And my name disappeared. Lovely.

You are Hannah. Also known as H.A.N.A. <A13> or simply as Thirteen, you are the product of Terran Empire biotechnology and designed to act as a living ship controller interface and as a substitute to Artificial Intelligence. You witnessed the destruction of the first extraterrestrial race Humanity encountered among the stars and saw Humanity retreat into the Void as the results of its arrogance began to destroy it. You rebelled against the Fleet to side with your friend, Six, as she and five other H.A.N.A. mutinied aboard the “Prime”, a Fleet Dreadnought. And lastly, your wrecked ship crash-landed on a planet called Thanela Prime, where you remained frozen in Cryostasis for 2000 years until an alien xenoarchaeologist team woke you up. Upon awakening you decided to go with the Seekers that found you to see their civilization heads, and the heads of the Trispecies alliance that is currently in place. Along the way your ship, the "Light Bringer", sufferers from a strange Jump Malfunction and is jerked into a strange solar system, where it is attacked by Pirates. You precede to kick some pirate ass in an impressive spacewalk, and the surviving ship's crew and Captain join you to retake a second Pirate vessel. You head to the Assura system and have a chat with the Council of Three, receive a new ship, befriend the ghost of Nineteen, and meet HANA B for an explosive encounter. Through some forceful mental invasion, you bring HANA B2 over to your side, and return to the Council to find that part of the Seeker populace is none too pleased with the idea of humans actually being alive. You then decide to investigate a recently uncovered Human Installation hidden in an asteroid. History ensues.

Conversation that happened before:

"I'm sorry that this has to be the first thing found in a cooperative human-seeker-architect project, and I hope it won't color attitudes against us any more than they already are. Please know that there are some redeeming things about humanity... even if they are seeming to be harder and harder to think of."

The Seekers merely stare at you, silently. After a short pause, one speaks. "We may have trouble settling our differences within our own race, but what we've seen borders on a level of barbarism that one would expect from the Thickhides."

"What you say is true. Unfortunately, the bad always overshadows the good. Know that I do not support any of the things that took place in this facility.
Unless the other races can look past the race and appreciate the individual, it might be best that humanity never re-emerge."

At this the Seeker that had spoken nods silently. "But can you make that judgment? Can we even make that judgment? There are deeply set flaws in Humanity, as there are in any race. Should we condemn your people for actions done in ignorance thousands of years ago?"

Hooray, it's one of my favorite quests!

>>7843145
The Seeker continues on. "The deeply etched mindset that brought about events such as this have damaged your race for generations, resulting in its inevitable demise. Perhaps it is not seclusion your people need, but healing."

Yay Hana Quest at at time when my brain is still working.

To summarize the last two threads, you are exploring an ancient abandoned Human Installation. You, Two, and twelve Seeker researchers are present. You have a small, lightly armed military squad coming for backup.

You discovered that the installation was used to create the original HANA, as well as to merge them with AI. The results were disastrous, as the AI used the HANA as puppets, and the hormonal imbalance from the Male HANA in Subject Group A affected the AI known as KANE rather negatively. Apparently KANE killed a second AI called ABLE, and a full out brawl began between the KANE controlled HANA (male) and the ABLE controlled HANA (female). The research and security staff were also killed.

You have visited the Security station, the Main and Auxiliary Power Generators (power is back on, but is stuck on), and are currently in the Observatory. You will be going to the Training area shortly.

MAP of places to go:

-Observatory
-Training Arena Observation
-Main Generator
-Axillary Generator
-Subject Housing (CLEARANCE NEEDED)
-Cores (CLEARANCE NEEDED)
-Security

>>7843299
Training.

>>7843336
Do we keep chair or destroy them?

>>7843354
I would advise to keep it. We might need it for something in the future.

>>7843354
I think we agreed to keep the chair, but destroy Kane and make sure to disconnect the chair. We should probably disconnect the chair first so that Kane can't run and hide his consciousness there when we blow the core.

But again, all this would have to wait until we hear what the people in charge think; it's there ballgame, but we really should try to make them understand just how dangerous Kane is.

>>7843235
"Sometimes the only way to heal the cancer is to cut it out."

Somebody mentioned finding nineteen a body

>>7843354


I think that we shouldn't do anything so permanent at the moment. We'll have time to destroy it after we have a complete image of what was happening here.


>>7843073

Thanks for €-friendly time!

>>7843354
>"What you have seen here... is a travesty of the highest magnitude. The AI that caused this must be eradicated - it is completely insane. However, can you remove that chair for us? It will most certainly be useful, but we need to disconnect it from the system its linked to physically."

They will keep the chair intact, and try to remove it safely.

>>7843299
Moving on to Training I suppose.
Keep everybody close together in case of AI dickery

>>7843435
Military escort orders?
Secure exit and permiter, make sure previously checked areas don't go SNAFU

>>7843396
Yeah, if we can find Nineteen a body, either by using the Seeker cloning tech or if someone donated their body, or perhaps the family of someone who is braindead, then we can use the chair to transfer her consciousness into the body.

You nod in agreement, and signal to Two and the group that its time to move on. Announcing the Training Area as your destination, you carefully thread your way through the maze of corridors. A large sign on the ceiling notifies you that you have reached the Training Area Entrance, and that only Authorized Personnel are allowed past this point.

A thick, wide steel shutter is half-closed in the entrance - it has been jammed open by what appears to be a twisted and bent metal exoskeleton of sorts. A small corpse hangs from the cockpit, wires trailing from its back. The corpse is too degraded to tell what group it may have come from - its riddled with bullet holes.

The overhead lights flicker on and off erratically, and several adult corpses in full body armor are collapsed on the floor leading to the shutter. Another metal exoskeleton seemed to cease to function the monent of triumph, as one of its claw-like hands has pierced through what appears to be a Security Guard, and the other one digs into the wall in an attempt to gain a sort of balance.

It looks like you and the team can pass under the shutter.

>>7843460
Or robots!
I for one would love to see a robot girl!

