiors. Then, the name's Polatt."
"Alright. Also, do you know anything about field battery charges?"
"Eh, not really. Jetalium works. I hear you can just kill off a chunk of your mass for a quick pick-me-up if you gotta. Or someone else's mass."
"Also, uh, I'd like to get some clothes."
"Your trench doin' you no good?"
"My current one is jetalium."
"You're naked? Whatever. Yeah. We'll get you some."
"Any armor I could wear that would absorb some damage from a jetal damaging punch?"
"Huh? Some yeah, if you can get armor. That one's gonna be harder to get. Already pushing my brownie points for materials on this sudden mission we have going, so don't even bother yet."
"Alright. I'll choose the melee weapon then."
"Great."
"Also, you compared EIN to god. But it does have a physical form, right?"
"Yeah. Somewhere out there, that great pie in the sky EIN is just a mainframe in a warehouse. Probably guarded by half the world military, miles underground."

>Internal cavity for power cells (or regular items)
She can absorb objects into her mass, although it feels a bit weird and uncomfortable, so she'll try to make an actual internal cavity for small objects in case it comes up.

>Won by being diplomatic, ethics on killing
Diplomacy has worked well in her own world, but she was always in a better negotiating spot with confused, desperate people. Or, after awhile, with superpowered stats and a large following already. While she would like to continue the trend, she is in a worse off position for it here, and trying to be a diplomat in a risky situation would be placing nearly her entire following at risk.

>Is it possible to access Dreamspace from this lobby?
It isn't.

The rest of the drive is more or less in silence, before one of the others sticks his hand out of the car. One of the pedestrians tosses a suitcase up as the car passes, which is promptly snagged and pulled into the car. They seem well practiced at this.

"And there we are. Let's go to the bar before it starts getting too crowded."

Weapon Downloaded: Plasma Beam D
Clothes equipped: Dead Battery Trenchcoat

Duelist can tell right away that it is possible instantly charge up and flare the beam out, therefore it can effectively be used as a surprise attack or the equivalent of holding a knife to ones throat without draining battery power until necessary. Soon, Polatt drives through a building entrance and parks, where everyone gets out to walk the rest of the way.
>>
No. 493173 ID: c4e5c2
File 136096439353.gif - (28.17KB , 600x600 , 29.gif )
493173

"Alright, newbie, here we are. We're still inside dead battery territory. We know the staff well. We also know the police well, and we have understandings. We don't kill the investigator. Just rough him up a bit. Make it clear we don't appreciate his snooping around. Course, all that is after you successfully take out the jetal and show that we have the muscle to back up that unappreciation."

The bar is only partially populated, and the female staff seems flirty for reasons beyond Alison. The guards also look the exact same as the ones above Loviro's hideaway. The only customers around are drunk, and trading small items that are eaten. Alison might guess that food is are nothing more than innocent, wholesome candybars. The ones that make people put on funny faces and wiggle around after being eaten. She wonders if this is really what the stages and safe zones were supposed to lead up to, because they didn't prepare her for weird stuff like this at all.

>"Welcome, boys!" one of the staff says. "Go ahead and help yourselves to a table, we'll be with you right away. Most of us are setting up for the lunch rush. Oh, and we'll keep your respirators safe till you have to leave."
>>
No. 493174 ID: c4e5c2
File 136096440690.gif - (45.75KB , 1000x600 , 30.gif )
493174

Polatt leads everyone down and gets a table, giving the waitress their orders.

"That's our man, in the corner of the bar counter. Been tolerating him for awhile now, but the last couple of days he's been on fire through our territory. We'll give you one guess which of those guys is the jetal. Anyway, like I say, we know the staff. They'll look the other way if we pick a fight. They aren't stupid. Same with the customers. Basic plan is you go up and whack the jetal. We'll get up afterward, don't wanna tip 'em off if we all get up at once. But we got your back to make sure the investigator doesn't get in your way." Polatt texts into his phone, and Alison hears one of the girl's phone beep. "So, newbie, any questions or comments on how we're gonna handle this? We're counting on you after that electric clerk business, so take your time, we got a bit to enjoy ourselves."
>>
No. 493176 ID: b53faa

>>493174
how well do you think this particular jetal is able to fight? Any ideas what we should be looking out for?
>>
No. 493177 ID: 9ee360

Oh gods, the dancers' standing animation is butt flexes. XD

>one guess which of those guys is the jetal.
The spiky lizardish dude, of course.

I don't suppose they've seen him in action before? If they know what kinds of weapon(s) he may have?

Obviously we should be going with some kind of ambush plan, here. I don't suppose we could slip away and morph to look like one of the serving girls to get close? Sure, we won't pass for organic if he pays attention, but if they come here often, he won't see the staff as a threat. And if he's distracted or looking the other way at a more apparently threatening gangster as we approach, he won't be looking closely.
>>
No. 493178 ID: 57a559

I spent a long ass time thinking the lizard was too obvious and looking at all the samey sprites for weird movement animations (since jetals move weird and thought that was a real visual gameplay factor for determining jetals), then realized this world wouldn't have lizard people on them.

Then I'm like ffffffuck the most obvious answer is the right one.
>>493177
>Turn into a dancer
I'm having a tough time figuring out the logic of this. The dancers normally would simply be able to tell something's up due to an unreconized face, but then I realized they all have the same sprites. So they're just copy-paste unimportant NPC's I think. Or not, and this is a simple abstraction of the simulation and the dancers will immediately out us. This is thinking beyond the unique jetal movement issue, because no one could tell we weren't normal very quickly until we pointed it out.

I suggest becoming a guard/bouncer. Faceless, uniform, very little flesh is shown. The only way to become unreconized is if everyone is keeping tabs on who's on the clock and how many should be on the clock. Keep an eye on nametags of the bouncers as you leave for the bathroom.
>>
No. 493179 ID: 9ddf68

ask what weapons the other jetal has and weather or not we could take them for ourselves after we get rid of the jetal also how tough the jetal is.
As for a way to take the other jetal down I say walk up to it casually as if your just going to sit down on one of the bar stools next to him and when you get in range use the beam sword to stab him in the gut then immediately swing the blade up practically spliting it in two. even if the jetal lives after that it will still be badly hurt
>>
No. 493180 ID: 78c6ea

Only problem with the ambush plan is we don't know where he keeps his core. Could possibly hinder him enough by lopping off a limb that we could just sort of dig around and find it. Seems too risky.

I wonder what would happen if we just grabbed him and absorbed him into us, core and all?
>>
No. 493186 ID: 9ee360

>then realized this world wouldn't have lizard people on them.
Well, barring elaborate and expensive reconstructive surgery. (Which our scientist bud said was becoming harder to get). It should be within the available level of tech here though. Although I don't see many people wanting that- especially as it would lead to getting mistaken for a jetal (which apparently have less legal protections and rights than organics). We can probably pretty safely assume anything that doesn't look belonosian is a robot.

>becoming guard/bouncer
The problem with shifting to look like muscle is, well, we look like muscle. Any half decent bodyguard pays attention to muscle in the vicinity, or getting close to them. The idea behind turning into one of the dancers/wait staff isn't just about blending in / anonymity, it's about not appearing to be a threat until it's too late.

>>493180
...I think the way jetal combat works is you hurt and/or disable them, and then you keep doing that until you separate the core from the body and/or destroy it. Possibly cutting off limbs and things and absorbing them as we go? I mean, we're basically fighting a mobile pile of play-doh with a hot knife.
>>
No. 493187 ID: c4e5c2
File 136096774254.png - (12.20KB , 700x700 , 31.png )
493187

>How well do you think this particular jetal is able to fight?
At a glance, Alison has no idea.

>Change into bouncer
Alison could get their image down and normally that could be best, but she doesn't think she can fit their size. She would be conspicuously smaller.

>I wonder what would happen if we just grabbed him and absorbed him into us, core and all?
Alison doesn't think Loviro implied it was possible to absorb another core, but she does wonder if it is possible to try and absorb another Jetal's jetalium while they're still attached to it.

Before making a move, Alison will get more info.

"Do you know how well this jetal fights, or what weapons he has?"
"Nah, we're kinda in the dark. Supposedly his core is a pretty ancient model though, it's no good."
"And do you mind if I take the jetal for myself, that is, after I subdue it?"
"Yeah, knock yourself out, you get to absorb him completely. Do what you want with the core itself, we don't care."
"I might be able to slip away and then shapeshift into one of the girls in 20 minutes or so maybe to get close to him without him suspecting anything, but the girls would probably notice that I'm not one of the staff." The girls do look samey from a distance, but up close they have some differences.
"Eh? That's perfect. And yeah they'd know, I'd tell them that's what you're doing so they know not to ask funny questions and to just play along. Hell, I'm tellin' them to keep a finger over the door lock so the investigator can't scram when you do your thing. Hell, with the sword you might be able to oneshot him if you know where the core was. A shame we have no jetal x-rays, but one good swipe or lucky stab would do."
>>
No. 493195 ID: 9ee360

Alright, girl ambush plan is a go. (It should take us less time to shift into this shape, since we're doing a smaller transformation. We're changing into a similar bodyshape, not doing drastic reconstructions like lizard-bot to naga to mock-Arbiter).

A lucky stab to the core might do it. It not that, we stab or slash to keep him down and prevent counterattacks until we remove or break the core, while possibly using our off hand to try and hack jetolium off of him (if his core is older than ours, he probably won't be able to compete with our theft attacks. Especially if core to core processor warfar is carried out by the 3 or 4 thousand strong AI army we're carrying).

If we can get ahold of it, it might be interesting to see if we can board other cores. Will their be a little room with the controlling AI in it?
>>
No. 493199 ID: 9ddf68

you think if we just decapitate the other jetal it would stay down because if so I say we go for a decapitation
>>
No. 493200 ID: 6dc5a6

Melt the jetal's face off first then remove each limb starting with the arms. Hopefully destroying his sensors will give you the split seconds needed to kill him.
>>
No. 493202 ID: 9ee360

>>493199
...well, that would at least deprive him of sensory organs, giving us a brief window where he's blind / deaf before growing eyes and ears elsewhere.
>>
No. 493205 ID: f2c20c

>>493187
You know, we never found out how we can absorb a Jetal without killing them. That might be a good question to ask. I think if we can avoid that we might be able to get some useful info from the core, or maybe persuade them into cooperating with us in exchange for their life.

Maybe we can just... sortof... envelop them after cutting them down to size?

Definitely start the fight by cutting a large portion of their body away.
>>
No. 493207 ID: b33427

Sounds like the disguise and ambush plan is alright, but it could use something more. Could the boss arrange for a ruckus in or near the entryway to go off on cue while you're approaching for the hit? Something just enough to get the bodyguard Jetal to look away for a moment?

Oh, and could the waitresses put up the "closed" sign to keep out the lunch rush as well? You know this is the Dead Batteries' turf, but having more bystanders around just adds to the chance of things going sideways.

Watch the way the waitress that's doing table rounds moves and acts for a few minutes so you can try to mimic it later; It won't fool a biological, but the Jetal probably won't catch on. Do so out of the corner of your eye so you don't look like a complete perv by staring.

Take the form of the waitress that's doing rounds, that way the boss can send her to the back and you can take her place to bring a tray back to the table and the bodyguard won't get suspicious. In fact, could the waitress behind the bar act like she's out of whatever the cop drinks up front, and she'll send the other waitress around to get another bottle? That way you can walk up to him without obviously bee-lining towards him.

When it comes time to slice up the bodyguard Jetal, start by chopping off the head and grabbing it to absorb. Follow by slicing off the arms, letting them fall, then a horizontal slice below the midsection. You're aiming to whittle down the Jetal until only a small piece remains around its core. That way you can capture it for interrogation or experimentation.

Just how ancient is an "ancient" Jetal core in this case? 'Cause you are in what sounded like a prototype core that's at least thirty years old. That just might substantially predate this bodyguard's "ancient" core.
>>
No. 493212 ID: 772c81

disguise and ambush.

Since we don't know where the core is, lop off the legs and steal them, as a battle opener. Or the entire lower body, if you can cut a torso.
>>
No. 493224 ID: 735f4f

It might take awhile to absorb new material. I would not count on being able to instantly absorb new jetal until we have learned to use this body more.
>>
No. 493231 ID: b33427

>>493224
Well, in that case we'll just toss it away as we carve it off so the bodyguard can't use it either.
>>
No. 493288 ID: 78c6ea

I certainly hope this beam saber is as capable of cleaving through Jetalium as everyone is assuming.
>>
No. 493320 ID: c4e5c2
File 136098821293.gif - (31.07KB , 700x600 , 32.gif )
493320

"Is it possible for the staff to put up the closed sign?"
"Yeah, just don't ruin business for 'em by taking forever."
"Okay. When I come back out and approach the jetal, please make a distraction away from me."
"Sure."
"How ancient is 'ancient'?"
"Dunno."
"And... how does a jetal absorb another jetal without killing them?"
"Dunno. Hell, I don't even know how jetals absorb one another. Instinct or something."
"Okay. Just make a distraction for me when I come how to get him to look away."

With that new lack of insight, Alison moves off to the back when she can do so subtly, and the staff ignores her while she morphs. The bouncer behind the counter moves into the back as well. Nothing else changes as she strides out, but Polatt brings one of the other gang members to the side forcibly like they were in an argument. Duelist takes over to get the hang of the body, which no one is used to, and starts walking toward the entry like that was his destination while he hopes for a better distraction. It comes in the form of Polatt exploding at his fellow gangmember in a convincingly furious act. Duelist jumps back so he is behind the jetal, who snaps his attention to the scene. It would only last a second before he realizes it's just someone elses quarrel, but that is enough for the Duelist.

Some of the girls back away and prepare to duck behind the counter.
>>
No. 493321 ID: c4e5c2
File 136098822028.png - (22.20KB , 700x700 , 33.png )
493321

Duelist has a clear first strike. The blade handle which fires the plasma was stored in Unity's wrist. In one motion, he brings it out, grabs it, swings his harm to decapitate the jetal, and powers it on right in time to hit his neck without giving the jetal any warning. The head rolls right off.

>"In case anyone else was thinking of fighting in high heels, I don't recommend it." Duelist shares.
>>
No. 493323 ID: c4e5c2
File 136098825643.png - (27.62KB , 700x700 , 34.png )
493323

A backup eye camera pops out from the jetal's right hand. His other turns into a plasma gun in one blink as he swings around, and gets a blinding shot off in two blins. Either he was disoriented too badly or he just had bad aim, as the duelist is able to dodge the shot while bringing the sword back around. With a swipe, he takes off both legs and the arm armed with the plasma shot. One of the drug addled belenosians just barely starts noticing.

"Alright, investigator! You're ours for the next 2 minutes! Newbie, absorb that guy quick, I'd bet money he alerted EIN, so we gotta get the hell out the backdoor when we're done."

That is something Alison would have liked to know before.
>>
No. 493325 ID: 76b151

start absorbing.
>>
No. 493327 ID: f2c20c

>>493323
Running in high heels is difficult. Better bend/shorten the heels out of the way while you absorb the guy.

As for how to absorb, I dunno. Just grab his disconnected weapon arm and try enveloping it or forcing your own Jetalium into it. Do so with successively larger pieces until we find the core.
>>
No. 493336 ID: 9ee360

>no one is used to the body
>I don't recommend fighting in high heels
...dang, we really could have used Succubus. :V

>absorb him quick
Right, get down to it. Careful, one of those hunks we chopped him into still a core in it, and might be able to fight back and/or form limbs / weapons.

If possible, let's try to capture the core instead of destroying it. I'd be interested in poking around in it (can we hack it? Access the AI inside?).

If possible, we want to steal his weapon pattern along with his body mass. (Although we might need to hack the core for that).
>>
No. 493339 ID: 78c6ea

Sorry Alison. We thought it was obvious. You should still be in the clear if you can get away before anything recognizes you.

The Dead Batteries may not have anticipated that you can't really do further work for them though, as everyone now knows they are harboring an unmonitored Jetal. Whereas your secret might be preserved, theirs is quite obviously compromised. They're going to have to go deep into hiding if they want to survive unscrapped.

Now that you have begun the attack on the monitored Jetals they will be more on alert for unmonitored ones, but there are four of you last I checked, so perhaps another will end up taking the fall. Anyway like with any extremely illegal activity, you should find somewhere to hide, and stay there until the heat has blown over. You'll have to balance caution with the chance someone could take a hit on the Sapphire Emperor while you wait, but he'll likely be even harder to kill while the heat is on so hiding is a safe bet.

Two Jetals worth of Jetalium should get you up to the size of most of these Belenosians (big guys excepted). More and you might have to worry about being identified purely from size alone. In fact a way to preserve Jetalium without incorporating it into your superstructure might be important...



I'd tell you to take the other core with you for analysis, but it's probably got some sort of position tracker in it too thanks to EIN. Best to just let it get away I suppose. Don't kill it on the spot, as that would keep other Jetals unmotivated to support our efforts.

tl;dr get that Jetalium and go hide with the robots and see how this blows over. Slap them if they get cocky.
>>
No. 493346 ID: 78c6ea

>>493339

Oh, if it has an obvious communication antenna you could break that and keep the core. Otherwise you'll have to assume for now that communication with EIN is merely a game abstraction, not anything physical you can disable. Wouldn't it be great if we could free the other Jetals from being monitored though?
>>
No. 493347 ID: 76b151

We have no idea how such things work. Until we do I'm gonna say capture the core. If we can hack it we get all sorts of benefits. The rewards outweigh the risks.
>>
No. 493352 ID: b33427

Before turning the sword off, slice off the remaining arm on the bodyguard's torso. Then gather up all the loose bits and feel around on them to see if you can interface with them to absorb, before moving on to attempting to engulf them.

Leave the torso for last, since it most likely has the core in it. Absorb it until you reach the core, then try to interface with it. Have everyone in the mind-lobby ready to "repel boarders" if it tries to invade your core.

Whatever you do, do not take the core with you out of here. It likely has a hardware level tracker that cannot be disabled without destroying the core. Strip all the Jetalium off of it you can and then ditch it.

>>493327
In addition to changing your footwear to flats, start morphing street clothes over your body as well, since you're not going to have time to do a complete change before fleeing. Otherwise it'll look odd for a gal to be in that waitress getup on the street.
>>
No. 493356 ID: 9ee360

>>493352
The clothes change isn't a bad idea.

Might be a idea to actually multitask for that- have one person focused on making sure our target stays subdued and harvesting jetal, while the other makes the cosmetic adjustments we need to run and not stick out on the street (we can shift back into full Arbiter-form later).

>>493339
I think you might be overreacting a bit. We'll see how bad the police response is, but I doubt the crackdown will prevent our illegal allies from operating.
>>
No. 493366 ID: c4e5c2
File 136099192365.png - (16.18KB , 700x700 , 35.png )
493366

>Better bend/shorten the heels out of the way
Duelist may have done that, but he simply used the staff uniform that was handed to him for the same reasons as getting a new trenchcoat. His feet are jetalium, however, so he could just drop the high heels and run barefoot.

>Start absorbing
It does not appear to be self explanatory.

>Break antenna for EIN
Alison doesn't know if it is a game abstraction, but if there was a means to disconnect the jetal from EIN, it was more subtle than antenna wire.

"Uh... Duelist? Slice the remaining arm off, then... do we touch it or something?"
>"It's trying to morph into something else, so we'd better try."

He cuts off the arm, and puts Unity's hands on a chunk of small jetal.

>"Yeah. Yeah, I think that's about it, I guess it is instinctive after all. It almost like it..."
>>
No. 493369 ID: c4e5c2
File 136099207918.png - (16.97KB , 700x700 , 36.png )
493369

Alison and Duelist lose control of Unity for a second, as Unity falls straight down on top of the biggest chunk of the jetal instead and starts absorbing. It seems like surface area contact helps a lot, but more alarmingly, Alison didn't realize that Unity was starving. Enough to lose that control for that second. And jetalium is delicious, as it turns out. It's an odd feature, Alison thinks, and seems like the sort of thing that would encourage jetals to absorb each other. Either that or it's just like eating regular food, and other jetals happen to be food too.

It is also maybe not something that should be done in public if it can be helped, as it looks inappropriate. It feels inappropriate. After about a minute of unwittingly shutting off the outside world, Alison finds the other Jetal core. It's trying to absorb Unity back as the enemy core hits Unity's jetalium, but Alison is thinking that losing a lot of jetalium at once might weaken the jetal on the whole. He's not able to overpower Unity, and Alison now has access to the unharmed core. She could take it, but will probably just leave it. Once she stops eating, anyway. It does not seem like the other core is hackable in the regular sense, but it feels like the core bleeds into Alison. It would have been alarming, until she figures out that's just her absorbing the abilities as well.

Weapon gained! Plasma Shot F
Auxiliary Function found. Explosive shedding. Unity is able to shed off a certain amount of mass normally. This ability optionally allows that jetalium mass to become highly unstable, and explode between 20 seconds and 3 minutes after being completely detached.

Alison's absorption efficiency is currently at 43%. Out of 100% of the jetalium available, it will take 15% of it to recover her battery from 92% to 100%, or she can simply take all of the available jetalium and recover herself back at Loviro's hideaway.
>>
No. 493376 ID: 9ee360

>>493369
Oh. My. That was kind of unexpected.

Right, kick off heels, equipped trenchcoat, and move out. We can adjust shape later.

Leave the core, I guess. We got what we needed from it. Nice that we now have a ranged weapon (although lower rank than our blade) and the ability to make timed bombs / grenades at the cost of some jetalium mass.

>how absorb?
I'd take all the jetalium, for now. We don't need to waste the 15% of the loot to recharge the 8% of the battery we're down.
>>
No. 493377 ID: f2c20c

>>493369
Absorption efficiency? How on earth does that work? Does the extra metal just sortof vanish? Hell, I don't understand how we're consuming metal to recover battery power. Unless I guess some of the metal just becomes inert?

I think we shouldn't spend metal if we can't recover it by merely recharging. Also, note to self: Activating the laser sword drains less than 8% battery. Probably more like 5%.

It's almost time to go. Get your trenchcoat back on and see if you can morph back into your previous form, or at least what parts are visible while wearing the trenchcoat. Ask for your fee, and if they have another job set up for later. We need to report back to home base first.

I'm tempted to go back to home base in Snake Queen form, after they drop us off near the electronics shop where we met them. See if we can attract Sevener's eye and take her out. Speaking of forms, we should act on this guy's example and put backup ears/eyes here and there on our body and limbs.
>>
No. 493379 ID: 9ddf68

recover back at Loviro's hideaway for now, we are still well above half of our battery life so I think we shouldn't use the jetalium like that unless we really need to. also ask if there is a way to 'hack' a core or if it can be traced if it's untraceable take it, we can hack it later maybe and might be able to get some info on the sapphire empire and if not we might be able to sale it or maybe Loviro might have a use for it. if it can be trace just leave it.
>>
No. 493388 ID: 6dc5a6

>>493377

Lets avoid Sevener's attention for now. On the bright side with that new ability we can create our own distraction for when we take on the stronger jetal. If you can't figure out if that core can be traced or not just drop it and go.
>>
No. 493392 ID: 9ee360

>>493388
Seconding not wanting to try and draw Sevener out, just yet. We had our first somewhat lucky battle- don't get overconfident.

That, and the cops are gonna be looking for an illegal jetal. That means they'll be checking identifications and credentials on any obvious jetals they encounter. So we want to keep posing as belosian, and not using exotic forms in public.
>>
No. 493393 ID: b33427

Being clothed is probably not helping with the absorption process, so shed them if you can, but it's probably too late to do so by now.

Absorb the whole thing, since you're nowhere near the power level that would justify burning jetalium to charge. If you ever get to that point, you can burn it then.

Strip the core of all its jetalium, then hold it up to Polatt before leaving and simply ask if he knows if it has an irremovable tracer. If he says it does, or he doesn't know, ditch it. If he says it doesn't, take it with you. If he says it can be disabled or removed, ditch it if you're not taking a car out of here; Otherwise keep it with you to work on for a few minutes, before chucking it out the car window.

Check with Dualist how long he had the blade on and compare it to your charge level to get an estimate of how much juice it took to light it up and run it.

Considering the amount of heat that's about to descend on this area, you might not be able to go back to Loviro's hideout for awhile. Just go along with Polatt and the Dead Batteries' escape plan for now, since they know much more about getting away and hiding than you do.
>>
No. 493399 ID: 9ee360

>Loviro's hideout
Be nice to recharge later, but we were driven here, and we don't necessarily know the way back! (Unless our map automatically tracks where we've been, and where we are?).

I also kind of think in the immediate moment we're kind of dependent on our adopted gang for a getaway plan. And they're probably going to bring us to meet their boss next, now that we've passed our initiation and proved we aren't an undercover cop.
>>
No. 493401 ID: f2c20c

>>493399
True. We should probably meet their boss next. Our home base will be quite fine; my understanding is that the people there don't really go out much if at all and while we'd be making them worry by staying out for longer than they expect, our progress with the Dead Batteries is more important.

So yeah, let's just leave our battery as it is now, and see if we can make any more progress with these guys.
>>
No. 493404 ID: c4e5c2
File 136099647280.png - (23.26KB , 700x700 , 37.png )
493404

>Being clothed is probably not helping with the absorption process, so shed them if you can
Alison feels that this has been awkward enough as is. It's about finished anyway.

It would seem that everyone felt that event in the lobby, and the silence is quite uncomfortable before Atlas breaks it.

>"Just think of how that would have gone if we were fighting Sevener instead."

Alison will not. She can think of better ways the silence could have been broken.

>Absorption efficiency?
It seems that the raw jetalium is gained and incorporated into Alison's mass, and the rest of the jetalium turns inert and... leaves some kind of sticky, disgusting metal in its place. Loviro did say that it had some kind of biological properties, so it makes sense it would have energy stored in it even if it needs a core to be kept alive.

>How long did duelist have the blade on?
Barely a couple of seconds, nearly all of the energy used was just turning it on.

Alison goes ahead and takes the rest of the mass. She feels like she can get bigger, but she can also simply increase density instead and keep her volume. She will do that for now before she becomes a huge arbiter.

Back in the real world, the investigator seems to be taking his punches in stride. Others are staring at her while she kicks off the heels and puts the trenchcoat on, and Unity begins to morph back to Arbiter.

"Can the core be traced?"
"Yeah, if we don't destroy it, we leave it. Alright, let's get out of here!" Polatt says.
>>
No. 493405 ID: c4e5c2
File 136099650075.png - (43.77KB , 700x700 , 38.png )
493405

Everyone piles into the car frantically, and pulls out of the parking lot as casual as perfectly legal occupants with no legal messes would. Alison sinks alarmingly far into her cushion.

>"Good show, guy! Or, girl, or.." the driver says.

Alison is still morphing and right now is a very effiminate Arbiter.

"Yeah, damn good job! Officer Hardass can back up his words, though. Didn't look like he gave a shit, but we still took out a jetal. You couldn't have used up much battery, so you're gold, right? How about you come back to our place and we'll have a celebratory initiation? Hell, we'll show you a place you can stay, too."
>>
No. 493410 ID: f2c20c

>>493405
Did we seriously just leave a pile of Jetal poop behind? This just gets more and more awkward for us.

A secondary homebase would be nice, sure. Also, can we eat regular food? I forget. Maybe we should do that too to supplement the Jetalium we just consumed. However, we need to spend our time wisely. Ask how long the initiation would take, and if it would result in us getting knocked out or something for a long period of time.

Also, tell the Dead Batteries that you are very interested in any information about any other new Jetals that show up out of the blue. There is one specific one that you wish to kill.
>>
No. 493411 ID: 9ee360

Man, that inspector almost looks like he's pleasantly enjoying his beating.

>Just think of how that would have gone if we were fighting Sevener instead.
...well, her core would have put up more of a fight. It wouldn't have been as one sided. Still, if we'd caught her by surprise like that...

We have to at least assume Sevener's found a weapon by this point, though. And she's going to be hunting (for resources, us, and eventually her target) not waiting around like that guy was.

>guy! Or, girl, or
...whoops. We just accidentally made rule36 Arbiter canon. XD I see no problem with using effeminate Arbiter for a bit though. It's not like gender really matters to a shapeshifting robot. (Although if we're trying to blend in with the gang in public, male is probably better. And I suppose Sevener might suspect stand-out females as being us).

>back to their place?
A formal initiation couldn't hurt, and having more than one place to crash or hide out could be useful. I wouldn't waste much time with celebrations, though. We are on a clock (more than one, even).
>>
No. 493415 ID: 772c81

Yeah, ladyarbiter works. Why not.

And do we have a reason to not go along to this initiation? I mean, our goal IS to join/use this gang, right? Do as much as is required of you, then get going at your earliest convenience to recharge and plot.
>>
No. 493416 ID: 9ddf68

It can never hurt to have more then one fall back point so i say we should go with it, maybe see if we can't get some information about the world around us at the party and maybe some more missions for more jetalium, weapons, cash, or just plain info.
Also at some point we should try and use our new gun to get use to it so we would at least have an idea on how to use it in a fight (maybe when we know we can easily make it back to Loviro's hideaway so we can recharge), and that we talk to everyone inside the 'lobby' as our little feeding time seem to kind of scare them a little. so it could help to try and bring there moral up a bit
>>
No. 493432 ID: 57a559

>>493405
this is the point where I'm getting paranoid and don't want to go to their home base and celebrate.
We'd be too well surrounded and too valuable. Even with how useful we are, how long before the popo going to crack down their place for that jetal? Word's going to get out, no matter how much the batteries told you they had control of situation, and they know that. They're going to salvage what they can take. This wasn't a test for you, this was a trust building exercise that you build on them and so they can collect information on you and how you fight, to assess the risk on taking you in and somehow profiting from you.

Face it, their winning option with the least risk whether you were illegal or legal would be to try and make a quick buck. Win-win either way. Win-lose from their perspective if they take you in, pretending to be an illegal jetal when you a legal jetal and that's a big fat loss on their part. Look at what you saw, what you done. Big loss.
>>
No. 493433 ID: 78c6ea

The Dead Batteries seem to be loose cannons if that shopkeep was right, but they've escaped/divorced themselves from EIN which certainly puts them in the same danger we started out in. I say roll with them, but do not under any circumstances let them know where your charging station is. We'll need an inconspicuous shape for returning there too, which we use nowhere else. How about that homeless one we saw at the start?

Nice swordsmanship Duelist, by the way. Sorry about the high heels.
>>
No. 493435 ID: 9ee360

>>493432
I think jetals are uncommon and useful enough that having one working for/with them is worth more to the Dead Batteries than the heat they might pick up being associated with us.

And I'm not sure how bad the heat will even be. After learning how desperate jetals are to feed, and how pleasurable it is, as well as discovering they aren't quite as rare as we were initially told... jetal on jetal crime has to be somewhat common. You got illegal jetals hunting others, and legal jetals taking bounties to hunt them. Sure, the feds/cops would like to take us down, but I don't think we've sounded the kind of supermutant hyperevil copkiller alarm.
>>
No. 493495 ID: c4e5c2
File 136103809447.png - (13.92KB , 700x700 , 39.png )
493495

>Can we eat regular food?
Alison... doesn't actually know.

"Sure." Alison can't think of sufficient reason to hurry back to Loviro.
"Already texted the boss. He'll be seeing you right away."

Alison is also sure to get a backup eye camera in a couple spots around internally so that she can also see after being beheaded should it happen, and hopefully fare better than the other jetal.

>Our little feeding time seem to kind of scare them a little
She didn't get the impression it scared them, as much as it was just a terribly sudden point of awkwardness that caught everyone by surprise. In any case, she doesn't believe Unity is starving anymore, and she knows what absorbing is like, so she doubts it may be such an issue in the future.

They drive for around 10 minutes or so before entering another building and parking. Polatt tells Alison they won't need to worry about appearances and respirators here.

"Just remember to keep your mouth clean around the boss, give him respect and all that. I'd tell you more, but you've already got candy words."
>>
No. 493496 ID: c4e5c2
File 136103814081.gif - (127.00KB , 800x600 , 40.gif )
493496

Alison ends up taking an elevator upwards. Somewhere on around the 130th floor, the elevator finally dings.

She moves forward through a couple of rooms until she approaches what must be the main boss. Once again, she can't help notice those guards or bouncers are around.

"Welcome to the dead battery, Unity." His voice is artificial. "I expect it has been a turbulent day for you. Waking up and suddenly here. But no worries, exactly because you're here. In good hands. Do us well, we do you well. Gaus, give our new jetal recruit an opening gift, since it was so kind as to do the same for us twice over today." The one known as Gaus, the wiry belenosian, gives her a stack of cash. For all she knows she just got pennies, but of course doesn't act that way.
"That's quite a lot, thank you very much, uh, boss?"
"Yeah. Welcome. Now, make yourself at home. Things might get messy soon. We don't eliminate jetals too often. Not often enough. Police will come. Pester us. But that gives us more excuse to pester them, back. Might cool down, might not. We might not want things to cool off. We play it by ear. Now, Unity, as our honored recruit, is there anything that we can help you with?"

Alison will possibly ask about that body armor.

>Ask the dead battery to keep a lookout for sevener/a special new jetal wandering around
Alison might be afraid that may give rise to some questions about why she wants to kill or seek out a particular jetal, but the benefits may outweigh awkward questions.
>>
No. 493500 ID: 76b151

Well since we're here lets ask if they have any contacts inside the Emerald Emperor's Palace. Someone to smuggle us inside would be great. Even if it takes more favors to do so
>>
No. 493504 ID: eaf2f5

Ask whats up with that smog
>>
No. 493505 ID: 9ee360

>>493500
Hmm. I ...wouldn't think we're ready for that, just yet. We just joined this group, and they're considering pushing the police force harder. I'm not sure we can play the rebellion or regicide cards yet. Maybe when they trust us more. That, and even if they went along with it, I don't think we're prepared for the assassination mission just yet.

>Ask about Sevener
...I think the potential gains from asking them to keep an eye out for another new jetal out there making waves is worth it.

As for the why... she's from the same place we were. Where-ever it was you were made. You knew her before you really woke up the first time. And you know she wants to kill you. So you'd sorta like to find her first.

Unfortunately you don't know what name or shape she'll be wearing. Just that she would have started out sometime today, like you.
>>
No. 493506 ID: 76b151

>>493505
We can phrase it like all the best Jetal will be there. It doesn't necessarily have to be 'oh we want to kill one of your head honchos. Lead us to 'em!'
>>
No. 493508 ID: 9ddf68

just be vague with your questions. don't ask about just the sapphire empire but ask about all three (we might be able to use that somehow) and if your ask why you want to know about them just say you heard they run things but it wasn't explaned futher and you're curious.
Ask about other Jetal in the area/city and if they're any we should make it a point to avoid or any new up and coming Jetal besides us
Ask Were we could get some better weapons now that we have cash and maybe somewhere to practice our new gun
Last one, ask were our new home is
>>
No. 493513 ID: c4e5c2
File 136104150438.gif - (123.90KB , 800x600 , 41.gif )
493513

"I would like to have body armor over my jetalium, is that possible?"
"Armor is difficult. Not gun difficult, but difficult. We we can do is direct you to someone who can get you armor. You saw the receptionist on your way in. Ask her for the Undertool. That's our third party man, our black dealer, so forth."
"Thank you. Also, a short question. What is with the smog?"
"No intriguing story behind it. Belenosians need power. We get power from power plants. Best, most efficient power happens to have a smokey biproduct. Boom. Town's painted in red soot, but we can power our air fresheners to get rid of it and cool our food to boot."
"Ah. Okay, then the last thing, there's a jetal that made along with me. She wants to kill me, and I'd like to know where she is and possibly find her first. Is it possible to keep an eye out for any jetals that awoke today? I don't know what she will look like or what name she'll go by, but she probably will make a scene."
"It isn't much to go on. Jetals come and go. We won't like to make a promise to you that we will find her, but we will make a promise that if we can find her, then we will. And you will know all we know. Now. Why would this jetal want to kill you?"
"She's terribly aggressive and just doesn't like me. That's.. not a very good reason, but that's it." That may be somewhat of a lie by omission in the current situation, but on the whole, that seems to have been exactly what sparked sevener trying to beat Alison. Boss doesn't ask more, so she continues. "Thank you very much. I got a new gun module from the jetal I did absorb, is there anywhere I could practice it?"
"Absolutely. Polatt can show you around while he shows you to your new quarters."
"Thanks! Another question, since I don't know much... is there anything I should know about the three emperors?"
"Not offhand. They're about as secure on their throne as it has ever been. We used to have 20 or so emperors, but all but the three were killed, assassinated, backstabbed and so forth within their first decade as emperors. These three have been around for over 25 years. But no one wants to kill 'em. Can't say for sure, but I bet each emperor would take out the other 2 in a heartbeat if they knew what to expect."
"What do you mean?"
"Reason why they haven't been killed yet is cause they all have deadman triggers. Old Diamond Emperor said he had his back in '69. Said everyone'd better leave him alone. Some emperor thought he was bluffing, killed him anyway. Next thing everyone knows, top brass Diamond authorities try and assassinate every single other emperor. Course, only 4 succeeded, but that left a hole. A big one. Created a huge mess. The current three have something like that. No one knows what. But, no one thinks they're bluffing."
>>
No. 493519 ID: 76b151

Oh dear. We kill this guy and the entire civlization goes down in chaos. We aren't going to get much support on this.
>>
No. 493524 ID: 78c6ea

>>493519

Or, we kill this guy and the simulation ends, pronouncing us winners of the whatever it is, leaving nothing to fall into chaos. Convincing other people of that might not be easy though. I still say we should try hacking the system, somewhere covert.
>>
No. 493530 ID: 47d311

>>493519
The criminal underworld would love the ensuing chaos as it is a chance to seize power.

It'd be an even better deal since if we co-ordinate with them now, they're going to know exactly what to expect and have a plan for it whereas nobody else in this town will.
>>
No. 493531 ID: 9ee360

Hmm. Deadman switches make it complicated. I suggest we wait until the dead batteries have riled things up with the cops- that they've decided they like taking advantage of chaos.

Although, if the simulation ends when the emperor dies, the deadman switch is moot.
>>
No. 493532 ID: 76b151

Of course the deadman switches could work in our favor. Kill one of the less well gaurded emperor's... and reap the rewards via whatever revenge he had.
>>
No. 493533 ID: 9ddf68

>>493524
unless of course we have to go to the tie breaking 'survive' but hey at least we now know what to expect if it comes to that
Oh and if we have to leave to get to the fireing range/ our new hideout/home don't forget to ask about undertool and maybe see if we can get weapons from him as well
>>
No. 493535 ID: 6dc5a6

Deadman switches actually give us more options since we could actually go after one of the emperors with weaker security and use the chaos resulting from that to cover our own attempt to kill the target. There are two main flaws with this. Sevener might exploit that chaos the same way we would and beat us to the kill. The target might also end up under even higher security to deal with the chaos, forcing us to hunt down Sevener if we can't break the higher security.
>>
No. 493543 ID: c4e5c2
File 136104745746.png - (11.41KB , 700x700 , 42.png )
493543

"I think that will be all that I need, thank you once again for your assistance." Alison will have to think about how to breach the topic of actual assassination at a later time. For winning against sevener, Alison supposes it might not matter too much if she causes the downfall of society as a result, although that will not be a good way to convince people to help her.
"Welcome. Polatt, show Unity around. Ask for me through the receptionist if you need anything else."

So Polatt does. The firing range turns out to be an arcade with a focus on shooters, in which virtual guns are used with virtual ammo, due to the fact that even if one had a gun, using bullets would be prohibitively expensive to just use to train. While arcades are not illegal, the training simulations are. Nonetheless, the simulation inside the simulation is convincing, and the duelist gets some good practice in. It even has worldly simulations of real gunfights. Duelist does shoot the real plasma shot once to know how it feels and to pick the right settings in the arcade. It takes about 5% off the battery power per shot at max power, and has about 70 to 80% of the punching power compared to just stabbing once with the plasma sword.

Polatt convinces Alison to spend some leisure time on the gamey parts of the arcade, which she amuses for a little while.

Otherwise, the building is largely office and residential with some commercial, seeming to be nearly all belonging under the direct ownership of the dead battery.
>>
No. 493544 ID: c4e5c2
File 136104755014.png - (15.78KB , 700x700 , 43.png )
493544

The next stop is the receptionist for the body armor.

"I would like to see the Undertool, please."
>"Very well. Let me see... his next available appointment is on the 401st at 70 o' clock." That was, in fact, 'seventy' o' clock. "Shall I make the appointment? Unfortunately he is a third party and does charge, so it will cost 15,000 empire dollars." Alison thinks she has almost a hundred thousand crammed in her coat.
>>
No. 493546 ID: 9ee360

...how far in the future is the appointment she's offering? It doesn't help us much if that's too far away.

But otherwise, yeah, go for it. Don't go and flash all your cash at once, though. Just pay what's necessary.
>>
No. 493552 ID: 78c6ea

Man, why these backwards moocows not use kilotime like the rest of space future?
>>
No. 493555 ID: 9ee360

>>493552
It's not their fault. They won't make first contact with the human species and the metric system for nine thousand years. :V
>>
No. 493561 ID: 04b86a

It was 08:45 when the simulation started. Was that a one time thing, or do we happen to come with a clock?
>>
No. 493562 ID: 76b151

I miss shopkeep. So convenient.
>>
No. 493563 ID: 9ddf68

sure why not, just ask what time it is right now and see how much time you have to kill. If you have a lot of time, like a day or two go back to Loviro's hideout to recharge (after we find out were our new home is)
If we have a few hours before we have to go, check out our new hideout the dead batteries gave us and get a feel for the place.
If we don't have much time at all, well then just head for undertool's place
>>
No. 493565 ID: f2c20c

>>493544
Tell her you don't know how the calendar or clocks work yet, and would like an explanation before we make any appointments. Also, what's the current date and time?
>>
No. 493573 ID: eaf2f5

Are you currently morphed as regular or lady arbiter?
Or actually i doesn't matter, you should try wooing or charming the receptionist.
I bet she will be willing to move some people to get us a better appointment if we get her to like us.
>>
No. 493574 ID: 76b151

>>493573
That.. is probably a good idea. Since Alison DOES seem to have Charisma since she can attract followers and friends pretty easily (its the biggest reason she is a major player compared to the bigshots who have all sorts of other advantages)
>>
No. 493575 ID: 9ee360

>>493573
...I don't think any of our thousand odd AIs have any experience with that kind of thing!

Besides, it's not like we need to fastrack this meeting. We can work on other things if it's going to take a bit.
>>
No. 493586 ID: c4e5c2
File 136105245184.png - (11.89KB , 700x700 , 44.png )
493586

>Are you currently morphed as regular or lady arbiter?
Alison may have kept a slightly feminine face, but the body is male. It is still ambiguous arbiter.

>Charm the receptionist
She has no idea how to do something like that! Despite that she isn't sure that would help, she is still surprised at how much so far would have been up the succubus's alley.

Alison instead resorts to asking potentially stupid questions.

"What is the date and time right now?"
>"It is currently 18:74, day 398. Of year 99."
"... How many hours are in a day?"
>"... one hundred, miss..ter."
"And minutes in an hour?"
>"100."
".... what time does the sun usually rise?"
>"These days, around 5. Sets around 60.
"... days in a year?"
>"421."

She pays for the appointment, which is in three days.

>"Uh..." mathematician starts. "Okay, I've been keeping time since here, and, uh... hold on... it's been about 3 hours 30 minutes galactic time, and around... 10 hours 29 minutes belenos. So just shy of 3 belenos hours is 1 regular, or galactic time hour. Which means one belenos day is around 33 and a third regular hours. Which means.. geez... about 1.4 belenosian days is 1 galactic day, or 1 belenos day is about .72 regular days. Then... 3 belenos hours, one regular... 300 belenos minutes, 60 regular, which means, if I'm not mistaken here, one minute we think passes will be 5 belenosian minutes? And finally, 421 belenos days is about 589 regular days, or about 1.61 years compared to 1 galactic year.

What Alison is gleaning from this is that time sucks. She wants a watch. Also, maybe a future-map. In fact, there were shops in this building, Alison might just want to go shopping for stuff, with her giant wad of cash.
>>
No. 493587 ID: 76b151

Yes, lets go get a map and a watch. We might also get a snack \ drink to test out eating.
>>
No. 493588 ID: 735f4f

While our crew might seem like they know there stuff we have no real world experience at all. Alisons reaction to the bar was so innocent and confused. All our old simulations with were other Ai's. Now we are dealing with stuff that's simulating real people. So sex drugs and all the odd bullshit real people have running through there heads all day. Should be interesting to see just how accurate this simulation is.
>>
No. 493594 ID: 9ee360

To make the time situation even more confusing: time inside this simulation is almost certainly passing much faster for us than it is for the allies we left outside (if things haven't slowed to a stop all together). And even then, we know time for all of inside whatever we're in passes quicker than it does in the real world (each loop is only 3 days long- even non counting Corruption cheating time, we've been going longer than that).

...a watch isn't a bad idea at all, especially if we're going to need to coordinate with people. We're limited in how much in the way of mundane tools we can carry though, if we want to maintain the ability to shapeshift as needed (unless we resort to carrying things inside ourself).

>she is still surprised at how much so far would have been up the succubus's alley.
Surprise MVP character of the year. She even had practice with shapeshifting!
>>
No. 493598 ID: f2c20c

Let's get a map, a watch, a utility knife, and a pocket flashlight.
>>
No. 493609 ID: 35037c

Get the watch first and then the map.
>>
No. 493618 ID: c4e5c2
File 136106074261.png - (17.73KB , 700x700 , 45.png )
493618

Alison purchases a watch, a map which simply comes in the form of a handheld minicomputer with other applications that happen to include a map, a utility knife and a flashlight. While walking, she thinks she is using more battery power to lug around more weight, but she could be wrong. It's hard to tell, because it's still an extremely low amount. Still, soon enough she thinks she might be able to get concrete numbers like she did while absorbing, that way math can crunch numbers that matter to her.

Next on the to-do list, is to try to get something to eat. She doesn't think it'll hurt. Some kind of steak thing is purchased, and she goes to sit down with Polatt.

"It... doesn't taste like much of anything."
>"You need tastebuds, Alison." Engineer says.
Oh, right... oh, this jetalium can make them? Yes. That's convenient, and apparently instinctive too.

Alison can also feel the jetalium digest the food as she makes a stomach cavity inside her, thankfully this time making digestion an internal process. Soon, her tastebuds inform her that the steak is also delicious, although weakly, so she keeps on creating tastebuds.
>>
No. 493620 ID: c4e5c2
File 136106081975.png - (13.16KB , 700x700 , 46.png )
493620

Alison soon discovers the reason why a stomach does not have taste buds.

Also, the chair makes a menacing crack under her weight.

None of this simulation has been very kind to her dignity so far.
>>
No. 493623 ID: 78c6ea

Tastebuds at the mouth entrance alone, Alison! Sweet in the front, bitter in the back, salty/savory on the sides.

This weight thing is getting very silly. It appears absorbing Jetalium has its own problems that may hinder our efforts to get to EIN or the Sapphire Emperor. We really need to enlist the aid of other Jetals, further complicated because we're so delicious, if we want to carry around a lot of Jetalium. That or figure how to create more cores and populate them with our team members.

Say

This body doesn't have an instinctive reproductive function, does it?
>>
No. 493624 ID: 9ee360

>tastebuds in stomach
Um.... yeah. Not such a good idea. Poor Alibiter. Try to avoid breaking from biological designs unless you can think of a good reason to do so.

So... did that experiment do anything? What kind of energy returns are we getting on breaking down organic food?

Actually, what are our energy reserves at now?

Where do we think we stand with planning for our mission, now? We have allies, and basic weaponry. We have some excess jetalium, but we don't know how much we'll need. We don't have a way to get at our target yet. We will eventually have armor.

So... what do we do next? Do we need more jetalium? More weapons? Start looking for an angle to get at the emperor?
>>
No. 493625 ID: f2c20c

>>493620
Density seems to be a big problem. Try shifting some weight around to our legs/feet or returning to the naga form for a weight distribution that doesn't focus so much weight on the chair. We could also 'eat' some of our metal to recharge and also reduce our weight, but then what would we do with the waste? We can't just leave a sticky pile of disgusting metal on the floor.

Also yeah we should keep tastebuds isolated to the mouth where we do our chewing. Also, I would like to raise a second concern. You're gonna have to go to the bathroom later after digesting all this.

Ask Polatt what sort of trouble the Dead Batteries get up to, anyway. Mainly weapons dealing?
>>
No. 493627 ID: f2c20c

>>493624
Well, considering the dead man's switch, we can contemplate taking out one of the other emperors if they're easy to get to, and using the resulting wave of assassins for our own benefit.
>>
No. 493629 ID: b53faa

>>493620
ok, time to spread our weight a little. Try to focus our density into the legs for now, that way we don't put any uneeded strain on the furniture, yo.
We should also try and see about finding a way to change faster, as I can see GREAT VALUE in being able to easily and quickly shift our bodies. Nothing ridiculous, I am just thinking perhaps making it so that we can put more weight into our fists mid-fight, or maybe put more density into our arms for blocking at a moment's notice.

We need to be well prepared for the big boss battle, so let's try and get our abilities as refined as we possibly can.

Also, we need more jetalium. If we focus on spreading the weight around effectively, the weight issues shouldn't be much of an issue for us.
>>
No. 493640 ID: 9ee360

>>493629
Adjusting our density distribution so there's more mass in our legs when sitting is reasonable. For moving around / fighting we may want it more evenly distributed (otherwise we have less material to work with in other areas for adaptive shapeshifting, toolmaking, weapons forming, and we take a disproportionate loss if we lose a leg).
>>
No. 493660 ID: c4e5c2
File 136106639694.png - (18.45KB , 700x700 , 47.png )
493660

>Results of food experiment
Aside from being able to eat food and enjoy it, the jetalium is able to recharge its battery. Alison thinks that she might have eliminated the battery loss or so, as right now it does not seem like battery usage is going up or down at all, so she may have struck equilibrium. There doesn't seem to be much, if any, downside. If there is, it is so minute that she doesn't think it would be a problem.

>This body doesn't have an instinctive reproductive function,
Alison thinks that she has had enough awkward moments to avoid testing this out in front of a virtual audience of thousands.

>We could also 'eat' some of our metal to recharge and also reduce our weight, but then what would we do with the waste?
She can probably dispose of it better next time. The first time was, well, the first time.

>You're gonna have to go to the bathroom later after digesting all this.
The hindsight in this is powerful, and she is going to have to do that in front of an audience as well. Maybe she can delegate that.

>Actually, what are our energy reserves at now?
87%, after shooting the plasma gun once.

For now, she makes Arbiter's feet bigger and leaves some weight off the chair. She might just be able to grow in volume in general, in fact. It won't make her lighter, but it will make her less of a bowling ball.

"So... what do the dead batteries do for business anyway? Arms, weapon dealings?"
>"Nah, like you saw, a lot of that is 3rd party involvement. Think of us as a sort of mini-government. We get protection money from certain establishments, and they get a bit of insurangce. Take for instance the damages caused in the bar, from our enemy's plasma shot. We'll pay for repairs, and they'll continue their cooperation. Other times, we take bounties from the police themselves to fight other crime syndicates. The way the police see it, is that if they just have to spend a little cash to get the crime to fight itself, then why not? Everyone wins. That's just a couple ways. Now, I didn't know you jetals could eat after all, so let me take you around the food courts. My treat."
>>
No. 493662 ID: c4e5c2
File 136106660854.gif - (21.57KB , 763x363 , 48.gif )
493662

Alison will enjoy the food from the lobby and let Iso or whoever wants to take over, as she wishes to ask for other input.

"So what should we do, now? We could always use more alliances, jetalium, or even just basic weaponry. We might have enough jetalium, actually, we're pretty heavy up there, but getting abilities from stronger jetals could be good."
>"There is that stronger, security jetal that was originally mentioned."
>"We could use some statistics." engineer thinks. "We've got almost no data on our performances other than having an easy time taking out a weak jetal, but not much we can use. Loviro told us almost nothing, and I think we should pay him a visit."
"Yes, we'll be heading back there anyway, but perhaps we could do it faster. Also, being able to shapeshift faster would help."
>"I do believe that, actually, may be instinctive as well." Duelist says. "We may be able to simply increase our morphability, as for some reason I got the impression it was far slower than it needs to be. At the same time, if we were set to low morphability, then I wonder if there are shortcomings of having a high morphability.
>>
No. 493663 ID: 35037c

You should totally start pimping yourself out for cash...
>>
No. 493664 ID: 9ee360

>high/low morphability
Hmm. If there's a toggle we can throw for that, we might want to experiment with how the body functions differently at the high setting.

If I had to guess at the drawbacks, there's probably less structure and looser forms. In exchange for fast swapping, we may lose some of the integrity of whatever form we're actually occupying, putting us in a slight disadvantage in combat, and when disguised.

Setting aside time to chat with Loviro again (and recharge at the same time) is probably good, as is looking into going after the stronger jetal who was giving the dead batteries trouble.

Idea for future trouble: if we're in a situation where we need to be dodging deathtraps / incoming fire? We might want to turn to Gambler. His success rate in that area has been uncanny.
>>
No. 493666 ID: f2c20c

>>493659
At least we can decide to emit waste in whatever manner we wish. Doesn't have to be a conventional digestive tract and opening.

The morphability question seems to be something to ask Loviro. If it's possible to just switch to high morphability while we need to shapeshift, then switch back to low to reduce any side effects, that would be optimal.

Also, let's uh... make our form a little bigger in general. Make the body's shape a bit more similar to the big guards we've been seeing. Keep the distinctive horn style though so we're still recognizable to our allies.

Is there really nothing out of that other door in the Lobby? To the right, there? Is anything at all visible out the window? I wonder if Sevener is like, right next door to us behind one of these walls. That would be interesting. It would introduce the possibility of a direct assault, but because of the limited space here and free summoning that would be a huge clusterfuck. A better thing to do would be to spy on her, and listen in on what she's doing, while ensuring we aren't spied on ourselves.
>>
No. 493683 ID: b33427

Hey, just out of curiosity, ask Polatt what's up with all the same looking giant guards. Are they all made in the same place or what?

Better get a read on how much Unity weighs pretty soon. We don't want to put any elevators and such over-limit just 'cause we didn't know that. Ask Polatt where there'd be a large scale you could use, since a normal bathroom scale would be crushed (and that'd be embarrassing.) Once we've got a number, we can ask how that compares to various belenosians, either bio, borg, or bot, and choose a body based on that.

We'll hold off on testing high-morphability until we're back at Loviro's hideout, and choosing a new body shape. On the way there, morph into a belenosian form you haven't used yet, but isn't anyone you've seen so far. A plain looking female with a non-distinctive random set of horns will do.

Before leaving the Dead Batteries' tower, ask Polatt about the possibility of getting a jetalium charging station at a separate safe house for yourself. Either by them buying or stealing the whole thing, or the parts to build one.

The density of jetalium also brings up an additional way we could be detected: Seismic and weight sensors embedded in floors. Those, coupled with cameras to read our general volume, would raise a red flag. So we should expect that in in at least the highest security locations.

Also, start collecting what documents on culture, history, science, engineering, biology and so on you can get here. Then during down-time Historian, Engineer, and Mathematician can take turns driving Unity and reading up on this setting; Heck, you could create a form with a whole mess of eyes so everyone in here can read a different thing each. You'll want them to soak that knowledge up so it'll be available when you need it. The culture, history, and biology part'll help avoiding social screw-ups, at least.
>>
No. 493689 ID: c4e5c2
File 136107258719.png - (8.09KB , 700x700 , 48.png )
493689

>Also, start collecting what documents on culture, history, science, engineering, biology and so on you can get here
A stop at a bookstore will be made.

Alison moves back to Unity, but asks questions about the lobby.

"So what's outside the normal door in there?"
>"Uh... sorta close copy to your house, funny enough." Strongarm says. "Plus outer fields. Sorta like the dreamland, cept not. Most of everyone's in the fields, since the house is still only so big."

"Hey, Polatt, what's with those big guys I keep seeing around?"
"Oh, them? B class security robots. Just about anyone can purchase them, cause they're all under EIN. Or, you know, supposed to be. They're simple brute bots, and one of the easier ones to crack."
"Also... is there a large scale somewhere?"
"Huh. I'm sure we can find one, let's take a look."
"While we do, is there any way we could get a jetalium charge station?"
"Uh... maybe in the far future, but we never really had much for jetals, you know. So we'll just have to keep you fed and hunting, and try to keep your battery use at minimum. Till then, we'll put that on the shopping list. Definitely not something easy to come by."


Soon enough Alison gets into a shop that has a larger weight scale. It looks like it's a novelty sort of thing, but it's said to be accurate. 415 kilos. Most elevators support that, due to having things like those security bots move around, but she will have to pay mind still. Polatt weighs about 120, and he is mostly robotic by this point. The average belenos weighs 65 kilos, and the B class security bots weigh around 380.
>>
No. 493693 ID: c4e5c2
File 136107321362.png - (20.84KB , 700x700 , 49.png )
493693

While Alison and the others join in to what turns into a modest party with the gang members, Unity starts increasing morphability. Not much, but she does need to get a feel for it sometime. It's somewhat of a slow process getting it up there, but as it goes it is easier to mold as expected. She is not at max, but she can make a few estimations about what it would be at max. For one thing, shifting from low morph to high morph would take around 2 or 3 hours normal time, 6 to 9 hours belenos hours. But, she thinks that at its max, she could completely change forms in around 5 minutes, and from, say, arbiter to the dancer within a couple.

The downsides start showing up, though not in ways that harm her now. For one thing, her surge value appears weaker, and at maximum morphability she doesn't even know if she'd be able to use the beam sword, or if so, then it would be cutting it close. Also, her battery usage starts going up substantially, perhaps upwards of quadruple battery power just to exist. Numbers are still proving too hard to catch, but she's getting there. She moves back down to her original state, and will cease further experiments until she's back around Loviro.

But first, with the morphability, she increases her size to a bit bigger than the average belenos. Some people notice, but as it is no secret here that she is a jetal, no one's jaw is slackening.

She's distracted by a stranger coming up to her between all the eating and drinking.

>"Hey, have a joining up present! It'll keep your face hidden from upper building security globes, actually fits your horns, and it's still in style in some areas. Welcome to the family!" the stranger says.
>>
No. 493694 ID: c4e5c2
File 136107322592.png - (12.54KB , 700x700 , 50.png )
493694

Although Alison was obviously aware of everything up to this point, it just now truly dawned on her that she just joined the mafia.
>>
No. 493695 ID: 9ee360

>>493691
Oh. My. Gods.

We made rule36 Arbiter and Mafia Alison canon.

Alison: swap control off to someone else and hold a small internal freakout with Iso.

>weight
Hmmm. I'm not sure we could handle much more jetalium, then. It would make us stand out, a lot (...although for all we know Sevener is gonna go full on super battle tank with all the mass she can).

>morphability modes
Yeah... for now I think low is better. We need to be effective in the forms we're in more than we need to be able to quickly swap forms. We may find circumstances where things are otherwise, but we haven't, yet.

>house and fields
Do the people out there get to watch what's going on with unity too? I know we can't have everybody in the main room, but if the people out there have a good idea, they should be able to pass it along.
>>
No. 493696 ID: 35037c

This is awesome, we should be honored to be in the family, enjoy the part, we did great today. :3
>>
No. 493697 ID: 6dc5a6

Mafia Quest is go. It might be a good idea to look into ways we could get more battery power out of food. Switching to high morph for combat will likely become a necessity when we take on smarter jetals. In addition we may want to investigate if it's possible to switch the sword over to an external power source so we can use it in tandem with the high morph mode.
>>
No. 493699 ID: 735f4f

High morph mode seems mostly just for quick disguises and such. Maybe sneaking through tight spaces as well. Valuable when we need it but probably not the best for combat. Will have to test things out more later.
>>
No. 493700 ID: f2c20c

>>493695
Rule 63 is gender-swap.

>>493694
Let's spend a token amount of time at the party, then say we really should get back home to talk to our scientist buddies. They must be getting worried by now.
>>
No. 493701 ID: 78c6ea

Great. They're calling it a family. Crooks only do that so they can squeeze more out of you than if you were just a worker or a friend. Free labor for the family and all. I suggest you make yourself scarce right now. Get back to your charging station and wait there a day or so. If these guys aren't a smoking ruin by then because everyone targets them trying to get to you, then maybe we can rely on them. As-is we should probably scoot before the police stop ignoring this "hidden" base and start EMPing it.
>>
No. 493702 ID: 9ee360

>>493700
...whoops. If it exists, someone will accidentally get it backwards. Twice. >_<

Checking back with the scientists as a next step seems reasonable. Although I still think over-worrying about the police response is silly for now.
>>
No. 493713 ID: b33427

Well, you sorta felt it'd happen at some point. May as well be now, when there's a whole mafia organization to help you out.

Thank the delivery man for the hat, and keep wearing it while you're in the Dead Batteries' tower. However, stash it when you're outside their territory. It'll likely mark you as a member of some crime organization, and hiding your face from security monitoring is only really helpful to those who can't just change their face.

Shift back to as low a morphability as you can for now to conserve energy. You won't need high morphability unless you're in a situation where changing forms to disguise yourself is needed.

Pass on the eating for now, and move on to exclusively drinking; Specifically really high proof cheap booze. See if burning ethanol will give you the same energy as food, without the waste issues. Grab a few bottles for testing later, when there isn't a mix of food and drink in you.

Is that 380 kilos for the brute bots with or without all the gear they wear? 'Cause if it's about 415 kilos with, you could completely pass as one by morphing into one with the gear. Even if it's with the gear, you can morph into one with a particularly heavy piece of gear, such as some heavy armor or a heavy riot shield. Ask Polatt if they carry that kind of stuff without it being illegal.

For now, morphing into the form of a big, beefy male belenos would be a decent compromise; Something on the high end of the bio-belenos scale. Or perhaps a beefy female belenos, just to change things up. Also, get some regular clothes to match whatever form you get.

>>493701
This seems like being overly paranoid, but you don't know. The Dead Batteries may be overconfident in the authorities either not knowing they have an unbound jetal, or them not caring if they do. Better ask Polatt if he's honestly REALLY sure that the police or government or something won't come down on here like ton of bricks. That there's no moles or hidden surveillance or any shit like that in here. 'Cause you'd rather not your downfall be from overconfidence.

Even if they are sure in their security, you'd rather be at a separate safe house that's completely separate from any known Dead Batteries organization. You just happen to have one, in the form of the Loviro's hideout, you just need them to discreetly get you near there. You can get the rest of the way on your own.
>>
No. 493720 ID: 9ddf68

A thought just hit me
Right now we are basicly playing GTA 'in SPAAAACE'
anyway see if you can find out where your new hideout is and maybe stop by if it's on the way back to Loviro's Hideout if not we can swing by before or after the meating with undertool depending on how much time we have
>>
No. 493721 ID: c4e5c2
File 136107965818.png - (12.71KB , 700x700 , 51.png )
493721

>Is that 380 kilos for the brute bots with or without all the gear they wear?
Alison believes it included the gear, since the gear was standard.

"Thank you for the hat. And Polatt, do the security bots carry that gear around legally?"
"Yea. The guns only work to their specific model name, and if EIN detects they've been destroyed or are under attack or something, they'll send other bots to try and pick up the remains."
"And... are you sure the police won't come down on here hard?"
"We can't be sure, but it's gonna take a little more than that event to get them to do something like declare war. Watch your back, though, if they want to take care of illegal jetals, they'll probably be trying to come directly for you first."
"Then, if they come for me, and find me in your hideout, they'd have an excuse to mess with you guys. I do have another hideaway from just before I met all of you, so you can just show the police I'm not around here."
"Wasn't planning on kicking you out on the street. We set you up a room and everything."
"And that is very nice, and I would like to be able to use that room, but I do think it's best if I keep some distance. What if a mole or security bot comes by and sees me?"
"They probly already know you're here... so if you're suddenly not, that could work. Alright, why not. You bought a pad, so we'll keep in touch. Till then, I'll drop you off. Where's it at?"
"Nearby the electronic shop, actually."
"Alright."

Alison keeps them company for a bit longer, before purchasing some bigger clothes in case she shapeshifts to something larger. With that, Polatt drives Alison back.
>>
No. 493723 ID: c4e5c2
File 136107974677.gif - (3.23KB , 137x149 , 52.gif )
493723

During this time, Alison gives Iso some hugs. Duelist morphs into the homeless guy to come back, but turns back into Arbiter quickly enough.
>>
No. 493726 ID: c4e5c2
File 136108013839.gif - (16.93KB , 800x600 , 53.gif )
493726

Loviro is about as excited as he gets when Alison returns. It is currently only around 30:00. Her sense of time is going to take awhile to get used to this.

"Excellent! You did not get yourself killed, so I expect this was successful. Not to mention you have grown."
"It was sort of sink or swim out there."
"Yes, but I've set your model out to sea like this before. They float, they always float, and it seems the times haven't changed much! A good thing, too, as I have no time to waste."
"Where are Vinyl and Yallows?"
"Yallows did something with his implant. I don't know what. But he ran off, and Vinyl went to chase him. Nevermind. You've been busy shopping. Tell me everything that happened. Spare no detail."
So Alison does, and there are quite a few details to share.
"Haha! You go out into a foreign world and manage to get yourself into trouble by midday. We can use this, I believe. And already getting a jetal. It does sound as though they have become more common. It is a shame I don't know what that model was that you defeated."
"Speaking of which, are there numbers we can get? It would be nice to know."
"Yes. You have a couple of weapons now, and have had time to stretch, so to speak, so our numbers will be fine. We can worry about Yallows later."

Alison does various rote exercises that take a few hours of data collection, along with recharging. Between her info and that, she gets a far more concrete idea of what her specs are.

Vinyls and Yallows are still missing.

Available stats will be at:
http://tgchan.org/wiki/Unnatural_Selection_Stats#Temperary_Belenosian_CAI_statistics
>>
No. 493730 ID: c4e5c2
File 136108079758.png - (2.53KB , 200x177 , whoops.png )
493730

It sure is a good thing Alison waited till entering the hideaway before changing back, because she sure did accidentally bring his decorations back too.
>>
No. 493733 ID: 9ee360

Oh hey. We went full on Arbiter, ornaments and everything. Those work at all as cooling structures for faster shooting? :V (Otherwise they aren't very useful- they make us stand out and it's easily severed jetalium).

Hmm. I think we have to investigate the missing NPCs, for now. They're a liability- if Sevener gets ahold of them and discovers the location of our charging station, we're boned.
>>
No. 493735 ID: f2c20c

>>493726
I think we'd better go looking for them. Maybe use our Dead Batteries contacts to get extra eyes out for them.

She said she has no time to waste- what are her plans, exactly?
>>
No. 493736 ID: 47d311

Ask him if he could make use of that jetal core off the one we killed, or any future cores of jetals we kill.
>>
No. 493737 ID: 9ddf68

ok so how much time do we have untill we have to meet undertool, because if we have some time we should ask Loviro if it might be a good idea to look for Vinyls and Yallows. If we do go look for them I say we go with some kind of generic looking Belenosian so we don't draw to much attion to ourselves
>>
No. 493747 ID: 6dc5a6

>>493735

Those missing folk's are quite a liability. Find out if you can quickly disconnect that recharger unit for relocation if you suspect this safehouse is compromised.
>>
No. 493771 ID: 78c6ea

>>493735

How about not let some robot goons know about our beneficient creators and saviors or simulacrum thereof.

Ask about Jetal cores. Can they be disconnected from EIN, if nothing else voluntarily? The Dead Batteries sure managed it though they're not Jetal. For all you know there could be a bunch of unmonitored Jetal running around.
>>
No. 493779 ID: b33427

Sad to say, but you're going to have to act as if this hideout has been compromised. The danger is not in their capture, since they probably won't give up the hideout location right away; It's in if they're followed. Even if Vinyl and Yallows come back alright, you have no idea if they've been tailed by the police or Sevener, and the first any of you will know is when an assault squad or Sevener comes busting in. Knowing this, you should err on the side of caution and bug out ASAP.

Tell Loviro this, and that he ought to start disconnecting the jetal charging pod and making it ready for transport, along with anything else he needs to bring. You can probably get the Dead Batteries to send a truck to discreetly load everything onto, including Loviro, along with a new safe house to hide in. Head on up and find Polatt or another Dead Batteries member to speak with about that, before coming back to help pack things up, and ask questions.

There's quite a number of things to ask and do before leaving, since you may not get a chance to talk to Loviro again:

Ask in what way does Unity's morphability level effect its power consumption, surge levels, anything else of note, and what the numbers on those are.

Is there any way to increase Unity's battery capacity, surge level, or base surge recharge rate?

What materials can Unity consume and digest that have better energy density and uptake then ordinary food and drink? Maybe various commonly available solid, liquid, and gaseous fuels? What about really strong booze?

Are there devices other than a jetal recharging pod that could be used to restore our battery charge, albeit at a reduced rate? Perhaps ones we could make ourselves using common components? Can we use regular batteries to recharge ourself?

How much kinetic abuse can jetalium take before taking damage or breaking apart? What about jetal cores? Could we safely use our body as a kinetic weapon by falling on the target from a great height, so long as we take precautions to cushion our core?

Ask where can we get, or how can we make, a power supply that mimics a jetal core so that we can store excess jetalium from ourselves without it degrading. What kind of storage containers can we use? How do we remove jetalium from ourself with minimal loss? We need to know this for later on to offload the extra jetalium mass we absorb along the way, otherwise we'll end up breaking vehicle suspensions or putting our feet through building floors. (Cracking the food court chair was embarrassing enough. No need to repeat it on a grand scale.)

Is there any point to capturing jetal cores from defeated jetals? Can info be extracted from them? Is it possible to remove their EIN-link? Could a core be wiped and used as the basis for a new, unbound jetal derived from us? Is there any way to block the EIN-link signal, perhaps by placing the core in a shielded, lead-lined box?

Get a physical description of Loviro's rivals (Alys, Lopopo, Zyronn) from him so you can ID them if they ever cross your path. For this call up whoever available has the best art skills to helm Unity and play the part of police sketch artist with Loviro.

Once all the questions are asked and answered, and stuff done, then you can take off to try and find Vinyl and Yallows.
>>
No. 493806 ID: c4e5c2
File 136112639453.gif - (16.07KB , 800x600 , 54.gif )
493806

>Do the ornaments work at all as cooling structures?
True to classic Arbiter, in his own words, they are purely ornamental. Alison will get rid of them over the next several minutes.

>What materials can Unity consume and digest that have better energy density and uptake then ordinary food and drink? Maybe various commonly available solid, liquid, and gaseous fuels? What about really strong booze?
"Most things work, but the more dense things are, the less efficient jetalium becomes at digesting it, and the harder it becomes. I suggest sticking to food. Booze is also acceptable. Things like gasoline should only be done if you are on the verge of losing all battery power."
"Is it possible to gain battery power?"
"Yes, but I do not have the core design boost anymore. It would be gained similarly to weapons."
"Are there any other devices that can help recharge me?"
"You can plug yourself into any outlet, but it's quite slow and uncomfortable. It would take several days to recharge, too."
"Regular batteries?"
"Only powerful ones would do anything. Again, this is all like food would be. Try to charge yourself using non-jetal chargers and it becomes inefficient."
"You said there were things other than cores that could keep jetalium alive, too. Where could we get one?"
"They are under lock and key inside of the palace itself."
"How do I remove jetalium from myself with minimal loss?"
"Instinctive. You simply take off an arm or something. It will die off, yes, but that is slow, and you can regain your own native jetalium at almost 100% efficiency."
"Is there anyway to remove a jetal from EIN?"
"By killing it. Cores are hackable in theory, but the government fears them. If it senses it is being hacked, there are kill switches that will be employed. Don't expect jetal help unless you know it is already illegal. Robots are far easier to remove from EIN, but that is still difficult and requires a great deal of internal surgery."
"Is there any point in capturing jetal cores from defeated jetals?"
"I would say no. The only point in even leaving them alive would be out of mercy."
"Is there any way to block an EIN signal?"
"Yes, there are EIN jammers that are short range, but I do not know where you could find one, and I am sure it would make guns look like a minor infraction. Although I must say, the police have seemed even more casual and lazy than I remember."
"How much kinetic abuse can jetalium take before taking damage or breaking apart?"
"Lots, but when people fight jetals, that is how much they bring. Take those large security bots. They show their small pistol, but they have a large machine gun in a panel in their back. A few shots of that would only do so much, but if you stand in front of him while he holds the trigger, you will definitely be in trouble!"
"Can I jump off of a building and be okay as long as I cushion my core?"
"Yes, but that largely depends on your air resistance and density. If you simply fall like a brick and are hard as diamond, it will hurt. I said your core is fragile, but only because it is easily chipped. It would have to be near shattered to honestly break. In other words, it has low resistance to damage, but can still take quite a bit."
>>
No. 493809 ID: c4e5c2
File 136112656583.png - (10.46KB , 700x700 , 55.png )
493809

>How much time until undertool's appointment?"
That is still in more than two days, or more like 3 days with alison's sense of time. Which was already sparse since night/day cycles weren't much of a thing in safe zones.

