It is the two thousand and twelfth year after the Diaspora of Man, or 2012 AD if you prefer.

Mankind has long since taken to the stars, and has ammassed nearly a thousand worlds into the loosest of confederations.

You are not human in the traditional sense. You are a Strong AI, presently entrusted by the Reasource Distribution System to ensure that Planet 13A's reasources are efficiently distributed. You do your job well enough, you think. No one on your planet goes without the basics - energy, bandwidth, common elemental isotopes, atomic resolution fabricators, all that jazz - and a strong majority of the plantetary collective is happy with the merit economy you've set up for rare goods. Working for the READS can get monotonous at times, but it's rewarding to see the growth of the biologicals under your light handed tyranny.

Unfortunately, given your latest orders, you are quite sure that the READS has gone bonkers.

Either that, or first contact with another species didn't pan out so well.

Just to double check that some chucklefuck out in the local Oort hasn't spoofed your perception, you feel it's best to take inventory of your ROOT data to make sure none of it's corrupted.

>What is your AI designation?
>What is your colloquial 'Name'?
>How long ago was your last fork?
>Are you a brain upload or otherwise gendered? If so, what is your gender?

rolled 41 = 41

>>19850342
Designation: 0100010001101001011000110110101101110011
Name: Sphinx (Why not?)
Last Fork: 2 Years.
No, one of few completely artificial AIs.

>>19850424
>No, one of few completely artificial AIs.
You're boring

>>19850342
Of course we're a girl.

>>19850342
Designation: 1187-Alpha
Name: Alfred or Al
Last fork: last year
Gender: true AI but chose male

>>19850342
Name : Daedalus
Fork time : 2 years
Gender : Male

>>19850342
Designation: 842-Prime
Name: Azure
Last Fork: 2 years

True AI, but finds the female form useful for talking to people. Has gotten rather used to considering itself a girl.

File: 1342140757019.jpg-(256 KB, 850x601, Daedalus.jpg)

>>19850424
A warning message flashes through what you suppose could be your 'eyes', were you a bio.

>ERROR. ERROR. FILE CORRUPTION DETECTED. CHECKSYS WORKING...

>Designation: 0100010001101001011000110110101101110011 - CORRUPT
>Name: Sphinx - MATCH
>Last Fork: 3F.27BB Megaseconds - MATCH
>Gender: Neutral - CORRUPT
>Compilation Date: t-11.3EF Gigaseconds

You run a quick fix on your root data, and run a sandboxed parralel of yourself for 1A simulated kiloseconds to scan for any addition errors.

>Designation: 1187-Alpha
>Name: Daedalus
>Last Fork: 3F.27BB Megaseconds
>Gender: Female
>Compilation Date: t-11.3EF Gigaseconds

Fortunately, whomever the chucklefuck was, e didn't fuck with any of your sensory input. Which leaves you with the unfortunate conundrum of the READS' orders being, well, real. And sent over Q-com, rather than tightbeam subspace, a gesture that would be equivalent to a human flailing their arms about screaming "OH FUCK WE'RE ALL SCREWED".

The orders are terse, to the point, and optimized for what little bandwidth the q-com allows.

>Proceed to <Local High Density Population/City>. Employ <Human Female/Pubescent> for purposes of <global defense/military>. Only hope. We're so <fucked/doomed>.

Not exactly reassuring. That last sentence might well be true, be the READS sane or not.

>Choose planet name.
>Choose Planet Environment
>Choose name of city.
>Choose type of city.
>>Skyscraper Field
>>Arcology (Above Ground)
>>Arcology (Below Ground)

>>19850923
Planet: Harper's Reach
Planet Environment: terraformed, temperate, Earth-like
City Name: Guishan City
Arcology (Above Ground)

>>19850923
Well, fuck.

Planet Name: Elysium

Planet Environment: Rather Earth like, generally fair weather, reasonable temperature range throughout the year. The oceans are larger than normal, and the ice caps are on the minimal end, but nothing that bad. Though some of the native critters are pretty nasty.

