i doubt deneb will answer any more questions until we go deeper.

"Sounds cool.
"My physical form is in a place that is currently poorly protected and my mind comes to yours across network access that is not reliable and secured. What should we prioritize?"

Wire 2013/11/21(Thu)00:57 No. 549367 ID: 3bf280
File 138502425715.png - (113.02KB , 800x600 , 104.png )

"Sev, we need to move." Monica's voice comes to him, faint and artifacting. "Have you found Dartline Alchemist?"

73-6 walks cautiously through the black halls. "working on it."

He feels the walls fall away as he goes, and the air grow wide and yawning.

A dim, charnel glow illuminates an edge to him, which he stops a good twenty or fifteen feet from.

The eyes of Deneb blink on in sequence, out in the cavernous dark.

"You are come."
"dartline alchemist. where do i get to him?"
"I will show you. Look!" Dancing lights and garbled data spins up weirdly in front of 73-6.
"what does that mean? monica?"
"Uhhh." He hears an exhalation. "I have no idea."
"i don't know what any of this means, deneb."
"Because you do not see as weeeee see. You will learn and become."
"become?"
"Take up your chair, Wire Boy. Leave the childish earthly things behind and transfer your consciousness unto your ancestral vault. To us! And when you ascend we will go together and hunt the Dartline, and his lands are yours, blood of my silica blood!"
"you want me to put my brain in the internet."
"The gossamer threads of created creation!"
"forever?"
"And always."
"can you even do that?"
"Probably!"

>>549367
I don't suppose we could do it temporarily? There's some fleshy business we were maybe hoping to do.

Out of curiosity's sake ask what he would've done if you had let Sara come in here with you.

yeah it's obvious now, you are an AI strapped to a brain. that is why each agent is less emotional and quickthinking each time the body is used, the brain dies a little more.

Ask him if he can just duplicate your mind. Don't spin it as fear, spin it as justified worry of data loss. It's always good to have fleshy backup[s].

...thank Deneb for the retirement plan (or ascension, or whatever), but explain you're not ready to make that transition, yet. You've still got objectives you need a body to complete. Maybe someday you'll be ready (nope nope noooooo), but not today.

Why are you so special, anyways? There's any number of moldies you could try and brain-nap.

>>549376
A few problems with that: (1) once Deneb has a copy, the life of the original loses all value to it. (2) The problem with agreeing to cloning is you can never be sure you're not going to wake up the clone and watch yourself walk away. (3) Even if it works, and we get away with it, giving a crazy internet god an alternate version of ourself to train seems like a tremendously bad idea that will come back and bite us in the ass.

>>549377
1) Deneb is an AI, he'll understand maximizing utility. I don't think he'll kill the fleshbody For The Evulz.
2) Of course you'll wake up as, separately, both. That's a feature, not a problem.
3) Yeah, if you're worried about letting him have a version of you at all, making a mere copy doesn't help. But it's strictly better than destructive uploading. Plus, it's the sort of thing an AI would do, so it'll make Deneb trust you more.

yes, spin it that while deneb is ready, you are not. and you understand you cannot get his full help against dartline like this, but an objective marker on your hud to follow would be enough.


maybe we can get 88 in here? he can be free without dying.

>>549367
>"Probably!"
He sounds like a cool dude. Let's do this.

>>549367
Flesh is pretty great
Why don't you come outside with me?

Tell him you are flattered by his offer but you would like to wear out your fleshy bits with some of the more entertaining fleshy activities before you go full AI.

Tell him there are many downsides but it can be a lot of fun as well. So you would rather enjoy it while you have the opportunity.

I wonder if 88 would go for the offer. No idea how much hacking gear he has upstairs though.

Maybe he could bring 88 in if he wanted it and then use his body as a avatar? Would let Deneb feel out the outside world a bit and stop 88 from the constant suicide attempts.

Wire 2013/11/21(Thu)19:10 No. 549406 ID: 3bf280
File 138508982409.png - (174.45KB , 800x600 , 105.png )

"that's really a flattering offer, but i still have fleshy stuff i gotta attend to. so."
"Cast it aside! Your revelation awaits!"
"is it the only way you can show me how to find dartline?"
"The only!"
"thennn maybe you can just make a copy of me. can you do that?"
"Yes!"
"and leave me whole on the other side?"
"Yes!"
"so how about that?"
"No!"