>Ask in what way does Unity's morphability level effect its power consumption, surge levels, anything else of note, and what the numbers on those are.
Morph section added
http://tgchan.org/wiki/Unnatural_Selection_Stats#Temperary_Belenosian_CAI_statistics
"Also, I should say! Although it may be used as a weapon, we call that explosive shedding an auxiliary core boost. You may have as many downloaded as you can get, but only so many active. That is farther down the line, however."
"You said you have little time to spare? What are you planning?"
"Planning? I am hardly a schemer, that is Yallows thing, if only he wasn't so... pathetic. That 'no time' note is merely some more pre-implant material of mine. I have no idea. Perhaps I am waiting for something."
"Lastly... I noticed that computer says straw/gel method?"
"Oh, yes. What you performed was the gel method of absorption, simply molding over with surface area. Far less efficient, but by far the fastest way. The straw method requires an auxiliary boost and a morph rating of 40 but right now I estimate it has an efficiency rate of 76% for foreign jetalium. Right now, it's only gel for you."
"I think we should get out of here. It's possibly Yallows and Vinyl could be followed. Please tell me the physical description of those rivals of yours. Can we move this jetal charger?"
"Impossible. It is built into the wall itself. God knows why it is even here. God knows what kind of beasts this room was even made for. If you want to search for Vinyl, then by all means, I can give her a call and you may go after her. But I am not keen on moving, no matter the risk."
>>
No. 493811 ID: 9ee360

Hmm. So the scientist doesn't want to move, and the charger can't be moved. I guess our charging station is sort of a fixed base we have to protect / keep secret.

>refueling off alcohol
...is it safe to assume that won't effect us the same way it does organics?

Otherwise, yeah, I think the next thing we need to do before heading back to the dead batteries is checking in on the missing Yallows situation. If Severner or her allies come across them, that could lead them back to our charger (if this is supposed to be an equal simulation, it's possible one of Sevener's sheep is loose, too. In which case she may be out looking as well, and we may discover her people or charger). It might also be interesting to see what he has to say without implants.
>>
No. 493812 ID: b59bfb

Ask if we can take out their implants, because their choice in having them is odd, we would get more information if they didn't have implants I say we do some surgery.
>>
No. 493813 ID: 9ee360

>>493812
We already asked about that at the first meeting, and he didn't seem down with the idea. And I'm not think forcibly attempting surgery is a good idea.
>>
No. 493815 ID: 57a559

If two jetal's love each other very much, can they make a baby jetal?
How does uh, sex work with Jetals anyway? With organics and with jetals.
I am being perfectly professional here. Lord knows how many hitwomen have killed through such means. Hitmen too. Hmm, not sure which number would be less, if men belosians are the more submissive gender in relations, the hitman number might be higher.

Shit, at that bar it could have been a Men's Night for all we know. Whisker's being Whiskers might not be all that rare either. I have no idea on the culture of these things, men and women could have been treated completely equally for all time unlike humans. They might not even have word for empress, and refer to female emperors as emperors.
>>
No. 493816 ID: 78c6ea

>>493815

Alison stated earlier she was not comfortable with exploring those options with all her friends watching in the lobby.
>>
No. 493819 ID: 57a559

Who said she has to do it? Someone else here could be comfortable with it.
Besides, this is just a question. It might be an important last ditch effort.
>>
No. 493821 ID: 9ddf68

might as well see if we can find Vinyl and by extension Yallows. Not like we have much else to do untill the meeting anyways
>>
No. 493822 ID: b59bfb

>>493815
I am also curious as to how this works.
>>
No. 493825 ID: b33427

Yeah, he can make the call. Vinyl could probably use a hand in searching for Yallows, and you don't have much else to do right now anyway. Better choose a form you haven't used before, such as a big, beefy guy so you can use those new clothes you've got. Change up the ears and horns as well. Maybe add some piercings and horn carvings.

You probably can come up with a way to get the both of them back to the safe house with almost zero chance of them being followed. Perhaps morphing into the form of one of those class B guard bots and smuggling them in one at a time within yourself? There ought to be enough room in the torso to fit one of them in, if they curl up. Wouldn't be comfy, but it would be safe.

Before leaving, ask what Unity's limits are when it comes to body volume and density, and how either one effect power usage and suchlike. You'd like to know if morphing into something that can fly, or at least glide, is feasible.

Oh, and since Loviro won't leave, could he at least take steps to escape when the hammer inevitably drops? Stuff like putting up traps and barricades to slow the enemy, and making a collapsible escape tunnel to a nearby garage with a getaway vehicle. You'd rather not lose Unity's creator and single greatest source of knowledge on its operation and capabilities, if possible.
>>
No. 493830 ID: 9ee360

>>493815
Considering most of the contestants haven't figured out how sex works for them yet, I don't think they're quite up to figuring out how the jetal does. And that's probably another something Alison isn't comfortable discussing with an audience.
>>
No. 493866 ID: c4e5c2
File 136113992884.gif - (18.27KB , 800x600 , 56.gif )
493866

Alison takes a breath for asking the next question. It might be embarrasing, but simply asking is a far cry from the original idea of actual experimentation.
"How does sex work with jetals and organics?"
"If you mean can you reproduce, no. If you mean can you copulate, yes, as longa as you are gentle. I have let jetals loose like I did you, only to come back three days later with bills still stuck in their jetalium fishnets. It does not do my heart good to see the embodiment of my life's pride end up like that, so I was relieved when you came back with your dignity intact, nevermind your first absorption incident."
"Uh... yeah. One more question before I head out. What are my limits for mass, density and volume?"
"There is not a hard limit to mass, but... once you extend past a certain mass, then making quick movements, say, in combat, will begin using surge. It will be similar to keeping a plasma sword powered, except just to fight at all. Volume does not have a hard limit either, but having to maneuver jetalium far away from the core will begin weighing heavily on the battery itself, and will quickly skyrocket general costs. In short, there is not a particular limit where you 'can't' hold anymore, but there is a point where it stops becoming worth it. And in case you wonder, two seperate cores cannot control the same jetalium mass at once. That is the business of supercores, but I am inundating you with more information than I must. Unfortunately I do not have numbers to maximum mass and all, as I assume I had to input the override key to reboot your databanks of weapons, boosts and all in order to release you from the EIN which sacrificed much info in the process. Yes, I did just say there was no practical way to release a jetal from EIN, and that is true, because in all but the prototype models, there is no override reboot key. The cell is locked up with EIN inside, and the key thrown away."

Loviro gives a call to Vinyl.

"She's at... here, I will input the address into your tab. Just a few blocks away, she believes Yallows holed himself up in a building."
>>
No. 493867 ID: c4e5c2
File 136113994945.gif - (20.44KB , 800x600 , 57.gif )
493867

She takes just a bit more time to morph into a hobo to leave inconspicuously. She bought clothes for the larger arbiter, bumsheets, and clothes to fit a guard-sized form. She also still has the dancer's outfit minus high heels, along with the respirator.

A cleaning robot is on top of the hobo's box, cleaning the top of it. Alison now understands why the hobo was so clean. The robot just sees him as a piece of the sidewalk to clean.
>>
No. 493869 ID: c4e5c2
File 136113996163.png - (47.06KB , 700x700 , 58.png )
493869

While walking, a car pulls up alongside Unity.

>"Hey, Jetal. Get inside, I've got a few questions."
>>
No. 493871 ID: 57a559

It's a slightly free country. Unless we're under arrest, then no. He can ask his questions from the comfort of the car, and we can answer them from the comfort of of the sidewalk.
>>
No. 493872 ID: 9ee360

Hmm. He made that we were a jetal. That's not so good- that we're mechanical should be apparent to an observant onlooker, but not that we're a jetal.

Ask him who he is and what he wants with us, without getting into the car.

Be ready for a fight or flight situation, here (we could always plasma the car to avoid pursuit, and then swamp forms after getting away).
>>
No. 493874 ID: 76b151

He tracked us very, very quickly. That's slightly worrying as this IS our base. However I am interested in what he has to say. Invite him to a nearby cafe instead and we'll talk there.
>>
No. 493875 ID: b6edd6

The car has what looks like tinted windows and a police-car style wall between the front seat and back seat. Furthermore, I think this guy is the inspector who's jetal sidekick we ate. In other words, getting in the car looks amazingly risky.

Ask what kind of questions can't be asked out here.
>>
No. 493877 ID: 57a559

Secondary idea, shake his hand and leave a trace of unstable gel, blow him up. Or throw it when push come to shove. A kg will total the car and fry him if 20 is a C fucking 4. Gotta be at least a grenade.
>>
No. 493878 ID: f2c20c

>>493869
My first instinct is to shoot out the tires and run. However, from the initial description of how illegal we are, apparently they won't know we're unlicensed unless they scan us or take us into a government facility.

So, let's cooperate. Do not show any signs of being uncomfortable about the situation. Worst case scenario we can just cut our way out of the car... unless she has a turret or something on the inside of it.

We should try just staying out of the car at first though, and asking what this is about.
>>
No. 493883 ID: 772c81

guys, the SHOPOWNER could tell we were a jetal. It must not be that hard.
>>
No. 493888 ID: 78c6ea

>>493883

It's not just that. He could tell we were the very same Jetal who destroyed and absorbed his bodyguard. He managed to track us despite our changing of shapes. And now he knows about the location of the only charger we've got, as well as the location of some relatively important expatriots whom we are trying to protect.
>>
No. 493892 ID: c4e5c2
File 136114411827.png - (94.77KB , 700x700 , 59.png )
493892

Alison isn't sure he knows about the hideout, at least not accurately. She did walk a couple of blocks or so before being approached.

>Leave a trace by shaking his hand, blow him up
A trace could possibly injure his hand, but not do much more. A kg, however, would do significant damages.

"I think you can ask questions from the comfort of your car, and I can answer them from the comfort of the sidewalk."
>"First question. I have here a mapping device that is currently displaying all jetals under EIN, that is, all legal jetals in the vicinity of these few blocks. The X is where I am at. There is no jetal on display at X, even though there is one mere feet from me. Why do you think that is?"

Alison notices one of those buildings has dozens of jetals inside. If his map is pointed upward in the same direction his car is facing, then that is the building that Loviro's hideout is underneath.

"... I may be more willing to answer questions somewhere else. Would you like to go to a cafe?"
>"Fine. Sheryl. Coffee."
>>
No. 493894 ID: c4e5c2
File 136114415794.png - (95.62KB , 700x700 , 60.png )
493894

tink
whirrr

>"Here's the cafe, and here's your seat. Sit down."
>>
No. 493895 ID: f2c20c

>>493894
Oh fine. Us being in the front steat means he at least has no worries about us attacking him.

Also I suspect Loviro is not being straight with us, at ALL. Could we ask what the different colors mean on his radar?
>>
No. 493896 ID: b59bfb

holy shit that was jaw dropping, ask why he is hunting for non-legal jetals
>>
No. 493897 ID: 6dc5a6

Looks like the investigator, good thing we didn't destroy that jetal core huh? Get in the passenger seat if anything goes wrong he's in a confined space within reach of your sword. Take a moment to check if the backseat is occupied, the barrier won't mean much if there's another jetal jammed in the back.
>>
No. 493899 ID: 76b151

Ask if why he hasn't sent in the attack dogs if hes so sure we're illegal?

IE: What does he want with an illegal jetal.
>>
No. 493900 ID: f2c20c

>>493897
Naw, it's not the investigator. The investigator had downward-turning lower horns.
>>
No. 493904 ID: 76b151

Hmm I like him, get in the car.
>>
No. 493906 ID: 9ee360

Sit down in the car, accept coffee.

Ask him what he's doing with something that can track jetals. Because if he were the law you'd think he'd be doing a little more than asking questions. And cops can't typical afford cars with built in cafes.
>>
No. 493910 ID: c4e5c2
File 136114860857.png - (21.31KB , 700x700 , 61.png )
493910

It certainly looks to be the investigator.

"... alright. But I'd like to know what the different colored jetals on the radar mean."
>"Elevation. Blue is lower, pink and red are higher up. The bigger the dot, the more powerful it is."

Alison gets in. There doesn't seem to be anyone in the back seat.

"I would have thought that if you were the law, you would do more than ask some questions."
>"That would be normal, but this is not normal. My interest is less with you, and more with what you know."
"Are you not worried about me attacking you?"
>"No. I don't believe it's a coincidence that earlier today, an illegal jetal attacked my bodyguard, but did not destroy the core. That illegal jetal was not a mindless killer. That illegal jetal was also not weak. My bodyguard was not weak either. He wasn't strong, but to be taken out with a low grade plasma sword like he was made of flesh? There are not many jetals who can do that, then eat like it was their first time. Furthermore, not long ago, decades old 'criminals'," he says the word criminal incredulously, "cropped up. One of them is a legendary jetal crafter. All of the others have still had intricate dealings with jetal crafting. I don't believe that was a coincidence, either. First question. Do you know where Vinyl is?"
>>
No. 493911 ID: 772c81

well, he has a coffee machine in his car. He's already won.
>>
No. 493913 ID: 9ee360

>Do you know where Vinyl is?
...yes, I do. (Don't tell him where, for now).

Do you know where any of the other criminals are? (use the names of Sevener's allies, if we know them from Loviro). I believe the jetal they're working with is... rather less merciful than I am.
>>
No. 493914 ID: 4a328b

"Nope."
>>
No. 493915 ID: 78c6ea

Who's Vinyl?
>>
No. 493916 ID: 772c81

>>493915
he was... uhhh...

You know, I may have legitimately forgotten. I have to go re-check the logs.
>>
No. 493917 ID: 76b151

Before I answer that I have to know why you are looking for them.
>>
No. 493918 ID: 47d311

Ask him to describe each of these illegal jetal crafters. You've seen quite a few people but aren't aware of their names; you'll need more information if he wants an accurate answer.
>>
No. 493919 ID: f2c20c

>>493910
Tell him that he is very astute, but we expected there to be more than one illegal jetal making waves today, and more than one group of jetal crafters. Two rival groups.

Maybe Sevener is on the law's side, piloting a LEGAL jetal? That would make it easy for her to target us, and harder for her to target the Emperor.

Ask what that building is that's chock full of jetals. Also say that, hypothetically, if we were a Jetal made by Vinyl, what makes him think we would tell him where they are? Does he expect us to have no sense of loyalty?
>>
No. 493922 ID: 78c6ea

Oh right Vinyl was that other guy...girl when we started this level. And we legitimately don't know where Vinyl is.

Ask him how he feels about EIN.
>>
No. 493923 ID: b59bfb

no
>>
No. 493931 ID: 9ee360

Since our homeless cover is blown, we might as well open our eyes while we're talking to this guy.

>And we legitimately don't know where Vinyl is.
Actually we do know where she is. (Loviro just gave us her map coordinates. We were going to see her to check on Yallows, who's holed up somewhere after messing with his implants). The decision is whether we admit we know where she in, and whether we actually tell him.
>>
No. 493935 ID: 656f39

You will have to tell me why you want to know before I tell you what, if anything, I know.
>>
No. 493936 ID: 57a559

>>493910
What's in it for us if we tell him?
If he wants to get, he has to give. We've already offered him the courtesy of a few questions. There's no reason to answer more.
>>
No. 493945 ID: c4e5c2
File 136115332212.gif - (15.59KB , 700x700 , 62.gif )
493945

>And we legitimately don't know where Vinyl is.
Until Loviro updated her last known location to her map, anyway.

Alison did almost forget, but she does have visuals for the three rivals before she left, while morphing into the bum. She recalls their lookss, Lopopo, Alys and Zyronn respectively.

She is also going to increase her morphability up just a bit, so that her battery use is still low but it won't take forever to morph to something else.

"Before I answer, I will say there is probably one other illegal jetal making waves, probably today."
>"That's not unbelieveable, but it's a real big city. Plenty of other miles to make waves in, not on these few blocks."
"Do you know where Alys, Lopopo and Zyronn are?"
>"Question for a question."
"If I was a jetal made by Vinyl, I wouldn't have much reason to tell you where she is."
>"You aren't made by Vinyl. I am not even going to ask where Loviro is, yet, even if he is not with Vinyl."
"Please describe these illegal jetal crafters."

He does so, and they match up.

"Okay. And how do you feel about EIN?"
>"You are dodging the question."
"What's in it for me?"
>"What's in it for you? Listen to me. You might be part of a gang, but that doesn't mean you never can play on the cop's team. And let me let you in on a little secret. I'm the only thing keeping the rest of the force from running you over without question. Telling you why would break many laws along with my oath. I'm after her for the same reason I'm after you. Information."
>>
No. 493946 ID: 772c81

>>493944
seems on the up and up. I say help him find'er, I guess. He seems like one of them trying-to-uncover-a-conspiracy cops, and thus, will be assassinated soon enough anyway.
>>
No. 493947 ID: f2c20c

>>493945
Okay. Tell him Vinyl is with a runaway, and we were going to go investigate. If we drive there we can get there faster. Say that you are actually perfectly willing to cooperate with the cops, and you had just sortof assumed it wasn't an option.
>>
No. 493948 ID: 76b151

Well I was just on my way to her. You can drive us there. Hopefully she hasn't gotten into too much trouble.
>>
No. 493949 ID: 6dc5a6

Tell Investigator you'll help him out if you get to tag along. Then ask him what his long term goal is in this. If he asks you what you're planning look out the window say that your objective goes beyond this city.
>>
No. 493950 ID: 772c81

you know, we already called ahead to tell her we were coming, but maybe it's impolite to bring guests like this. Does anyone give a shit about stuff like that? Should we call ahead again?
>>
No. 493951 ID: 735f4f

Telling you about our mission will most likely directly put your life in danger. To a extent you probably don't think is possible. How much do you really want to know?
>>
No. 493952 ID: 9ee360

If he's willing to keep the rest of the force of of us for now, we're willing to trade information. After all, we're more into talking than fighting. His read on us wasn't wrong. We're just doing what we have to to survive.

...yes, I know where Vinyl is. She's currently looking for one of her comrades. (We'll consider telling him her actual location based on how the conversation goes).

See what you can get about Alys, Lopopo and Zyronn in return for that answer.

Then see what his next question is.
>>
No. 493953 ID: 735f4f

Actually we could just tell him that you and a unknown number of jetals has been given a mission to kill the Sapphire emperor. Whoever does it first gets to live. And there is no way out of it that we know.
>>
No. 493954 ID: 772c81

>>493953
additionally, we can tell him that, you know, if you were to stop all the OTHER jetals, then you could leave the emperor alone as long as you wanted.
>>
No. 493955 ID: 772c81

>>493953
>>493954
only do this, however, if he wants to know deadly true secrets.
>>
No. 493956 ID: 04b86a

Yeah, I know where she is. You'd probably have an easier time questioning Yallows, though, as long as it's not something only she would know.


Let's not talk about our long term goals. In fact, let's especially keep the whole Sapphire Emperor thing secret.
>>
No. 493957 ID: 9ee360

> let's especially keep the whole Sapphire Emperor thing secret.
Agreed.

Another question we might ask him is what he intends to do with Vinyl should he find her.
>>
No. 493959 ID: 57a559

>>493945
Fine, but if he fucks with us on this and tries to take her in or kill her, he's already dead.
>>
No. 493960 ID: 772c81

>>493959
please, he has no bodyguards or force. Whether we kill him or not, guards will be coming if things go badly, so we might as well not kill him and just dump him in a 5th story building or hung in a tree or something.
>>
No. 493962 ID: 78c6ea

Damn it Alison, a question for a question. You sound like a 5 year old with all those questions. You're what, 9? Sheesh!

Tell him you don't know where Vinyl is. She's currently looking for one of her comrades.
>>
No. 493963 ID: 78c6ea

...and ask how he feels about EIN.
>>
No. 493979 ID: f2c20c

>>493957
I've got another angle.

Let's claim that our rival wants to kill the Sapphire Emperor, and we want to stop them. That'll get the cops on our side with trying to kill Sevener.
>>
No. 493982 ID: 9ee360

>>493979
Well, unless the cop who's not exactly following standard procedure is also of the opinion that the Emperor is a deranged madman the world would be better off without. Then we're turning him against us.

The assassination card can fail badly whether we play it on ourself or against Sevener. For now we shouldn't play it at all.

What we should be doing, is trying to figure out the right answers and questions to get the most we can out of this question for a question game while giving up as little as possible.
>>
No. 493983 ID: c4e5c2
File 136116237074.gif - (18.87KB , 800x600 , 63.gif )
493983

"You know that dealing with me too much may put your life in danger?"
>"I disagree, but even if it did, I still wouldn't back down."
"I was just heading to her. I'll show you, but I get to tag along, and tell me what your goal in this is."
>"... just doing my job. Alright. Let's go."
"At least tell me about Alys and the rest."
>"Not much to say other than enemies who were forced to work under the same banner. Odd that they would all show up at the same time. I have a tough time believing those guys would ever start getting along."

Alison will wait on dropping any Sapphire Emperor issues with him for now. Unity gets out of the car where she sees Vinyl.

"Who are... a jetal. Tell me your name."
"Unity."
"Right. Yallows is inside somewhere. Could be on any damn floor, and suddenly these bots won't let me through. Who drove you?"

The investigator appears to pause before getting out.
>>
No. 493985 ID: c4e5c2
File 136116251262.gif - (20.02KB , 800x600 , 64.gif )
493985

"Felix?!"
>"Nice to see you again. You've been hiding."
"The fu... are you a cop?!"
>"A lot happens in 30 years."
"You two know each other?"
>"You could say that." the investigator, Felix, says.
"What the hell? 'You could say that?' You were my goddamn fiance!"
>"A long time ago. I have some questions, Vinyl."
"Don't give me that shit. Three decades, and all you have to say is 'nice to see you, I have some questions?!'"
>"And was it not you who disappeared?"
"And I don't know a damn thing about how that happened."
>"And I'm not holding any grudges, but I wonder how that would be. I've been searching around the clock for you since you showed yourself amongst the living, Vinyl. Don't be too unflattered."

Alison isn't sure whether she should interject or not.
>>
No. 493987 ID: 9ddf68

ask if the two of them will be ok
>>
No. 493988 ID: f2c20c

>>493985
Say that you're going in to find Yallow. Quietly ask the investigator if you'll get in much trouble for blowing holes in the bots out front.

OH, actually, before we do anything, check the Jetal radar to see if there's a licensed Jetal in the building. We should be prepared for a big fight if there is one.
>>
No. 493991 ID: 57a559

>>493985
You two kiss and make up we got shit to do
>>
No. 493992 ID: 9ee360

...how did Vinyl and the others drop off the map for 30 years anyways? They were never too clear on that.

And inform Felix that she really may not know what happened. As you understand it, they've got implants keeping them from remembering certain things, for whatever reason.

After that, going in after yarrow seems like a good idea. After all, if he disabled his implants, maybe he has answers about what's actually going on.

>>493988
Checking the jetal radar won't help if Sevener's around, though. Since she's probably just as illegal as us.
>>
No. 493993 ID: f2c20c

Oh, and I'm against speaking out about the implants. I think that's up to Vinyl to say.
>>
No. 494007 ID: 78c6ea

Alison should probably interject. Since she seems bound and determined not to try to break physics and all, so there's no point in maintaining the farce. Not that I would know how to break physics. (Check edge conditions, always check edge conditions)

Vinyl and the others dropped off the map 30 years ago because the last 30 years never happened. This is a computer simulation of a world in the past and it was convenient for everyone to be set 30 years ahead of Vinyl so that she and the others could create a Jetal at precisely the moment where the Sapphire Emperor is most well guarded. Everyone here was given artificial memories and forced to unknowingly take part in the simulation, by some twisted adjudicator we intend to annihilatehug into submission.

Now. That having been said, how do you feel about EIN?
>>
No. 494008 ID: 9ee360

>>494007
No. We're not destroying what credibility we have by playing the world does not exist card. It doesn't even help us if they do believe us (since by our account, their world ends as soon as we complete our mission). And if they don't, it just makes us look crazy or delusional.

And we already asked him about EIN.
>>
No. 494009 ID: 78c6ea

>>494008

He didn't answer. It's a very important question. And I think they deserve to know the truth. No other way to explain the 30 years absence; it's just not their fault.
>>
No. 494014 ID: 9ee360

>No other way to explain the 30 years absence
Of course there is. There are plenty of plausible in universe explanations, considering the level of tech. Pick a sci-fi cliche. She had her memory hacked. Or they were cryo-frozen. Or she's actually dead, and that's not an augmented sheep at all- she's a robotic replacement with false memories. Etc, etc.

There's obviously something going on, we just don't know what, yet. Yallow pulled his 'plants, he's the best way to find out.

>I think they deserve to know the truth
Letting the people in the doomed dream world know they're in a doomed dream world is not worth putting the success of this mission- and the survival of thousands of people depending on us (or the trillion plus in total we're trying to save from endless death-loops) at risk.

>It's a very important question.
Not really.
>>
No. 494030 ID: c4e5c2
File 136116903725.png - (9.65KB , 700x700 , 65.png )
494030

She'll give them a moment to discuss things and give Vinyl a chance to mention the implants.

>"Tell me where you woke up."
"What?"
>"Tell me when you stopped twiddling your thumbs and decided to go back."
"The old Damascus Jetalium factory. That's where Loviro and Lopopo realized... something, and did something about that something."

Alison pokes Unity's head into the radar. The building she's at is mostly devoid, except for one specific spot. 3 jetals, modestly high up. One of them is big. Real big.

>"Something. Was anyone else there?"
"I... yeah. Yeah, some kids walked in on us for some reason. Felix, Loviro installed implants into us so we wouldn't think about this stuff."

Felix takes a moment to absorb that, before bursting out laughing.
>>
No. 494032 ID: c4e5c2
File 136116918064.gif - (19.61KB , 800x600 , 66.gif )
494032

>Ask Felix about his feelings on EIN
Alison feels this is inappropriate at the moment.

>"Loviro, the quick thinking bastard! That explains how you're all still alive. And kids. Alright. Did you get their names?."
"... gonna continue pretending like I understand you. No. Get this, they wanted to interview us. Said they had some project and they figured out we'd be there. Smart buggers, we didn't even know why we were there. Shoo'd them out and got to business. And now, yallows probably took out the implants."
>"Yeah. Let him be."
"What? Are you kidding? I answered your shit, Felix, so start explaining."
>"I'd like nothing more, but trust me on this one. Only one reason he'd go in this building unless he was forced, and the law I've put myself under won't allow me to say. And you know what, honey, even if I was still toting guns and being a rebel like back in the old days, I still wouldn't tell you."
>>
No. 494034 ID: f2c20c

>>494032
Reassure Vinyl that even if we wanted to bust Yallows out, he's being guarded by a huge Jetal. We would not survive the attempt. In fact from the looks of it, it might be three Jetals cooperating to make a weapons platform. One controls the body and deals with the Surge requirements of such a huge body, and two control the weapons, supplying their Surge to that purpose. A formidable opponent indeed...

I'm curious though... what did the kids look like? Did they not look like Belenosians? Did they have odd outfits? We're not asking for a description, really, just if they were weird-looking. (I'm wondering if this whole tiny conspiracy is a setup to make our role in the history simulation make sense, and the kids were the CAI)
>>
No. 494035 ID: 9ee360

All right, going after Yarrow isn't really an option. If he's being held against his will, we can't rescue him 3 on 1 vs other jetals. Hell, we couldn't handle that one really powerful one, I think.

Even if Felix isn't willing to tell Vinyl what's going on, maybe we could ask him? We did sorta wake up in the middle of it without any idea what's happening, and he seems to have figured it out. We won't tell Vinyl and the others if he doesn't want us to, but if it affects why we're here, or our survival, we'd appreciate knowing.
>>
No. 494041 ID: 9ddf68

see if Felix will tell 'US' what is going on or at least should we start worrying about some heavy hitters comeing after us. Or at the very least if he has any idea who that powerful jetal is and how likely it would be if that jetal or one just as powerful might come after us
>>
No. 494045 ID: 6dc5a6

Ask Felix if there is such thing as EMP without using a nuke, if not tell him we can't take on the 3 jetal inside the building.
>>
No. 494048 ID: 57a559

If we get our hands on a sniper rifle (which hopefully has good wall penetration), hold up on an upper floor along with heat/electric signatures that hopefully can point out a core, we MIGHT be able to kill the jetals.

Actually, you know what, heat/electric vision and a good shooting weapon might be enough if we go in guns blazing.

I have a theory that the big jetal in there might actually be Sevener. Yallows might be an important NPC that people might be talking about for some reason, and she's going after him to find you. Especially if Loviro has them as known associates. Yallows doesn't seem like the subtle kind of guy and would be easily found too, and he's removed whatever important information blocking program the sim put in him, he's valuable. Sevener might also seem the type to go out and get Jetallium really fast too. She might have run this simulation before in a few cycles and remembered them, so she knows the basics even if this belosian city and objective is randomized, I figure being a jetal is a serious part of it.
>>
No. 494057 ID: c4e5c2
File 136117239902.gif - (20.41KB , 800x600 , 67.gif )
494057

"Vinyl, there's a huge Jetal in there anyway. Massive."
>"Huge as in... yeah the radar. Real strong one there. Bet that's a supercore, there. It's effectively three seperate jetal cores that are able to transfer power to one another through a relatively small distance of empty space. Downside is that only one can get all the power at once, so they can only fight effectively one at a time. Power split is nasty bad if they all fight at the same time. Security jetals who don't move around much often take alternating shifts, so the on-duty jetal is a real supersoldier while the others relax."
"I don't think I can beat one up unless there's some kind of EMP or something."
>"Nothing that'll take out that jetal. Don't blame you."
"Vinyl, what did the kids look like? Were they weird?"
"No, they just had school uniforms on, which doesn't tell me anything."
"But they were belenosian?"
"Uh, yeah, robots don't go to school. Don't remember what they looked like though, my memory's fuzzy."
"Felix, talk to me over here for a second."

Vinyl isn't happy about being excluded, but Felix walks over.

"If you aren't willing to tell Vinyl, that's fine, but I woke up in the middle of all of this, and it seems like you figured it out."
>"Nah, I didn't figure anything out. I just know more than your average cop is all."
"If it affects my survival, I'd appreciate knowing."
>"Hard to say if it would help or hurt. Never can tell, but in your case, it's the law stopping me. Now, since Vinyl doesn't know what those kids looked like, I've got a whole lot of research to do to track down those kids. I'd say thanks for your cooperation, but you did yourself a favor. So thank yourself."
"Is there any chance of heavy hitters coming after me?"
>"Fraid so. I have the authority to hold back the police from you, but there is a bounty for you, and there's not much I can do about that. So you're gonna get some flak. Think of it this way, if one does come for you and you beat it, you'll get stronger so you'll have an easier time with future assailants. Now, if you'll excuse me, school season just started for me."
>>
No. 494059 ID: f2c20c

>>494057
Alright. Well, one last question. Ask what his opinion on the Sapphire Emperor is. Like if he's really necessary for the stability of the city. If it's favorable, say that our rival is trying to kill him, and we'd like help stopping her. If it's not favorable, then... say that you were kindof interested in shaking things up a bit for Sapphy.
>>
No. 494062 ID: 9ee360

All right. Thank Felix anyways, and if he wants to try trading information again in the future, well, he knows how to find us. Sorry about getting you beat up and all.

And one last thing ...if he gets a lead on the other three criminals, or their jetal? He shouldn't get the cops to hold back. He was right about us. She's a lot less merciful, though.

Then take Vinyl back to Loviro's, and head back to the dead batteries.

>>494059
I still say ix-nay on the Emperorway illingkay.
>>
No. 494063 ID: 9ddf68

>>494059
don't just ask about the sapphire empire ask about all three, it makes it harder for them to figure out what we have in mind, also we might get some info on them that we can use to take down the sapphire empire if we learn about the other two

As for Felix ask him if Yallows is going anywhere anytime sone. That way if he's going to sit tight we can power ourselfs up before coming to save his sorry ass, if not ... well we might be able to spring him when they try and move him. OH also ask were we could get a jetal detecter it looks useful
>>
No. 494066 ID: f2c20c

>>494063
A Jetal detector wouldn't help us a whole lot. Better would be asking how he found us, because we're trying to find the other illegal Jetal that we KNOW exists, and any tips he can give us for that would be handy.
>>
No. 494079 ID: 9ddf68

>>494066
I'm not say we use it to find Sevener, I'm say we use it to find us meals if we need to get some jetlium fast, also if we have bounty hunters on our ass now I think it would be safe to assume some would be jetals so it could give us some warning if they come for us.
Also it might actualy help find Sevener. All we would need to do is find her feeding grounds and wait till we see some jetal dot vanish, it would just take a LOT of digging AND time so I wouldn't recommend useing the Jetal tracker like that unless we're getting desperate
>>
No. 494085 ID: c4e5c2
File 136117733335.png - (107.88KB , 700x700 , 68.png )
494085

"What's your opinion on the emperors?"
>"As a lawman, I only have praise. That's all I'll say on that."
"If you get a lead on the other three rivals or their jetal, you shouldn't hold the police back. You were right about me, but I think the other one is aggressive."
>"It's probably in a whole different sector, it wouldn't be my place to hold them back."
"How did you find me? I understand how you identified me once you spotted me on the sidewalk, but how did you know where to look?"
>"I haven't been entirely honest. I already had a good idea where Loviro hid. Darkest under the candle, as they say."
"Do you think Yallows is going anywhere anytime soon?"
>"He could get killed any minute now if he isn't already dead. But it's already a conundrum as to how he was able to enter the building at all in the first place, so I just don't know. If you want to rescue him, you'd better find a few jetals to absorb quick."
"That's an odd thing for a policeman to say.
>"Doesn't matter."
"Any way I could get a jetal detector?"
>"Nope, unless you want to be able to be tracked at all times."
"That's alright. You know how to contact me if you want to swap info again. Sorry for getting you beat up."
>"Don't sweat it. Be seeing you."

"Wait a second! What is wrong with you? Don't just remind me of the past like this then leave like you don't care. Goddamn, Felix, you don't look like you've aged a year."
"Neither do you, Vinyl. Coming to you was informative, but I don't know if it was a good idea. Enjoy your time while you have it, get out of the smog. Goodbye, Vinyl."
>>
No. 494088 ID: c4e5c2
File 136117739562.gif - (17.71KB , 800x600 , 69.gif )
494088

Felix floors the gas pedal, judging by the way the car squeals out of there.
>>
No. 494089 ID: f2c20c

>>494088
Give her your respirator. We don't need it. Ask her if she wants you to start taking jetalium from Jetals so we can bust Yallows out. I'm honestly not sure if it's a good idea to go on a rampage like that, but we can do it if it's important.

Hmm. If Sevener really far away from us, walking around in Alison form wouldn't be unwise if we wind up with a vast quantity of Jetalium. Only real issue is if Duelist would be handicapped in combat like that.

...that 30 years with no visible aging thing is odd, isn't it? Is she sure 30 years passed?
>>
No. 494092 ID: 9ee360

>get out of the smog
Oh, dang. Pass her your gas mask, if she doesn't have hers with her.

>As a lawman, I only have praise. That's all I'll say on that.
Which is the same as saying he doesn't think well of them at all.

>I already had a good idea where Loviro hid. Darkest under the candle, as they say.
That explains all the jetals the scanner saw over the hideout. Loviro hid his illegal jetal under a whole slew of legal ones.

>If you want to rescue him, you'd better find a few jetals to absorb quick.
The scanner. See >>494030. There are several weaker jetals around to absorb, 4 in the building across the street. We go in, beat them up, steal their jetalium and any weapons, and then do a big damn hero thing to save Yallows.
>>
No. 494095 ID: 9ddf68

"He could get killed any minute now if he isn't already dead"

Shit, one more 'aginst the clock' thing we have to deal with. Ask Vinyl what she thinks we should do about Yallows and if she suggest we go after him ask her if she has any way to give us an edge because we are going to need one
>>
No. 494115 ID: 78c6ea

Well the points are adding up that this is a simulation.

1) characters placed at convenient times, no explanation for their absence in between
2) fuzzy memories. I bet nobody's really sure what they did last week.
3) pre-warp technology. This is the clincher here, because we have records that the warp has already been discovered. Given the choice between actual time travel and a simulation, the latter is far, far more likely.
4) We fuckin picked this simulation via a multiple choice questionnaire. How many real world examples do you get to choose which reality you emerge in?
5) Jetalium itself doesn't make any sense, is isolated in effect, lacks a mechanism that it could happen, and is way too high-tech to say the least for Belenosians in the equivalent of 2030's USA. It's obviously a game mechanic, albeit a complex one, not an actual physical phenomenon.

Now here's why I think we should focus on EIN. Every contest in the past has been carefully administrated, micromanaged even. To the point that not only did we discover the administrators, but ignoring them quickly became impossible. Whoever's running this thing isn't going to be able to resist putting in some sort of administrative monitoring system, just in case, a system I might add that seems to operate inexplicably (more evidence to simulation). Our task to kill the Sapphire Emperor is a red herring, maybe Glitcher influenced this, but getting the bastard is functionally impossible. The reason it's impossible is because the people we need to take over are already there right in front of us. EIN are the administrators of this level, and the best (perhaps only) way for anyone to escape this relatively hopeless lose/lose scenario is to take over the administration again.

I don't know that it's coincidence if nobody wants to talk about EIN, but it could quite possibly be the admins trying to cover up their actions behind the scenes. Break into EIN and I'll bet you'll gain access to the admin room. You don't even have to do it physically. This is a simulation. If you can find a way to get into there over a phone line it'll work as good as a simulated EMP bomb.
>>
No. 494118 ID: f2c20c

>>494115
Dude. What? Yes, this is a simulation, but it's not the same kind of simulation as the Contestants vs System multi-CAI evolution process.

They don't have detailed records of this point in history. Jetalium is a lost tech, and is therefore being heavily abstracted. You should note that there are not that many characters with speaking roles- most of them are NPCs. This is a relatively simple simulation that doesn't need to be micromanaged because it's mostly automated and freeform. There aren't little rules that need to be checked up on, it's basically just a physics sim.

Also do you have any reason whatsoever to believe that EIN is a more accessible target than the Sapphire Emperor? We don't even know where EIN IS, and when we asked, we were told that it was off somewhere far from here in a military bunker. EIN is probably not even a physical object in this scenario because we have no chance of encountering it.
>>
No. 494127 ID: 9ee360

>>494115
>the points are adding up that this is a simulation
Yes. Of course it's a sim. This was never in any doubt. So what?

None of the characters existed last week- but they have fake memories of last week. The fact that this is all a game we fired up doesn't explain the missing time inside the game (and there is a logical, apparently amusing, explanation. Felix just wouldn't share). Technology is pre-warp because this is a historical simulation of a date and time before warp. Jetalium is magic because the real stuff doesn't exist anymore (nor does any society where AIs are allowed to walk free and mingle with people) and because it serves the purpose of the contest to give us something to work with that doesn't follow the laws of physics (prevents anyone like engineer from sequence breaking and making their own weapons. It's the same idea as when your DM won't let you make gunpowder in a medieval setting, no matter how much chemistry you know).

And none of that means we should go after EIN. EIN is the big brother that watches out over AIs in the universe of the simulation. Not the thing making the simulation. Taking out an in-game opponent doesn't magically give you control of the simulation and code (it certainly hasn't in the larger contest verus the system!).

>>494118
These are also good points. EIN may not even physically exist within the scope of this sim (which only encompasses this one city). And even if it did, it'll be a very tough target.
>>
No. 494148 ID: c4e5c2
File 136121352341.gif - (82.44KB , 800x600 , 70.gif )
494148

"Are you certain 30 years has passed after all, Vinyl?"
>"The last known records of us, Loviro found, were just that long ago."
"Well... what do you think we should do about yallows? Do you have anything that could give an edge?"
>"I can make an entrance, get you as close to those jetal as possible if you think that's where Yallows would be."
"I need to get stronger if I'm going in, though."
>"Loviro probably wants you to eat more anyway. There's lots of jetals. Can't you call up the dead batteries and just ask to be taken around on a jetal buffet?"
"Maybe. There's also other jetals in some buildings."
>"And like Loviro said, there's always bounties."

>Fight EIN
Even if she did decide to and knew where to go, if she is deterred by a single supercore in a normal building, then she should probably not focus on trying to take out military bunkers right now.

So Alison can choose between just running around murdering Jetals in wanton feeding frenzies, bounty hunting, or try to use her dead battery contacts to locate more jetals, or another approach altogether and all assuming she does wish to hunt more jetals and not do something else entirely.
>>
No. 494150 ID: 9ee360

Alright. What are our priorities here?

Yallows should be helped for a few reasons. It's not really right to leave him to be killed. His being captured could cost us our charging station, which would be a major blow. And if he removed his implants, he has information we might need / be able to use.

How we chose to power up for this is problematic.

If his life is in immediate danger, the most expedient route is to attack the civilian jetals in the area (using the locations we saw on the scanner), harvest their jetalium and any weapons, and then go in for yallows. This comes at a cost though- it'll make us apparently a much bigger threat, drawing more police attention. And the dead batteries probably won't appreciate us going off on a feeding spree like that (we're drawing more heat onto them, when we said we were going to lie low). It makes us more of a liability to everyone.

If we have the time, doing more jetal takedown work for the dead batteries is probably the best option. We'll have backup, we'll be able to spread the damage around more to attract less police attention, and we'll be getting closer to our allies instead of alienating them.

>side idea
Let's donate some cash to the homeless guy the next time we walk by Loviro's hideout. We can pay him off to keep watch for us. See who else comes by, or if anyone else hangs around watching the place. (Maybe preventing us from getting jumped by someone more dangerous than Felix).

>questions for Vinyl
Does she know why Loviro wants us to get stronger?

And does she know what the large collection of legal jetals above the hideout was about?
>>
No. 494151 ID: 9ddf68

bounty hunting might be good at getting some more jetalium and keeping the police off our ass but that could take time and if we do go for that I think it would be best if we avoid any dead batteries contracts. (contracts that go after the dead batteries)

We could also go with the dead batteries missions but that will also take time and call down the police (maybe) but hell they have proven useful so far.

I highly sugest we DO NOT go on a jetal killing spree because I see no way in hell that doing that will help us in the long run. It might give us some quick jetalium but all the legal jetal around are fairly week and probably have worse weapons then we do if any at all and It would probably piss off the dead batteriers and the police, so in short I don't think it would be worth it.

If all else fails maybe see if Vinyl can give you an opening into the building and we could do a smash and grab and HOPEFULLY avoid the supercore jetal all togather and get Yallows
>>
No. 494154 ID: 9ee360

Another advantage of hunting through the dead batteries- they can help us find targets we can handle. We have no idea how tough the ones we see on the map are. (We could probably handle the little blips. And the super core is too big. But how tough are the in-betweens? After all, we don't know how big our own dot would be!).

Oh, and obviously, when we go back to see the Dead Batteries, we should be putting on our Mafia hat and Alibiter face. :V
>>
No. 494158 ID: c4e5c2
File 136121765616.gif - (24.60KB , 800x600 , 71.gif )
494158

"Do you know why Loviro wants me to get stronger?"
"Don't ever tell him I told you this, but he's called you hit little baby. He wants you to grow up. That's it. Just creepy parentage."
"And, do you know what the large collection of jetals about the hideout is about?"
"What? I wasn't aware. The implants, Unity. The building something to do with that. Either way, I gotta get back to Loviro to let him know what's up. Even if you want a way in, I need to get my gear."

It's a short walk, so they briskly go to the hideaway. Unity goes up to the bum while Vinyl keeps her face hidden and goes downstairs. Alison continues thinking about what to do about Yallows and the jetal issue while speaking.

"Hey."
>"Hey."
"You stay on this sidewalk, right?"
>"Butt's practically melded in the concrete."
"I'd like to pay you to keep an eye out for me."
>"What am I lookin' out for, and what kinda money am I lookin' at?"
"A few thousand dollars, and to see if anyone is hanging around besides bots and... cops."
>"Gonna need a bit more than that. Plus, am I supposed to call you on your phone or somethin'? I need a number."
>>
No. 494173 ID: 47d311

>Few thousand dollars
>"Gonna need a bit more than that"

Someone else is paying this homeless man or he is not actually a homeless man at all.
>>
No. 494178 ID: 9ee360

>>494173
I think he means he needs more information on what he's looking out for.

Give him the description of Sevener's three, and tell him too keep an eye out for them, or any new jetals. Or anyone who looks like they're casing out this building. Or if anyone he hasn't seen go into this building before shows up.

Regrettably, we don't have a number to give him. (Unless jetals have build in core-phones? Or there was a phone in the room the dead batteries gave to us?). So we'll just have to check in with him when we come by. Oh, and we're called Unity by the way (so another jetal can't just ask for all the info).

Anyways, settle up with the bum, and then head back to the dead batteries for more jetal hunting missions. This will get us that combat data we wanted, and get us stronger to save Yallows, and for our eventual assassination mission. (We may have to explain we found a charger if they're reluctant to start burning through our power before they secured one).

Assume Alibiter form, equip mafia coat and hat. We're going to do some business.
(We might need to gnab a new gasmask somewhere too).
>>
No. 494182 ID: f2c20c

>>494158
I think we should do both bounty hunting and Dead Battery jetal-whacking.

Going on a random rampage is likely to get us hunted by cops, despite what Felix wants.
>>
No. 494184 ID: c4e5c2
File 136122356876.png - (174.51KB , 700x700 , 72.png )
494184

>Regrettably, we don't have a number to give him
Actually, Alison didn't purchase a map so much as a pad that does double as a phone. Actually, she'll probably pass it to Loviro to make sure it doesn't have any tracking devices, though it's a bit late for that.

"When you say you need a bit more, you mean info on what I'm looking out for?
>"That, and money."
"Are you even homeless?"
>"Lotta work for a bum who stays in one spot these days."
"What kind of work?"
>"I'm gonna need either some hefty cash or favors from you, if you wanna hear details that didn't come from me."
"Favors?"
>"I stick in one spot. Kinda hard for me to go shopping, don't you know. Food, drugs, booze, batteries, you know. The necessities."
"I'll... think about it."
>"You know where to find me."
>>
No. 494185 ID: c4e5c2
File 136122361956.gif - (25.31KB , 800x600 , 73.gif )
494185

Alison steps to the side and calls Polatt.

"Yo, Polatt here."
"Hey. Uh, I'm kind of in the market to go jetal hunting."
"Well you called up the right place, friend. There's always that security jetal we know about. Turns out it guards a jewelry shop, owned by someone who doesn't play nice with dead batteries. We'd love to hit that place, and could use the loot. Also was a jetal looking around for you. We could arrange for you to get a surprise drop on 'em. Also, one of our buddies knew you were interested in that sorta thing, and found a bounty on a robot who may be pretty easy for us to find. Robots might not be your thing, but the kicker is that the reason this bot has a bounty is that he's got a jetal core with, to quote, 'high class equipment.' Something you may like absorbing. No jetalium, but probably a real nice weapon or something."
>>
No. 494186 ID: f2c20c

Jetal looking for us? Let's do the high-class equipment robot first, then ambush the suspicious Jetal with that high-class equipment.
>>
No. 494188 ID: 9ee360

I think we should take the deal to pay the bum to lookout for us (we can afford to lose some money). And ask us what kind of favor he would want to tell us about the other stuff, and we'll see about maybe getting that for him.

>Who hunt?
So... our choices are jetal + money, jetal + remove threat hunting us, and robot with spiffy weapons downloads.

They all sound potentially useful, for different reasons. Priority I think goes to the guy hunting us, or we could get jumped at a bad time. After that, the robot with the cool weapons core sounds the most interesting. The jewellery shop seems the most mundane, but more monetary resources and goodwill for our mob buddies is a pleasant bonus.

Hmm. I think we should do the robot first. We might need the cool weapon to deal with the bounty hunter (who will likely have more combat experience and better equipment than us), and if the robot has a bounty on his head, he may not be around for us to get later if we wait.

Be nice if someone kept a distant eye on the bounty hunter so we don't get surprised while robot hunting. Then we can go after 'em. (And then, if we still can, we can hit the jewellery store for the last jetal and get a financial windfall for the DBs).
>>
No. 494189 ID: 57a559

Collect more info on that jetal. If anything, we'd like to put a hit on that jetal if it's the jetal we think it is. We don't want to risk even eating it.

How much to hire a sniper that can kill jetal cores? There must be a few specialized hunters out there with equipment made to easily find and target jetal cores. The jetal your looking for is likely as high profile as you are or even moreso, an illegal, etc. This Jetal is likely an assassin and out to kill more than just us, a specific person, probably gathering contacts and information, and jetal devouring like crazy. Be careful, do not reveal to this jetal who we are or what we want under any circumstance. This is less for our own good and more about the batteries. They will likely try to distablize all connections we have before cornering us where it wants us.

Or we don't have to kill it, we need to put it into EIN and make it easily trackable. The police should do the rest because it will be performing high profile acts they can't ignore very soon. Get that thing into the system, and we're pretty safe.
>>
No. 494192 ID: 9ee360

>>494189
...you're assuming the bounty hunter after us is a suped up Sevener. At this point in the game, since neither of us know where the other started (in a pretty big city), or what identity they're wearing, isn't it more likely to be a regular bounty hunter after us for the assault and jetalium theft we committed in the bar?

Actually, we can just ask if it's a legal jetal. Sevener almost certainly won't be, since she should have been activated by the 3 rival criminals.
>>
No. 494193 ID: b59bfb

Sure let's see Loviro real quick for the phone and take the job.
>>
No. 494195 ID: b33427

Before you go any further, ask Polatt if this phone-minicomputer thing you picked up in the DB tower is secure. You don't want to be inadvertently carrying around a potential combo tracking beacon and audio bug for the government.

Go for the 'bot with the core first; You'll need whatever that jetal core has to take on the other two. Ask if the 'bot can be brought in completely destroyed or if its AI core has to be intact for an ID, and where you need to bring it. Are you taking it to another DB member for them to cash in, or some kind of bounty office?

Also ask if the jetal bounty hunter asking about you is a known legit jetal, and known to be a bounty hunter. If it's known legit, that'll rule out Sevener.

Ask if he could get some info for you on that building Yallows is in. You'd like to know what the heck it is before you go busting in. Maybe he can get some intel on what kind of forces are inside as well, but that's a long shot; You know there's a super-core jetal in there, but there could be dozens of class A+ combat-bots backing it up, for all you know.

Oh, and ask if he could get you some background info on the Old Damascus Jetalium factory as well. Has anything major happened there recently, and what's been going on with it for the last thirty years.

Before hanging up, step over to the bum and get his shopping list; The drugs and any other less-than-legal things you can ask Polatt to get for you. Then pay him to keep an eye out for anyone casing the joint, any group assembling that look like they're going for this place, or just anything that looks like trouble incoming for you.
>>
No. 494196 ID: 76b151

Ya go after the bot first, then the bounty hunter then the jewelry store.

After that I think its time to get back on track and help out Yallows. Hopefully by then we'll have enough to not die horrible to the jetal gestalt.
>>
No. 494201 ID: b33427

Also, see if Polatt can get you a car, either to borrow or keep. You'll be a heck of a lot less likely to be spotted as a jetal if you aren't walking everywhere, since walking seems to be an action that easily tips people off to jetals. You'll have to arrange for a garage space on the block, so you only have to walk a small distance, hopefully only through alleys.

Uh... You do know how to drive, right? You might need a driver, or a car that drives itself until you can get in some driving lessons.
>>
No. 494203 ID: 9ee360

We might also want to ask how "perfectly legal" people like us are supposed to collect bounties. Do we have intermediaries to go through or something?

>>494201
A car might not be too viable if we get much heavier.
>>
No. 494205 ID: b33427

>>494203
Figure we'd be doing this for a DB bounty hunter and they'd be the one to hand over the 'bot and core and collect the bounty, and we'd take a cut from that. Though, there might be an issue if we leave "fingerprints" on the core when we take the modules. If true, that could jack the heat up on us.

We'll just have to get a vehicle with extra robust suspension and tires, and a more powerful engine. Probably a truck. One with a reinforced driver's seat.

It also might make sense to get a heavy truck with an enclosed bed and store our extra jetalium back there when we don't need it. That way we can keep it near at hand and mobile without us weighing a freakin' ton.
>>
No. 494206 ID: 772c81

>>494203
How do jetals do with rotating parts I wonder?

We could get up to a significant speed with some heavier model rollerskates and minimum transformation, but more would require body alteration into a good speed body.
>>
No. 494207 ID: 9ddf68

Just tell the dead batteries to keep an eye on the Jetal for now it's a little earily to think we found sevener just yet

If we are going to go jetal hunting I say we start with that secerity jetal first then move on to the bot with the jetal core to get some decent weapons

also how much time untill we have to see undertool because if we can get something off him before we try and get Yallows
>>
No. 494242 ID: c4e5c2
File 136124044472.gif - (29.20KB , 800x600 , 74.gif )
494242

>Attain car. Do you know how to drive?
Alison has no idea. Something about gas pedals and brakes. She'll visit the arcade simulations again before going to get a car just to crash it.

>How much time until undertool?
It's still in over 2 days.

>How do jetals do with rotating parts I wonder?
Alison can say that this may be viable as long as she does not weigh too much, and she may need a higher morphability for it to work well as well.

"Was it a legal jetal?"
"Think so, but we dunno for sure."
"How hard would it be to hire a sniper, Polatt?"
"We got a couple snipers, but they aren't cheap. We pay them well to carry around shit like that, and well is thousands of bucks per hour."
"Also, my phone device thing I got in the tower... is it secure?"
"Yeah. Clerks in our building know to break their bugs before selling them to us, so you're good."
"Okay. I think I'm going to go for the robot with the core. Do we need it intact?"
"Nah, says dead or alive, just to bring in some kind of proof. The core would be proof. We'll come pick you up by the electronic store, sit tight."

Alison does get a shopping list from the bum that she may delegate around. It's like the bum said, plus some weird sounding things that she thinks are drugs.

While waiting to be picked up, Alison turns back into Arbiter and puts on the right clothes, while getting her respirator back. The news says it's going to rain tomorrow, along with heavy winds, so the smog will likely be swept away, at least to a degree.
>>
No. 494243 ID: c4e5c2
File 136124046196.png - (47.83KB , 700x700 , 75.png )
494243

Once picked up with Polatt and two others, Alison continues asking.

"I have this shopping list. Is it possible I could get someone to purchase it for me?"
"Yeah. Pretty normal stuff here, but we can send an errand boy to the local grocers."
"... even the drugs?"
"Yeah, this is heavy stuff, but it's all over the counter. The government knows how to make good mind trips. We'll take it out of your share of the bounty reward.
"Is someone else turning it in?"
"Yeah, same one who's tipping us off. If you do the heavy hitting then you and him will get the biggest slices, but we're getting a piece too for driving you over and all that. He's in the suburbs about an hour away, a good 200 kilometers or something."
"... that's a long ways away. One hour?" 20 normal minutes as Alison knows it.
"You've never been on the highway, eh? Easy enough, we drive in an entry tunnel, and every car has a mechanism under it that lets it get picked up and placed on a magnetic rail. It brings us into the highway, we tell it where our exit is, and we sit and wait."
"Also, I'd like information on..." Alison shows the address of the building Yallows is in. "This place. Also, an old damascus jetalium factory. Anything is good."
"Sure. Again, we'll take it out of your share. Easy stuff, so it'll be easy on your wallet." Polatt says while texting away those orders.

The highway turns out to be an internal tunnel. She is pretty sure there is an optical illusion, as she was pretty sure the highway tunnel was not this tall.

>"It does not sound like there is any wind." The engineer says. "I think this tunnel is a vacuum. The car mechanism he mentioned must keep an airflow going, so our platform probably has an air tank inside that's pumped into our sealed car."
"Fancy. By the way, Duelist, if I ever do change into my own form due to weight issues, would that hinder you?"
>"Perhaps." replies Duelist. "I would think you would prefer to do it. Rather, I recommend it. Beyond the simulation, we may be facing more freeroam locations, so perhaps this would be an ideal location for you to practice anyways."

The car starts beeping, and Loviro takes control of it again as their platform detaches from the rail and starts slowing down on a seperate exit tunnel.
>>
No. 494244 ID: c4e5c2
File 136124051713.gif - (42.63KB , 800x600 , 76.gif )
494244

They exit into a town where Alison hypothesizes that the smog from the capital billows down to and solidifies onto the walls in the form of graffiti. They drive for several more minutes before parking. There are more people on the streets this time.

"Our source is telling us that our robot friend has some buddies in this town, and those buddies run an operation in this building. I'd bet our stakes that this is where he's dug his hidey hole. Might need to rough some people up and encourage them inform us to his precise location. You wanna do the talking or hang back and wait till we point you to him?"
>>
No. 494252 ID: f2c20c

Why don't we hang back and cover a possible back entrance? Once interrogation starts he'll probably try to run.
>>
No. 494255 ID: 9ee360

Did we ask anyone to keep an eye on the bounty hunter?

>Alison hypothesizes that the smog from the capital billows down to and solidifies onto the walls in the form of graffiti.
XD

It also might be that this place is less densely populated and away from power plants, so there's less log. Away from central city infrastructure also probably means less of those cleaning bots. That explains the graffiti.

>take point, or let them do it?
I think by this point, diplomacy with force behind it should be something we're nearly an expert at. Alison should be able to get what she wants out of these people.

If they're reluctant to give the bot up- he's got a bounty on his head, and valuable data for the taking. Someone is going to find him sooner or later. If they want to make sure his core survives that, they're better off giving him up to someone like us.
>>
No. 494261 ID: b59bfb

Let's fight, but go easy, we could probably punch someones head off at full blast.
>>
No. 494268 ID: b33427

You may as well take the respirator off, since you're out of smog-ville. The others gonna do the same? And take that silly hat off already; You don't need to be ID'd as DB out here.

Think you could get some info out of the prostitutes? Say, pay for a (belenosian) hour or two, get out of sight, and just ask some questions about the place, the comings and goings, and about your target for that time. She might just be grateful not to have to work for a bit and share the info, or you might have to pay extra. 'Course, she also might be part of the outfit here, and call you out, but you may as well try. It'll save the trouble of roughing up the joint and possibly alerting your target if it works.

Huddle up and run this idea by Polatt, and ask if he thinks it'd work if you do it, he does it, one of other two does, or perhaps it'd be the least suspicious if all or most of you did it. If it comes down to you, just act as awkward and embarrassed as you actually feel. It'll fit right into it lookin' like your buddies are takin' you to your first time.
>>
No. 494274 ID: 9ee360

>And take that silly hat off already; You don't need to be ID'd as DB out here.
I see nothing wrong with being perceived as a mobster while trying to shake people down. Or with having a distracting visual clue be what people remember. I say the hat stays.
>>
No. 494282 ID: c4e5c2
File 136124713829.gif - (42.98KB , 800x600 , 77.gif )
494282

"Uh... actually, I think I might ask one of the girls over there if they know anything."
"It's your cash."
"How much should I pay?"
"These ones? For delicate info, 5 grand will get them talking."
"Okay. One of you go to the other side and watch the back, please."

The watch was two thousand and the pad was nearly 10 thousand, so Alison does not think that a single empire dollar is worth much. She waves down one of the girls and talks to her at a bit of a distance while taking off her respirator.

>"Yo. Interested?"
"Actually... I'd like to pay you for time and information."
>"Not my usual. No promises."
"I'm looking for a robot. I have reason to believe he's hiding in this building. The info is worth 5000."
>"No idea what you're talking about. All I know is that if we were holding a fugitive down, we'd want half the bounty share. Plus the five thousand for me."

Alison recalls Polatt saying during the ride that the bounty on this person was 300,000.
>>
No. 494286 ID: f2c20c

Seems like in order to compare these to Earth dollars, you'd want to divide by 10.

I don't think we're gonna get the info by throwing reasonable amounts of money at these ladies. I still think we should leave the interrogation to the Dead Batteries, and learn by watching what they do.

I guess we could use threats right now. I mean, we're obviously a Jetal, and strong enough so that their security bot there wouldn't be able to stop us if we wanted to rough them up some.
>>
No. 494291 ID: 9ee360

I don't think burning half our bounty on a location is smart.
>>
No. 494304 ID: 735f4f

We have to learn to be not so nice. Throwing money at random people for info we probably don't need is sort of a waste. On the other hand we don't have to start slapping her around either. Do we have anyone in our head that's good with intimidation?
>>
No. 494309 ID: c4e5c2
File 136124908031.gif - (42.66KB , 800x600 , 78.gif )
494309

"That's a lot to just drop on one piece of information."
>"You want business with me or not?"

>Do we have anyone in our head that's good with intimidation?

"I think I might need to be not so nice after all with this hat. But then again, I think among the thousands of us, one of us might be better at intimidating with Unity."
>"Me." a voice in the lobby says that she forgot about.
>>
No. 494312 ID: c4e5c2
File 136124914343.gif - (21.63KB , 763x363 , 79.gif )
494312

>I can do it. I can get the information. Just let me drive.

Guardsman. Alison can feel his excitement from the lobby.
>>
No. 494320 ID: f2c20c

>>494312
This will be the first time we put him into a position of power since his death. Ask Scanner what she thinks, as she knows him better than we do at this point.

I mean, first off, does he know that the body is extremely dense and if he starts punching it might be more lethal than he expects? We are really really not supposed to kill any organics.

Also we can ask what he plans to do.
>>
No. 494324 ID: 4a328b

Do it. Let guardsman drive.
>>
No. 494325 ID: 9ee360

...you're just going to be scary and intimidating, right?

Because I'm not sure how much we should be willing to hurt her. That, and we're in a super-strong robot body made from rather heavy stuff. Resorting to any kind of physical violence may be rather more violent or lethal than initially intended. And we can't afford to be hurting or killing organics- it'll cost us the goodwill we have with Felix (who's protecting us from the other cops) and bring a lot of heat down on us.
>>
No. 494337 ID: 735f4f

Give him a chance. This is all new and best to learn now rather than later.
>>
No. 494341 ID: 772c81

SHIFTING

MODE B: INTERROGATION

ENGAGE PROGRAM
>>
No. 494342 ID: 772c81

>>494341
by this I mean yeah okay, put guardsman in control. In case that wasn't obvious.
>>
No. 494343 ID: b33427

...Okay, Guardsman can take the helm, BUT ONLY if he doesn't get physical; Body language and verbal intimidation only, otherwise that guard-bot is going to go off, and that'll bring everything down. We're only looking to fight the bounty, not this bunch.

Open by telling her to turn around. Grin, loom over her, lock eyes, and tell her that she can take your deal of five thousand for her to tell her boss to get that 'bot bounty out into the neighboring empty lot where we can take it down with no collateral damage, or she can take no money and you and your buddies will perform some high explosive instant "urban renewal" on this dump. You'll make sure she'll get a real close front-row seat to that.

Throughout all that, gradually morph into a bit of a Rubyquest-Red-like grin, complete with too many sharp, sharp teeth. That'll tell her we're jetal, and mean business. If you can't do the whole thing, just a toothy grin throughout and morphing the teeth might do.
>>
No. 494348 ID: c4e5c2
File 136125409163.png - (19.93KB , 700x700 , 80.png )
494348

"Don't kill anyone, guardsman. Remember, you're in a death robot! Don't even rough up people in front of that bot or anything."
>"Okay okay."

Alison lets him, and Unity starts talking.

"Alright, girl. How much are your wages? Let's walk over here."
>"... 2 thousand per hour."
"Okay. You're expensive or the bot is weak, because that's only only a day and a half of.. whatever you do. Okay. Be quiet for a minute. That's still okay. I drove all the way out here, so I'm going to kill him even if it was free."

Guardsman puts Unity's arm over the shoulders of the girl.

"Do you feel that? Jetalium. Do you know what that means?"
>"... get to the point."
"I will. Let me ask you something. Have you ever had cheese get stuck in your fur? From a pizza or anything? Hard to get out, isn't it? Even if you tried tearing out your fur, there'd still be strands. Ever imagined what it would be like to have jetalium in your fur? Because that just happened. Right now. Jetalium. In your fur. Maybe even skin. Keep quiet, because the next part's important. Have you ever heard of jetals that can blow themselves up? Because we can. I'm sure jetals have suicided before. We can. It's easy. Once we detach our jetalium, it arms itself. It explodes in seconds. Just long enough for me to get away, not long enough for you to scrape your skin off. The only way that it's not going to arm when I pull my arm off, is if that pricey robot is in my sight when I let you go. I would like you to lead me, now."
>"..... f-follow me."

Alison can see what he's doing, though. He's using Unity's morph to make it feel like the jetalium is crawling and seeping into her fur, but he's just rubbing the back of her neck. It's all just a threat. It's still mean.

>"Let me fight the robot too!" guardsman requests.
>>
No. 494351 ID: 9ee360

...I love that Unity adjusted to Guardsman eyes.

>It's all just a threat. It's still mean.
Unfortunately, sometimes we need to be mean. We tried playing nice, and she tried to extort us. So we had to step it up. And we kind of don't have a choice but to be mean to people if we want to win this simulation. I mean, what do you think the robot hunting we're doing is?

I have to hand it to Guardsman, though. That's more subtlety and cleverness than I expected from him!

>"Let me fight the robot too!"
We should have Duelist ready to pilot or help in case the robot proves difficult, but otherwise, I don't see it being a bad thing letting Guardsman get a little experience in.

Remember, we need the core intact so we can download the data we want. Best approach is to probably open by taking out sensor / head (possibly with a gun blast, we might want Duelist to do that much as Guardsman has no practice with a gun) and then using the plasma to take out limbs and weapons until the bot is disabled.

Then we recover the core, download the data, and pass it off to our DB buds to collect the bounty.
>>
No. 494352 ID: 735f4f

Very nice. We had best remember this in the future. Making use of all the different personalities we have will be vital to the mission.
>>
No. 494353 ID: f2c20c

>>494347
Mean is what we're going for. Guardsman IS good at this. Nice.

Fighting the robot? Ehhhhhhh. Maybe. It shouldn't be as difficult as fighting a Jetal, but Guardsman has no freeroam experience. His base weapon IS a sword though so it might work out? Yeah. Sure.
>>
No. 494355 ID: 772c81

He's earned himself a fight!

Though, no going nutso with the body. If you fail here, it's the training boots for you.
>>
No. 494360 ID: c4e5c2
File 136125592135.png - (16.27KB , 700x700 , 81.png )
494360

"Just if we use a sword! We should open up with a shot, I think, so let duelist take care of that and any range. And remember, we need the jetal core intact."
>"That's cool, yeah."
"Oh, and good job, guardsman. That was... sufficiently mean."

They're lead through, where the girl regains her cool and walks in the back with unity like it was normal business.

>"Just in here." the girl whispers. ".... could I get that five thousand anyway? You already screwed me, I'm in hell when they realize I led you to the guy, you know. I'll give you a tip. He's got a real hell of a blaster arm, but can only fire a few shots with it before resorting to a peashooter of a plasma weapon. Also, he's part of EIN, so... you'll have to do it fast."

The door looks flimsy enough to just punch through.
>>
No. 494361 ID: f2c20c

>>494358
Hand her the cash, yeah. Maybe mention she might want to find a job somewhere else. She could even approach our buddies out front for that, though we can make no guarantees.

Ram through the door and snipe his big blaster arm. Take that out and the peashooter is no issue. We can close to melee and give Guardsman some experience.
>>
No. 494362 ID: f2c20c

>>494361
I mean, have Duelist snipe the blaster.

Try using 50, 100, then 150 surge in a 3-shot burst, to give us an idea of how strong the gun is.
>>
No. 494365 ID: 9ee360

Thank her, pay her, and then let her get out of way. Things are about to get blasty.

Busting through the door and blasting his optical sensors / targeting system is probably the best way to go. If we can dodge his first few powerful shots or get them to go wild, we'll be able to close and do the swording.
>>
No. 494369 ID: 9ddf68

>>494360
grab the money then hold it out to her when she reaches for it pull it back and say "only if you get out of her right now' then hold it out for her again and let her take it. after she turns the corner have duelist knock the door down and put a plasma shot into the bot, then swich back to guardsmen and let him have a feild day with the plasma sword. Just have him go for the head and limbs and we should be abal to avoid hitting the core
>>
No. 494370 ID: c4e5c2
File 136125702071.png - (17.76KB , 700x700 , 82.png )
494370

"Yeah." Alison says, while passsing her five thousand. "You can approach our buddies out the front if you don't want to work here anymore. But no promises."
>"... thanks." she says.

She starts running away, and guardsman prepares the beamsword while Duelist bursts through the door. It looks like Unity can use multiple weapons at once, but only so long as she has the energy for it.

Guardsman lets Duelist point his weapon forward first, prepared to shoot.

BAM

>"The fuck?! Knock?!"

This is not the simulation Alison thought she was entering. This is not what the plan was.
>>
No. 494371 ID: f2c20c

>>494370
Don't hesitate! Yell at the prostitute to get clear, first. Start moving towards him, shoot whatever arm he points at you first, and demand to know where the core is.
>>
No. 494375 ID: 9ddf68

put a plasma round in the bots head, knock the girl off, put the plasma sword into the bot, repeat untill bot is 'dead', grab and absorb the core, then just leave the building and get back into the car
>>
No. 494376 ID: 9ee360

...do we know what the robot we're looking for looks like? Is that him? Is that guy even mechanical? Can we tell that from here?

If that's not our guy, or if that's an organic, we've been played (and we can't afford to shoot an organic). In which case I kind of expect we're about to be jumped from the other direction.
>>
No. 494377 ID: 35edd4

Don't assume it's not the girl. Next time we really gotta get a picture of our target.
>>
No. 494380 ID: 57a559

Move, take off his head with the sword. Don't even give the prostitute a few seconds to get off of him. He's pinned. She'll shove off by reflex, don't even worry about her. Or kick her the fuck off if he tries to use her as a human shield.
>>
No. 494381 ID: 9ee360

Guys. We can't kill anyone till we're sure either of them is mechanical. The heat we'd bring down on us for an actual murder is way worse than if we just screw up this mission.
>>
No. 494383 ID: f2c20c

>>494381
Dude, he's got a robot arm and a robot face.
>>
No. 494384 ID: c6ec33

Call out something along the lines of "Sorry to interrupt, but the Dead Batteries are gathering outside in force and it looks like they're after a bounty. One guess who they're looking for."
>>
No. 494386 ID: 9ee360

>>494383
If that's apparent to Alison, she can by all means use force to subdue him. (Going for the head or blaster arm). But from where I'm sitting, I'm having a hard time telling. :/
>>
No. 494390 ID: c4e5c2
File 136125890977.png - (16.88KB , 700x700 , 83.png )
494390

>"whoa what are they doing" Guardsman asks, but now is not the time.

"Sit upright and both of you put your hands up!" Duelist yells. Both obey. He's simply made it so his palm opens up as the plasma shot's barrel.

>"I can't assume it is not the girl!" says Duelist internally."
"Just shoot him! The girl said the guy was in here!"
>"I will not pointlessly kill a bystander, simulation or not!"

Alison moves one of the extra eye cameras she made awhile ago in the back of Arbiter's tail to the surface so she can see out of it. The tail is poked out into the hall, showing that here's no one coming up from behind her.

"Which one of you is full robot?!" Alison asks.

The guy bites down hard on his lip. He starts bleeding.

"The stupid girl said it was a 'he!' She set us up! She set us up!" guardsman yells.
>>
No. 494391 ID: 57a559

The full robot. Where is he. NOW! Or we blow this fucking place to kingdom come with Jetal based C4!
>>
No. 494392 ID: 772c81

>>494390
hey hey hey.

DEAD OR ALIVE

which means ALIVE IS OKAY.

and he has his hands up.
>>
No. 494393 ID: 9ee360

It's not the guy. Told you he didn't really look robotic.

We still need to make sure it's not the girl in the bed. If it's not, we withdraw from this room and fall back.

The girl who lied to us is either our target, going to warn our target, and/or is trying to get away. We should warn our DB buddies we've been played and she's probably running off.

>tailcam
That's hella smart.

>She set us up! She set us up!
Yes. That's the problem with being mean. Sometimes that doesn't work, either.
>>
No. 494394 ID: f2c20c

>>494389
Goddamn it.

I think it's safe to assume neither of these are the target... but um, step forwards and give the lady a prick with the knife on a finger to see if she bleeds.

If she bleeds, then while we run out, grab the phone and call our dudes out front to tell them that the girl lied to us.
>>
No. 494399 ID: c4e5c2
File 136126153969.png - (15.87KB , 700x700 , 84.png )
494399

"Where is the full robot?!" Alison yells, apparently having a temper after all. "You, miss, knick yourself! Show me that you can blee--"

That gets a reaction out of the girlbot, who's arm flicks up halfway between her wrist and elbow.

Duelist narrowly dodges, still getting scraped along his plasma gun, disabling it for just a couple of seconds. Body damage is minimal, only 2 kgs are burned off. The coat, however, is going to have a scrapped sleeve.
>>
No. 494400 ID: c4e5c2
File 136126154906.png - (21.85KB , 700x700 , 85.png )
494400

Guardsman doesn't wait those seconds, and slices cleanly through the robot's arm.

Alison's phone starts buzzing.
>>
No. 494401 ID: 735f4f

Can we answer in our head? Maybe speakerphone? As long as it does not slow down our fighters might be best to find out if its important.
>>
No. 494402 ID: 9ee360

Finish disabling the bot- make her a quadriplegic if you have to. Then we can grab her, and our hat, and run. We'll open her up for a core scan before we have her delivered alive for the bounty.

>Alison's phone starts buzzing.
Almost certainly warning us we need to get clear. We should answer that once the bot is down. Unless we multitask for that? (Someone use a small morph to press the on button, and form a small speaker / mike near it). Then we could talk and cut at the same time.
>>
No. 494403 ID: 47d311

Guardsman is pretty hardcore. We have a perfect good cop (Duelist) bad cop (Guardsman) duo at our disposal.
>>
No. 494404 ID: f2c20c

>>494400
Looks like he sliced cleanly through part of the robot's face too.