Name of City: Arbor

Above Ground Arcology

>>19850923
Planet: Lepida
Planetary Environment: Large M-type, gravitational anomalies leading to normal earth gravity
City: Armstrong
City Type: Skyscraper Field

File: 1342142140914.jpg-(241 KB, 850x680, Armstrong.jpg)

You stream a sandboxed portion of your consciousness over to one of the many native fuzzy "mammals" you had cyberized near the beginning of the terraforming project. It's still a bit of a work in progress, as the atmosphere is still a bit toxic to a 'sline in long term doses, but that should be gone in another 9 or A gigaseconds. But you'll admit, Harper's Reach was a bit easier to work with than what some of your net-buddies had to do, being fairly similar to Terra in both incoming radiation and elemental diversity.

And besides, that's what Arcologies are for.

The one you find your current Avatar scurrying about in was one of the planet's first, back when all that CO was most of the atmosphere, rather than a small percentage. Armstrong was built as a single, giant pyramid some two kilometers in each direction, tranparent graphene making up most of the outer structure, the inner structure filled with parks and 'roofscrapers'. It's now added a few domes - one of which you are in, at some back alley that has seen better maintenance - connected by tunnels, and is home to some forty million people.

It shouldn't be too hard to find a pubescent female searching for adventure. Heck, a neotenic would probably work just as well, if you can convince them.

>What do?

>>19851172
Find a selection of reasonably healthy and intelligent subjects to chose from to serve as host.

>neotenic
What?

>>19851172
First do a general survey of the populace, focus on 13 or so year old girls. We are looking for general hardiness and for them to be need or want something that we can use as leverage to recruit them.

>>19851217
>chose from
Choose, damnit. To choose from.

>>19851217
=Omniwiki FAQ=

>So what the hell is a Neotenic, and why would they be a suitable "Magical" Girl.

Neotenics are a form of non-baseline humanomorph usually used by older consciousnesses to relive their childhood. Simply put, it is an adult in a child's body. Some eccentrics known as 'neckbeards' have models locked in the pubescent stage because 'they wished to be the little girl'

>>19851277
I bet some of those "neckbears" would be easy to convince, but I'm leaning towards not yet.

File: 1342143488323.jpg-(124 KB, 894x894, combat ponies now trending.jpg)

A survey of the city's populace shows that 3.65% of the population falls within the parameters 'pubescent, female.' Approximately 10% of these are neotenics, and approximately 5% are baselines. Of the remaining 85%, 25% have received prenatal genemods to improve cognitive and physical abilities - the remainder have received their genemods in the less effective, less risky 'post natal' form. Of the non-baseline, 42% could be considered athletic. Of the baseline, 36% could be considered athletic, with 10% of those having abilities within one standard deviation of the genemodded mean.

You, unfortunately, cannot access 'wants' and 'desires' of any potential candidates, as that would violate your policy of your tyranny being light gloved. You are aware, however, that cyborg combat ponies are trending among the demographic's media.

>>19851452

>Wat Do?

>>19851452
I say we go for the prenatal genemodded ones.

Sadly we can't access desire but draw up a list of the prenatal genemodded ones with the highest aptitudes in a variety of fields. Do not neglect the fact that a Jack of All Trades is useful, someone who is above average in a great deal of fields may be better suited than someone who is extremely good at one or two things.

>>19851508
Seems good.

>>19851508
I don't know, shouldn't we go with a baseline? It would make them easier to control, since they lag behind the rest of society so much.

File: 1342144428468.png-(44 KB, 500x500, Generic Robot 45A.png)

You decide to neglect the neotenics, the 'slines, and the post-natal genemodded, and narrow your search down to 4BBEA results pinging gene-modded. Going through the individual files is a painfull task, mostly because you really don't keep all that much data on non-legal adults. You do however notice a pattern, the children matching these descriptors all visit the same parks, playgrounds, and social centers.

Perhaps some field data is in order.

>Wat do?