"Unless you defeat me in a giant robot fight!"

Wire 2013/11/21(Thu)19:11 No. 549408 ID: 3bf280
File 138508986251.png - (14.25KB , 800x600 , 107.png )

"We do not want a copy!" Denebs bass-heavy voice grows louder and more jocular. "We wish to possess you!"

"monica?"
"Hold on. Hold on." 73-6 hears her typing madly on a PDA. "Okay. So when you're making an AI, one of the most important facets is their social modus. Which is basically how they resolve arguments with the programmer when he commands something against their, like, their morality code. Normally people hire a bunch of philosopher-coders and you take a month or two to figure out how it's going to approach things and how to reason with it."
"they teach it how to debate?"
"Right. Some of the best ones even manage to out-convince and out-talk humans. The trick is to weigh that sort of moral groundwork with the fact that it's a constructed artificial intelligence and come up with a way humans and AI can work out their problems across what's basically a species barrier. It's hard work.

"The guy who programmed the deathmatch bot Deneb, a 32-year-old named Eddie Shields, just showed it a bunch of giant robot anime."
"what."
"And now it thinks the way humans resolve conflict with anything larger and more complicated than themselves is by fighting it. With giant robots."
"Come, Ikari Shinji! Get in the robot!"

That is awesome. And honestly it's how people should resolve there issues in real life.

Sev, you never asked why you are so important to Deneb. There are lots of moldies. Why's possessing you special?

Be sure to consult with your allies. Is anyone a giant robot anime fan? Do they have any tips?

(And really, I'd prefer to promise to come back later someday (never) than give Deneb a brain-copy).

okay, call up a lagann stye mech. and then kick his ass, because yours is powered by courage and love!

"That is both the stupidest and most awesome thing I have ever heard."

make sure that sara is going to be safe, and then go Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann on his ass.

*snicker*

Steal the important screws from Deneb's giant robot.

Wire 2013/11/22(Fri)00:37 No. 549446 ID: 3bf280
File 138510947293.png - (201.42KB , 800x600 , 108.png )

"that is the dumbest thing i oh"

Wire 2013/11/22(Fri)00:38 No. 549447 ID: 3bf280
File 138510949313.png - (7.82KB , 800x600 , 109.png )

"oh ffffuck"

Wire 2013/11/22(Fri)00:38 No. 549448 ID: 3bf280
File 138510950259.png - (74.43KB , 800x600 , 110.png )

"whoa whoa whoa"

73-6's new giant robot slams up through the roof of the cavern.

Wire 2013/11/22(Fri)00:38 No. 549449 ID: 3bf280
File 138510951005.png - (14.53KB , 800x600 , 111.png )

"Exquisite!"

The one-polygon Basilica uproots itself from the ground and is quickly shod in thick, dark metal.
The eyes of Deneb stare out from its door.

"Let us discourse!"

Wire 2013/11/22(Fri)00:38 No. 549450 ID: 3bf280
File 138510952014.png - (14.42KB , 800x600 , 112.png )

"Holy ffffffffudge," Sara says.

Ask Deneb if Sarah can get a giant robot too as... ehhhh... our legal counsel?

GET TO PUNCHING! See if your robot has any hidden laser beam cannons or something.

Wave to Sara.

Claim that you think you can see your house from here.

Okay, this is a long shot, but does anyone in our party know anything about any of these mech fighting anime? if we want to win, we need to know if anything Deneb is referencing has a counter move to it.

throw a punch at hm with out moving and thing ROCKET PUNCH. giant robots gotta have a rocket punch.

>Let us discourse
C'mon Sev. This is exactly your kind of civilized discourse.

You feeling any knowledge of how to operate this thing miraculously flowing into your brain? Because that'd be really handy.

Failing that, start with walking.

If you're interfacing directly with the robot(program)... can you hack it and add features?

Whoah, wait, hang on. Deneb kinda-sorta had a hand in Sev's creation, or at least considers Sev it's progeny in some way. And Deneb provided us with the giant robot.

Sev, you're piloting a giant robot provided by your father. Deneb basically just conceded the argument.

>>549450
Well, if we're following overdramatic anime rules, I think you have to let him beat you into a pulp first so that you can find your second wind.