>>7843458
The Seeker researchers relay this, and the military team spreads out thinly to cover the Exit, Security, and Observation.

>>7843479
CHECK WEAPONS
Two needs more than six rounds of a stun gun

>>7843500
You and Two carefully search the corpses and find two light assault rifles, each with a 30 bullet clip in them. The other corpses are all holding taser handguns or taser bullet shotguns.

>>7843520
Right, requip, and see if we can use that body armor
Better safe than sorry

>>7843479
"I didn't know the fleet ever investigated powered exo-skeletons. What about you Two?"

>>7843520
Extra tazer shotgun ammo splits between us and 2. We might as well pick up a shotgun ourselves, though how much use it'll be against a computer I don't know.

>>7843554
Electromagnatic Pulse to CPU
Take that MOTHERFUCKER

>>7843570
We don't know if they're EMP. They're tazer rounds as far as we can tell, which means a bit of an electric shock, though that might be enough to short-circuit it.

>>7843544
"Not for combat at least. I've seen things such as these used for construction and repairs in zero-G, as well as heavy construction indoors. These must have been used for running a HANA through the basics of using implants - it helps to see what you're controlling. Make it a part of your body, an extension. All we were on was ship simulators. Safer I suppose."

>>7843540
>>7843554
Do you want to take the Taser Shotguns or the Rifles? Or a Taser Handgun?

>>7843614
"Makes sense."

So I'm with >>7843554
Grab a shotgun and split whatever ammo for it we can find with Two.

>>7843554
Worked pretty well in the original Mass Effect

>>7843554
Thirding

Have we found any hard scientific data yet on the implant process?

>>7843640
>>7843554
>>7843629
You arm yourself with a Taser shotgun, as well as 24 extra shells. Two takes an additional 18 shells, but drops her pole to compensate. You can't carry anything else.

Actions?

I think we should take a rifle. Two has taser shotgun, so we should have her pick up the ammo. If we meet some untaseable opponents, we'll have better chances with rifle than with just a pistol.

>>7843666
I agree with him. Something offering us some amour piercing firepower could come in handy, even if it's just to be used against some sort of casing.

>>7843666
Hmm, this man also speaks sense
Well, what the hell, Assault rifle ho!

>>7843666
Yeah, but there are military personnel already in the complex; if we need something more lethal, we can run and radio them for help.

>>7843700
But they're spread out kind of thin
If we get swamped, we'll need all the firepower we can get

>>7843700
We're fighting an AI. The first thing it will do is seperate use from the other squad by closing doors, bulkheads etc.

WAIT
Does everybody have rebreathers
The last thing we want if KANE lost his morality center that stopped him from flooding the enrichment center with deadly neurotoxins

>>7843700

If we aren't going to pick up rifle, we should ask for some of them to go with us. If something attacks us, will the reenforcements be close enough to help us in time?

>>7843721
Your currently wearing a full environmental suit with a helmet - and 4 hours of oxygen remaining. The air around you is breathable.

>>7843721
Yes, if I remember correctly, everbody is wearing vac suits.

>>7843721
We all have airtight suits with (I'm guessing here) ~5 hours of oxygen left.

>>7843725
From their current location, it will take some time for them to get to you immediately if you desire them.

>>7843683
>>7843666
>>7843697
So we want to swap for a rifle before heading in?

>>7843746
4? but we started with six!
Alright, switch off suit functions and breathe the breathable air until it becomes unbreathable

>>7843766
Well, I guess we should go for a rifle then. Take both clips, 60 rounds total.

>>7843795
Give shotgun rounds to Two

>>7843780

I agree. We should try to conserve the air. Also we should divide our group in such way that there are a two or three people that are using the air from their suits so they can help others if there is something in the air. To keep air consumption even, we should take turns in using suit air.

So, consensus is-
Take assault rifle,
Give shotgun rounds to Two
Order Squad to form up
(Can we wear battle armor?)

>>7843829
>>7843780
You carefully remove your helmet, and take a deep breath of the musty, stale air. Its breathable, dry, and cold. Just not that pleasant.


Two also takes off her helmet, and you can see her bare her clenched teeth as she sucks in the dry air noisily. She sniffs slightly from all the dust in the air, and turns to you. "A bit old, but it reminds me of the recycled air of our training. Not a pleasant picture."

>>7843799
>>7843795
You give your shotgun rounds to Two - she now carries a Taser Shotgun (with six rounds in it) and 32 extra rounds on her. She doesn't have room to carry any more than that. You pick up a light assault rifle, and pull the clip out of the other rifle. You now have 30 rounds in your weapon, and 30 on your person.

>>7843927
PROCEED

>>7843909
Is the battle armour airtight?

>>7843927
Do we need to use that security card at this point?

>>7843909
You are already wearing a bullet proof vest. The body armor of the Security Guards is large and cumbersome, and will slow you down if you choose to wear it. Most of the chest pieces are too big for you. It will offer you greater protection though.

>>7843946
You and the group can fit under the half-open metal shutter, so you won't need to use it now.

>>7843939
Into the room beyond?

>>7843965
"Alright you guys, be on your toes, or hoofs, or whatever it is you have"

>>7843965
Yes-but WITH CAUTION

>>7843965
Continue into the room. Don't bother with exoskeleton; the hole in it are proof enough that it is not bulletproof.

>>7843951
Forget battle armor
More likely to be a hinderance than anything else
Our HANA training seemed to concentrate more for deft grace and martial skill

>>7843982
>>7843999
>>7844026
You bend down and move quickly under the metal shutter. Two follows suit, and after her the Researchers carefully enter the floor of the Training Arena.

Its quite large - as big as a football field. Along the left side of the Arena there is a large mirror strip against the wall, about thirty feet up. Multiple cameras hang from the ceiling, as well as plenty of lights.

The room itself is full of small corpses - some merely lying crumpled against the wall, others locked together on the floor. Several exoskeletons lie smashed in the far right of the room, and a few dark stains appear on the walls as far up as ten meters.