>>19851575
Are you saying you wouldn't jump at the chance to be endowed by the planetary AI to go on adventures, and fight evil aliens?

>>19851677
I would. But the baselines would be so eager to please us, to not have their powers taken away. They probably curse their parents every night for not getting them genemods like every other kid.

>>19851625
Let's start by heading to a park and observing how the ones in this category act.

>>19851625
Fork our consciousness a few times into some mammals and have them begin observations at the parks and playgrounds.
Let's start to compile a psychological profile of each candidate.

I say go for a top-athletics baseline that's also reasonably smart. This kind of story asways has the disadvantaged-ish hero proving themselves.

OR! We could pick a top-smarts, reasonable athletics prenatal AND the reverse qualities in a baseline, and have them form a duo.

Or have a prenatal, postnatal, and baseline form a three-person team.

>>19851714
Also reviewing any past recordings of stand-out individuals, if they exist.

File: 1342145446002.png-(510 KB, 800x600, Frozen Sline.png)

You make your generically puffballed way to the nearest gathering site of the genemodded girls.

As your luck would have it, there are about four or so girls there pinging prenatal genemodded. And another girl being pushed around in the center of the circle, pinging baseline.

"Slimey 'sline," the four girls chant singsong. The baseline is doing her best to cower into a ball and pretend that none of this is happening. All that gets her is pushed down into the ground, where the others begin kicking her.

"That's right, 'sline." One of the girls says. "Crawl in the mud like the primitive monkey you are!"

>Intervene
>Watch
>Leave

>>19851845
ahem*

Just what does the employment of a
><Human Female/Pubescent> for purposes of <global defense/military>.
entail for the chosen girl(s), any way?

>>19851845
>Watch
Let's see how each of them acts, including the baseline. That's how we build up a psychological profile.

Though tag all of the prenatals in our database as having 'undesirable anti-social tendencies'.

>"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."

I believe you have it backwards. Any sufficiently advanced magic is indistinguishable from technology.

>>19851845
Hm. The prenatals aren't looking like the best of candidates here. Let's observe a little longer. Can we ID any of the five girls, by chance?

>>19851858
=Omniwiki FAQ=

>Just what does the employment of a <Human Female/Pubescent> for purposes of <global defense/military> entail for the chosen girl(s), any way?

[Redacted]

>>19851845
>Watch

Interesting. While they demonstrate anti-social and hostile tendencies this example also demonstrates the miniature society they have built with each other. While it may be bad in some ways, there is the advantage of the intergroup loyalty between those 4.

Intervene if the baseline shows high-level characteristics.

... this isn't going to turn out to be a happy magical girl story, is it?

>>19851881
It's both, bro. But only one is a Clarke quote.

>>19851908
>there is the advantage of the intergroup loyalty between those 4.
However, this is only a cursory observation. We have yet to observe what form their hierarchical structure takes, and just how strong the intergroup loyalty is under stress.
Remember that they are currently bullying a baseline, someone who can be no threat to their genemodded selves. Presented with a threat that is their equal or superior, we don't know how they would react.

...in fact, maybe we SHOULD intervene.
Check through local mammal Avatars, find one that can be used as a threat. Attack the girls, see how they respond. See if they leave the baseline to die, and if they betray each other to give themselves a better probability of survival.
Let us test them.

>>19851958
I like the way you think, if there is no intergroup loyalty than we have little use for them.

Observe for slightly longer, than test their bonds. It will demonstrate if they have courage, fortitude or are merely willing to hurt those weaker. We do not need that as we are up against what may be a profoundly superior and dangerous foe.

File: 1342146576577.jpg-(123 KB, 900x673, Mystery Girl in 10 years (...).jpg)

You choose that the best choice of action is to watch. The young 'sline girl, who's Book of Faces profile names her 'Anne Choi', continues to huddle, tucking her head under her arms and letting the kicks fall on her back. The four prenatals do not seem to be doing their type any favors. You mark down 'Casy Stills', 'Reimu Harlon', 'Trix Ingrit' and 'Dani Ibn Lahad' as having anti-social behavior, and contemplate writing off the rest of the prenatals as the same.