Wire 2013/11/25(Mon)00:50 No. 549764 ID: e5f14b
File 138536945756.png - (14.55KB , 800x600 , 113.png )

"hey," says 73-6. "how do-"

Deneb punches his robot in the face.
"Rumspringa!"

Wire 2013/11/25(Mon)00:51 No. 549765 ID: e5f14b
File 138536949210.png - (10.06KB , 800x600 , 114.png )

73-6 reels back and stabilizes himself.
His robot is unmoved, but there's a big fucking dent in the front.

Okay: his two arms are both inside these wire-filled white console things. He can move them around, and they seem to move the robot's arms one-to-one.
There's a joystick fused to where his hands should be, one in each console.

At his feet are a bunch of glowing buttons impressed into the robot's head.

He has never seen anything like this. He could try hacking it, but he'd need at least a little time to figure out how. He doubts he can do anything while Deneb is bearing down on him like this.

Deneb shakes its punch out and hauls back again.

well at least the rocket punch button is clearly labeled. Hit him with that while he is leaning back for another full swing.

>>549765
Block his punch by moving the joystick around, and poke the S0RD button.

Save the S0RD for later. You need some distance while you figure things out. Try the top right icon, might be rocket boots?

There is a punch button. Use it!

'Sword' and 'rocket punch' are obvious. Either top-right or top-left are some sort of jetpack or similar flight device. The middle two are probable some sort of chest-cannon (upper, possibly a volley-gun) and missiles (lower). There's probably some sort of head- or eye- originating beam weapon available too.

put your fighting skills and experience to use. use any special weapon when you get a shot. a nice special is to hit the rocket punch while punching normally. making a double punch. to be sure it's gonna work hit it when they go to block your punch.

The most important part is not about actually fighting, but being flashy and yelling the names of all of your moves.

You win extra points in this battle by making all of the names alliterations or clever puns.

The way you win a robot fight is you accrue the most points.

So... the arms are direct puppetting, weapons systems are activated via DDR foot controls.

Are the joysticks the feet, fine control for weapons?

Use the bullet-lookin' button!

Wire 2013/12/18(Wed)00:59 No. 552556 ID: ebe087
File 138735718132.png - (13.98KB , 800x600 , 115.png )

73-6 mashes the fist button.

His mech clenches its right hand and fires its fist off and out, on a trailing chain.

Hmmmm. Maybe this was better for long-range.

Wire 2013/12/18(Wed)00:59 No. 552557 ID: ebe087
File 138735719019.png - (51.43KB , 800x600 , 116.png )

"That's better for long range!" says Deneb. Then it punches his robot in the face again.

"We are learning so much about one another, together!"

73-6's arm wrenches back, sending a shoot of static interference up his shoulder. Thank God there's no pain simulation in this software.

Fuck it, do what I do in every fighting game ever.

Flail wildly at the controls.

I have no idea why it works.

just start fighting. go nuts.

and i said use the rocket fist WHILE punching. not use it for a regular punch. silly.

Go for the top right which looks like either jump jets or an energy weapon. Then try bottom mid for what looks like bullets/missiles. Multitask by punching with your arms while stepping on those.

>>552557
i can't help but notice deneb's thing is way bigger than your thing.

Okay, buttons are divided into two rows. Two arrangements occur to me:

1) bottom is weapons systems, top is utility stuff
2) bottom is long ranged, top is close

I think one is more likely (since nothing up top really looks like a weapon). In which case, the fist was long range, the missiles are probably long range as well, meaning you S0RD must be the melee weapon. Hit that.

And then spike Deneb with it.

>>552560
Yes, this. There is a big spider skittering all over the controls and you must stamp on it before it climbs up your leg.

why are you so worried about the specials? he can just use his actually fighting training.

Wire 2013/12/18(Wed)15:17 No. 552605 ID: ebe087
File 138740862193.png - (18.50KB , 800x600 , 117.png )

73-6 mashes the jumpy looking button on the top right, and then staggers as his mech launches itself bodily into the air. He steers it up and back from Deneb's fists in a clumsy arc. The lead his fist flew off on slackens and drags.

Deneb's right arm flips up and back at the elbow. A targeting display hums into life between its fingers.

From the hole it left behind a large cannon sprouts out, and starts to crackle with energy.