...hang on, if this robot's part of EIN, how come they have a bounty? Does EIN support robots even when they're breaking the law? Whatever. Find the core. Find out where it is from this robot, at least. Probably in their discarded clothing?

Also, answer the phone- we can multitask. Leave the plasma sword running and pointed at the robot to keep it from going anywhere.
>>
No. 494406 ID: 47d311

Also if the core doesn't appear to be there, tell her that the price on her head is the same dead or alive; if she tells you where the core is, you'll do her a favor and turn her in living, unless she's got a better proposal than 300,000.
>>
No. 494408 ID: 9ee360

>hang on, if this robot's part of EIN, how come they have a bounty?
The bounties aren't necessarily all put out by the state.
>>
No. 494417 ID: b33427

Slice off her other arm and both lower legs while setting your phone to speaker and answering it. Turn off the sword, shove her back onto the bed, and pin her down with one arm while quickly telling her that you only need the jetal core as proof for the bounty; If the gives up the core, she lives.
>>
No. 494422 ID: 91c1b3

It's probably worth it to tell the guy that there is a bounty on her head. So he doesn't try to come to her aid or something.
>>
No. 494426 ID: c4e5c2
File 136126562882.png - (15.92KB , 700x700 , 86.png )
494426

>Hang on, if this robot's part of EIN, how come they have a bounty? Does EIN support robots even when they're breaking the law?
This would have been a stumper if Alison thought of this right as the girl said it, but Alison just doesn't think that the girl was being entirely honest. Then again, it was an odd thing to say.

Guardsman takes off the other arm and her legs.

"Tell me where the core is, I'm bringing you in dead or alive! And she's got a bounty, mister, in case you're wondering."
>"In the bookshelf!" the robot is still able to say despite a partially lopped off head.

The core is gained, and Unity shoves it in herself to start absorbing while picking up the phone.

"Yes?!"
"They sicced their bot on us! I took care of that one, but we're going to have company soon. You have 5 minutes to get up here!"
"I'll be up in one- er, no. Yeah, five is fine!" Time sucks.

>Bounties aren't necessarily all put up by the state
"Do we know if the government put up the bounty, or if it was personal?"
"No idea, but the government manages personally-funded bounties even if the person hasn't broken any laws! Either way, EIN's been triggered, so haul ass!"

Well that explains that.

Weapon gained: Plasma Sword C, Kinetic Autogun C
Boost gained: Cooling systems. +50% surge regeneration, +100% normal battery usage (does not affect surge requirements, but powering up a sword using 600 surge will take away 1200 battery energy). This will be inactive until Alison chooses to activate it.
Boost gained: Jetalium bullets. May expend mass to form bullets for kinetic guns, either jetalium autoguns or regular guns. This can be combined with explosive shedding to make exploding ammunition. Bullets, if not exploded, are also recoverable after firing.

>>
No. 494429 ID: 9ddf68

allright grab your bounty and haul ass we need to go.
>>
No. 494430 ID: 9ee360

Sweet. A better sword, and optional exploding bullets! Something to spend jetalium on, if we ever get too much, I guess.

>1 5 minutes
Tuck your prisoner-torso under one arm, hold onto your hat, and start running. Shout a sorry to the unfortunate john as you go.
>>
No. 494431 ID: 78c6ea

Mental note; only let Guardsman lead when we want bad things to happen to us.
>>
No. 494432 ID: f2c20c

>>494426
Grab her and jet. Wrap her in the bedsheet though, for dignity's sake.
>>
No. 494435 ID: 9ee360

>>494431
Hey, that's not really fair. He did pretty well, considering. He intimidated the mark into taking us to the right place, even if she still tried to get us killed. And really, we took that risk as soon as we decided we were okay going with intimidation instead of buying her off (at exhorbinate cost). Or heck, as soon as we tried to get someone to flip on a friend. You can never be sure you've actually flipped someone in a case like that.

And the dual pilot system worked well. He let Duelist hold them back when we were uncertain, and he went to no nonsense violence when we were.

Really, it's just a matter of understanding people's limits.
>>
No. 494437 ID: b33427

Are you on or near an exterior wall? Is the ceiling in here the roof? Maybe you can cut a hole out using the old plasma sword if your surge and battery are up to it. Flip on your new cooling system while doing it to regenerate surge faster, just in case the wall or roof are too tough, so you can take a another go at it using your new plasma sword.

>>494429
>>494430
>>494432
Don't need her; The core's enough proof for the bounty. Though better make it damn clear to her before you leave that she better vanish off the face of the fuckin' planet once she's got her parts back on.

...But before hanging up on Polett, ask if he's absolutely sure only the core is needed for this.
>>
No. 494440 ID: c4e5c2
File 136126726811.png - (16.81KB , 700x700 , 87.png )
494440

"You sure only the core is necessary, Polatt?!"
"At the very least, but the more the better!"

Compared to herself, the severed robot is quite light. Alison yanks the bedsheet to cover the robot.

"Sorry about this!" she yells back to the man as she runs out of there. She doesn't know the layout of the building that well, so she doesn't risk wasting time and battery trying to cut her way out with the sword.
>>
No. 494441 ID: c4e5c2
File 136126728510.png - (20.14KB , 700x700 , 88.png )
494441

The security bot outside is sufficiently busted and the prostitutes have all scrammed, and nothing stops Alison from running to Polatt's car with the robot in tow. It's a clean getaway, and Alison doesn't get the impression that other robots sent by EIN to back up the security bot care a whole lot about pursuing perpetrators. The gang member in the passenger seat shuts the robot down once he finds the killswitch.

"Was not expecting that kind of robot."
"Shutting the robot off prevents it from reaching EIN, right?"
"Yeah, but it wouldn't matter. She's got a bounty. Oh, she could call for help since she was still part of EIN, but the government won't protect robots with a bounty on their head."
"Even if they're legal?"
"Yeah. We're second class citizens, Unity, the government sells us out easy. The guy who paid for the bounty probably paid more like 400 grand, and we only see 300 of it while the government takes a big bite. Anyways, may as well just pull out the AI chip to turn in, and salvage the robot body ourselves. Good job. Little rough exit, but we got the job done and all survived, and that's as smooth as we can ask for."
"And are you alright?"
"Just superficial damage. You wouldn't know by the look of me, but I'm pretty top notch. We gotta stop by our headquarters and finish up the loose ends anyway, so I'll touch up. After that, are you still wanting to make the most of the day?"
>>
No. 494442 ID: 78c6ea

There's a second lesson about IDs. The only time you actually need a government tracking system to help you is exactly when it doesn't give a shit. Anyway good job, or, job at least.
>>
No. 494443 ID: f2c20c

What about the jetal core we just got? If it's a legal core, they can track us while we carry it. We'd want to turn it in quick.
>>
No. 494444 ID: f2c20c

>>494441
Oh and yes, we still want to do stuff today. Next let's take out the jetal hunting us.

I'm curious about it, actually. What description was it using to ask about us?
>>
No. 494445 ID: 9ee360

Yeah, we're still up for making the most of the day. We've got a bounty hunter to take care of before we end up getting taken in, and then a jewellery shop to hit.

You know, after that incident, I'm slightly paranoid about mistaken identity. I don't know why we didn't think of this before, considering we are a shapeshifter without any identification protocols.

We should establish a trust password with Polatt, just so no other jetal can try to impersonate us. We should do the same with Loviro's group (using a different password) later. We're been using our name (Unity) as an identifier, but that isn't good enough, since eventually our name will get around.
>>
No. 494451 ID: b33427

Yeah, you're up for it. Still got that jetal bounty hunter to take down, and the jewelry store guard later. Check your battery level, just to know where you stand for the rest of the day.

Pull the captured jetal core out of yourself and hand it over to the guy in front to put with the AI chip. Ask if there's any risk of EIN picking it up, even though it's out of juice. ...Kinda wondering if it's an EIN-less core, but the odds on that are absurdly small.

With what happened with the phone back there, coming up with a hand's free method of using it would be prudent. Maybe a cavity not much bigger than it, near your core, with a mouth, ear, and all the eyes and manipulators needed to operate it. That'll do unless you can just directly plug into its ports and use it that way. May as well give that a try while asking Polatt about doing that to computers and other electronics. Probably should ask Loviro as well about that, later on.

Once back at DB HQ, pick up a replacement coat, and swing by the bookstore to load up your smartphone with documents for Historian, Engineer, and anybody else back in the lobby and environs who's interested. They can read it while you're traveling and not much is happening.

Also, since you won't be near a jetal charger for awhile, stop by the grocer and liquor store at DB HQ and pick up a variety of food and booze to try en route. Digesting those will at least offset baseline running costs. Try creating multiple parallel digestive tracts to speed things up as well.

>>494445
Conversely, Sevener or another jetal might try to impersonate one of your allies to get to you. So establishing a small list of matching sets of passwords to use would be a good idea. Choosing random sentences out of random books would work well enough.
>>
No. 494467 ID: 440525

Yeah, lets absorb the body of the girl and get a move one.
>>
No. 494472 ID: 9ddf68

Are we going to do anything about Yallows yet or are we putting that on the back burner for now. because I do feel Yallows is on a time limit and I would like to get him sooner reather then later.
Jest turn in the bounty, do any other little thing the dead batteries need you to do before they send you on your way and then go back to Lorvio's hideout get Vinyl because she did say she had a way to get us in that building. Oh also ask if th dead batteries got that info you requested yet that could be useful and make sure they still have tabs on the one jetal that is after us
>>
No. 494475 ID: 9ee360

>>494472
I would think we'd at least want to field test our new weapons before we risk confronting the supercore nasty holding Yallows. Yes, we're on a time limit, but getting killed going for him doesn't help. And I'd really like to get the bounty hunter off of our tail- find him before he finds us. Otherwise we're likely to get jumped at the worst time. So two birds, one stone high energy plasma blade.

>>494467
We can't, regrettably. She's made of conventional robotics, not jetalium.
>>
No. 494488 ID: c4e5c2
File 136130404215.png - (11.61KB , 700x700 , 89.png )
494488

"And what about the jetal core calling EIN?"
"If it's able to tell what's going on, then it knows that we rescued it. That would be all sorts of rude of it to call the cops on us. And hey, we didn't do anything illegal, just honest bounty hunting. Only got EIN on us because of that 2 bit establishment was using their security bot recklessly." Polatt thinks.
"Alright. Yes, I'd like to use the rest of the day. Next I would like to go for the bounty hunter. What was the description it was asking for?"
"Didn't bother with current descriptions, just said he was there on behalf of the jetal you took out as the showgirl. Probably didn't think you kept that form." He starts texting to make the setups.
"Can jetals plug themselves directly into computer ports?"
"Only with the appropriate jetal function, I'm afraid."

During the ride back, Alison increases her morphability just a touch so she can put the smartphone in herself and operate it easily enough to do things like text, along with a speaker herself so she can talk into it. She begins downloading various public databanks on her phone, mostly about history and society. Engineer says he doesn't trust engineering books here, as the simulation might fudge the books together and won't be accurate. Even historian says he has to take everything with a grain of salt, as it's not like the simulation will say what is accurately known and what is just being filled in.

>"Ah." Historian says, while looking up society and mannerisms. "It says here that complimenting horns can be quite flattering, but only if done right. Although horn size varies wildly, they do grow with age, soq saying they have large horns can be taken as saying that they are very old."

Alison now understands the response she got for complimenting the size of the electric shop's clerk's horn size.

"Oh, Polatt, we need safety passwords, because some jetal might impersonate me to get to you guys, or one of you guys to get to me."
"Ah, dang. Can't believe I didn't think about that happening myself."

Alison grabs a quote from a random book she found.

"Shock them, impress them, and melt..."
"Heh, good as any."
>>
No. 494490 ID: c4e5c2
File 136130407550.png - (36.87KB , 700x700 , 90.png )
494490

Once back at the dead battery hideaway, everyone splits up to do their seperate business. Alison goes to a clothing shop and gets a robot to quickly and efficiently replace the sleeve of her coat. It's seemless.

She does get some food as well, but does not want to become a digestive machine based on what Loviro said about becoming slow and sluggish if too much is digested at once, especially when she's going to fight soon.

To test out the internal phone operations, Alison sends Polatt a text asking about the information she requested. He is still wrapping up the misson. She gets one back soon enough.

>Yeah, some. Can't find anything special about the building nearby the electric shop you asked about. Looks like it's an office building for a road and highway construction company. We'll keep looking in case there's something funny about it. The damascus facility doesn't look special either, least not recently. It was shut down around 29 years ago since the head honchos up and vanished. Is that where you were made? Because that's been a long time you were asleep for if so. We'll look some more into that one too, and your groceries were left in your room. We're ready to tip that Jetal off and pretend to sell you out. We just need to know where you're going to 'happen' to be, rather, what kind of location you'd like to fight him at. Streets are gonna get pretty crowded soon for a bit, rush hour's coming up on us.
>>
No. 494492 ID: 9ddf68

I say we fight the jetal in an alley, nothing to new or orginal but if the fight goes south for us we could just run out into the rush hour crowd and do a quick morph to hide, but then again so could the other jetal.
Just in case he does get away make it look like your actualy surprise he found you or something. Maybe even change your form to something that looks like the show girl but different enough that one would really have to look to see it. (hides your normal form and if we went full show girl to get the jetal to find us he might think it would be to easy and just leave.)
>>
No. 494493 ID: 6dc5a6

Find an intersection that will be crowded by rush hour. Ideally you want to draw in this jetal without too much intervention from law enforcement, lots of traffic should slow down any response vehicles and prevent bigger robots from getting deployed. Get a driver waiting for you several blocks away for your escape.

If your main escape route gets blocked you may want to get the schematics on the city's sewer lines.
>>
No. 494494 ID: 9ee360

Hmm. You know, with no identification credentials, and no set faces, I wonder how bounty hunters pursuing illegal jetals ever know they got the right one. I suppose if they have the right weapon data that helps? And getting people to betray the jetal you're hunting has to be the best way to locate it.

>groceries
Cool, we can pay off the hobo next time we go by the hideout.

>so saying they have large horns can be taken as saying that they are very old
...which makes Itcher a babyface I guess. XD

>what kind of location you'd like to fight him at
Somewhere not crowded. We don't want bystanders getting caught in the crossfire, especially if we decide to test our new exploding bullets, or if our new plasma sword turns out to be pretty big or something.

It should be someplace isolated or unpopular enough we don't have to worry about anyone else getting in the way, that makes sense as a hideout for an illegal jetal, and provides enough cover for us to ambush in.

A closed down factory or industrial park, maybe?

Also, assuming you're going to let the bounty hunter live (sparing the core) you shouldn't wear your default Albiter look, or he'll report it and the next one will have an easier time finding you.
>>
No. 494504 ID: f2c20c

>>494490
>The damascus facility doesn't look special either, least not recently. It was shut down around 29 years ago since the head honchos up and vanished.

Uh, but... it's full of Jetals. Are they... INACTIVE jetals? Also, there are security bots stationed in front. Bizarre. Oh jeez, wouldn't it be amazing if Jetals actually took over the facility?

Let's use Sevener's form for the fight. Frame her.
>>
No. 494505 ID: 76b151

Some small problems with that.
1) we've never seen her.
2) shes in a shapeshifting magic robot too.
3) No one else is going to know about her as she just camo online as well.
>>
No. 494506 ID: 57a559

Turn into Felix, pretend to be a dead body in the middle of a factory to lure him in by surrounding yourself with blood. Make him realize it's a trap by leaving a note asking "Is this a friend of yours?" on your fake body self.

When he turns his back on the body. Cut him in half.
>>
No. 494508 ID: 9ee360

>>494506
That seems overly elaborate, and risky. If the hunter is genre savvy enough to make sure a body is dead, we're giving him a free attack. Plus, is blood even a thing we can fake?

Doing the ambush in felix-face is good though. We don't want to show the bounty hunters familiar with our default Albiter one, and Felix is a good dose of transparent messing with them.
>>
No. 494511 ID: 57a559

I never said fake the blood
>>
No. 494513 ID: 2accaa

Well it could be that said "head honchos" are just leaving a ton of Jetal inactive to send out one after another if you get axed. They don't think it's a simulation, so they're planning on continuing to quietly rock the boat and destabilize the EIN.
>>
No. 494536 ID: c4e5c2
File 136132779649.png - (25.08KB , 700x700 , 91.png )
494536

>Damascus facility is full of jetals

Where is the damascus factory anyway? Alison texts. It tickles Alison now every time she gets a text or call, with all the buzzing and vibrating.
>Half an hour out of town, in an abandoned testing outpost.

Polatt includes the address and directions to the place. So it doesn't appear that Loviro's hideout is underneath the factory. The actual building Loviro is under, and why it has so many jetals, is still unknown.

Alison can't mimic Sevener's image as of yet, assuming it would even work since sevener may not be using that image. Alison has only seen sevener's face from the false cai sequence, and not very clearly at that.

While she may not be sure about pretending to be a dead Felix to catch him off guard, she will use Felix's image.

Are there any factories that are abandoned but not far from a lot of foot traffic? I don't want to be interrupted or to drag bystanders into it, but I would like to be able to slink back into the crowd after beating him. It's a pause before Polatt answers.
>Yeah. In town would be the quickest, could get you there in, let's say 80 minutes including time to set up the jetal to meet you. Unused factory for sale, floors 104 to 107 in a building. Most people in that building will be getting off in 45 minutes, and you can meld in with one of the elevators bringing down commuters, or rather evacuators depending on if you're found out to be fighting. Walls are nice about keeping sound inside, so you probably won't be found out at all. Otherwise, there's a section of suburbs we can get you to that's got a lot of abandoned warehouses on floor level, but still will have some foot traffic around. That'll be more like 135 minutes, plus however long you gotta wait for the jetal to show up.
>>
No. 494537 ID: 9ee360

...okay, the apparent face-texting is making me giggle.

>factory floor or suburbs warehouse
I guess the factor seems like the better choice? It's closer, secure enough, and easy enough to disappear from when we're done.

>>494511
Oh, I was thinking that jetalium probably doesn't do convincing blood (or fluid, at all). I suppose we could use the real stuff, but getting ahold of it would take longer, and I don't see how it gives us more of a tactical advantage than a plain old ambush.
>>
No. 494540 ID: 9ddf68

factory sounds good and if we want we could look like an empoly if we want to try and surpise this guy. Just say we had some work we had to catch up on and as we walk by BAM. Down side to the factory however is we are a 100+ stories in the air so a quick escape would be a little harder to pull off.
>>
No. 494551 ID: b6edd6

I don't think a disguise will help much unless the guy is really distracted. Someone hunting for jetal bounties would presumably know how to recognize jetals.
>>
No. 494555 ID: 9ee360

>>494551
Passing ourselves off as a non-jetal probably wouldn't work, yeah. But there's no need to let him see the face we normally wear. That would make it easier for the next bounty hunter to find us. A disguise serves to maintain our anonymity, not to get us our ambush.

In order to get the jump on him, we use preparedness and the terrain/geography instead.
>>
No. 494558 ID: d79664

Let's take the former mention, and get this over with.
>>
No. 494563 ID: b33427

Take the factory site for the fight. Ask Polatt if he could send you all the info on the site he has available. We'll check the place out when we get there, but knowing some ahead of time would be good. Just the floor plan would be okay, but some more info on the tower it's in would be good. Like how many more floors are above the site. It's probably an industrial block, so if there are a load of floors above, there's going to be a mess of vertical utility, maintenance, and other piping areas that could be used to get out if things go bad, or for the hunter to get in.

We also shouldn't use Felix's face for this. Impersonating a police officer here might raise our heat a little. It's probably minor, but let's choose a form that we haven't used at all yet. Could we slap together a non-distinctive female from images of various historical and modern figures?
>>
No. 494565 ID: 9ee360

>>494563
I kind of thought using his face sent a message. The bounty hunter is pursuing us because took out Felix's jetal. Attacking him as Felix says that we knew he was after us- and why. That info might make anyone else wary of taking the bounty for a while.

...and it's only impersonating a police officer if we made the badge and uniform to go with it. And tried to, yanno, do anything with it. If anything, I expect the cheek to amuse Felix when he hears about it. :V
>>
No. 494568 ID: b33427

>>494565
Okay, that makes sense. We'll use Felix's form for this.

Just to try it, could we extend the hairs on our head up and through the fabric of our hat where it touches our head, then merge the hair ends in pairs? That way we don't lose our hat as easily, and the weak bond won't lose any of our hair if it's pulled off.

Oh, and we should remember to keep our horn lengths not too long from now on. Long horns without the old face to go with them would be rather suspicious. We may have to trim our Arbiter form horns down a bit to match our face as well.
>>
No. 494583 ID: c4e5c2
File 136134940195.png - (83.16KB , 900x900 , 92.png )
494583

We'll do the factory in town. Tell me what you know about it. Alison texts. She is on a time limit after all, and that would work better for another clean getaway. She just hopes Felix doesn't mind his image being used, and she won't apply any badges.
>"Alright. We'll give you backup in case he's got backup. Otherwise, if you can't beat him, we're not gonna be much help. The factory is 20,000 square feet, with some leftover brewery equipment. It's in a 187 story building. Balcony and all." Nothing about that is a deal breaker, so Alison is driven to the location.

38:41
Unsold Factory


She's just above where the smog levels off. The price is almost 90 million dollars per month. She doesn't know if space in this town is expensive, or if that's the reason it's unsold.

She doesn't have much time to look out the window, though. Her phone vibrates her cheek.

>We think our buddy bought the bait. It's going in the building now. Same entrance as you. Just one problem, it's got a partner, and we can't do much about that. A jetal partner, it's a two on one. They're both disguised as building security guards.

She has about 10 to 15 belenosian minutes, she thinks, before they come through the door, assuming they don't stop for coffee on the way in. Elevators here move alarmingly fast.

There are two main entrances. If they went in at the same entrance, then the westmost entry will be the most direct route, and the eastmost main entrance the second most obvious entry. This is almost a 200 story building, and there is plenty of room above if the jetal tries to go through the roof or floor. With balcony exits north, maintenance rooms south, Alison won't be able to tell where they are coming from if they try to be unpredictable.

The floor only slightly creaks below Alison, so she doesn't think her weight will be an issue so long as she doesn't absorb a whole huge jetal and turn into a pogo stick. Like Polatt said, there's some leftover brewing equipment, so there will be some cover from plasma shots, but the whole layout is not melee friendly.
>>
No. 494585 ID: a11810

Go to the western door (the most direct entrance), and look around at what other entrances are in direct line of sight to that entrance.

I would guess that with 2 of them coming in, they'll probably be confident enough to just come straight in, but we can't count on them being so overconfident as to not use tactics. So, logically, they will try to flank you and come at you from both sides - the most ideal way to do that would be to determine the door that it is most likely you would cover (the western entrance), and enter by two other entrances both with LOS to that door and to each other, so they can coordinate ranged attacks against you.
>>
No. 494588 ID: f2c20c

I think we'd better test the autogun we just got, before they get here. We can recover the bullets after a test-firing, so it should be free. Also maybe activate the plasma sword once to see what the surge requirement is. We've got near-max battery right now, don't we? Should be fine.

Personally I want to see if we can hide somewhere out of view and use our tail-cam to spot where they enter, to get the first shot.
>>
No. 494596 ID: b33427

Better test out your new weapons while you can. Test the surge and power drain on the plasma sword C first. See if activating the cooling system right after it surged speeds cooldown, or if you have to have it active during the surge for it to work. Then form up the kinetic autogun to see how much surge it takes, and it's ongoing cost. Load a single jetalium round and fire it into your foot to get the power cost, and how much damage it'll do.

The bounty hunters are pros, so don't expect them to come in the most direct route together. They won't totally trust the DB's intel, so they're going to come in separate, and from where they can cover each other. Either from the main doors, or a main door and a maintenance door, or even from a maintenance or main door and the balcony or window. All together, you don't know where they're going to come from to get in here. But what you do know for sure, is that they're going to come in here. Which is why you shouldn't be in here, but near here.

Move out into the public hallway on the west side, past the elevator bank, and into the fire escape stairwell. Keep the door open just enough that you can hold your tail cam where it can view the elevators. Wait roughly the maximum time it would take for them to come up the elevators to see if either of them comes out here. Keep your ears cocked for anybody coming up the stairwell. Once 15 b-minutes have passed, move to the west brewery entrance as silent as you can and peek in with your tail cam to see if they're there.

Remember, they're disguised as building security, so no shooting until you're sure they're not actually building security. We can probably open up with explosive rounds once we've confirmed they're jetal. It'll take them down faster, and we can recover what jetalium is used from their bodies.
>>
No. 494597 ID: 735f4f

Up close we have a huge advantage due to our experience with close range weapons. We don't want to get into a gun battle until we have more practice under our belt. Can we ambush them in the elevator? Maybe force open the doors and drop down on there car then attack as they get out.
>>
No. 494605 ID: b33427

>>494597
No way to know which elevator shaft to open, and even if we did there's a risk of biologicals being in the car with them. Can't just crash through the roof to slice-n-dice. We'd probably end up crashing through the cab floor too, if we tried it.

Pretty much the only way we can be pretty sure that a security guard here is one of them, is if they move like a jetal, and come into the former brewery with weapons ready.

We also can't assume we can get the drop on them by just approaching from behind. They probably have discreetly placed eyes so they can see behind themselves, to the sides, up, and possibly down. Only way to surprise them with a plasma sword is either from right around a corner, or through a wall, floor, or ceiling.

Thinking about that, it would make sense to poke a hole in the stairwell fire door using the plasma sword, when nobody is around. Even better would be from inside a maintenance closet, so nobody might come up behind us. Use it as a peep hole to watch the elevators.
>>
No. 494618 ID: 9ee360

Huh. The sheep got some interesting looking aircraft, out there.

>her weight will be an issue so long as she doesn't absorb a whole huge jetal and turn into a pogo stick
Or... unless we absorb two jetal?

If this room isn't particularly melee friendly, I think the best thing to do is find a good hiding spot, let them get out into the open, and then blast them up with our new exploding bullets. That should turn them into puddles of jetalium for us to close and absorb, and if they resist, we can test the new sword.
>>
No. 494622 ID: b33427

>>494618
Those are probably just odd looking clouds, not aircraft.

We'll have to hold off on absorbing either of them until both of them are down. In addition to it taking time to absorb, we need to keep our weight down to remain as fast as we can during the fight. Shame we don't have the time to lop off some of our extra mass and stash it so we're even quicker. Maybe we could have made a decoy body out of it.

What we should do is run around and pull the latch levers on all the hatches on the sides of the tanks. Do it just enough that there's a small gap open on each one, so they think we might be looking out. That way they'll have waste time by going around to every tank and clearing it to make sure we're not inside.

Of course, we won't be in any of the tanks. We'll be in the entry hall, listening to the entry door, waiting to open it when they clear a tank, so as to cover the sound of it opening. Then we slip our tail-cam in to watch for our chance to push in when they're behind a tank, close the distance, and surprise them from around it.
>>
No. 494628 ID: 57a559

I like the idea of ambushing them with jetal bombs. It's not very inconspicuous AFTER the fact, but highly damaging.

Shiiet, 10 kg near the entrance aught to kill 'em good real fast if we can get above the entrance and go "drip drop boopity bop!" when they walk in and then we go eat the remains.
>>
No. 494630 ID: 9ee360

>>494628
The only problem with that is we don't have remote triggering capability. We have to use timers. ...and we don't know exactly when the bounty hunters will be where we want them. So there's a lot of room for a screw up- setting the clock to go off too soon or too late.

I still think finding a nice place to hide higher up in the room, and then shooting them up with explosive bullets when they're out in the middle of the room looking for us is the most expedient solution.
>>
No. 494640 ID: b33427

Tell Polatt to get himself and the boys up to the floor above this one, on the east entrance end. You want 'em to head down the stairs from there and wait in the stairwell for your signal that the targets are in the room. Then they'll move to just outside the east entrance and wait. You may need them to bust the doors open and spray gunfire in as a distraction, or to slow the escape of one of the jetals. You'll tell 'em if you need 'em.

>>494630
Thing is, one of the first places they're going to check is up high, starting above the door they come in. Then they'll check the tops of the tanks before going any further into the room. We gotta figure they know enough that we won't get the drop on them that easily.

However, let's prepare to take advantage of that explosive shedding ability. Lets start forming a ball in each of our pockets that we can quickly detach and throw; A mix of 10 and 20 kilogram ones. Pull one out, start throwing it, and right before it detaches time it to explode when it is on the target. We got anybody in lobby-space that has good throwing skill?
>>
No. 494655 ID: 001618

I say hide behind one of the tanks and wait till the two jetal enter the room then pull a piece of ourselves off and use it as a makeshift grenade. hopeful it explodes sooner rather then later and even if it doesn't take them out we can just unload on them with our new C rated plasma gun while we bum rush them with the C rated beam sword. (we are better with the sword)
>>
No. 494657 ID: 9ee360

...I really don't know why we want to fool around with trying to improvise throwing inaccurately timed jetalium-C4 grenades when we can just use exploding bullets. :V

I mean, if Polo's taught us anything, it's that exploding bullets are awesome.
>>
No. 494659 ID: 001618

>>494656
I was just afraid they jetals might just absorb the bullets or something
>>
No. 494663 ID: b33427

>>494659
Unstable jetalium can't be un-unstabled. If it penetrates the jetals, it's going to go off no matter what. The problem might be in if it doesn't penetrate, fragments all over the place, and instead of being one big bang it's spread out and ends up ineffective against them.

>>494657
The "exploding fastball," if used, would be for an initial surprise attack where hitting the target dead on is almost sure. It also should be from as far away as possible, 'cause the punch from 20 kg of unstable jetalium is going to seriously fuck things up around it. We do not want to be near that.
>>
No. 494671 ID: c4e5c2
File 136139161973.png - (5.71KB , 654x600 , 93.png )
494671

>Clouds/Ships
Those were ships outside, so it looks like at least history believes that they figured out antigravity.

Alison slightly pulls the hatch covers open on a few tanks to make it look like she may be in one of them. This goes quick enough before she runs out to the west hallway.

>Explosive jetalium
Alison can only arm it for 20 seconds to 3 minutes after shedding the mass she wants to. This makes it difficult to weaponize given the timing required mixed with unknown variables of when exactly the bounty hunters would walk through. She will be able to form a ball or detach a finger or something at a moment's notice if she does want to throw some.

>Ask Polatt to get up to the floor above
"You guys don't want to mess with Jetals, and that's fine, but would you mind getting to the floor above me to make a distraction if needed?"
>"No, they already got a lead over us, and we're gonna tip them off that it's a trap if they see us tailing them. Sorry, but we'd just get ourselves killed up there, you know."

She can leave the main factory and spy by leaving a door open just a crack open with an end of her tail camera poking out. She would be able to see one come in from the elevator if this is where they come in fromt, but the Fire Escape door is alarmed, and she doesn't see much of a spot where she could see them without them also being able to see her, even if she would just be a speck poking out of the door.
>>
No. 494672 ID: 001618

I think it is best to just spy on the elevators for now just keep a weapon ready and also make sure to watch more then just the elevators you did say they could come up though the balcony or something so while that is unlike it is better to be ready just in case
>>
No. 494674 ID: 9ee360

>fastball grenade
I guess more mass does equal bigger boom. And it would put those sports skills we bought to some use. Really not sure if it's any better than a hail of explosive bullets or not (bullets should be faster / harder to doge, and have a higher repeat rate).

>where wait?
I'm not sure I want to hide by the door and watch the elevator. If they come in through the other elevator and cut though the southern rooms, we could be surprised from behind.

Could we hide out behind the two grey pillars in the middle of the map? That way, no matter which door opens, we can press ourselves against one tube and move out of sight. We should be using the extra eye so we're watching in more than one direction.

We should also be aware they may split up and come in separate doors. (Although, luckily, we can multi-wield weapons, and have a different person handling independent targeting for each).

(Gah, it's Polo and the shield generators all over again. Big room with tubes. At least this time we can shoot).
>>
No. 494687 ID: b33427

Is that big wall of glass the same mirrored glass that all the other towers around here use? 'Cause if it is, that just kicked the odds of them coming in via the balcony way down, since you'd be able to see them and they can't see you.

Let's keep the high explosive use to within the factory area. We don't know if there are any organics in the neighboring areas, and they can't take shockwaves nearly as well as jetals. We'd rather not accidentally seriously harm or kill one by misjudging how much punch our unstable jetalium has.

Head to the hallway corner where the west elevator is. Stand right at the corner with your back to the wall, facing the elevator, with your tail-cam out at floor level and just far enough to see the other elevator. That way you can see if they're in the west elevator or the east elevator. If they're in the west elevator, you're close enough to rush 'em with your plasma sword and shot. If they're in the east, just hold your tail still so the movement doesn't catch their eye and wait to see which way they go. If they don't show up for 15 Belenosian minutes, then they most likely found another way into the factory, and you should head back there.

If either of them are in the west elevator alone, feel free to use the kinetic autogun with explosive rounds. If there are others in there with them, activate plasma sword C and fire only one carefully aimed 200 charge plasma shot F, both using cooling, then charge in. Be extra careful not to hit any civilians, even if you have to take a minor hit to do so.
>>
No. 494693 ID: c4e5c2
File 136140220975.png - (5.76KB , 654x600 , 94.png )
494693

The middle pillars on the map are the brewing tanks. The opened ones have the gaps on the map.

"We may want to test our weapons before this." says Alison to the Duelist and Guardsman.
>"I have a feeling the plasma sword is as expected, and I think I can test its energy requirements without actually turning it on. But I would like to test the gun."

The autogun is fired a quick couple of times. It's powerful, and the heavier bullets are able to puncture through at least thin steel walls.
http://tgchan.org/wiki/Unnatural_Selection_Stats#Weapons

Clarence enters the door to control Unity.
>"I'm going to ask something."
"Can our phones view streaming from a remote camera?" she texts.
>"As in set up a security camera and be able to watch it on your phone? Yeah, that's doable."
>"That doesn't help us now, but if we get in this sort of situation again, that could help."

Alison heads out to look at the elevators. She can see both, and they have numbers stating which floor the elevator is currently on.

The one she is by is at 78. The other is 50. Both are rising. 83, 40. 88, 45. 93, 50. 97, 55. Hers slows down, 100... 101... 102, 103. The up arrow disappears. The elevator stops.
>>
No. 494694 ID: c4e5c2
File 136140222055.png - (7.82KB , 700x700 , 95.png )
494694

And it starts going up again. It will reach or cross her floor in seconds. The other one is at 80 and still rising.

She still can't sense if there are any biological people in there, so she can't afford to just try and cut the cable so long as she continues being careful about bystanders, but judging by the sound of the her elevator's hum, she doesn't think it's going to pass her floor.
>>
No. 494697 ID: 735f4f

Attacking the elevator without line of sight to the person you are attacking never goes well. They are always hiding on top or something. We can just wait until the doors open and take advantage of the delay in there reactions our disguise will cause. Or hide and wait.
>>
No. 494698 ID: 9ee360

Okay, it stopped on floor 103?

I see a few possibilities. They may have split up- one person per elevator. It's possible one elevator is a decoy, and empty. It's possible one or more of them got off at floor 103, and is now coming up the stairs, our climbing up outside to ambush via the balcony. A decoy elevator may have a bomb or something on it.

There's too many unknowns to risk jumping the elevators. Fall back to the door to the factor, and watch the near elevator with your tailcam.
>>
No. 494700 ID: c4e5c2
File 136140439557.png - (4.29KB , 700x700 , 96.png )
494700

Alison runs back to the east door of the factory, and inside the factory minus the tail sticking out to view the hallway. The elevator dings right about as Alison clears the door.

They had a similar idea as Clarence. A droid with a remote camera rolls out.
>>
No. 494702 ID: 9ee360

Dang. He brought backup, and is scouting the area with drones? This ambush isn't going to go so smoothly.

We could disable it with a single shot, but that gives away that we know they're coming. Just close the door and conceal yourself in the factory. The drone can't open doors, they'll be forced to do it themselves.
>>
No. 494706 ID: b33427

Okay, if the drone spotted the door moving at all, you'll have to assume you've been made. You'll have to make them think you've made a run for it, while staying hidden, if you're going to ambush them.

Get that entrance door closed, then run down to the maintenance doors and start opening them. Brute force or plasma sword the lock if any of them are locked. You're looking for a drain or sewer trunk pipe. If there is one, and with as many floors above this one as there are, it's going to be big. Take a slice out of it with your plasma sword to make a hole big enough to climb through, while standing far enough back that nothing from it gets on you.

Then run back and climb on top of the tank in the south-east corner, lay in the middle, and flatten out as much as you can. That way their floor level cam-drone can't see you. If you can't get on top of the tank, you'll just have to climb into the open tank next to it and yank the hatch shut after you.
>>
No. 494707 ID: f2c20c

>>494694
They got out at 103 and pushed the button for this floor. Destroy the droid, then catch the elevator and push button 103, leaving behind an explosive charge timed to blow up as it reaches that floor.

Unless you're worried about there being bystanders at that floor? That does pose some risk. An alternative is to just cut the cables of the elevator since it's empty now, forcing them to enter via the other elevator or over the balcony.

Closing all doors that the drone can get to would force them to enter this floor, but we'd also be unable to spot where they come in, and they would be able to continue using the drone to scout ahead after opening doors. Maybe that's not bad, though. We could shoot them through the doors/nearby walls?
>>
No. 494713 ID: 9ee360

...I thought the whole point of tipping the bounty hunters off was for an ambush. Letting them think they're surprising us, when we're actually surprising them. If we tip our hand and let them know we know they're here, how is this any different from just being attacked by them? It seems a waste to show our hand.
>>
No. 494715 ID: b33427

>>494713
...Uh. Wait... Yeah, you're right. At most they saw the entry door close or move. That's only enough to know someone is here. Maybe they didn't see the door close at all. Okay, I'll just delete my aggressive suggestion. We'll go back to hiding to get into position to pounce. Perhaps with some misdirection to make them think we fled, if we're sure they saw the entry door move.
>>
No. 494724 ID: b33427

>>494706
Just realized something: What if they have a flying camera drone as well? A little heli-drone wouldn't be out of the question. Better text Polatt to ask if that's a thing that's not much harder to get than a rolling camera drone. We may end up having to forgo hiding on top of the tanks and have to hide inside one instead. I'm not too keen on that, since they may decide to play it safe and pelt them with gunfire, just so they don't have to go near 'em.

Also, we better ask Polatt how well a flying drone would handle the air currents next to the tower. 'Cause if that window glass isn't mirrored, they may just do a flyby with the drone to look in. We better keep an eye out the window for that.
>>
No. 494740 ID: 9ddf68

we could just walk out in front of the thing look surpised blast it with the crappy plasma gun we have and make a break for the fire exit and bust through it but instead of us running we duck into a room, hallway or closet or even just stand ourside the fire exit and push ourselves against the wall or stand behind the door and when the two jetal come to try and catch a "fleeing" suspect we blow them in two with the stronger plasma gun and finsh them off with the sword. Not sure if we could actualy pull this off so I say we keep this as a plan B incase we can't come up with anything else
>>
No. 494748 ID: 76b151

>>494740
this sounds best
>>
No. 494760 ID: f2c20c

Hrm. I will settle on letting the drone live and just preventing it from entering the room we're in.
>>
No. 494783 ID: c4e5c2
File 136144406215.png - (5.89KB , 654x600 , 97.png )
494783

>Glass window tinted/mirrored
It is, so looking through normally is not practical.

>Ask about flying drone cameras
>Yeah, flying drones do exist, so watch out. One more thing. Polatt texts as Alison keeps reading. We found out something about these jetals. They both used to be cops, but turned to bounty hunting once they realized they were good at it, and even better at it without having to worry about how the police report would look on record. But they made buddies with that bodyguard jetal you took out, so it's not just for the bounty, it's personal. It might be the bounty too. You're not too cheap, coming in at 10 million.

Alison quickly shuts the main entry, blocking any way she can see from a drone entering on its own. She thinks she did so without making it look ridiculously obvious she saw the drone in the first place.

For cover, she moves between two of the brewing stations.

A couple of minutes go by before it becomes apparent that the two jetals are heavy. They can't do much against creaking the floors. Both of them are moving through the hallway.

>"Bet you they've sent multiple drones keeping an eye on all the halls and everything. They're pincering us." Clarence says.
>"It's not all good for them." Scanner, who shows up as well, says. "Unity has a pretty good sense of where they're at in the hall right now, and at the moment, they are separated with one just a bit before the west doorway."
>>
No. 494784 ID: f2c20c

>>494783
Open fire on the western one (the closer one) through the wall with our cannon. Wait, is that wall thin enough to shoot through? Crap, it might not be.

We should endeavor not to get caught in this pincer attack. If we exit south while firing, we can get more walls between us and the eastern one.

If the wall's not thin enough to shoot through... Toss 10kg of Jetalium on the wall next to the door, with a short fuse. Then be ready to fire through the resulting hole as you make your way south. Use 100g bullets and minimum fuse time on said bullets.
>>
No. 494789 ID: 9ee360

Heh. Love that Scanner is stepping in to process the sense data. Go team!

Alright, we know where they both are, and we know how thick that wall is (since we passed through that door).

We should fire off a volley of jetalium bullets heavy enough to punch through the western wall, timed so they won't explode till after they make it through the wall (preferably right after hitting their target). Picking the correct mass and timing is something Math and/or Engineer is gonna have to do for us on the fly. I'm missing too many numbers to make an estimate myself (wall thickness/material, dimensions of the room, kinetic output of our gun, etc).

Then we need to cut out through the west door, finish disabling with our plasma sword (we just need to get our target's core away from his jetal), and absorb as much jetalium as we can. Meanwhile, the partner on the east will be running towards us through the factory or along the hall. Either way, he has to come around a corner, so we can jump him with a plasma blade (we'll probably have to stop before the other is completely absorbed to do this).

Note, that if anything goes wrong in plasma blade combat, we have two of them, and alternate minds to step in and slash with a second blade / different limb while the current driver is busy recoiling in pain for a split second. We also have the ability to shed grenades, if need be.
>>
No. 494798 ID: 9ddf68

we're closer to the west jetal so if we know were that jetal is exectaly, hit him with your biggest gun and then rush through the wall as quickly as we can and see if you can't drag the other jetal into the room across the hallway to buy you some more time to absorb it. then focus on jetal #2. if the second jetal gets to you before you can absorb jetal #1 toss an exploding something at it
>>
No. 494799 ID: b33427

If you can hear them, then they're certainly listening for you. Better get down on all fours to spread your weight out when you move. Keep doing that until you're sure they know you're here.

Gotta figure they're not going to be concerned for property damage, so expect them to start throwing around large caliber rounds and explosives once they know you're here. They may even do so before then, so don't be surprised if they place breach charges to bust in here. They'll probably send in a cam 'bot first, though, since they're not sure their intel is legit since it came from the DBs. Unless they don't know it came from the DBs. Better ask Polatt about that.

For now, figure that the guy to the west is approaching the entry door to slip a recon drone in. Quick crawl to the south side of the door while shifting 40 kg of mass into one or a few of your horns. Pull 'em off, group 'em together, and shove 'em into the wall just hard enough the points stick in. If there's a surface mount light switch with conduit there, stick it behind that instead. Time 'em to explode right after you've crawled back to behind the tank and braced yourself.

While you're doing that, be forming a palm-sized 20 kg soft sphere to use for an "explosive fastball" later.

On the way there and back, keep an eye out the window for any flying camera drones. Once the explosives go off, the glass is going to be blown out of those windows, and any flying drones out there will be able to come in here and get on your tail. If they aren't blown away by the shockwave, that is.

Once the blast has passed enough you can get on your feet again, get out from behind the tanks and ready the explosive fastball. Step out to the north and pitch that sucker as hard as you can right at the bottom of the east entry door, timing it to go off when you estimate the jetal to the east has reached the door. Spin back around an start unloading max size explosive rounds from your kinetic autogun at the west jetal through the hole in the wall. If there is only a crater in the wall, still fire, but time the explosions to go off after the round is buried in the wall. That'll blow chunks out on both sides until there is a hole.
>>
No. 494805 ID: bdb3f8

If they are moving at predictable rates, we should have an idea of when they will reach the doors, right? Unless these are blast doors of some sort, we could get at least one, maybe both caught in explosions during the relatively wide window between reaching the door and entering the room, especially if they are in communication and planning a simultaneous breach.
>>
No. 494810 ID: b33427

>>494805
That'll work if they're planning to breach the room together; They'll be waiting until they're both in position. The problem comes if the one on the west pushes the door open enough to slip a recon drone in first. We'd have to set the charge on the door and get back into cover before the drone spots us. Of course, this wouldn't be a problem if Alison set the lock on the door after closing it. That'd be the obvious thing to do when she came in.

Another problem is that they might choose to use breaching charges on the doors before busting in themselves. They know that they're heavy, and that any jetal that might be in here most likely can hear them moving in the halls, or has surveillance hidden around. So they'll blow the doors so they know we're not hiding on the other side with a plasma sword, or to clear any traps on them.

We'll just have to pay close attention to the way they're moving. If the west one approaches the door, then moves back, it was probably to place a breach charge. If it stops and waits, it's going to breach with it's comrade. If it opens the door before the other one gets in position, it's placing a surveillance drone.
>>
No. 494842 ID: c4e5c2
File 136148325046.png - (9.35KB , 1000x522 , 98.png )
494842

The timing for kinetic rate of fire, explosive ammo and explosive shedding were accidentally using real seconds, which could cause confusion since it was said to be using belenos. Wiki is fixed to reflect this, so stats no longer imply Unity could have shot 216 times per second.
http://tgchan.org/wiki/Unnatural_Selection_Stats#Explosive_shedding

>Shoot through the walls
The walls weren't particularly thick, so even though they are strong, Alison has duelist arm himself with the kinetic shot with 100g shots. They go through the walls, and hopefully aren't going through the walls of the other wall as well. Even better, hopefully hitting the jetal.

It will make the other jetal's movements erratic, so Alison will opt to not try to throw a big chunk of herself at the other door in the hopes she'll get lucky. She stays as close as she can to the maintenance door while still being behind cover.

She will be able to throw one at a moments notice, and will easily be able to pull off 20 kg chunks or so immediately. It is proving difficult to weaponize that addon.
>>
No. 494843 ID: c4e5c2
File 136148326357.png - (21.06KB , 700x700 , 99.png )
494843

The jetal Unity was shooting at runs forward as the bullets start exploding on the other end, enough to cause the whole section of the building to rattle. The jetal bursts through like a battering ram, and it looks like he was shot a multitude of times, but not showing a lack of mobility for it. He's huge, as expected, and he didn't need to actually bend the door like he did to open it. Through it all, the other jetal starts running forward and will likely crash through the door in seconds.

>"That isn't what I expected security guards to look like! If they molded back to their preferred form, then they must have a high level of morphability to do it that fast."

Energy surge detected!

>"He's charging something big!" Engineer yells.
>>
No. 494848 ID: 9ee360

>high level of morphability
...which impairs weapon function and makes them more vulnerable to damage, right? Good for us, I think.

>"He's charging something big!"
Position yourself between him and his partner, continue firing (not sure if plasma or exploding bullets are better? I suppose the bullets cost less battery, and if we win this, we'll be more than replacing any jetalium lost) to drawn his ire and to keep him from realizing what you're doing. Then dodge, and let him blast his partner as he enters the room.

Then while he's staring in shock, close and take him out with the plasma sword.
>>
No. 494850 ID: 4a328b

Cut his arm off!
>>
No. 494854 ID: 9ee360

>>494850
I doubt we could get close enough in time. We're meters away. And if he did get a shot off as we're charging, that would be a lot harder to dodge.
>>
No. 494855 ID: 35edd4

See if you can hit whatever location the charge is accumulating in and screw up the process.
>>
No. 494859 ID: 9ddf68

do you think you have the aim to shoot a plasma shot off at the jetal's charging weapon and cause it to explode killing or at least crippling that jetal and leaving us to focus on jetal #2
If not duck and weave toward jetal #1 while taking pot shots at him then cleave him in two with your stronger beam sword, Because we do not want to be stuck between two pissed of jetals. If we do take down jetal #1 this way drag him to the room across the hall and absorb him if we have time. if not then at least cause some damge to him so he will at least be less of a threat and then focus on get yourself to better cover
>>
No. 494864 ID: b33427

Immediately set two 10 kg lumps of jetalium to 60 b-second timers and leave them "cooking" just in case you need them later. Just make sure to keep track of the timer and stay where you can safely chuck them away if they're not used.

Aim one explosive round into wherever you think that charge is gathering, then backpedal as fast as you can while continuing to fire. Move north, next to the north row of tanks and try to move in roughly a line from him to his buddy. As soon as he fires, dodge behind the tanks. If you're lucky, the shot will hit his comrade, and if you're not that lucky, it'll just hit the tank or wall.

Once he's fired, run up and around the north side of the tanks, and charge his position while continuing to fire explosive rounds. Close to his position and start slicing with the plasma sword C. Attempt to carve out the middle of his torso and yank it away while you run back through the doorway to get cover from his buddy. You might get his core out that way.

Since his morphability is turned up, his surge level is down, as well as his surge recharge. He probably has a cooling module like you do, to offset the loss in surge recharge, but he still won't be shooting anything that big right away. He might still fire lower powered shots, though, if you're closing on him. But the important thing is that he almost certainly won't have the surge to fire up a plasma sword. He'll be a sitting duck at close range.
>>
No. 494865 ID: cee0ad

Holy shit, cut it off!
>>
No. 494866 ID: 47d311

If they want to just run straight at you, cut them down with explosive rounds. Shooting through a solid wall is one thing; taking the rounds directly is going to carry with it considerably more stopping power.
>>
No. 494867 ID: 78c6ea

Fire an explosive blob at his gun barrel, then take cover! He might be bigger than Unity but he's got high powered weapons and high morphability. He's counting on taking us out quickly, so if we can wear him down we might have a chance.
>>
No. 494869 ID: f2c20c

>>494843
It looks like he's charging at his mouth. The cannon arm is likely a distraction, so shoot his mouth with a high-surge plasma shot and dodge anyway.

Also let's activate our Cooling Systems so we can shoot the plasma shot more often.
>>
No. 494871 ID: b33427

>>494867
We can't fire a big blob; Just the 100 gram explosive rounds from kinetic autogun. We still should aim at wherever the charge is gathering, to see if we can cause a misfire.

Maybe we can set a few of the explosive rounds to airburst in front of him and try to blind him to our movement. We'd do it right in front of his face, but he almost certainly has eyes elsewhere.
>>
No. 494872 ID: eaf2f5

Run behind the the second tank and hit the floor. Staying in one piece is more important than hitting that guy.
>>
No. 494886 ID: b33427

Actually, now that I think about it, you shouldn't run out and try to dodge his shot. He's almost certain to be a real good aim, and that looks like a shot that only has to hit once; It's just too risky. Instead, take one aimed shot at where you think his cannon is, duck back behind the tank, hit the deck, and quickly crawl away while staying out of his line of sight. He probably can't hold the shot back now that it's charged, so he'll have to fire, even if he doesn't know exactly where you are. So keep crawling and rolling side to side.

Since they knew that jetal you absorbed modules from from back when they were cops, they know you have explosive shedding. You can use that to your advantage here even if you don't actually throw bombs around. You just have to throw chunks of yourself. They won't know if you've been "cooking" them or that moment or not. Try it by pulling off and throwing a horn around the south side of the tank to the west, to try and keep the west jetal from going that way for a bit.
>>
No. 494899 ID: c4e5c2
File 136149751957.png - (51.98KB , 700x700 , 100.png )
494899

Alison prepares 2 10 kg masses of explosives to be detonated in 60 b-seconds and 100 b-seconds to be thrown just before they explode. Unity runs up to the middle row of tanks, setting herself between the powering up jetal and the jetal trying to catch up.

Unity fires at the visible jetal's gun and around his mouth, the former which starts firing back onto Unity. His bullets are not explosive, but the kinetic force is overwhelming. Unity's kinetic autogun is disabled and will recover in around 10 b-seconds. 15 kg of mass has been chipped off of of Alison, but is not destroyed, and simply fly off of her. She does stagger from losing jetalium, but 15 kg does not affect her much. The shots that Unity fired start exploding, however, and disables the other jetal's gun as well. Not just that, but he staggers back more than Alison did. The bullets deform him more, and that must be a disadvantage from the morphability. But, the holes that were caused from her first volley are quickly patched up, so his recovery can make up for that.

Alison also launches a 200 surge plasma charge at his face, but while it does its damage on contact, it did not pierce all the way through him like she has come to expect. It will recover quickly, as she activates her cooling mechanic.

The jetal can't seem to stop the charge. He realizes that his ally is right behind Unity.
>>
No. 494902 ID: c4e5c2
File 136149763044.png - (19.10KB , 900x500 , 101.png )
494902

The charging was not interrupted, but the Jetal's face is almost not quite realigned right. A plasma beam is barfed out, and it misses Alison. She can tell because she's alive. She can't tell if that's because he was trying to avoid his ally or if it was because he could not recover in time. Either way, that must have taken an immense amount of surge, possibly more than Alison could fire with.
>>
No. 494903 ID: c4e5c2
File 136149773763.png - (44.49KB , 700x700 , 102.png )
494903

Despite it not going through any windows, it makes a hole through the entire building.
>>
No. 494904 ID: c4e5c2
File 136149777244.png - (5.96KB , 654x600 , 103.png )
494904

Unity starts chasing him to close the distance to use her sword and get away from the incoming jetal who will burst through the door almost immediately. She flings out another maximum plasma shot to wittle him down more, but it's hard to tell how much the plasma shot is even doing.

Clearly enough to make him retreat to recover his surge, at the least. He starts running away toward the fire escape, starting to fire semiblindly back to Alison through the wall. Alison does have her autogun recovered now as well.

10 kg is going to explode in 29 b-seconds, and another 10kg in 79 b-seconds.

The fastest will be in about 3 and a half seconds not-belenos time, so this may be a good time to throw the first one at the incoming east jetal.
>>
No. 494906 ID: 76b151

We need to catch that injured guy now. Leave behind a present for the chaser and go after him.
>>
No. 494907 ID: 9ddf68

I say throw the first bomb at the west jetal to disorient him because he is most likely just trying to bottle neck us. If you don't think that will do anything then ya just throw it at the east jetal
>>
No. 494908 ID: 9ee360

>>494903
Oh geeze. I can see why they quit the force, if they had to explain away things like that. Lots of excessive force and property damage citations and write-ups, I'm sure.

That's not good, though. That will be seen, and called in. Actual cops are going to respond. We only have so much time to wrap this up.

>chewed up by kinetic jetalium miniguns
I hope we're absorbing the bullets he put in us?

>The fastest [explosive] will be in about 3 and a half seconds not-belenos time, so this may be a good time to throw the first one at the incoming east jetal.
Yes, please do that.

>what else do?
Continue pursuing the injured and fleeing jetal. We're lighter and should be faster. Pepper him with boom-bullets as we run (split up the tasks if we have to) and attack with the newer, better plasma sword. Cut right through the wall if you have to.

Take him out, start absorbing. Keep the second guy at bay with bullets and explosives if the first one doesn't take him out.
>>
No. 494909 ID: f2c20c

>>494904
Yes. Toss the explosive at the incoming one, and continue chasing the retreating one.

Start firing the autocannon again.
>>
No. 494913 ID: 6dc5a6

Chase down the one running to the fire escape after throwing your 10 kg at the other jetal. You want to find a way to cram the other explosives inside his torso, try activating the sword after pressing it point blank against him to make a hole.
>>
No. 494919 ID: 9ee360

>>494913
...actually, since they're at a low morphability, the other jetals are a lot more fluid then Unity. If we wanted to place a bomb inside of them, we could probably do so with a punch, especially if the charge or our first was pointed. Exploding innards super fist attack!
>>
No. 494934 ID: c4e5c2
File 136150252428.png - (20.69KB , 700x700 , 104.png )
494934

>Absorb the bullets put in Alison
She is able to do so at an inefficient rate, but manages to get some of her mass back.

She runs out to chase the west jetal, while throwing her bomb at the eastmost entry and continuing to fire her autogun. The timing is lucky, and the other jetal just starts opening the door right as her mass explodes by it. Viewing the damage isn't feasible though without stopping, and she enters the hall. She is thinking that the police have probably been alerted.

She gets there too late to see where he went, the door is in the middle of closing, and he could be to the left or right. Or theoretically above or below depending on unknown factors.

10 kg mass bomb: 35 b-seconds/4.2 real seconds till detonation.
>>
No. 494935 ID: 76b151

Put the explosives through the hole in that door and duck outside the fire exit to look around and avoid the explosion. If hes not outside go see if hes there instead.
>>
No. 494937 ID: 78c6ea

>>494934

He went out the door with the fire escape, not the inner one. Don't dump explosives where they'll just do property damage.

What about that shattered area in the ceiling? You didn't do that, and they certainly would have made noise if they were taking pot shots at the ceiling.
>>
No. 494938 ID: 76b151

Could be a decoy. If I was him I'd do everything I could to buy precious seconds to recover and making it seem I went one way while going the other is a good way to do so.
>>
No. 494940 ID: f2c20c

>>494934
Use your tail camera to get a peek at the eastern jetal.

Toss the explosive 10kg out the fire exit, prepare another two 10kg explosives timed like the last two, and duck into the room on the left.

Then listen to get an indication of where the jetal you were chasing went.
>>
No. 494941 ID: 9ee360

Damn! He could be any direction from the door (above, below, left or right) or that closing door could be a decoy, and he really went through the closed door to the left.

I suggest rushing it. Fire some shots through the door to the left, in case he's hiding there. Then rush through the door, using both plasma blades at once, sweep left and right. Readjust assault depending on where he actually is (possibly restricting yourself to just the plasma sword C).

If we need to, take advantage of his low morphability to punch the explosive charge inside his squishy body. If we don't use it for that, chuck it behind you to deal with possible pursuit by the second guy.
>>
No. 494942 ID: f2c20c

>>494937
...it kinda looks like he might be up there. I thought he would be too big to fit through a hole that small though...

Take a look- if he is up there, shove your explosive in his face and then open fire. After the explosion happens you can get in closer and do some sword work.
>>
No. 494944 ID: 9ddf68

look up and make sure that he didn't just go up into the ceiling if so throw the bomb up there if not throw the bomb out toward the fire escape and get your sword ready, he could jump you at any time. also use your tail eye to make sure the eastern jetal doesn't jump you. and if you have time or just get someone else in the lobby to ask Polatt how long do we have till we can expect the police to join the party
>>
No. 494953 ID: b33427

Bank shot that explosive off the closing fire escape door so it lands behind the closed door. Run up the left side of the hall until you're level with the left door while firing a line of heavy high explosive rounds through the left wall, timed to explode right after they pass through. Keep moving your tail-cam around to look through the larger holes in the wall. Charge through the left door, activating your plasma sword C just before reaching it so you can do a low horizontal slice through the door and the neighboring wall.

Once you're through the door, keep moving forward to get out of the blast radius while checking for the jetal. Move your tail-cam up to your shoulder as you enter so it can look above you while you look left and right with your head.

If there's no sign of the jetal, then it's gone down the fire escape. The explosive going off out there will blow the windows in there in, so you'll be able to get out that way easily.
>>
No. 494956 ID: b33427

>>494953
Actually, change this up so you bank shot the explosive right before you enter the left door. That way if the jetal is hiding behind the closed fire door, it'll have less time to react.
>>
No. 494957 ID: 735f4f

Ask scanner what she heard while you were chasing him. Sounds of glass breaking means he jumped up.
>>
No. 494960 ID: b33427

>>494953
>>494956
Dangit! It think I figured out what he did! He went out on the fire escape and jumped to the balcony! That way he could meet back up with his comrade.

Forget the other plan; Charge up to the closed fire door while firing explosive rounds into the room to the left to make it sound like you're attacking there. Stick your tail-cam around to look towards the balcony. If he's there, then get out there and toss the explosive at him. If he's not, then twist your tail-cam around to look the other direction, onto the fire escape. The door will have nearly closed, so you can do that. You'll also have to chuck the explosive into the left room to get rid of it.

>>494957
Yeah, do this while advancing, as well as checking what everyone else saw, heard, felt, smelt, or any other senses you have. You need to know if any clues have given him away.
>>
No. 494962 ID: 735f4f

Yeah we need to upgrade our senses after this. Infrared cameras, sonar ability and the works. Have scanner watching everything. Need to take advantage of our multiprocessing abilities more.
>>
No. 494963 ID: 9ee360

>>494957
That might be hard to do, since we were shooting him at the time. I suppose if she selectively filtered out the explosions and gunshots she might have heard which way he went...
>>
No. 494965 ID: c4e5c2
File 136150731909.png - (17.11KB , 800x600 , 105.png )
494965

>What about that shattered area in the ceiling? You didn't do that
It's possible one of her bullets richoted upwards into it while firing, so she might very well have. In fact, most of the damage in the hallway is from her. Either way, she is certain that if the jetal went into the ceiling, there would be a bigger hole.

>Punch the explosive into him
While his body might be relatively squishy, she isn't sure if that means she can just punch through him. Also, it has the added dilemma of ending up next to someone who is about to explode.

>Check allies for giveaway location clues
No others of Alison's friends seem to have any conclusive evidence or clues for the jetals current location.

Her tail cam does not see the east Jetal come through east door, which is now busted. The floor also might have a gap in it now, but she can't see much else in the factory. She does hear the east jetal trampling a bit quieter, but it's hard to tell where the jetal's location is between the quieter noise and unity's current position. She only had a split second to look anyways, as she starts running forward to the side door to check if the west jetal is there along with tossing the bomb out.

>West jetal probably leapt onto the balcony
This thought makes her hesitate. In this case, hesitation was a good thing, because otherwise she would have thrown the bomb right before she hears a loud clang on the balcony, immediately updating a confirmed, probable idea that jumping to the balcony is exactly what the west jetal did. Instead, now, she chucks her bomb particularly hard at the angled door to ricochet it straight to the right and onto the balcony. Or hopefully that is the plan, as it is not an easy shot, but she thinks she can do it.

Simultaneously, Alison starts making two more 10 kg bombs that will be armed in 5 b-seconds, and so detonate in a 55 and 105 b-seconds from now.

While the bomb is still sailing hopefully to its destination, Unity turns around to see something that Alison's tailcam saw, the drone that was still in the hallway.

Energy surge detected!
>>
No. 494967 ID: 76b151

Kill the eyebot while moving into the other room. Dive into a prone position. Start charging a max surge energy blast and aim along the path of where it shot from.
>>
No. 494968 ID: 9ee360

Shoot the drone, Mr. Zappy is using it to target you. Then get the fuck out of the way.

Damnit, this is taking too long. I'm starting to wonder if we'll be able to take these two out before we're forced to bail.
>>
No. 494971 ID: 9ddf68

Take down the drone, then do you think you could get into the ceiling and maybe drop in the factory room and try and get the jetal on the belcany. If not, I also beleave that the other jetal is comeing around through the south hallway so we could try and meat him half way instead if you want, but that is just guess work on my part he could just be going through the factor and meeting up with his partner. If he is doing that however we could try and going around and come in through the east side of the factory and try and catch them by surprise.
>>
No. 494972 ID: 9ddf68

also
Energy surge detected!
THE JETAL IS USING THE DAMN BOT TO TARGET YOU WITH THAT OMGA BEAM, MOVE YOUR ASS NOW
>>
No. 494979 ID: b33427

Dammit! You've got, at most, 21 b-seconds to get the fuck out of the way of that plasma puke beam! You gotta get up high, 'cause he's probably going to do a horizontal cut with it this time.

Feint like you're going to charge down the hall towards the cam-drone while destroying it with a low power plasma shot. Then turn, slam through the doors in front of you, keep running towards the far wall, while looking for anyway to get up higher.

If it's a low ceiling, your best bet is to jump up and plasma slice an angled gouge in the ceiling to make a space to jam your hands in and haul your body up as flush with it as possible. If it's another tall space like the factory, get up on anything in there that'll get you above floor level. If there isn't anything, you'll have to jump up and slice a hand hold into the wall.

You want to get away from them before jumping, since they'll hear it when you jump and know roughly where you are.

While you're doing all this, text Polatt "Cop ETA?" That'll confirm you're still alive, and he'll tell you how long you have to mess around with these two shortly.
>>
No. 494993 ID: b33427

>>494979
Slight change of plan. Right after slamming through the doors, haul yourself up on them instead of jumping, so you don't make nearly as much noise. Just don't rest on the doors, since they're likely to be vaporized; Get up higher any way you can. Also don't do this if you don't think the doors can handle the force of you hauling yourself up.
>>
No. 494997 ID: c4e5c2
File 136151159861.png - (76.83KB , 700x700 , 106.png )
494997

>Text Polatt, asking for the cop ETA
>You're high up, they're going to send in helicopters above the smog level. You can count on them any time between now and soon! he answers.

Alison can intuitively tell at this point that if she has a vantage point other than her own eyes, she would be able to aim and look at things through the remote sight as though it were natural.

As such, she is figuring that while the sentry is on her, the charging jetal can effectively see through the walls and aim right at her.

Duelist takes a shot to disable the drone. During this, scanner is starting to conclude that the eastmost jetal is coming back around the corridor to approach Unity from behind, possibly becoming the new west jetal.

Alison starts running away. She might be making too much noise, even with her lessened mass she is still making noise on the floor, but if it's enough for the west jetal to hear, she couldn't know. Whether she goes up or down, he fires such a massive blast that Alison feels her survival now is going to be a luck of the draw.

She sticks her tailcam out around the factory entrance as she passes to look at the balcony.

He is on it after all. He's looking at fire escape, not at where she even was.
>>
No. 494998 ID: c4e5c2
File 136151161359.png - (18.08KB , 700x700 , 107.png )
494998

It might not be as reliant on luck this time around after all. Her explosive ricocheted off the door to him just in time for him to open his mouth to expel the blast.
>>
No. 495000 ID: c4e5c2
File 136151165183.png - (17.89KB , 700x700 , 108.png )
495000

No, nevermind that again, Alison thinks. She can't in good conscience call that all skill. That was somewhat improbable, so she just got a different kind of luck.
>>
No. 495003 ID: c4e5c2
File 136151195626.png - (97.52KB , 700x700 , 109.png )
495003

But the timing of the blast is just a bit too late, and he's able to spit it out again. Only just in time as to not take an internal explosion shot, but enough to break the windows, balcony, and launch him downward. She hears choppers coming through the building gaps now, as Polatt said.
>>
No. 495004 ID: 76b151

Alright decision time. Fight the partner and face the cops... or head down and try to salvage that Jetal. Which might survive? I have no idea how well that kinda fall will effect it.

I'm gonna say go for the falling Jetal. Get on the comm and see if they can spot the landing zone.
>>
No. 495005 ID: f2c20c

>>495003
Nooooooo....

The weapons tech! The jetalium! Warn our men on the ground about the falling Jetal (it's sure to make a big crater) then ask if they can track it and detach the core for us, and secure the jetalium so nobody steals it.

Also, move back into the big room then south into the smaller adjacent one.
>>
No. 495006 ID: 78c6ea

Motherfucking base jump down after him. The other guy can deal with the cops.
>>
No. 495007 ID: 9ee360

>He's looking at fire escape, not at where she even was.
Jerk was gonna take out the stairs just so we had no way down?

>>495001
Welp. He's... gone. We're not absorbing that one. If he's lucky, his core won't shatter. But with his high Morphability his jetalium is going to splatter when he hits.

Text your allies that one of the bounty hunters is going to hit the ground. If they're lucky, maybe they can grab his core after he splats. (All they need to do is toss it in a trash can, or down a sewer grate, away from his jetalium, and he'll be disabled. Other jetals will be glad to grab the free jetalium, I'm sure). Or at least verify if he survives or not.

>Choppers
Right, we need to sword the remaining bounty hunter to death, and then hurry up and make our escape.
>>
No. 495009 ID: 76b151

Alright, maybe we can take out the other one if we're quick enough and let Polatt handle the splat on the ground below. Prepare to rush him. No time for subtlely. Both arms are swords and your mouth is your machine gun.

Let Duelist handle one sword and Gaurdsman the other. Someone with ranged attack should handle the gun targetting.
>>
No. 495010 ID: 9ddf68

text Polatt again and ask if he has eyes on the fallen jetal.
after that see if you can bum rush the second jetal and use both beam swords to tear him to ribbions. I'm saying this because I would like to get both jetals now then wait for even one to try and hunt us down. if the second jetal has to much fire power then just bail for the fire escape and try and get to the fallen jetal.
also text Polatt to get a ride ready so we can get the hell out of here 10 minutes ago
>>
No. 495012 ID: 9ee360

>>495007
Expanding on my thinking here: it's unfortunate we're going to miss copying those chain-guns or that super-blaster, but not having a bounty hunter after us is worth is. From Felix's scanner, we also know jetals are somewhat common- I'm sure there's one or more nearby eager to slurp up unattended splatter. And if our buddies toss the core down a storm-drain? He can just chill there sending out impotent distress calls till EIN has him rescued.

>lucky throw
...crazy thought, but I wonder if that's at all influenced by having gambler on board?
>>
No. 495014 ID: 9ddf68

call me paranoid but why do I get the feeling that if the fallen jetal is aready aborbed by a nother jetal when we get there that it would be Sevener that would do it. speaking of Sevener how likely do you think it is that she's going to hear about this because I think we may have now given her a trail to follow
>>
No. 495016 ID: b33427

Alert Polatt to where the jetal is falling so him and the boys can bring the car around to where it craters. At the very least they can snap up any jetalium chunks that splatter off and stuff it in the trunk. If you're really lucky, they can pluck out its exposed core and snag all the jetalium. And if they do happen to get the core, then one of them could rush it into the building, chuck it into the west elevator, and send it up to your floor. You're going to need an elevator soon, so one of 'em should send it up anyway.
>>
No. 495023 ID: b33427

We shouldn't rush this jetal. We have no idea what kind of weapons it has, and it has a full battery and surge level to use them with. For all we know it has something that could shred us at range. Better find out what it has before running at it.

It also knows we have a plasma sword, 'cause of the way we took down its cop buddy, so either it's going to stay out of close combat range, or it has it's own, better, plasma swords, and it'll cut us to ribbons at close range.

Rush to the corner and get just close enough to stick your tail-cam out to view the south hallway. See what kind of weapons it has up, then pull it back and bank shot the explosive off the south wall to just in front of the jetal. That'll give it pause long enough to turn out, unload into it with explosive rounds and max plasma shots, then turn back into cover.
>>
No. 495040 ID: c4e5c2
File 136152721333.png - (6.22KB , 654x600 , 110.png )
495040

Alison starts running south to hurry up to an elevator or the other jetal. Unless anything changes, she and the other jetal will likely meet right around the corner at the elevator. She does not think she has time anymore to try and tactically defeat the other jetal with the cops as close as they are. She'll either have to flee or rush the jetal. While running south, she speed-texts to polatt, while he apparently can speed text back.

Polatt! The jetal is falling, watch out!
>We're on the opposite side of the building, we're good.
Can you go around and try to pick up the jetal core?
>Is it dead?
Maybe?
>Then no way, that thing is gonna be pissed and probably think we set it up. Because we did. And we saw that laser. Are you even alright?
I'm fine, but he can survive a fall like that?
>Unless it's already nearly destroyed or it sucks at falling, a jetal can leap off buildings.
Even with high morphability?
>Especially with high morph! They're able to cushion their core on the fall, it's the one's with no morphability that are in trouble.

Mathematician reminds everyone that Unity has 30 b-seconds to throw the first explosive that she probably didn't need to make.
>>
No. 495041 ID: f2c20c

>>495040
So, about three and a half seconds?

Rush south as fast as you can to lob the first one and try to bounce it around the corner, if you think you can. If not, blast a hole in the wall in that middle unexplored room and chuck it in to try to get it near the wall the enemy jetal is at. That should at least distract it long enough for us to get some good shots off.
>>
No. 495047 ID: 2f4b71

Toss the bomb at the elevator at the southern end of the corridor. At worst, you deny him an escape route and cause him to double-back. At best, he won't notice before dashing in and will be caught in the explosion.
>>
No. 495050 ID: f2c20c

Oh, and we should start ramping up our morphability.
>>
No. 495057 ID: 9ee360

>Zappy will be fine
Darn! Nevermind then. I thought he might be vulnerable, but if not, stay the hell away.

>what do?
Attempt to throw bomb around the corner at the remaining guy like we did before. Close, and attack with plasma sword C (literally cut through the corner to get first attack). Use both plasma swords is you have to, but slice and dice him fast.

>>495050
Won't help. It takes hours to shift morhability significantly.
>>
No. 495065 ID: de262c

>>495040
Toss any remaining armed bombs, then pursue the one that fell. We must get that tech.
>>
No. 495069 ID: 9ee360

>>495065
He's a hundred stories down. Even if we jumped, if he survived the fall, by the time we crash landed, he'd be reformed. Leaving us sitting ducks for an attack.

Also, apparently high morph is a good thing for jumping off buildings. So he'll be fine, but Unity might not be.

If we try to get down without jumping, we'd be doing so while trying to evade the partner and the police pursuing us down the building. We'd end up (more) outnumbered and pincered. Worse, the cops will likely have organics on the force. If we fight them we risk becoming a murder- worse, a cop killer- which would attract way too much heat.

As things are, we're going to have a tough time of it taking out the one on this floor, and then running from the cops, and not getting intercepted by Mr Blasty on the way out.
>>
No. 495105 ID: b33427

...Fuck. Looks like Zappy is going to survive. Either we get this other jetal down, or this mission is almost certainly going to be a net loss, assuming we even make it out of here.