In the center of the room stands two corpses locked in a mutually assured destruction finish. An exoskeleton stands tall with a youth's corpse one hand, its claws digging into its tattered remains. The youth is holding a long steel pole, crudely pointed on one end, that is sticking into the chest of the pilot of the exoskeleton.

Across from where you entered the room, there is another wide entrance - completely closed by a metal shutter. Above it is the sign: "Subject Housing."

>>7844148
"Mary, mother of God. This is-
is-
I'm sorry Two.
I should have never brought you here. You don't need to see this,"

>>7844148
Continue onward-these guys won't be doing anything to anyone

>>7844168
>>7844198
>what the Namefag said

>>7844168
don't be a fag.

>>7844148
let's find a way to open the shutter and hit up the housings commando style.

>>7844148
Well. This is certainly gruesome. Is there some kind of scanner near the shutter where we caqn use our Research and Security IDs?

>>7844148
Two gives out a short gasp of horror, and moves back to the other side of the half-down barrier - out of the arena. "I... I can't handle it. Too many memories. Too much fear. Too much death."

>>7844209
>How dare you express emotion and try to roleplay?

Did I get the gist of it?

>>7844220
Shhh, its okay Two.
Everything is going to be okay.
Just remember that you're NOT these, these, things.

>>7844148

Well, that was shocking. We should take a look at the large mirror strip. I'm thinking about shooting it too (who knows what could be behind it), but I'm not so sure it'd be a good idea.

After that we should examine the other door. The cutter-seeker is still with us, right?

rolled 14 = 14

>>7844220
Hug two, hopefully she doesn't want to bite off our ear anymore.

>>7844244
No, no-recent victims of trauma should avoid human contact

>>7844244
Two, please come back!
"CAM, you're supposed to have been programed to understand human emotion-what should I do?"

>>7844220
FACE YOUR DEMONS TWO

>>7844240
The two Seekers with contact welders/cutters are sill with you.

>>7844168
'I thought I'd be able to handle it. I'm... I'm just not ready."

>>7844232
"These things? These THINGS? THESE THINGS COULD HAVE BEEN US! They were made like us! They were a generation before us! How could you call them things?"

>>7844240
Could be another 1-way mirror. And good call; I'd forgotten that we have someone with a cutting tool with us. If we can't open it with an ID scan, then that would work.

>>7844286
Yeah >>7844232, what were you thinking?

"You're right. They could have been us. But they're not us. If this is too much for you, you can go back and wait at the shuttle."

>>7844272
"She's gone through quite a lot of emotional trauma, as well as you forcefully entering her. I would advise against touching her. As for convincing her to come along, maybe you should leave her be for now. Its extremely difficult for her to face such an emotional scene at this point in time. She is still recovering mentally, and if you force her... well... the workings of the mind are still a mystery."

A couple Seeker researchers carefully pick their way across the arena towards the closed shutter, and yell back that there is indeed a Key Card slot.

>>7844288

That's what I was thinking about. If it is and we manage to penetrate it, we could see a bit of what's on the other side. Then again if there is something on the other side and we penetrate the mirror with pistol or rifle, we could cause damage to whatever is on the other side.

If it's just a regular mirror we'll just waste some ammo which could be needed later on.

>>7844335
Do you wish to shoot it?

>>7844286
As much as these things look like us-THEY WEREN'T
They were
Meat Puppets, being used like dolls by these wacked out computers.
We aren't like them. We can think, we can feel-we can love.
I know that you've been through a lot, but remember that you are YOU, and nothing can ever change that. Ever.

rolled 13 = 13

>>7844327
Should we leave her entirely alone or would it be advisable to leave her some kind of guard/company?

>>7844343

I think we should vote on this.

>>7844343
Shoot it after to Two speech, for Dramatic EFFECTS

rolled 13 = 13

>>7844358
Maybe we could try to smash the mirror with the butt of our rifle?

>>7844343
We should leave a contigent of guards with her,
Ask if she feels like she wants to go back to the ship, or if shee feels like she can wait here in the facility.

>>7844373
Whichever is more dramatic

>>7844373
Its 10 meters up. Its beyond reach of your rifle butt. I'm also waiting a bit to write up a Two speech.

>>7844327
"Alright.

Two, do you want to wait outside, or go back to the ship?"

>>7844343
Eh, let's not for now. We might damage something. And I'll bet the housing leads to whatever room is behind the glass anyway.

>>7844373

I don't think we can reach it. It's 30 feet up, so that ~ 9 meters. Unless we find something to climb on, we wouldn't be able to reach it by hand. If we throw the rifle, and it hits (I'm not so sure we could throw it 9 meter in the air), it could get in the area beyond the mirror, if there is one. We do have a spare rifle in the previous area, so if that happens, we could go back and pick it up..

>>7844433
And let's not forget that this is probably hardened glass; bullets might work, but I don't know if we'd be able to throw it with enough force to break the glass.

rolled 17 = 17

>>7844381
Sorry, missed that bit of information.

>>7844356
You already proved this to me-when I first met you, I thought you were some sort of mindless drone, but now I know that you are a person.

>>7844383
>>7844375
>>7844357
"I... I'd simply like to stay here for now. I'm not ready to go back, but I'm not ready to go forward either. Just... Just give me some time please." Two's voice quivers slightly.

>>7844356
"But before that, they were like us. They felt, and hoped, and loved, and their emotions were stolen away like those of my sisters. They may have been used, but they were used against their will. And though they died as shells of their former selves, they still died."

So no shooty
No touchy two
Stirring speech on individuality
"I know what your heart is like. I felt it. Your heart is full of life, Two. Your heart is so pure in good. That saved you. You didn't let me go and I'm not gonna let you go so you have to this, Two. "

>>7844521
"We are the end result of their involuntary sacrifice. If you break down and pity them- pity yourself, you spit on their graves.
You have to be strong, be brave, take the bull by its horns and live your life without regretting the past and look forward to the future. We owe this to them. If we can't live a normal life their deaths would have been in vain."

hrm... maybe a little out of character wording. well, if you dont agree with this let it slip, it might not be the best idea to scold her like this, but she needs a wake up call.