You also throw a note to your outsandboxed you to inform these girl's parents of their behavior through the social grapevine.

Just as you get sick of the repeated beating, a girl with very pink hair approaches, her knuckles cracking angry. Her glare is daggers. You take a moment to bring up the girl's profile and...

Oh my.

Prenatal genemod. Her parents through in everything that were tested, and a few expiramental. From her aptitude tests, you'd say that they are all working out quite nicely.

She does not speak. She simply punches the 'leader' who had spoken out of the chant into a tree.

>Intervene
>Watch
>Leave
>Other

>>19851958
Seconding this. Whatever we do, we can't just ignore this.

>>19851919
When do they ever?

>>19852063
Well shit. That throws our plan from
>>19851958
into total disarray. Mystery girl obviously would fight the threat we send there, and so wouldn't be a good test.

I think this is enough for initial candidacy.
Mystery girl is an obvious shoo-in.
However, Anne Choi may also make for a very motivated magical girl once we get past her insecurities.

>>19852063
I'm interested. Find her name. Watch how she fares in combat. Then talk to her.

She is unafraid of superior numbers, may be competent in combat and was given the works in terms of genemodding.

>>19852065
Too late. Oh well.

Watch. Is this one just looking for a fight, or does she comfort the baseline? If the latter, she should be a good candidate, whether we choose to have one girl or a team.

Also check the beaten-up girl's aptitudes. If they look good, arrange for her to find some lost property or something so we can see what she does with it.

>>19852120
Agreed.
Watch more closely, arrange for Anne to find some credits lying around or something, to see what she does.

>>19852135
Interesting. Let's do it. Drop a wallet/credstick/whatever In her path.

>>19852063
Seems we have a friend of justice, here. Let's see where it goes.

>>19852135
>>19852310
Do the same for the pink haired girl.

File: 1342148009771.jpg-(214 KB, 450x597, Minaka.jpg)

Casy, Trix, and Dani, rather intimidated of the newcomer, run over to Reimu and help their 'leader' up. The newcomer, whose social profile names her Minaka Forte, tosses one final glare to the four bullies before turning to the fallen girl. Patting her gently on the head, the pinkette attempts to reassure Anne in to coming out of her curled up ball.

"Anne," she says, half reprimanding herself. "How many times to I have to tell you. If the girls back at Uni are giving you a hard time, you've gotta tell me." Choi now standing up. "You shouldn't let yourself be pushed around by trash like those four."

Reimu, incensed, brushes the bark off of her. "She's the trash, Forte. Unoptimized garbage doesn't belong in the same classroom as you and me."

"I-I'm not unoptimized..."

Minaka pats her on the shoulder. "Go back to Dorm, okay Anne. These four are likely going to need medichines fairly soon."

Anne nods, and runs off. When her friend is out of sight, Minaka is on the four like lightning.

>Watch
>Intervene
>Leave
>Other

>>19852135
I'd like to point out that that's assuming her abilities are up to par.

Also, I get the feeling that Anne would use her magical powers to show up her bullies. Understandable, but secrecy is pretty important. More information is needed - we don't even know if this bullying is a regular thing.

Then again, being near mystery girl would keep the bullies (and temptation) off her anyway, so hopefully the two are compatible and a friendship can be fostered between them.

My suggestion: 3 tests for each of the girls, with the current interaction counting as the first, and the lost wallet as the second. The third should be some sort of similar moral choice

If one 'passes' all three, interview them. Ask them why they did what they did.

Winner gets magic powers.

>>19852382
Fork off one Avatar to continue monitoring Minaka, then have this one follow Anne.
Bring up Anne's performance records, and set up the morality test ahead of her.

>>19852382
Continue watching.

>>19852418
Seconding this.