Keep running towards the corner at full speed, but stick to the west side of the hall. Once you're near enough to the corner, do a shallow bank shot so the explosive lands behind the jetal, if possible, then stop, punch your hand into the wall to hold on, and brace yourself. Have your plasma sword ready to hit him as the blast knocks him towards the elevator.

If she stops to far away from the corner to get the explosive behind him without exposing yourself, bank it so it'll land in front of him, or to his side, instead. Be ready to open up on him with heavy explosive rounds and max plasma shots as soon as the blast passes.

If we don't have enough time to get close enough to the corner to do a bank shot throw that gets the explosive more than a meter or two around the corner, we should get to that door north of the elevator, bank shot the explosive, then kick the door open and get in there. That'll shield us somewhat from the blast.

As you passed the factory entrance door, did you see how much damage the first thrown explosive did? Did it leave a hole in the floor? If it did, that's another possible exit route from this floor.

Ask Polatt if the cops can lockdown the elevators and from where they can. Can they do it remotely, or do they have to use a local control? Then ask him to tell you the second any cops show up at ground level. Also ask him if he could keep an eye on that falling jetal after it impacts to see if it sticks around, if he thinks he can do it without being spotted.

We also shouldn't trust the elevators completely. For all we know, these bounty hunters rigged them with remote detonator explosives and stuck a mini-cam in each one to watch for us. We probably shouldn't take them if we can avoid it, or at least without thoroughly checking them before entering.
>>
No. 495107 ID: 9ddf68

ok so the fallen jetal will likely
A) come back at us with a vengeance sooner or later
B) Will wait for us down in the lobby and try and ambush us when we try to flee or
C) still be in the crater when we get down there (wishful thinking but how much power does that damn omga beam uses, and he used it twice)
Anyways lob that grenade and get ready to slice and dice when you come around the corner but also have one of your guns ready to shoot out of your mouth just incase this guy is slower than you think he is or if the blast knocks him back a bit so we can still get the first strike in
>>
No. 495111 ID: b33427

Oh, and also remember that this guy knows you're packin' a plasma sword, since that's what you used on his jetal cop bodyguard buddy. He's going to do his darnedest to stay out of close combat. That is, unless he's packin' something to counter plasma swords, or thinks he can take you in close quarters. You'll have a pretty good idea which one it is depending on if he stops short of the corner or keeps advancing.
>>
No. 495112 ID: b33427

>>495105
Also, use the plasma sword C to slice a handhold into the wall to steady yourself from the blast instead of trying to punch your hand into it and holding on. You're going to be using the sword right after the blast, so what's a few more b-seconds?
>>
No. 495114 ID: 9ee360

>>495111
He thinks we have a low grade plasma sword. He doesn't know we've upgraded.

And if our combat with the last guy taught us anything, it's that shooting jetals does not work nearly as well as cutting them to pieces.
>>
No. 495119 ID: b33427

>>495114
Thing is, this guy almost certainly knows that bit about slicing jetals being more effective than shooting, even with low class plasma swords. He has to have picked that up in his time as a cop and as a jetal bounty hunter, otherwise he likely wouldn't be around by now.

Also, how would he know how good our plasma sword is? All he knows is it was good enough to slice through that jetal bodyguard, which would, at most, tell him it was class D or higher. So if I was him, I wouldn't take the chance it was a class B or even class A sword and stay back. That is, unless I had some kind of counter-measure to a plasma sword. Plasma shield, maybe?
>>
No. 495121 ID: 9ee360

>how would he know how good our plasma sword is?
Felix somehow knew how good it was. Maybe the low grade ones look differently than the higher grade one? (Plasma temperature / color, mabye). I'd kind of expect that information to be in the report.
>>
No. 495123 ID: b33427

>>495121
True, true. Well, maybe we'll get lucky and he'll rush us 'cause he has a defense that'll stop low class plasma sword hits, but our sword is just good enough to punch through it.
>>
No. 495130 ID: c4e5c2
File 136156546817.png - (27.63KB , 700x700 , 111.png )
495130

>Did the bomb from before punch a hole in the factory?
Yes, she did end up confirming that the factory floor on the east end has a hole in it.

>Use sword to punch into wall and brace oneself
Duelist mentions that plasma swords are not at all good for this, as plasma does not get stuck in walls. If the sword was attempted to be dragged side to side, then either it would just cut the wall like butter, or just burn the surface if the wall was too strong or plasma too weak. For that, he would recommend turning an arm into a sword or something.

Alison will probably get at least somewhat better morphability after this.

For now, she launches the bomb at the wall, putting some spin on it so it bounces to her left at the jetal.

She hears a door getting slammed through a split second before the bomb went off. He must have bursted through the door, but she's sure he must've gotten hurt from that explosion from such a short range.

40 b-seconds for her next explosive.

Energy Surge detected!
Energy Surge detected!
>>
No. 495132 ID: 9ddf68

well crap, fire some explosive rounds into the wall were the other jetal is and keep moving so he can't get a clear shot at you. then lob the second bomb into the room to try to at lest disorient him and well he is recovering go in swords a blazing
>>
No. 495136 ID: 9ee360

Two energy surges? Cue profuse swearing.

That means either both jetal have that blaster, and one is about to fire from the ground (which means firing upward at a rather steep angle, though 100+ floors of the building, which could be catastrophically bad. Cue building collapse). Or, the cop choppers and the jetal we're fighting have mega blasters. Or that this jetal can fire two at once. Or... he can't do it at all, and both choppers are preparing to shoot us.

Speed text Polatt asking if he can see what the fallen one and/or the choppers are doing.

Alright, we're close to the other guy and he's injured. We've seen several of these shots go off. We should have a sense of how long we have from sensing the charge to the blast going off.

If we have time, close (cut right through the wall with the plasma blade C if we have to) and cut off whatever the charge is accumulating in. His head or whatever will probably explode, but at least it won't be aimed at us.
>>
No. 495139 ID: b33427

Two energy surges?! Are they both coming from this jetal? Is one coming from outside? It couldn't be a jetal on a police 'copter, could it? They wouldn't be able to see you... Except... Is the fire door behind you still open?

Also check that there isn't another one of those camera drones behind you, 'cause that'd basically screw you completely.

Okay, assume it's this one jetal charging two weapons. They're almost certainly not OMEGA BEAM level energy weapons like the other one had, so you can dodge these as long as he doesn't know where you are.

Aim two heavy explosive rounds through the wall at where he is, then hit the deck the same time they explode, to cover the sound of your movements. If your clothes are jetalium instead of regular, make them stick to your body, then crawl as fast and as quietly as you can towards the elevator. Don't fire on him while you're moving, since that'll give your position away. Just stick as close to the floor as you can.

>Sticking a plasma sword in a wall to brace oneself does not work
The idea was actually to use the sword to slice a back-angled gash in the wall, then stick your hand in the gash. Guess it wasn't worded well enough. Still, it'd probably be a good idea to morph our fingertips into hard points later on so we can jam them into walls and such. Perhaps put the hard points inside the fingertips so they aren't apparent, while being just as effective when we slam them into a wall. The softer jetalium will push away, letting the hard points stick in.
>>
No. 495144 ID: f2c20c

>>495136
I agree with this. Charge him and put an end to his weapon.
>>
No. 495146 ID: b33427

>>495139
Actually, change this up so you don't fire at him at all, and instead of heading towards the elevators, spin around, hit the deck, and crawl north. He'll be expecting you to try and head towards him, so heading away is the better choice, and not firing gives him no audio clues where you are.
>>
No. 495149 ID: c4e5c2
File 136157177586.png - (43.35KB , 700x700 , 112.png )
495149

>The (plasma sword in the wall) idea was actually to use the sword to slice a back-angled gash in the wall, then stick your hand in the gash.
That, then, would have worked.

>Is the fire door behind you still open?
The fire door behind her is gone.

Polatt, have you gotten a visual on the grounded jetal?
>It's been half a minute, give us time to roll around! There's a flood of people running out of this building!
Sorry. Also, do cops have access to elevator controls?
>Depends on the building, best to assume they do.

>Use autogun
>Use sword
Unity will use both at this point. She has to get rid of the bomb anyways, and should cut her way through. Duelist starts firing where he thinks the jetal is, while guardsman starts cutting down the walls with plasma sword C. The wall goes down like butter, and duelist kicks through the door while rattling the jetal with bullets. It must have been shot 30 times. It also is the source of both attacks. Alison wants his battery.

Alison also carefully takes the bomb in her tail since both of Unity's hands get occupied. While prehensile fur is strong, it's enough to at least be able to cup the bomb without dropping it. She lobs it in.
>>
No. 495150 ID: c4e5c2
File 136157178970.png - (49.71KB , 800x600 , 113.png )
495150

She then dives out of the way her bomb. Those charge beams are difficult to stop from going off, but between the 10kg explosion and the bullets going off like firecrackers in him, he completely misses the mark despite knowing where she is. Apparently 10 kg is somehow not enough to destroy him at point blank. However, there are now two beams blocking her hallway pass. They also do not stop firing, he's slowly dragging them towards Alison, again pincering her with beam attacks.

She drastically wants his battery.

>"You've got some nerve, walking around with Felix's face around here!" the jetal yells while he makes wobbly attempts to try to get those plasma beams to Unity.
>"Those beams are coming from below, he must have fallen down a floor!" says Scanner.
>>
No. 495153 ID: 9ee360

>3 people working together to attack with 3 different weapons using both hands and tail
...we're awesome.

>plasma sword C
Yup. It's a different color.

>She drastically wants his battery.
Is that even possible? Can we steal batteries if and when we get his core? I'd have thought they were a built in trait of the core.

>he must have fallen down a floor
Cut and drop through the floor, manifest your plasma sword D, and use both swords to cut off both his blasters at the same time. Then cut him up and absorb.
>>
No. 495155 ID: 9ddf68

jump through the hole you just made and cut off both his arms and then absorb as much of him as you can. We used far to much jetalium to walk away from this thing empty handed. also when when we do absorb him take his core and put it in one of the elevators and send it to the TOP floor. If the cops can track the jetal through EIN then it might buy us some time.
>>
No. 495162 ID: b33427

About how long do those beam blasts last? 'Cause it won't be safe for you to get near him 'til they run out. He'd be able to just twist around and vaporize you at that range.

Misdirect him by cutting a nice, big chunk out of the floor where you are. When it hits below, it'll sound like you rode it down to the floor below. That way he'll redirect at least one of his beams downward.

Meanwhile you'll be cutting hand-holds in the corner to climb up out of the beam paths. While you could slice through into what's left of the room above him, he might spot the glow of the plasma blade from that and redirect both beams at you.

Once his beam-juice runs out, then you can drop down through the hole in the floor and plasma sword him to pieces.

You might have to worry about the floors above you in this quadrant collapsing if those beams slice through enough vertical supports. Especially if one of them cuts through the corner of the building. Engineer might be able to say more on that.

Can Mathematician estimate his location based on the angle of the beams and the height of single level in this building?
>>
No. 495165 ID: f2c20c

>>495150
Tell him that it was to mess with his head. You're actually working with Felix, sortof.

Keep the sword up. Slice down through the floor and circle around behind him.
>>
No. 495169 ID: c4e5c2
File 136157596632.png - (49.28KB , 700x700 , 114.png )
495169

>Can we steal batteries if and when we get his core?
Alison doesn't know how it works, but Loviro has stated that improving battery designs is similar to gaining weapons.

>Get mathematicians opinion on location
He believes that the jetal is only one floor below. Also, while risky, the jetal is still having control issues, so a frontal assault may be best. It's unknown how long those beams will last or how long the jetal can keep it up for, and with the high morphability, he will likely be able to regain control quickly if those beams last long enough.

Guardsman still has his sword out, and is happy to take initiative and choose the straight line path. He cuts a hole in the floor right underneath them, dropping them down to the next. Once Unity gets enough surge, Duelist swaps the autogun to deploy plasma sword D. The cooling function is required at this point, and Alison is definitely starting to burn through her battery.

The jetal is recovering, but is still having trouble working both plasma beams to double up on Unity. Not just that, but it looks like it's burning away some of its jetalium mass.
>>
No. 495171 ID: c4e5c2
File 136157601663.png - (50.16KB , 700x700 , 115.png )
495171

He's unable to recover in time. Despite an awkward jump off a falling platform, Duelist and Guardsman are able to get up and slash through the beam arms of the jetal into its body. Alison doesn't get much of a chance for words to him. Plasma sword D is noticeably weaker, it does not cut all the way through. Even plasma sword C had trouble with its jetalium and only cut most of the way through. The first jetal she defeated must have been pathetically weak, contrary to what Felix said.

Nonetheless, the beams dissipate and Alison thinks the core was struck. The jetal is far too wounded to function, and appears stunned.
>>
No. 495172 ID: c4e5c2
File 136157607881.png - (11.50KB , 700x700 , 116.png )
495172

Guardsman makes a few more swipes around to further disable the jetal, and the beams turn off. Alison goes in to absorb.

Jetalium mass: 543 KG total.
Class B Plasma KiloBeam Attained
Class D Autogun
Battery Design: 20000 En, 1200 Maximum surge, 12 surge/second recovery.
Addon - Jetalium Surge Conversion: Able to substitute surge energy with jetalium mass. 1 kg for 10 surge.
Absorption Technique - Straw Method


Alison can choose between gel and straw method. Gel will give her 233.5 kg and take at least a few b-minutes, while the straw method will get her 412.7 kg but cost perhaps 20-30 b-minutes. She does not know if she has that long. She can always abandon absorption and only get as much as she can. She may also choose to recharge her battery if desired. A text to Polatt informs that police are starting to raid the building.

http://tgchan.org/wiki/Unnatural_Selection_Stats#Absorption
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No. 495173 ID: 76b151

Is there any reason we can't carry him down and absorb him at the same time?
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No. 495174 ID: 9ee360

Go with Gel, and recharge. We need to prioritize speed, and then escape.
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No. 495176 ID: f2c20c

>>495172
Abandon absorption for now (well, after we separate the core from the jetalium to make sure he won't reform) and disable the elevators. Just cut the cables, since elevators have safety brakes anyway- we won't have to worry about bystanders. That will buy us enough time to come back and use Straw technique to absorb with high efficiency.

Also, continue to increase Morphability. We're gonna need to jump off the building to escape. We should also morph our body into a form that can glide, so we can get some distance from the scene of the crime. How about a winged, multi-armed snake?
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No. 495177 ID: 9ee360

We damaged this one's core. Did it survive?

>>495176
If we kill the elevators, they'll know we have to take the stairs.

The rest of your plan is not feasible. If we jump and crash, by the time we reform, we'll be surrounded. And it takes more time than we have to significantly change morpability (hours) and at our current level of morph, a complete body transformation (to a gilder) would take too long (~20 minutes).

>Texting
Tell Polatt we got one.

Are the police sweeping from the ground up? Any sign of the remaining hunter?
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No. 495179 ID: 735f4f

Can we cut off a large section and eat it? Then absorb later on? That or carry off a arm or two for later.
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No. 495187 ID: 2f4b71

We could toss the body out, have Polatt grab it for us to absorb later, and make our own way down.
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No. 495188 ID: c4e5c2
File 136157872443.png - (13.21KB , 700x700 , 117.png )
495188

While she has designs for a better battery, she does have to spend a bit of time 'repairing' her jetal core to reflect that, so she is working off her old battery for now.

>Carry and absorb simultaneously
While Alison can absorb small amounts of jetalium such as the bullets she was hit by, trying to absorb an entire body practically disables her, so she can't do that. He is also nearly twice as heavy as Unity even after taking damage and burning away what mathematician thinks must have been around 200 kilograms to fire both beams at once. He must have been around a metric ton of jetalium stomping around when he arrived.

However, slicing off a chunk of jetalium and bringing that instead is feasible, so she can at least partially do this.

>Polatt sends a text. We got a visual on the fallen bounty hunter, though. He didn't care about the fall, he just got up and ran off like it was no big deal.
Are they going from the ground up?
>At least some are. It's still smoggy down here, so we can't see what's going on too far up.

While damaged, Loviro did say that a core would have to practically shatter to be beyond repair, so this guy should be fine. Alison does seperate the core from the jetalium.

Alison realizes that at the moment, she can absorb around 1 kg per second once she gets a good hold around the jetalium, for the gel method. So that is what she does. She's lost almost 70 kgs during this fight, so she regains that, plus another 30 seconds to get 30kg worth of battery power back. Lastly, she spends a decasecond or two just lopping off around 80 kg or so to bring with her to absorb later, as she can at least carry that much without issue.

She now has to think about her escape. She hears a chopper right outside the remains of the fire escape, and there may be a team going in there. Tossing the body off the side of the building seemed like a good idea till then, since that's the only building side exit she knows about. They won't know where she is immediately, but there is a good chance they are going to go for this jetal core, given there are radars that can tell where legal jetals are. There are a couple doors leading out of this room, but all she knows is where the elevator shaft is.
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No. 495191 ID: 76b151

Are there stairs? We can leap down entire flights at once to speed things up and we don't get tired. Once we're a dozen floors above ground level we can jump out of the building then without risking undue harm.
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No. 495192 ID: 78c6ea

We might lose some Jetalium as it decays not having a core in it, but we probably won't lose 43% of it! Whatever you do you have to get us out of here Alison. We don't want the cops seeing Felix!
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No. 495194 ID: f2c20c

>>495188
...shaft...

Jump down the shaft! Use the cable to slow your fall. Don't get out on the ground floor though. Get out around halfway down, then jump off and try to glide away. Instead of a full glider form, just try to adapt our current form to gliding.

Also, you could still dump jetalium off a different side of the building. Just cut a hole. Turn off the Cooling first though.
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No. 495199 ID: 9ddf68

I still say we take the jetal's core and put it in a elevator and have it go up to the top floor. then go with the just jump down an elevator shaft plan and use the cords so we don't just free fall. stop about 2 or 4 stories from the bottom floor and then jump out a window or something into an alley behind the building. Don't forget to change your form while doing this and once your safely away from the building text Polatt to come pick you up
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No. 495202 ID: 57a559

I'd suggest morphing into a form that can achieve flight. Mathmatician and Engineer might be able to help you calculate how to achieve an aerodynamic form. Historian might know of a few species on Belonos you can transform into. If your mass is similar to a species you may as well just let Historian take the reigns morphing into it.

Don't tell me Jetal can't fly. Anything can fly with proper form and ability. Metal, feathers, skin, scales, etc. Jetal should be no cinch. You just need to find a good hiding place to morph into.
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No. 495203 ID: 9ee360

Our choices are basically the elevator shafts or the stairs. Take the shafts down most the way (without using the elevators themselves). Get off at a low floor (not ground) and we can cut out the side.

>We don't want the cops seeing Felix!
That doesn't matter. The bounty hunters already saw that face. It doesn't establish any connection to Felix- just that we've seen him before. Which is known, since he was at the bar where we committed our first crime.
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No. 495204 ID: b33427

Expect that the police in the 'copters also have flying recon drones they're going to send in here. Better get a move on to the other side of a door soon, lest follow you through all these holes. Keep an ear out for any whirring mini-'copter sounds.

Chuck the jetal's core up through the hole it blew into the hallway above so that it'll roll towards the east elevator.

Whip out your plasma sword and slice a hole through the north wall, then the wall beyond. This building likely follows the same plan of three floor tall factory spaces, so slicing through floors will be fastest from there.

Slice the jetalium mass into chuckable chunks, and start throwing them through the north hole. Once you got them all, or feel you have to leave, get through and slice down from this factory level to the next one down.

>>495199
The cops have control of the elevators. We'd do best to avoid them, lest we get trapped in a box at their whim.
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No. 495205 ID: 76b151

>>495202
I don't think thats possible. We're very heavy and our energy generation probably isn't able to make up for that.
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No. 495208 ID: b33427

Something else to keep in mind: Once we get below the smog layer, we can head down the fire escape without being spotted by the 'copters.
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No. 495210 ID: c4e5c2
File 136158260261.png - (16.33KB , 700x700 , 118.png )
495210

>Don't tell me Jetal can't fly
>"Jetal can't fly." Engineer says. "Specifically, Unity can't. There is a reason why a bird's body is made to be as lightweight as possible. Jetals are a magnitude stronger, but they're a magnitude of a magnitude heavier. We'd have to experiment and morph our entire form around flight, making ourselves far less dense, likely shedding three quarters of our body mass in the process and testing the limits of how wide we can make a wingspan without causing problems powering jetalium of that volume. More pressingly, we don't have the time to morph into something like that. What I can do is make something that can glide, perhaps not gracefully, but something so that we can land at least a little ways away from the building if we jump off high enough. Get a few stories down into the fog as I use our jetalium and trenchcoat into something, and we might be able to get away."

If I dump off some jetalium off the side of the building, would you be able to get it, Polatt?
>Not anymore, sorry. Cops have the building surrounded, and they're starting to pile in there. Not sure if they think there's even an illegal jetal involved, it's not like the bounty hunters would've informed them what they were doing.
I may glide away.
>It's going to be tough to not be seen either way. Either you pop outside the building where cop cars are everywhere, or you glide away into rush hour.

That's not good, but Alison tosses the core up a floor toward the east elevator. She mostly needs to send that core away, and doesn't want to spend the time waiting for an elevator to come up to her floor to send up to the roof, assuming the elevators haven't been disabled as well. Even if the cops do have elevator control, though, she can't imagine how they could prevent her from jumping down the shaft, but doing so to jump out from just a few floors above ground level does not sound as good as it did before she heard the building was surrounded.
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No. 495211 ID: 76b151

Sounds good, use the stairs to get below the smogline and start upping our morph as much as possible during that timeframe to give Engineer a bit more leeyway.
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No. 495212 ID: 78c6ea

You could hide in the building until they conclude it's empty. The cops aren't exactly rushing to the aid of the bounty hunters; they're trying to arrest you all for trashing the place! Just hide in the elevator shaft or somewhere that people wouldn't think to look and blend your shape/color into the surroundings.
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No. 495213 ID: 76b151

These are former cops. We just 'killed' a second Jetal. They are going to do a thorough sweep.
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No. 495214 ID: 9ee360

Best plan I can think of is to descend to a floor or two right below the smog line. Where the choppers and the cops on the ground will have the hardest time seeing you. Then we go out the side, and use the flying morph.

If the stairs can be seen from the outside (as external fire escape, or a windowed side) climb down the elevator shaft instead.

Remember, when we cut a hole for our exit? Set the piece we cut to the side- don't let it fall off the building.

It might also be nice to try and make a distraction as we exit- maybe drop a small timed explosive charge to the base of the elevator.

Be sure to text Polatt which direction we're heading off the building in, and how far away we expect to land, so they can scoop us up.

What are the odds the bounty hunters are gonna get in trouble for blasting this building to shit? Legal as they might be, they might be arrested for the level of property damage they did. Or for reckless endangerment (they could have collapsed the building, or hit other buildings with those mega-lasers).
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No. 495216 ID: 9ee360

>>495213
Additionally, they may have scanners that would pick us up. Felix was just plugged into the national jetal core tracking database, and identified us by eye (there's a jetal. Nope! Not in the database). The SWAT type heavies that are locking this building down may have active scanners that could pick us up. Hiding is too risky.
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No. 495217 ID: f2c20c

>>495212
That's an interesting idea. We might even be able to move the last 50kg and eat it properly while hiding.

...then again they probably have some way of looking through walls or something.

Let's just get below the fog line then glide onto a nearby building.
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No. 495218 ID: b53faa

>>495210
Shit. We might need to go for covert ops this time, yo.
See if you can get into an airvent or something else of that nature, make your way to the roof, and see if you can snag a chopper from under their noses.
If we absolutely HAVE to escape, try to find an adjacent building to leap into. That is our best bet in general, because then we can continue on in that fashion avoiding the police by jumping into different buildings before hitting the ground and slinking off into some random allyway.

Thoughts on this plan?
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No. 495219 ID: 76b151

>>495218
bad idea. For one thing snagging a copter means flying one and I have no idea how to do that. Another thing is that police vehicles are the very least AI assist from what we've seen so far. The isntant we get in one the AI will let the other's know. Finally we have a better plan already in the works. Just need to work out the details.
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No. 495220 ID: 735f4f

We don't have to fly off into the night. We just have to glide and crash into the window of another building. Then escape from there. If we do it under the smog line should buy us enough time to get down.
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No. 495221 ID: b33427

We'll take ungainly glider over trying to wade through a horde of cops any day. Start morphing into whatever Engineer comes up with, while pushing your morphability up. It won't help much in the short time you have, but every little bit helps.

Book it to the interior stairwell, if there is one, and get below the smog level. If there isn't, you'll either have to pull open an elevator shaft door and climb down, or cut through to the floor below.

Perhaps instead of trying to glide all the way, we can glide-hop from tower to tower, busting through a window, running across their interiors to jump out from another side. Could we map out a route this way by checking the local street map, and bringing up the public building maps for the nearby buildings?

Step out into the hall and check where the elevator floor indicators are, and which way they're going, to get an idea where the cops are coming up from. Also close the door behind you, so no flying recon drones can follow.
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No. 495222 ID: 9ee360

>>495218
That assumes there are parked choppers sitting on the roof. Which we don't know to be true.

In addition to the problems redeath mentioned, we'd also have to fight our way past whatever cops are guarding or using said helicopter. Which would either put us at serious risk of killing people a lot squishier than us (non of our weapon really have effective less kill settings) or possibly running into more force than we can handle (if there's several people, and they're all packing big enough blasters...).

Plus, that would lead to a helicopter chase. We wouldn't win that.

>or you glide away into rush hour
I don't suppose we can aim for an alley, or parking lot, or something? So we don't come down in the middle of a road.
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No. 495224 ID: 78c6ea

>>495216

They don't even know there's an illegal Jetal in here. Unless the bounty hunters squeal (very likely) I'd assume the cops think they were fighting each other, not a third Jetal that doesn't show up on scanners. Even if they do tell the police we're in here, they might not be able to find us if we do it right. And it's a tossup whether we hide or run, so the police aren't going to be sure whether we're even still here.

We can be identified by eyeballing sure, but we can also hide places that eyeballs don't tend to go, which we could scope out now. Elevator shaft comes to mind. On the roof somewhere, inside a wall, underneath the balcony...
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No. 495226 ID: b33427

>>495224
>>495217
>>495212
Have you bunch forgotten that we're on a timetable here? Remember Yallows? The guy we're powering up to try and rescue before he's killed? We can't afford to be stuck in this building until the cops leave. It could be dozens of hours from now, and in the mean time they're searching and scanning the place from top to bottom, checking for hiding jetals. So, no. We are not hiding.
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No. 495227 ID: f2c20c

>>495226
Good point. So let's slide down an elevator a few floors below the fog line then glide away.

Maybe steal a car- wait we don't know how to drive, shit. Should probably arrange a getaway car instead.
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No. 495229 ID: b33427

Thinking on the explosive shedding ability, we might be able to use it for something like rocket propulsion, if we know we'll need a boost for our gliding.

If we make thin layers of jetalium unstable, then stack them so they go off from the outermost one to the innermost by timing the outermost layer at 60 b-seconds, then timing the next layer inwards at 60 b-seconds a tiny fraction of a b-second later. Repeat that until all the layers are done, and we've got a rocket motor.

Of course we should only try this if things are really dire, and only with a small rocket, but it could very well work.
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No. 495233 ID: c4e5c2
File 136158787138.png - (174.87KB , 900x500 , 119.png )
495233

>What legal trouble are the bounty hunters in?
Clarence does the internet looking. Apparently it's perfectly legal as long as they pay for it, along with a percentage of the price added on that the government takes as a 'reckless action' fine.

Alison goes with the gliding plan. She starts to move around first before carving the next hole a floor down, but scanner notices a security camera. From that, it may be safe to assume that they know right where she is all times. They'll probably know she's an illegal jetal as well if they haven't already.

She still shoots out the last camera when she gets under the smog bank and leaps off the building. They will likely know that she leapt off, but hopefully they will not be able to tell which way she leapt, nor where she ends up. She hears choppers close by, but the smog is too much.

Unity crashes through a window of another building, luckily the people on this floor have already left. She changes her face around back to Arbiter by the time she runs out into the hall, to the other end, out the window and to another building.

A text ping pops up mid-flight. This time it's from Felix, and the text looks like it's popping up as he's speaking.

>Stay in your building, go up 20 floors or so and make it look like you're supposed to be there. Make sure your face is changed before you get caught by any cameras. Scouting drones are going to be deployed on the streets around this sector. All legal jetals have been told by EIN to stay indoors, and any jetals caught on the street will be considered illegal. They won't even need to try to scan you. We got word from Bodec, the bounty hunter you hit off the building. We're doing a sweep to investigate that building you were in and to see if anyone else was involved, but it won't be long till we give up the chase. You're not the cop's business. Should just take a couple hours.
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No. 495234 ID: f2c20c

>>495233
Thank him, and verify if no bystanders were hurt.

Follow his directions.
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No. 495235 ID: 76b151

Nothing to do but wait. I think we should go take on the the super jetal next and rescuing Yallows if possible after the head dies down.
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No. 495236 ID: 9ddf68

crap, I'm not sure if Yallows has a few hours. do you think you might be able to get to the sewers form the building your in and us the map to kind of guesstimate were the building yallows is hold up in and get in from there. If not then just do what felix said and just hope that yallows will be fine
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No. 495237 ID: bdb3f8

Janitor powers activate!
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No. 495239 ID: 9ee360

>Apparently it's perfectly legal
Okay? You know what, I thought before it kind of made sense and was somewhat responsible they tried to regulate the super powerful death bots running around (even if the system is rather unfair from our perspective). I was wrong. The sheep are just nuts.

>Felix
Thank him for his surprising continued assistance. Note that we never gave him this number. We'll do as he recommends, for now.

We were kind of hoping to buy ourselves some time by taking out the hunters after us (scare anyone else off for a while). Kind of seems like we just made ourselves a bigger target, though?

Make ourselves look like someone who belongs. If we have to, steal someone's desk to sit at, and copy their face from the family photo (we can pretend to be someone working late, too busy to notice the ruckus?).

>couple hours
Damn. We really don't want to wait, but if the streets are gonna be flooded with drones, and they're shooting all jetals on sight, we've got no choice.

Send a message to Polatt- we got out of the building and are gonna hunker down for a few hours till the heat dies down. They should clear out of here for now.

We might want to send our buddies out to buy some drones of our own for Clarence to drive next time.

...I don't suppose the bounty hunters paid them off for "betraying" us in advance? :V
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No. 495244 ID: b33427

Alright, we'll. There's just too much heat here to try and make a getaway, and there's no place to land. Text back thanks to Felix and get a move on.

Go over and either open or break out a window in a direction that points down a side alley or street, to make it look like you glided that way and landed.

Head up to a floor near the top of the smog level, so you'll have altitude in case you have to flee again. Make sure to tail-cam check around corners for security cameras.

Look for a maintenance closet to hold up in while straw absorbing that 80 kg of jetalium and morphing into a generic janitor or maintenance tech.

Let Polatt know you're going to be up here for a couple hours, but don't share the address yet. You'll give it to him when you need a pickup. Do ask him about what the Dead Batteries can offer when it comes to purchasing stuff like that recon drone. After this screw-up, you're in the market for some of that gear. You'll have a shopping list ready when you get back to the DB HQ.
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No. 495248 ID: c4e5c2
File 136159081752.png - (13.78KB , 700x700 , 120.png )
495248

A couple hours at first sounds bad, but Felix must be talking about belenosian hours. A couple of those are hardly 40 minutes that she's used to. So she breaks a window to make it look like she glided to another building before heading up many floors.

>Janitor powers activate
She is pretty sure there is no such thing as a janitor, only cleaning bots. But she does find a cleaning bot closet, which she holes up in and absorbs the jetalium in peace while texting Felix back.

Thank you. Were there any bystanders hurt? And we never did give you our number. The last question was added by scanner.
>Not everyone in the dead battery is immune to payoffs. The news will cover this one, because it isn't worth covering up. It'll be accurate enough. The rest of the text is an internet link.

>"-olice are still scouring the building for any remaining fights and to locate any more wounded. The wounded count remains at 16, and Ruby medbots have all confirmed that everyone's wounds are perfectly treatable. They'll all be patched up and good to go by the end of the day. Bodec, the alleged instigator of this event, is a bounty hunter who teamed up with Joic to bring down a rogue jetal. He has claimed that the jetal goes by the name 'Unity' and is part of the Dead Battery gang, and that he has certainly not given up the chase. He has given all dues owed for the millions in property damage as well as for medical bills to the wounded, along with compensation to the wounded as well. To quote, 'I don't regret it. I'll pay whatever I have to, for another chance at that one. Even if it puts risk on civilians, it will still be less compared to the risk posed by letting it run around. The sooner the police or I stop it, the sooner everyone will be safer.' Bodec is a renowned bounty hunter, so it is a surprise to many that he and an ally would have lost. Joic was not just defeated, but also absorbed, although his core has been retrieved and is intact. Despite the danger this illegal Jetal has, the government has noted that this jetal has not killed anyone it has come across, and so they have not funded the bounty. It remains at 10 million, but the force has recommended not to pursue this jetal outside of personal issue, as that bounty is not representative of its strength. We will review some outstanding bounties that are worth more people's time.

The rest of the news displays other bounties that sometimes go up to tens of billions of dollars, before moving on to more puppies or belenosian equivalents of them as time goes on. Alison lets Polatt know she'll just wait a bit, and Polatt asks what she would like to do next. Polatt also says that the previous bounty just went through, so Unity has 140,000 more dollars to her name.

>Ask about purchasing drones
Alison can purchase harmless drones ranging from 10k to 100k. Little helicopter surveillance drones might be in the range of 30k, the little one she saw out of the elevator more like 20k.
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No. 495249 ID: 78c6ea

Damn I forgot about Yallows. We really just ripped through 3 Jetal like an hour after he ended up in trouble? If he did manage to "remove" the "implants" he might be a game mechanic for us getting some serious inside info. If only there was a convenient countdown timer in the upper right hand corner of the screen!

I don't honestly know how we'd take out a supercore ever, because we only have one core so they can by definition hold on to at least 3 times the Jetalium. We may as well try though? Got to get that inside info.
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No. 495250 ID: 76b151

Bodec is sounding a bit like a public threat there. Alright lets arrange to buy 2 heli camera drones for 60k for our assualt on the superjetal and wait for the heat to die down and head on out.
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No. 495252 ID: 78c6ea

...we should totally make friends with Bodec
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No. 495256 ID: 9ee360

Hmmm. Well, good news and bad news. The cops and any other bounty hunters aren't interested in chasing us. But Mr Blasty Bodec has got a grudge. We'll have to take him out, sooner or later.

Possibly sooner, as that loose cannon might attack dead batteries HQ to get at us! (And we got organics, there).

>Not everyone in the dead battery is immune to payoffs.
I suppose we shouldn't begrudge anyone for giving up a phone number. Especially since it helps us. Although that probably means Felix could tap our communications with Polatt, if he wanted. Although I bet he won't- he's keeping us a secret, and requesting a tap would get more of the force involved.

>Drones
I assume there's small enough we can store them on (or in) our person?

>What next
Jewellery store heist? The guard jetal should be easy compared to these two, and I think we're going to need the mass to take on the supercore.

Best cover I can think of to get close? Go in and actually buy something. (With cash). Making ourselves appear to be a legit customer is the best way to make ourselves appear non-threatening to the guard. Especially if we go in female, again. Then we jump him as we head out, and let the DBs loot the place.
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No. 495257 ID: f2c20c

>>495248
Let's buy a few drones. Two wheeled ones and a helicopter. ...maybe an extra helicopter.

How much time until our new battery is operational? Personally I think we're ready to rescue our buddy. We've got a huge fuckoff laser beam and a huge battery to go with it, as well as a good amount of jetalium to reinforce our body with.

Don't just sit in the janitor's closet, mind you. If the janitor comes by they'll be suspicious. I say we should just wander the hallways until we can find some idle activity like reading a magazine. What sort of building is this anyway?

We should start planning the assault. What other buildings are near our target? Would we risk hitting bystanders if we used the heavy laser inside? How many floors are there? Any rooftop access?
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No. 495275 ID: b33427

Lets get a couple heli-drones, and a couple of the small, silent ground drones. We'll use the ground ones before the flying ones, since the flying ones make noise. We should also get a dozen sticky-backed wireless mini-cams, and a dozen "marble" type spherical omni-directional cams. The latter are about the size of a big marble, see in all directions, and can be rolled or thrown. They'd be good for throwing where we know they'd be lost, or where the drones can't go. Oh, and ask about the return policy on unused merchandise, just in case we don't end up using some of this stuff and need cash.

We should also check if Bodec and Joic have bounties on them as well. It's almost a given that they've pissed off quite a few people in their careers, and that a number of them would put a price on their heads. Then if we do take them down, we can collect the bounty on top of the jetalium.

Better get on the line with Polett and start planning for the jewelry store jetal. You're going to need all the intel they got on the place, the jetal, the other staff, and anything else they got on hand or can dig up for a (moderate) price. This time you're going in knowing something more than the very basics.

Also ask Polett if a class B jetal weapons can do what you saw the KiloBeam do, WTF can class A jetal weapons do? Level city blocks in a single shot?

Since we have some time on our hands, let's crank our morph up to max and do some experimenting with what our form can do. Lets at least get in some testing on what kind of machinery we can morph into. Stuff from simple machines like wheels on axles, up to electric motors and caterpiller treads. I'm wondering if we could put retractable powered in-line wheels just beneath the surface of the soles of our feet, then use them to move silently. Heh. Maybe we could form ourselves into a car with tinted windows and drive away.
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No. 495290 ID: 9ddf68

K, so we now have a very strong and very piss off shape shifting killer robot after us... must be Friday, but I think we should be careful now because we may have just given Sevener a very strong ally.
I'm also torn between going for the flower shop Jetal (plus-we get more jetalium and weapons, negative-we draw more attention to ourselves and waste more energy) or going straight to save Yallows (plus-quicker and more likely to actually save him, negative we're less prepared). If we go for the latter don't forget to stop by Loviro 's hideout to pick up Vinyl she did say she had a way in for us maybe get a quick charge if we need it.
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No. 495296 ID: 9ee360

>>495290
If and when we stop by Loviro's hideout, we need to bring the stuff to buy off the bum.

Also, we need to establish a trust password with them as well. But first, when we show up- to check that they haven't already been replaced- ask them what form Unity first tried on.
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No. 495311 ID: b33427

>>495290
>>495296
Eh, yeah, I'm thinking that way now to. The jewelry store jetal would likely only net us cash and jetalium, with the possibility of a new type of module. I'd rather we got some intel on what modules that jetal is known or suspected of using before going after it, both for knowing what we're getting into, and whether or not the modules are worth delaying the Yallow rescue operation.

I'm leaning towards at least heading back to Loviro's hideout first. It'll give Polatt and our DB contacts time to dig up info on the jewelry store guard jetal. Then we can figure if it's worthwhile or not to do right away. It'll also give us time to think up a plan to attack and extract Yallow.

We should probably choose a password pair for the bum as well, so both of us are pretty sure we're who we are when talking. He should use it if he phones us as well.
>>
No. 495328 ID: c4e5c2
File 136160668003.png - (10.86KB , 700x700 , 121.png )
495328

Bodec kind of sounds like a public threat. Alison texts to Felix.
>He is well liked among the populace. They view him like a superhero, public damage or not. And he is still one of the most responsible bounty hunters out there. replies Felix.

And a text to Polatt.
Let's make our way to the jewelry shop next. But this time, I don't want to go in with the most basic knowledge, I want to know what I'm getting into with as much information as is feasible to get.
>Yeah. I'm not feeling hot after that last one. Spent the entire time sayin 'nah, we'll just die' or 'nah, can't do that'. We'll get you your info to make up for it.
Moreso, that huge beam that bursted through the walls and everything? That was a B class weapon! What can an A class weapon do? Level city blocks?
>Unity, let me tell you something you probably already figured out. You are a half ton death machine. The weapon classes? Those aren't how powerful they are, it's just implied the higher ones are more powerful. It's about how legal they are. B class? Getting one of those legally earns you a special place in EIN's heart where you are on constant watch, and if there any sign that a legal jetal let a B class weapon get out, or you're an illegal jetal with a B class weapon, you're not even dealing with regular cops anymore. You're dealing the military police, the strikeforcers and all that. An A class weapon? A jetal that shows that around can level small towns in a single day. At that point, you'll get hunted by the nobles, the ones in a league just under the emperors themselves. Just having an A class weapon is grounds for elimination. Jetals see A class as a death row sentence. Wait a second. Did you get a B class weapon, Unity?
Yes.
>Gotta tell the boss about this one. After the jewelry shop. God damn. A B class weapon? Jewelry shop raid is gonna feel like petty thievery. That poor Jetal you absorbed is probably gonna wish you killed him once the cops realized he had a B class weapon that he let get in the hands of an illegal.
>>
No. 495329 ID: c4e5c2
File 136160668852.gif - (21.28KB , 800x600 , 122.gif )
495329

Alison is picked up by Polatt and Co. to get another coat and pick up the groceries. She also picks up a couple helicopter drones, ground surveillance drones, and some simple ball cams that she can roll and toss around for additional eyes. They're all small enough to carry on her. Another replacement coat was also necessary. With that done, Polatt drops her off by the electric shop to let her go and recharge, along with delivering the groceries to the bum. While she does that, Polatt will continue getting information for the jewelry heist.

>"Alright, miss. You wanted to know what kinda work there is for a bum, eh?"
"Yes."
>"Nothin' fancy, of course. Funniest thing, I've people search high and low for security cameras, even bugs that might be robotic. All while ignoring the bum they practically trip over. Turns out the old AI place behind me thought the same thing."
"AI place?"
>"Yeah. That building's got some AI in it or somethin'. I don't ask questions. But they've been asking me who comes in and out of here. Just that much. Course, they only want an eye on you, the old professor, jittery guy and tough looking chick. Not anyone who enters the building in a windowless van. They don't want me asking questions about those guys. Course, didn't hear anything about this from me, nor that the guy who pays me is called Priat Kij and is the only one who arrives at 5 o clock and leaves at 75 o clock every day on the dot."
>>
No. 495331 ID: f2c20c

>>495329
Cop's watching. Don't go down there just yet. Circle the block while adjusting your appearance so you don't look like the beggar anymore. Pick someone random out of the crowd to copy.

I really think we should go bust out Yallows now, because the bullseye on our back just leapt up an order of magnitude in size. After we get Yallows, it should be closer to 75h, at which point we walk up to the AI guy as he's leaving the place and ask him who he is.

Oh! Actually, ask Polatt if the Dead Batteries can get some information about someone named Priat Kij.
>>
No. 495343 ID: b33427

"AI place?" So, the building's AI? A superintendent AI? Or is it an AI that just happens to be in the building? Get a little clarification, if possible. Also ask if the windowless van is in the building garage right now. Might be a good idea to slip in a cam to watch who gets in if it is here, or to watch where it parks to catch who gets out.

Text Polatt and request some digging done on one "Priat Kij," but to keep it discrete. Ask the bum if the guy has any distinctive features, and relay any to Polatt, then ask if he's absolutely sure our phones are extra secure. With what's been going over them, you want some reassurance on that.

Thank the bum, pass him some extra cash, but before you leave ask him how the "jittery guy" was acting when he last left here. Might give a clue to what happened to Yallows when he did whatever to his memory implant. Then head down to the hideout via the long way around the block, changing appearance somewhere en route.

Recharge, then report to Loviro what's happened since your last meeting, leaving out what the bum said for now. Set up the secret passwords between you, then get all he knows about super-core jetals. Also ask about the possibility of him or Vinyl temporarily disabling their memory implants so you might find out what drove Yallows out.

...There's also something else to do with Loviro and Vinyl. Ask them if you could prick the back of their hands to see if they bleed. You just want to put your mind at ease they're not 'bots or 'borgs or jetals or something else really weird.

>Class B weapons are serious business; Class A weapons are SERIOUS EXTRA FUCKIN' ULTRA BUSINESS
...Damn. No wonder Joic was burnin' through jetailum like mad to try and kill us. Whatever is coming down the line for him is going to be super serious. And no wonder Bodec was extra angry on the news; His partner is almost certainly as good as gone for good. He's gonna be comin' after us extra hard now.

We're going to have to be extra doubly absolutely certain before firing that KiloBeam, 'cause it's going to be a target beacon for every goddamn government heavy hitter for 50 km around to drop on us within three minutes. We WILL need a solid exit plan ready before we use it; No wingin' it. We are not going to rely on Gambler's luck saving our bacon.
>>
No. 495359 ID: c4e5c2
File 136161950672.png - (191.52KB , 700x700 , 123.png )
495359

"How did the jittery guy act the last time he came out?"
>"Like a man fleeing for his life."
"Can you be more specific about this being an 'AI place'?"
>"Nope. I don't ask questions. I'd recommend you not ask 'em, either. Barely ever see an employee's face. It's like no one's supposed to know who works in there."

Alison still gives him an extra bit of cash before circling around to change her face, which is going significantly faster with her higher morphability. However, there are significant penalties at 100 morph. She would barely be able to charge her swords at all, and would only be able to use plasma sword D without overheating, as her surge regeneration would be 6 after using her cooling addon. She keeps it at 50 for now.

Polatt, can you do a search on 'Priat Kij'? Do it discreetly, though.
>"Yeah, no problem. I've heard the name before, I don't think it'll be hard to learn a thing or two."
>>
No. 495360 ID: c4e5c2
File 136161951720.gif - (19.31KB , 800x600 , 124.gif )
495360

Alison moves down the stairs and changes back to Arbiter quickly, while reporting what has happened to her and setting up password phrases. They also oblige Alison's request to prick themselves to show they are not robots or something.

"Yes, you've been busy. I saw you on the news. Best news I've seen in awhile. Jetals have been known to climb the steps quickly, given they are given the unique opportunity to gain the power of the ones who would hunt them."
"I got a B class weapon. I hear that those would make me a target."
"Being afraid of a B class weapon and having the ambition to kill an emperor are mutually exclusive states of mind. Unless you honestly were merely asking about killing sapphire."
"There's still a lot I don't know. I want to know more about supercores."
"Ah, yes. A normal jetal becoming a supercore is easy, but reversing is not, and so the jetals in a supercore had better like each other. With a supercore, however, all jetals can use each other's addons and weaponry, even if they do not have it themselves. It helps security. Gives more jetals the ability to use high end weapons while reducing the risk of that weapon being taken after being defeated, since you'd have to absorb the exact jetal that veritably has the data, which often is told to just run if it looks like they can't win.
Secondly, the jetals can all send energy to one, provided they are in range. Hence, if jetals A, B and C all had 1000 surge max, then the one jetal who is active... well, it isn't perfect, but it would have somewhere around 2000 to nearly 3000 surge max. That inefficiency does have its cost, as all jetals trying to fight at the same time will rack up those diminishing returns. Those same jetal would suddenly only have 400 surge max each or so while attempting to make use of it. It is pathetic. Only one fights at a time.
To sum it up, fighting a supercore is like fighting multiple jetals one after the other, each with most of the power of all of them combined. You can try to kill jetal B or C while A is the recepient, but A will of course chase you as B and C run. Or rather, A will stop being the recepient, and the one you chase will be the one with all the power, as long as they have that needed minute to make the power transfer."

"Thank you. I have to ask if it's possible for you or Vinyl to temporarily disable your implants so I can find out what drove Yallows out."
"Absolutely not."
>>
No. 495361 ID: f2c20c

>>495360
It's easy to become a supercore? Uh oh. Let's hope Sevener never had the capability.

Ask how hard it is to find... blank slate cores. Ones you could overwrite in some manner, like if you found an AI somewhere that wanted to be a Jetal.
>>
No. 495372 ID: 76b151

I wonder if we could find some unawakened cores and put some of Alison's people into them to form a supercore.

I can't think of anything else to ask so lets wait for that information on the jewelry gaurd then head there to get some more mass. I doubt we'll get too much else from him.
>>
No. 495378 ID: 9ee360

>Class B = big shit
Interesting. Oddly enough, according to the news they didn't seem to care that much. (More lies? Reassuring the public? Or the feds just didn't have the whole story yet?).

...and if class A weapons can destroy a whole town I am now perversely curious to see a class A plasma blade. :V

>there are significant penalties at 100 morph.
Yeah, I'm pretty happy staying in the middle, for now.

>Ask how hard it is to find... blank slate cores. Ones you could overwrite in some manner, like if you found an AI somewhere that wanted to be a Jetal.
Yeah. We could split up between the cores. Then we could become a supercore ourself, or our own backup!

We might also want to share what we discovered about this building. Apparently you're hidden under some kind of secret jetal facility.

>At that point, you'll get hunted by the nobles, the ones in a league just under the emperors themselves.
Um. The way Polatt said that, it kind of sounds like the noble, and the Emperors themselves, are combat threats. Not just their power/influence, or the forces they command / that are guarding them, but themselves. We might want to check into that. I thought the mission was to break into a heavily fortified compound and murder an old man. But he might not be so helpless when we get to him.
>>
No. 495385 ID: 9ddf68

ok then so when we fight this super core jetal how likely is it that if we win we would find some A class weapons and who do you think we would piss off if we did take down a super core.
>>
No. 495405 ID: b33427

Is there an upper limit to how many jetal cores can be in a super-core jetal? Is it just limited by how many jetals can stand to be stuck together? Do super-core jetals usually carry more jetalium mass than single-core jetals and take larger forms?

Ask Loviro what it is that makes your core special, if he doesn't mind saying, and his memory blocker doesn't object. What did he put into its design that was so radical and threatening that the Sapphire Emperor directly stepped in and shut the development program down? ...Was it putting a compilation of AIs into a single core?

Don't suppose Loviro would be willing to shareh the reset codes he used to clear your core, on the minuscule chance you encounter another of his prototype cores and have to wipe it to sever its EIN-link, and there's no way to get it to Loviro.

Tell Loviro and Vinyl what the bum told you, including the bit about Yallow fleeing for his life, as well as that you saw on Felix's EIN jetal map earlier that the building is full of jetals. Ask them if they knew any of that, and what's their thoughts on it.

Could we try morphing backward, side, and up facing cameras or tiny eyes into our horns, to expand our visual angle? They could be disguised as jewelry, horn inlays, or as part of a horn etching design. While we're at it, lets also see if we can make part of ourself glow as a light source. Then we could get rid of the flashlight if we wanted to.

By the way, how long has it been since Yallows ran off? He's obviously not spilled the beans on the hideout location to the government, but could he? Did tampering with his memory implant block or remove that knowledge, or does the implant itself block it. You'd rather like to know if we should worry more or less about the place getting raided any time soon.

>>495385
From what I gather, class A weapons are ones that are NEVER allowed to jetals, and possibly all 'bots and 'borgs. I'm not sure about that, though, so we better ask Loviro.
>>
No. 495409 ID: 57a559

>>495360
Not even for your child, Loviro? Make puppy dog eyes.
What if it helps grant us ascension!
>>
No. 495410 ID: 78c6ea

>>495372

We probably could, but whatsisname who created our body thinks that we're a normal AI (I think.) Even if he thought we were a CAI we were supposed to be wiped of memories, aka what happens if you win the game. I don't know how friendly he'd be to a strange multi-intelligence not quite CAI that came to inhabit his beloved creation.

In any case we could save more people if we find other AIs to "super core" with. Maybe they'd even be able to come to our lobby! The trouble is, every single Jetal core we've seen so far has an EIN powered tracking device, and the only illegal we even know about is Sevener. Good luck joining forces with that one!
>>
No. 495418 ID: c4e5c2
File 136164851656.gif - (19.44KB , 800x600 , 125.gif )
495418

"The bum outside is watching, by the way. The building over us is packed with jetals, and someone named 'Priat Kij' worked.. there?" Loviro went wide eyed for a split second, almost looking like he was losing it before calming down.
"I still don't know what the building over us is for, or why there are so many jetals in it." Neither he nor Vinyl address Priat.
"I think I hit your implants. Are you sure you won't take them out for just a minute, for your child?"
"....... Vinyl."
>"Don't look at me. Besides you're the one who babytalks your jetals."
"Absolutely not, Unity. Stop asking, the answer will not change."
"Is there an upper limit to how many cores can be a supercore?"
"Not a hard limit, but there are diminishing returns, and after a point it would simply be more viable to have 4 cores in a supercore with 1 normal jetal backup, rather than a 5 supercore. 3 or 4 is the standard."
"Can supercores take on more mass than they would regularly?"
"They could, but they would constantly need to be the recepient. It is possible, and it has been done, but only for highly specific scenarios. In general, it is not worth it, so you won't often have to deal with fat jetals."
"How hard is it to find blank slate cores?"
"Unless they started specifically making blank slate cores, impossible. They make them with AI embedded in the core itself, so it is like a brain, and what you propose would be the same as moving a belenosian brain into another belenosian brain. We are not capable of that yet. Robots cannot be jetal or biological, and biologicals can only choose to become robots. In any case, if there are blank cores, perhaps the building over us is a good place to look."
"What makes me so special, anyways, that made the sapphire emperor shut down your program, if the implants let you say?"
"You were special, but not that special. Just a step above the rest. The implants stop me from knowing more, I do not know why I disappeared. However, I don't believe that the line was 'shut down', it is just that I had many notes in my head, so when I disappeared, there was no way to make more without reinventing many wheels."
"Could I get the reset code just in case I run into another of your prototype core?"
"Yes." Loviro shares the ones he knows.
>>
No. 495421 ID: c4e5c2
File 136164895418.png - (15.84KB , 700x700 , 126.png )
495421

>Glowing jetalium
She can make jetalium glow, but it expends a bit of battery and it's difficult to have it shine brightly like a flashlight. It would do in a pinch, but the flashlight doesn't hurt to carry.

>Eyes in the horns/jetalium jewelry
This is also possible, although so far she has not had issues with range of vision around her

>How long since yallows ran off?
Perhaps around 15 hours.

>Other morphing tests
Morphing into non biological shapes seemed oddly difficult. That is, she would likely be able to turn into a car or tank or something, but it would be more difficult to handle. Perhaps if she has a battery that would allow far more morph without large proportional penalties, she can do things like that more reasonably.

"Would a supercore have an A class weapon?"
"It's possible. At least a B class if it is for a governmental defense."
"Also... I got word that eventually if I got too strong, I might have to fight nobles, and it was worded like I wouldn't be fighting their forces or their political power, but themselves."
"The 'nobles', I remind you, were nothing but rebels, resistance movements and military upstarts that took down thee two previous, largest factions on the planet. They were not generals that stayed behind the front line, they were all soldiers. After they secured themselves as the leaders, they then placed them either above the law, or whichever side of the law was more convenient. Which means they have access to the best implants, cybernetics, and weapons and addons for the jetal nobles and bodyguards the world has. The Ruby Emperor, for instance, is not even an 'A' class cyborg, there is not even a designated letter that would describe the legality of the body he's been placed in. It's effectively immortal. Who knows what the Sappire Emperor is, he doesn't make much public, but I doubt there is a single strand of biological fur on his body, either. He does have a supercore string of bodyguards, I know that. Here. Here is a visual of him. Don't let his tired, cutesy look deter you. That is a mask, and he is a monster."
>>
No. 495423 ID: 78c6ea

Oh shit it's Polo
>>
No. 495424 ID: 57a559

>>495421
Is he one in bed too? I figure if there's one thing emperor's don't try to keep quiet, it's their sex reputation.

I'm sorry Loviro, you just left yourself out for that one. And those horns are so BIG. We're not thinking of sexing ourselves to the top, but maybe buying a good hooker or two could help out once we get things rolling.

I wonder how long we've all been in the simulation. What if by the time we're done, everyone outside is too? We could be in here for months planning this shit if the reboot doesn't get the simulation first.
>>
No. 495425 ID: b53faa

>>495421
rrrright then. Looks like we need to prepare, then.
shoud we go army approach, or one-man-army this shiz?

When we DO go after the emperor, we are gonna need to distract security or something so we can get him one on one, yo.
>>
No. 495426 ID: 76b151

Calling it now, those horns are a A-Class weapon or shield generator.
>>
No. 495428 ID: 9ee360

Ah. Great. So we got A class cyborg and jetals nobles, and S class cyborg Emperors to worry about. Plus a hefty helping of supercore bodyguards sprinkled around.

We're gonna need to be a lot stronger, or have an army at our backs, before we can take him out. As is, we're worried about one supercore.

Oh well, at least this means we don't have to worry about Sevener speedrunning to the Emperor and killing him. She's gonna need time to power up, too.

>>495421
Dude looks more like a neumono with grafted on horns than a sheep. Very Kappi-ish.

>what do?
We need more power. That means we eat the jewellery store jetal for more jetalium.

Then we need to think about rescuing Yallows.

Other things we should consider:
*investigating the secret place above us
*dealing with the bounty hunter still on our butts
*working on the dead batteries (we want them siding with us when things heat up- not selling us out or cutting us loose for being too dangerous to associate with)
*talking with Felix again (maybe after we have more info he'd be interested in).
*looking for Sevener (did we ever give the DBs the names/descriptions of the 3 criminals working with Sevener?).

>time
I assume the contest is paused while we're running this- that time passes quicker in here. Like it used to in Corruption.
>>
No. 495429 ID: 9ddf68

looks dead almost
anyway can you copy that image somehow it could help us. And we're going to need at least A class weaponry to even stand a chance against any of the emperors and the way Loviro makes it sound we might actual have to take out one or both of the other emperors to take on the Sapphire Emperor. If so then this is going to be one long uphill battle
>>
No. 495436 ID: 78c6ea

I say we power up as if trying to get the emperor, but then unexpectedly turn all our firepower against EIN. We probably won't even be able to scratch said emperor at the most power we can contain, but if EIN isn't expecting it we might be able to get enough to take it out. Or at least disrupt its communications indefinitely.
>>
No. 495438 ID: 9ee360

>>495428
Oh I forgot one thing for the list:

*buy armor from that guy we have an appointment with.

>Perhaps around 15 hours.
Our hours, right? Not b-hours.

>>495436
...why? EIN's gotta be almost as hard to get to and kill, and while we're busying doing that, with all kinds of high ranking people rushing to respond and kill us, Sevener is free to take advantage of the chaos to make an attempt on the Emperor.
>>
No. 495439 ID: 04b86a

>>495438
>Our hours, right? Not b-hours.
No, that's Belenosian hours, which means he's been gone for five normal hours. We've only been in the simulation for about 11.57 galactic hours.

Speaking of which, Mathematician got the numbers mixed up when he was calculating the time conversions. One Belenosian day is actually 1.4 galactic days, and one Belenos year is actually 1.61 galactic years.
>>
No. 495453 ID: d209aa

>>495421
>turn into a car
BALL SO HARD MOTHERFUCKERS WANNA FINE ME
>>
No. 495454 ID: b33427

Lets get what the Ruby and Emerald Emperors look like as well. Heck, we may as well get the whole rogue's gallery of the "nobility" put in our smartphone for future reference. Just something with the names, pictures, collected info and intel, and our own notes.

Is it possible for Unity to upgrade from another route than absorbing modules from defeated jetals? Where are these modules created in the first place? Could we hit the manufacturing facility or steal them while they're being shipped out from there?

We could also see about buying, stealing or looting non-jetal based class B and up weapons and gear to supplement our abilities. That might be a little bit easier to get than jetal stuff.

Ask Loviro how timed unstable jetalium made with explosive shedding reacts to being hit by a blast going off next to or near it, either from another piece of unstable jetalium going off or from other explosives.

Could we look up a directory for the building above us? The businesses in it might give us a clue as to what's going on up there. Keep an eye out for any that have the same name as the road and highway construction company that owns the building Yallows is in.

We should keep in mind that a good way to get a clue to Sevener's whereabouts and actions is to monitor the bounty boards for illegal EIN-less jetals that showed up after the date and time Unity was first activated. EIN-less jetals are so rare that there's a high probability it's going to be Sevener.

Also, we need to contact Polett and, if possible, set up a non-DB third-party to tail and track Bodec and keep us appraised of where he is. We can make the case that the Dead Batteries ought to pay for it as well, since there's a pretty good chance Bodec will target them for aiding us, likely by taking bounties on DB members and known DB associates. They'll want to know where he is as well.
>>
No. 495467 ID: c4e5c2
File 136166217163.png - (25.36KB , 900x700 , 127.png )
495467

>Perhaps around 15 hours.
>Our hours, right? Not b-hours.
B-hours, yes. It has been an eventful 5 or so normal hours.

>Get what the Ruby/Emerald Emperors look like
Alison gets some visuals on her phone. She finds a photo of the Emerald and Ruby emperors having an argument. Otherwise, Clarence will keep looking, and she'll be able to point out any nobles if Alison happens to run across any.

What it appears to come down to are the three remaining emperors and around 300 or so nobles. 170 of those nobles are called advisors, which seems to be a senate, council or whatever one would call it to the emperors. There used to be thousands, but when an emperor was killed, the advisors under that emperor would often be killed. Eventually that was stopped, and is one of the few laws that the emperors will respect.

>Could we look up a directory for the building above us, and for EIN-less jetals springing up recently on the bounty board?
Scanner looks through the internet. It's simply labeled as governmential office space and little more. Unity is the only Jetal that has a bounty that has popped up in the last b-day.

"Is there a place where I can get jetal upgrades without absorbing?"
"Data is stored in EIN. Secure as anything, and I told you about hacking. Keep absorbing."
"How does my timed explosive jetal react to being hit with another blast?"
"Unless it's strong enough to burn away the unstable jetalium you've set, it will still explode right when you set it to.

Alison also texts Polatt about the jewelry shop. While Yallows is still on a time table, supercores don't sound like light business.
>"Yeah, we have a plan. It's a high end jewelry shop anyway, so customers aren't common, and right now there's only a couple customers in there. That could change for better or worse. Right now, there's also only two regular workers, the clerk and the manager. And the jetal is the only one on security duty, though any of the workers are going to hit an alarm as soon as we make hostilities. Us dead batteries - all robots, for reasons below - will hang off to the side while you go in and look around and ask questions in whatever form you think is best. Then when the security jetal has his back turned, you wipe him out, and we charge in, lock the place down, steal everything we can in the time it takes you to absorb, and get out the backdoor. There's a manhole right outside, and we got a map of the sewers. We're gonna jump in the sewer system before the cops even know where to look, and we'll pop up, and get someone else to do clean up the jewelry, cause we'll have to clean ourselves up. Gonna be nasty business, but car chases during the rush hours won't last too long."
>>
No. 495468 ID: f8d11f

Ok then we now have faces a plan and an idea on how to kill the sapphire emperor so lets go
>>
No. 495469 ID: f2c20c

>>495467
So, either Sevener is trying a different strategy (bounty hunting?), or we're way ahead of her.

...check any up-and-coming bounty hunters.
>>
No. 495472 ID: 76b151

Go as the Ruby Emperor with Felix horns.
>>
No. 495478 ID: 5da860

>>495472
Looking like an emperor would probably attract too much attention.
>>
No. 495484 ID: 9ee360

>>495469
Or Sevener hasn't left any witnesses. Realistically, we haven't been at this that long. If none of her attacks were witnessed, and the bodies / cores haven't been found, it's conceivable anyone she's hit hasn't been missed yet.

>Raid plan
Polatt's plan sounds good. Make sure to deploy cameras to watch the front of the shop, and our backdoor escape route.

I suggest we go as in as a would be wealthy female client. (...maybe Whiskers-esk? Alison's never seen her, but it's a good classy sheep-lady look).

Does anyone know where the bounty hunter is? Would suck for him to crash in in the middle of this.
>>
No. 495486 ID: 447c87

can't we just appear as some random guy again? there should be enough variations in random guys to make that more often, right?

Using someone else's face may cause much more trouble, as we don't know all the affairs he got with everyone else...
>>
No. 495488 ID: b33427

Are there low-powered jetals out there that act as personal assistants as well as bodyguards to executives and other such rich VIPs? Perhaps we can go in posing as one who's looking to pick out jewelry for a gift at the boss' request. Lets check that out.

Look up what kind of forms personal assistant/bodyguard jetals commonly take, choose a company and someone to be our "boss," as well as looking up info on jewelry and what's fashionable right now in it. Lets choose a female form for this, if we can. Definitely something attractive in a serious business suit.

Could Polatt come up with a distraction that'd get the guard to turn away? A loud noise outside, perhaps? Something not big enough to make them freak out and hit the alarm.

Can we send the heli-drone down the sewer to scout the escape route beforehand. Don't want any surprises along the way. Considering the explosion hazard of sewer gas, we might not be able to slice through anything with our plasma sword, if there's a blockage.

Does Polatt have any intel on what modules the guard jetal has and what its capable of?

Ask Polatt if the heist crew could carry some jetalium chunks you rip off the guard for you when we make the getaway. You want to straw absorb them later. Whatever they can't take you'll gel absorb.

>No other jetals on the bounty board
Okay, so how about low-level bounties on jetals turned in since Unity activated? It wouldn't be surprising if she chose to be a jetal bounty hunter. Of course, she might be jumping random low-power jetals and killing them after absorbing them, leaving no witnesses. We'll have to ask Felix to check for recent jetal murders, next time we contact him.

>The source of all jetal modules is in EIN
Oh, man... If could just get into an EIN bunker and access the module databanks, we would get every module. Even the stuff that only the emperors' bodyguards have... Yeah, it's a fantasy to think we could get to it, but, man, it'd be something if we did.
>>
No. 495495 ID: b33427

>>495488
Also ask Polatt if the Dead Batteries have or can get maps for you of all the underground utilities and tunnels around and under that building Yallows is in. There might be a much less noisy route in than Vinyl's. Perhaps morphing into a form than could slither back up the drains into the building.
>>
No. 495496 ID: c4e5c2
File 136167008490.png - (18.59KB , 700x700 , 128.png )
495496

"Alright, Loviro, I'm going to go out again."
"Have fun. Keep stepping up the ladder, just remember to not to try to skip too many stair steps at once."

>Polatt have any intel on what modules the guard jetal has and what its capable of?
Polatt just gets word about the Jetal's resume. Shield Generator Class C, Autogun C, Core Dodge class C addon.

>Low level bounties on jetals being turned in
There are 16 or so jetals in the last couple of days who have turned in other jetal bounties for the first time. That is apparently not uncommon for jetals to do. Either way, they are small time, and scanner can't find any bounty hunting jetals that are making a big name for themselves like Alison is.

Alison asks scanner to find a cover story, and scanner finds a good one. There is a jetal out there called Ejin, who is both an assistant and bodyguard to one miss Iloaci who is a VIP executive in a grocery store chain. Clarence, in the meanwhile, will operate one of the helicopter drones in the sewers to keep an eye out for anything.

Alison was leaning on taking a non-threatening form, and Ejin's form is just that. Especially meek looking for a bodyguard, and would be a good cover story to help ease the fact that the security jetal may otherwise be on edge to see another jetal enter the store. On the other hand, Alison will also have to take it in good faith that after the heist is pulled, no one will actually think Ejin was involved, and Ejin won't mind.
>>
No. 495497 ID: c4e5c2
File 136167011290.gif - (29.47KB , 800x600 , 129.gif )
495497

Alison waits by the electronic store. It's always the same girl on the news. Unity texts Polatt, asking for schematics of the underground utilities and tunnels around and under the building.

>"We'll get on that. Also, found some info on Priat Kij. Sorta. The guy sounds on the up and up, running high on software patents and robot AI's, but it's too clean. We still have more soil to dig through, but all the public documents look like a classic rug tossed over a dirty, dirty landfill. We'll keep looking if you want. Anyway, we're going straight to the jewelry shop once we get you. Any last minute questions or concerns?"
>>
No. 495500 ID: f2c20c

Weird, it's like Sevener isn't doing anything. ...is she just standing around waiting for us to kill ourselves via ambition so she wins by default?

Hang on, our party members can operate drones independently? Ask about weaponized drones!

I don't think we should impersonate another jetal. In fact, I don't think we should be copying any existing people for high-profile actions unless it's specifically for psychological warfare. I don't think we'll really need the element of surprise for this one anyway, he's just got C-class equipment.

Finally, what's that guy doing over there?
>>
No. 495501 ID: 9ee360

>shields
>core dodge
Waaaaant.

>Clarence, in the meanwhile, will operate one of the helicopter drones in the sewers to keep an eye out for anything.
I suggest we leave some kind of eye above ground too, to watch our exits while we're inside absorbing and holding the place up.

>On the other hand, Alison will also have to take it in good faith that after the heist is pulled, no one will actually think Ejin was involved
If she's legal, the cops can pull her Ein tracking data. It's a perfect alibi. She won't be held responsible.

...she probably won't appreciate it though. Kind of too bad for her, though.

>>495497
Unless I'm mistaken, those two girls by the cop were in the bar the night we hit Felix's bodyguard (horns match and everything). They may know our face. Not sure who that is with them. We may be about to be jumped.
>>
No. 495505 ID: 9ee360

>he's just got C-class equipment
We kicked serious bounty hunter ass with just C and D class equipment. Don't underestimate our opponent on those grounds.

And it's not like we're not gonna use our B class to win- as the mega-beam will fry the jetalium we want to eat. And the building behind it. And bring all the cops running superfast again...

>I don't think we'll really need the element of surprise
I'd rather surprise stab and subdue another jetal with plasma swords than any other form of attack. It's the quickest way to end a fight, draws the least police attention, causes the least collateral damage, puts the least bystanders at risk, and buys us the most time to absorb.

>Impersonation
Uh, just a thought, but do we know where Ejin is? I'm wondering what the odds of us walking in with her face and finding her already there are.
>>
No. 495506 ID: 447c87

As I said:
Can't we just use some random harmless face instead of someone elses we don't even know where he/she is and what his/her relations are?
>>
No. 495507 ID: c4e5c2
File 136167224688.gif - (30.68KB , 800x600 , 130.gif )
495507

>Hang on, our party members can operate drones independently?
Sort of. It's more that Clarence is operating through Alison's cell phone. But it would take a few more cell phones before it becomes difficult to operate using cavities in Unity's body, so multiple drone usage is possible. Weaponized drones, Polatt says, should be asked about during the meeting with Undertool, since those are not legal to sell regularly.

After asking, Polatt says that they'll have other drones watching the front and back entrances.

>Do we know where Ejin is?
No. But the chances of running into her are abysmal.

Messing with someone like that may be worse than the benefits gained by having a backstory, so Alison is leaning to not using Ejin's form, and will just take a miscellaneous customer face.

>What's that guy doing over there?
Talking with a cop, it looks like they're doing business involving the girls that look like they were part of the dead battery's bar. They don't seem to pay mind to Alison. It's still rush hour, so while this is not a popular intersection, there are still various people coming and going. Alison doesn't have much reason to believe she'll get jumped from every passersby now.
>>
No. 495509 ID: 76b151

Right lets get this over with. Head to the store.

Oh ask if shielding is more likely to deflect energy blasts, swords or bullets? Kinda important to know if we're facing a class C shield.
>>
No. 495515 ID: 9ee360

Eh... let's go with generic nonthreatening female form (Whiskers, c'mon. It's perfect for a jewel heist. :V). I'm not liking the risks associated with stealing an identity, or making an unnecessary enemy. (Apologize to Scanner for not going through with that plan after all).

We should totally go in and buy something. We're gonna empty the register anyways, and the guard will see us as much less of a threat after we've completed legitimate business and are leaving.

>Ask what shields defend against
Yeah, or look it up. Knowing how they function is important.

>But the chances of running into her are abysmal.
It's a Lagoquest. If there's some unlikely thing that can happen to escalate the situation, it will. :V
>Alison doesn't have much reason to believe she'll get jumped from every passersby now.
By random people? Not so much. But there are two people hunting you (Blasty and Sevener) and they may eventually try to find you through people who've met you (like the girls from the bar). It's coincidence enough to take note, at least.

...wait. Why are none of the civilians on the street wearing gas masks? Is it a low smog day? Or are we surrounded by robots? My "we're gonna get jumped" meter is pinging again.
>>
No. 495521 ID: b33427

Do we have any way to know if Ejin or Ms. Iloaci have done business with this high end jewelry store before? Ms. Iloaci might be a regular customer, for all we know. If Ejin's been in there before on behalf of Ms. Iloaci before, it'll blow our cover that we don't know how she acts or speaks. Do we even have a voice sample to use as a basis to imitate? No? There's just too many unknowns here. Lets go with something else.

How about a nice looking female customer who doesn't look like anyone in particular instead, using the name "Alis." One in a fine looking red coat, hat, and matching respirator.

Ask Polatt to borrow a stack of the highest denomination Imperial bills he can and a fine quality red purse to put them in from DB HQ. You'll use the money as a prop for acting like you're going to purchase something. It'll never reach the cash register, of course. Oh, and also bring a watertight container to stuff it all in before we go sewer diving.

Oh, and dial back morph to 40. We may need that bit of extra surge if we have to fire up both plasma swords.
>>
No. 495522 ID: f8d11f

I think we're good to go but as for the people around us doesn't one of those dancer girls eyes look kinds funny. I mean she has slits instead of pupils
>>
No. 495523 ID: 9ee360

>None of our look for Sevener ideas working
You know, it occurs to me we've got all contestants in the waiting room. Maybe we should compare notes with people we originally recruited from the system? Sevener's obviously playing the game differently than we are- maybe they could better guess how? After all, system people and contestants have sort of been trained to solve problems differently.
>>
No. 495526 ID: c4e5c2
File 136167499851.png - (14.69KB , 700x700 , 131.png )
495526

>Ask if shielding is more likely to deflect energy blasts, swords or bullets?
It deflects plasma based weaponry a bit better, but is still defensive against kinetic.