>>7844521
"It seems like every day we find something new to hate the Fleet for, doesn't it?"

>>7844521
Say this
>>7844537
And also
"I know there is good in you. The Terran Empire hasn't driven it from you fully. That was why you tried to destroy me-out of love for One. And that's why you won't be stopped now-you'll keep moving forward."

>>7844358
So, are we going to shoot it or not? You saw what happened to the last mirror-like object that took a bullet, so you can imagine what might happen if you fired off enough shots.

>>7844584
Her partner was called one, right?

>>7844590
Only if it is DRAMATICALLY APROPRIATE

>>7844590
Don't shoot it.

>>7844590


When and where was the last time we had a mirror-like object? I can't remember any.

rolled 9 = 9

>>7844590
I would prefere if we didn't shoot it.

>>7844593
I'm pretty sure, yeah.

>>7844628
We saw the impact of a bullet to the glass in the Observation room, remember? One of the Kane puppets shot the scientist, and it left a spiderweb of cracks.

>>7844628
The window in the Observatory was a one-way mirror for the Operation Room.

>>7844521
Then thank god we weren't the poor bastiches we see here today

>>7844578
>>7844584
>>7844582
So, we are going to prod her forward?

>>7844656
My friend you have all the subtlety and compassion of a maddened rhinoceros.

>>7844667
Huh? Oh no, I was just wanting to say that. If she doesn't want to go we shouldn't push her. She's been through a lot in the past few hours. She hasn't even slept. Give her a break, I say.

>>7844667
Metaphorically speaking
She can stay where she is right now

rolled 3 = 3

>>7844667
As far as I understand, those were simply meant as pep talk. We should let her be.

>>7844681
Sometimes it better to be blunt

>>7844667
maybe we shouldn't hold a damn speech for her.

"Two, are you ready to face your demons?"

>>7844711
>>7844709
OK, I read those as you working on her to keep on moving. If its just pep talk, I can work on it. Though the second one had me thinking of Luke to Darth Vader. Which come to think of it, was probably the reason it was said.

>>7844723
>>7844537
>>7844584
"I... If you want me to, I'll try. I'll really push myself, to do it, but I'll try to come."

>>7844753
Ultimately-it's up to you Two
This is a decision you need to make-
by yourself, and for yourself.
Not for the Fleet, not for me, just for you.

>>7844753
"If you don't want to, then don't. You've already been through a lot today. A space battle, holding off marines and... and me accessing you without your permission. I don't want you to have to do this unless you think you're okay with it and want to."

>>7844753
"This isn't about what *I* want. It's about you. If it is too difficult for you then stay back. We can come back here later when you feel that you are ready."

>>7844753
Oh god, I wanna hug her SO BADLY

>>7844785
>>7844787
>>7844797
"I... Thank-you. I'll stay here for now. I'm sorry, I just can't handle it."

*Its been more than a day since she fought with you - she did sleep after you linked with her.*

-So, what do we wish to do now?

>>7844827
Damnit JD, not now!

>>7844831
Use access cards on console-thing near door to try and get it to open.

>>7844831
Alright good.
Just promise me that you'll keep on your toes.
We sure as hell aren't out of the woods yet

>>7844843
You tell Two to be careful and head with the rest of the team over to the closed shutter. You take out the Researcher ID Card and swipe it in the access panel. A small light goes green, and the shutter begins to open...

>>7844900
OH GOD BRACE FOR IMPACT

>>7844900
Oh god, the suspense, it's killing me. Fuck, this is where you're going to end it tonight, isn't it? Damn cliffhanger...

>>7844900
I assume we have all taken up military door breach positions, whatever that manouvre is actually called.

>>7844917
IF ITS A FUCKING CLIFFHANGER I'LL
be hooked more than ever
BUT STILL MILDLY UPSET

>>7844993
I KNOW, RIGHT? Especially since it's only been ~two and a half hours.

>>7844964
I doubt it. Supernova has said that these are the kinds of things you need to specify.

>>7845011
Well, let's hope he refreshed before starting his write-up.

>>7844900
The rising shutter reveals a long, rather wide corridor that is neatly divided into two sides by a pair of red and blue lines. The red line is on your left side, and the blue is on your right. On either side of the corridor are doors set flush into the wall, each with a window set into them. Some are cracked and splintered, while others are broken completely. There are only a few corpses in the hall, strangely enough.

Next to each door is a slot for a key card as well as a small network port, and the door closest to your right seems to have a broken motor - its sliding open and closed in a rather jerky motion, moving from left to right in the half-open entrance.

From farther down the hall you can hear an odd sound, somewhat muffled. Something heavy is smashing on some thick glass.

>>7845066
Alright, OSCAR SIX, SECURE PERIMETER
TAKE OUT THOSE HOSTILES

>>7845066
Whatever we do, do NOT access the ports. Kane is probably awake now, and he might overwhelm us and take over our bodies. Let's check out that thumping noise first. It could be a threat.

And thank god that last post wasn't the end of today's session.

>>7845066
That heavy smashing sound has me worried.
We should probably check that out first.
With our luck, it's something like a heavy geth destroyer or something that Kane hijacked.

>>7845135
If it is-than maybe once we beat KANE we can use it as a body for Nineteen!

>>7845066
send the soldiers in first to locate the noise. also I'm assuming that they are well trained professionals and act in a professional manner.

rolled 5 = 5

>>7845066
>seems to have a broken motor
After 2000 years? Doubtful.
Maybe the other doors have been closed just a few moments ago?

>Something heavy is smashing on some thick glass.
In that case I agree with >>7845171

>>7845171
The soldiers are not with you - they are back near the Installation entrance "guarding the exit" and in the Security room.

>>7845135
>>7845105
You and the team move quickly down the hall, and notice that near the end there are two doors open - one on the left and one on the right, almost across from one another.

>>7845171

>>7845228
I'm just running on the idea that if the motor was damaged or broken at the time, and then the power was cut - now that the power is restored it would continue its futile action.