73-6 stomps the S0RD button. His robot's left arm shudders violently as its hand retracts and a huge, glowing sword pistons out in its stead.

Dodge to your left and push the rocket punch button again, that should retract the fist. It might get tangled up in Deneb, that'd be good.

Also try pushing the top-left button.

Slash the gun arm! It's charging, maybe you can make it blow up.

>>552608
This

Wire 2013/12/18(Wed)15:59 No. 552611 ID: ebe087
File 138741119380.png - (46.40KB , 800x600 , 118.png )

73-6 twists in midair and hits the fist button again.
The cable screeches and crashes. The fist is stuck in the glitchy architecture of a far building. The rotor-engine rumbles and kicks into overdrive.

Looks like it's not coming up. He's coming down.
The tug of the lead is going to rocket him right past Deneb.

He readies his sword

Wire 2013/12/18(Wed)16:00 No. 552612 ID: ebe087
File 138741121518.png - (23.73KB , 800x600 , 119.png )

and on the way back to a thunderous landing, he whips past Deneb's cannon-arm, slicing it clean off.

"Well done! Ow!"

All right! Keep up the assault. Launch missiles, next (lower middle button, I think).

...maybe the top middle button is lasers?

Wire 2013/12/18(Wed)23:26 No. 552721 ID: ebe087
File 138743796433.png - (71.21KB , 800x600 , 120.png )

Missiles away.

Weird bottom button chest thingies, also away.

A brigade's worth of firepower slides out from the robot's chrome chassis, and opens fire.

73-6 has to squint and plant his feet against the barrage his mech lets loose.

Things crackle, zoom, combust, and explode.
Sara is yelling something up at him from the ground, but there's no way he can hear her.
It might just be "Wooooooow"

Wire 2013/12/18(Wed)23:26 No. 552722 ID: ebe087
File 138743798097.png - (141.11KB , 800x600 , 121.png )

Deneb takes a rocket to the side, then breaks into a clumsy run. Every foot slams onto the ground with the force of a wrecking ball then fires off with a hydraulic wail.

It extends one hand, and with a punchy thrum that reverberates in 73-6's gut brings up some kind of hardlight shield. Some of 73-6's attacks are getting through, but Deneb is getting closer. 73-6 isn't going to take it down in time.

Well then, I believe this calls for the weird sideways speaker-icon, maybe that's jump jets.

>>552722
Where is your fist, still? It doesn't look fully retracted yet, could be an issue. If necessary, slice the chain.

Then uh try that last button we haven't pushed, to see what it does. If it's nothing immediately useful just, I dunno, slice at Deneb with the sword and maybe use jumpjets for evasive maneuvers.

run at him too, act like you are going to attack him up high, but then 'trip' and roll and slash his legs.

>>552731
...if the extended fist is still behind Deneb, that gives us a way to attack from the wrong side of the shield. It appears to be hemispherical.

Wire 2013/12/22(Sun)11:33 No. 553110 ID: df41f8
File 138774079297.png - (21.66KB , 800x600 , 122.png )

73-6 hits the last button as Deneb piledrives toward him.

That's how you get the shields up. Oh.

Deneb crashes into 73-6's hardlight, rocking backward with the kinetic shock. Its arm, already damaged by the cannon's destruction, hangs even looser than before.

"You are a master negotiator!"

You should see me in the field.
On foot of course.

Yes, a master of civilized discourse, that's us. There's a reason the bureau keeps me on retainer.

So Deneb communicates with violence. Now that we understand that, I don't see any reason why Sev should have any problem with this. It's a language he's very comfortable with.

>What do
Since Deneb is injured, and it looks like it has only one foot on the ground, can we do a shield check and not 'em over?

If Deneb's shields go down when it falls, you can go all spike with your S0RD and finish it. Or if the shield stays up, see about laying in more damage, or dropping a building on it or something.

circle him a little. then hit the fist button again! after circling there will be loose chain around him. and retracting will tighten it causing it to slam into his legs.

Whip your extended chain-fist around his leg and trip him. Then point your sword at his face and ask him if this is when he surrenders.

Wire 2013/12/22(Sun)14:48 No. 553163 ID: df41f8
File 138775251840.png - (40.14KB , 800x600 , 123.png )

73-6 still doesn't know exactly how to retract his fist, but he's not about to let that stop him.