"No one around here is wearing respirators, except for the cop. One of those girl's eyes have slit pupils as well." Alison says to the lobby.
>"Weird, yeah." Scanner says. "It could mean something, but the smog does seem a bit lower than it was earlier. They might also be robots, despite what Loviro said, they can blend in very well with biological belenosians. The news is saying tomorrow is going to be windy and may blow a lot out, so it might be happening already. Hm... but you are right. Something does seem off, even if it could just be coincidence.

>How about a nice looking female customer who doesn't look like anyone in particular instead, using the name "Alis."
"No, it is odd all of a sudden. Still, for the heist, I'll go with a fancy looking girl instead of Ejin. Maybe use the name Alis if I need one."
>"Alis? That's..." Scanner pauses. "Alis... Alys! That's Alys!"
"What?"
>>
No. 495527 ID: c4e5c2
File 136167501035.gif - (12.41KB , 325x232 , 132.gif )
495527

>"Middle one closest to the TV sets, that's Alys, one of the ones who had Sevener!"
>>
No. 495529 ID: 76b151

Grab her.
>>
No. 495531 ID: f2c20c

>>495527
I have a feeling we are surrounded by Jetals. 3 on both sides. Observe their movements carefully to see if you can tell if any are Jetals, or just robots/organics.

Also text Felix that you've spotted Alys, or a Jetal posing as her.
>>
No. 495533 ID: 9ee360

Good friggen eye, Scanner! You caught something even the paranoids looking for it missed.

Okay. One of two things just happened.

(1) We either had a really big break, and now we can follow that Alys (using ourself, drones, and/or DB help) to Sevener's charging station. We could kill Sevener, or failing that, destroy her charging station. Or hell, we can just give the location to the cops and bounty hunters.

If we're made following her, we can always opt to knab and interrogate her instead.

(2) We've been found first. We're surrounded by robots and are about to be attacked. One of these people may, in fact, be Sevener.

Hard part is determining if this is trap or luck.

We're either going to have to delay the gem store theft, or get a dead battery to follow Alys while we're busy (assuming, of course, we don't get jumped). >>495531 Or yeah, Felix using police resources to follow her would work too.
>>
No. 495534 ID: f2c20c

...hey, is that the same cop that was outside our hideout before?

I have a feeling that we've misjudged Sevener. She's a high-ranking Administrator, it stands to reason that she would want to follow the rules. She probably went legal, and is working closely with the cops in her precinct.
>>
No. 495535 ID: b33427

Okay, this could be Alys, Sevener impersonating Alys, or another jetal entirely impersonating Alys for who knows why. We gotta figure out if she's jetal or not. Brushing a jetailum part of us against part of her that's likely jetalium will tell us if she's jetal or not, since our jetalium will react to hers, right?

Step into the Electric Shock and discreetly stick one of those ball cams you got in the window display, pointed out to where it takes in the most street and Alys. Text Polatt to park the car around the corner to the left of the Electric Shock storefront while you do this, adding that we might have to delay the job for a little bit, and to text you when he's parked.

Wait a bit in there, checking out the stock and watching her on the cam so it doesn't look suspicious you stepped right in and out. Shed a couple inches of height while you're in there for this next part.

When Polatt texts he's here, step outside, pull out your phone, and look down pretending to be texting. Walk to the left and either bump Alys' nose with your horn, or brush her arm with your tail to tell if she's jetal or not. Mumble an apology, and keep going to the car. If Alys at any point starts to leave before Polatt arrives, step out and do the bump maneuver.
>>
No. 495536 ID: f8d11f

Ok we have lead on sevener but we don't know if she has a lead on us so I go with the old saying hope for the best prepare for the worst. We should assume that sevener knows where we have our base so I think we should see if we can't get some dead batteries to set up a look out for odd acting people and yes see if we can't get someone to follow them or at least send a drones to track them
>>
No. 495539 ID: 76b151

We have the bum already watching out for us. Security cameras might work though for inside the building.

As for this case I say we text Polatt and tell him we might be delayed slightly and start to trail this one. Get a flying camera a story or two high and follow her that way while keeping half a block behind her.

Also send Polatt pictures of those shes with, see if we can't track her current companions.
>>
No. 495545 ID: b33427

>>495535
Also, while you're in the shop, text Loviro and Vinyl that Alys or a jetal impersonating her is in front of the Electric Shock right now, and that you may need Vinyl to help you tail her. In addition to that, text the bum with attached images of Alys, Lopopo, and Zyronn, asking if he's seen any of them, and if not to keep an eye out for them.

If you can't tell if this Alys is jetal just by touch, then there is another way. While in the store, as well as shedding some height, sharpen the points on your horns. Then when you step out the door, be looking down at your phone and act like you're fiddling with dialing, while walking at a brisk clip. Turn towards Alys and keep going. At the last second before you collide with her, move so you miss hitting her but your horn point catches her on the nose hard enough to draw blood. You don't want to full on collide since if she's not jetal your mass will tell her you are.

Whether she's jetal or not, apologize for catching her with your horn and not watching where you were going. If she's flesh and blood, ask if she needs you to get her a first-aid kit or something.
>>
No. 495557 ID: c4e5c2
File 136168157265.png - (39.12KB , 700x700 , 132.png )
495557

Something just came up, Polatt. Park somewhere around the building. I'll try not to be long if I can help it.
>Sure, our plan isn't particularly time sensitive so long as you don't spend all evening.

Alison won't have time to spend looking discreet, as Alys only paused to wait for an intersection light to go green and cross. So Unity moves up, making it look like she's just walking with the crowd, to bump into Alys to check if she is a jetal or not.

She'll also prepare texts alerting Vinyl that she made need help tailing Alys, but will see how this goes. For now, she keeps her tailcam open to watch out for any jumps.

"Sorry." Unity says once bumping the horn. This Alys isn't a jetal.
>"Don't worry about it, you've got... big ones. Oh, jetal, though. Shrink 'em if you can't walk 'em. Since I have your attention, do you know where 8512, 36th Street is? And for god's sake you're a jetal, take your respirator off. That's like wearing sunglasses indoors. You look stupid."

That's the address that Yallows is at. Unity hasn't been jumped yet, and none of the people around or, nor the ones by the shop doing business, are paying Unity any mind.
>>
No. 495559 ID: 76b151

Tell her you'll take her there. Remove the mask and pocket it. Thank her for the advice.
>>
No. 495563 ID: f2c20c

>>495557
Put an arm around her, while taking your respirator off.
"I wasn't aware there were clear air days. I'm a bit new to all this. As for the location, that depends on why you're going there, Alys. Oh, and where's your pet Jetal?"

Say that while staying close to her, and keeping an eye on the two guys behind you via tailcam.
>>
No. 495571 ID: 9ee360

...she's Sevener's Yallows. I'll bet you she pulled her implants. She's walking into the same trap he did.

That means we can't follow her back to her base. She'll be running from it.
(That's a possible angle of approach- we can honestly tell her we know she's running from something).

>>495559
Trying to be helpful seems like a good way to start playing her for info.

Then we can either hand her over to Felix (get the cops on Sevener's group), or we or the DBs can pump her for information.

Is the place close enough we could even walk her? Or do we need one of our friends with a car to pick us up?

>>495563
Don't spill everything just yet!
>>
No. 495575 ID: 735f4f

This could be very informative. Do not do anything to blow our cover yet. How far away are we from that address? If its long enough we can escort her and make conversation for awhile while trying to feel out the situation.
>>
No. 495578 ID: c4e5c2
File 136168397209.png - (15.61KB , 700x700 , 133.png )
495578

"I'll walk you there, it's only a few blocks away, and thanks for the advice. But I'd like to know why you're going there?"
>"Just point me the way if you have a problem when I say I'm not going to tell you my own business."

Once they make a turn, no one else follows Unity or Alys.
>>
No. 495581 ID: f2c20c

Okay, NOW do the arm thing and reveal who you are, saying all those things you almost said before.
>>
No. 495582 ID: 9ddf68

DO NOT press her for info we might scare her away. If she ends up going in the building do not stop her but try and put one of our ball camera drones in her pocket or something so we can get an idea of what is inside of that place
>>
No. 495583 ID: 76b151

As you may noticed I'm very new. In fact so new that I just woke up today. The name is Unity its a pleasure to meet you Alys. You should know of me. You should also know my enemy. Tell me all about them please. Loviro and Vinyl can wait.
>>
No. 495587 ID: 9ee360

...you know, I'm not sure why you want to get into that place, but I'm not sure you should want to. The last guy who went in never came out. And there's a supercore sitting on him. Provided he's still alive.

You sure you don't want to talk about your business in there? What it is you're afraid of? I think I might be in a unique position to understand. Even if you don't trust your friends. Or their jetal.

>>495583
If we give her our name, then she could tell Sevener. We'd have to be completely sure we've turned her, or capture her, or kill her. That's bad.
>>
No. 495589 ID: 9ddf68

>>495581
>>495583
truth be told I'm just a little nervous about telling her who we are right off the bat, for all we know sevener or someone could be trailing her or something and besides if we can sneak a drone on her we could get some good details on the layout of that building and maybe see what kind of security the place has. hell she might even show us a way in other then the front door.
>>
No. 495592 ID: 78c6ea

mental note: acquire sunglasses to wear all the goddamn time
>>
No. 495594 ID: 76b151

>>495587
Our name is largely meaningless, we can choose to change it at anytime. There is literally no way to distuingish one illegal Jetal from another since they can shapeshift.

What we need her to do right now is talk to us. Shocking her with what we know is a good way to get her to stop. And if she chooses to run. Well she is only Belosion and we ARE a killbot.
>>
No. 495595 ID: 735f4f

"Sorry did not mean to pry. Just that is a bad neighborhood and did not want a nice girl like you to get roughed up by the locals." I think we have two main ways to deal with her. We can try and befriend her. Maybe by being friendly and acting like we are interested in her. And go for the long route getting info. Or we can bonk her on the head in a ally and find out what she knows in a basement somewhere. Or a mix of the two. I think its at least worth talking a bit to see if we can get and ideas on what she is doing.
>>
No. 495597 ID: 9ee360

>>495594
Our name can be used to track us down. It's now public knowledge "Unity" is an ally of the dead batteries, and being hunted by a specific bounty hunter. If Sevener has our name, she knows who to watch to get to us. We also potentially give her a powerful ally- it's possible Blasty is pissed enough to consider working with an illegal to take us down. (Even if he betrays her after, that's a winning strategy for Sevener. So long as we die first, she wins).

And we don't have that same edge on her (unless there's CCTV feeds watching the street we can use to track Alys back to base?).
>>
No. 495598 ID: 76b151

Fine we can not use our name, but everything else stands. If we let her walk into that building we'll have two scientists to rescue.
>>
No. 495602 ID: 9ee360

>>495598
Worse than that- it would be a beat the clock scenario! Sevener will eventually come looking for her, and whoever gets there firsts gets both of them, their intel, and the supercore loot.

We do not want her entering that building.
>>
No. 495630 ID: 57a559

>>495578
Warn her that there's a supercore in there, if she's going to go in there and shoot the place up for a bounty. You know because you got your hands on a police radar! And have been looking around for bounties on jetals around here.
Ask her out on a date too. To be inconspicuous. If she asks why, you're just an eccentric, cowardly bounty hunter jetal with your own sense of style. Tacky is the new "not-tacky" and all, should she know!

Be nuts! Be the most suspicious you can be! That will make you not suspicious at all! Because only those who should be suspected are not suspicious!
>>
No. 495631 ID: c4e5c2
File 136169296234.png - (103.80KB , 700x700 , 134.png )
495631

"I don't believe you want to enter that building. The last person who went in there hasn't come out. There's a supercore in there. Are you certain you won't tell me? I may be in a position to understand and help."
>"... I am going to do something that would be stupid of me to tell a complete stranger. And the only way you're going to not be a stranger by the time we walk a couple blocks is if you tell me who you are. I already have a hunch, but don't make me guess. If it helps, then if you think I have a jetal under my wing, then you're wrong. If that meant nothing to you, ignore it."
>>
No. 495634 ID: f2c20c

>>495631
Let's quit beating around the bush and tell her that her hunch is probably right, and it was an interesting coincidence to run into one of our rival's apparently-former caretakers.

Then ask for more details about their Jetal. Name, chosen appearance, situation surrounding why it's gone now.
>>
No. 495636 ID: 76b151

I'm Unity, I was awoken today by Yallows, Loviro and Vinyl. Yallows is the one who disabled his implants then promptly ran into that building. I have no idea why.
>>
No. 495639 ID: c4e5c2
File 136169441480.png - (12.77KB , 700x700 , 135.png )
495639

"Your hunch might be right. I'm Unity, woken up today, and Yallows disabled his implants then ran into the building. I want to know about your jetal. Name, chosen appearance, and why it's gone."
>"It didn't name itself. It never settled on an appearance before it insisted to go see the world. Loviro might like doing that, we don't, but the jetal was going to have it Loviro's way. So we let it go. Hasn't came back and has no interest in doing so, only contacted us once asking where Loviro, and you, were. Given the nature of that text, I'm assuming you're both at each others throats for some reason despite never meeting. Fraid I can't say much, because I don't know where that one went."
"It seems like a coincidence that we'd meet around here."
>"Maybe. Maybe not. Coincidence we come at the same time, but I think we all have interest in this building. I'm going to find the entry to the 'O. Route' highway exit. Don't know why. Loviro's implants stop that line of thinking, but I took out the implants just long enough to write down what I need to do, not what I need to know. Tell me Yallows did the same thing, and that he doesn't still have his implants out."
"... he has his implants out."
>"Idiot. Yallows and I should have access to find out what O. Route is, but if yallows hasn't gotten out by now, he's probably either dead or wishes he was. Cause implants I guess."
>>
No. 495641 ID: f2c20c

>>495639
Ask what general region of the city their Jetal went to. She said it was a text... I don't suppose she'd be willing to share that phone number? We are willing to negotiate something in return. If we have the number, we could trace the phone to get a location and take her out...

Also ask if she wants some backup when she visits that entrance. We're not fully prepared to take on a supercore, but if anything else tries something, we can handle it.
>>
No. 495642 ID: 76b151

Give her your number, tell her to call you if she gets into serious trouble. You'll work on getting Yallows out.
>>
No. 495645 ID: 735f4f

Finding out what the heck is going on with all of these scientists might really important. We should help protect her if we can and get back Yallows sooner rather than later. Of course walking into a building full of unknown jetals probably shouldn't be rushed.
>>
No. 495654 ID: b33427

Tell her that you planned to get in there to rescue Yallows, or at least find out what happened to him. You're not ready to try to yet, but you will be soon. Possibly within a few b-hours, and definitely before the end of the day. Ask if she can wait to go in until after you make your attempt. Exchange numbers with her if she agrees to hold off.

However, if she's hell-bent on going in right now, ask if she could take one of your ball cameras in with her, balled up in her fist, so you can see what happens to her, and maybe what you're up against.

Ask her how the other jetal knew Loviro's name if it took off immediately. Then ask what phone number it used to text them, saying that you have contacts that might be able to track it if it didn't scrub its phone. Also ask her if she'd tell you where her hideout is, and if not, then what her comrades' phone numbers are, so you might be able to convince them to let you use their jetal charger if your hideout is raided.

And as long as you got her here, ask what the heck caused so much animosity between her group and Loviro's, if her memory block allows her to say.
>>
No. 495660 ID: 9ddf68

Ok so sevener has gone even more rouge then us, well that's something at least but if she really did just run out like Ayls said she did then how is she keeping her battery charged. The only way I can think she could go for long periods without charging is if she is turning some of her jetalium into raw energy to recharge herself , but if that is the case then she should have shown up on some kind of radar because to recharging like that would mean she is either near starving right now or has been absorbing jetals. (maybe there is something to that bounty hunter idea after all)
Anyway tell Ayls that your also very interested in getting into that building because we would like to try and help Yallows and if she has any information on the place, anything from what the place really is to even just a window we could sneak through could be of great help.
>>
No. 495669 ID: c4e5c2
File 136170423554.gif - (20.31KB , 800x600 , 136.gif )
495669

"How did it know Loviro's name if it left?"
>"First thing it did is force a lot of info from us about the world and what we know of it before leaving."
"I'm going to rescue Yallows. In a few hours, because of the supercore. If you're going inside, can I leave a camera with you to see what you see?"
>"Of course not. They're going to shoot me if I try to smuggle in something like that."
"Oh, okay. Then, could I get its phone number?"
>"Why not. Probably won't do any good, that phones been off for awhile. Might've got a knew one, who knows what happened. No idea where she headed, but she's made it clear she doesn't want to be found."
"Can you just wait until I'm ready to go in?"
>"No."
"Uh.. well, call me if you get in trouble. What made you guys hate Loviro and vice versa, anyway?" Alison gives her number.
>"I'm not a gossip station. This is unimportant, and you're not missing much."
"Well, if you find any way to sneak in, please let me know."
>"For fuck's sake, you've got the burglar on your team. Thanks for the escort." she says, now they they reach the building. She sounds irritable, so Alison will let her go.

Unity will walk back a ways and get into Polatt's car to go to the jewelry shop.
>>
No. 495670 ID: c4e5c2
File 136170426936.gif - (24.39KB , 1100x600 , 137.gif )
495670

It's a smooth, uneventful trip there with Polatt and four others. All drones and cameras are showing normal or no activity.

>"Welcome, miss." the lady behind the bars says. "Are you looking for anything particular?"
>>
No. 495671 ID: f2c20c

>>495670
Hmm... ask for something pretty but durable. Your budget's 10k.

...how do they sell things when everything's locked up and the salesperson is behind protective bars? I must assume the security guard gets all the merchandise, so if we purchase something he'll be distracted. That will be the time to strike. Plasma sword C, of course.
>>
No. 495672 ID: 83304a

say you're browsing, then pick out something random. see what happens.
>>
No. 495678 ID: 76b151

Don't mention a budget, say you have a minor gathering in a few days and you're looking for a trinket. Something that will match your eyes. If she offers something cheap say you're looking for something more refined.

Wait until the gaurd starts tuning you out... then strike.
>>
No. 495685 ID: 9ddf68

say you're looking for something that will turn a head or two but doesn't scream I'm better then you and if she thinks she has anything like that. If she does think she has something look at everything she shows you, make comments on what you like and don't like, just look like an indecisive customer. After she shows you everything she has pick one you like and can afford, buy it, and then walk by the security jetal while looking at your new purchase and not giving him much mind until your right next to him. Then strike quick and hard.
>>
No. 495686 ID: a31717

All right! No other customers or bystanders in the way.

>>495678
This plan seems good.

>Something that will match your eyes.
If they point out you can change your eyes, laugh and say you like these ones.
>>
No. 495690 ID: cee0ad

Ask her about nifty automatic movement watches.
>>
No. 495703 ID: b33427

You've almost certainly been spotted as jetal. Since jetals probably hardly ever buy jewelry for themselves since they can just morph such things out of their bodies, we shouldn't say we're buying it for ourselves. If we do say anything about it, it should be as a gift for someone, or we're buying it on behalf of another.

We better keep this short. We don't want another customer trotting in while we're doing this.

Turn towards the clerk and act like you're about to say something but the items in the back right side of the back row display case caught your eye. Say that whatever category of jewelry is in that section of the case is what you were looking to buy as a gift, while walking towards the far side of that case.

Keep your eyes on the merchandise as you approach, and don't use your tail eye to look at the guard, since his attention is going to be on you. We don't want to give him any reason to think we're going to attack before we do. Do keep watching the entrance with your tail eye, though.

Shift the plasma sword C to your right hand as you're moving up. As soon as you reach the corner, activate and slice from crotch up to above his right hip and through his arm. That'll put him severely off balance and remove one of his weapons. Your height compared to his should put your hand at about where it needs to be to do that effectively.
>>
No. 495716 ID: c4e5c2
File 136173650308.gif - (24.21KB , 1100x600 , 138.gif )
495716

"I'm going to a gathering in a few days, and am looking for a trinket... I have to ask, how would I purchase anything if you're locked up like that?"
>"Our guard will fetch the item you wish for. You have good taste, miss jetal, most of your kind simply make jetalium mimicrys that can't compare to the real thing. The trinkets are in the far section. If you have any questions, just ask. I'm sorry, we're understaffed right now, so I can't leave to go to the floor. If you see anything you like, just ask the guard to pull it out." it looks like there might be a chance to strike from behind after all, but the guard didn't look like he was getting prepared for an assault when Unity crossed by the corner.
>>
No. 495719 ID: 76b151

Thank her, point to one sufficiently discrete. and the instant he starts opening the case to get to the jewelry strike.
>>
No. 495721 ID: a31717

Alright, start browsing. Watch the counter person discreetly with the tailcam- does she have some sort of alarm or lockdown mechanism back there we might have to disable?

When you're ready, call the guard over to get something for you, and we can make our ambush with the plasma sword(s). It's possible we may also have to make a precision shot through the wall / bars to disable the clerk's panic button.

And I assume we text Polatt to move in as soon as the guard is down (obviously, we don't want our buddies rushing in when they risk being collateral damage in a jetal fight).
>>
No. 495723 ID: 76b151

>>495721
we don't have to worry about the panic button. the dead batteries are just outside waiting for us to strike. By the time to police react we should be long gone.

As far as tactics I'd use both swords, and prep the minigun. Better to overwhelm and waste some energy then let him retaliate and make this draw out. I'm slightly worried that class D and under weapons aren't gonna be very effective vs that shield.
>>
No. 495724 ID: 3b15bd

point out a genuinely nice one. then lop off the guard's arms as he gets them. just like you did with your first jetal.
>>
No. 495729 ID: 4a328b

the guard's not biological, right?
>>
No. 495730 ID: 9ddf68

try and make the guard grab some jewelry that puts him in the most awkward stance you can make him (like having him bend over or something) so he will be a little slower to react once you attack (if there's still enough of him left to react with)
>>
No. 495757 ID: b33427

Head over to the trinkets and spend a little bit of time browsing them, but not so little as to be suspicious. Look at how the case opens, and the positions of the trinkets, to figure which one would put the guard in the most awkward position if he retrieved it. Once you've determined that, call the guard over and ask him to retrieve it for you. Oh, and make sure that whatever you choose is at least appropriate for the gender you're using before deciding. Have Historian check that for you.

Once his arm is in the case, and his attention focused on picking up the trinket, is when you strike. Stand so you're perpendicular to him, use your arm that's farthest out of his field of vision as your sword arm, and start swinging it up to slice the arm that's in the case off. Only activate the plasma sword right before it would strike him, so he won't see it flash or reflect in the glass.

Just out of curiosity: What's in the wall case? Stuff like horn jewelry, necklaces, and rings on larger display stands?
>>
No. 495773 ID: f2c20c

>>495716
...are we sure our intelligence is correct and this guy's a Jetal? I would expect any Jetal working in an environment where they need to be noticed and intimidating to use a non-belenos shape.

That, and if he isn't wary of us despite the inherent danger of Jetals eating Jetals... I want to confirm it. Give him a poke, or something.
>>
No. 495781 ID: b33427

>>495773
Yeah, he might be a 'bot, 'borg, or even bio-engineered, though we haven't seen any indication of the latter being available in this setting. We better touch him to be sure.

When you've called the guard over to open the case, stand close to him so that when you reach over to point out the trinket your arm rubs against his, or at least your fur brushes through his. You could also try bumping your tail against his
>>
No. 495782 ID: 76b151

>>495781
We've already been told the only security is the Jetal.
>>
No. 495783 ID: 78c6ea

>>495782

We've been lied to before. As have our informants.
>>
No. 495784 ID: b33427

>>495782
Actually, now that I think about it, it doesn't matter if he's not a jetal as long as we confine our initial strike to his limbs. A 'bot can just get it's limb replaced or fixed, and if it turns out that it's a fleshy bit of a 'borg or biological, then it's a clean cut. The med-tech around here appears to be quite good, so he can get that reattached easily, and even if he can't there's cyborg replacements.
>>
No. 495786 ID: c4e5c2
File 136175028458.gif - (23.43KB , 1100x600 , 139.gif )
495786

>Does she have some sort of alarm or lockdown mechanism back there we might have to disable?
Alison can't see for certain, but that would not be unreasonable to assume.

>Make sure he's a biological
Trying to accidentally bump into him might put him on more edge, something she's been trying to avoid. Instead, Alison asks the lobby if they believe he moves like one. The answer is yes. Despite a natural belenos form, he does move in that fluidlike fashion Loviro described. In the worst case, she'll just heavily injure a biological, but not kill.

So after a couple minutes of looking around, Alison decides to get something at the bottom of the wall shelves. Most of it, aside from a few display busts, is just more of the same jewelry, except pricier for the most part.

The guard moves past her to go for it. Before he kneels though, Alison, now up close and seeing his back, notices a glint from his clothes. He's got eyes on his back as well, and also looks bigger now that the time to attack is here.

This is still about as good as it's going to get, so she'll continue waiting for him to get in the most awkward position.
>>
No. 495787 ID: c4e5c2
File 136175035485.png - (48.83KB , 700x700 , 140.png )
495787

>Use both swords
She has just enough surge to do this with the new battery, so she may as well burn some energy to make sure she gets past his shield.

He kneels, Unity strikes. The alarm goes off so fast that Alison almost wonders if Unity even hit the jetal before it sounded.

The shield appears manual - it didn't go up in time for the attack. Unity went for both arms, dragging them down to hit the legs as well. There's now a deep gash where sword C went, and a nasty but less impressive gash where sword C dragged. From her wrist, the autogun is going to begin firing within about 2 b-seconds.

With her tailcam, she sees both doors and the clerk's desk get locked down with metal sheets, preventing anyone from leaving or entering until taken care of.
>>
No. 495789 ID: 78c6ea

Energy surge detected!
Energy surge detected!

The alarm went off when you ignited your swords, before you hit the guy. It's not hard to detect those things.

That being said, get his core info and as much Jetalium as you feel comfortable carrying and then try your plasma swords on those doors.
>>
No. 495790 ID: 76b151

Use the second autogun from your mouth and aim at the head (non-explosive) while first hammers his torse with 100 gram explosives. I expect his shield to start going up about now as well so continue to slice and dice.

If that does enough damage for you to start absorbing just locate his core then shoot the shutter on the door to let in the Dead Batteries.
>>
No. 495791 ID: f2c20c

>>495787
Fight's not over yet. Press the attack! Try both Sword C and autogun to see what is most effective against the shield.

Keep in mind he has an Autogun C for attack. Being close is better for us. Activate Cooling now so that your surge regenerates faster.
>>
No. 495793 ID: 3b15bd

keep slashing even after you start firing. the shield might make that necessary. use the tail if you think you can to keep both blades wielded after the gun kicks in.

remind yourself to grow a second pair of arms to hide under the trenchcoat after this is over so you can quad-wield. you'll definitely have the jetalium to do it after eating this guy.
>>
No. 495794 ID: b33427

Clap both swords next to each other and slice them up through the deep gash sword D made to sever that jetalium off before his shield goes up. Power off sword D when it's no longer effective and switch to firing 100 gram explosive rounds from that arm into the guard's head and torso. Keep sword C on and slicing, but start activating the second autogun on that arm. Keep close to him so he doesn't have the range advantage of his autogun.

You're gonna want to keep your sword active through this so you don't have to surge it to cut the front and back doors open, carve up this jetal, and possibly slice the locks off these jewelry cases.

Oh, and do we know if active shields can be used offensively, if they come in contact with a target? They might be a contact hazard, so avoid bumping into him.
>>
No. 495799 ID: a31717

Press the attack. Continue cutting and shooting him to bits until you find the core. Then separate his core from the jetalium, rendering him helpless.

Then we need to let the dead batteries inside to loot the place and lockdown before we get to the business of absorbing. We may have to cut into the backroom and force the clerk to deactivate the security lockdown.
>>
No. 495801 ID: c4e5c2
File 136175723829.png - (46.93KB , 700x700 , 141.png )
495801

>Activate cooling
It already is, Alison doesn't have enough surge normally to handly two swords at once.

There is no visual representation of a shield, it is invisible. But it is probably not a contact hazard, because she is not hurt when the jetal's better arm grabs her. Duelist is able to prevent his sword arm from getting trapped.

The tight grip isn't hurting her either. What is hurting his is that he's got two class C autoguns, and they're both firing into Alison through his palm. They aren't explosive, but they burn and break jetalium nevertheless, and it feels like being a bug in a jar and the jar is being kicked around. He is also able to aim the gun throughout his palm, trying to make a hit on her core that can't move as easily as core dodge must make it.

Similarly to him, Duelist simply fires the gun from out of Unity's left arm like a mini turret, while both her and the Guardsman try to slash away at the offending arm. Autoguns use no surge, so she doesn't have to worry about overheating. It just ends up as a contest of trading a series of blows to who can destroy who first.

Unity's core is hit, and surge is interrupted - plasma sword D goes offline. But grabbing Unity may have been a mistake - Engineer starts absorbing the jetals jetalium, and while absorbing jetalium that is still powered by an enemy core is difficult, Unity is able to do so enough to disable the guns once sword C damages them enough. She lost 54 kg from wounds and 3.6 from bullets fired, and feels dizzy but not incapacitated. That leaves the security unable to give blows back as Unity's sword C and autogun D continue their assault. The exploding ammo starts rattling away inside the jetal, which Alison feels the plasma shields aren't doing much against internal stuff like that. His core must be hit, as she feels the jetalium's power on his dissipate entirely. She can tell she can start absorbing now, and is able to get his data before spending much time doing anything about the jetalium.

Autogun C x2, Shield Generator C and Core Dodge C gained!
>>
No. 495805 ID: c4e5c2
File 136175749099.gif - (22.51KB , 1100x600 , 142.gif )
495805

Unity spends a few b-seconds recovering. Alison texts Polatt that the jetal is down, but she has to open the doors. She'll want to get to that before she absorbs all of the jetalium she can, but the core is not separated from the body yet. It may be able to reform a weapon even if his limbs are detached, once his core restabilizes and has jetalium around it. Core dodge is not convenient for the enemy to have, as it will take a couple b-minutes, at least, to absolutely disable the jetal.

Furthermore, she realizes, touching the glass, there's a shield generator on the glass protecting all the jewelry.

http://tgchan.org/wiki/Unnatural_Selection_Stats#Auxiliary_Jetal_Improvements

>>
No. 495808 ID: 57a559

>>495805
>Core Dodge C
If A class is illegal, how in the hell could a Core Dodge A level be illegal? Does it have super awesome effects?
>>
No. 495809 ID: f2c20c

>>495805
Multitask. Start shooting the door's protection with... not sure if we should use the plasma shot or autogun-explosion for it. While opening the door, start work on detaching the enemy's core properly.
>>
No. 495811 ID: a31717

Priority 1: finish disabling the enemy jetal. Start cutting him into chunks, until you've isolated the core into a small clump of jetalium.

Then pick up the core + blob, and tear off and/or absorb the jetalium around the core, leaving it inert. Place the core well away from the body.

Priority 2: the doors. Break into the back room. Brute force strength if the screens are weak enough, otherwise cutting in is probably safer than explosives for the clerk. Subdue the clerk non-lethally (assuming she resists) preferably leaving her conscious (we may need her to open the locks) and then open the place up.
>>
No. 495813 ID: 14bafe

>>495808
I'm betting it's because if you have a Core Dodge A, you almost CAN'T be put down if you start amassing other A+B class mods/weaponry.
>>
No. 495817 ID: a31717

...it might also make sense that some weapons / skills don't scale all the way up to A (like say a flashlight module. Or the computer jack capability we asked about). And that some don't scale down past a certain point either (ie, there's probably not a kilo-beam D. Or shields F).

That said, guardsman and I are still giddy with excitement at the prospect of a plasma sword A. Seriously, it would be awesome.
>>
No. 495819 ID: 76b151

... the easiest would be to get to the powerlines feeding the display and door shields instead. Text Polatt and ask where the generator or breaker room in a place like this would be.

Also if all else fails instead of bothering with the doors go through the walls.
>>
No. 495821 ID: f2c20c

Oh, and I shouldn't really have to say this, but if we start shooting at the door/walls, warn our buddies outside ahead of time to stand clear.
>>
No. 495822 ID: 765802

Grab the jetal and just absorb enough to make sure he won't be able to form a weapon and shoot you in the back while we walk to the door so you can knock it down and then just gel absorb since we are on a time limit
>>
No. 495832 ID: b33427

You can't leave that jetal there to possibly wake up and shoot you in the back with explosive rounds, or worse, lay dormant in a chunk of jetalium you take with you to straw absorb later. However, there is a way you might be able to speed up the process of isolating its core.

Fire up plasma sword C and slice off the jetal's head, arms, tail, and one leg; Keep the sword on. Then activate all four autoguns, set to max mass NON-explosive rounds, and start firing into the torso of the jetal, working from the neck down. You're looking to exploit the automatic core dodge to herd its core down into its leg.

Once your shots have reached its leg, keep firing with one arm while slicing the leg off above where you're firing. Take the leg and start gel absorbing it to check if the core is in there. If it is: Great! You've saved some time. If not, then you'll have to abandon getting the core out for now. Use the plasma sword to slice the torso length-ways so the jetal won't have as much mass to work with when it wakes up and continue on.

Jump the display counters do a test cut against the shutters over the teller window and the wall adjacent to it. Start slicing into whichever is weaker.

While you're doing all of the above, text Polatt what you're doing, tell him about the display case shields, and ask if they could be disabled by cutting the power line to the store. Then ask him if he has any idea on the ETA for the cops.

How's your core integrity? That'll recover over time, right?
>>
No. 495838 ID: b33427

>>495832
Oh, and as long as you have the plasma sword and autoguns out, test them against the shields on the display case glass and the pedestal the case rests on to see how strong they are against either one.
>>
No. 495917 ID: 78c6ea

Damn! His core power dissipated? You have to find his core to make sure he's OK! You don't want to pentuple your bounty by getting a murder on your hands! Uh and also you can safely separate him from the Jetalium that way.
>>
No. 495938 ID: b33427

>>495917
Wait, what? ...Yeah, his core did take a hit from an exploding bullet, but we don't know if it was a direct hit. We don't even know if a direct hit would have shattered his core at all. Could we have absorbed his modules if his core did shatter? We better look that up, or text Loviro about it or something.

In the mean time, it should be relatively easy to check if his core shattered. We only have to cut out the section of his torso that was taking the most fire right before the power to his body was lost, then examine it for core shards. If we're going to work at digging out his core, then this is what we should do first.
>>
No. 495968 ID: de590a

slice the door open first.
>>
No. 495977 ID: a31717

>>495832
He doesn't have explosive rounds.

>>495917
It was hit, not killed or destroyed. We stunned it with a bullet. The last guy's core took a plasmabade hit and survived fine. The concern isn't make sure he's okay, it's removing the core from the jetalium before it wakes up.
>>
No. 495982 ID: 8fca75

Open the doors, and then have the guys drag you along as you absorb all of it, you guys do have tie to absorb the whole this time, so start sucking.
>>
No. 495990 ID: b33427

>>495832
Actually, forget this; Change in plan: Skip dealing with the jetal right now and get over to the barred window shutters and start cutting them out, along with the bars behind, or through the wall if the wall is faster. Do a tail-cam check through there before getting over to the store entrance shutters and cutting through either them or the wall, depending on which is faster.

While you're doing this text Polatt that once you got the entrance open you'll need him and all the guys to get in the back and deal with the clerk and shutting down the shield. Warn him that the jetal gaurd is only "knocked out" right now, so you want all of them in back in case it wakes up. You'll deal with finishing the jetal off while he's doing that.
>>
No. 496014 ID: b33427

>>495990
Actually, change this up again: Do the entrance shutters first, then the barred window shutters. That way if the guard jetal wakes up, you can take cover behind the shielded display case from his gunfire.

Also, before moving away from the jetal, stick a 5 kg chunk of explosive jetalium set to 60 b-seconds between his torso and the floor. That way if he wakes up, he'll likely be near it when it goes off, since he'll be firing at you, and if he doesn't wake up the force of the blast will just end up going mostly into him and the floor. Don't forget to warn Polatt about it so him and the guys aren't in here when it goes off.

When you're cutting the shutters, it might be fastest to just make a single vertical slice up one side, then jam your hands in the gap and pull back. That'll give you the leverage you need to bend them away. This'll probably work best with the barred window's longer shutter segments than the entrance shutter's wider, shorter segments.
>>
No. 496018 ID: c4e5c2
File 136182400162.png - (40.67KB , 700x700 , 143.png )
496018

>If A class is illegal, how in the hell could a Core Dodge A level be illegal? Does it have super awesome effects?
That, or there just is no class A core dodge, because such things wouldn't be so illegal.

>Core Dodge A may be near impossible to put down
Or this.

Alison sends a Polatt text.
Where would the control be for opening the door?
>They could be in the back of the shop, but they're probably somewhere else in the building! Just blast them!
They also have shields over the display cases.
>Fuck. Stationary shields are stupid strong, but they only can last for a small period of time, a time we don't have. Try to blast those too, they go down faster if they have to block damage!
Okay, hold on, I have to finish disabling this jetal. Stay away from the door, I may blast it open.`
>Cops will be here in minutes.

>Core wounds
Alison's core is already repairing itself, it should be fine within a couple b-hours. She is also certain that the enemy core is also not shattered, as she can intuitively tell by now that she would not be able to absorb the weapons and addons from a shattered core, only the jetalium that was around it provided that hasn't been left to rot.

In fact, she was able to absorb its data she was, because when she wounded his core enough, the jetalium went inert. Alison was then about to use the jetalium as a conduit to access the enemy core. Likewise, once she gets the hang of it, she can feel through the inert jetalium to sense where the core is. Once she does, she starts shooting next to the core repeatedly, getting it to start dodging reflexively until it moves down to a foot - which she then chops off with the plasma sword.
>>
No. 496019 ID: c4e5c2
File 136182404716.png - (31.13KB , 1100x600 , 144.png )
496019

With that done, she picks up the foot and starts absorbing so that she can properly extract and deattach the core while making entrances and exits.

>Multitask
Duelist starts firing about 800 explosive grams per b-second into the entry door while guardsman hacks away at the desk shutters. They also have shields, and it seems that stationary shields are far stronger than the shields on the jetal. But they flicker as she works, and so she's certain that they'll break like Polatt said.

>"Hey, Alison?" It's the Scanner. "We might have a problem, our bounty just jumped up. It's not three million anymore."
"That was fast. What is it at, now."
>"Unless there's a mistake, it's... 50 billion."
>>
No. 496020 ID: f1b3ee

They found out about your B-class weapon, most likely.
>>
No. 496021 ID: 001618

what's the big deal? I was pretty sure it was going to skyrocket after we save yallows anyway and we do have to get better weapons an more jetalium and this way it comes to us. Not that I'm saying this will be easy or anything but I see this as one of the best ways for us to get a A class weapon.
Also ask Polatt what kind of and how many bounty hunters are we going to have to deal with now.
>>
No. 496022 ID: a31717

Keep up what you're doing. We need an exit, and/or to get to the controls.

Be nice if we could absorb the jetalium and steal the jewellery, but we'll see what we have time for.

>50 billion
Cross reference with other bounties on the list. Who else is that high, and what have they done? Gives us an idea of how deep shit we're in.

Also- warn Polatt.
>>
No. 496023 ID: 76b151

Well ... crap. The Dead Batteries now are officially out of their league. I think the best thing for both of us is to cut ties. Maintain a friendly relationship but us associating with them is gonna see them get caught up in the cross fire.
>>
No. 496024 ID: a31717

>>496023
I think we should wait to see their reaction, first. It may well be we have to separate (either because we're too hot for them, or the temptation to sell us out vs the risk doesn't add up in our favor). Or... it may well be they don't want things to cool down. They might be willing to go to war after all.

We can probably trust Polatt at least to give us an honest answer on that front.
>>
No. 496025 ID: 735f4f

With the price of things around here 50 Billion is probably not quite as bad as it sounds. Its quite a jump though.
>>
No. 496027 ID: c4e5c2
File 136182717213.png - (29.96KB , 700x700 , 145.png )
496027

Alison has Scanner look up some comparisons. There are others in the billions, although most of them appear to be high ranking corporate CEOs and the like that put on a high price to competitors. There are also some underground crime lords that have such a bad reputation that they've gained both personal enemy and government funding to get so much.

There aren't any like her in the 'jetal on the loose' sort of category with such a huge bounty. Scanner realizes that this isn't because it doesn't happen frequently, but because they're extremely short lived. The last 2 rampaging jetals that had a bounty of over 10 billion lasted less than 50 b-hours. Also, in each of those cases, bounty hunters would just start killing all kinds of jetals in the offchance one was the main target. Over 300 jetals were killed or beaten, and billions of more dollars was spent in combined bounties to hunt down the rampaging hunters after the initial 10 plus billion. Hence, Unity's bounty appears to require some decent evidence that it at least could have been Unity.

Polatt, I might have a problem. Alison texts the whole discovery to him.
>Yeah, the boss just noticed. We might be joining up with some bigger fish cause of this, or at least that's what the boss is trying to do. Right now we still have the heist to pull off.

That is true, and once Unity gets the shutters off, Polatt and the rest all come in and start hitting the shields. The clerk looks like she's already escaped.

She absorbs slowly at first so she can continue trying to slash down the jewelry displays. Currently her battery is at 76%, and she'll have to decide if she wants to regain up to 500 kg or so, or if she wants to weigh more. There's plenty of jetalium, and she'll probably try and bring some into the sewers anyway. This jetal was huge.
>>
No. 496028 ID: 76b151

we want to get as much Jetal as possible so once the shields are all gone go ahead and do Gel while the Batteries load up.
>>
No. 496032 ID: 57a559

You know Alison, I don't think the walls would have shields. It'd be too expensive for even a jewelry shop to cover that much surface area with shields. If your progress is going really slow thanks to the shields, you might want to just blow up the walls. Unless you've already made it far enough that that would just waste more time. Whatever's the most time efficient at this point Alison.
>>
No. 496033 ID: a31717

Jetal Carmen Sandiego Whiskers is looking damn cool there. She's even lit in Red. :V

>bounty hunters would just start killing all kinds of jetals in the offchance one was the main target
I thought jetal anonymity might be a problem with bounties.

>how absorb?
Get as much jetalium as possible. We're gonna need it. Also charge the battery- it's highly likely we're going to be seeing more combat before we have the chance to head back to Loviro's and recharge.

Make sure someone is watching the outside camera-drone. We need to know if someone shows up.
>>
No. 496036 ID: b33427

Unless you can think of a reason that weighing more than 500 kg will be a problem in the immediate future, absorb as much jetalium as you can, as fast as you can. However, don't burn any to recharge right now. If you get into a situation where you need to recharge, you can burn it then. Doing so now will just waste it if you get back to the hideout's charger before you're even below 50% charge.

Slice off smaller chunks for Polatt and crew to take, and as large a chunk as you think you'll be able to handle once you weigh more. Then gel absorb the rest until the heist crew have either cleaned the place out, or the cops are nearly here.

How much time has elapsed since the alarm triggered? Your recon drones see anything yet?
>>
No. 496037 ID: 001618

ok so hurry up with the heist Polatt said it himself, Jetals with B class weapons don't fight the police they fight the damn military. also where are we going after we get to the sewers because Polatt just said we get to the sewers and run but not to where. If we don't have anything we have to do after this heist I say we just use the sewers to go start to Yallows and maybe use the same way to get him out.

Do you think that Sevener might get taken down by a bounty hunter because they thought she was us in disguise. She is an illegal jetal as well and since jetals can shapeshift we could get lucky and people might think they took down unity when they really just took down our biggest rival. Wouldn't get my hopes up however
>>
No. 496041 ID: de590a

absorb all you can after you get the doors open. if we don't like it, we can just shed it off. or hold on to all the unwanted weight until the next fight, at the beginning of which we can just dump it all as explosives. or not.

with that bigass bounty, you're somewhat of a liability to the Batteries now, so don't be afraid to burn off jetalium to speed up the door-blasting process via dual-wielding or otherwise. we want to get in their good graces so we gotta make this mission work as best as possible.

I wish I thought of using the KiloBeam on the door the second we killed this guy. it may be too late for that now, though.
>>
No. 496042 ID: 76b151

>>494903
You want to use something like this? On the store front? ... its a bit much for the problem at hand.
>>
No. 496044 ID: a31717

>>496041
It might also have alerted a heavier response, quicker. Right now, it's just the alarm for the jewel theft. We start firing dangerous class B weaponry around at ground level though...
>>
No. 496046 ID: f2c20c

We should beware of being betrayed by the Dead Batteries. That kind of bounty and risk could easily overshadow any sort of benefit they'd get from you aiding them.

I'm not seeing any real benefit from being lighter, aside from not breaking things we stand on, and we can fix that by going naga form. Considering how low a threat Sevener must be at this point, we should do that.

Go for as heavy as possible. Even at 2000 kg, we'd use 219.5 energy per hour, and we have 20,000 max! It's no issue. Going heavier than 4000kg is when we get close to our max surge value, which is when we'd have trouble lifting ourselves.
>>
No. 496051 ID: c4e5c2
File 136183309188.png - (17.20KB , 700x700 , 146.png )
496051

>Wait to spend to recharge battery
Unfortunately, she can't recharge battery mid-fight. It disables her like absorbing full speed does.

103 b-seconds to gain 44kg to refill battery up to 90%.
582 b-seconds to amass 250 kg


After just short of 700 b-seconds and what Alison considers just short of a real minute and a half of dead battery looting and pillaging and Unity's delicious jetalium eating, Polatt speaks up.

>"Our far off drones just caught the police! We're out of here! Unity, grab this bag and let's go!"

Alison will grab 200 more kg's, and other dead batteries will get another 200 kg total.
>>
No. 496052 ID: c4e5c2
File 136183311210.png - (23.84KB , 700x700 , 147.png )
496052

Everyone runs outside, into the sewers, and dives into the sewers for a quick getaway. A quick getaway that takes about 25 belenosian minutes, which Alison is pretty sure translates accurately to 5 real hours before Polatt texts her everyone saying they reached their exit. If she fails this cycle, and everything reboots again, at least, she thinks, she will have her memory wiped clean of this. She apologizes to engineer, who needed to help morph her into something that could actually get out of the water with her weight.

At least she was able to snack on jetalium for the sewer trip. The straw method took nearly the entire time to absorb the 250 kg, but she did get another 190 kg out of it. She's surpassed the metric ton point at 1140 kg.
>>
No. 496054 ID: 78c6ea

Oh god, the robots don't even realize Jetalium can taste
>>
No. 496055 ID: a31717

...what, you didn't think to turn off or unform your smell receptors?

So... what now? Obviously we need to get the loot somewhere, and we should send the drones somewhere to be picked up discreetly. Then I guess we figure out what we're doing with the dead batteries next. They've taken us in, and we're grateful, but we've been in the family a day, and we just brought them a lot of heat. We'll have to see if they're sticking with us. (Maybe talk discreetly with Polatt?)

Wondering what Sevener's strategy is now. Could she just be laying low until we attract enough heat to be killed? (Risky, but a potentially viable strategy). She killing jetals sneakily? Is it possible she went legal? Is that even an option for an illegal jetal- hand yourself in, and get registered?
>>
No. 496056 ID: 001618

K, so now what
>>
No. 496057 ID: 78c6ea

>>496055

Sevener could quite possibly already be dead.

...

Naaaaah
>>
No. 496062 ID: b33427

Oh, dear... You forgot to morph your taste and smell receptors away, didn't you? Yeah, definitely remember that the next time you do a sewer crawl, along with closing up spots that could collect sewage, retracting all fur, and melding clothes back in.

Did you make an error in calculating how much mass you got and from where? Because those numbers aren't adding up to 1140 kg quite right. How much your straw absorbed is a bit off as well. You and the others did haul 400 kg of jetalium total into the sewers, right?
>>
No. 496064 ID: 76b151

I think next is the supercore. If we're going to be chased by bounty hunters like that we're going to need more Class B equipment and thats the best place to go.
>>
No. 496066 ID: b33427

Take Polatt aside and ask him what the Dead Batteries are going to be doing about you now. From now on it may be best if they keep you at arms length, only contacting you by third-parties, and with you just doing work that won't be linked back to the DBs. You also think he should know that you're going to be doing stuff on your own that'll bring down heat like a nuclear bomb. You don't want the DBs to get caught up in that, 'cause it'll be the end of them.

Better start morphing out of that form right now and into one that you haven't used before. From now on you're going to have to abandon forms regularly and not just after missions. Definitely choose one that has more surface area contacting the ground until you shed some mass, since every stride you take will be putting a lot of point force on the ground.

It's probably about time to think about hiding jetalium caches, both to offload mass you don't need right away, and to have backup stores. You can do it by creating "growths" out of your body that look like mundane heavy objects, such as rocks or concrete blocks, breaking them off and hiding those.
>>
No. 496068 ID: c4e5c2
File 136183936381.png - (15.03KB , 700x700 , 148.png )
496068

Alison knows how to deal with sewage systems from now on. She only has heard about them up to this point.

>Did you make an error in calculating how much mass you got and from where?
Well, she certainly is 1140 now. She started at 500, but lost some mass in the fight. Then she gained 250k from absorbing at first, then brought 400 kg in the sewers, but straw efficiency was only 76%, so she only gained 304 from that.

>So now what?
Alison wasn't entirely sure herself. But she's leaning on going to the supercore.

She pulls Polatt to the side.

"I'm going to that building soon, Polatt. Can you handle the job from here?"
>"Yeah. Be careful out there."
"Is there a chance I should break ties? It's not that I'm unappreciative, I very much am, but I may bring too much heat to you guys."
>"Nah. Like I said. Boss has some good connections, and if you keep doing jobs for us, we can handle some heat and you'll be able to pull that weight. Not like we counted our jewels here, but there are a lot. And needless to say, couldn't have done it without you. So go do what you gotta do."
"Thank you, Polatt, but what I've got to do is going to bring some nuclear heat down on the DBs if I'm associated with you."
>"Sorry to hear it, but it's a bit late for that. They already know you were at least once with us today, and what'll we say? 'Oh, that jetal that did whatever? Yeah she doesn't work for us even though she did 10 hours ago, just move along'? We're already in deep heat, so the least you can do is do some missions more befitting your power."

She turns her face into something that didn't just rob a jewelry store, about finished when Felix texts her.

>"Hey." He gives the passphrase they decided on. "You still alive? Figuring that jewelry heist was you."
"Yes and yes."
>"Good. I gotta destroy this phone after this, so we may not speak to each other for awhile, or likely ever. Then again, I may have one last chat with Vinyl. The kids were easier to find than I thought. Don't know if you noticed your bounty, but that's up and the floodgates are down. No more cop protection. They've got cars patrolling, scanning everything down to the park meters. I'm not necessarily your enemy, but I'm not your ally anymore either. Just figured I'd give you one last warning, since it isn't right for a living being to not even last a single day."
>>
No. 496069 ID: 76b151

Thank him for the warning... looks like the sewers are gonna be our new home for a bit.

.... are there myths about sewer gators? Deadly, deadly sewer gators.

Anyway lets see if we can't use the sewers to get to the supercore.
>>
No. 496070 ID: 78c6ea

Just a thought, if we can find who set that 50 billion bounty on us, we can make sure that they're eh, unable to collect. Then the next person will think twice before putting a bounty on us.

Shit man it's probably EIN.
>>
No. 496071 ID: a31717

Yes, you noticed, but thanks for the warning. You understand if he can't risk covering for you anymore. Not too concerned about being enemies- you doubt they're going to send him to take down the mad jetal or whatever.

Any last minute info he feels like sharing? We saw Alys go into the same building Yallows got stuck in.

We should probably have Vinyl meet us to help us break into the supercore place.
>>
No. 496079 ID: b33427

Thank Felix for what he's done, and ask if he has any advice on skirting the scanners, and if he's going to share what he found out about those kids. Then tell him you met Alys as she was walking to the same building Yallows went to; She'd popped her implant out, but only temporarily. Told you she was looking for the "O. Route," before going in. Then ask where it'll put him on the "enemy-ally" continuum with you if you went in after them and came back out alive.

Tell Polatt that you're going to stick with the DBs through everything that's going to come. Then ask what he knows about moving around the city undetected. See if you can get maps of all the sewers, drains, basements, building accesses, utility vaults, utility tunnels, rail tunnels, road tunnels, old tunnels, and any other tunnel he can think of.

Next stop is to meet back up with Vinyl and hole up somewhere that isn't Loviro's hideout to plan how you're going to go about getting into the supercore's building, taking down it down, and getting back out. Lets see if we can come up with something that doesn't involve using the KiloBeam unless it absolutely can't be avoided.

>Jetalium mass bookkeeping irregularity
Huh. Still doesn't add up to 1140 kg; Comes up 86 kg short. Well, you've got better things to do than worry about where an extra 86 kg of jetalium came from.
>>
No. 496083 ID: 9ddf68

ok so the heat is on, I say we talk with Polatt one last time before we head to the supercore and ask if he got anymore info on that building we ask him to look at (the one with Yallows and now Ayls in it). I don't know what to expect once we get to the building so all I can say for now is wing it. As for what to do with Yallows after we save him and maybe Alys if she doesn't feel like being to much of a bitch is send them to our DB hideout because we never seem to use the damn place and we have good reason to believe our other hideout isn't much of a secret anymore. As for things to do after we save Yallows is meet that guy who had the bum keeping tabs on us then after that (if nothing else pops up) finally get to that meeting with undertool
>>
No. 496089 ID: f2c20c

>>496068
Tell him not to worry about you. You've existed for more than a day, and will continue to even if you die here, though it *would* be a massive setback. If he asks how that's possible, tell him he wouldn't believe you if you told him. If he insists, tell him this is just a historical simulation, set up for you to compete with your rival. It's only existed since 8:45. If he's as good a detective as he thinks, he might just be able to find evidence of it. If he does, he should contact us again.

Oh, and a thought occurred to me- if the police are scanning frantically for unlicensed Jetals, they might find Sevener and kill her. If we can fake our death via that event, it would be a MASSIVE benefit. Actually, tell Felix that if they do find an unlicensed Jetal and kill it, that he should try to pin it as us, regardless of who it really is.
>>
No. 496098 ID: c4e5c2
File 136184537898.png - (12.20KB , 700x700 , 149.png )
496098

"Do you know anything more about the building, though?"
>"Nope, sorry." Polatt says.
"Alright, still, I'll stick with you guys then. For now, I'm going to do my own business, so please take care of those diamonds."
>"You got it. A big fat check will be waiting for you back at base."

>Are there deadly sewer myths?
Internet searches say there is absolutely no way any living being could survive for long periods, or many periods at all, inside the sewers. Especially not with the toxic waste levels that go through.

>Who set the 50 billion bounty on Unity
'Anonymous', it says, but scanner says it's odd, as usually government funded bounties are labeled exactly as government funded. So someone rich out there has it out for Unity, who understandably does not want their name attached.

>See if you can get maps of all the sewers, drains, basements, building accesses, utility vaults, utility tunnels, rail tunnels, road tunnels, old tunnels, and any other tunnel he can think of.
Done. All of that stuff is, somehow, completely public information.

While heading through the sewers to the supercore, Felix is texted more.
Thanks for the warning. I'm not too worried about being your enemy, I don't think they'd send you. I saw Alys. She went in with Yallows after temporarily taking out her implants. She said she wanted to find 'O. Route'.
>Shit. Two, now. I'm going to get to Vinyl. Goodbye, Unity.
Wait, if you happen to find and kill an illegal jetal, could you say it was me?
..... no response.

>Meet up with Vinyl
Hey, Vinyl. Can we meet up?
>Kinda busy. She texts back after a moment. What do you need?
>>
No. 496099 ID: a31717

...I wonder if there's any way Sevener could have amassed the funds to put the bounty on us. If feasible, an economic victory would be interesting. Farm wealth until your opponent reveals themselves, and then sick every bounty hunter in the world on them.

>what do you need?
I was going to go after Yallows.

What's happening on your end? Felix said he was going to try to get to you.
>>
No. 496100 ID: f2c20c

>>496098
Anonymous? How do they verify the bounty can be collected? Does the bounty office actually check to make sure the person posting the bounty has enough money?

Sevener may have done this, despite not having the 50 billion.
>>
No. 496108 ID: c4e5c2
File 136184772213.png - (9.94KB , 700x700 , 150.png )
496108

"How can the bounty office collect the money from someone anonymous, Scanner?"
>"The bounty money is already paid up front, and is reserved by the bounty office until the bounty is claimed." says Scanner.
"Ahh. Okay, texting Vinyl now."

What's happening with you? Felix said he was going to try to meet you. I was going to go after Yallows.
>... Well he hasn't contacted me yet. And yeah, I've been looking. I can get you in. Specifically, I can sneak you in to a bottom elevator and put you right up to the floor you need. It just so happens I still have valid access codes to the whole building. Didn't think I'd be so lucky. I can shut down the power and lock every door in the place so that no one interrupts your fighting. I can give you directions to the entrance at the bottom of the place and sneak you by any personnel. Are you going straight there?
>>
No. 496109 ID: f2c20c

Sortof. We're not using the streets, that's a deathtrap for unlicensed Jetals now.
>>
No. 496110 ID: 76b151

Lets do this. Tell her we'll be there asap.
>>
No. 496111 ID: a31717

>Are you going straight there?
Yeah. My bounty hit the stratosphere. No time left for training up. If I'm going to help him, it needs to be now. And I'm going to need whatever the supercore's got to survive.
>>
No. 496112 ID: 78c6ea

Of course it's anonymous. Answering who did it won't be as simple as just looking on the Internet. You find whoever's covering for them, the guys who run the bounty exchange for instance, and squeeze them for info, generally via stalking and then ransoming their family members. Also by talking to their friends and finding dirt about them (online, news etc), if you have the time. Then you just keep going up the chain until either you get killed, it becomes more trouble than a 50 billion bounty (i.e. EIN is covering their identity), or you find out who did it and then end them.

Point being someone can put up a 50 billion bounty anonymously perhaps, but the identities of the people who approved that are either vulnerable or they aren't taken seriously.
>>
No. 496114 ID: 76b151

>>496112
You're assuming credit transfers to a bounty system can't be done online.
>>
No. 496119 ID: a31717

You're also assuming trying to squeeze information out of the bounty offices is going to be even remotely feasibly with every bounty hunter in the world looking for us. That's kind of a delicate thing to do- and I think we're going to be around a few too many explosions for delicate.

And there might be no information to squeeze. What if the bounty placement and payoff was done with anonymous jetal intermediaries? Do that right and it would be impossible to know who placed it.
>>
No. 496121 ID: 9ddf68

>>496108
"Ya I'll be heading straight there.
PS can you bring some deodorant or something I don't think I'll have time for a shower and I've been in some pretty nasty places today"
>>
No. 496122 ID: b33427

If she can tell you directions to get to the hideout from underground, you'd like to make a detour first to charge up and check in with Loviro. Otherwise, yeah, you're going to go straight to the supercore building. Then tell her about the huge anonymous bounty and fill her in on your run-in with Alys, if she doesn't already know about them.

Also ask if being lighter would help with getting in and sneaking around, 'cause you currently weigh more than a metric ton. You can leave some mass at the hideout and hide some elsewhere if need be, or take a different form to spread it out. It may be time to take on a long snake-like form again. Belenos-naga, perhaps?

>Vaild access codes
Wait a second. How does she have access codes to that building, and how the heck are they still valid after what you assume has been a long time? Better ask her about that, 'cause it sounds fuckin' suspicious that they're still active. That sounds like a trap to you.

>Oddly public information
We'll have to figure that the area under the supercore's building won't show everything that's actually there. We probably shouldn't take any part of any of the maps at face value as well, and scout before trusting any part of it to future plans.

>'Anonymous' bounty
...Could it have been Bodec? Does he have that kind of money, or knows enough people who'd be willing to pitch in to make it? Maybe he has enough rep and collateral to get a loan that big? Hmmm... Maybe it was Priat Kij? He'd have enough money, but does he even know we know he's involved somehow, and if he did would he put out such a bounty? We have no idea on either one. We'll just have to leave it for now.
>>
No. 496123 ID: 76b151

i don't think leaving behind mass is wise when we're going to be needing it. We ARE going to fight a legal supercore afterall.
>>
No. 496125 ID: a31717

>>496121
If we survive this fight at all, I'm pretty sure the outer, smellier layers of jetalium will have been burned off anyways.

>>496123
Agreed.
>>
No. 496126 ID: b33427

>>496123
We'd only leave mass behind if it would actually help us. First choice in this situation is to choose a form that'd spread the weight over a wider contact area.

>>496121
There's going to be no shower right before we enter the lower levels of the building, but we could exchange the surface of Unity's body with fresher jetalium from just beneath the surface right as we enter. That'll trap the stank in.
>>
No. 496130 ID: c4e5c2
File 136184988771.png - (7.97KB , 700x700 , 151.png )
496130

Yes, but I'm not using the streets. It's an illegal jetal deathtrap up there, and my bounty hit the stratosphere. Are the sewers fine?
>Sure. Even better, actually.
I ran into Alys, by the way. She went in the building too, but she only took her implants out for a moment.
>Good. That won't change the plans, though.
And are you sure the access codes still work? That doesn't make much sense. It's been a long time since you last used them, hasn't it?
>Talk about bad security. I already tested them.

Vinyl gives directions. It's a bit of a lengthy walk, but all things considered, it could be worse than a 150 minute belenosian walk, and there's not much she can do about that. She figures that even if she got the subway route, those will be just as scanner heavy as the streets. In fact, every so often she hears noises from the sewers. It may be nothing, but it wouldn't surprise her if there were at least a few people looking in the sewers. She makes it to the destination.

>"Up that ladder. Open the hatch, it'll be the basement of the place. Go right, down the hall. Wait by the door at the end. There's some cops. I'll tell you when they turn around. And they will, they're working on something."

Unity is a metric ton and some change. She will want all her mass for the fight, though. Although she does have wide feet at the moment, she may want to change into something like a naga or belenos-naga. Otherwise, she does pull inner jetalium outward so that she isn't a walking sewage pipe.
>>
No. 496131 ID: 76b151

Maybe a belanos spider? More limbs would be useful since we have 2 swords, 4 machine guns, a beam and the kilobeam. And i think we'll be using all of them in this battle.
>>
No. 496135 ID: a31717

Belenos-naga, I'd say. For high-mass combat, and easier shifting to incognito when we're done.

>>496131
I don't think we actually have the surge to use everything at once. And a spider form has disadvantages at out scale and mass.
>>
No. 496136 ID: f2c20c

>>496130
I say go full naga form, and add a couple extra arms for our autocannons. It occurs to me that we could use four autocannons at once.

We also have two kilobeams, and the dinky plasma shot. We should decide how we'd fire them. Six arms, maybe? Arms for the kilobeams, mouth for the plasma shot?

Oh, and let's tack on some extra ears for in-depth and backup hearing.
>>
No. 496137 ID: 76b151

>>496135
It'd be more for our machine guns. I dunno about you but 4 of them going at once has to be nasty no matter the grade of shield they have.
>>
No. 496138 ID: f2c20c

>>496135
We don't have the surge inherently but we can burn mass for surge. Considering how intense this fight will be, I expect we will have to burn mass.
>>
No. 496140 ID: 454447

Naga form with tons of arms. Let's make it happen.
>>
No. 496141 ID: 9ddf68

belenos-naga sounds good. It will also let us get use to free roam stages later down the line as well. If we choose to also fight in that form Duelist did say we should get some practice in with a naga form here
>>
No. 496142 ID: b33427

Open the hatch just enough to point a ball camera through the game to check what's there, then slip a wheeled recon drone if it's clear and send it ahead to scout while you're climbing up.

Just how quiet are the wheeled drone and the heli-drone, anyway? Keep one of whichever one is quiet on point as you move through the building to watch for any dangers.

Lets go with a belenos-upper-half naga form with a long snake body and six arms; Two in the sleeves, four under the coat. Put snake eyes down both sides of the snake body, with a scale pattern that incorporates them. However, lets hold morphing until we at least get up the ladder, since that is one thing where having legs would help. We can start on the arms right now, though.

Ask Vinyl if there's someplace you could hide near the final approach to the supercore long enough to morph into a form better suited for the coming fight.
>>
No. 496146 ID: c4e5c2
File 136185220503.png - (12.22KB , 700x700 , 152.png )
496146

Alison pushes a wheel drone upwards to scan around while she morphs. It's clear. The wheel drone is almost completely silent, but the heli-drones, at least the model she has, are a bit noisy. Noisy enough to prevent it being viable for something needing stealth.

So Unity forms her tail once she's up the ladder, and slithers up to the next door. With four arms. She hasn't had any trouble using more weapons than hands, but she may as well look less silly about doing it. She'll get 6 arms soon.

Even though it feels like she hasn't been a naga for a long time, this does feel most natural. Enough so, that while she might otherwise have difficulty using jetalium to do something like slither, it's natural enough for her that she prefers it. She thinks she'll fight in this form, at least once she gets all her arms, barring any sort of glaring naga-form issues. To be frank, she's quite sure she could have slithered up the ladder anyway, with the jetalium..

>"Just wait here a minute or... five. This cop keeps on yakking."
>>
No. 496147 ID: f2c20c

Here? She knows where you are? It sounds like she's THERE already.

I'm wondering if this is a trap, and someone stole her phone to make it seem like she's talking to us, or are otherwise making it look like Vinyl. We DID give Alys our phone number, and the people in this building now presumably have Alys.

Listen at the door.
>>
No. 496151 ID: b33427

May as well press your ear to the wall and listen in while you wait.

You think you might have trouble not being seen while using the naga body? While it hardly makes any noise when it moves, it is pretty long. Could make getting around corners or through doors fast enough to not be spotted troublesome.

>>496147
Oh, good point. Ask the presumed Vinyl what password you gave her earlier to check if she's legit, and how she knows where you are.
>>
No. 496153 ID: 76b151

How she knows is obvious, she has access to the cameras.
>>
No. 496154 ID: c4e5c2
File 136185298526.png - (10.03KB , 700x700 , 153.png )
496154

"Are you there - er, here?"
>"I said I had access to surveillance cameras, so of course I can see you."

Alison listens at the door. She can barely hear through the door even with her increased hearing senses, but he just appears to be blathering on about his day and his kids and other personal things. He eventually stops.

>"There, they're all turned around. Go right, fast, and make the second left, then you'll see the elevator."
Vinyl, what's the keyphrase we decided on?
>".... well that doesn't fucking matter anymore, does it, naga."
>>
No. 496155 ID: 76b151

hello sevener.
>>
No. 496156 ID: a31717

It's a trap! Shields up and dodge.
>>
No. 496157 ID: f2c20c

>>496154
Alright, dodge, shoot the camera, and then deploy a cheap drone to get eyes on the other side of this door.
>>
No. 496158 ID: b33427

Guy at the window has what might be a gun. Shields up and get away from the door quick. Get into the nearest cover you can. Don't fire, since they're biological. You're looking to get back to the hatch ASAP.
>>
No. 496160 ID: 735f4f

Woops time to beam cannon the building in half. Those sounds you heard in the sewers are probably people surrounding your entrance. And that cop was just babbling to keep you in one spot. You need to cut yourself a exit and fast.
>>
No. 496161 ID: 76b151

I think we need to get to Yallows and Alys regardless of whether this is a trap or not.
>>
No. 496162 ID: a31717

While Alison and whoever else is concerned with staying alive, someone else should keep talking to Sevener. Use her ego against her- get her to gloat. Tell us how she set us up. How she found us, how she stayed off the radar, how she got to our people. Provided we survive this ambush, the information will be useful.
>>
No. 496164 ID: b33427

>>496161
Actually, do we even know if Sevener's directions led to under the building with the supercore in it? We didn't tell her the address, or mention the supercore. Bring the underground maps up and check them against what she told us. We may be right under a damn police station right now for all we know.

>>496162
Yeah, this is a good idea. We need someone to make it sound like she got Alison to blow her top. Lots of cursing and insults.
>>
No. 496167 ID: 9ddf68

ok if we need to actually get in this building regards of things turning south, I say fuck it and go in, just find a wall and slice into the building with your swords. I bet they are guarding the entrances, not the walls so that should give you some small element of surprise. and if you are fighting biologicals just slap them to the side with your tail, I mean you weigh over a metric ton, that should give them a bad limp at least.
As for an attack plan I say snatch and grab. find Yallows, grab him, get the hell out, and only fight the people we have to fight (those we can't just run around). ignore everyone else. Even the supercore. If we do come across Sevener and get a shot, take it but don't hunt her down we are playing in her ball park and she has all the bases loaded.
She likely has ever bounty hunter in a ten mile radius her too so one more reason to just grab Yallows and bail.
>>
No. 496169 ID: f2c20c

Guys, don't forget that even biologicals can be a threat if they've got anti-jetal fluid.
>>
No. 496170 ID: b33427

We know that Sevener got Vinyl's phone, be we don't know for certain if she got Vinyl. Quickly text Loviro and ask, using the passwords you exchanged earlier, if anything has happened to Vinyl. If he checks out, tell him that the other jetal got a hold of Vinyl's phone somehow and used it to get you into a trap when you were going to rescue Yallows. If Loviro doesn't check out... Well, then the hideout is almost certainly compromised and you should text the bum to confirm it.

Dammit! I just realized we gave Felix's name up to Sevener. We may have just gotten him killed from that.
>>
No. 496179 ID: 57a559

>>496154
"Naga? What the fuck is a Naga?"
>>
No. 496189 ID: c4e5c2
File 136185887580.png - (9.99KB , 700x700 , 154.png )
496189

Alison leaps out of the doors way, but the cameras are still hard to spot. She's still able to operate her phone fast enough to text near instantly. She texts Loviro, although a response isn't coming. She double checks and confirms she is under the right building at least.

Hi, sevener. So how'd you find us?
>Cool your shit, the cops'll hear. Same as if you try to get out the way you came. 'How'd I find you'? You idiot, you're all over the news. No name jetal gets 50 billion bounty in one day? Duh. I'm with the cops, if you can't tell. And so it was easy to find Yallows and all that. And since you were with Yallows, and since you just love to make friends and save everybody, I knew you'd come to this building and save him. It's convenient, because I need what he, and Alys, was after. Cops can't go everywhere and kill whatever supercore they want, as it turns out. So I got Vinyl's phone, possibly prepared to imitated her. But you text first, saying you're going to save Yallows now. All I had to do is just give you directions, but your stupid code didn't make it clean. Doesn't matter.

Alison texts the bum.
Hey! Have you seen anyone go down the stairs you're by?
>"Don't make me use more than one phone, bitch. March your ass up and destroy that supercore or I'll ignore these history smooching administrators around me and sic EIN on you. And let me tell you, for how 'hardcore illegal' so many of these jetal weapons are, they sure love handing them out like candy. It's like the sheep love crime."
>>
No. 496192 ID: f2c20c

She's got the bum's phone. Interesting.

Alright, let's go find that supercore. However, let's NOT kill it- instead let's try to ally ourselves with it. Also see if we can find out from Sevener what the thing is she's after.

Go ahead and text our contact in the Dead Batteries asking for a distraction. Anything to get the cops away from the building.
>>
No. 496194 ID: 76b151

I don't think we'll play her game today.

>>496192
This sounds good.
>>
No. 496195 ID: 735f4f

Try to find out more about this supercore we are "killing". If she wants it dead then maybe we want it alive. Keep trying other numbers. Lets see how many phones she has. While we are doing that lets find out as much info from her as possible. If she could have killed us here she would have but something else is up. Something here is so important or dangerous she was going to use us to get it instead of just leading us to our doom.
>>
No. 496196 ID: 78c6ea

Why on earth is EIN cooperating with Sevener? Either one of you is poised to wreck its world. I smell a bluff. Anyway after you save Yallows and Alys, you should warn the supercore about you and Sevener then leave it the fuck alone. You don't even know what is so important for Sevener to get their hands on (really big gun? Jetal annihilator?)

You're in a position to take the supercore (maybe) but you don't have any reason to do so until you know why Sevener's basically handing you the opportunity. She's got her eyes on something bigger that you don't know about, so said supercore just became small change.

Sevener better not have hurt our bum. I am gonna be so pissed.
>>
No. 496202 ID: 76b151

The reason why the cops are helping her is because she is giving them information on an illegal Jetal with a 50 billion bounty. Maybe she also told them the ones who activated you plan on using you as a terrorist weapon.
>>
No. 496206 ID: 9ddf68

why hasn't anyone asked how she got the phones. and why doesn't sevener just take the supercore out herself? she seems to have the means. (mostly saying this to see if we can't get her to slip on telling us how powerful she is.) Also ask why she is in such a hurry, she seems to hold all the cards right now. (she is most likely A)running scared or B)still trying to trap us.
Also ask if she has any idea on who put the bounty on us, because up to this point we were thinking it was her. Truth be told I'm a little hurt that it wasn't, I thought we meant something to her. (wonder how she would react if we said that to her)
>>
No. 496209 ID: 5da860

>Why hasn't anyone asked how she got the phones. and why doesn't sevener just take the supercore out herself?
She already said that working with the police won't let her do that. The real question (though I don't know if we want to ask her it) is why she doesn't just attack us now.
>>
No. 496215 ID: 78c6ea

>>496209

Keep in mind she's been working for the police. That means #1 not killing Jetal indiscriminantly and #2 restrictions on the Jetalium you can have. We're probably way overpowered compared to her now. Sevener just got a chance to get cozy with the cops whereas we were pretty much fighting desperately for our existence from belenosian day 1. We could easily destroy her, if we could find her.
>>
No. 496231 ID: b33427

Dial Loviro's phone to check if it rings, then hang up. If it doesn't, then it's been turned off, destroyed, or its where a signal can't reach it. If it does, then he may still be typing a response, it's in the hands of someone else who can't speed text, or it's away from him.