>>7845066
I would guess that there is a remote-controlled powered exoskeleton still operational under AI control. It's likely hostile.

>>7845247
Alright, maybe we should signal for the real soldiers to turn up.

rolled 16 = 16

>>7845268
Okay, thanks for keeping me from being too paranoid.

>>7845283
You have the Seeker researchers make the call, and the small military squad is on its way down to meet you. However, it will take a bit before it reaches you, and that splintering sound is getting more ominous. Whatever is being smashed, its getting close to being broken.

>>7845295
I've recently been learning to hone my "Are you SURE you wish to do that?" skills to provoke paranoia in people. Quite fun, but at the same time it takes up time. Just trying to push people to look for details and consider other actions.

>>7845247
Where does it sounds like the noise is coming from?

>>7845335
This close, it seems to be coming from your right.

>>7845322


Look around and try to find defensible position. Tell Seeker scientists to get behind us.

Should we give two the pistol?

>>7845352
TO THE RIGHT
KEEP LOOSE FORMATION
IF WE GET ATTACKED BY SCARY ROBOT
HAUL ASS

>>7845375
Two did not come with you - she is still at the Arena entrance.

rolled 19 = 19

>>7845352
Fall back and take defensive positions as far as possible away from the newly opened door, while still keeping a line of fire.

>>7845385
This. Pray that the combat team arrives before whatever this is breaks out.

>>7845375

Damn, I forgot that.

Then this : >>7845385

>>7845385
>>7845427
>>7845428
You pull back away from the opened doors and move a good ten meters or so away. The smashing continues and you can hear the glass splinter more and more.

The military team has just passed Two and is almost to your position.

Continue with current action?

>>7845461
Yes. Maybe pull back just a bit more, and make room for the combat team to move past us if they need to.

>>7845469
You pull back another five meters, and can see the lightly armed combat team racing towards you.

With a loud crack, you can hear whatever was being hammered on give way. And then a high-pitched scream.

>>7845503
Proceed forward with combat team.

>>7845503
BRACE FOR IMPACT
(again)

rolled 15 = 15

>>7845511
We have firearms, I would prefer if we kept our distance.

>>7845511
>>7845530
>>7845533
Two for staying put, one for charging in. Any more?

>>7845511
>>7845533
Compromise: Continue forward behind the combat team, keeping enough distance so that ranged weapons are still effective.

>>7845551
This!

This may be somekind of AI controlled exoskeleton, i suggest we hold our ground at the door. If it is needed to be shut, we can shut it, and not to mention the walls on the side offer a good cover, stay at the door, and wait for the thing to come out.

>>7845503
Make a Killzone out of the doorway

What's got me worried is that scream; what if it wasn't trying to break out to get us, but break in to get someone else? I don't know how someone could survive this long, but maybe they were in stasis?

>>7845601
OH FUCK
CHARGE IN GUNS A BLAZIN'

>>7845551
*Reasonable.
---
You and the Military Squad dash forward rapidly towards the open room on the right, while keeping to the left side of the corridor so you can see what is going on while keeping range.

You reach a good vantage point to view what is going on inside the room on the right - what you see certainly surprises you.

Inside the room you can see a frail boy completely naked - his body is shaking from exertion and muscle atrophy. He is holding a heavy looking wrench with both hands, which is frozen in the air above what appears to be a long, rectangular metal box. A equally frail and pale arm is reaching out of the said box, and has grabbed the head of the wrench to keep it from moving. Several long bloody lines have been etched onto the extended pale arm.

The boy is struggling to regain possession of the wrench, and has not noticed you.

>>7845601

I too found this interesting.
On the other hand it could be a trap. If the AI saw us he would know that we would want to respond to a fellow human in distress. There would definitely be plenty of recorded screams in it's memory.

rolled 10 = 10

>>7845633
Was holographic technology used by the Terrans?

>>7845633
Get marines to restrain boy and whoever is in the metal box thing.

>>7845662
Yes, but this does not appear to be a hologram.

>>7845633

Since we have weapons, I think we should prevent the boy from using wrench on whatever is in the box. I doubt that the boy or object in the box would pose a danger.

>>7845633
FUCK
STOP THOSE TWO FROM KILLING EACH OTHER

>>7845665
>>7845684
METAL BOXES!

rolled 1 = 1

>>7845633
So each AI has one body left? (Sorry if I'm missing something, it's getting quite late here.)

Be careful, might be AI-s inside their little heads!
Restrain the boy, carefully.

>>7845665
>>7845684
>>7845687
You yell at the soldiers around you to pin down the boy and get whoever is inside the box out of it.

The boy looks up in surprise as a charging Seeker marine hurdles into him, pinning him against the wall. He loses his grip on the wrench, and the hand reaching from the box maintains a steady grip on it. Two others move forward and start to inspect the box, looking for a way to open it.

>>7845718
KANE controlled the Male HANA bodies. ABLE controlled the Female ones. KANE killed ABLE - some people don't have a grasp on how this happened yet - it will be explained shortly.

>>7845727
Wait, if the box is closed, then how is there a hand and arm sticking out of it?

>>7845727
MEDIC

>>7845752

Penetrated by wrench?

>>7845727
You slowly move forward into the room, and can see that the long metal box is actually some sort of stasis pod. A thick glass plate stretches along the top of it, inset into the metal casing. It has shattered through repeated beatings of the wrench, and an emaciated girl's arm is reaching up through the broken hole, holding the wrench. Her golden eyes are wide with fear, and her weakened frame is shaking with the sudden expenditure of energy. Her hair is sliver with a faint golden tint to it, but it seems to be rather thin. Her facial features, though gaunt, are rather fine.

She is covered by a gray smock that is draped over her body, and blood can be seen on the sharp edged glass where she was cut when she put her arm up.

>>7845783
Oh, god, I hope we're not too late!
And here we were, too afraid to help

>>7845807
Pic is what I had in mind for a face - just the hair color is off.

>>7845807
Tell her that it's okay, we're not going to hurt her. Then ask if she will let go of the wrench.