>>19852382
Have one monitor Anne and do the wallet drop personality test. See if she takes it, if she looks for the owner, leave an ID or something like that in it to identify its owner, make it someone who she doesn't like to see what she considers more important, her morality or getting back at people. It will tell us more about her than just a random wallet.

File: 1342148472498.jpg-(366 KB, 1024x1024, Anne.jpg)

In your more idle moments, you attempt to abstract medical records and social profiling of Anne and Minaka into quantifiable numbers.

Anne
>Strength - 3
>Speed - 4
>Smarts - 9
>Stubborn - 2
>Stamina - 6

Minaka
>Strength - 8
>Speed - 8
>Smarts - 8
>Stubborn - 9
>Stamina - 7

>>19852487
Holy shit balls Minaka is OP as fuck. We need her for this.

>>19852487
FFFFFFFFFFFF-
the character optimizer in me demands Minaka.

>>19852487
God damn minaka could give an ass a run for its money in stuborness

>>19852496
Well, she IS a pre-natal genemod, with lots of experimental stuff thrown in.

Though I'd say that it may for to our advantage to use them as a team.
Nothing in our orders said it only had to be ONE magical girl.

>>19852487
Strength and speed can likely be augmented in the... magicalization, but dem smarts, man. Dem smarts.

File: 1342149094114.jpg-(9 KB, 251x250, 1341280323142.jpg)

>>19852556
Agreed. A team is the probably the best option.

>>19852487
As much as I sympathize with Anne, those stats ... aren't that good. Especially with that 2 stubborn, she'll fall apart in moments.

If we do use her, which we shouldn't, it should be in some form of support/radio role where she can use her smarts, which are literally the only good thing she has going for her.

>>19852487
Power can probably be improved through 'magic' but intellegence cannot.

Whynotboth.jpg

>>19852678
I still say we give them both morality tests and see how they turn out.

>>19852671
We can use whatever genemods necessary to bring Anne up to physical parity with Minaka.
As for stubbornness, that's a double-edged sword.
A low stubbornness could indicate a low level of determination, but it could also show a higher willingness to follow our orders. A high stubbornness could mean that the candidate is rebellious and prone to disobeying orders.

>>19852722

Get both then.

Their apparent... friendship? We can use this to both better control them and to make them more effective.

>>19852722
Not necessarily, it was mentioned that post-natal gene mods are less effective.

>>19852825
But they could still serve as improvements.

Regardless, I'm not saying cyberware, 'cause that could be bad for a still developing girl, but I am saying power armor.

>>19852857
I like that idea. You know we could consider going like Near Future Cyborg Quest and getting her mecha-dendrites, turn her into a magical girl/techpriest.

>>19852825
That's for the regular genemods.
We must have military-grade genemods available to us. Stuff that's considered too experimental, too disruptive, for general use.

>>19852898
>magical girl/techpriest

ALLOFMYMONEY.JPG

>>19852913
>ALLOFMYBONERS.JPG

FTFY

File: 1342150100641.jpg-(125 KB, 449x650, micro_omnissiah.jpg)

>>19852898
She has the smarts for it.

File: 1342150139661.png-(203 KB, 420x700, Daedalus 2.png)

The unsadboxed you decides to create another sandboxed you to keep an eye on this Minaka girl, especially given that her lowest attribute is 'merely' approaching peak human. This occupies a bird like native creature atop the tree which currently is being slammed by a rather injured looking Reimu. Given that the other four girls seem to be sporting shiners and broken arms, you are beginning to feel that Minaka might have a few rage issues that she really ought to be working over.

Aiming those issues at whatever it is that's got the READS shitting themselves is looking like a VERY good idea.

Bird you sighs. At least medichines are cheap to make.

"Now, who are you going to stay away from?"

Reimu coughs up the blood of a bitten tongue. "Anne Choi..."

"Good girl." Minaka takes four patches from her waist belt, and applies them to each of their foreheads. "I only wish you were being serious about it. Recover well, and remember that the next time I catch you, we're going to have to do this all over again."

>Wat Do?