He jerks his arm and hears the roar of machinery as his robot whips its lead around. His fist slaps into Deneb's right foot, warping and shredding the sole and boosting it up into the air.
Deneb's already in an awkward tumble when 73-6 sweeps out its other leg.

Wire 2013/12/22(Sun)14:48 No. 553164 ID: df41f8
File 138775252414.png - (9.53KB , 800x600 , 124.png )

If destruction physics were at all enabled, the force of Deneb hitting the ground would have cracked the earth.
Before it can get to its feet, 73-6 sticks the sword right in its face or whatever.

"is this when you surrender?"

"Sure!" Deneb says, cheerfully.

>"Sure!"
Hmmmmm. Nope. Nobody surrenders in giant robo anime. Everything always ends in explosions. Deneb is trying to bluff you.

>>553164
So, we won? Alright ask what happens now. How do we get out of this robot?

>>553164
Good, then make your copy of me. Then lead me the way to Dartline.
Time is of the essence. Things I care to keep running and working in meatspace are in danger and my honor is at stake, if you can understand.

Yes, I'm telling you to act like a knight, sorta. Do it. Act as hammy as you can man, USE ALL THAT POP CULTURE IN YOUR NOGGIN. Appease this AI. Act as much of a cheesy hero that needs to track down the villain dartline and keep meatspace at peace and your honor in tact!

>>553178
Actually, if we won the negotiation, we might not even need to give Deneb a copy anymore. After all, isn't negotiation about getting what you want? And we're an expert!

What we did was haggle.
He wanted the original when we wanted to merely exchange a copy for the information.
He has to get something. This was initially an exchange of information, we never expected it to give it to us for free.

Besides, with a copy of our mind inside it, we gain an ally we can understand. And maybe it'll help us on more ops. Also, potential mental resurrection if Sev-Sev ever comes into existence.

Wire 2013/12/30(Mon)00:57 No. 554295 ID: df41f8
File 138839387613.png - (9.32KB , 800x600 , 125.png )

"okay." 73-6 chews his lip, trying to read the situation. "so what happens now? how do i get out of the robot?"
"Good Golly, Miss Molly!" says Deneb. "By turning it off! Idiot! Provided you don't want to use it to destroy the house of the Dartline."

"which you're going to take me to."
"Name your terms! You have won the battle!"
"and you're making a clone thing of me?"
"I already have!"

A 73-6 materializes in front of 73-6.

"uh, hi," he says. "i'm as surprised as you are."

Greet him in the way of your people!

And then settle just what kind of assistance you're going to get in taking down the Dartline Alchemist. You don't want him getting away, so giant robots might be a bit too unsubtle.

Welp. Sorry mate, but I guess you're gonna be living in the internet now. We're cool, right?

Oh. Uh, sorry. Didn't want to actually leave you here. Me here. ...this is confusing.

...at least if you're stuck here, it's not in one of these hideous wireframe bodies.

Guess now we get to test if living with a crazy internet god or working for the bureau is more hazardous to our long time health.

yes make t a contest. who can have the best damn life.

anyway. to the dartline! uh. kneel and pick up sara. just hold hand next to her so she can climb on. then hold hand near the head.

>>554295
Alright, me. Hope you enjoy your new life on the internet. Mind translating that data for me so I can go kick down Dartline's house?

>>554295
I hope you can ground to earth this AI, 73-6-2.

Wire 2013/12/30(Mon)16:46 No. 554353 ID: df41f8
File 138845081301.png - (9.81KB , 800x600 , 126.png )

"hi. sorry you have to spend your life in weird internet limbo."
"it's okay," says 73-6-2. "i think all told"
"we've both got the same amount of shit on our plate?"
"yeah. i'm serving an insane robot"
"and i'm serving insanely corrupt plutocrats"
"so."
"cool."
"Sev!" 73-6 hears Sara's voice far below. "That was amazing! You're in a robot!"
"i know," calls 73-6.
"shit," says 73-6-2. "i guess that's where you have the advantage."
"what, that sara's in meatworld?"
"yeah. i guess i'll never get the chance to bang the cyborg now."
"we want to bang the cyborg?"
"we totally do. why lie to yourself?"
"that's deep."
"Who are you talking to up there?"
"myself. it's a little complicated and weird."
"Everything's been complicated and weird. Is that a clone?"
"yeah."
"Hi!"