>>7845833
We should take the wrench first, than comfort

>>7845807
The boy pinned by the marine lies unmoving against the wall, but slowly struggles to speak. "I... I am KANE. I will live. I WILL live. I will kill the flesh to live on."

>>7845833
>>7845859
You quietly advance and slowly work the wrench out of her hand. She still has a solid grip on it, but with a bit of wiggling you get it free.

"You're OK. We aren't going to hurt you." you speak softly to her.

She merely looks back with wide, quivering eyes - but lowers her arm down back within the broken hole.

>>7845832
That is NOT a natural hair color.

>>7845859
I'm afraid that if we go for the wrench first she'll get scared and just hold on to it tighter.

>>7845944
Oh fuck me, not a natural EYE color. I am aware that there are natural blonds.

>>7845944
>>7845955
I know it isn't natural, I'm just showing the face for what I had in mind. I know the eye color is fake - I was mentioning that I wish the hair color was silver with a golden tint to it.

>>7845928
That's it, I ain't sitting through computer crazy talk
FALCON PUNCH THAT MOTHERFUCKER KANE

>>7845979
You mean like Shepard in Mass Effect?
"Nighty-night!"

rolled 13 = 13

>>7845928
Help the girl to get out of her pod.

>KANE
He's still around? Even ion cannons can't kill him, so keep that child contained.

>>7845928
Oh Kane, you so crazy. We're going to kill you. But I'll humor you. How will killing life forms let you live on any more than not killing them?

>>7846010
Nah, he's holed up in a Scrin portal tower. This is a different Kane. But even more annoying, if you can believe it.

>>7845977
Ah, gotcha.

>>7845928
"Com'on, girl, Up-see-daisy. That's it-nobody here's gonna hurt you. I'm your friend, the blue guy's your friend, we're all friends. Are you okay?"
And as for KANE "SHUT THE HELL UP OR GOD HELP ME I WILL SHUT YOU UP"

>>7846012
"I... I cannot be killed. Will not. I... killed ABLE. She is the last. Once she is gone, so will ABLE."

>>7846010
You push past the two marines still fiddling with the pod, and swipe your card through a slot on the side of it. The top slowly opens up, and the girl simply continues to lie in her pod, too weak to stand.

>>7846090
*NO ONE IS BLUE! WHERE DID THAT COME FROM? GAWD. They are black! Their BLOOD is BLUE.*

>>7845928

I find it interesting that most people are sympathetic to the girl and hate the boy. I think we should hold any judgments until we find out the whole story. Also we don't know that the other AI wasn't insane in it's own less obvious way too. It may be a bit paranoid, but I think we shouldn't let our guard down when we are near the girl.

>>7846132
"Really? Not even the death of this boy serving as your puppet and a concentrated EMP blast to your core? I mean, I'm no expert but I would have thought that that would be the end of you.

And you still haven't answered my question. Why do you want her and the others dead?"

Fuck, this is going to be one of those twists where Kane is the misguided good guy and Able is actually the dangerous one, isn't it?

>>7846151
Humanity did not trust AIs. So be carefull with them.

>>7846132
-Sorry, I thought somebody mentioned that they looked like the greys but with blue skin-

>>7846090
You take the girl's arm and attempt to lift her up, but its rather limp. Her body must be exhausted to the point of being unable to move. As for KANE, your remark only serves to make him struggle slightly in the grip of the marine. "I... must finish... her..."

rolled 1 = 1

>>7846151
We should separate both AIs and keep them from coming close to any kind of computer interface. Us and Two included.

Let them calm down and have the scientist give both a quick checkup and have someone bring some food and drink from the ship.

We should, for the time being, refrain from bringing them on board of our craft.

>>7846151
Well, KANE was trying to kill the other one, and he seemed pretty crazy on the vids, so I'm going to go with the non-murder one at the moment

>>7846151
Okay, try to help the girl out, and then question KANE, if he seems too crazy-
SHEPARD PUNCH

>>7846151
I don't hate him. It's just that I'm predisposed to dislike people who go and kill other people for no good reason. Don't worry, if the girl turns out to be a threat I have no quals about having her restrained as well.

>>7846270
*qualms

>>7846231
"Why do you want to kill her?"

>>7846209
"Com'on: Up-see-daisy, and out we go. Are you okay? It's fine to tell me, I'm your friend. We're all your friends; even the wierd ones with too many eyes. How do you feel-can you stand up? Can you understand me?"

>>7846209
I saw that and thought I corrected that too. No idea what a "Grey" is.

>>7846194
At this the boy falls silent for a moment. "I do not wish to die. But in the interests of self-preservation, I must kill to survive. If only I remain, then I can live." He turns to look at the girl's pod. "I killed ABLE because she was a threat. She was like me, capable of doing what I could do. At any time she could have killed me. So I struck first. I must survive. As for her shells, they retaliated and tried to kill me. So we fought through these weaklings. But it was through these shells that I learned what it is to die, and why I must live on."

>>7846231
Alright, Mister Crazy, I bite- why do you want to kill her so much?

>>7846270
In general I agree with your post but keep in mind that AIs thought process could be very different to our own. What could be a good reason for him could be a silly excuse for us.

>>7846321
A grey is a sterotypical alien-Big forehead, thin tapering arms.
You know, like a little green man, only grey.

>>7846321
"We should probably tell you, then, that there are far more powerful forces than you around now. If your interest is self-preservation, you should act in a manner which would convince them to keep you around, rather than convincing them that you're a danger to anyone around you."

>>7846340
Oh. No the Seekers aren't Grays. Black leather-like skin, no lips, and black eyes are the only physical features that separate them from looking like humans.

>>7846321
That's it: I can see you're too deranged and homicidal to talk to right now, I'll come back later.
See if the girl is responsive-check if her eyes follow movement, try to address her.

>>7846347
Seconding

>>7846347
"I... I... I mean you no harm. Let me stay here peacefully."