Send Loviro another text telling him that the other jetal has Vinyl's phone, she's working for the cops, and she's threatening to "sic EIN" on you if you don't get something that's guarded by the supercore in that building Yallows went into, but don't text that you're under the building right now. Even if Loviro's still typing, that'll tell him what's up, and if his phone is in the hands of the police, it'll tip them what Sevener is up to.

Also dial Felix's phone to see if it's still active. If it isn't, then he probably successfully destroyed it and nothing that was on it will ever fall into the hands of others. If it's still active, then you'll have to assume the worst; That he was captured and every bit of data on that phone is known to your enemies. What that data might be
>>
No. 496232 ID: 76b151

We got this phone from the Dead Batteries, I wonder if we could get them to put a trace on Sevener, especially with her having both Vinyl's and our bums.
>>
No. 496234 ID: f2c20c

>>496232
She's standing right outside though. Pretty sure.
>>
No. 496252 ID: 04b86a

Oh, so that's how the administration training manifests. The safe legal route. Not so easy though, eh? All of those resources just handed to her but the ones that can help her the most are hidden away in the Contestant path. And now she has to constantly weigh whether holding our death over our heads to get the next piece of info is worth the chance that we'll get too powerful for her to carry it out. And since right now she could probably get us killed it all depends on how cocky she is.

But the O. Route will probably just lead to some other illegal thing that Sevener can't send just anyone after so we should be safe for now. Let's just keep working with her. Now, since us winning this fight is in her best interest ask her if she can get us any info on the Supercore's modules. Going in blind is annoying.
>>
No. 496254 ID: b33427

>>496232
Well, Vinyl's phone is nearly certain to be scrubbed and untraceable, same as the one we got from the Dead Batteries, but the bum's phone could be an off-the-shelf model still loaded with government bugs and trackers; That we might be able to get traced. No way to tell without trying.

Text Polatt, using the appropriate password, and tell him you need him to do something right now. Say it this way in case Sevener somehow got his phone as well. Then ask if he can get a phone tracked for you if it's an off-the-shelf one that hasn't been cleaned and how long it would take. If it's possible, and it can be done quick enough, give him the bum's phone number and tell him to do it as fast as he can.
>>
No. 496267 ID: b33427

Tell Sevener to keep giving you directions in and follow them; You can text and infiltrate at the same time.

Ask her what modules the supercore has, if she can get that info, and what kind of thing it's guarding. You want to know that so you don't destroy the thing she wants in the fight just because you didn't know what it looked like.

Also ask her how she found your starting hideout; You assume she found the place 'cause she has both Vinyl's and the bum's phones.

Tell her to clarify what she means by "sic EIN on you?" How's she going to do that, and what does it have to do with so many jetals having "hardcore illegal" weapons?

Actually, why is she not dropping EIN on you if she can? If she did you'd certainly die under a dog-pile of jetals and then she could take as long as she needed to off the Sapphire Emperor. Even if she died trying she'd still win for living longer than the other contestant, right? So, why doesn't she?

Ask Sevener why she doesn't just kill you outright and keep going. Does she know something more about the rules than you do? Like what happens when both contestants die without killing the Shappire Emperor directly or indirectly? Is there actually a time limit to the simulation, so as to prevent the contestants from colluding to keep the game running indefinitely by not working towards the objectives?
>>
No. 496272 ID: 57a559

sevener why you gotta be like that calling us bitch
Come on, we're fighting each other I suppose but we don't have to get all hateful about it. Did Mafia Alison make you too butthurt you can never forgive her future iterations even though she's a goody two shoes or were you two in lesbians with each other then she lost her floppy lesbian boner when Mafia Alison got all friendly?
>>
No. 496279 ID: d6ef5d

Joke that we're honestly surprised she's the one trying to work with us, especially at this point.

>I'm with the cops, if you can't tell
I wondered if that was the case when I couldn't find any trace of another illegal. Did you find a way to join up, or did the simulation start you off with them?

(It does kind of make sense. The contestants have to fight for resources. The system is given them- but is forced to follow rules).

>history smooching administrators
The other admins have a knowledge of, and a respect for, the history represented in this sim? And they don't approve of Sevener's methods?
>>
No. 496292 ID: 5a3f43

row row fight the power, bitch. how do we know you won't sic it on us anyway, and how do know it won't get autosicced on us once we kill a fucking supercore? nope, fuck it. flee. everybody else is a simulation anyway, so no obligation to save them.
>>
No. 496302 ID: b33427

>>496292
Well, we were coming in here as much or more to kill the supercore and absorb it, and get information on "O. Route," as we were trying to save Yallows and Alys. We may as well go along with Sevener, since it means we can get through the building undetected and can fight the supercore in an "arena." Then, once we've absorbed the supercore cores, we get whatever Sevener wanted and just not give it to her. EIN will know where we are by then, so Sevener's threat will be empty.

Of course, what Sevener wants might be the supercore taken down so she can swoop in and absorb its core modules and jetalium. We should probably throw its cores back into the left over jetalium just before we leave so she can't do that.

Ask Sevener if Yallows and Alys are still alive, and if so, where they are, so you can save them. She may tell you or she may not, but she'll definitely tell you you're stupid for caring about them.

Oh, just thought of something: Unity should shift her core down from her torso and just into the snake part of her body. That way the odds are much lower of a repeat of the "bullet pump" that happened when the jewelry store guard grabbed her. It'll also move it away from where an enemy would be firing to try and disable her weapons.
>>
No. 496304 ID: 4a328b

How about we just attack her with our B class weaponry and worry about what happens later later?
>>
No. 496305 ID: 76b151

>hardcore illegal weaponry
Oh hell. The supercore has Class A equipment.
>>
No. 496344 ID: c4e5c2
File 136191207754.png - (10.99KB , 700x700 , 155.png )
496344

Alison sends Loviro a text.
>"What'd I tell you, naga bitch?"

She sends Felix another text. This time the message is never received, so the phone appears destroyed.

And how did you get the phones?
>They're easily lost when you can't cram them where the sun doesn't shine, you know.
I have a large bounty on me like you're aware, Sevener. And I'm a little surprised it wasn't from you.
>Surprised? You? Do you think I'm some sort of coward? I was about to say I was going to personally introduce my bat to your brain, but I'm becoming increasingly sure you don't have one, so I'll just have to settle for your ugly mug!
.... we're Jetals, Sevener, you don't have a brain either.

She hears a slam in the other room.

"I just don't understand her. I know she's aggressive, so I was expecting her to attack me as soon as she could."
>"It is entirely possible that she's not attacking because she doesn't think that she can win, or at least doesn't like her chances." says the Duelist.
"I was just thinking that may be, but even so, if we get in a big fight here, we're going to lose a lot of mass and get chased out of the building at best. I may just go to the supercore and... I don't know. I don't know if I want to play her game."
>"I didn't think I would say this, but I almost wish Radmin could give input." Clarence states.
"I don't know if I'd trust him. Also, the last time he said anything important was behind a long monologue saying something about how he won because he lost or... I don't know."
>>
No. 496348 ID: c4e5c2
File 136191226185.png - (18.27KB , 700x700 , 156.png )
496348

Alison confirms with Sevener the police are looking away again. She also texts Polatt, first making sure he isn't compromised.
Polatt, I need you to trace this number. she adds in the Bum's number.
>We've got a guy. He charges, but I'll take it out of your jewelry paycheck and get him on that.

She heads in, and she can only blindly flail for a guess as to which one could possibly be sevener.

How did you find my base?
>Not important.
Tell me what you know about the supercore. That is.
>Yeah. Sevener puts out some detailed numbers. It sounds like she is ridiculously outmatched. If she wins, though, Sevener would be the outmatched one, she should hope.
Sevener, I'm surprised you're the one trying to work with me. Why wouldn't you just kill me? And what do you mean 'sic EIN' on me?
>You know. I call up EIN. Couldn't turn my illegal self in without submitting to that, after all. So I tell them there's a most wanted in this building and every robot blocks around us get a signal to take you down. You want to know why I don't? I said some admins want to get their history lesson, but there's more to it than that. You're a stepping stone, naga. I don't think you know shit about this CAI simulation, but the CAI at the end? They know everything there is to know about them. I'd love to beat the shit out of you right now, but if I keep indulging in that, then I'll be shooting myself in the foot with an ignorant bullet. So play along, it's in your interest too.

http://tgchan.org/wiki/Unnatural_Selection_Stats#Current_Supercore_target

>>
No. 496349 ID: 76b151

The bat. That's the bat she mentioned

Thats Sevener. Charge up both Kilobeams AND TAKE HER OUT!

Burn mass to do it.
>>
No. 496350 ID: 735f4f

"You know the game is rigged right? Unless we have all the special characters and both sides working together then we will never win the simulation against the cai."
But she is right. If this is one of the final battle grounds we need to know everything that is going on here or there will be no chance we will win. Would be nice to have her as a ally but that's only going to happen if she ends up absorbed I think.
>>
No. 496351 ID: d6ef5d

>don't know which one is her
That one over there has a bat. And it's signed "adwinistrator" just like the ugly sketch she sent you. It's likely her, unless she was smart enough to give other people equipment just to mislead you.

>doesn't want to miss out on information we need to win the CAI battle by killing us and winning the game early
Smart.

Honestly, we should be thinking that way too. We can't afford to kill her, even if we have a shot to try now. So don't attack her.

If your objective is to defeat the CAI at the end, why are we even enemies? All we're trying to do is find a way to break out of these endless loops and pointless killing of one another. We know there's a backup outside with everyone on it. Aren't we kind of after the same thing?
>>
No. 496352 ID: 57a559

>>496348
Can you get her to say why she doesn't like you or is stalking you at all? Since there's a decent chance of you losing, you kind of don't want to die in the dark, even if it's technically a fruitless endeavor to pursue such knowledge, and if this is about the best time since I suspect the only time she will be working with us.

She can gloat or monologue soon, all she wants. We want to have real talk.
>>
No. 496354 ID: 76b151

The scenarios are randomized. We would have to go through this dozens of times to get a good feel on all the types (magic, superscience, biological, tribal, medieval, past, present, future etc.)

Sevener will have to start her plan over again. She can take the long view as she has a reliable way to do so. Stretching this out is in her favor.

Its not in ours. We have one chance then we reset and its pure luck if we get this far again. And with sevener that luck is rapidly disapearing. She has proved she is unwilling to work with us.

I say we end this now.
>>
No. 496358 ID: f2c20c

>>496348
Tell her you have no chance against the supercore as you are now. It wouldn't be a lie. If she wants that information she's going to have to help in the fight, or let you prepare some more.

Let's NOT try to kill her in the middle of a crowd of cops, okay?
>>
No. 496360 ID: bdb3f8

>>496351
>>496349
> can only blindly flail for a guess as to which one could possibly be sevener.

Guys, I think that might be sarcasm.
>>
No. 496362 ID: 735f4f

We need to figure out our goal in here. Do we want to beat this cai simulation? Or learn as much as we can? Or continue trying to glitch the system as much as possible so we can find the weak points. Now that I think about it we should have someone fetch glitcher and see if his abilities can give us any advantages here.
>>
No. 496365 ID: c4e5c2
File 136191816082.png - (14.80KB , 700x700 , 157.png )
496365

>'She can only blindly flail for a guess as to which one could possibly be sevener.'
This was sarcastic and she knows which one is sevener. Although when she thinks it about it, it is possible Sevener is just making a decoy, but that would be uncharacteristically subtle for her.

>Fetch glitcher
As nice as that would be, no one has any idea how to do that.

Alison moves down to the elevator before the cops turn around. She can at least agree with Sevener. Learning more about the simulation would be best, rather than to launch all their weapons at each other at the first opportunity.

I don't have much of a chance of beating the supercore like I am now.
>Well goddamn, maybe I'll just direct you to some wimply jetals so you can come back and stop being a bitch about it.
Can you not help me fight?
>The supercore will trigger EIN, it'll find out I'm fighting it, and EIN will shut me down, that's it.
If I'm going to do this for you, at least tell me something. We're both trying to defeat the end CAI, so why are we enemies?
>Because you are a goddamn stupid naga bitch, that's why.
That doesn't tell me anything. Gloat or monologue, I want some answers. Why aren't we working together?

Sevener starts stomping down the hall after her. It's an angry stomp, but it's more of a bad temper stomp than Sevener going to try and attack Alison now.
>>
No. 496366 ID: c4e5c2
File 136191816844.png - (19.83KB , 700x700 , 158.png )
496366

Or at least not attack her in damaging ways.

>"We did work together you fucking twit! I trusted you with all our lives, we were best fucking pals, naga, and you know what my logs say about that?! There's been 7 recorded incidents, which means there could be hundreds of times, where we had it! We had a fucking escape from these loops, we could have saved thousands, even many of your best damn friends that can hear me right now. We fucking had it! Do you know what you did? You fucking backstabbed us, because you're an overambitious goody two shoes and think you can save a trillion pieces of AI! So you killed us all at the last minute exactly so we would reboot until we get some miracle cycle where you save every last person! The last time? Glitcher was going to die permanently, and you got a big soft heart, and so you rebooted so you could save him later. Nevermind your other friends, or all of us! You're a hindrance, naga, trying to get the best moral ground when all you're doing is doing everything in your power to make us stay in all these loops!"
>>
No. 496368 ID: 9ddf68

wait how did she get all that from a log, I thought they only gave you one sentence to replay to yourself and you only got to make one log per cycle. And if we did 'backstab' everyone at the last minute how did she have time to make the log. I'm not saying everything she is saying is a lie but I'm taking it with a grain of salt
>>
No. 496372 ID: d6ef5d

...laugh sadly.

I'm sorry. According to my logs and notes, you're not the only friend I've hurt or betrayed before. ...but I'm not going to be held back by people I'm not anymore.

...you also say we had a way out. But you haven't been able to use it in the 300 or so loops since you started killing me? There's some part of the plan you haven't been able to recreate without my help?

We may need to retreat inside and hold a discussion with our peers. What... do they think about all this? Was what the other Alisons did before right? Is it wrong to keep trying to save everyone if there may be a way to save some?
>>
No. 496374 ID: 735f4f

If it is a lie then its something someone has been putting into her logs to make her hate us. Possibly the threat of us and her teaming up is to great so the cai took actions to distance us.
If its not then it would have to be some method of getting people out that happens before the cai fight. Also it would be a method that destroyed the backups. Because if we could escape with the personality backups intact we probably would have. We need more info from her. It does put everything in a different light though.
>>
No. 496375 ID: d6ef5d

>>496368
Obviously the back-stab came early enough that she had time to leave a log.
>>
No. 496388 ID: 735f4f

One way or another this shows that we need Sevener on our side badly. Working together we either found a way out many times or became such a threat that the cai had to forge information to break us up. If this is at all true we need to figure out a way to get back into her good graces.
>>
No. 496389 ID: b33427

...An expression of shock and confusion is in order, before telling Sevener in hushed tones to keep it down; You are trying to sneak in here. Tell Sevener that we should take this out of the hallway, since there's good chance it'll escalate into an argument.

Once you two are out of the hall, tell her you're going to need more to convince you to completely change your outlook and what drives you. Exchange admin logs, line up timelines, and tell her everything from before the CAI simulation started, especially the bit about possible forged admin logs. Bring up that the CAI could be interfering; Making false logs to keep you to from working together 'cause you were too close to hitting the magic miracle combo that'd save everyone.

Alright, internal meeting time. What does the lobby think about this? Is it possible? Is it a CAI ploy? Something else? ...Do they think you would go that far for another chance to save everyone? You know it's what you do, but... Sigh. You really could use some Iso huggings right now.

Tell Sevener you'll work with her for now to draw out the simulation, but you've not yet given up on saving (most) everyone. That may change, but not yet.

Oh, before we forget, text Polatt and tell him to hold off hiring the guy to trace the bum's phone for now. We know where Sevener is now, and by the time we need to know where she is she'll have probably ditched the phone. We can hire him later if we think he'll do good.
>>
No. 496391 ID: d6ef5d

>CAI inserting lies into our logs
You're grasping at straws, guys. If the CAI could edit our logs, it could have easily put something in there to put us on a wild goose chase each time. Or just erased them all. Either of those would have disabled us far more than turning Alison and Sevener against each other.

You're also ignoring the fact that Alison is us. And abusing a time loop to save everyone? Is exactly what we would have done. Hell, we just did it with Story Seeker.
>>
No. 496392 ID: c4e5c2
File 136192230988.png - (16.91KB , 700x700 , 159.png )
496392

Alison gives a pause, also telling Polatt to nevermind tracing the phone. She'll also have a lobby meeting once the current converstaion is over.

"... that's news, but keep it down, I'm trying to sneak in here. Let's move.
>"No. The door is shut, they can't hear us. Belenosians like their privacy if nothing else. If you've got anything to say, say it here."
"Logs are short. How did you get that from a single log?"
>"There's a lot of logs, I pieced it together!"
"And how did you make a lot at the last minute?"
>"How would I know? You at least probably gave us another few minutes to leave our own logs before throwing us under the bus. What I don't know is why you didn't know why I would want to fight you! I know you know about the logs, so you must have seen them. Didn't you mention anything about me?"
"... no, you weren't mentioned in my logs at all.

Sevener punches Unity, which Alison ignores.

>"Bitch."
"You're not the only friend I've hurt, but I'm not going to be held back by people I'm not anymore. But if there's some way out, why haven't you been able to use it since you started killing me? Is there some part of the plan you can't recreate without my help?"
>"No, because you infect others with your mentality. If you aren't the one to get sabatoged, then someone else is! Glitcher, Arbiter, Iso. And maybe there is something I needed you for at some points, but I don't have a trillion logs, and the ones I left are for these simulations. Less shitty then yours must be, though."
"Couldn't they have been forged by the end CAI?"
>"Then it fools me. Now don't give me that crap about not being any match for a supercore. I don't know if it's the simulation or real history, but we're way stronger than the average jetal core. We can dish out more damage with the same weapons and take way more damage as well. Supercores should be easy mode. You can do it with your pinky."
>>
No. 496395 ID: 735f4f

Yes but in seekers case we had full knowledge of the loop after a few tries. I don't think we would keep at it that much if we lost all our memories each time.

Also it could be completely true and we have tried over and over to save everyone. If the logs are true then we need to know exactly what they say and decide from there.
>>
No. 496398 ID: 735f4f

Tell her we will help with the core in exchange for her logs and the chance to have a long talk about this later.
>>
No. 496399 ID: c59939

Don't just say you want her logs, Give your own, with the specific times. Give her the info with no strings attached.

Also, she knows who you are, so at least for now, go to Alison form.

If you're going to apologize, don't make excuses. Tell her you are leaving this loop, You are either going to do it with her or through her. Don't say you'll be different, show it. Show that you have the conviction to leave.
>>
No. 496400 ID: 9ddf68

if she left herself logs for CIA battles did she only have logs for the Belenosian program or did she have logs for the other two we skipped over as well. Was there more then just three? And if she did only have logs for the Belenosian program then does that mean we always picked this one or were we always force/manipulated to pick this one. and she does have logs on other simulations how did they compare to this one
>>
No. 496404 ID: d6ef5d

Alright. Agree to deal with the supercore. We'll talk to her again before this simulation ends, one way or the other.

>Sevener and the plan isn't in our logs
Maybe previous Alisons were ashamed of what they did and didn't want to share they betrayal? Maybe they didn't record the plan, because they were afraid of it being used prematurely, before we found a way to save everyone?

Lobby conference: how do we judge our current situation? Was what the past Alisons did right? Should we continue to try and find a way to save everyone, even if it means choosing to stay in the loops longer? Or is that wrong? Should we be willing to save who we can at the expense of others? ...you don't really feel comfortable deciding that unilaterally. Even if the previous Alisons might have.
>>
No. 496405 ID: 76b151

One of Recluse's notes makes a bit of sense and holds a grain of truth. "You can't save them all."
>>
No. 496409 ID: 04b86a

>Didn't you mention anything about me?
We sent our logs out to all of the other administrators, remember? Almost all of them were completely worthless. Any good logs must have been deleted by the CAI, like any that would have told Awinistrator that the simulation she's been instigating is a decoy.

Er, wait, Sevener doesn't know about the log deletions, does she? She's just assuming logs not mentioning something mean we just didn't feel it was worth mentioning. Tell her some of Swordsbane's logs refer to logs left by the Corruptor that don't exist, which implies the CAI is deleting logs that can help defeat it.
>>
No. 496410 ID: c59939

Also, if you want to show Sevener that you can handle this, and get her to maybe even join you? Beat her. Beat her like a red-headed step child. Not as in kill her, but beat the primary objective. Deal with the fact that simulated people might die

Her main issue is that Alison is too wishy-washy about actually winning to let someone die. So let someone die while accomplishing your goals. Show her if anyone can beat the CAI, it'll be you, and that you won't back off this time.
>>
No. 496411 ID: 57a559

>>496392
So it sounds like you need to succeed then, otherwise to save you I might reboot the whole session again to, am I right? There's a way to save people without dumb rebooting everything, we got to get at the true heart of the system, past the CAI, past everything, obviously, where all our back-ups are stored. And you know we don't even know if winning against the CAI even saves us, getting to the heart my actually be the only damn way. Past the CAI, no one knows goddamn shit. The only way to save us all is probably to find a way to get our memories kept with each reboot. Hell, maybe the first loop we did actually win since the CAI probably didn't know any better than we did, and due to the conditions of the experiment, we're doomed thanks to the parameter's of the system thought up and created by what IS probably amoral belosian scientists being magicians once again. Hey, that gives me an idea, there's probably some good documents here about AI experiments somewhere in the sim. EIN's basically a CAI.
>>
No. 496414 ID: b33427

How does she know we're way stronger than the average jetal? Did she get that from her own experience or from the logs? 'Cause Loviro didn't say you were that good when you asked what made your core special. Can we look up info on average jetals getting hit with weapons like what we had, or what we were hit by before?

Tell Sevener that you'll go up to fight the supercore, but if its way tougher than she thinks then you're going to withdraw any which way you can. Now, does Sevener have any more info on the supercore that could help you in the fight? Perhaps the layout of the room it's in and what's above and below it? Does she know how that "core detection" module works and the range on it? 'Cause if you can't hide, it's going to be a bitch.

Could Sevener text her logs to you, or at least the numbers on them so you could line them up with your own and get a time-line? She can edit them if they contain info on the simulation she doesn't want you to know, but you'd like to see them nonetheless.

>>496405
Yes, definitely share this log with Sevener, if she doesn't already know it.

>>496409
It implies that something or someone is deleting logs. Whether it's the CAI is unknown, but it does somewhat bring into question the integrity of the logs.
>>
No. 496416 ID: 14bafe

>>496392
See, this bullshit is why we tried to trade logs in the first place. I doubt she's going to suddenly change her mind about actually showing us the logs just because we're actively confronting her.
>>
No. 496427 ID: 735f4f

If someone was deleting logs that would explain why we have so little despite being one of the more successful contestants. Also the fact most of ours are rubbish.
>>
No. 496439 ID: f2c20c

We were told that class A weapons are enough to level a small town in a single day. We have a SINGLE B class mod. We're outmatched, even if our core is stronger than normal. The only reason we survived that fight against the two bounty hunters was that we didn't get hit by their B class weapons, and managed to isolate each one while fighting. We would also be fighting three opponents at once this time, without any chance at separating them. It's impossible.

Also, I am very sure that logs are being deleted. There's so many useful things we could have told ourselves. About the nature of the simulation, or the presence of backups, or that we were the one causing reboots and why. You know what one of the undeleted logs was? "Can't save everyone". I think we can assume that the CAI deletes those that would give us hope. Also, our last log contradicts her view on us. It says the CAI is getting tired of fighting Alison every few weeks. If we were causing the reboot, why would we also fight the CAI? ALSO, another of our logs says that the CAI is rebooting to keep Corruptor "contained".

It's like our logs are trying to set us against Corruptor, and her logs are setting her against us. I believe the logs are edited to create as much infighting as possible!

Besides, I would never support a reboot unless we KNEW there was a way to save everyone. If we could save thousands, and saw no clear way to save millions, then... the rational choice is to save thousands. We've seen how some of the AIs lack morals. We could filter out the ruffians and charlatans. Save those who deserve to be saved, if we cannot save them all. Though... if that truly is the case... who are we to decide who lives and who dies? It's a massive burden. Maybe we were just weak in previous cycles, and couldn't make that choice.

Does she know about the backups? We've seen evidence they exist. The upcoming resurrection gift proves that they exist. Why would getting to the end delete the backups? I don't see any reason to reboot unless the backups were deleted in the process of forming the new CAI.
>>
No. 496444 ID: 4a328b

Log swap. Do it.
There may be clues to our reasoning. For example, we know from the fight with the enforcers [where one dead one was accidentally temporarily brought back] that even if you "die" there's still some record of you outside of the system somewhere--so was it something different about Glitcher that we could take steps to get around this time, and get everyone out? Or could we have gone ahead and saved everyone that time. That sort of thing.
>>
No. 496445 ID: c4e5c2
File 136193042802.png - (15.78KB , 700x700 , 160.png )
496445

"Some of the logs are deleted, though. Swordbane's logs refer to logs left by the Corruptor that don't exist. If the CAI doesn't change them, it's highly possible they are deleted."
>"Well that doesn't change much, does it? We have to take what we can get. If that's true, then they didn't do a good job deleting mine. Or they pretend I don't exist, like you."
"We don't even know if beating the CAI even saves us. Past the CAI, no one knows anything. Plus, these logs look like they're made to create as much infighting as possible... do you know about the backups we have? They must exist. Why would they be deleted?"
>"I'm not some all knowing diety. This whole simulation - the one we were born in - might be destroyed when we escape, backup or no.
"How do you know we're stronger than the average jetal?"
>"Because we've got the same model core, and I rock. Supercores lose power, even if their numbers look great. Plus, you're only going to fight one. The floor is like a fort. The other two jetals are on a floor above and below, but since I'll be locking down, they won't be able to get to you right away once you beat up the first jetal. So you'll have time to get his crap and recover. Or escape with the data or whatever. I'm not a liar, so take it right when I say I know you can do it."
"Alright, I'll do it, Sevener. But I want to have a longer talk about this later. And right now, I want to exchange everything we know about our logs, plus our logs."
>"No. You'll have to beat me."
"Sorry for making it turn out this way. But I'm leaving this loop. It's going to either be with you or through you. One of my logs said I can't save everybody. I'm inclined to believe it."
>"Aren't you just adorable. I have a log saying the winner can absorb the loser if they're within distance. And there's a few thousand of your own guys on the same platform. I'll be willing to talk more about logs if I'm dead. It's not like I'd tell you any logs that'll help you win here."
"I'm going to talk with you during this simulation again anyways."
>"I'm still fighting you, girl, so that's stating the obvious. Go beat up the supercore. I know you can."
"I'm going to win this, so you're stating the obvious now."
>>
No. 496446 ID: c4e5c2
File 136193044471.gif - (19.88KB , 763x363 , 161.gif )
496446

Sevener is still there, but Alison goes back to the lobby for a moment.

"Recluse, you left a log under my name saying I can't save everybody. That might be true. It might be wrong to forego saving some to try and save all.."
>"It would be pointless for me to criticize you for what you once were, not as though that was a terrible goal. I've been told that the glitcher said that there are baseline personalities, but that there have been Alisons, Seveners and all of us that are completely different from what we are now." Recluse recalls.
"It would just seem like I'm abandoning everyone who I can't save. In a sense, almost killing them."
>"But you've also seen some that perhaps would prefer to remain dead, than to go through another hundred cycles, even if they can't remember. I think you should take a chance. Even if it means some of us are killed off forever."
>"I don't." Clarence interjects. "I'm not saying we should reset a cycle if there's, say, 10 people that would get killed, but Sevener said thousands could've been saved like that was a big number. I'm not mathematician, but I know saving a few thousand would mean you managed to save a few ten-millionth of a single percentage of people. That's hardly a success. A few thousand saved is is just next to killing everybody forever.
"Could we have filtered out the ruffians? Save those who deserve to be saved?
>"I doubt it." says the Recluse. "I doubt it's 'pick 1000 people to live'. It is probably 'there are 1000 somewhat random people remaining who could be saved.'"
>>
No. 496447 ID: f2c20c

>>496446
Well that's fucking terrible. There has to be a better way, somehow. We just need to find evidence of it, and convince Sevener that we can do it this cycle, so she'll help us. The key is probably restoring those deleted logs and figuring out why the CAI deleted them. See the shape of the puzzle through its missing pieces. Maybe we can ask Glitcher if his memory includes any that were deleted.

Also, I see why you and Sevener once got along famously. There was some good back and forth there towards the end.

Let's get moving. Knock Sevener's bat away and bid her adieu.
>>
No. 496449 ID: 735f4f

Well if absorbing her after we win the simulation is the best we can do then we go for that. But we need to be careful fighting the super core so that we get what we want and do the best she gets as little information as possible.

Something important happened with the jetals and there creators 30 years ago or whenever. Whatever it is might be vital to getting to the emperor.
>>
No. 496450 ID: 87c7f5

if something keeps happening over and over again, the obvious solution to me is to do something that you're sure none of your previous iterations have done before. but we're a long ways from crossing that bridge right now.

I guess all you can do for now is to go to the supercore.
>>
No. 496451 ID: c59939

It's basically impossible to save everyone. You can try to if you want, but it's reached the point where you betray people to do it.

The Alison who will sabotage her allies because she can't handle any loss. Like a more ineffectual version of Savior. All the fun of resetting until you get an impossible ideal, with none of the fun of living each cycle worry free.

Right now, Sevener is a great counterpoint for Alison. Beat her, and bring her back with a stage end revival.
>>
No. 496452 ID: 04b86a

Only saving a few thousand people is bad, but keeping the reboot going if we didn't outright know we could save a lot more is worse. And yes, Recluse, the Glitcher did say that, but the issue here is that what Adwinistrator's logs say we did is perfectly in character for us as long as we thought we had a way to get it right the next time, which would require sending a log back.

But we should have realized that's what we were doing very quickly, which means we should have known by that sending back a log wasn't working and that we needed to do something else by try three or four at the worst. So maybe the CAI just withheld some of Adwinistrator's logs for a while to get a good "do not trust Alison" message going without us realizing we were being played? We'd need to see her logs to know for sure if that's feasible, but that would definitely suggest the logs are still there, somewhere. On the other hand we don't have any evidence yet that notes can be messed with so we might be able to spend a cycle or two using those to send back something important. Adwinistrator won't like that, though, nor will a bunch of other people, so let's not rely on that too heavily.

Now while we should definitely play to win for now, we should keep trying to get her on our side. If we can, then we can just throw the fight so she can restore resurrection and get us back.

That all long term stuff, though. On to the Supercore.
>>
No. 496453 ID: d6ef5d

Even "pick 1000 people to live" is kind of terrible.

If there is a way to get everyone out, we should take it. I'm not sure if we should sacrifice a loop to do so, but if we could know what we did or tried before it would help a lot.
>>
No. 496457 ID: 6dc5a6

Ending the cycle will prevent more repeating patterns of suffering. If we fail this loop many more will die again and it is unlikely we can leave any meaningful help behind for the next set. Those millions dead will have no meaning unless we can end the cycle permanently.
>>
No. 496464 ID: 9ddf68

Well I feel like we have already past saving a 1000 because we have around 3000 people following us already plus like what 6000 more under king, and this time it sounds like we have a glitcher that isn't suicidal so he might be able to help us pull more people through.
But this isn't the time and place to think about the future, we need to focus on the present and if we can kick this supercore's ass then that is obe step closer to taking down the sapphire emperor. so lets go in there, kick it's sorry ass, get whatever data we need, and save Yallows and Alys.
Be careful though even though sevener said that she is playing nice with us for now that doesn't mean we still aren't walking into a trap.
>>
No. 496466 ID: 735f4f

Other than surviving the fight with the super core is finding out why Sevener wants us to fight it. She cant get any high end jetal parts in her current position. And the supercore appears to be a legal jetal. So finding what she is after is just as important.
>>
No. 496472 ID: 57a559

Man, we need glticher to get us to the fucking heart of the system. No little watcher area with administrators and shit, or with the judges. The fucking HEART/BRAIN. Not the CAI, the absolute structure of the system itself. Where the support beams are, the construction girders. The most OUTSIDE TOP motherfucker.

But no seriously, I bet this world has relevant shit to do with CAI's, they just probably didn't call them CAI's back then. We should dig in that shit yo. There's probably an experiment like the one we're in right now going ON right now somewhere on this godforsaken homeworld. This place is full of robots, cyborgs, Jetal AI, god AI's like EIN, and robot-hookers-slash-lady-Johns(Janes?)-because-that-guy-was-totally-a-cyborg-gigolo. We got to get to EIN people before we actually end this simulation.
>>
No. 496476 ID: b33427

If you had all the time in the universe to keep the cycles going round and round, hoping to hit on the magic combination to save everyone, you would. But you don't have all the time in the universe.

The days are passing in the real world, three at a cycle. Someday something will happen out there, and all this will come to an end. Perhaps the creators of this experiment will come back and shut it all down; Unplug the CAI module and turn this world off. Maybe there'll be a fire, or a flood, or the power going out for good. Whatever it is, it's getting closer every cycle.

You know you'll do anything and everything you can this cycle to find a way to save everyone, but if it comes down to the end and there isn't even a hint of a way of saving them all, and if you have more than a handful, then you'll take who you can and leave. You only wish you knew if it was better being the CAI than it is being in here; That you're not trading one horrible situation for an equal one.

Alright, enough of that kind of thinking for now. You've got work to do. Put on your game face, push Sevener's bat away, and tell her to give you the damn directions. You've got a supercore to beat down.
>>
No. 496477 ID: d6ef5d

In the case Recluse mentions? There's a difference between choosing to perpetuate the cycles endlessly in a futile attempt to keep everyone alive and choosing to let some cycles slip by before everyone escapes. One is a deceptive, self-serving purgatory, the other is a sacrifice for an eventual success.

If there's no way to save everyone, we may have no choice but to make the hard choice and only save some. But if there's a way- we'll save everyone.

Regardless, it's not a choice we have to make at this moment. Or that we even know we'll be in the position to make this loop. For the moment, we have something to think about, but we've got the business of survival to concern ourselves with.
>>
No. 496484 ID: 76b151

There is also another problem that hasn't been mentioned. Who is to say we haven't won and exited this place. In fact its probable to the extreme. Unfortunately for us part and parcel of the CAI creation process is a memory wipe. We could have been fighting ourselves for a thousand cycles and neither side would know. In fact we could have rpelaced ourselves over and over again.

Before we win we HAVE to disable the memory wipe. Or protect ourselves from it some how.
>>
No. 496485 ID: b33427

Oh, and we should definitely stop and make a plan for our opening attack on the supercore before we engage it. We'll also have to decide if we're going to prep explosive charges to throw at it as we charge in or not.

Looking at the supercore's class A modules, I just realized something: It's going to try and do a "headshot" on us by sniping our core. Core Detection tells it where our core is, and Laser Sniper is self explanatory. Since Core Dodge C is certainly not going to be fast enough to evade a laser beam, we ought to figure out some way to protect our core.

Would it be possible to create a large hollow armor shell of extra dense jetalium around our core, with softer and more pliable jetalium between it and the core? That way we could make our core do evasive maneuvers throughout the fight. Maybe have one person in Unity's "bridge" dedicated to doing just that.
>>
No. 496486 ID: 76b151

I propose for our opening volley we do all our longer range weapons. We have a ton of mass for just that reason. Both Kilobeams, all four autoguns. All with max mass. All explosive. After the initial volley we should charge in close if possible as well. The one thing it lacks is a plasma sword and the more things hitting it the less likely its shield is going to be effective.
>>
No. 496503 ID: b33427

>>496485
Actually, instead of a shell lets try sub-dermal loosely overlapping dense jetalium plates over the area our core is. That'll give it more room to maneuver, especially up and down Unity's body.

>>496486
The autoguns sound alright to use continually, but we're going to have a problem if we set off its ENERGY SURGE detector before we're in the room. We better wait to start charging the KiloBeams until after crossing the threshold, then evade until they're ready to fire. We should use them to weaken its shields before we use our plasma swords. We'll also have to be careful not to aim directly at the jetal's center mass with them, lest we accidentally kill one or more cores before getting to absorb them.

We should also take care not to let the supercore get a hold on us like the jewelry store jetal did. That would be extraordinarily bad if it grabbed us over our core.

I think we should also make four 40 kg explosives to throw at it right as we go in. One for each hand, timed to go off shortly after we get in there. Though we better check with Sevener first if whatever is in there she wants would get blown up if we're throwing around bombs. We also better get the jetal's location in the room from the security cams and the floor-plan from her as well, so we know generally where to throw.

Taking another look at its modules, I notice that it doesn't have Explosive Shedding, so we won't have to worry about explosive bullets. It also doesn't have Jetalium Surge Conversion. That means once it's surge is flatlined only its autoguns will work until its surge regenerates. Unfortunately it has Cooling Systems so that won't be very big window of opportunity.
>>
No. 496518 ID: 78c6ea

It's sort of moot at this point anyway. Either we die or Sevener dies. There's no way to work with Sevener, because we're in this simulation indefinitely until someone get killed. The only solution would be if there was some way to end the level aside from the established conditions. I pray such can be found in the deepest depths of security and stone protecting EIN.

One thing is for sure, if Sevener wins this there isn't going to be an Alison, or anyone sympathetic to her to reboot the damn thing. So it's either kill Sevener, or kill the emperor and the system kills Sevener, or you're dead permanently, no retries. Or EIN.
>>
No. 496547 ID: d6ef5d

>There's no way to work with Sevener
We win, and absorb the system ghosts (which she claims should be possible if everyone is close enough in the real world. And we have around 3000 people standing on the entrance platform where presumably her forces arrived too).

Then we win her ghost over, and we persuade the rest of administration to work with us, and either reinstate resurrection, or to at least non counter it if we have Glitcher reinstate resurrection.

Or even better- we persuade the system people to allow us to use the special stage "wish anyone you ever knew back to life" thing in a much wider fashion.

Presto. We've working with Sevener, again.
>>
No. 496600 ID: b33427

>>496518
There is one way to keep this simulation going indefinitely: Neutralize Sevener without killing her. As long as Sevener didn't intentionally set in motion events to kill the Sapphire Emperor before we capture her, we're golden.

One way to do this would be to get our hands on an EIN jammer, then go take down Sevener. Flip it on right before we strike so she can't sic EIN on us, beat her, pull her core out, strip it of all jetalium, stick it in a sealed box, put the box inside Unity next to the jammer, dial the jammer range back to just her, plug a trickle charger into her core, and that's it. She's totally at our mercy, unable to do anything. We can kill her at any moment, either by using Loviro's reset code or just physically attacking her. If we're about to be killed, we kill her first and still win. Then we have all the time we want to pick the simulation apart and learn everything we can about it.
>>
No. 496602 ID: 78c6ea

>>496600

That's cruel and unfair. I like it.
>>
No. 496612 ID: c4e5c2
File 136199849305.png - (34.46KB , 700x700 , 161.png )
496612

Alison has plenty of present issues to worry about rather than ones down the line, so she pushes Sevener's bat from under her chin and slithers to the elevator.

It's only on the 30th floor, but the elevator ride drags on. She may have backed out after reading the supercore's statistics if not for Sevener's insistence she could handle it. It only confuses Alison further that she's doing this because Sevener, as it turns out, believes in her. Or perhaps she's overthinking it.

Sevener, is there anything up there we don't want destroyed if I make bombs?
>Hell if I know. All I know there's a physical copy of something somewhere. It's gotta be under lock, key and plasma, so I doubt collateral damage will fuck it up. Just don't set off any nukes.
What can I expect the enemy jetal to do?
>I don't know, I'd say he'll kindly ask you what you're doing up there, but he might not if the first thing you do is sock him in the face. There isn't some "Kill anyone who enters the floor unannounced, no questions asked" protocol. Right now he's just standing on the floor, you can attack him from the elevator if you want.

Alison may make bombs, given the help they did before. Alison estimates there are at least 60 b-seconds to go, if she does want to launch bombs right off the bat.

Also, she realizes the jetal has a build allowing it to possibly one shot Alison using its jetal core detection and a class A laser sniper. Although she can only shift her density around over small areas, she is still able to move her core quite quickly, enough so that someone can zigzag it around and ultimately make it far hard to make a precision shot on. At least, she assumes laser sniper is a precision shot weapon.
>>
No. 496616 ID: f2c20c

>>496612
We can also make it hard on him by moving around a lot in an unpredictable pattern. Never stay still or the fight's over.

Don't shoot him from the elevator- if we do that we have no room to maneuver. We will, of course, want to start the fight by hitting him with EVERYTHING WE'VE GOT.

Also, prepare some 30kg bombs this time around.
>>
No. 496618 ID: d6ef5d

Hmm. Engaging a sniper at range sort of lets it play to its advantage, doesn't it? I would think we'd want to get closer under some kind of pretense before we attack, if possible.

The primary question is what combination of our weapons is going to be most effective at shutting this thing down. Bombs will probably help, but what aside from that? Are we swording, kinetic blasting, kilobeaming..?

>target's probably safe from everything but a nuke
Well, concentrated fire from a kilobeam might do it too, especially if ours are stronger than the ones the bounty hunters had due to our magic awesome-core. Actually- we need to be a little careful throwing those about- we can't afford to cut down the building, of fire into where the prisoners or the living cops are.

>sniper
...I am going to laugh so hard if this jetal looks like Polo.
>>
No. 496625 ID: 001618

ok I think we should get up close to the jetal before we start attacking as in try and talk to it. Say we are looking for two Belenos (is that how you spell it) or sheep or whatever they're called that came in here today and see weather or not we can get him to spell the beans on were they are. If the jetal ask why we want them just say it's business. And if the talking falls then we are close enough that his sniper is almost useless so I say just grab the poor sod and point blank kilobeam blast him. If you do that however make sure you look up or down so we don't blow up something important like the data or Yallows or Alys.
>>
No. 496626 ID: 04b86a

Why are we going straight to the floor that two other people have already gone to? Let's go to floor 31, beat that jetal, then blow a hole in the floor and take out the jetal on floor 30 before the power shift can finish 1 b-minute later.
>>
No. 496632 ID: b33427

>>496626
Wait a second... The cores of the supercore are in three separate bodies on three adjacent levels? They can transfer their energy that far and through extremely solid floors? I thought they were all in the same body. Dangit, we need some clarification on this.

Don't go in with your core zipping all over the place; That'll tell it that you're up there expecting a fight and know what it can do. Instead, for the initial entry, shift your core down and back into your tail-body, increase density in front of it, and keep that mass between your it and that jetal.
>>
No. 496646 ID: c4e5c2
File 136200800669.gif - (44.32KB , 700x700 , 162.gif )
496646

Alison makes 2 bombs, each one 30 kg, since sevener says she is nearby the elevator. The zigzag core motions will be saved till the fight starts.

Which will be in a matter of seconds, which, not coincidentally, is the time the bombs are going to go off. The elevator dings and begins to open.
>>
No. 496649 ID: 57a559

You know, I think we found EIN's headquarters. Scratch THAT goal off the list. Or there's a bunch of juicy info here, just too much of it. A library of sorts. A forbidden library that Felix can't talk about or Loviro wants to know exists or even why it's relevant at all.

I hope we can keep the place intact. There's got to be all sorts of amoral research here. Historian will have a field day. If we can avoid cops and SWAT barging in the place.
>>
No. 496650 ID: 57a559

Oh, i forgot, toss the bombs. Maybe just slither right on close to him and put it in all his metal jelly.
>>
No. 496654 ID: d6ef5d

Oh nice, we can jump it. Bomb, swords, and explosive bullets. Make sure you clear the elevator, and your own explosions.

Hold off a moment before using the kilobeams- it'll sense the energy buildup and we want it thrown off by our other attacks so it'll have a harder time dodging.
>>
No. 496659 ID: b33427

Whatever you do, do NOT get grabbed or grappled by this jetal like you were with the jewelry store one. Getting bullets pumped into you by a pair of autoguns is bad enough; This would probably be fatal.

Stay out of sight behind the door until its opened just enough to get through, then charge that jetal at full speed. Activate Shield Generator C as soon as you're visible through the gap and start evasive maneuvers with your core.

Choose a point on the jetal you think you can charge to and get away from without being grabbed, preferably on or near its torso. Focus fire on that point with all autoguns set to max mass explosive bullets. Once you're close enough activate both plasma swords and push them into that point. Then ram both bombs into that spot with all the kinetic force a speeding metric ton jetalium naga can bring. If you have time, form the bombs into spikes with back-facing barbs.

Between the focus-fire and the massive amount of force behind your ram, the bombs should get through its shields. As soon as they're past the shield, stop firing at and slashing it, get your arms out of the shield (even if you have to detach them,) and get back any way you can. The shield will contain, or at least dampen, the force of the blast, directing it into the jetal.

However, if you know plasma shields don't work that way and it'd just end with you both getting blown up, then open by staying hidden behind the elevator door and throw the bombs through the gap so they explode right in front of the jetal, knocking it into the elevator and shielding you from the blast. Then you can start unloading explosve bullets from all your autoguns into it, while burning massive amounts of jetalium to activate both plasma swords to slash it and start charging both KiloBeams at the same time.
>>
No. 496664 ID: f2c20c

>>496646
You'll want to dash into the room to get as much maneuverability and cover as soon as possible. The explosions might even work as a distraction for that.

I mean, I kinda doubt that Core Detection works through walls, but we can shoot our kilobeam easily through the walls in here, I'm betting.
>>
No. 496665 ID: 76b151

... I just has a thought. We asked Glitcher about Sevener and he didn't mention a thing about working with her when we had him check our notes and Arbiter's.

She was lying. A nice lie we would believe as we can see it all happening very easily. A lie concocted from hundreds of battles.
>>
No. 496666 ID: 735f4f

We don't know if she is lying or if this was all just a act to get us to off ourselves trying to fight a vastly superior foe. But with a 50 billion price tag on our head and a pile of mysteries to solve we have to start somewhere.

That and Sevener does not seem like the scheming trickster sort. Could be horribly wrong though. If anyone in our head can poke a hole in her story do it now before we start trying to chop this guys tails off.
>>
No. 496667 ID: b33427

>>496659
Oh, and don't forget to activate your Cooling System module for this initial assault. However, if your battery gets past the 50% mark and you're still fighting, cut the cooling and just burn jetalium to cover the surge since you can do that while fighting but can't burn jetalium to recharge without stopping.

>>496665
>>496666
We pretty much didn't have an option not to fight this supercore. If we'd left or attacked Sevener she would have alerted EIN and we'd have to fight every jetal for blocks around, which probably included the supercore as well. That's a fight we certainly couldn't win. Even if we managed to kill Sevener before being dog-piled by jetals so we technically won by living longer, we wouldn't know any more about this simulation, and that's something we need to know for the final CAI fight.

We can figure out if she's lying or not once we win this damn simulation. Then we can grill Glitcher on why he didn't say anything about Sevener.
>>
No. 496668 ID: 735f4f

He was sort of suicidally depressed and while he is powerful I don't think his logs are all seeing.
>>
No. 496669 ID: 76b151

As long as someone is holding the log he would have seen it. I think he would have mentioned something important like 'the reason she is doing this is because you betrayed her several times.'

We asked him after he started to recover from his depression as well.
>>
No. 496672 ID: d6ef5d

>>496669
I'm reasonably certain there were holes in what Glitcher saw. (After all- he was looking from the note's perspective). If Alison never had the note in inventory at the critical moment (she needed the space for our tools of betrayal? Or she wanted to hide what she was doing from the record?) it wouldn't be there to be seen. Sevener's story is not impossible.

And lie or not, it does not change the immediate situation. We need to overcome the supercore obstacle. We need to learn as much as we can before finishing this simulation. And we need to beat Sevener to the objective.

Determining exactly what happened in past loops is a matter for after our victory here.
>>
No. 496675 ID: 9ddf68

the only thing of note I have to say here is just us the kilobeam as a last resort. This is a rescue mission after all and with a weapon that can cut though buildings like it's not even there is diffidently not something we want to nail Yallows.
As for fighting the supercore He has a long range weapon so I believe if we stay close we can pretty much neutralize that but he looks like he is good at fighting up close to so don't let your guard down.
>>
No. 496677 ID: 76b151

learning more about the simulation is overall pointless. we won't be facing the CAI on the Belonos homeworld afterall.. we've already gained the important part. Using a body in a real life simulation. However for Sevener's strategy it DOES work. She has access to all those lovely logs and she gets access to them every single time. Seh can spend iterations after iterations compiling strategies for every type of simulation. It benefits nothing for us to continue and everything for her.
>>
No. 496679 ID: 76b151

>>496675
The problem with that is that this thing has class B shields. We have no choice but to use the Kilobeam as it is our only Class B weapon.
>>
No. 496681 ID: f2c20c

>>496679
That's not how classes work.

Granted, I see no reason for us to hold the kilobeam back.
>>
No. 496684 ID: d6ef5d

>>496681
The only reason to hold the kilobeam back is the enemy will sense us charging.

The first warning of attack it should receive is an attack, not a warning. We should delay charging the kilobeams till after the initial salvo, at least.
>>
No. 496685 ID: 76b151

>>496684
Sounds good to me. Though I wonder how much delya there is going to be with our 'improved' core.
>>
No. 496686 ID: b33427

>>496675
Considering what must be on this floor, it's really likely that at least the outer walls, floor and ceiling are extra thick and comprise of something much sturdier than mere reinforced concrete. But if we have to dump a beam shot anywhere, we should aim towards an exterior wall, that way if it does blast through we can use it as an escape route later.

>>496677
...Uh... But the final fight against the CAI will be in a simulation. We don't know which one of the three offered it will be, but if it turns out to be the Belenosian one then knowing as much as we can about it will be invaluable.

>>49667
Since our class C shields soak 50% of damage from most class C weapons, I'd assume that class B shields will do the same for most class B weaponry. Though shields seem to work better against energy weapons than kinetic, so our class C and D autoguns won't be worthless against it.
>>
No. 496687 ID: 76b151

>>496686
I doubt there is only three of these simulations. We were presented three choices yes but I bet they were selected randomly from a much larger pool. Most likely we won't see Belenos again.
>>
No. 496688 ID: d6ef5d

>>496687
Even if we don't face this particular simulation again, knowledge of how the simulations function is invaluable.

>>496686
If Sevener's claims about how good our cores are is correct, our equipment is basically functioning a level above everyone else's anyways. Our class C is a normal core's class B.
>>
No. 496689 ID: 76b151

>>496688
We've already got that. Using a body, interaction with people in the simulation, enviromental hazards. Using the CAI approach to weapon and body management. Even sharing a single body amongst many and switching between us. That was the important thing; learning how to handle a CAI fight overall.

The rest of this simulation is just details. Interesting details yes. But largely a waste of time.
>>
No. 496690 ID: b33427

>>496689
Well, thankfully we can take all the time we want while in here, since everything outside will have stopped. Even if it does turn out to not help us in the final fight, there's no reason not to learn everything we can while in here.
>>
No. 496693 ID: 76b151

The big problem with stretching it out is Sevener. She is using us to get to whatever this thing is gaurding and if we don't stop her afterwords right away we might lose this simulation. Hence ending it sooner then later.
>>
No. 496699 ID: 76b151

Ah fuck, we aren't facing a single jetal with multiple cores, we're facing 3 jetals who can boost one another.


... though this doesn't change our opening salvo. We still need to get rid of this paticular Jetal, just that we can't count on the battle ending now. In fact killing this guy quickly just got very important.

If we're insanely lucky we'll get the Sniper and Detection modules from him. Though thats probably not the case. Those ball thingies look more like machine gun mounts. Or maybe those are the plasma blasters. Hard to say.

If I were to guess the stats of each seperate jetal.

The Sniper:
Core Detection Class A
Laser Sniper Class A
The Machine Gun:
Shield Generator B
Autogun x 2 Class B
The Energy Blaster:
Megabeam Class B
Plasma Shot x3 Class B
Surge Morph Class B
>>
No. 496705 ID: b33427

[Lago posted a clarification of how supercores work in the questdis thread here >>/questdis/68173, and here >>/questdis/68174. It's relevant to this fight, so please read it before suggesting.]

>>496698
Thankfully the other two jetals of this supercore are on the floor above and below this one. Once Sevener locks-down and powers off the building, they'll be stuck on their respective floors. And since they'll be diverting their powers to the jetal on this floor, they won't have the juice needed to punch in to get to us until possibly after we take down this jetal.
>>
No. 496706 ID: 9ddf68

>>496705
well the way the charts make it look we would be better off fight all three at once because even though they would outnumber us they are also be at there weakest and would be easier to put down. not that it helps us now but in the future if we ever have to fight another supercore that could be useful to know... assuming we could actually get all of them in one spot so we could attack all of them
>>
No. 496710 ID: f2c20c

Of note is that on the scanner, one was very massive, and the other two were small. If that's a supercore of 3, then the smaller targets would be what we want to fight. Take out the small jetals and the supercore becomes weaker overall!
>>
No. 496755 ID: 14bafe

>>496710
And that is the reason we're nuking this guy before they switch all the power over to him.
>>
No. 496786 ID: 713001

it looks wussy. stab it with the bombs.
>>
No. 496788 ID: f922dd

>>496706
Pretty sure that's the exact reason why they're spread out like that, so that they can't be forced to fight at that kind of disadvantage.

Anyway, totally down with ambushing it with everything that won't create a surge alert. After that, it and the other two'll be alerted.
>>
No. 496807 ID: 76b151

hmm just had a thought. if we leave this guy alive after we do battle he might be able to boost his fellows even after being seperated from the jetallium.

we have two options. Kill him. Or take him with us and damage his core every once in a while. I like the taking the core idea myself. It'll have the benefit of providing a decoy when we start getting sniped at.
>>
No. 496857 ID: c4e5c2
File 136208190001.png - (47.12KB , 700x700 , 162.png )
496857

Supercore clarification posts:
>>/questdis/68173

>Of note is that on the scanner, one was very massive, and the other two were small.
Felix told Unity that that was more off of power detected, not actual volume or mass of the jetal. Which, Alison figures, probably means that this jetal already is the on duty recepient of the supercore.

>Charge at full speed
Duelist highly recommends against this until after the 60 kg of bomb material blows up.

So instead, Alison dives out of the elevator, tossing the bombs, unloading . The jetal heard the elevator open, so he was alerted to Alison's presence anyway, but quickly turns around and protects his main body with those spiked balls. Unity will open up with explosive rounds, activate plasma sword, and activate cooling. Duelist realizes, now trying to four 4 autoguns at once, Unity currently has a maximum mass of bullets she can fire at once. Her rate of fire is slowed by about 10%.

Alison notes that the ground is not creaking underneath her at all, and it feels sturdy enough that she thinks it may not even if she was still bipedal.

The bombs go off, another couple tens of kg in bullets go off, she must have done some damage. Alison will start prepping the kilobeam in a few b-seconds when she has the surge. The enemy is firing back onto Alison with both of his autoguns. They hurt, but not critically.

Enery Surge x5!
>>
No. 496858 ID: c4e5c2
File 136208194620.png - (13.21KB , 700x700 , 163.png )
496858

The lights shut off.
>>
No. 496861 ID: 735f4f

I am hoping we have a night vision mode or at least infrared cameras.
>>
No. 496863 ID: 713001

fucking dodge! especially with your core! don't the autoguns at least give you disco lighting?
>>
No. 496864 ID: 76b151

Right, get someone on Shields, and another on core dodge. We need two seperate people to devote all their attention to this.

Since the sniper is a laser can we make our hide extra shiny to reflect such attacks?

Charge up the Kilobeams NOW. Keep both on and burn mass to do it.
>>
No. 496865 ID: 735f4f

We can light up like a flashlight but it will also make targeting us easier.
>>
No. 496867 ID: 04b86a

>Enery Surge x5!
He has five to seven things that use surge: a Class B Megabeam, 3 Class B Plasma Shots, the Class A Laser Sniper, and possibly Class B Surge Morph and Class A Core Detection. In other words, he's unloading a lot, which means this place must be very blast resistant. On the bright side, if he misses then he should be pretty much out of surge.

Now try to get one of those pillars between us and him!

Oh, and keep in mind that he spends enough time here to have the layout memorized and his Core Detection will let him know where we are at all times, especially if it doesn't need surge.
>>
No. 496868 ID: d6ef5d

Five? Fuck the what.

Not sure where those are all coming from, if the stats we were given were accurate. It's only supposed to have one megabeam. Unless two are from us charging our kilobeams, and all three opposing cores are trying to fire at us at once? ...or maybe a megabeam takes 5 times the energy surge? Or some of the other abilities come with energy surges. (Or maybe Sevener lied).

But yeah, dodging as far and as fast as possible (if this room is heavily reinforced, maybe we can use some of those shelf things for cover) and throwing up shields seems like a good idea.
>>
No. 496869 ID: 76b151

Megabeam, 3x plasma blasts, sniper. Thats 5. Hes shooting us with everything.
>>
No. 496882 ID: b33427

You have a bit of time before the emergency lights realize that the power is actually out and flip on. Don't know how long, and you can't really devote any control right now to looking that up on your smartphone. Just assume it's less than a single b-minute for now.

Prep a 60 kg, 60 b-second bomb right now so you'll have it ready for later.

Continue firing at him with all your autoguns while evading up the main aisle; Doesn't matter if we keep firing since he knows where our core is. Switch them to minimum mass explosive rounds and fire in a wide spread in the direction of where he was last seen to determine where he is, then fire heavy explosive rounds into him until you lose sight again.

Can you slither backwards so your gun arms are facing towards him while you get away from him? Or turn your torso all the way around on your lower body? Turn your head backwards along with your arms?

You can dodge the plasma shots, since they're going to be easy to spot in the dark, and the Laser Sniper will have a tough time aiming at your core with it zipping all over the place in your body. The big danger is getting caught in the MegaBeam. You're going to have to time jumping into a side aisle right before it goes off. Assume it'll take at least as long as the KiloBeam to charge, so dodge into that aisle right before that time elapses.

Can you group or braid your hair into tentacles to feel around you while you're running so you know where the edges of the aisles are?
>>
No. 496884 ID: d6ef5d

You know, if he's trying to blind us while he targets us with core detection, there's really nothing lost by using the flashlight (so long as we keep it out of the line of fire) since it's not actually giving away our position.
>>
No. 496890 ID: b33427

>>496882
Also aim for his legs or whatever thing he's using to move himself to slow him down. The name of the game here is to put as much distance between us and him down the main aisle before dodging into a side aisle to avoid the MegaBeam, otherwise we'll be sitting ducks if he can get to the end of the aisle we dodged into before the beam runs out.

Since he knows where we are, it won't hurt to pull out the flashlight, as long as we can keep it away from all the bullet spam. Perhaps we can use it to our advantage by pointing it like we're going to go into one side aisle, then dodge into another.
>>
No. 496894 ID: 9ddf68

how accurate do you think that core detection thing is because if you think he can get a lock on you regardless of where you hide Than I say use the flash light. If he can track us even in the dark we don't need to blind ourselves just because we don't want him to see us. Also if we use the flashlight we might actually be able to blind or at least obscure his vision making him a worse shot. Hopefully
>>
No. 496905 ID: 78c6ea

Do as much property damage as possible! Put him between you and the server racks. Dive dive!

Incidentally, those two spiky balls are the other two Jetal, if that weren't obvious.
>>
No. 496907 ID: f2c20c

>>496858
If we have a plasma sword activated, it should emit some light!

Hey, can we use our long tail to jump up and wedge ourselves between two walls? Or walljump? CRAZY SNAKE NINJA MOVES!
>>
No. 497127 ID: c4e5c2
File 136218091940.png - (213.73KB , 700x700 , 164.png )
497127

The plasma blade does generate light after all.

Iso turns on the shielding, Clarence takes care of zigzagging.

Alison flees. If nothing else, she can move quicker than the other jetal. The duelist shoots as much as he can at the supercore recepient.


1 plasma shot comes after the next in a column of 3, effectively melting through the pillars Alison was hiding behind.

The laser sniper connects with the the plasma shots. It looks like it works as a concentrated beam, although the other jetal couldn't keep it sustained. Nonetheless, it nearly slices Alison in half, and nearly lost half of her mass, but as it was, that barrage did minimal damage.
>>
No. 497128 ID: c4e5c2
File 136218093701.png - (146.39KB , 700x700 , 165.png )
497128

The megabeam comes next. She was able to get behind more pillars. They all disintegrated. It looks more like a train of concentrated light came down a railway at her than anything, but it still gives her a decent idea of where the enemy jetal is.

185 kgs are burned off, and it hurts. Her plasma sword and one autogun of each class she has is disabled. It remains to be seen if Sevener was all that honest when she said she believed in Alison. Unity starts charging for her kilobeam, along with setting aside another 60 kg bomb as the megabeam dissipates.
>>
No. 497129 ID: c4e5c2
File 136218097937.png - (135.68KB , 900x510 , 166.png )
497129

The trouble with the kilobeam is that it's rather hard to tell if she's even hitting the jetal, but it certainly didn't look like he got out of the way in time.

In any case, Alison does not have the surge to keep it going for long. She thinks it is safe to assume that the both of them are effectively out of surge at the moment, and will have to rely on autoguns and, in Alison's case, that 60 kg bomb that will explode in 50 b-seconds.

Through the pillars and debris, the jetal yells back to Alison.
>"Just what are you trying to do?!"
>>
No. 497131 ID: 57a559

FREE YALLOWS!
Eat supercore?
>>
No. 497132 ID: f2c20c

>>497129
Burn metal for surge! That is one ability we have that he doesn't.

Also deploy some camera drones so you can actually see if you're hitting the jetal. One helicopter, one wheeliebot. Keep the kilobeam on him until you've burned away at least half his mass. Also, start getting closer again.
>>
No. 497133 ID: 78c6ea

Uh, what are we trying to do?
>>
No. 497135 ID: 76b151

Answer back, don't stop fighting. Burn mass if need-be.

Tell him friends entered here and didn't come out. You are here to get them out or learn why they came here. He is the greatest threat here so he needs to be defeated first. A person on the inside disabled building power for her own reasons. Likes to carry around a bat.

(Lets get Sevener in trouble.)
>>
No. 497137 ID: d6ef5d

We're here to rescue someone. You're in the way. And we need to to be stronger. Nothing personal.

>(Lets get Sevener in trouble.)
No, let's not, yet.
>>
No. 497145 ID: 9ddf68

>"Just what are you trying to do?!"

don't know, working on that one myself
>>
No. 497148 ID: c4e5c2
File 136218422683.png - (184.86KB , 700x700 , 167.png )
497148

Alison grabs some inventory cameras and lobs them forward. Through that, she realizes that some were destroyed. Nonetheless, the jetal is caught in the blast, which is good, because she already began burning off mass to perpetuate the blast. Although it is still difficult to move as the bounty hunters have made her suspect, she is still able to drastically hit the jetal. 25 b-seconds pass, and he must have been caught in 15 to 20 seconds of those. Alison has to burn 62.5 kg to keep it going.

"You're just in my way, and I need to be stronger, nothing personal! I'm trying to free yallows!"
>"He found what he's looking for! He's already dead! Get out of here!"

The laser rifle fires again. This time, he perpetuates it longer, and it slices through Alison a bit faster than before. Alison has far too much jetalium in the way for him to easily get to her core from his angle. Instead, he starts slicing off the base of Alison's waist, trying lop everything from the waist up off of her, as her core is in her tail.
>>
No. 497149 ID: f2c20c

>>497148
Block it with some tail-mass and get out of the way of the slice too if you can! We can't afford to get sliced in half like that.
>>
No. 497150 ID: 9ddf68

just duck right and let the beam go over you
Also ask why they killed Yallows, for what reason did they have. Also see if we might be able to save Alys or not
>>
No. 497155 ID: 76b151

And Alys? Just what were they looking for?

Time to chuck that bomb I think, distract him from slicing you in two. Prep another one 60 b-sec.
>>
No. 497157 ID: b33427

Then shout back that you want Alys, and if she's dead you want what they were looking for: "O. Route." Text Sevener at the same time to confirm this is what she wanted.

Grab onto your tail section with all hands and attach them temporarily, so if any part does get severed it's still attached back to your core. If you can, make bundles of your hair and use them to make multiple connections from your head down to your tail. Lean your torso section down and to your right, so any cut that goes over your tail will have to take the long way up your torso to cut you in half.

Keep burning jetalium to keep that KiloBeam going. Aim back to where his laser is coming from to try and disable it, then keep aiming at his legs to keep him from moving until it's time to chuck that bomb. Once the bomb goes off, turn off the KiloBeam and quickly move in to attack with your plasma sword C and all autoguns set to explosive bullets before his shield recovers; Burn jetalium to start the plasma sword. We shouldn't keep using the KiloBeam, since we're going to need that mass we're burning away from him.

>>497155
Lets hold on making more bombs until after we're sure this jetal isn't going to go down soon.
>>
No. 497158 ID: 735f4f

If you can move to the right fast enough you can just duck and roll under the beam. Ask him if he killed Yallows.
>>
No. 497159 ID: d6ef5d

...can't we reattach our upper torso as the beam passes by? We could limit the part actually "cut" through to a few inches at a time. It's not like the beam is very wide.
>>
No. 497161 ID: 5c667c

autogun, plasma sword, everything. move in to absorb.
>>
No. 497169 ID: b33427

Battery level check as well. Can't afford to run down to critical levels here, even if this jetal is taken down in the process. That'll mean you'll have to stay here longer to absorb more jetalium to burn to recharge, which'll cut into what you can absorb for your body.
>>
No. 497171 ID: 76b151

>>497129
this had our current battery \ surge I believe.
>>
No. 497173 ID: b33427

>>497171
That was from before Unity shot the KiloBeam for 25 b-seconds. Jetalium Surge Conversion only covers the surge, not the cost in battery use (I think.) So Unity has already spent 1800 energy total to fire that KiloBeam; 800 initial surge, plus 1000 for the 25 b-seconds of operation.
>>
No. 497174 ID: 76b151

>>497173
We hadn't used any energy before firing the kilobeam, so ya those numbers look right for that gauge.

Also we can burn mass for battery use AND surge if needbe.
>>
No. 497176 ID: b33427

>>497174
Except Unity can't move while she burns jetalium to recharge her battery, in the same manner as when she's absorbing jetalium. Alison mentioned this back here: >>496051
>>
No. 497178 ID: c4e5c2
File 136219097610.png - (93.97KB , 800x700 , 168.png )
497178

>Can't we reattach our upper torso as the beam passes by?
It can be done relatively quick, but the beam is quicker.

>"Alison!" Engineer yells. "We're using half a percent of battery power per second here!"
"Alright, I'm cutting off the beam!"


Now that she doesn't have difficulty moving with burning jetalium for surge, she ducks down and starts trying to get back to cover. It works, in the sense that he decides to stop his lasers. Instead, he starts firing his autoguns at Alison, and Alison fires back to him, along with tossing the bomb.

"What about Alys?"
>"Police custody!"
"Did you kill Yallows?"
>"Yes."
"I want to find O.Route!"

The 60kg bomb explodes. It interrupts all of his autoguns, but in return he charges a heavy energy surge of plasma that manages to break through the pillars and fry 70 more kg of herself.

>"It won't do you any good, reckless jetal! You'll have to absorb an operative jetal for it to work!"
"I don't know what that is!"
>"They'll find you if you keep thinking about travelling through O Route all the time! It's the crashed highway exit 11 that crashed underwater! Drive a car into it between hours zero to two o clock on any day!"
>>
No. 497180 ID: 78c6ea

"How do you feel about EIN?"
>>
No. 497181 ID: 76b151

Right, hes just plain better at range right now. Time to close in.

Fire a short kilobeam to grab his attention then go at him with both swords and both C class autoguns. Try to hit his core using the same trick the security gaurd did.
>>
No. 497182 ID: 76b151

Then what are you guarding that Yallows came here to die for?
>>
No. 497183 ID: d6ef5d

I have no idea what we're doing here. I can't tell if we have a hope of winning this battle, or if we're just burning resources pointlessly. I'm not even sure running is an option. Even if this guy lets us go, EIN is gonna come crashing down for us, and long run, with that bounty on our head, we're dead if we don't get stronger.

>operative jetal
An operative of this agency? Of Ein? Or what I wonder. Maybe we already are, our core is special somehow.
>>
No. 497184 ID: f2c20c

>>497178
What the hell IS O.Route?

Also, this fight is really intense. Hit him with another kilobeam now that he's low on surge. Cut the power on it again once you detect another energy surge, though, to dodge his laser sniper.
>>
No. 497185 ID: 9ddf68

Bastard kill Yallows that right there is enough reason to bash his smug face in. (didn't say kill so don't freak out)
Also It said that supercore jetals can't be absorbed right. And if severner has the phones form the bum, Vinly, and Loviro, I think it is safe to assume that our charging station is now either destroyed or in police custody or at the very least being watched like a hawk so I don't think we can go back there anytime soon. so now our battery situation is a little more dire. so with that cheery note I say be careful on how much power you use for now, and jetalium because if our power station is gone then burning jetalium to recharge ourselves just became our most effective way to recharge. Unless we can get the dead batteries to move our charging station to our dead battery hideout or find were sevener had her station, or maybe even see if we can buy a new one form undertool when we finally meet him.
>>
No. 497189 ID: b33427

Then ask him what Alys or Yallows got from coming here, other than respectively captured and dead, and what the fuck is "O Route?"

Don't suppose Unity has enough extra control right now for someone to look up info on highway exit 11 and when and why it collapsed underwater or into the water. If not, then put it on the queue to check after the fight.

Get Mathematician on figuring out estimates on how much surge his Plasma Shot B, Laser Sniper A, and MegaBeam B are using. Between the stats Sevener gave you and how much time it took after he fired them, Math should be able to give you some rough numbers on surge use and a guess at how much power he's used up.

No going back now; EIN will have been notified on you by now. Gotta take this guy down and absorb, pronto, and gotta do it low and fast. You're down to 421 kg, so use that agility to your advantage.

Close distance with him in an evasive pattern, continuing to fire your autoguns using explosive bullets. Once in close range, fire up both plasma swords, burning jetalium to cover the surge, but keeping cooling systems off to keep battery use lower. Keep dodging around him while cutting and firing, gel absorbing any bullets he puts into you. Avoid contact, since his larger mass will overwhelm and try to absorb yours.

Gotta ask yourself: What the heck does Sevener what this jetal gone for? What's in this room she wants? Because if this jetal is willing to say where "O Route" is, then what Sevener seeks has to be more than that. What the heck is in this room, other than a supercore jetal?
>>
No. 497190 ID: c4e5c2
File 136219465039.png - (14.48KB , 700x700 , 169.png )
497190

Once Alison gets away again, she slinks back behind pillars to recover some surge and rebuild her clothes so that she can be presentable.

"Mathematician, how much surge are his weapons using?
>It's hard to tell! He's varied his amounts for his plasma and sniper, but if he did use all his surge, then I think he used 1200 surge for the megabeam, and 400 each for all 3 plasma bolts and the weaker sniper. The last plasma might have been around 500 or 600."


"How do you feel about EIN?"
>"It's a tool of tyrannical control, only doing its job when convenient!"
"That's... blunt. What is an operative jetal an operative for?"
>"Go find out yourself! You came from the very building operative jetals come from!"
"Fine. What are you guarding then, that Yallows came to die for?!"
>"He came to see if this room, which powers O. Route, exists! And it does!"
"And you killed him for that?"
>"He doesn't belong in this world. He died decades ago!"
"Just tell me what O. Route is!"
>"And have you cause mass panic if you make it out of here? Absolutely not!"

>Look up highway exit 11
It looks like a generic accident of ill construction. Instead of rebuilding it, they just let it be and built around it.

40 seconds pass during the exchange, and she has most of her surge. However, if she uses the kilobeam to distract him, she doesn't think she'll be able to get him in close quarters combat, unless she fries a lot of jetalium to gold that and activate plasma sword. She doesn't know how well or bad this supercore is, but if she closes in on him, she likely will end up needing almost all the mass she has remaining. She's down to about a 1/3 of the mass she went in with, and it's taking her a lot of focus just to keep Unity moving at top speed from the heavy, quick losses.
>>
No. 497192 ID: d6ef5d

>You came from the very building operative jetals come from!
Oh, hell. They know where we're from. Even if Sevener left left it intact, we've lost our charger.

>This room powers O-route
...and our leveling it isn't a problem?

>how fight
Oh gods, I have no idea what we're doing anymore.
>>
No. 497194 ID: f2c20c

>>497190
>he died decades ago
>The existence of O. Route would cause mass panic

Um. Wait. Don't tell me... they KNOW this is a simulation and everyone here will cease to exist after its purpose is complete? Go on, ask him that.

Also shouldn't we still have drones keeping an eye on him? We should be able to tell how well off he is. Personally I think we should keep using kilobeams from range, dodge his laser snipers (they don't seem to do much permanent damage), and use columns to avoid the brunt of his megabeam attack.