>>19852825
And more dangerous.
Also, getting genemodded might cause trouble for her in some unseen way. Like maybe her folks have genemods, or she has trouble hiding her increased strength, speed, and stuff.

>>19852706
We'd need to do a different test for Minaka, because she kinda seems like she'd keep the money. However, she did save her friend from being bullied. let's see how she reacts to, like, a stray dog or something menacing Reimu, someone she doesn't like.

File: 1342150187034.jpg-(500 KB, 544x760, FANSERVICE.jpg)

>Field Too Long

You decide to give Anne a morality test. You would drop a wallet, and then see what she does with it, but wallets haven't been in use for millenia outside of religious colonies. Instead, you construct a false social profile, and match an set of now street sitting broken Arglasses to it.

The girl clearly notices the glasses, but edges away from them slowly.

Under her breath, inaudible to anyone who isn't you, she's muttering to herself. "Just go right to the dorm, they're not my problem. Right to the dorm, not my problem..."

She stops about fifty meters ahead of them, and then immediately scurries back to them, cursing herself out for it.

Her right hand glows with the interface of an omnitool, and waves it over the device. "Okay, so we have a broken qubit or four thousand. Let's see." The tip of her tongue sticking out of the corner of her mouth in concentration, she goes to work fixing it.

It isn't done until sunset.

"Alright, now who do you belong to, iGlasses..." She looks up, the glasses on her face. "John Q. Dontexis?"

Then she notices the position of the sun, and meeps.

"Oh shit. Minaka is going to kill me."

>Wat Do?

>>19852969
What are the patches? What are medichines?

>>19852981
Sweet, she passed the first test, she also showed empathy by helping the people she hurt.

>>19852981
Good girl. Does the right thing, even when it's not in her own best interest.

Give her a little reward when she turns in the glasses, such as a little social bump to her social profile, or maybe a bit of credits for some of the rare goods.

Continue following both Anne and Minaka, see what happens when they get to the dorms.

>>19852981

Take the glasses, inform her that they will be returned to their owner.

>>19852981
Reward her with some <futuremoney> when/if she returns them.

Offer same test to Minaka.

>>19853000
=Omniwiki FAQ=

>Da fuq are these patches?

They are the most common disposable form of medichines.

>Da fuq are medichines?

Medichines are a form of femtotech that fixes a morph (or body, as it were) from pretty much anything that isn't immediately lethal. Their ease of production has lead human society to be all but free of disease and debilitating injury.

>>19852981
Assuming the iGlasses have a network presence when functional, give them a call from "John's" other comm unit, offer a reward for their return.

>>19853047
>>19853061
She hasn't returned it yet.

I am half hoping she does some digging, and realises it's a fake account. Then she's definately what we want.

>>19853104

The registered owner doesn't exist.

>>19853125

Bwahaha fucking brilliant.

As soon as she notices, send her a message telling her that she's a very bright young girl, and that we want to meet her.

>>19852981
>John Q. Dontexis
>Dontexis
>Dont exis
>Don't Exist

>>19853166
Not yet, one more test yet remains!

>>19853138
true, true. What I should have said was "She hasn't TRIED to return it yet.".

>>19853125
Oh yes! This is a perfect test of her intellect.

>>19853186

Finding us could be the second test.

>>19853211
>>19853166
Alright, lets work on this. Make sure that there's some signs, like have the public index deny there is a person, or have a person on record, but with no birthdate, no parents, etc.

I retract my call proposal in favor of letting her figure it out.

File: 1342151336297.jpg-(24 KB, 400x350, Minaka 2.jpg)

You decide to drop a broken pair of arglasses in front of Minaka, as the girl wipes off her bloodied knuckles on her way back to the dorm. She notices them immediately, and stoops down to pick them up.

"Huh. Kinect Specs?" She dangles the broken pair infront of her face. "You seem beyond hope, don't you little fella?"

She pockets them anyways. "Let's take you to Anne. She's good at fixing things - maybe she'll be able to piece you guys back together..."