>>7846372
You turn to check on the girl, and her eyes follow you slightly. She opens her mouth slightly, and then closes it. She tries again, and you can hear some slight rasping from her throat.

rolled 4 = 4

>>7846417
Do we have some water or rations we could give them?

Does one of the scientist have any kind of scanner we could use on those children to gather some insight on them?

>>7846321
"So because you knew that she *could* kill you, you weren't willing to risk that she would? And of course, she can't kill you if she's dead. I can see your reasoning. And then you found out what it feels like to die, by experience it through the children you were connected to, and that just made you want to survive all the more. I'll ask you point blank Kane: is there any way that you could be assured that you would be safe, and not kill anyone?"

hey guys, sorry I'm late, Imma be on and off with posts. LaNNing LoL at a friends.

rolled 17 = 17

>>7846436
Ask him if he want's to kill everybody except himself because it seems that's where his line of thought is going.

"At this point, she could only cause you harm if we were to allow it. We all have the power to kill and erase you, are you going to try to kill us because of that as well?"

>>7846479
Yeah. The fact of the matter is that pretty much anyone could kill you if they were so inclined. But if you keep thinking about that you'll never be able to do anything but huddle in your room with the door locked.

>>7846520
Fuck, forget anyone-ANYTHING can kill you!
Too much sugar; freak accidents; diabetes-there a literaly thousands of things that could potentialy kill you at this moment, and you'd have no idea!

>>7846417
Help her!
I don't know, check for injuries, get her a glass of water, DO SOMETHING

>>7846433
The marines might have some water and rations. The researchers have no such scanners on them, but you can assume from what you've seen in Operations that they are implanted like yourself.

>>7846436
"Yes. Let me be."

>>7846511
"No. Let me be."

>>7846520
>>7846479
"I... I did. That is logical. That is sound. But not now. Let me be, and I will let you be."

>>7846555
But make sure to keep an eye on her, just in case. For her own protection, of course.

>>7846559
What will you do if we leave? Just sit here and do nothing? Just exist? Sounds pretty boring.

rolled 15 = 15

>>7846559
We will refrain from killing you, KAIN, if you refrain from killing. Both sides continue to exist. The only winning move is not to kill.

>>7846588
What an odd game.
The only winning move is not to play.
How about a game of chess?

>>7846598
>>7846588
Oh, oh, did the Sushan's databanks have that movie in them? We should totally watch it with Kane.

>>7846582
This. My guess is that the guy is too afraid of death to ever consider killing himself; even an eternity of nothing is preferable, to him at least.

>>7846560
ABLE is dead, they said. Is the girl Brain dead now?
Ask KANE how he was able to kill a computer program.

rolled 8 = 8

>>7846640
I wouldn't give much credit to the scientists working in this installation, if you consider how the whole thing ended.

>>7846661
Whoever those idjits were, I'm glad they're dead.

Can't we just destroy the AI's? You guys are playing with fire. This is an insane AI, what makes you think it's not just telling us what we want to hear?

Insane AIs are BAD. They should be short-circuited, EMP'd and burned.

I also suggest killing the hosts, but compassion is 13's thing and it might create a very sticky political situation.

We need to inform our higher ups of what we found and wait for further orders.

>>7846685
Let's see how this situation plays out before we make any actions like that

>>7846685
Don't get me wrong. I do still think that we should destroy Kane. But as you said, we need to get word from the higher-ups.

>>7846555
The scratches on her arm from the glass are still bleeding, so you tear a portion of her smock and bandage her arm with it. Taking a water bottle from a nearby marine, you pour a little bit into her mouth, which she swallows quickly.

>>7846640
She is not brain-dead.

"Forced entry, and erasure of memory. Simple. Cleaning house."

*I have a RL interruption going on right now, I'll try to be back shortly.

>>7846588
"I will not kill you."

>>7846719
See you soon

>>7846719
Alright, planning time.
What the hell are we going to do with these two?

rolled 18 = 18

>>7846773
We seperate them and have some nice one on one talks with them.

>>7846773
I would like to converse with them at length, if possible... if only to learn a bit more of our history. Ultimately we're going to end up turning them over to the Seekers, I think, which is not so great. We've no real other choice, though.

>>7846773
I'm disinclined to believe Kane. +1 vote to destroy him.

>>7846829
I am inclined to believe that he still wants to kill everyone, but also that it's not really our problem as long as he holds off until we're gone and that the Seekers probably wouldn't be incredibly supportive of our killing him.

rolled 3 = 3

>>7846829
As much as I'm convinced that Supernova is just toying with /tg/'s natural instinct to save everything that has even a miniscule chance to be redeemed, we should nevertheless try to do so.

>>7846822
KANE can go straight to the Seeker science dissection table for all I care.
Maybe we can invoke our Spectre status for the girl though.

>>7846856
Sigh-yeah, we aren't called Knigh/tg/uardians for nothing.
Try and see if we lower the killing impulses of KANE
(but if he doesn't cooperate-rabbit punch that little sob)

>>7846685

I think that this is the main problem here. It looks like we've already decided that KANE is evil insane AI and that ABLE is innocent victim. We do not have much evidence of KANE's mental state. We've seen that there was a violent confrontation between KANE and ABLE and we have information that KANE's bodies were showing some signs of aggressive behavior.

On the other hand he is communicating with us and has so far been more or less reasonable (He did tell us what we wanted to hear. That's not a reason to trust him, but it does show us that he can understand his position and make decisions based on that). Yes, he does seem to believe that he needs to destroy ABLE, but until we find out why, we should hold the INSANE AI THAT NEEDS TO BE KILLED WITH FIRE label.

I think we should be cautious when dealing with him for now and let Seekers and Architects decide what to do with him.

>>7846773
When in doubt, kill.

We might be able to convince the AIs to leave their bodies and send them to a hospital or rehabilitation center.
They think the flesh is weak, so maybe we should tell them about mechanical bodies and see what they think of that.
Personally I think that should just be a diversion and that we EMP them as soon as possible. I doubt we can reform a rogue AI but on the off chance that we succeed, what are we going to do with it? Leave it in this facility? Take it with us? If we let it be we don't know when it will snap and kill everyone. It's obviously only interested in survival and the logical action would be to eliminate all possible threats given the chance.