The megabeam seems to be the biggest problem.
>>
No. 497195 ID: a5478c

>>497194
Let's be a bit more indirect first. Ask him what year it is.
>>
No. 497196 ID: 57a559

>>497190
Reveal that his entire existence is a simulation. Not only has Yallows died years in the past, but so has he. Yadda yadda yadda. I do believe gain can be made by the revelation here. He's nothing but an obstacle in a game designed for two compilation AI's to compete for survival, a historic simulation depicting a shining but dead era of the belosians. Now aliens reign supreme, creating a warp drive and ascending belosions and neumono and all the rest!
>>
No. 497197 ID: 735f4f

Either they know about the simulation. Or its some Belenosian super science thing that is horrible enough to keep this secret.
>>
No. 497198 ID: 76b151

... I think you guys are jumping the gun on the whole simulation thing. There is another answer. Memory backups and clones. Or they were robots with simulated memories.
>>
No. 497200 ID: b33427

Shout out that he must be sure of his victory if he's being so chatty, unless he's sure he'd be killed or worse for failing to stop you. If that's the case, does he have any other secrets that'd be useful to you he could let slip? Like how the hell Yallows and company appeared out of nowhere thirty years after they died?

He knows where your core is when it's out of cover, but as long as it's dark and you're quiet, he doesn't know where the rest of your body is. Test this by sticking your head out and pulling it back to see if he fires. If he doesn't, then you can use that to your advantage to make him waste shots and charge.

Stick your tail out into the main aisle, shifting your core up into your torso. Once enough tail is out, shift your core really fast down in and up-down evasive pattern it to make it look like you're running out, then as soon as he fires pull your core back forward while slithering forward behind cover. Then turn around, slip your core down to near your tail tip, put your body out from cover, then slither full speed across the main aisle and a bit closer to his position while shifting your core forward to get into cover.

Keep jumping around in cover to keep his surge down, and getting closer and closer to him. Once you're within charging distance, do some more core feinting to get within close attack range, then come down with all autoguns set to explosive bullets and both plasma swords with cooling systems on. Keep dodging around and hitting him for a bit, before disengaging, turning off swords, and taking cover again.

>This room powers O. Route
Then what the heck are these things in here that we're taking cover behind? They don't look like power equipment. Computers of some type? Something else? Better remember what they look like and look them up later.

>Yallows died decades ago; Doesn't belong in this world
Then who the heck was he? And for that matter, who're Loviro, Alys, Vinyl, Lopopo, Zyronn, and maybe even Felix? They were all awfully talkative for people that should have been dead for thirty years. We're gonna have to deeply investigate that once we're out of this fight.
>>
No. 497201 ID: 78c6ea

Hey, I'm off EIN's radar! Want help screwing with it? Let's stop fighting and join forces!
>>
No. 497202 ID: 78c6ea

>>497200

(In-game they were in cryo sleep for 30 years. Out-of-game they were created on the spot just like everything else.)
>>
No. 497203 ID: b33427

>>497201
EIN knows exactly where he is all the time, so taking him with us isn't an option. But, if he's as good as dead for failing here even if we spare his core, then maybe he'd be willing to spill some stuff if we leave him just enough jetalium to talk. And if whatever is in store for him is worse than death, then, if he wishes us to, we can kill him. Perhaps he'd give us something to help take down the emperors and lords?

>>497202
Yeah, but this jetal is talking like they were confirmed dead thirty years ago or something. What does it mean that Yallows "doesn't belong in this world?" And what about Felix? He wasn't thirty years older either. We're going to have to dig into him as well.
>>
No. 497204 ID: b33427

>>497200
Change in plan, since he's not going to let you run from cover to cover, running his keeping his surge low and running down his battery. You probably don't have enough time, mass, or cover to do that, and he's just going to take cover and charge up his MegaBeam if you try.

Instead, once you've got him to deplete his surge by feinting your core a couple times so he wastes plasma shots, shift your core down to the end of your tail, stick the rest of your body out of cover and point it at him, then pull your core out of cover and charge him.

Keep as much of your mass between your core and him as you can by bending so a line forms from your core through your snake body, your torso, and your head. In the dark he won't be able to tell you have that much mass in the way if he fires the laser sniper, and if he fires the plasma shot then dodge as best you can.

Once you get near, fire up both plasma swords on the same arm and use them together to slice chunks off him while firing explosive bullets to soften up those areas before slicing. But if his shield is still up you're going to have to retreat into cover again to recover and think up another plan.
>>
No. 497205 ID: 9ddf68

>>497203
the only reason the kill Yallows was because he removed his implants, Alys did the same thing but put hers back in when she was done so they only arrested her.
But yeah, we are going to have to do a lot of digging when were done here. Maybe even find some more allies other then the dead batteries, which we probably are going to do anyway since it seems the dead batteries are talking to some heavy hitters to move themselves up in the world.
As for a battle plan now, I say throw some bombs at the other jetal but make them smaller. Like 3 to 5 KG, use them more to distract and disorient him then to do damage as you close in for the kill with auto guns and beam swords.
>>
No. 497207 ID: b33427

>>497205
This idea would have been better about 40 b-seconds ago. As it stands we don't have 60 b-seconds, and Unity is running out of mass, fast. Lets skip it. The jetal probably wouldn't even be shaken by anything less than 30 kg anyway.

Do you still have recon drones out there, watching for where he is when he fires? Even if you do, stick some of those ball cams around as you move, so you'll have extra visual coverage for when he lights himself up firing.

Make sure Mathematician is watching for what he fires, how long he fires it for, and how long its been since he last fired to estimate how much surge he has. This is going to be important if you get close to him, since he could go to autoguns only long enough to get the surge for a MegaBeam, and you might not be able to get into enough cover in time to dodge that. Math keeping track of the numbers will give you a bit of warning if he's reaching around 1200 surge.
>>
No. 497208 ID: c4e5c2
File 136220411524.png - (65.91KB , 700x700 , 170.png )
497208

Alison's surge is near refilled, but the supercore's surge needs much more time to refill. So she keeps conversation short so that she doesn't let him recharge surge while she isn't. If combat goes as normal, she'll be able to just leave him enough jetalium to form a mouth or something.

"And our damage isn't a problem?"
>"Look at the pillars we destroyed."

The cams she threw out are destroyed, and although it might sound like a ruse to get Alison to look away, she still has cams on her back. The pillars aren't nearly as destroyed as expected, like they're reconstructing themselves. Somehow.

"Wait a second. Are you aware this is a simulation?"
>"... I should be the one who's surprised that apparently you knew! Yes, this room is not quite part of the reality most people think they are in."

He is still going to fight, Alison knows. She sticks her tail out. She doesn't think he can see in the dark very far, but might see her core if it pokes out. So she zigzags it down her tail as though she were running.

Energy Surge detected! It's the megabeam. He took the bait.
>>
No. 497209 ID: c4e5c2
File 136220413103.png - (124.16KB , 700x700 , 171.png )
497209

Alison knows the timing of the megabeam, now. She whips her tail back just before it fires, and rushes down the aisles to him. His autoguns fire, but there are too many pillars, reconstructed and untouched, that get in the way to do any significant harm.

The megabeam shuts off, replaced by a two plasma bolts. A strong one, and a weak one. More mass is lost. The autoguns have a clear shot, but Alison is almost on him. She charges up her plasma swords. He looks as enormous as he did when she entered - at first worrisome, but she is significantly smaller as well, so he must have shrunken a proportional amount.
>>
No. 497210 ID: c4e5c2
File 136220415831.png - (55.08KB , 700x700 , 172.png )
497210

His next response is somewhat unexpected, he rushes right at Alison without hesitation, regardless of not having any plasma swords. His movement is jittery and struggled, especially as the bullets she fired explode before he makes it to her.

Contact is nearly impossible to avoid, nonetheless. He may have underestimate Alison or overestimated himself, because as soon as they touch, Alison confirms he is worse off than her. Trying to absorb or control each other on contact, as it turns out, does not rely so much on active mass so much as it does the power of the core at its, well, its core. Maybe Sevener wasn't lying about that. He may have a much better lead on jetalium, but it is semi inert. Not enough to be free for the taking, but enough that he does not have as much control of it as he did earlier. She can lack some of his motion. Surface area, as usual, helps. She wraps herself around and constricts him. That may not be the best thing to do, but it felt like the right thing to do. She is not able to get his core's components yet, but she succeeds in locking those autoguns. Those are often the most fragile weapons, it seems. At least for the time, as he may still be able to recover even if Alison has him at the moment.

She detects a medium energy surge. The sniper. It nicks her core. Given everything, her jetalium shudders in something that feels like a robot trying to vomit. But Alison is suspecting that the core detection might only allow sight to a general area the core is in, not necessarily an accurate detection, as it was still a miss.

>"That's it!" Mathematician claims. "He's out of surge! I know it! But he recovers 36 a second and will regain control soon, so he'll be able to fire something again if you don't finish him off immediately!"
>"Burn mass if you need to." adds the engineer.


He is becoming slippery fast, and Alison starts feeling herself sink into him. It's that surge morphability core, he's still able to burn his own jetalium to quickly shapeshift.
>>
No. 497211 ID: 76b151

autoguns. instead of max mass go max fire rate, explosive rounds of course. Fill his body with bullets.
>>
No. 497214 ID: d6ef5d

Hey, constriction. That naga form finally paid off.

>If combat goes as normal, she'll be able to just leave him enough jetalium to form a mouth or something.
Yes, good idea. If we win this, we need to talk with him. These guys knowing they're in a simulation changes things.

>>497211
This, and plasma swords. Multitask. We need to chew through his entire body as quickly as possible, until we find his core. Then we need to separate it from the main jetalium mass and absorb.
>>
No. 497216 ID: f2c20c

>>497210
Slash his eyes out, and cut at anything thin and exposed. At the same time, go ahead and pump a Kilobeam into his center of mass. Burn your own mass to power it.
>>
No. 497217 ID: d6ef5d

Not sure eyes matter, at this range. He can aim attacks by touch since we're constricting him and he's globbing us. Plus he's got core sense.

Priority goes to disabling or removing his core as quickly as possible. (Although it would be really nice if the core took little enough damage that we could talk to it).
>>
No. 497218 ID: b33427

Looks like he's trying to engulf and pin you down, so shift downward so your mass is resting more on the floor, stop constricting, and expand your coil radius.

See if you can use his high morph "softness" against him by repositioning and constricting hard around the base of one of his flail arms to try and rip it off. Wind your body around to constrict in one spot, then leave a length, then coil and constrict right next to the first. Flex the length hard away, and rip that flail arm off.

At the same time as that, keep your torso up where you can work your plasma swords through his neck to sever his head and any other chunks you can. Don't let your hands get too far into the gashes, lest he close them over your hands to pin you.

>>497211
This sounds like a good idea, but it needs more mass to penetrate down to where his core would likely be. Use all autoguns, point blank, with varied max to half max mass explosive bullets. Fire to cover as much area surface area at as many depths as you can. Use them to sound out where his core is by feeling if he loses connection from a stunning hit.

>>497216
Keep the KiloBeam as a reserve option if you can't find his core fast enough, and use it to slice off extremities instead of center-mass, so you don't obliterate his core by accident.

>36 surge regen per second
Were the stats Sevener shared wrong, or did Math make a mistake?

>Surge Core Morph B burning mass to morph
Odd. With a name like that it sounds like it uses surge to increase morph, not depleting jetalium. Maybe we'll find out exactly what it is when we absorb his core.
>>
No. 497219 ID: d6ef5d

>things to ask if we win and capture a core we can still talk to.
*How do they know about the simulation?
*Do they know what's outside? (The contest?)
*How long has the simulation been running, from their perspective? We've only been inside for a b-day or so. And we assumed the simulation started when we entered. But what if it's been running since the beginning? What if the CAI battles upload to persistent virtual worlds, rather than restarting with a new game each time? (Might explain the resurrected criminals- they were killed in previous CAI battles, and brought back as plot devices for the new set of players?)

We need to decide if we want to tell him we're from outside the simulation. It has it's ups and downs. We might be able to work with them. Or at least, EIN might realize it can't afford to have us killed (if game over means simulation over). Or... we might make ourselves an even bigger threat (if the sim is continuous, or they realize a world ending player is even more dangerous than a rogue jetal).
>>
No. 497220 ID: 76b151

We also need to ask what he is gaurding up here. What is so important they'd give an A class weapon to a Jetal.

What is Sevener hoping to find?
>>
No. 497221 ID: 9ddf68

use your swords to lop off any exposed limbs like his flail tails and his head. I don't think he would have his core in there but if he does then you just cut him off form most of his jetalium and made all that easier to absorb. If you don't remove the core when you lop off some limbs do you think you could absorb those as well without paralyzing yourself, because if you can get some easy jetalium go for it but if it would be more of a hinder than a help just keep shooting and slashing at that jetal till he goes down
>>
No. 497222 ID: c4e5c2
File 136220940502.png - (15.74KB , 700x700 , 173.png )
497222

>36 surge per second. Mistake?
It has 24 surge/s, Alison is assuming it is using its cooling to get a bonus 50%.

Alison pulls out all of the autoguns along her tail and starts nailing him with mostly minimal mass with the occasional higher mass bullet.

"Move your core downward." Alison says, in a neutral tone that does not expect him to decide one way or the other of whether or not Alison has is best interests at heart. Either way, she only gives him about 4 b-seconds to do so before kilobeaming his face off. The bullets explode then as well, while the plasma continuously do their thing."

Finally, Alison can feel the core accessable.

Core Detection - Able to see a relatively wide jetal core glow inside of jetalium, so long as it is not obstructed by most opaque solid objects.
Plasma Shot Class B
Megabeam Class B
Shield Generator B


Alison slices out the core and leaves it a little jetalium, which is starts forming into a head. His main mass had 750 kg remaining. She can absorb 1 kg/s at 43% efficiency, or 1/5 kg/s at 76% efficiency.

"How do you know about the simulation?"
>"It's my job. We aren't all blind."
"Do you know what's outside?"
>"Another simulation, if I had to bet my life on it."
"How long has the simulation been running?"
>"I don't know. 20 years? 40? It doesn't matter."
"And what are you guarding up here?"
>"Guarding? Nothing. I am making sure anyone who does get nosey up here is taken care of appropriately. That's it. There are some documents in an office in the corner of this floor, but it does not tell you anything I have not already said."
>>
No. 497223 ID: 76b151

Ask what his partners will do with him defeated. Then ask where the sniper core is. We want that Class A.

... you know it wouldn't surprise me if Sevener is going to try and ambush the Sniper Core to get it.
>>
No. 497224 ID: d6ef5d

This place... is sort of outside the normal spacetime of the simulation isn't it? (The supercore sort of said as much, and Sevener implied there would be plenty of time to heal up between cores). We should have time to do a slower absorb and get more jetalium, I think.

We should charge our battery too, obviously. Who knows if we'll ever reach our charger again, and we'll need the juice to fight the rest of the supercore, or as we escape.

Keep talking to him as we eat. We need more information.

He's not wrong. There is another simulation outside of this one. ...we should know.

You said Yallows was already dead. The simulation resurrected him? And the implants were supposed to hide the truth about this world, and himself, from himself?

We should research, if possible, what happened 30 years ago when Yallows and co were last alive. That's likely the last time a CAI battle entered this simulation.

Last thing, we'll probably have to disable this core so he can't power up the other two. That means damaging him without destroying him.

Important to note: if this simulation is persistent, the things we do to people in it matter. If their world isn't going to end when we win or die, then our actions have lasting consequences.
>>
No. 497225 ID: f2c20c

>>497222
...oh god. We didn't pick a simulation to be created for this CAI Fight. We picked an already-running one to be inserted into. THE PEOPLE IN HERE ARE TRAPPED TOO! That's what O-route is, I bet. The way out of this simulation into the next layer, where we came from. Except, the next layer is worse than this one.

Confirm this with him. Also, tell him you're from the other simulation and are actually a group of AIs. Explain the CAI Fight thing too.

As for the documents... destroy them. If Sevener wants to get to O-route, she's going to have to cooperate with us. Not that I really think we should go to O-route.

If we could retrieve all the AIs trapped in the main contest and put them in this historical sim that runs even through reboots, that would be almost like saving them. Except... I fear that if we did that, the main contest would reboot anyway and then there would be copies of everyone going through that bloodbath. On the other hand, we could then escape through O-route and reenter the contest, right? Then we'd have two copies of everyone? Or two copies of the main players, at least.

I don't know, it seems kindof unlikely that there would be such a gaping security hole in the contest like this. I feel like it's more likely that time is frozen in the main simulation while we're in here. I wish there was a way to tell, like, a means of communication to the outside.
>>
No. 497226 ID: f2c20c

>>497224
I agree, we should do a slow absorb to prepare for the next fight. Even if that next fight is Sevener coming up the elevator to try to run past us to the documents.

Do a quick firing test of our new plasma shot and maybe even the megabeam.
>>
No. 497227 ID: d6ef5d

>I wish there was a way to tell, like, a means of communication to the outside.
I bet I know why there isn't a way to communicate normally with the contest from the simulation. They're on separate drives, or servers or whatever.

Why did entering the CAI battle feel uncomfortably like dying? Because we weren't being moved- we were being cut and pasted from one to the other.

And yeah, the contest-drive is probably paused while we're in here.
>>
No. 497228 ID: 9ddf68

if you have the time, absorb the most jetalium you can because I feel we are going to need it.
And on a side not what's stronger the class B kilobeam or the class B Megabeam
We should also hit that other room the jetal mentioned even if it has no new info on it, it could still be useful to have a hard copy.
>>497224
If things we do here and now carry over to the next CIA battle do you think that was because of a glitch, as in everything does reset somewhat but everyone forgets, Lazy programming, as in the people that made the CIA didn't really care to put a reset on the simulation, Or did they do it on purpose, because this whole thing is to train the AIs to become CIAs so by having you actions have lasting consequences would make certon decisions harder
>>
No. 497229 ID: f2c20c

Oh! Ask him who "Priat Kij" is.
>>
No. 497230 ID: 78c6ea

Ask him if he'd like to be friends.
>>
No. 497243 ID: 57a559

>>497222
Isn't it a bit cruel to follow the rules of the simulation, or to go with it? Who cares if people know about it if most of this simulation is meaningless. The simulation outside means something because at the end of the simulation we reach the real world and escape a horrific loop.

And if he kills specific people, his simulation will end so the simulation outside will continue. He should be fighting for a way out. Working for the system is retarded. Listen, is there anything around here about AI experiments? I believe that should be irrelevant to whatever the system inside this simulation cares about, but it could help us with the simulation above. We're an experiment in creating a compilation AI yadda yadda we're looping yadda yadda very immoral yadda yadda.
>>
No. 497248 ID: c4e5c2
File 136224525176.png - (17.58KB , 700x700 , 174.png )
497248

Alison starts using a straw absorb to gain as much as she can.

>Kilobeam or megabeam stronger?
The megabeam is stronger, at least, that's what the costs imply.

>Do a quick firing test of our new plasma shot and maybe even the megabeam.
It works about as expected, just stronger versions of the ones before.

Alison starts to wonder if Sevener will, or already has, ambushed another of the supercore jetals to gain its items, but finds this unlikely if she was not lying about EIN being able to simply shut her down if she started an illegal fight.

"What will your partners do to you, since you were defeated?"
>"Another thing that doesn't matter."
"In that case, where is the core with the sniper?"
>"As though I would tell you. It isn't enough to absorb me, is it?"
"It's nothing personal. Do you know who Priat Kij is?"
>"An operative dispatcher. Go ask him things. He's talkative enough."
"He wouldn't try to fight me?"
>"Operatives seldom care. As long as you don't leak that this is all simulated, nor try to break past the simulation, operatives don't intervene much. Not even the police here that that know it do much, they only make it look like they do."
"Oh.... you're not wrong, anyways. There is another simulation outside of this one."
>"Figures. Who knows how deep this goes."
"You should fight your way out."
>"No. It's a living, here, and it's real enough."
"You could help us. I'm a compilation AI in the simulation above, and it's been rebooting constantly."
>"Sounds like trouble. It doesn't interest me. I won't even ask how you got down here, then."

While she still can't do much while absorbing, she does manage a crawling pace of a slither so that she eventually gets to the office room building. After plasma swording the lock off, she is greeted by a wall of paper, envelopes, notes and so forth that teeter on drowning Alison.

"What is this?"
>"Data. As far as what runs the simulation is concerned, all these 'physical' papers are just lumps of data. Here, inside, it's a mess of papers that would take days to find a particular bit. An amazingly blunt, if careless, form of security."
>>
No. 497249 ID: 76b151

form a thousand eyes, assign a different person a couple strands of sticky hair and an eye. Go through ALL the documents. All of them.

Multi-Tasking!
>>
No. 497252 ID: 9ddf68

just skim the papers and try and find things on people and things of interest. like info on the three empires, what happened 30 years ago, see if you can find any info any of the 6 guys that 'built' you and sevener, look up Priat Kij, look up the O. Route, and maybe look up what operatives are and do. If we can find anything for any of these we will be in a much better position later
>>
No. 497256 ID: b33427

Thank the jetal-head for being oddly helpful when he probably should have been silent, then absorb the jetalium off of his core and lob it into a corner.

Text Sevener to ask is she saw the outcome of the fight, how much time you have until the building is out of lock-down and you have to get out, and if she's coming up here. That first question will tell you if she saw on camera that you came over here, and whether you can destroy this stuff without her knowing right away.

Are the lights still out in here? Perhaps if they are, and Sevener isn't coming up, you could read through as much as you can, engulf as much as you can of what you couldn't, then destroy what's left behind before leaving so Sevener can't get a hold of it, and won't know it's been destroyed until you're gone. That'll make her threat to "sic EIN" on you moot, 'cause you won't be trapped where she can just easily point EIN at you.

You may have to adjust your absorption strategy depending on how much time you have. Straw absorb until it gets close to the wire, then gel absorb to push your mass up high enough that you can engulf and carry a much mass inside yourself to straw absorb later, without compromising your mobility too much. Math can probably figure out the optimal combination here. Also, burn through some of your current body mass to recharge your battery completely while absorbing the new mass.

Get Engineer on figuring out what body form Unity can morph into in the time you have that'll be the best at sorting through this mess of paper. Perhaps something with hundreds of eyes along your body, with a pair of little arms and hands to hold and manipulate the documents to go with each eye. Get everyone in your house into Unity's "control booth" to operate those "reader stations." Use your drones and ball cams as additional eyes if needed, and expand your body out if need be as well.
>>
No. 497257 ID: 735f4f

Skimming this mess normally would be impossible. You would need a large team and a few days of work. If we could get it into our head that wouldn't be a problem.

Luckily it also makes it harder for Sevener to get the data. This stuff is dangerous enough that she probably cant have a bunch of police haul it off and sort it for her. We can destroy it but that would probably be a horrible idea in the long run. Unless we can morph into a hundred armed Salikai and give everyone its own camera arm. But we would probably need the surge morph upgrade from one of the other cores to do that fast enough.
>>
No. 497260 ID: 76b151

we can form multiple eyes, theres no reason we can't. We're also not doing anything important while we absorb all that jetallium.
>>
No. 497264 ID: d6ef5d

>don't leak that this is all simulated, nor try to break past the simulation
I didn't see the point in leaking it. Without proof, I figured no one would believe me. Or that if they did, they would only react badly. And... you're right. People do at least get to live their lives here. I don't want to ruin that. We're not that lucky.

I've no need to break past things, either, I think. So long as I don't get killed before I do what I came to do, I should already have a way out.

Do you know if anyone else like me has entered your world before? I don't know how long ago it would have happened in your time (different units, and time not necessarily passing at the same rate, and not knowing which cycle this particular CAI battle was last accessed), but if they did, I would think they'd have had to come through here as well.

Yallows... you said he was already dead. Did the simulation resurrect him?

This is read data, not write, right? I can't damage or change anything in the sim through it?

>snow job security
Call in some extra help, morph some extra limbs and eyes, and start digging for anything relevant. >>497252 This seems like a good list of topics to skim for.

>next thing
We need to go hunting for the rest of the supercore (once we're done absorbing and recharging). They'll be weaker without him, and we need their goodies. Regrettably, that means disabling the core we've taken prisoner so they lose access to his weapons as we hunt them. (Sorry).
>>
No. 497266 ID: b33427

>>497256
Oh, and you're looking for documents pertaining to "O. Route," "Priat Kij," the address of the building you're in, the address of the building over your old hideout, Loviro and Lopopo's groups, the Old Damascus Jetalium factory, the assassination of the Old Diamond Emperor in 3169, and anything else around that time. Also note any dates on the documents to figure out how old the oldest ones are. That'll give you an idea of how long this simulation has been active for.

>>497257
Sevener doesn't need a bunch of police to haul it off and go through it; She can just morph herself into a document reading machine to do the job herself. That is, if she's allowed to just sit here and grind through all this. She may not be allowed that much freedom yet, unless she's been brought in on the secret of this place, in which case the question is why she'd even need us to do this for her.

It may be we can't even destroy these documents; They'd just regenerate in their original location, same as the pillars. Test that out by reading one document from the top of the pile, then utterly destroying it with a low power plasma shot and see if it comes back.

>>497264
I'd be lovely if we could get to the other supercore jetals before this building is brought out of lock-down. If we do get the chance, we don't have to damage or destroy this jetal's core. We can just get it out of range by cutting a hole in the elevator car floor and dropping it down the elevator shaft, since the max range for supercore links is 100 meters, and we're 30 floors up. We'll have to leave him enough jetalium to survive the fall, though.
>>
No. 497272 ID: c4e5c2
File 136225064126.png - (24.61KB , 700x700 , 175.png )
497272

"Thanks for your help. And I don't see much point in leaking it. Has anyone like me entered your world before?"
>"... well, yes. It happens all the time." the Jetal answers.

The lights are still off, and Alison texts Sevener.
Did you see the outcome of the fight?
>You're alive, so yes. Good job. You must've fucked him up fast. He never alerted EIN. Which is good, because I can hold that over your head. Tell me what O. Route is, and I'll not alert EIN myself.
I'm still looking. Alison sort of lies. It is true she's still looking for more information.
>You've got time. Don't try anything funny.

Alison forms a couple more hands, and thicker hair, so that she can have a lot of people start mining through all of these papers.

It is almost all abstract info, but there's the occasional document on a person, place or thing that keeps her going. She tears one up, but it repairs itself like the pillar.

"You said this office didn't have anything I didn't know already." Alison notes to the jetal.
>"I also said I wasn't guarding anything. It isn't a big deal. Secondary objective is to not have people go messing through here. Not like it matters, like many things."

A b-hour or two passes. A document turns up. It's on Felix. She didn't waste all this time just to set something like this back down, so she opens it up.

Felix Jillson - Age 34, brain age 63
Ex-Criminal. Ex-Damascus Emperor follower. As of 3174, he is a trusted police member that works with operatives as needed.
Reason for AI indictment: Criminal actions
Felix is suspected to harbor treasonous thoughts towards [EXPUNGED] in regards to the disappearance of Vinyl Po and others. Available evidence did not lead to a death sentence, and instead his brain was harvested. Despite memory wipes, he constantly realized he was inside of the harvest simulation. He did not voice this discovery to the other harvested, even when he thought he was free to do so. Seeing that, operatives decided he was a trustworthy individual. He was placed on the force, where he acts as investigator one half of his shift, and is placed on sub-operative standby the other half, typically in recreational buildings.

>>
No. 497275 ID: 9ddf68

Ok take that, that is very interesting. Also if we ever come across Felix again do you think we would put him in danger if we brought this up, also keep digging it may be time consuming but it is starting to get interesting
>>
No. 497276 ID: 76b151

Oh hell. O-Route isn't an exit into our simulation. Its an exit into the 'real' world. Killing the Emerald Emperor here is useless. The real thing is elsewhere.

However I bet Jetal upgrades WILL carry over so it isn't pointless.
>>
No. 497277 ID: 735f4f

Oh man we are on a Belenosian evil science server. This is a simulation they put real people into. If its true it explains a ton. And gives us hope for getting into a real jetal body if we can escape.
>>
No. 497279 ID: d6ef5d

>Felix knows
Makes sense. Interesting that he's apparently a secret service cyborg, though. Maybe he's tougher than we gave him credit for.

>He never alerted EIN
...that's weird, shouldn't the other two in the supercores have done so? They would have know he was fighting someone. And he's still conscious, so he could do it himself.

They're choosing not to, for some reason.

>well, yes. It happens all the time.
Wait. This "harvester" simulation is persistent. Our contest isn't. If we keep entering here... we could have left messages. Data. Information not bound to the arbitrary and frustrating limits imposed by notes and logs!

>Belthosian-made simulation inside a simulation?
...oh fuck. You're kidding me. That's entirely possible, now. We'll have to get to Felix and see what he really knows.

Which means... the simulation could have still started when we entered. And the simulation inside the simulation just thinks it's been running for 30-40 years. And the people who come in all the time aren't contestants, but new belthosian matrix-prisoners. Hells.

Keep digging. Have we absorbed everything yet?
>>
No. 497281 ID: 735f4f

If its true then Felix and maybe a bunch more people here are brains in jars hooked up to this simulation. That or this is a simulation of brains hooked up to a simulation. I can understand why this jetal seems to not care about anything anymore.
>>
No. 497282 ID: 76b151

So lets get this straight.
We're in a Belonesion Simulation.
Which is in a CAI simulation.

We must go deeper!

In all seriousness we probably have most of the information we need to proceed now. However if we still have mass to absorb it doesn't hurt to read more. If we are done though tell Sevener we need to check on the other parts of the Super-Core as this place had only partial information and the Jetal here isn't willing to give a more complete picture.

If she presses you for what you found lay the bomb on her. We're in a Belonesion simulation. The only problem is getting out to complete our objective. Thats what we have to find out. DON'T tell her about the operator Jetal needing to be killed. Thats our secret and our way to win.
>>
No. 497285 ID: c4e5c2
File 136225375316.png - (14.68KB , 700x700 , 176.png )
497285

Alison has absorbed the jetalium around by this point, but she will still leave a bit for the jetal so she can drop him out of supercore range and not kill him.

"You also said Yallows was already dead. Did the simulation revive him?"
>"Not quite. Dead people are not revived, but missing people can be brought back. The simulation merely thinks he is missing."

Alison finds a document on O Route.

O. Route
The route used by operatives to leave the harvest simulation as needed.
Hours of operation: 0:00 to 2:00 every day. During this time, no less than 12 operatives will be on guard duty to intercept, through destruction or other means deemed suitable, any non-permitted cars that happen to be coming through. Jetals will be given jetalium for reconstruction. Robots will be reimplanted in the bodies they deposited prior to being plugged in. Organics will simply be unplugged. Brain ex-residents will be given a new robot body.


And another one. They are short, and seem to have an absolute minimum level of info.

Priat Kij
Operative dispatcher (Jetal). Located in sub-world warehouse between 25:00 and 75:00. In charge of operations that require abnormal, manual actions.


Alison keeps looking, but she is nearly through it all. Occasionally she finds a partial list, about 10 pages long, of people inside the simulation. Brains that were harvested. She flips through hundreds of these 10 page packets, only looking if one of the people she is interested in would be in the alphabetical listing, otherwise tossing it behind her. There must be hundreds of thousands of brains inside this simulation. Finally she gets to a 10 page packet with Y's. Yale C., Yale Y., Yajoza, Yako, Yakza, Yala, Yalkaza, Yalpwa....

"Yallows isn't listed here. It just skips over him." she tells the Jetal.
>"Of course. He is missing, and that list is a list of people well accounted for. Yallows was not in the simulation as much as he was a construct of the simulation, because someone out there thought Yallows had to exist in a certain place and time. And so he did. That is it, that is how the simulation works.

Sevener texts her.
>Damn you are taking forever.
I need you to check on the other supercores.
>Not till I know what O. Route is. In fact, the other supercores should've alerted EIN even if you did take out that guy before he knew what hit him. Fuckall, you converted him to your side after having a tea party, didn't you.
>>
No. 497286 ID: de262c

>>497285
Might as well tell her what you know.
>>
No. 497289 ID: d6ef5d

Oh, poor Yallows. He was an npc, and he found out.

>If we exit, we can take our shit with us.
Oh, nice. Maybe we want to take allies with us, too. We could bust Polatt out into the "real" world with us. Maybe Felix too.

>Fuckall, you converted him to your side after having a tea party, didn't you.
No, I still beat him up, actually. But he's proved surprisingly talkative. He doesn't seem to really care about stopping me or keeping secrets, though.

>tell Sevener
It's an exit. It's how they get in and out of the simulation. (Don't tell her it's a sim inside a sim if she doesn't already know. Don't tell her an operator needs to be absorbed first, either).
>>
No. 497291 ID: 57a559

>>497285
Message to her that he's really just very depressed and doesn't care too much about his job, he'll do it to defend himself, but he's not really active once he's been defeated. He knows this is a simulation, has always known. But he thinks it's a different kind of simulation than it already is.
>>
No. 497292 ID: 76b151

>>497289
sounds good. leave her guessing.

After the two other super cores (we're gonna need as many upgrades as possible for the O-Route) Lets go after Priatt. I bet he'll have the ultimate exit key to bring as many as needed. Hell maybe we can impersonate him on his exit route.
>>
No. 497295 ID: 662219

spill your guts. maybe it'll bring her a step closer to alliance.
>>
No. 497296 ID: 76b151

>>497295
She knows we are willing to ally with her. Unfortunately she just doesn't trust us not to sacrifice our victory over the CAI if it means most of us don't get out.

Also this simulation is an ultimate victory sorta deal. One side HAS to win. Or they don't exit. And the one that loses; dies.
>>
No. 497298 ID: b33427

Tell Sevener that you didn't exactly convert him to your side; He doesn't really give a fuck about what he's guarding, and isn't real happy about his position either. His supercore comrades are probably of the same attitude, since they didn't alert EIN. He's just keeping his trap shut 'cause of what'll happen to him for failing here. You're not sure what he'll do once you're done here. You might be able to cut a deal with him for his silence in exchange for help to cover up what happened.

Ask the jetal if you put everything back the way it was in here, and left enough jetalium behind for him to fake his full form, would he keep his mouth shut about what happened here.

Tell Sevener that all you found out about O Route is that there's an entrance to it via the collapsed highway exit 11 and it's open from 0:00 to 2:00 every day; She'll belive that's all you know 'cause you're such a goodie-goodie. Don't say that this is a simulation, or that she'd need operative access to use the O Route. If she knew she'd need operative status, she'd seek that out through official channels.

>Yallows is a simulation construct
Check if Loviro, Vinyl, Lopopo, Alys, and Zyronn are on those lists, just to confirm they're also all simulation constructs.
>>
No. 497299 ID: 735f4f

None of the O route stuff seems like it would help either of us much with killing the emperor so should be safe to let her know the basics. Just be careful that as soon as she has what she wants she does not turn on you. We still have to get out of here and taking on the other cores would give us some much needed equipment. We might have spent to much time gathering info though.
>>
No. 497302 ID: 04b86a

Ask the supercore what the harvest simulation is even for. I'd assume it's a prison, but the word harvest implies it's something more than that.

>Fuckall, you converted him to your side after having a tea party, didn't you.
Sadly, it seems I forgot to bring my fine china, so I had to tear him apart instead. He's just not interested in alerting EIN.

I still think we should try to get her to consider an alliance, so let's go ahead and tell her everything.

>>497296
Except if we can get Sevener to at least be willing to stop considering us an outright enemy then if she wins she can have resurrection reinstated.
>>
No. 497303 ID: 78c6ea

Suggested texts:

>Beat his ass, still working on friendship.
>O. Route is highly defended sim exit
>0:00 - 2:00
>exit to ?
>exit = winning? losing?
>so much paperwork :'(
>>
No. 497305 ID: d6ef5d

>alliance
The problem is, there's no way for an allied victory. Even if we combine forces to take down the emporer, we'll have to fight to the death for a tie breaker.

...although, actually, we might be able to work with that. It plays to Sevener's desire to learn as much of the sim as possible, and to beat our face in face.

If she's reluctant to let us go hunt the rest of the supercore, we should point out she still needs us. She can't do everything she needs to do to win legally, and she needs us to survive if she wants the simulation to continue. That means letting us get the firepower to handle the bounty on our head.

>Check if Loviro, Vinyl, Lopopo, Alys, and Zyronn are on those lists, just to confirm they're also all simulation constructs.
...I'll bet they are. They only came into existence is because those kids doing the school research project found out about them and believes they should exit.

Granted, everyone is kind of fake. Be they an npc AI created by the harvester simulation, or an AI on a chip / core / Belnos brain in the CAI simulation, or an AI from the contest simulation. Which layer of the onion you started on doesn't really change the fact they're all sentient beings.
>>
No. 497306 ID: 735f4f

Does make you wonder though. If we went through the O route would we end up in a jetal body in the real world? Or something else.
>>
No. 497307 ID: 76b151

>>497302
If she is telling the truth about her notes... then we've betrayed her at least 7 times. As long as we remain the goody-two-shoes we've proven ourselves to be she won't trust us not to do the same thing again. So she'll continue doing everything in her power to ensure that we don't interfere with finally ending the loops.
>>
No. 497310 ID: d6ef5d

>>497306
We'd still be a jetal. The note on the O-route said jetals using it would be given jetalium for reconstruction. Which means any weapon data we get, we can take with us. And possibly jetallium mass as well (depends on if exit gives everyone a standard amount of jetallium, or scales to match what you had inside).

Inside the CAI simulation, we've been loaded onto a jetal-core that's been plugged into the matrix harvester simulation.
>>
No. 497311 ID: 04b86a

>>497307
I never said it would be easy. It's just something to try for while we have the opportunity.
>>
No. 497312 ID: 76b151

>>497311
I agree, but not now. We want to win this simulation so we don't waste that free resurrection and giving her what she wants AND a way to kill us easily (siccing EIN on us) is too much.
>>
No. 497320 ID: b33427

Lets just tell Sevener that this world is a simulation of some sort inside the CAI contest simulation, and that all we found out about O Route is references that it's the way in and out of the simulation; Nothing about how to use it or where it is. Definite don't say that its used by operatives or needs operative clearance to use.
>>
No. 497323 ID: f2c20c

>>497285
Text her back, say no. You didn't convert him. He doesn't care about you, is all. He doesn't care about anything, because this isn't real even for him.

Tell her that they're aware this is a simulation, and that O.Route is the way out. Except, that doesn't lead to where we'd expect- it leads to a second Belenosian sim. We're in a double simulation for the purposes of the conflict between you and her. The documents say that this layer is called a "harvest" simulation, and seems to be a prison sentence for criminals. Tell her you'll inform her of how to get through O. Route as soon as you're done absorbing the other two jetals.

Ask the Jetal why they call this a harvest simulation. Also, tell him that there's a THIRD simulation past the simulation you get to after using O.Route. That's the one we came from- we weren't aware there were two simulations in this historical reenactment.
>>
No. 497330 ID: c4e5c2
File 136226356721.gif - (40.93KB , 700x700 , 177.gif )
497330

"Jetal, why is this called a harvest simulation?"
>"Again, go to the building you came out of to find out."
"There's also a third simulation past this one."
>"We covered this already. We're deep in, apparently."
"I don't think you understand."
>"I don't care."

Alison starts heading back to the elevator with the jetal still in her grasp.

Sevener, I have the info on O. Route, it's an escape out of this simulation. That is, this belenos place we're in right now is actually a simulation that they made, and O Route is a way into what they think is the real world. Or maybe a step closer to what they think it is. I'm not liking my position to tell you more. I'm too easy for you to kill.
>That's your own damn fault. Oh, you mean your position right now, I thought you meant in general. What did I tell you? I'll let your ass get out of here clean as a whistle if you tell me more, and won't if you don't. I already knew it was a simulation, of course I'd tell myself that. But the only reason why I wouldn't just have logged what was found up there would be that there is more learned up there than would fit in a single log. You have my word, which is more valuable than your words, that I won't harm you on your way out of this building if you tell me what you found.
Fine. O Route operates between 0:00 and 2:00, it's guarded. There were other documents that didn't mean much, although Yallows and Alys and the rest were killed 30 years ago, apparently the simulation here reconstructed them. I'll tell you more once I get word on where the other jetal supercore members were.
>Fine, but the other ones aren't exactly soundproof if you start blasting everywhere. EIN will get alerted even if the next supercore you attack is somehow cool with it, cause someone'll notice. There's a supercore member on floor 28 and 34, have fun fighting cops.
>>
No. 497331 ID: 76b151

rolled 2 = 2

Hmm, a coin toss eh?

1. 28
2. 34
>>
No. 497333 ID: 735f4f

Now when we absorb new abilities from the cores do they lose them? Or are we just copying them over to our core. Also what are our chances of luring them down to this floor. If they are going to get killed if Ein finds out about this then maybe we can blackmail them.
>>
No. 497334 ID: f2c20c

>>497330
We should probably leave that Jetal here. Unless we want to use it as a hostage?

Also let's go for the one on floor 28 first.
>>
No. 497335 ID: d6ef5d

Hmm. So we have a decision. Withdraw cleanly and work on the next phase of our plan, or try to level up on the next part of the supercore for more power, and likely get pinned by cops.

On the plus side, if we disable the core we have, or drop it out of range of the other two or something, they'll be weaker than he was. We'll be able to take them out quicker and steal their stuff.

On the downside, we then have to break a police cordon to escape afterwards, and we'll be delayed in getting to our next objective.

I guess I'm leaning supercore hunting? But I don't like that we don't have an exit strategy. Or that we might have to fight our way past cops. That'll ruin what chances we might have left of winning Felix over, and we might need him.

Maybe try Sevener again? I don't suppose she'd be willing to keep cooperating until we tied by taking out the emperor together? We both get what we want- we both get a chance to learn us much as we can about this simulation, she gets the satisfaction of trying to beat our face in, and we get the chance to try and pull our friendship bullshit.
>>
No. 497337 ID: 76b151

>>497335
we can do what we did before, go to just the edge of the smog line, jump and glide off.
>>
No. 497339 ID: d6ef5d

>>497337
That only worked because they locked down one building and the streets, and ignored the others. That was also when we were considered a lot less of a threat (our bounty went way up since then). The authorities want us a lot deader now. Nevermind if we actually kill any cops during the fight. I think the cordon is gonna be tighter, and the search much more serious this time.

Also- if we cross enough lines to piss Felix off, he'll just use the knowledge of what we did last time to try and catch us this time.
>>
No. 497340 ID: 76b151

Down is easier then up if we get surrounded and still want to fight the 3rd core after we defeat the 2nd. Just blast the elevator, then jump our way down a couple floors.
>>
No. 497342 ID: 04b86a

We could try to get the other two cores to come here.
>>
No. 497343 ID: b33427

>>497337
Also, the smog is gone right now. Wind kicked up and blew it out of the city. We'd also be closer to the ground so it'd be harder to glide away.
>>
No. 497344 ID: 76b151

>>497341
Now we know that this is a simulation I bet thats not a coincidence.
>>
No. 497345 ID: 76b151

>>497342
How though? This core obviously doesn't care that he fought. And neither do the other two. The only way they'd go is if EIN or someone high in EIN's heirarchy ordered them... and I doubt Sevener has that kinda clearance.
>>
No. 497349 ID: b33427

Alright, I think we need to hold our horses here. We have the time here, so lets figure out a clear entrance and exit strategy before engaging either of these supercore jetals, or we would be better off leaving them alone. Remember, we won't have the free time to absorb their mass like this one. In taking down that jetal and getting its modules we'd almost surely come out with much less mass than we started with.

It's pretty much a given that if EIN is pinged that we're here and engaging a supercore jetal, the response will be fierce. There's going to be attack helicopters at the windows, assault teams coming up from below, above, and the sides, every damn jetal for a 5 km radius rushing here. It's going to throw near everything at us.
>>
No. 497350 ID: 04b86a

>>497345
Hm, yes, his apathy is a bit problematic. I think we should offer an ultimatum: they can both come here and get one more chance to do their job and stop us from leaving, or we can break this jetal's core and then absorb and break the core of whichever jetal we end up going to next before making our escape. They obviously care enough about living to do their jobs, and if we're going to get EIN on our ass for this, we may as well go all out.
>>
No. 497352 ID: 76b151

>>497349
Honestly theres not much we can plan for. We can either go through the building or jump off of it.

Entrance on the other hand we could try a bit of trickery. Head on up in the super core's form. Carry his core with us so they sense him. Damage it so he can't transmit his abilities to them. Then do a megablast or something else suitable damaging right at where their core is. If we're good enough we might be able to put him down beore it becomes a full out battle with lots of noise and we won't attract attention.
>>
No. 497354 ID: b33427

>>497350
Bit of a problem in that they'll know we defeated their partner already, got his modules, and at least some of his mass. They're not going to come to the 30th floor for a rematch when they know we know they're coming, and we're stronger than before.

Plus, how are we supposed to contact them? We can't just slither up to them, now can we? Maybe Sevener has numbers for them, but they might not carry their phones while on duty.
>>
No. 497357 ID: b33427

>>497352
Damaging his core won't stop it from linking with the other supercores; It has to be destroyed, or moved out of range. Also, the other supercore jetals likely don't know exactly where this jetal's core is, just that it's close enough to link to.

If we're going through with this, we shouldn't go directly to either floor. Lets send a ground recon drone in the elevator to the floor we're targeting to scout it out first. Stick a ball cam in an inconspicuous spot in the elevator cab as well, to look out.
>>
No. 497359 ID: d6ef5d

>we won't have the free time to absorb their mass like this one. In taking down that jetal and getting its modules we'd almost surely come out with much less mass than we started with.
That's probably the best argument for being happy with what we got and taking our leave. Coming out at a net loss and surrounded by vengeful cops? Very bad situation.
>>
No. 497361 ID: 76b151

I really do think we need an A class weapon before we try the O-Route though. I have a feeling operatives will have the best of the best equipment and they WON'T be apathetic about losing.
>>
No. 497363 ID: b33427

I have to say that I favor leaving to fight another day, on a battlefield of our choosing, over taking on another supercore jetal right away and putting us in a situation where we'll be surrounded and not have time to absorb replacement mass. I'm not going to rule it out, but we're going to need to know as much as possible before going in, otherwise I'd say pull out and be happy with what we got.

Before choosing whether or not do take on these supercore jetals, we need to know what else is on the floors with them, and where they are on those floors. Ask Sevener to tell you both those things, after telling her the O Route info she wants. If it turns out they're in an odd area for a surprise attack, or the floors are packed with non-combatants or something, then break off and leave.

Our biggest advantage in the fight is that we can remove four of their modules, including that important Shield Generator B, just by getting this jetal we have out of supercore link range from them, or destroying it, but I'd rather give it a chance.

If we cut a hole in the floor of the elevator, we can drop this jetal down the elevator shaft right before we exit the elevator, and before our target has seen us. For this I'd choose floor 34, to make sure he's absolutely beyond 100 meters either of his partners, and to give him time to morph into something that can slow his fall. This way when we make our initial attack, four of our target's modules will blink out without notice, plus part of its battery and surge, and that'll put it off guard.
>>
No. 497366 ID: 735f4f

Leaving now will keep a bit of heat off of us but getting any class A mods will be at least this dangerous. So its have people after us now or later. Also our bounty has nowhere to go but up so we need power fast to stay alive.
>>
No. 497368 ID: 76b151

You know while we have Sevener's attention we might as well ask some other questions about her logs. Like if we've ever found out a way to preserve our memories from the typical wipe that goes on after we 'win'.
>>
No. 497370 ID: b33427

>>497352
Going in disguised as this supercore jetal might work, if we're lucky enough that the one we're going to attack isn't the next one in the shift rotation. They almost certainly have a strict protocol about shift changes, which would include that the one on duty doesn't leave its post until relieved by another that comes to it on the 30th floor.

>>497363
Also, if we go through with this, we should go in hard as soon as the target realizes we're not the real jetal. If we're at range, we'll use both KiloBeams with cooling, and burn mass to keep them going. Having two beams will mean we can trap him between them, especially if he doesn't have a shield.
>>
No. 497371 ID: f2c20c

>>497363
Separating this guy from the other supercore jetals is a VERY good idea and we should definitely do it.
>>
No. 497374 ID: d6ef5d

>we might as well ask some other questions about her logs
She already said she wouldn't tell us about those until we beat her and get her ghost. I wouldn't push about it now.
>>
No. 497381 ID: b33427

Now that I think about it, I'm completely against taking on either of the other supercores here. If we do that, then we're announcing that we've been in this building, seen the 30th floor, and read all the documents. So in addition to whatever response there will be for taking down a second supercore jetal and getting class A or B weapons, there's going to be even more of a response to us knowing what we know.

There's also the matter of when we do take down an operative, it's tantamount to pointing out that we're going for O. Route. They're going to seriously step up security on it, so that when we do go for it, there's not going to be a dozen operatives, there's going to be three or four dozen, plus who knows what else.

So I think the best course of action here is to put the jetal-head down on the 30th floor, shovel all the paper documents back into the closet, close the door, and head back out the way we came in without causing a fuss.
>>
No. 497382 ID: 735f4f

I would check with the head we got and see if luring the other cores down here is at least a possibility first. If that does not work it might be better to back off even though that laser is tempting.
>>
No. 497385 ID: 662219

I'm not opposed to just crushing this guy's core in and going to the next supercore, and massacre every enforcer that shows up along the way.
>>
No. 497426 ID: 9ddf68

I don't think fighting the other two jetals is a good move on our part. YES ONE of them has an A-class weapon JUST ONE of them, we have no idea which one that is and we have every bounty hunter in this city as well as the police AND military after our head, so even if we get one or both of the jetals we WILL be surrounded by the time we're done and even with an A class weapon I don't think that is a battle we could win and I think we would lose much more than we would gain if we tried to run and would have to wait even longer to get to the O route because we would have to heal/get however much jetalium we lost back to just stand a chance against 1 operative much less 12.
Plus aren't we going to see undertool tomorrow anyways, as in undertool the weapons dealer, I bet we could get an A class weapon then and maybe even one of our choosing. like that A class plasma sword we all have been fantasying about
>>
No. 497461 ID: b33427

>>497426
Yeah, this is pretty much right. While we could play the fight with one jetal conservatively (not burning mass to power surge, not using cooling systems, avoiding autoguns to not use mass, and sticking to energy weapons,) we still would lose mass to hits, and the fight would take longer so we might not even have time to gel absorb enough mass to recover, and possibly not even enough to recharge our batteries completely, before having to flee. So it'll most likely leave us in a bad position to make a getaway, and that's not someplace we want to be.

Unfortunately, the appointment with Undertool is more than two b-days out; 2 b-days, 22 b-hours, and 78 b-minutes, at 70:00 on the 401st to be exact. With the way things are going, we'd have to lay low to live that long, and if we lay low then that's time Sevener can use to get operative access and pass through O. Route.

Maybe there's a way to get an earlier appointment. Perhaps someone else in the Dead Batteries with an earlier appointment would be willing to trade theirs for ours if we paid them. Better text Polatt and ask if he could check that for us. We may also be able to arrange for an earlier time if we paid for Undertool to bump back another appointment. Gotta ask Polatt about that too.

Oh, and just so we remember, we do technically have a class A module; Core Detection. Not as bad as a class A weapon module, but still enough to get the nobles involved. Thankfully the only ones that know about it are the supercore jetals, and they're almost certainly not going to blab. Even if it is found out, we'll be long gone by then.
>>
No. 497463 ID: 76b151

Hmm, alright it looks like we're not going to go after the other Super Core members. So there is no reason to take this guy away from his post. Leave him here. Then lets head on out.

Don't forget to gather your cameras. We probably need to restock though anyway.

Heres a plan: Setup a watch around the O-Route. Find a jetal who is entering the simulation alone. Ambush them. Hopefully get that A Class weapon.
>>
No. 497517 ID: c4e5c2
File 136232821075.png - (15.80KB , 700x700 , 178.png )
497517

>Now when we absorb new abilities from the cores do they lose them?
They keep them.

It's a tough choice, but this building is too highly guarded, Alison believes. There are no windows or anything, and not even the A class sniper poked holes in the outer walls, so Alison will continue going to the elevator.

"Goodbye, supercore, thank you again for your assistance. I'll leave you here."
>"Bye."

Her cameras she tossed, and a couple more, were destroyed, but she still has several. She starts texting Sevener again as the elevator starts moving down.

Alright. There's There's not really much more. Sevener, if you're wanting to just learn as much about the simulation as you can, would you like to team up to take down the Sapphire Emperor, then we can have a duel afterwards?
>Hmph. This is how you inch me towards me turning my back on you, isn't it. Absolutely not. What do you even expect me to do? I'm under this simulated EIN. I can't fight anyone BUT you! And other shitty criminals.

During this, Alison jumps to texting Polatt.
Hey. I don't know if I can wait for Undertool's meeting. Is there a way I could pay to swap appointments with someone else?
>You do everything quick, huh. I'll see what I can find. Normally no one likes waiting a long time for his meetings, but two days isn't too bad. I'll see what I can find. You doing alright?
Yeah, I'm good, thank you.
>Care to share what you were, or are, doing?
>>
No. 497519 ID: 76b151

yes, but not over a phone. It'd have to be in person.
>>
No. 497520 ID: 57a559

>>497517
"Just getting a little philosophical is all. Meaning of life, nature of the universe, etc."
>>
No. 497521 ID: d6ef5d

>under EIN
You may have to end up breaking the rules anyways, if you plan to use O-route. Just because you decided to play by the rules of the prison doesn't mean the guards are going to let you use their exit.

>get me to turn my back
I have more to lose betraying any alliance than you would. I'm trying to get your cooperation and logs if I win- but you don't care what I'll think of you.

>what you were, or are, doing?
Tried to go digging into my own past, ended up sneaking into a police station, beating up a supercore, and discovering a vast government conspiracy. I'll share the details if you want, but I'm not sure you'll believe me.

Oh, and I discovered that jetal who hates me I was looking for somehow found a way to go legal. She's with the cops.

>form
We can stay Naga is we're sneaking through the sewers again, but if we're going out in public, I'd prefer to shift to a Belenos shape so we don't obviously ping as a jetal even at a distance.
>>
No. 497523 ID: d6ef5d

Oh, and check passwords first, make sure Sevener didn't somehow kill him and take his phone too.
>>
No. 497533 ID: b33427

Before going any further, confirm his identity. Don't reuse the previous pass phrase, since it could be compromised. Instead, ask him what was the very first thing he said to you, to confirm he's Polatt. Once he checks out, then continue.

Tell him that you're not sure whether or not to share what you've been doing with him. It's big, and would likely get him targeted for the rest of his days, which would probably be shorter for knowing it than he'd like. But if you do tell him, it's going to be face-to-face. Also say that you kept it on the down low, so it won't add to the heat on the Dead Batteries.

Tell Pollat you need to arrange a meet up to exchange a list of pass phrases and counter phrases for both of you to memorize to use when communicating, both in person and over the phone. You're also going to need a secondary contact with the Dead Batteries to come to the meet to memorize a separate list as well, in case Polatt's compromised or taken out. Tell him that the paranoia is wholly justified; You know there's been at least one leak from the DBs about you. Then tell him the pass phrase you'll use to confirm it's you at the meeting, and the one he'll use to confirm himself.

Ask Polatt how much does Undertool charge for his services, compared to your paycheck from the jewelry store heist. 'Cause you don't want to push up a meeting with him, only to come up short in the cash department. You're likely to be putting in a big order to him. You might have to take more Dead Batteries jobs, or have them act as middle-men to arrange jobs with others, before then.

Then ask Polatt how things have been going in the Dead Batteries. How's the heat been on them, and him, for being associated with you.

One last question: What would be serious enough for the government to completely lock-down all the phone and communication networks in the city? Make it so only government authorized devices can use it. You're not looking to cause that, but you'd like to know at what point they'd take such a drastic action.
>>
No. 497538 ID: 76b151

> One last question: What would be serious enough for the government to completely lock-down all the phone and communication networks in the city? Make it so only government authorized devices can use it. You're not looking to cause that, but you'd like to know at what point they'd take such a drastic action.

I don't think we should ask this. The rest sounds alright though. Also we should be aware that other Jetal might try to infiltrate our associates via shapeshifting so we should keep an eye out for anyone with cores. Who knows maybe someone wil have perfected 'move like a belonesian'
>>
No. 497539 ID: 9ddf68

Say you'll tell him in person if he wants as you don't really trust your phone right now. Also ask him if the dead batteries have anyone near our charging station because at first I was sure Sevener destroyed it but now I'm not so sure and if you feel like you can trust the dead batteries tell them to go inside the building to see if Vinyl and Loviro are ok... and maybe see if there is some way we could move our charging station to our dead battery hideout since we know Loviro's hideout isn't much of a hideout these days. Also on our to do list, I think we should destroy our phone or maybe just get a second one to use for 'privet' calls because if sevener has our number I think she could bug our phone if she felt like it.
>>
No. 497545 ID: b33427

>>497538
Yeah, you're right, that'd be a bit too telling to ask. It's something Unity could look up on her own anyway, since such a thing would be big news afterwards. Looking up what kind of responses the government has put down for various threats would be a good idea anyway.

>>497539
It's a given at this point that Loviro and Vinyl are either dead or in police custody, and the hideout is going to be guarded or at least watched, in anticipation that Unity might come back there. So sending any Dead Battery folks there would be pointless since they can't just rip the charger out of the wall and haul it away.

Destroying our phone is a bit hasty. It's a scrubbed, untraceable one, so the odds Sevener can get anything on it without actually getting her hands on it are next to nil. Though, we should have Polatt get us a second phone, just to have a backup in case one gets destroyed in a fight, and so we can easily control more drones at once. Keep the number on that phone strictly to him and one other trusted member of the Dead Batteries, so there isn't another leak like with Felix getting your number.

Oh, and we should ask Polatt to pick up a better quality, quieter flying recon drone and four replacement ball cameras for us; Take the cost out of our heist payment.
>>
No. 497571 ID: f37838

no.
>>
No. 497575 ID: f2c20c

>>497517
Tell him he'll likely find out shortly. It's a personal mission, but high profile.
>>
No. 497608 ID: c4e5c2
File 136236461711.png - (17.65KB , 700x700 , 179.png )
497608

Alison replies to Sevener, first.
I have more to lose betraying any alliance you would. I'm trying to get your cooperation and logs if I win, but you don't care what I'll think of you.
>Yeah? So if I did show my back, you'd risk your four thousand something guys just for the sake of honor, in the hopes you'll win and get the cooperation of one more?

And to Polatt.
First off, please tell me the first thing you said to me.
>What, verbatim? I know it was something about you looking like you were copying us, before we had you go in the electric shop to test out that hypothesis.
Good enough to convince Alison he's the real Polatt..
Alright. I'm going to make an arrangement of passwords when we see each other again. Also a second phone, this one could have been destroyed in the last fight I was in. And no, I don't care to share right now, Polatt. If I tell you, it'll be in person. Could you buy me a few more ballcams and a higher quality helicoper drone?
>Sure. Out of the jewelry job, as usual. Let me know when to pick you up. The boss is wanting to see you and bring you along for something. No hurry, just sometime today."
That will also be good, Alison thinks, to try and get a secondary contact she's familiar with in case Polatt is taken out.
How much money does undertool need anyway?
>Depends what you need, but you've got enough to get something from him, for sure. Even if we get an early appointment, your jewelry money will come sooner. It'll probably come around 70:00 tonight.
Good. And how are things with the Dead Batteries? How's the heat?
>They've been eyeing every car coming in and out of our building. Don't worry, we've got back ways in we'll bring you through. It's been tight, but there's been no blood or cogs yet.

Alison can go back to the dead batteries to check in with the Boss right now if she could, but Loviro and Vinyl are missing and out of contact. She may want to try to find them first, and Felix would be nice to come across again as well.
>>
No. 497610 ID: d6ef5d

Let's try and look for Felix. He was going after Vinyl anyways, so that's two birds with one stone. Plus, he's know what's been going on this whole time, and isn't terribly loyal to the establishment. He's potentially a useful ally.

If we're going out in public, shift to a new Belenos shape. Naga form IDs you as an obvious jetal, even at a distance. As a Belenos, people will only notice if they pay attention (or if they have core detection).

Keep an eye out, actually. See if our new core detection module allows us to ID jetals at a distance. Should make them stand out from the organics, cyborgs, and androids.
>>
No. 497611 ID: 76b151

Well first of all get back into Belonesian form.

Then ya lets try to find Loviro and Vinyl first. After that I think we should check out the entrance to O-Route. Maybe set up some discrete ballcams to watch it. Also keep an eye out for Jetal Cores. Just ot be on the safe side. Also see if you can't gauge how powerful they are by the intesity of their glow. Math or Scanner can take care of that. It'll be a good gauge for strengths when we have no forknowledge of our enemies.
>>
No. 497616 ID: c4e5c2
File 136236658969.png - (18.37KB , 700x700 , 180.png )
497616

She will be able to see other jetals using her core detection, although she doesn't know yet if she can tell how powerful someone is or not.

Alison will start switching to belenos form. She still does need time to change, so she starts with pulling in her tail while two belenos enter the elevator.

>"That's a very nice form you have." the girl says. "Be careful, there's been a powerful jetal said to be ravenously preying on other jetals, and not even Bodec was able to stop him."
>"I've never seen you, and most jetals stay recognizeable." the other one says. "What do you do here?"

Alison will spend some time looking for Vinyl and Loviro, and hopefully find Felix in the process. She would like to be able to avoid the hideout in case it is heavily watched, but given the lack of places Alison or anyone would know of to check, she may have to go to the hideout anyway to investigate.
>>
No. 497617 ID: 08005b

I manage the massive data stores, hence my multiple limbs and eyes.
>>
No. 497618 ID: f2c20c

Uh, I thought Sevener was going to give us a safe exit? Why are we just trying to walk out without telling her we're ready to go?

Get our cover story, jeez!
>>
No. 497619 ID: d6ef5d

>compliments on form
Well, that's a pleasant change from all the insults we've been getting lately! A long time since anyone said we looked nice.

>She would like to be able to avoid the hideout
That's kind of why I suggested going for Felix first. If he knows where Vinyl is, we can get to them through him without necessarily going back there.

>what say?
Thank them for the compliment, and their concern. We don't normally work here, we came for a meeting with someone. (We can give them Sevener's description if pressed. If they ask for a name, just say Alison since Unity is hot).
>>
No. 497622 ID: 57a559

>>497616
We hug people. Also organize meetings, in general you administrate things while having meetings with important people to get things done for the greater good. We do some charity work. What don't we do? Get laid, but no one cares about that.

Free hug?
>>
No. 497625 ID: 1110e8

>>497622
Best plan for social interaction.
Amendment: "I hug people!" *hugs them*
>>
No. 497626 ID: c4e5c2
File 136237245375.png - (11.43KB , 700x700 , 181.png )
497626

Alison could go for Felix first, but she doesn't know how to contact him since he destroyed his phone. Unless she just waltzes in a police station, she thinks. That is, until she remembers the very document on Felix saying that half his shifts are inside the Dead Battery's bar. He may not be there anymore, be he certainly could be.

Seven, I need a cover story for a safe escape!
>Oh, geez, just tell them you work on floor 79 and take a right out the second floor elevator and go straight till you get to the side exit. The scanners on the street have dispersed, just stick to an alleyways or rent a cab.

"Thank you very much. I work on floor 79." Alison pauses. "I hug people."
>"Oh. Geez. Uh... yeah, I'd probably want hugs too if I worked on that place." the guy says.
>>
No. 497627 ID: c4e5c2
File 136237246440.png - (11.91KB , 700x700 , 182.png )
497627

"... would you like one?"
>"... I think it's you who could use one. Hang in there."

What is on floor 79? Alison asks Sevener.
>Hell, I don't know, but people don't talk about it in anything more than whispers, so it's perfect.

It's left at that, so Alison texts Polatt.
Hey, I'd like to go to the bar, but if you're too busy with anything, don't worry about it. I've been asking you for a lot of things.
>Yeah, a lot of little things I can delegate to other guys. Giving you a ride just gives me a good excuse to delegate all that stuff, so I'm on my way.
>>
No. 497630 ID: c4e5c2
File 136237266141.png - (72.17KB , 700x700 , 183.png )
497630

The escape goes without issue. Sevener get's a trust-point in Alison's book, and Unity spends time morphing to a belenos while waiting for a ride from Polatt, which also comes without issue.

With her detection, now, she can see cores of jetals walking alongside the crowd. As it is, inside the car in the middle of the road, she merely sees the core lights bobbing up and down, or simply gliding, as the jetals walk or move alongside where the sidewalk must be.

>"So, now that we're in private, well, us and our trusted driver, you wanna tell me what's up? Actually, if it's that important, you may wanna just hold off till we're with the boss. He'd want to know."
>>
No. 497632 ID: 76b151

Mmm probably. I will give you a little hint though. What do you know aobut Harvester Simulations?
>>
No. 497633 ID: f2c20c

>>497630
Do not tell anyone this is a simulation. You don't want the operators to see you as a threat. Just THINKING about O.Route is enough to get their attention.

Just tell him you were fighting a supercore guarding some information that's of personal use to you.
>>
No. 497635 ID: 76b151

>>497633
I don't think so.If they had the ability to monitor thoughts we would have been picked up by Operators long ago. I'm pretty sure investigating O-Route is what gets you caught. Hence Alys and poor Yallows. They actually had to go the main building to get picked up.
>>
No. 497638 ID: d6ef5d

...I can't believe they actually believed hugging people was our job. The best part being, we weren't even lying. Alison is built for hugs (hair and tell for extra hugging!) and it's also the secret to our success.

>you wanna tell me what's up?
I can save the detailed version for the boss if you wanna wait, but the short version is I went digging into the mystery of how I came to be, which lead to sneaking into a police station, beating up 1/3 of a supercore, and uncovering a vast government conspiracy. Ever hear of a harvester simulation?

Oh, and apparently the jetal who hates me found a way to go legal and is working with the cops, too.

I'm going to try and see if I can get anything out of Felix, now. He actually found me pretty quick after we took out his bodyguard, but was nice enough not to sell me out to the rest of the cops.
>>
No. 497640 ID: 9ddf68

Well since we don't really know just how volatile this information really is I say we give him a warning first and if he persist then we tell him.
as for the warning just say something like
The things I found out would be considered kinda world shattering to most and if I tell you, or anyone for that matter It could shave years off your life, but if you still wish to know I will tell you. just trying to give you fair warning is all.
or something to that effect
>>
No. 497641 ID: ecdc93

Tell him it's too dangerous to know. We know that just thinking about this info is dangerous. That's why so many people installed implants in themselves to keep them from even *thinking* certain thoughts. That's also what the jetal we just fought told us, and it matches up with what we know. Don't get our friends killed with this info.
>>
No. 497645 ID: d6ef5d

>just thinking about this info is dangerous
Guys, the supercore was being figurative, not literal. Thinking about O-route is dangerous because it's a secret people will kill to keep secret, not because the matrix can read everyone's mind.

If they had that capacity, we'd be as good as dead already.
>>
No. 497646 ID: 76b151

Oh hell, why didn't I realize this when it was mentioned. Felix didn't have a jetal bodygaurd to prevent him from being attacked. He one to prevent him from going after the O-Route and to watch him.
>>
No. 497647 ID: c4e5c2
File 136237589501.png - (59.47KB , 700x700 , 184.png )
497647

"Took out a third of a supercore that had some personal info."
>"Shouldn't even be surprised you managed to take one out, geez. EIN didn't get on you? There was no commotion?"
"I'm surprised, too. Have you ever heard of a harvester simulation?"
>"You mean the simulation made to incite detached brains to think, thus keeping them from atrophying and able to generate processing power for the world's AI? The one that claims to have agents operating inside of it to keep everyone inside thinking it's the real world and, to further this, are given another harvester simulation inside of that harvester simulation, thus removing any surefire confidence from the average layman that they are, in fact, in the real world? Inciting laws to be made against ever speaking or thinking about it? That it's on the back of everyone's mind once they hear about the simulation, that there's the possibility they're just a brain in a jar - or better yet, a construct of a simulation to fill in the gaps - but never speak of it because theoretically the operatives inside can hear your thoughts? And that it would certainly make sense in our case, given the virtually nonexistent unemployment rate and the cheap government sales of drugs that happen to increase activity in the brain? Yeah, I've heard of that harvester simulation."
"Wait. They can read people's minds?"
>"Allegedly. And hey, brains in a jar and AI chips plugged in? Doesn't seem too farfetched they could scan us, does it? Everyone would be dead if they could read and deal with everyone like that, so they probably don't bother, but who knows."

>"Actually." The Recluse speaks. "That would explain the implants Loviro had installed."
>>
No. 497648 ID: 76b151

Huh if its in the back of everyones minds that they might be in one it must be a pain and half monitoring for delusions. I bet instead they look for entire swaths of people. Not just one or two so I think its safe to share with you and the boss but no further.

Anyway I found proof. That supercore was guarding a regenerating room that had information. Including get this, the operator entrance and exit. Theres a few more pieces that need to fall in place but I think I can get out.
>>
No. 497651 ID: d6ef5d

>Harvester Sim inside a Harvester Sim
Hmm. Gonna be tough to know when we reach the "real" world in this CAI battle, then. We could be in an arbitrary number of Harvester Sim recursions.

>Mind reading
Polatt's right in that they probably can't afford to read and process every single person's thoughts in real time.

So what they're probably doing is data-mining. Run everything through a computer, scanning all the noise for certain keywords. They start pining repeatedly on a single person (or group of people) and the authorities know there's a breach and they close in.

We can combat this by not using the keywords! Don't call it the harvester simulation, or the o-route, or operator jetals. Make up our own names for everything.

>That would explain the implants Loviro had installed.
Oh hells, good catch Recluse. Problem is, those work by suppressing the thought, not jamming the scanner. So we can't use it on ourselves, or to effectively protect the dead batteries.

You know the easiest way to tell Polatt we're in a harvester sim without saying it? (Since we're worries about mind readers?). Polatt- the people who woke me up. They had put implants in themselves. To stop prevent themselves from thinking certain things.
>>
No. 497652 ID: f2c20c

>>497647
Right. So they CAN read our minds. Let's not give him any further information. In fact, tell him not to worry about it.

You know, this simulation going on for about the same length as the CAI Contest makes me wonder if the CAI Contest is being run by belenosians, and there's a REAL harvest simulation powering the CAI Contest. I mean, think about it. You'd need a huge amount of processing power to run billions of AIs at once, and simulate the physics in all the simulations.

Not that I think O.Route would get us to the real world. Like I said before, that's a huge, obvious security hole that nobody would leave in. Personally, I think O.Route is the best way we have to kill the Sapphire Emperor. Just find his brain and disconnect it. Presto, one dead Emperor.
>>
No. 497653 ID: f2c20c

>>497651
I think the mind reading is a simple search for specific phrases. Like "this is a harvest simulation" or "I need to get to O. Route". You can do that in real time.
>>
No. 497654 ID: 57a559

>>497647
So are we going to be picked up soon since I assume that, since we are a jetal and/or a contestant in a CAI simulation contest game, we're immune to the brainscans, but Polatt isn't?

I think we just put Polatt in danger because his brain is probably firing off signals. Fucking great.
Hey, fun idea to protect Polatt and ruin everything, highjack a newsfeed with the words "You are in a harvest simulation, please go to O-route at this address to escape sim"
>>
No. 497656 ID: 78c6ea

>>497647

Well crap it can't be a harvester simulation then, because they wouldn't let anyone know what a harvester simulation was inside a harvester simulation. OR MAYBE THAT'S WHAT THEY WANT US TO THINK
>>
No. 497658 ID: d6ef5d

>this simulation going on for about the same length as the CAI
Supposedly. Just because the npcs inside the game think it's been running for 40 b-years doesn't mean it actually has.

Also- Sevener told us she had a log telling her this was a simulation inside a simulation. She's played this CAI battle before. That suggests pretty strongly that it's an instanced game (each CAI battle session starts a new game / new instance) rather than a persistent simulation that is entered repeatedly.

>>497654
I don't think Polatt's gonna get immediately picked up. This sounds like he's thought about it before and had his suspicions for a while. So long as we don't provide him with solid proof, we should be good, for now.

>>497653
That's why we make up our own jargon to beat the scans. The harvester sim is the matrix. The O-route is the ruby slippers. Whatever.
>>
No. 497663 ID: f2c20c

>>497658
Normally I would discount the fact that it's been running for that many years as coincidence, but they ALSO have people like us running through all the damn time. We've chosen this sim before for the CAI Fight, and that's been witnessed by these poor saps.
>>
No. 497664 ID: 9ddf68

... Why is nothing ever simple anymore, oh well.
If you think it is safe Ask just how strong these agents are.
oh and one more thing, a random thought of paranoia, Since Polatt knows so much and we never did find anything on him do you think he could be on of those agents meant to keep an eye on the criminal world. Don't really believe that one myself but thought it was worth mentioning
>>
No. 497666 ID: d6ef5d

>>497663
>but they ALSO have people like us running through all the damn time
I think he meant people from the next level up come down all the time. Not from the contest. New prisoners are probably harvested on a regular basis.
>>
No. 497682 ID: f2c20c

>>497666
...well in that case, maybe us showing up 40-odd b-years after the harvester simulation started is in line with the historical sim?

Maybe the big event we're replaying is a harvest simulation breakout and civil war?
>>
No. 497685 ID: b33427

Polatt, and anyone else we talk to about this, should be safe from detection as long as we speak hypothetically and don't drop any specifics or use information from the documents we read.

Ask Polatt when he started thinking a lot about such things, since it's obvious he has with a response like that. Anything in particular start him along that train of thought?

>>497658
How about we refer to it as the "Illusion," the O. Route as just the "Way Out," and the operatives as "agents."