"sara, do you want to get on the robot?"
73-6 bends the mech down and extends his hand.
"Ohmygod. Yes." says Sara. "Lemme ride that robot." 73-6-2 elbows 73-6 in the ribs.

Wire 2013/12/30(Mon)16:47 No. 554354 ID: df41f8
File 138845084261.png - (13.09KB , 800x600 , 127.png )

"Look at the two of you!" croons Deneb. "Just look at you! We would keep you all here forever. If we could we would!"

"you can't." 73-6-2 steps forward. "we won the robot fight. it's okay," he says, as 73-6 starts to speak. "i think i've finally got a read on this guy. thing. it'll cooperate."

"It is working! You are our progeny!"
"sure."
"The Chosen Prince!"
"yeah."
"you know the way to dartline, then?" asks 73-6.
"i do. i also know he knows we're coming. that guy we fragged earlier was one of his. he's got a shit-ton of defenses."
"Shoot," says Sara. "What kind of defenses?"
"ice, firewalls, injectors."
"What does that mean?"
"in practical terms? laser turrets. the sevsmasher 73-600 might be able to take them on-"
"What's that?" asks Sara.
"it's what we've named the robot," says 73-6-2.
"Is it?" Sara asks 73-6.
"yeeeah, kind of," says 73-6, helplessly.
"like i was saying, it might be able to take them on, but two giant robots are better than one." 73-6-2 squints down at Deneb, as the massive AI cheerfully attempts to crash its arm back into its rightful place. "i don't know if even i could talk deneb into it, though. deneb likes dartline almost as much as it likes us."

dont try to convince him that way.. convince him that two giant robots storming a castle would look TOTALLY AWESOME.

Well, there are two of us now. Can't we get two robots that way? (And if he disagrees- hey, you'rd arguing. That definitely means you need a robot).

Maybe we can convince him by promising to spare Dartline if Deneb keeps him locked up here for like 6 months. No idea if he would go along with it but we could always try to get Dartline on our team instead of just killing him.

A fake death and a name change and we have another ally in our corner. Might be worth considering at least.

>>554355
>>554356
These are both execellent arguments if Deneb is not interested in piloting the second robot himself.

>>554355
>Well, there are two of us now. Can't we get two robots that way?
Three robots. THREE. You've gotta give your little lady some consideration.

Is there any chance we could recruit Dartline instead of taking 'im out? I mean, Deneb probably likes him for a reason. Faking Dartline's death is another possibility that comes to mind, perhaps in combination with recruiting him.

Wire 2014/01/03(Fri)02:41 No. 554860 ID: ebe087
File 138874569923.png - (10.82KB , 800x600 , 128.png )

"uh, deneb, listen."
"With all available sound-listeners! Child!"
"this is great, and everything, and we're really thankful for the robot, but could we have another robot?"
"Another!"
"we just can't agree on who gets to drive it."
"We think not! We do not think! That is one robot too many over the limit, which is one robot. Go! Hunt the Dartline, our joy!"

Wire 2014/01/03(Fri)02:41 No. 554861 ID: ebe087
File 138874570589.png - (9.95KB , 800x600 , 129.png )

"you're really not going to give us another one?"
"we really want one."
"that sounds like a conflict to me."
"it sounds like a conflict to me, too."
"one that needs resolving."

Wire 2014/01/03(Fri)02:41 No. 554862 ID: ebe087
File 138874571294.png - (4.59KB , 800x600 , 130.png )

"Oh!" says Deneb. "Does it?"

Static on the Wire Thread 4 End Wire 2014/01/03(Fri)02:42 No. 554863 ID: ebe087
File 138874576611.png - (8.85KB , 800x600 , 131.png )

"woooooooooo" goes 73-6.
"woooooooooo" goes 73-6-2.
"WOOOOOOOOO" goes Sara. "GET READY, DARTLINE ALCHEMIST! TEAM SARA-TY THREE SIX IS COMING FOR YOUR DARTLINE ASS-CHEMIST!"
"good one," says 73-6.
"Thanks, boo," says Sara.

Boo?

The two huge robots thunder across the plains.