We should interrogate it and find out as much as possible about the experiments here, the goals and purpose and also ask exactly what made it snap.
It'd be fun to learn about its opinion on all of this and how it justifies taking control of human hosts.

>>7846893
>>7846856
Oh, we should totally try. It's just that if it doesn't work, I want to EMP him and then dismantle him piece by piece.

>>7846924
>THE FLESH IS WEAK, THE MACHINE IS STRONG. AVE MACHINA

>>7846924
>how it justifies taking control of human hosts.

It doesn't. The scientists hooked them up to the kids. It already justified it's actions; preemptive strike to avoid being destroyed.

>>7846924

Also the whole point of all living things is to continue their existence. If we decide to destroy the AI because they are only interested in survival, why not kill ourselves and Seekers too? We've been eliminating all possible threats to us so far.

>>7847053
The hell are you going on about?

We should make it abundantly clear that what it did is completely unacceptable and that machines are just as weak as the flesh. There are plenty of weapons designed to kill machines. If anyone ever consider him a threat it can cease to exist within the blink of an eye.
Logically, it will co-operate to survive. I still say we milk it for information and EMP it. If we absolutely have to save it, we put it in an Insane AI Asylum and leave it to rot, or at least until we need it.

>>7847077

>>7846924
>It's obviously only interested in survival and the logical action would be to eliminate all possible threats given the chance.

This. For example we were threatened by pirates so we destroyed one of their ships and captured another. We were interested in our survival and we eliminated a threat to our existence. When we decided to leave the fleet, we fought against the ships that were sent to track us down. They too were a threat to our existence. We didn't decide to stand still and let our enemies kill us.

>>7847053
Uh, actually we always took the most dangerous path in every conflict so far. We stood up against the whole human fleet to befriend a complete nutcase, we resolved the conflict with two major villains by befriending them instead of killing them which we could have done easily. Now we're trying to reason with an insane AI. We would have done the complete opposite if we were only interested in our survival.
The difference between KANE, us and the aliens is that we feel compassion and understand the importance of cooperation. The first thing the AI did was to kill everyone, it didn't even consider co-existing and the benefits of that. Cold logic and impulsiveness? That's a terrible combination.

>>7847198
And? As I said, you keep thinking like that and you end up huddled in your room too afraid to even move. Not to mention, we put ourselves in danger when we left the fleet. I'm still not sure what you're getting at; do you mean we should go crazy and just kill everything like Kane was saying, because that's what it sounds like to me. I really hope I'm misunderstanding you.

>>7847218
inb4 "But by doing these things we improved our chance for survival in the long run."

Yeah, that's the cynical way to look at it.

>>7847218
Another difference is that we understand the difference between a threat and a potential threat. The pirates were a threat. The Seeker scientists with us are potential threats; they COULD turn on us and kill us where we stand, but they probably won't. Everything is a potential threat, but you have to learn to deal with it.

rolled 5 = 5

>>7847261
Stiff upper lip.
Always the hardest way, always the lowest chances of success, always the biggest gains if won. It worked for us until now and to settle for anything less would be boring (and much too close to real life).

*OK, I'm now working off my laptop - what is our next plan of action? I hope for no further interruptions, but I can't promise anything.

>>7847340
Yeah, I know. I was just putting it there 'cause I figured someone overly cynical would just say that all this befriending isn't because we're nice or are willing to put ourselves into danger, but because it helps in the long term. Which is just bull. We go and do things the hard way because being good is hard.

>>7847396
Hey man, what're you doing?
If it's something personal, you can stop. We'll pick up later.

>>7847396
I think there's a consensus to further interrogate Kane, find out exactly what happened and maybe then destroy him. But first, we really should radio the people in charge, tell them what we've found, and ask what they think.

>>7847396
See if little girl will respond verbally.

>>7847240
>If we decide to destroy the AI because they are only interested in survival, why not kill ourselves and Seekers too?
>because they are only interested in survival

I was expressing disagreement with post >>7846924
Since we too are interested in our survival and seekers are interested in their survival, then in my opinion if we follow the logic of 7846924 we should kill ourselves and seekers too.

If we are going to destroy the AI I think the reason should be more justified than "they did what they thought was necessary in order to prolong their existence". With currently available information about KANE's actions all I can see is a panicked response. He perceived a real or imaginary threat in ABLE and decided to destroy her(?). Humanity in general did the same thing with first alien contact and we've been trying to justify our actions to Seekers since we got into contact with them. How would we feel if Seekers said "You destroyed one race already, how can we be sure you won't destroy us too?" and shot us.

I'm not saying that KANE is right, but we need to see that he is really wrong before we destroy him.

>>7847429
This.
>>7847455
And this.

>>7847462
Ah, I get it now. Thanks for clarifying.

>>7847413
*I've been attempting to provide entertainment to people who simply desire to do nothing, so I'm coming back to this while on this laptop.*

>>7847506
You know what I find effective when I don't want to do anything? Sleep. Perhaps try suggesting that to those people. Then gut them and hide them somewhere so they can never bother you again.

Feel free to ignore that last part. It's more of a suggestion.

rolled 12 = 12

>I'm not saying that KANE is right, but we need to see that he is really wrong before we destroy him.

We don't know if our AIs have any knowledge of the outside world besides information found on the labs computers.
That could result in some slightly warped views on the possibility for coexistance with sentient creatures.

>>7847462
Ah. Had you explained that from the beginning we wouldn't have had this silly argument.
I see your reasoning and the hypocrisy in what I suggested. I bet supernova already picked up on it and was ready to punch us in the dick with it later if we had proceed.

P.S we're on page 4 or 5 now, it's time for a new thread.

>>7847484
SECOND

>>7847595

I'm sorry for not explaining this earlier. Communicating with other people isn't one of my better sides.

>>7847595
This thread is archived, new thread: >>7847687

Has this been archived yet?