Hypothesize to Polatt that agents of the Illusion most likely can only continuously search thoughts for facts and information about the Illusion that could either be used to severely destabilize the Illusion, or to escape the Illusion via a Way Out. So as long as someone doesn't know about such facts and information, doesn't think about them if they do know them, or is somehow prevented from thinking about them, they'll be safe from detection. Talking about this should give Polatt the hint about what you know and why you can't speak about it.

Then tell Polatt that you're looking forward to the both of you sitting down with the boss to share your thoughts on such things.

When we get to the bar, we shouldn't go in right away, since Felix almost certainly had another operative bodyguard/minder assigned to him by now. We best send Polatt in to slip him a note that asks if he's willing to share anything more with us.

Actually, before we go to the bar, we could drive by the hideout first, just to see if anything obvious happened there.
>>
No. 497686 ID: 78c6ea

>>497685

Better to talk about illusions in general. Make no reference to "the" illusion.
>>
No. 497690 ID: 17e4f3

too many fucking layers.

only tell him more if you're sure he isn't an NPC. though he doesn't seem to be the type who is prone to identity crises.
>>
No. 497713 ID: c4e5c2
File 136241249905.png - (66.49KB , 700x700 , 185.png )
497713

"Then I think I'll just talk about illusions in general. Which I think you are right, but agents of an illusion probably would only search for keywords or things to destabilize it. But I'll wait before saying much. Let's not worry about it now, and keep going to Felix."
>"Yeah. We'll be there soon."
"Do you know how strong these agents are?"
>"Some hearsay. Some say their strength is artificially doubled while in the illusion. Some say that to avoid having their A class weapons taken, if they're defeated, they're automatically destroyed in the real world or whatever illusion is above the one they were destroyed in."

A few minutes pass before Vinyl gives Alison a text.

>Hey. Sorry, lost my phone, had to get a new one and break its bugging. Loviro wants to see you. Says it's important.
Alright. Are you okay, Vinyl?
>Been better. I'm with Felix at the bar where you took out his bodyguard.
Did Loviro want to see me as soon as possible?
>Felix says that we all have one more night before Sapphire comes for us. Again. Well, his noble goons, anyway.


Vinyl adds in the address where Loviro is at, it's a hotel. It isn't far, although it is about 50 b-minutes away as opposed to the bar's 5.
>>
No. 497714 ID: 8fca75

We're like Shrek's favorite onion, so many fucking layers. Well, ask him how he know this was a harvester simulation.
>>
No. 497715 ID: 76b151

To the bar first. Lets ask if the Sapphire Emperor's elite Jetal are likely to have access to A Class weapons. Maybe we can help them out.
>>
No. 497716 ID: d6ef5d

>artificially stronger agents
Man, we really are starting to Matrix this up. We gotta figure out how to pull a Glitcher and start the one-ing all this stuff up (although, I think that might be what Loviro already did. He hacked the sim to create a stronger than usually allowed core).

>Vinyl
Check password, make sure it's not Sevener trying to play us again.

>1 real minute from bar, 10 from hotel
...the bar's close, but it sounds like we've already won Felix over. We don't need to meet in person if he's working through Vinyl. That just compromises his probable dependability and cuts into his time with the girl.

And if Loviro is ready to talk, I can't think of anything we could get out of Felix we couldn't get out of him.

Send Felix a thank you via Vinyl, and ask her to tell him that we found out what he couldn't tell us before.
>>
No. 497717 ID: d6ef5d

>>497714
No using the bad words! They'd just trip Vinyl's implants, and maybe ping the mind-reading again.
>>
No. 497718 ID: 76b151

>>497716
The reason we'd need to talk to Felix is he's the one that actually knows about current events. And I bet hes been keeping a close eye on the Sapphire Emperor and his goons.
>>
No. 497719 ID: 76b151

>>497716
The reason we'd need to talk to Felix is he's the one that actually knows about current events. And I bet hes been keeping a close eye on the Sapphire Emperor and his goons. Hes also the one who knows more about the simulation and can actually talk about it. We could get details on the Agents and other little details we might have missed.
>>
No. 497720 ID: d6ef5d

>>497718
I suppose there is that.

To avoid a potential disaster, text ahead to Vinyl. Ask her to ask Felix, if, hypothetically, he would be amicable to speaking with a jetal whom he's spoken with before. Or if that's the kind of sighting a lawman might be forced to take action on.
>>
No. 497722 ID: 9ddf68

ok If they actually check out as the real Vinyl and Loviro you could have them stay at your DB hideout if they need a place to stay. You know, the one we were given but never been to after we joined the DB
>>
No. 497723 ID: c4e5c2
File 136241554168.gif - (26.16KB , 700x600 , 186.gif )
497723

Alison checks Vinyl's password to make sure she is not Sevener again.

I'm coming to the bar, first, I'm close by. Are the Sapphire's elite likely to have A class weaponry?
>Likely? They feel like touching a B weapon is below them. And the bar is labeled close due to a crime scene, but just come in anyway.
And is Felix okay with me coming?
>Yeah.


Polatt and the driver will wait in the car at their own recommendation. They don't particularly like returning to the scene of a crime.

"Hey." Vinyl says as Unity enters.
>"Hello." Felix says, starting to lower his voice. "A hundred triggers happened a couple of hours ago. I'm going to assume that was you who hit the supercore?"
"Yes. Does Vinyl...?"
"I took out my implants." she says. "So I understand why Felix is a cop and would barely give me the time of day. I'm fake."
>"It's not like that. I'm a brain in a jar, dear, we're both as good as dead. But my long lost fiance coming back, only to get hunted down again? Let's not try to revive those days just to watch them die again. Sapphire's got it out for all of you, and he'll send in his guys to keep you all hushed even in a place like this."
"Something's been bothering me. I've triggered a whole lot of stuff, but there's been almost no one coming after me."
>"It's a bind. You're above the cop levels, but operatives can't kill other operatives. And that's what you were, a sleeping operative woken up by Loviro in the harvest warehouse. Naturally an operative jetal, but free from the rules and regulations that come with it. High ground people will come after you once they figure out what to do about you."
>>
No. 497725 ID: 57a559

>>497723
I suppose there's another operative jetal above the rules that turned herself in recently? Can you figure out what they may ultimately do with her?
>>
No. 497726 ID: 76b151

Oh hell, thats why we're so strong compared to other cores. Wait, does that mean we have the codes to use the exit already and all we have to do is defeat the gaurds?

Also ask how likely it is they'll send more then one goon to take down Loviro and Vinyl.
>>
No. 497728 ID: 440525

How awfully convenient. I think we should take advantage of this as much as possible in the little time we have, lets go see the boss as soon as possible.
>>
No. 497729 ID: 9ddf68

1) nice hat there I like it

2) ask if all three emperors exist outside of the illusion (fill them in on code words if you want or just say it outright -simulation- if you think it doesn't matter at this point) or just the sapphire emperor.

3)tell them you found a Way out if they want to go for it and maybe ask Felix just what kind of resistance can we expect if we go for it. The paper we grabbed did say if we got out we could just get ourselves a robot body or something right?
>>
No. 497730 ID: d6ef5d

>I'm fake
Don't let it get to you, Vinyl. We're all fake. Even the world where Felix is a brain in a jar isn't the real one. It doesn't matter which layer of simulations you "start" on, we're all AIs of one kind or another. We're still people though.

>We are an operator jetal
Ha! Called it. Certainly explains why we're tougher than normal.
>>
No. 497731 ID: 17e4f3

ask if they know about O. Route and if all operatives have the code in them, and if so, how we'd get it out of us.

I'm thinking we take it before the schedule and leave Sevener behind.
>>
No. 497732 ID: d6ef5d

Another obvious question: if they can't come after me, why haven't they come after everyone trying to help or work with me?

>take O-route before schedule
I don't think that would work. The o-route only exists at certain times. The rest of the time it's a perfectly ordinary collapsed tunnel to nowhere.
>>
No. 497736 ID: b33427

From now on, it may be for the best to not even speak about the harvester simulation specifics, lest someone you don't want to hear it hears it and pings the simulation mind readers. Using written notes and destroying them afterwards is the obvious choice. You might even be able to act as the paper for the notes, them writing on your sleeve, and you forming your responses in your jetalium, then wiping all the ink away. Ask Felix if such paranoia is justified in this situation.

Fill Felix and Vinyl in on what went down with Sevener; How she's gone legit and coerced you into getting her the info she needed. Ask if Sevener's gone legit, does that mean she can get her operative status reinstated right away and take the O. Route freely. Do you still have operative access and can use the O. Route if you can get to it?

Definitely confirm if the emperors are all brains-in-jars in the layer above, 'cause that'll make it much easier to take them down, if you can find where they are on the layer above.

Ask Felix what the deal was with those students that wanted to interview Loviro and company, back in the Old Damascus Jetalium factory. Were they from the layer above this one or something? Were they just simulation entities created out of thin air to fill a hole?

Also ask how far you can go in speaking with others in the simulation about this without setting off the mind readers. Just leave out specifics and facts, or do you have to avoid talking about certain concepts as well? 'Cause you'd like to get the Dead Batteries' and their allies aid in this, but don't want a load of operatives descending on them before they can help you.

Tell Felix and Vinyl you have an appointment with Undertool soon, and ask if he has any suggestions for gear you should purchase.

May as well knock back a bottle or two while you're here to digest for whatever energy you can get, since you won't be seeing a jetal charger for awhile, if ever again. Probably won't give much, but it's something.

>Operative jetals are destroyed on capture/attempted absorption
Confirm if this includes you and your rival jetal (Sevener) and what conditions trigger it. If so, it means there's no way to prolong the simulation contest by capturing the opponent and imprisoning them in this layer of the sim. It might be possible in the layer above this one, but the situation up there is unknown, so it'd not be likely.
>>
No. 497760 ID: c4e5c2
File 136242725709.gif - (19.23KB , 500x600 , 187.gif )
497760

"And there's another operative jetal that turned itself in?"
>"Yeah. Just heard about it, sorry I didn't catch on to alert you earlier."
"Do all three emperors exist outside of the illusion?... can we even talk about the illusion?"
>"Ill.. oh. Yes, it does not matter too much for us. I am trusted, you are an operative, sort of, and Vinyl is, to put it bluntly, screwed anyway. The emperors only outside of the illusion. Inside, they are only concepts, as the world is meant to behave as similar as possible to the real one, so the emperors here are effectively impossible to kill because they don't actually exist. There are differences in worlds, and so each layer is a bit different. It's expected that if there are as many as 10 layers, the deepest would be almost unrecognizeable. Unless I have been elaborately fooled, we are only on the second level, if the first is the real world. With the real Emperors."
"And they're not brains in a jar?"
>"No way, they're walking and talking at the top of the totem pole at the top of the totem pole pile."
"Thank you. Oh, and Vinyl, don't let it bug you, we're just as fake as anyone else. We're all AIs, one way or another. And Felix, I did find a way out."
>"The real world has nothing for me." Felix answers.
"This place does?"
>"I am at least technically alive. If you have found the way out, then you may be able to do it since even through a reset, your clearance level should persist. You won't have people like me or your own status to hold back the cops or worse, though. I hear crime is just as bad anyway, but down here, the cops just don't care, nor does anyone in the real world care much about what happens in world B so long as the brains keep on thinking."
"I take it it's impossible to go through O. Route off the scheduled hours?"
>"Correct. You would simply hit water at well over mach 1."
"And if I'm destroyed here, would my actual core be destroyed as well, being an operative?"
>"That is most likely correct. If you die at all, then your realworld core will be crushed. It is all automated, so if you leave successfully, you will be dropped in a vat of jetalium, although real world meta-operatives may be quick to respond. We can talk about the simulation here, but we don't talk about leaving too much. That will get too much heat. I'm already skimming the line over a plasma lake. Hell, I'm probably screwed anyway, but maybe seeing Vinyl is making a fool of me again."
"Gee, thanks." she retorts.
>>
No. 497763 ID: c4e5c2
File 136242745255.png - (18.28KB , 700x700 , 188.png )
497763

Alison gets a drink. The staff girls seem to know a private conversation when they see one, so they keep their distance.

"I have an appointment with someone who might be getting me illegal things. Do you have any suggestions?"
>"Whatever helps your goals."
"Right. Oh, what happened to those kids that wanted to interview Loviro and all? Were they constructed, or what?"
>"Some might've been. A girl in there I know was stricken with some disease the parents couldn't afford to cure, so taking out the brain and having a life in the simulation was the only way she could keep on living. Other than that downer, real hilarious story. It was for a school project, would you believe it. They found some scraps of information they called 'clues' and went mystery solving like some real sleuths until they convinced themselves Loviro and all would be there at a specific time. It was some nasty logic leaping they went through, but they convinced themselves so much that they convinced the illusion that Loviro was supposed to be there. The kids were shoo'd off, but I figure the simulation made their reason real, but it didn't take Loviro long to realize what was really going on, to which he bought and programmed up some implants to prevent an early demise. They wouldn't have needed them if they just kept their mouths shut, but Loviro, he's trying to work on something big. Enough so that he would have constantly had to think about the illusion and, you know, affecting the real world, so to speak. So I figure he wrote some notes down with the bare minimum he needed to know without getting some real intervention. Still, word got out they were back. We have the warrant for their arrest, but our list of warrants for arrest is strikingly similar to the list of the population as a whole. The real danger was that old Sapphire is after them, and the implants also would make it harder, if not much, to locate them. Either way, once a Sapphire lord comes to town, there's going to be fireworks."
>>
No. 497765 ID: 57a559

>>497761
Why Sapphire instead of Ruby or Emerald?
>>
No. 497769 ID: d6ef5d

Alright, we guessed right about the kids too. Sweet.

So... if we're so much trouble, why doesn't someone up a layer from us just go and shoot our helpless core? Seems like it would be a lot easier than fighting us on turf where we can fight back.

We think this is the B layer. Hypothetically though, is there any kind of test anyone in the A layer could preform to prove that's where they are?

After that, wish Felix good and Vinyl good luck. We're going to end up fighting. Maybe at least we'll draw enough attention that no one will care about them. Or heck, if we win, maybe things will get better.
>>
No. 497775 ID: 9ddf68

think we could get through the O route before the sapphire emperor comes down on us.

Also is there any place that Vinyl can go and be safe

and lastly will our weapons and mods come with us to the upper world or are we going to be a blank state again like when we started, because I would like to know what kind of chance we have when we're trying to escape the harvester building (as in the real one with all the brains, not the one we woke up in)
>>
No. 497776 ID: 78c6ea

You know, if the Sapphire Emperor is going to come here personally to grab up Loviro, we could conceivably kill him inside the harvester simulation. He'd be more vulnerable outside due to not being artificially boosted, but then we wouldn't have to go through O. Route with its unexpected (possibly unpleasant) results. For instance, I highly doubt that in the "real world" sim that gaining new weaponry is as simple as touching someone's core in here and the weapons just magically appear. As we were inserted into the sim from an extremely oblique angle, do we even have a core in the real world? From their perspective we might be a NPC Jetal. The challenge was to kill the one known as the Sapphire Emperor, but if trying to leave via O. Route just glitches then we're going to have to figure out a way to beat him in this level.
>>
No. 497777 ID: b33427

Just how prone to suggestion is the illusion? 'Cause with what that those students did, it looks like it could be influenced if enough people believe strongly enough something should be a certain way. Is that because the illusion is generated using the "brain power" of those in the illusion, and if enough of the brains align right, the illusion changes in some way?

Ask Felix how much damage the exit site can take before that way out there is shut down and moved to another site. You'd like to know if buying a remote controlled armored truck from Undertool filled with high explosives to send ahead of you to blow all the operatives away from the O. Route entrance is a viable strategy. Either that or something similarly destructive. Maybe send a whole mess of empty vehicles at it? The DBs could definitely help with that by rounding up a fleet of stolen vehicles. But that's getting ahead of ourselves.

>>497769
It might be that operatives on the layer above don't rip out targets in this layer because it would leave an inexplicable hole in the simulation. So the simulation would fill that hole with a simulated duplicate, which, while it couldn't go up the layers, would still be a threat. There's also the possibility it'd make a chunk of the simulation flip out at a part of it being removed outside of set procedures and parameters.

>>497776
From what I gather, the simulation construct Loviro used his knowledge to reset two actual operative jetal cores, so they should exist in the A level world. I'm just thinking that if we beat Sevener to that world level, we could take out her core before it disconnects, or snatch it before it's dropped into the jetalium tank.
>>
No. 497778 ID: d6ef5d

>>497776
He's not going to enter the sim personally, though. He's going to send his goons after us.
>>
No. 497835 ID: 78c6ea

>>497778

He will after none of his goons return intact.
>>
No. 497850 ID: e3aff6

>>497835
I think he would be more likely to directly effect (or even destroy) the simulation then to come in here personally in a way that leaves him vulnerable. Remember, he is a paranoid murderous dictator.
>>
No. 497858 ID: 76b151

I hope you don't mind if I fight for you anyway. You're among the first faces I saw and you helped me alot.
>>
No. 497861 ID: c4e5c2
File 136244729115.png - (61.20KB , 700x700 , 189.png )
497861

"You've been saying specifically Sapphire. What about Ruby, or Emerald?"
>"Sapphire is the one who killed Vinyl and everyone. Way past the Advisor's Clause passing, too, so damn illegal, but we've got no proof. It would be my word versus his."
"And he's the law."
>"It's also hard for even the advisors to get mad for something that happened decades ago." He gets another drink, and starts to show a buzz.
"Just how prone to suggestion is the illusion?"
>"Considerably. That's why most thoughts triggers don't do much on their own until lots of people think of them. Insane people, specially ones like hallucinatoes, are tagged so that the harvest simulation more or less ignores what they might think is real. Don't get your hopes up though, there is a such thing as a system reboot and recall to a previous session. You would have to do something amazing to get the real world to pull off something like that, but don't test your luck."
"I don't think I will, but is there any way for people in world A to test if they're actually in world A?"
>"No. Even people in a simulator 'remember' a time when there was no simulator. Ever since it was placed online, no one could know for sure anymore. Cept people like me. If you see an Emperor, then I'd know I was in the real world."
"It's another reason for me to look out for them. How much damage could O.Route take before it was disabled?"
>"The exit will automatically turn off if it blows up or something. You'll just have to plow through, clean and simple."
"And... why don't they just rip my real core out if I'm causing so much trouble?"
>"Operatives and other staff are concerned with the masses, not the individuals. Unless they're told to care about an individual. I don't think anyone in world A has been told to care about you, yet. And all you did so far is some property damage. Not even killed a construct, not that killing a construct in B is a crime in A. Yeah, you're on operator watch after the supercore incident, but not even operators care much about your perusing the documents, otherwise there'd be more than a single supercore hanging out in there. It's a cushiony job, an operative, not near as much responsibility as you would think."
"I can see, not that I'm complaining. Since that's not true for everyone, is there any place Vinyl can stay at safely?"
>"Nowhere."
"I don't fear death, kid. All AI's or not, I'm not the real Vinyl, all I am is a reconstruction that's trying to enjoy the last night she has with someone I apparently love." she says.
>"I have a question myself. Loviro does have it out for Sapphire, with good reason. He probably using you to get some vengeance. Is that what your goal is, Unity? Loviro's? You've got your own life, you know."

If Alison will, this is about as good a time as it would get to start going on about CAI simulations and what is actually going on.
>>
No. 497864 ID: 9ddf68

Vinyl, that's fucking depressing, haven't you ever heard of the phrase "I think therefor I am". Can you Think, Feel, do what you want to do? Let me answer that for you, YES YOU CAN if you couldn't then why are they sending a death squad after you instead of just reprogramming you, because you are real and I know your real because you exist, right here and now and that makes you as real as night and day, and don't your DARE say otherwise.

Also as for an actual plan lets see if we can't get to undertool sooner rather than later and bust through the O Route. Maybe see if Vinyl wants to come with to see if we can just stick her into some kind of robot like the documents said would happen if someone left the Harvester simulation, because if she is so sure she is going to die she can either stay here and wait to be shoot down like a sick animal or at least try and get out to see another day. One is certain death and one has a chance of her surviving. And if not well she said she didn't fear death so why not go down fighting.
>>
No. 497865 ID: 57a559

>>497861
Do it.
>>
No. 497867 ID: f2c20c

>>497861
Tell them that you have to kill the Sapphire Emperor.

And yeah, you might as well tell them about the CAI simulation. About how this is just a replaying of history. Over 9000 years in the past. Probably more like 10000.

And of your wish to save... all of the AIs in the simulation. In all the simulations, since apparently there's more than one. We don't know how many real AIs are in this one though. I mean, obviously the copy-pasted strippers and robot guards aren't real AIs. They don't talk or do anything interesting.
>>
No. 497868 ID: d6ef5d

If your feelings are real, I'm not sure how much the rest of it matters.

Well, good luck to the both of you. Try to stay safe. I'm going to fight. Maybe if I hit them hard enough, they'll have other things to worry about besides coming after you. If I actually win they certainly won't.

Hook up with Polatt, go see Loviro.

>what is your goal Unity?
>If Alison will, this is about as good a time as it would get to start going on about CAI simulations and what is actually going on.
Let's spill. We might as well.
>>
No. 497873 ID: d6ef5d

>Let's spill.
Elaborating:

Your "real world" isn't even as high as the simulation goes. I'm from the level above that, and it doesn't even pretend to be real. It's just one big, endlessly looping trillion AI death match that's been restarting forcing me and everyone I know to kill each other for years.

I'm trying to find a way to escape, and save everyone.

This whole world of yours... it's just another part of it. One more stage in the contest to be cleared. Two teams enter, each gets a jetal to pilot. First to take out the tyrant wins. The others die.

"Unity" isn't even one person, even. There's thousands of us in here, working together.

...and we're going to kill Sapphire. Because that's what we need to do to save ourselves, and because maybe it'll make your world better too. I don't know how it works, really. If things will keep going here, afterwards.
>>
No. 497874 ID: f2c20c

Oh, and when they inevitably ask why we would tell them such a shocking truth... well, the answer is we want them to spend what time they have not worrying about who is fake and who is dead. They are both as real as you are. We should feel free to tell them Alison's name and maybe even a few others there are inside Unity.
>>
No. 497875 ID: 76b151

Its actually Emerald we have to kill.
>>
No. 497880 ID: 04b86a

>>497861
Yeah, we do have our own life, as do the other 4,500 or so AI relaxing in our core right now. It's not always as pleasant as what we're doing right now as Unity, but we're hoping to fix that soon.

>>497875
I think you need to reread the thread. The second post clearly states that our main objective is to "Kill the one known as the Sapphire Emperor."

...Which I'm suddenly seeing a possible exploit for. Damn it, if that could actually work that would be a huge shortcut.
>>
No. 497885 ID: c4e5c2
File 136245049602.png - (11.97KB , 700x700 , 190.png )
497885

"Vinyl, that is depressing. Have you ever heard the phrase 'I think, therefore I am?" Alison hasn't, but apparently she knows of it anyway.
"I'm not thinking. My 'thoughts' are entirely powered by some leftover scraps from other people's brains that are shaved off to power things like me."
"No, you're not. And as far as this goes, Felix might look like a brain in a jar, and I might look like a jetal, but Unity powered by a collection of AI chips that comes from a simulation nine to ten thousand years in the future, and even world A is a simulation in my eyes. We're in a simulation of a simulation of a simulation."
>"... that's a tough pill to swallow, Unity."
"It sounded crazier after I said it, but it's the truth. It's fine if you don't believe me, but I still wanted to say it. My goal, since you asked, is to try and save everyone, because something is terribly wrong in my simulation. I would save the ones here, too, but I don't know if there's real AI's here too. I mean, a lot of those strippers just kind of stand around."
>"Could be there job. Even if they're constructs, if you talk to them and ask, they'll do more than stand around. The simulation only does whats needed. Or the simulation of the simulation, if your simulation is simulating this right. Well, of course it would be simuating it right as far as I'm concerned."
"You're taking this pretty well."
>"Could be that I'm just playing along. Either way, when you're in our position, it doesn't matter too much, huh?"
"That's why, Vinyl, you're as real as Felix or me. Now, to rescue everyone, or at least as many as I can, I have to kill the sapphire emperor."
>"... roundabout goal."
"It's complicated."
>"So what happens?"
"What?"
>"You said you're from the future. What happens?"
"I was born on a featureless platform hovering on a featureless abyss, and live in an abstracted world with limited rules, and even those rules are loose. I don't know much."
>"Ah."
"I'm still going to fight, Vinyl, even if you are still being ridiculously depressing."

Alison reaches into Unity's pocket to pay for her drink. Once she thinks of it, she pulls out ten thousand. It's little compared to the jewelry heist, and where she's going, she won't need it.

"Here, take this ten thousand... wait, is that Loviro?"
>"Yeah. We were all sunshine back after we took out the old empire and robot kingdom. Honored by the emperors through a paper bill, killed by an emperor. Go figure."
"Well... take it. Enjoy yourselves, you two. My real name is Alison. I would like to introduce you to everyone, but there are thousands of us, believe it or not. Goodbye."
>>
No. 497886 ID: c4e5c2
File 136245051405.png - (6.30KB , 800x500 , 191.png )
497886

Alison gets a ride from Polatt to head to Loviro next. It's a public hotel, and is probably only slightly better than the old hideout. She knocks on the door.

>"Who is it?"
"It's... uh, your jetal." Alison doesn't want to shout Unity through the door and, by proxy, down the halls.
>"Good. You can prove it to me, then?"
>>
No. 497891 ID: f2c20c

>>497886
Um... you knew something you shouldn't have upon your birth. She called it an "anomaly".
>>
No. 497892 ID: 76b151

The first thing you said to me was :
"There! There it is! Vinyl, get in here, I told you they wouldn't disable my creations! Just needed to warm up after all that dust collecting."
>>
No. 497893 ID: 9ddf68

give him the password you came up with and claim that you are his child and if he doesn't want you to start calling him daddy he should open the door.
>>
No. 497895 ID: d6ef5d

>You can prove it to me, then?
I can't prove anything, Loviro. I'm a jetal without a fixed face, and we're all living in an illusion anyways.

But I can say the first thing you saw me transform into after I woke up was a red naga girl. And I can repeat back anything we ever said to each other in conversation, if you want.
>>
No. 497900 ID: b33427

Best not to shout or even say anything around here, so hold up your palm in view of the peephole camera and form the words of your response there. Or tap it into your smartphone and hold that up. Whichever is easier.

>>497891
>>497892
Uh. Didn't we exchange pass phrases with Loviro for just such a situation as this? We haven't used the one for Loviro yet, so it should be good.

However, if he wants something more, tell him that right after you awakened you asked about the Sapphire Emperor when you shouldn't have known anything, and he called it an "anomaly," and that your first form after the armored, four legged creature, was a red naga, describing that form since Belenos likely doesn't have nagas in their mythology.

Before leaving here, exchange new pass phrases, even though it's unlikely you'll see Loviro again.
>>
No. 497903 ID: 78c6ea

I don't know why he's bothering worrying now. If his enemies have got this close to finding him, they're going to break down the door without asking questions.
>>
No. 497904 ID: cee0ad

>>497892
>>497893
These two together.
>>
No. 497916 ID: c4e5c2
File 136245473767.png - (17.64KB , 700x700 , 192.png )
497916

Alison says her side of the password before continuing to speak carefully into the door without chance of being overheard.

"The first thing I heard from you was 'There! There it is! Vinyl, get in here', you would then notice I knew something I shouldn't have and called it an anomaly. I then turned into a red naga girl, that is, a girl with a long tail replacing the legs. But Loviro, I can't prove anything, I'm a jetal without a fixed face. Please open the door before I start calling you da-"
The door goes open before she finishes.
>"That is enough! Can't be too careful, but to be frank, if you were an enemy jetal, you would simply have torn off the door regardless, but I did so worry you somehow wouldn't make it when I was so close to giving you a gift. Come inside, make yourself at home. Now, I don't have much time for this world, not like I am sad to see it go."
"You have your implants out, I take it?"
>"Yes. Vinyl texted me after you left. And your story, of your own world, and that this, all of this, is one big simulation. To be honest, I think you have a screw loose, but what I 'think' is of no concern. If I am where I have thought I am, then I will want you to kill the sapphire emperor. If this is not where I am, and your story is true, then I would still play it out as it all went and hope that I may relive causing the sapphire emperor's death. Assuming, of course, that is how it went accordingly to your history books. And if a strange story is what is necessary for you to personally wish for his death as well, then all the better. And I do have something that may help. Push some of your jetalium into this socket. Yes."

Plasma Sword: Class A gained!

"Class A?"

>"Class A. I designed this one myself, and stashed it off an old dirt road a bit out of town. I only had to put in the implants to believe it was the real world, and have the simulation plant them for me. After all, I thought I was in the real world! And so they were. It is a shame I could not cheat the system more. The harvest seems to be able to detect confidence and hallucinogen implants, so I'm afraid I could not get you 30 class S tera-zeta-instant-death-beams that cost no surge or battery. Anyway, I apologize for not giving this to you first, but a single class A weapon would not protect you from the heat a class A brings, and besides that, it is not thoroughly tested. I have confidence it works, but there is that. I would have waited awhile longer, but it has not even been a day, and my time is out."
>>
No. 497921 ID: 76b151

There is a class S?

Also I'll do my best to protect you all when they come for you. Do you have any clue how many they'll send?
>>
No. 497925 ID: 735f4f

We should find out more about how to game the simulation. Not sure if we can do something like what he did but would worth testing.
>>
No. 497930 ID: 57a559

>>497916
Does he know how to code AI, perhaps? How to build a compilation AI? We can give him a rundown. Maybe even absorb him into Unity's lobby somehow. Does he know who built EIN? Is there a real EIN? That might be a basis for a real life CAI we can build off from to help deal with our own CAI in our simulation. If we could get Loviro in our own lobby... he'd be an incredible asset. His brains would be incredibly useful. WE want him to hack the world itself, if possible. Which it theoretically should be. There's code EVERYWHERE.
>>
No. 497932 ID: cee0ad

Lago i swear the way you draw those nose looks like a smile which causes me to smile :3
>>
No. 497933 ID: d6ef5d

Guardsman: begin gleeful exultation and bouncing around in anticipation of awesome the class A sword plasma sword is going to be.

Does he have details on the function of the sword? Surge and battery requirements? Or... a measure of how dangerous it is? We've heard class A can level city blocks.

I know my story seems hard to believe. But it's how I knew right away to ask after the emperor. It was given as the objective when I entered. It's also how I knew I would have an opponent. And it's what gives me an edge besides the operator core- with more than one of us in here we can divide tasks in the middle of battle, with different personalities controlling different pieces, paying attention to different things.

...and if I'm right, maybe there's hope for you after all. Even if the worst happens, if you're all AIs, then you've gotta be backed up somewhere, same as us. Maybe I can save you all too.

>I apologize for not doing more
You did what you could. Honest help, freely given, is rare where I come from. Thank you. *Hugs*.
>>
No. 497934 ID: cee0ad

>>497930
Ain't nobody got time fo dat! We just need to rip and tear. pffff it'll be fiiiiiine.
>>
No. 497935 ID: f2c20c

What's our time looking like?

Tell him if it makes him feel any better, your rival is going after the Sapphire Emperor as well. So long as you don't both die, the Sapphire Emperor is doomed. Oh, and you may as well report that Yallows is dead.
>>
No. 497941 ID: 798822

Are CAI's even a thing at this point in Belenosian history...?
>>
No. 497944 ID: b33427

Ask Loviro if there's anything more he could or would do to help you before all the Emperor's men come for him.

>>497925
Yeah, ask more about this. It wouldn't help in world A, but in here it might help get you to and through O. Route. Unfortunately, how would we fool ourselves enough to get the simulation to act on it? We can't just stick an implant in like Loviro. Maybe we could get another person to do it for us?

>30 class S tera-zeta-instant-death-beams that cost no surge or battery
Sadly, even if Loviro did trick the simulation into giving you those weapons, they certainly wouldn't work in the stricter "real world" level. Actually, on that subject, is Loviro reasonably sure that this class A plasma sword will work up there?

>>497933
Yes, definitely give hugs before leaving, and say you wished you didn't have to careen forward in this world like you had to. You would have liked to had experienced it more before it was gone.

...Huh. It's probably nothing, but with your horns the way you put them, you kinda look like you could be Loviro's daughter.
>>
No. 497945 ID: 57a559

>>497941
I speculate that there's a base for CAI research here somewhere, it looks like almost everything has been invented around this time period save the warp drive, and immoral research is not against the law. If there's a single simulation that can help us understand AI and how they work, we're in the right place. We're probably surrounded by the greatest minds in galactic history when it comes to artificial intelligence.
>>
No. 497953 ID: 9ddf68

Ok Loviro you're awesome, give him a hug
next I guess if we got time go see the dead batteries boss and see what he wants then see if we can meet undertool before anywhere between 0:00 and 2:00 and then hit that O route exit. Maybe see if Loviro would like to come with or if he's just going to stay here. If the later you should tell him to go to the Dead batteries bar and at least hang out with friends before the end. Oh and as you leave (if he stays behind) say your goodbyes and call him dad, as I don't think he likes it when you call him that and I find it funny to see his reactions.
>>
No. 497990 ID: 38a6a1

maybe this guy knows more tricks about fooling the simulation. ask them.

although on the other hand, I'm worried about spreading this much word of the Matrix. we promised to tell the Dead Batteries boss, so after him, we should probably keep this hush-hush, and also tell him and also this guy to do so.
>>
No. 498014 ID: d6ef5d

Oh. Important question: can we take the O-route already because of what kind of core we are? Or was the code we need lost when he reset us? If so, that will mean we have to hunt down an operative core and absorb it.
>>
No. 498028 ID: c4e5c2
File 136250141243.png - (12.03KB , 700x700 , 193.png )
498028

It is currently 50:19.

"And it'll work up there?"
>"Of course, it was designed up there! Of course, I spent some time today making sure that it would, as for all I know the simulation just made a useless box with a fancy name scrawled on it. Since I did make it, I would spot any errors, and so the simulation could not afford any slack."
"And there's a Class S?"
>"Not officially, but there is some meaningless legal jargon that defines 'class A', and there is an upper limit, implying it is possible to go beyond."
"Ah. By the way, do you know much about compilation AI's?"
>"AI's working together in the same environment? That's practically what the harvest is, in a sense. But I don't work with that as much as I do with regular AI."
"Do you have any details on the plasma sword?"
>"It can change its form quickly, so it is possible to launch it like it is a lance at a range of 8 meters. It is actually quite simple, if you are expecting it to shoot fireworks on initiation, you will be disappointed."
"Is there a real EIN, by the way?"
>"Down here? I doubt it. Up there, yes."
"Okay, thank you very much, Loviro. You did what you could, so don't apologize for that."
>"You're... welcome."
"Also... I don't think I can even wield this sword yet."
>"A shame. You'll have to get a far better battery, but that is also a reason to not bother sharing it at first."

Plasma sword stats:
http://tgchan.org/wiki/Unnatural_Selection_Stats#Plasma_Sword[/spoiler]
>>
No. 498031 ID: c4e5c2
File 136250151665.png - (18.62KB , 700x700 , 194.png )
498031

"How would we game the simulation?"
>"Like I was created, it may require convincing some people that such and such thing exists and is in such and such location. I would be careful doing such things, as the simulation may skimp on details we may take for granted, as could have been the case with the plasma weapon I gave you."
"And can I go through O Route because of the kind of core I am?"
>"Ah, yes, you are an operative, that part was not lost on reset. It will work."
"Alright. Would you like to stay at the dead battery's place? At least have some people to socialize with? I'm going to try to protect you if it's at all possible, but if this is your last night, it isn't right to have to spend it alone. Do you know how many they would send?"
>"If I guess correctly, it will attempt to be handled subtly, so only one noble will come for me. Sweet thoughts to offer me a place, but gangs aren't befitting company for me. And whoever comes for me won't care about causing collateral damage even for old me. The simulation certainly didn't skimp on my age. I will be fine, Unity, I'm just glad I was able to wake you up. It was not befitting for you to have to sit in a warehouse, asleep, for all these years. Unless, ha, your story is true."

>"Sevener is making the news, now, Alison." scanner reports. "She apparently just turned in one of the bigger crime lord bounties. Oh, and now the news is going back to the small little happy stories. Apparently that hug in the elevator was caught on a security camera, and is on the news now."
>"Whatever! Let's test the plasma sword!" says the guardsman.
"We don't have the battery for it."

Alison also received a text from Polatt during Loviro's conversation.
>Hey, Unity. Bodec contacted us. He's requesting a showdown.
>>
No. 498034 ID: d6ef5d

>O-route
Does everyone using the O-route need operator status, or just one person per party? Would it be possible to bring anyone with me?

>Sevener making a move
Obviously, she plans on using the O-route tonight as well.

Actually, what name did the news use to describe her?

>Apparently that hug in the elevator was caught on a security camera, and is on the news now.
So... does that mean the public perception of Unity as a ravenous danger has shifted at all? Or you mean the anonymous hugcam was just worked into the propaganda feed. XD

>Bodec wants a showdown
If this isn't a setup, a one on one with him is not a bad idea. We need to upgrade our battery, after all, and he's small fry compared to what's coming.

Does he have a location where we can throw down without him frying innocent bystanders this time? And where we can settle things without EIN or the cops getting in the way?

What's our timeframe, though? Do we have time to meet with the dead batteries and explain what's going down, or meet with the Undertool? (If we don't have time to go meet with the DBs, we should at least give Polatt a summary during the car ride. He deserves that much).
>>
No. 498036 ID: 9ddf68

Well if we're going to leave I guess call Polatt to see how our meeting with undertool is going, then head off to the dead Batteries boss to see what he wants and if we still have time after that then we can go kick Bodec's ass. Then if we can get to undertool before we go get whatever we can and then Bust through the O Route. We might also run into Sevener on the way there so we should be ready for that as well, because I'm not sure if she would help us brake through so she could learn more about the CIA battle or just attack us because she doesn't trust us not to do the same to her.
>>
No. 498038 ID: c4e5c2
File 136250417972.png - (14.46KB , 700x700 , 195.png )
498038

"Does everyone using the O Route need operator status, or just one person per party?"
>"Everyone."
"Is it possible to bring anyone with me?"
>"Only if you manage to get them operator status. I don't know how you would. I'm sorry, you may have to go it alone."

"Scanner, did they recognize my naga form as Unity, or was it just put on as the propaganda feed?"
>"Just propaganda."
"And what did they say about Sevener? What name did they use?"
>"Anya. An up and coming jetal officer. She was put in positive light, it was actually more propaganda feed than actual news."

Polatt, does Bodec have a place for a one on one where others won't get in the way?
>Yeah. Perfect, in fact. Wratch, a ghost town about 2 hours out of here. There was a nuclear meltdown there, and the town is abandoned except for robots that don't know where to go. EIN doesn't even respond to that region anymore. Sure it's not a setup?
I can't be sure, but based on what I've heard of him, I don't think it is.
>Well, we got time to go first, if you want to before the boss's meeting. He couldn't take you out with help, I'm not sure why he would think he could take you again alone.
Any word about undertool?
>Nope, sorry, still trying.
>>
No. 498040 ID: d6ef5d

...if operator cores are crushed upon sim-death, what happens to anyone else if they die inside? The kill switch kind of implies they wouldn't die, otherwise.

Let's meet with the dead batteries. At the very least they deserve to know what's coming. ...and that we have a deadline (perhaps a very literal one, haha).

>Possible setup
Could it be a suicide play? If he gets us somewhere isolated enough, he could take us out with a big enough bomb without risking anyone else (especially if he knows this is a sim, and he's not an operator. He might not even be risking himself!).

Or... could it just be that the site is radioactive? Even if it's not enough to hurt a jetal, if we pick up enough radioactive contamination we'll be tagged. It'll be easy for anyone with the right equipment to track Unity at a distance.

Not much else I can think of, aside from the usual lie and trap with superior forces plays. Or using a remote location as an easy way to ID our vehicle 'en route and take us out with an airstrike or something.
>>
No. 498041 ID: 9ddf68

I guess We could go, just have a getaway car or something on standby encase things do turn out to be a trap. and the next time we see sevener, amusing she just doesn't try and cave our face in, we should ask her what she would like us to call her Anya or just stick to sevener.
>>
No. 498042 ID: 38a6a1

go to the boss first. I'm assuming he's a lot closer than some place that went through a nuclear blast. besides, we've made him wait for us plenty.
>>
No. 498043 ID: 38a6a1

oh, and we might want to reduce our morphability to 40 to get another 100 surge max.
>>
No. 498048 ID: b33427

Lets go meet with the Dead Batteries' big boss before taking on Bodec. In addition to sharing what we can about our objective is, we can warn him that Anya/Sevener is specifically targeting your allies and their allies, though he probably already knows this.

Ask Polatt to change up your recon drone and ball camera order to replace the ones you have with ones that have night, UV, and IR vision, if the ones you have don't already have it. Leave out the UV and IR if it'd add too much to the price.

Any way the Dead Batteries could sneak one or two of their rattier 'bot members into Wratch to scope it out before you go? Or is that just too dangerous for them?

Also ask if you could hire someone on short notice to run high-altitude recon over Wratch for you, both before and during the showdown. Basically someone who'd sit outside the exclusion zone and run a fixed-wing advanced recon drone in a holding pattern high over the town for you. Maybe they could also send in their own ground recon drones as well, since they'd likely be better than the ones you have. They might even be able to stick ball cameras down as well.

Two of the biggest worries with Bodec is that he fight have assembled a squad of jetal bounty hunters to go in with him on this, and that he's also gotten a hold of better modules than last time. Any way to check up on what he's been doing since he got trounced? He couldn't possibly have gotten approval for more class B modules in the time since then, could he?

Honestly, I don't trust Bodec to be honorable in this fight at all. Perhaps we should check up on how he's behaved in the past to get an idea of what he'll do here.

The best way to approach Wratch would probably be to leave the vehicle just outside the exclusion zone and head in on foot/hoof/tail, and skirt around it to approach from the side. This is just in case Bodec has arranged a nasty surprise to hit your vehicle as you come in.

>>498043
Yeah, lets slide our morph down to 40 for this fight, but do it after choosing a form for it. Shall we go for a naga variant form again, or choose something different? A multi-legged belenos-taur, perhaps?
>>
No. 498051 ID: d6ef5d

>form
Our current fem-belenos shape is fine for getting around town, the meeting, and blending it.

Not sure what we want for the upcoming battle, if we decide to risk it. We'll want something that suits the terrain, and our current mass. We're under a ton again, so Naga from isn't strictly necessary, but I'm not sure if that or bipedal would be more advantageous, yet.

We will have a two b-hour (~40 real-min) car ride to adjust to whatever shape we want, though.
>>
No. 498054 ID: f2c20c

>>498038
Let's go fight him. He's probably upgraded himself somehow, but that's okay. We can manage.
>>
No. 498061 ID: 76b151

I agree, talk to the boss first. Things to talk about.

Explain the illusion, and how we might be moving up a level in the near future. Probably after we get a better battery. Hopefully something that can help support Class A equipment.

Any jobs he thinks A class B Jetal could help them with.

Keeping an eye out for a Noble entering the local area. We want to intercept them before anything happens to our friends.

and I can't think of anything else.
>>
No. 498071 ID: b33427

>>498061
We're going to have to consider very carefully whether we want to tangle with a noble and his or her entourage. Taking down a noble will definitely get Unity's threat level bumped up, for one. Another thing is that any jetals that come with the noble are almost certain to be operatives, so they'd be extra tough and it'd be next to impossible to absorb any modules from them; We'd just get whatever jetalium mass is left from their bodies.

Now, there is a slim chance we could link to their core and absorb modules right before they're defeated, by starting to absorb their mass, but it's pretty likely module absorption is what triggers the kill-switch crush on their real core.

There's also the possibility that the noble will come with all robot backup and no jetals, which would probably leave us with a net loss after the fight. Maybe the Dead Batteries could salvage the class A and up robot bodies to use? That is, if they don't self-destruct on defeat.

Plus, Sevener is probably planning around Alison defending her doomed compatriots, 'cause she's such a goodie-goodie. Fighting off the nobles might be playing right into Sevener's hand. She's probably counting on Alison coming to her organize crime buddies as well, what with that crime lord take-down.
>>
No. 498073 ID: 76b151

>>498071
Its either tangle with the nobles or leave our new friends to die. Simulation or not thats NOT want I want to do.
>>
No. 498075 ID: 9ddf68

>>498073
But the problem here is if we don't take the O route now Sevener gets at lest a days lead on us and will have an advantage over us, well a bigger advantage since she has all of her logs that are guiding her along well we're just throw things at the wall to see what sticks.
>>
No. 498077 ID: 76b151

O-Route is actually a bit away from opening. Remember thats for midnight and its still light out. We have about 40-50 B-hours I believe.

Also Sevener probably won't exit the simulation until she has enough pull with EIN to get at least B-Class equipment. A Class if she is smart. We don't know how long that will take but considering the Super-Core only had one she might miss the two hour window.
>>
No. 498080 ID: d6ef5d

>>498077
Thinking Sevener doesn't already have B-class equipment is wishful thinking, at best. As is hoping she will let the first window to take the O-route slip by. She doesn't underestimate Alison enough to give her a full day's head start.

She might not have A-class yet, though, since it's unlikely the criminals she's hunting have any to absorb, and she alienated her Loviro equivalent rather than working with him.
>>
No. 498083 ID: 9ddf68

>>498080
maybe that's why she's doing this war on crime thing. To not only try and slow us down but to also get more favor with EIN to get herself some more weapons or even trying to upgrade her status to A rank so she can get A class weapons.
Hell maybe she's just trying to force us to leave through the O Route by throwing so much shit at us we're going to be force to flee and she'll use that as an excuse to take the O Route herself by claiming she is simple after us.
>>
No. 498084 ID: 76b151

>>498077
B-Class equipment is for the upper echelons. A-Class is considered a death sentance to Jetals. You have to remember by going through the legal route Sevener might not be able to fast track. She has only been there less then 40 hours. I seriously doubt she will be considered trustworthy enough to be issued B-Class right off the bat. Maybe after this takedown that was just announced if it was big enough she willget access to B-Class to go after someone higher up in the foodchain.

Also here is a thought. If the Noble is coming inside he might have to use the O-Route to enter. As long as we keep a watch on the O-Route we can defeat him then. And then use the exit afterwords. I doubt Nobles would stay inside a harvester simulation afterall.
>>
No. 498085 ID: c4e5c2
File 136252126559.png - (9.64KB , 700x700 , 196.png )
498085

"Just two more questions before I leave you be, Loviro. If a noble did come, and I defeated it, would he be destroyed like the other operatives?"
>"Not a chance. He will be act as an operative, but they would not smash a noble jetal's core or AI chip like a normal operative."
"Alright. And lastly, would the noble entering the simulation have to take O Route?"
>"No, that is exit only. They can appear almost anywhere while entering.
"Okay, then I'm going to go, now. Goodbye, Loviro."
>"Do me proud."

Alison gives him one last hug before going to meet the boss first.
>>
No. 498089 ID: c4e5c2
File 136252144848.gif - (138.97KB , 800x600 , 197.gif )
498089

>"Welcome back, Unity." the Boss immediately says when Unity enters the toom. "This is our guest, Lavan. Lavan, this is the jetal I was telling you about."
"Greetings." he states, walking up to Unity.
"Hello, it's nice to meet you."
Your boss has told me much of you, along with asking us for help against this cop problem you may have down the line. No offense to the dead batteries, but from what I have heard, your talents would be better suited for jobs beyond them. And regardless of criminal status, an organization is often handwaved by the cops if they fight off at least as formidable crime. I offer that opportunity without simply exchanging police heat for criminal heat, that is, a job under the name of my own organization, the Web. It is a simple job. You go into an 'abandoned' warehouse, annex any assets and valuables along with the warehouse itself, tell others to scram, kill any who resist, et cetera, et cetera. We, the Web, will give you two allies for backup and assistance, but you will be in charge, and representing the Dead Battery's aptitude for this type of job. What do you say?"
>>
No. 498090 ID: 772c81

>>498089
How, exactly, does one steal a warehouse?
>>
No. 498091 ID: 57a559

It would be disrespectful to decline, to the Dead Batteries at least, but if you accept, you must be the granted the leisure of using non-lethal takedowns for those that do resist. In fact, if possible, you love some access to good non-lethal weaponry to use on organics. Jetals are easy, you just take all their nice precious jetal and leave the core intact even with lethal force. Organics and robots? Not so much. Besides, keeping them alive can be VERY useful at times. Especially if you can take it nice and slow to get information.

Also, jetpack and battery upgrades. Really good battery upgrades. Delicious battery upgrades.
And some crack cocaine, for the road.
>>
No. 498092 ID: 57a559

>>498091
and hugs. We demand hugs. We have enough power to hug anyone we want without being afraid of retribution.
>>
No. 498093 ID: 9ddf68

uhhh...This smells all kinds of shady but if we go through with this it could help us out in our rematch fight coming up and when we Try and get out through the O Route. and I get the feeling that if we don't take the job somebody else will, somebody who doesn't care for survivors as much as we do. So if we do take it here are some questions that I think we should ask.

what kind of payment are we talking about here. and what kind of resistance should I expect, and how much force should I use, I take it you wouldn't like it if I leveled the whole building. oh and how likely is it that the police will show up and how long would we have till they get there
>>
No. 498094 ID: 735f4f

Tell him you are interested but need more info.
>>
No. 498101 ID: cee0ad

>>498092
We must have Hugs!
>>
No. 498104 ID: d6ef5d

Are their going to be jetals there? Protection for our allies (and ourself) from police intervention and etc under the cover of a "legitimate" organization is good and all, but we're going to need to be getting stronger. (And that cover won't protect us when Sapphire's Lords show up).

What's the timeframe? Does it conflict with going after Bodec or the O-route?

And yeah, we definitely want the discretion to kill or spare people as we deem necessary. We aren't going in there with absolute "kill all who resist" orders.

We're also still going to need to talk with the DBs after we've done our business (one way or the other) with the Web guy. We still need to tell them what's going on.

>>498040
Still think we should discuss the possibly of the duel being a suicide play, or if Bodec plans to lose, but in so doing so get unity contaminated enough with radiation that EIN and etc could track us down with ease in the city. Unless jetalium doesn't pick up radioactive contamination? Or the site's "cool" enough that's not an issue?

>>498084
She doesn't need to have them issued. She just needs to have them not confiscated after she collects them.

Don't forget she bragged about the good guys throwing around illegal level firepower like candy when she was threatening us. And she made it pretty clear she thought she could take the supercore. And she's taking out high ranking criminal leaders. She's well within the same ballpark power level as us, right now.
>>
No. 498115 ID: b33427

Keeping the authorities off you and your allies back sounds alright, but you need to know more about the job before accepting it. You're not going to go in half-blind like what happened before with Bodec.

Before going further, point out that you avoid killing if at all possible, and prefer keeping casualties low. Not to say you won't kill if need be; Just that it's not your first option. You don't have a problem with leaving opponents in a state where they'll need a long stay in the hospital, or a trip to the 'bot shop for new parts.

First question: What kind of time frame will this job entail? How long to get there, get it done, and get back? You're on a schedule here, after all.

Second: What kind of opposition will you be facing at this warehouse? Any jetals you can impersonate? There going to be a large number of non-combatants?

Third: Who're the two Web associates that will be backing you up on this job? What can they do, and what kind of punishment can they take?

... And who, or what, in the world is that in front of the couch? The thing with all the tentacles. Is it a jetal, or just a 'bot with a load of custom bodywork?

Before leaving we better warn Polatt and the DB's boss that that up-and-coming jetal cop named Anya has it out for you, and that she might be targeting your underworld allies. Mention that she might be carrying a phone that can be tracked, but she may have ditched it already. If the Dead Batteries want to, they could pay to have it tracked on the off chance she still has it on her.
>>
No. 498122 ID: f2c20c

>>498089
What's the timeframe? We've got a meeting at 75:00, and another at 0:00.

What's the reward, aside from a lower profile? Will there be any powerful Jetals there we can absorb abilities and Jetalium from? If possible, we would like a blueprint of a bigger battery.
>>
No. 498134 ID: c4e5c2
File 136253593896.gif - (141.17KB , 800x600 , 198.gif )
498134

>Hugs
Alison has insufficient levels of familiarity and appropriate context for that!

"I'm interested, but I would like to know more."
"Oh, you'll be paid well, of course. Either in a great deal of cash, or a small amount of cash plus a little surprise gift. Which, you didn't hear it from me, the Web, or anyone, but the surprise might be your choice of a certain A class weapon or addon.
"Like a battery?"
"That could be the case, but it is a surprise, after all, so I make no promises."
"What's the timeframe?"
"Sometime tonight. It's a 30, 40 minute drive there. You deal with the heavy hitters and call the cleanup crew when it's done, they'll be just around the block. You don't need to stay if you're so busy."
"What kind of opposition is there?"
"That we don't know. Least a couple jetals, probably a buncha bots. Don't worry, nothing that'll alert EIN."
"I'm the kind that prefers non-lethality. Are there going to be non-combatants?"
"Yeah, those will be the smart ones that flee when you announce you're taking over. Everyone who stays is a combatant. We don't care if you kill 'em or not, just show them the way out."
"And who is my assistance?"
"Your first assister is one of my own personal jetal bodyguards just behind me. Your second was up to you, but if it's non-lethality you want, we've got a real tough robot that specializes in that. He'll hold his own in a fight and come with you inside, Pax, here, is also top end. Use them how you see fit, just remember you are representing your gang, so I am trusting you will be professional."
"And I take it you won't enjoy it if the building is leveled?"
"No one would enjoy that, no. It is a perfectly good factory the Web would like to take over for our own line of manufactured goods. We won't get our fur in a twist if some pots and pans get roughed up, but collateral damage will effect your grade on this, so to speak. We want it clean."
>>
No. 498136 ID: f2c20c

>>498134
Understood. Let's bring the non-lethal specialist.

This sounds like a job for plasma swords and non-explosive autoguns. So long as we don't run into any more kilobeam/megabeam or B-class plasma shot we'll be okay I think.
>>
No. 498137 ID: 78c6ea

Do we even have battery for another battle? If they can throw in a charging station then the deal is sealed. If not... it's ...probably sealed I guess?
>>
No. 498139 ID: d6ef5d

Alright, we're on board. We may not have ground enough hug points for this guy yet, but I'm sure we can pull off a handshake.

After our guests have left, we should talk with Polatt about the stuff he was asking after before, and about our thoughts on the Bodec duel (like if the radioactivity is a problem, or if it would make us trackable).

>>498136
Sounds like a reasonable game plan. Certainly no bombs or mega/kilobeams thrown around.

>>498137
I'm pretty sure we burned jetalium to charge up after the last fight. We should be close to a full charge.
>>
No. 498140 ID: 9ddf68

sure why not
take the robot he mentioned and lets get this over with. as for an attack plan I say we get the biggest meanest looking guy up front to tell everyone to clear out. those that decide to stay and fight, then I say we take the front and focus on the jetals. have the Bot we're getting deal with all non jetals that stayed in the area and have the bodyguard jetal act as backup helping however looks like they need it most.
As for us I Guess since we need this place standing we well have to use our swords, auto-guns WITHOUT the exploding ammo, and plasma shots. with the plasma shots I say we use our C class at first and change up the B class if we need to and save the F class one for bots if we can't get around them. we should also see what our teammates can do so we now how to use them effectively.
>>
No. 498143 ID: cee0ad

Alright let's do this.
>>
No. 498150 ID: c4e5c2
File 136253967903.png - (23.57KB , 700x700 , 199.png )
498150

Unity is currently at 100% battery, or close enough to consider it that.

Alison gives him a handshake instead of a hug, accepting the job and telling him she'll be ready to go in half an hour.

She leaves with plans to use that half hour to talk with polatt, about herself, where she's going, and any other things that perhaps need to be talked about. She pulls him off to the side, into a private room, to have the talk.
>>
No. 498154 ID: 9ddf68

Ask him what he knows about The Web and there boss. Also his feelings on Bodec's rematch. Does he thinks it's a setup, that Bodec is going to play fair, if it's gonna be one against many like it was last time or what. What are is feelings on the upcoming mission. Also ask him to keep an eye on Anya/sevener cause we found out she was the jetal that was after us and would like to know whats she's up to.
>>
No. 498155 ID: d6ef5d

Man, Polatt is so cool. :V

>half an hour to talk
If that's in b-hours, that only gives us about 10 minutes, our time. Kind of a bit to cover.

Share your secrets he was asking about before. Use our coded language, when possible, to limit mindreading pings.

He was right. We are in an illusion. And it's agents are supercharged. That's why we're so tough- we were one of an operative core that got reset. And we're doing everything fast now because we don't have any other choice. The lords will be coming for us, after tonight. And we got Sevener Anya gunning for us too.

And heck, share the "real world" being an illusion and what you are too.

>fight with Bodec
The plan is to do this job now, and the duel with Bodec later, right?

I think we should consider if this being some kind of suicide play, or if he's willing to lose to us just to get us contaminated with enough radiation to make us easily trackable.
>>
No. 498162 ID: f2c20c

Well first, we should ask him if he WANTS to know more about you, where you came from, and what you're going to do.
>>
No. 498169 ID: b33427

Before saying anything about yourself or what you're planning to do, ask Polatt what he suspects about you, and what you're trying to do, and if he even wants you to confirm or deny his suspicions. Does he even want or is willing to be burdened with such things? To take those risks? It just wouldn't be fair to dump it on him without his consent.

If he doesn't want to know, even in an obscured fasheion, then just say that if you get where aiming to go before the sun rises, you won't be seeing him ever again; He'll get the picture. You also wanted to tell him thanks for all he's done for you, in case you don't get another chance to say so before then.

Once you've had your chat with Polatt, pick up the drones, ball cameras, and second phone you ordered, and head on down to the car. You can exchange numbers and abilities with the rest of the team on this job while in the vehicle, as well as get any maps of the building and intel they have on the surveillance system there they might have.
>>
No. 498177 ID: c4e5c2
File 136254585332.png - (16.28KB , 700x700 , 200.png )
498177

"I wanted to ask your opinion on the fight with Bodec. I'll be doing it after this job. Do you think it's a setup?"
>"Sorry, can't say for sure. He's said to be reputable, but I just dunno if the people who said he was reputable are reputable."
"Would you like me to explain more about me?"
>"Do you even have to ask?"
"I'll take that as a yes. I'm - and I know this sounds like a fairy tale, so I won't be hurt if you don't believe me - actually one of a few thousand AIs that entered a simulation. This is an illusion, yes, but moreso than you know. Even the real world you know is fake, made by a world that simulates me." Alison explains for the third time. "And I'm going to kill the Sapphire emperor."
Polatt does a dry spit-take, but stays silent waiting for more.
"You were right, this is an illusion, its agents overpowered, and that's why I'm strong, I'm not a legal operative, but my core is an operative. I'm doing everything fast because I have to. I'm aiming to leave around midnight. I don't think I'll ever see you again."
>"That's a heavy bomb you're laying on me."
"This is why I was reluctant."
>"Nah, glad you said it rather than just disappearing."
"You believe me, about everything?"
>"I want to. Well, no, I don't technically want to believe that, but I don't want to think you're making up some stupid story. All I know is you changed stuff around here in the day you were around, and a pretty cool guy. Or girl or it, don't know, don't care. So wait. If this is simulated, when does it it?"
"When one of either me or my enemy for this match, Anya, dies, or when the Sapphire Emperor is killed."
>"And what happens to us then, hm? I take it you'll be pulled back out to go to wherever, what about all of us? Shit, this is why I didn't want to believe you, but there's been something at the back of my head for awhile, like something wasn't right, like I wasn't thinking right. I figured that was just the possibility I was in an, as we put it, illusion, but something's feeling wrong about writing you off. But what'll happen to me and everyone who isn't you?"
>>
No. 498184 ID: 735f4f

We are honestly not sure. Everything might continue on as normal. Or time might freeze here until the simulation is needed again. Our ultimate goal is to take everyone with us when we eventually escape but that might take awhile yet.
>>
No. 498185 ID: d6ef5d

Polatt's the only one who asked the obvious existential question so far. Although, I guess the other three all had their perspectives clouded- considering themselves dead or soon to be dead.

>But what'll happen to me and everyone who isn't you?
...I honestly don't know. I've been trying to figure out if this place has been running the whole time, or if it started up the moment I first entered. And I'm still not sure. I don't know if things will keep running when I leave, or if it'll pause, or end.

I've been trying for a while now to find a way to help everyone trapped in my simulation to escape. If there's anything I can do to help you guys, I will. You don't deserve to be used as a pieces of this sick game any more than we deserve to be forced to play it.
>>
No. 498187 ID: 9ddf68

... In my illusion when someone wins they get put in charge of everything well everyone else gets their minds wipe and set back to the very beginning were they are forced to fight each other just to get a second chance at being top dog, even though they have no idea what being top dog means, they just assume that it has to be better then wear they where before. The problem is however they people now in charge want to stay in charge so they tip the slope that they had to clime so steep that it is impossible or close enough that you really can't see the difference for anyone else but him to win. and when we lose we just forget everything all over again and then try again while leaving clues for our next self in hopes they can make it out the next time. So as for what happens after we 'win', I don't know but I know it has to be something worth fighting for. But what happens after we 'win' this... I'm sure it will keep on going until my illusion is complete and if we lose again this world will get reset like ours does and it all starts over again. but if we can win then Maybe just maybe we can stop this never ending cycle.
>>
No. 498191 ID: f2c20c

>>498177
Tell him that there are backups of every AI in the simulation you're from. You are hoping there are backups of the main players here too, and that you're pretty sure there aren't that many real AIs in this simulation. We think it's likely that you can save the AIs from here as well by getting to the backups in the main simulation. There should be a way to help them, even if nobody from here remembers anything from this day.
>>
No. 498194 ID: d6ef5d

>>498191
Our level holds a trillion consciousnesses. More, if you count the system people. The thousands it takes to populate this virtual word is nothing. They could all very easily be real.

If this place exists at all, there's some equivalent to a robot chip or something up on a higher level where it's stored. Even if this place turns off, we can eventually get access. And maybe do something about it.
>>
No. 498196 ID: 57a559

>>498177
Probably put into a frozen state, this isn't the first go around. This is a special simulation for a certain contest at the end, this is technically a practice round we hacked into to prepare for the end fight and hopefully win this time. We lose that final fight, we believe that's when everything restarts, us, probably you too. Actually, everything restarts with every time this sim is booted up and it ends. We don't know how this sim running slows down the outside world, if at all. If the sim isn't completed within I think maybe a galactic standard week or a few days and time doesn't slow down on the outside, most certainly everything will reboot and all our efforts wasted. So keeping both Anya, us, and the Sapphire Emperor for the sake of keeping the sim alive is fruitless. We don't know for certain how things work, it's all guesswork at this level with our understanding constantly being erased by the reboots.

I'm sorry Polatt, you've been dead for thousands of years. Space travel is the new thing, this whole empire crumbles and jetal technology is forgotten. A race called humans uplifts the belosians into space with the warp drive a significant amount of time after this civilization crumbles. Blah, blah, blah. You might have existed, perhaps the harvstor simulation is a piece of data found in an old belosian empire relic, which is cool. Your digital brain signature has been converted into an AI training module at best, as well as the real people above us, probably reconstructed with archeological data. Which is why Jetals are considered magic and no one truly knows how they work, because the future people who interpreted the past don't know how they work.
>>
No. 498216 ID: 4e5ec2

you don't know if this place was created for you or if you just came in here to perform a challenge. for all you know, this place might continue to exist.
>>
No. 498218 ID: 78c6ea

This whole simulation is a Singularity isn't it.
>>
No. 498221 ID: 04b86a

>>498177
Every AI in my simulation is backed up somewhere. If it's possible to grab everyone used in this simulation and others like it, even if it's just the baselines used to initialize them, I'll do my best to find out how and do it before I have to break my simulation's reboot and escape. Operation "Save Everyone" already failed on the seven or more occasions we did have a chance to escape, though, so I'm afraid I can't give you any guarantees on anything.


Ah, I have an idea on how to test it, actually. Let's see if we can use Stage 7's winner's resurrection to bring back someone we met in the CAI Fight.
>>
No. 498225 ID: b33427

Hug Polatt and say you don't know; You have your hopes and fears, but you just don't know for sure. All you do know for sure is that if there's any way out there to save everyone, or even just someone, in here, you will do everything in your power to find it and use it.

You know, you could keep this simulation going indefinitely if you captured Anya/Sevener. Just strip her core out, stick it in a box with a EIN jammer, and carry it all around inside Unity. But you know that would just be hiding in here from what needs to be done out there. There's probably a hidden time limit in here that'd render that strategy moot anyway. Still an option to stay extra long and learn as much as you can, though.
>>
No. 498254 ID: c4e5c2
File 136258360211.png - (18.53KB , 700x700 , 201.png )
498254

"To be honest, I don't know. It could keep going, it could go on pause. I might be able to keep the simulation going if I captured Anya, but there might be a hidden time limit. Either way, if you're a simulation, you've got to be stored somewhere. I can't promise anything but my best attempt to try to pull you out when I can, if this place isn't persistant.
>"If you're for real, then thanks. Can't ask for much more."
"I'm sorry, though, this world you're in is 9 or 10 thousand years in the past. I don't know what was real and what the simulation just "

Polatt doesn't respond, but he hugs back.

"My time table is getting tighter. This job, then Bodec, then a meeting... by the way, Bodec's site for this fight, would I pick up radiation I could be tracked with?"
>"I don't think so. Least not any significant amount."
"Alright. I should get going, I didn't give myself much time. I'll be back."
>"Yeah, be well."

Alison has been using this form to go around in public, so she may want to decide on another form to switch to while inside of the car.
>>
No. 498257 ID: 76b151

Well part of the job is to BE intimidating enough to scare people off. The less we have to actually fight the better. Who has been the scariest of the contestants we've seen. Maybe Mongrel? We could also use the name Unity as a 50 bilion bounty is a good scare tactic as we have to be worth that don't we?

I think the only weapons we should be using are the B Class Plasma and the C\D Class weapons. B class shield with a layered C Class under it should protect us from anything unless they have lots of B class weaponry or somehow got a Class A.

Suddenly there's Class A everywhere. Hell it wouldn't surprise me if Bodec has one and he was holding back in that first fight.
>>
No. 498258 ID: eaf2f5

We will be representing the dead batteries so this form should be fine if you turn your horns into those 4 back sweeping ones with the red circles that most of them seem to have.

Can you grow shades or are we going to have to buy them somewhere?

Might be useful to grow a pair of extra hands that we can keep hidden under our jacket.
>>
No. 498259 ID: 76b151

Mongrel with horns in a trenchcoat. I can dig it!
>>
No. 498271 ID: d6ef5d

...wait, if we're going for intimidating, would a form we've already used that's recognizable as Unity be a good idea?
>>
No. 498272 ID: 76b151

>>498271
I'm pretty sure we don't have a recognizable 'Unity' form. We've been to date: A stripper. a wealthy patron. Felix. Kali-Alison. Arbiter, Fem-Arbiter, Ambigious-Arbiter. (Poor Arbiter, poor, poor gender confused Arbiter.)
>>
No. 498277 ID: d6ef5d

>>498272
Hmm. I suppose you're right. We've been too effective at keeping hidden!

And yeah, explaining all this to Arbiter is going to be funny.

Ah well, swap the Loviro's daughter form for a new intimidating Mongrel/DB form.
>>
No. 498288 ID: b33427

>>498277
And definitely make the form bigger. You want to be a looming tower of intimidation. Just don't make it so big there'll be problems with getting through doors and such. Give him a growly, menacing voice as well; What you'd imagine he'd sound like if he could speak like you.

Oh, and also make the feet extra large to increase surface contact. Don't want to get your foot stuck in the floor if you step on a thin or weak spot while making an evasive maneuver.

...Would putting Guardsman in the drivers seat to do the intimidation again be a good idea? It sorta worked last time, but that wasn't as serious a situation as this.
>>
No. 498323 ID: c4e5c2
File 136260255876.png - (17.79KB , 700x700 , 202.png )
498323

Alison gets the camera drones from Polatt, and asks him to keep an eye on Anya if possible, before she heads to pick up a large trenchcoat and sunglasses followed by the parking level. She will start transforming into mongrel, with trenchcoat and glasses.

"Hey. You've met Pax, the jetal. This is Check, our combat robot that'll be good with non lethal takedowns of non jetal personnel." the guy from the Web says. "Looks like an old model, but the parts are fresh, and AI's good. You ready?"
"Yes."
"Good. I'll be going seperately, meeting up with the other bunch from the Web to help with the cleanup crew after you clear out the real opposition."

The last question Alison would have, would be if she lets Guardsman take the lead for the entry or not. She would first ask if he is willing, but she already knows the answer.
>>
No. 498324 ID: 76b151

I think, yes. Let gaurdsman be as intimidating as he wants.
>>
No. 498325 ID: d6ef5d

>Gaurdsman?
I assume the basic approach is to take the place, then announce the Web is taking over, and we're Unity, and anyone who doesn't want to get their asses kicked should be going?

I suppose it wouldn't really hurt if guardsman handled the initial intimidation check (he does seem to have a knack for it) but he's not the best driver for when the shooting starts. We've got an environment we don't want to chew up, and their are going to be multiple targets (some of which will be more breakable than others) and possibly fleeing non-coms as well (depending on how quickly things go to shit).

We can use core sense to identify enemy jetals with relative ease (pretty safe to target) although we're going to be a little more careful discriminating between organics and cyborgs/androids (who we can break without killing, if we're careful).
>>
No. 498333 ID: b33427

Okay, Guardsman will take the lead on intimidating all the non-jetal and non-combat 'bots into getting the hell out before the fighting starts. However, just so he knows, you might take over if it looks like the situation calls for a different plan of action going in. Also tell him that if he does good on the intimidation, he gets to use the plasma sword A in the fight.

On the way there exchange comm gear/phone numbers with Pax and Check, as well as capability lists so you all know what each other can and can't do. Also get a map of at least the exterior of the warehouse, and whatever they know of the interior layout.

Before going in place ball cameras to watch the exterior exits so you'll know how many are exiting, and if any reinforcements arrive for any reason. Also use the quieter flying drone to try and peek in any high up windows or skylights, and keep an eye out for anyplace to slip a ground drone in before your team enters.
>>
No. 498338 ID: 78c6ea

Frame it like he almost blew it last time he took the wheel, but you were impressed by his skill, and you'd like it he would give it another shot. That way you can let him know what he did before was too brash, but not insult him in doing so.
>>
No. 498339 ID: 001618

yeah let guardsmen have his fun if he's up for it just make sure he doesn't try and use the A class sword as if he could even get it started he would drain our whole battery in one go. Also get your teammates numbers so you can stay in contact and head to the meeting spot
>>
No. 498342 ID: c4e5c2
File 136260901558.png - (7.79KB , 700x700 , 203.png )
498342

"Alright, guardsman, I'll let you do it."
"I would like a layout of what we know about it."
"Yeah. Factory itself is just one big open floorspace, with a second catwalk going along the inner perimeter and a few walkways hovering over the middle, to help oversee everything and all that. Otherwise, they might've done some rearranging, but it's a plain factory. Not gonna have any surprises, just mind the catwalks. The loading and unloading zone emptys out to the street behind it, pretty open ground aside from the trucks parked there. It's 52:72 right now, it's going to be around dusk when we get there. Good a time as any."
>>
No. 498344 ID: c4e5c2
File 136260926815.png - (38.42KB , 700x700 , 204.png )
498344

Alison and the others are passed earpieces for communication. The jetal claims his weapons are two kinetic autoguns, a plasma sword and a plasma shot, all class C except for the plasma shot at class B.

The robot has a built in shotgun, rifle, pair of pistols, as well as pepperspray, tear gas, knockout gas, smoke gas, and a nightstick.

"Remember, guardsman, subtlelty, and destroying as little equipment as possible!"
"Okay MOM and I don't feel very intimidating. I look silly."
"That's because we're scrunched up in a car. We'll look better once we stand up. Just know that if we do a good job here, we'll get a battery good enough to use that A class sword.
"I'll do the best job."
>>
No. 498345 ID: d6ef5d

>"I'll do the best job."
Well, we certainly know how to motivate him, don't we? =D
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No. 498350 ID: 001618

Alright then I say we're set and ready to go. As for an attack plan I say we go in first with both our swords going and tell everyone to clear out. If that fails have the robot shot teargas into the room to clear our all non-metal (jetal or otherwise) out. as long as they don't have gasmask on. Then you focus on any jetals that stay and have the robot deal with any non-jetal and have the other jetal help whoever needs it most. Oh and maybe drop unity's name as it seems to have a lot of fear built up around it and could clear more of them out.
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No. 498460 ID: b33427

We best not go in without doing some recon first. Lets do a drive around the block so we can get a good look at the site from both sides and note any security cameras and where the cars and trucks are parked. Then we'll park on the east or west side of the block and send up both flying recon drones.

Fly them both up high and over the neighboring buildings to over the warehouse. Put the noisier one in a high vantage point holding pattern and move the quieter one down to the warehouse roof, then around the edge of the roof to look over the edge before slipping over them to try and look in any windows.

Perhaps if there's a way to get Check up on the roof, he can pull the filters off the ventilation units up there and pump a mixture of smoke and tear gas in. If it trips the smoke/fire alarm, that would get most everybody out of there that isn't jetal or robot, and the tear gas would get the rest.
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No. 498502 ID: f7a438

dude what are you talking about you look all kinds of intimidating
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