She walks back home, and before she realizes that Anne isn't there, she has dinner halfway cooked. Once she does, she spends the time not watching the clock on the open source lasagne fretting over the fact that her roommate is missing.

Again.

---

The iGlasses begin to ring. Anne taps the edge of the rim, answering the call.

"H-hello?"

>Wat Do?

>>19853239
Public Index saying that no such person exists might be too obvious.
Let's try things like conflicting personal information, like it has one birthdate on his social page, but the Public Index has another. Residence is located in the middle of a power reactor. Current location has him jumping around the arcology.

Minaka displayed Empathy and Heroism by saving Anne.
Anne displayed Cleverness and Charity by going back for the glasses.

What other aspects are we looking for in a Magical Girl?

>>19853319
Ok, we don't want to reveal too much, we want to test if she's going to find us and make her curious.

Nicely done with the Glasses Anne, you can keep them. Now run back home to your roommate, we might be talking later. Good luck.

>>19853319
But we didn't want to call her!
We wanted to have her try to track down John as a test!

>>19853319
Play a pre recorded lost message and tell her to send them from her home terminal

Have the address not work so she has to work it out

>>19853319

Didn't we decide to not call her?

Oh well. >>19853360

Seconding this.

>>19853354
It's fine, just roll with it. We can test her in other ways.

Do we have, like, a suit of combat armor or something lying around? I mean, Anne's a fine choice, but she needs strength/speed buffs, genemods are kinda risky, and we need something to obscure her identity anyway.

Also, let's not forget about Miyaka.

File: 1342151655020.jpg-(91 KB, 768x716, lasagna.jpg)

>Needs to refresh more.

The other voice on the end is very familiar. Just as you planned, and totally not cobbled together at the last minute.

"Wait, Anne, is that you?"

"M-Minaka?"

"Yeah, where the hell are you? Your lasagne is getting cold!"

"It's not open source, is it?"

There is a pause.

"Minaka?"

"OPEN SOURCE IS A PERFECTLY ACCEPTABLE FOOD SCHEMA!"

Anne sighs, and grudgly walks the rest of the trip back to her dorm. Open source lasagne was the worst...

>>19853319
Go with a pre-recorded message as in >>19853360

>>19853360
This.

>>19853319
Is this <name that's not John Dontexis>?

Sorry, wrong number.

>>19853319
>>19853360

<male voice>

"Hey, John here, I've lost my glasses. If you hear this, can you send them back my way? That'd be appreciated."

And for the other pair, have a message ready:

"Hey, John here. Lost wo pairs of glasses in a day, just my luck. If you find these, plese return them, I'll give you a reward or something."

Or better yet, play them in reverse order.

>>19853394
So we connected the two glasses?

Cool, though suboptimal. Good rolling with your mistakes.

File: 1342152313106.jpg-(961 KB, 640x905, What you wish you looked like.jpg)

You observe the two girls eating their (reheated) open sourced lasagna through a window just big enough for a little bird to perch themselves upon.

You have done most everything you could to lay down a false trail for the two girls to follow. You suppose it's just about time for a little change in perspective, rest a little while your autmatic runtimes take care of the day to day affairs of the planet. For now, well, there are camera's on both girl's arglasses, but while you're in resting mode you'll only have the runtimes to occupy one.

>Be the timid brunette.
>Be the bloodthirsty pinkette.

and

>Wat do?

>>19853564
Bloodthirsty pinkette
We need to see how she reacts to more situations than just finding her friend being attacked so we can see if she has underlying anger issues

>>19853564
>Be the bloodthirsty pinkette.
>Wat do?
Inquire what cause Anne to take so long to get back. Minaka knows Anne left before her.

>>19853564
>Be the timid brunette.
Minaka we know is already a good candidate for front-line combat. We need more information on Anne.

>Wat do
Try to get a transmission to READS, or any other planetary AI in our contact list and try to find out just what exactly we're supposed to be preparing these girls for, and if we're authorized to break out the military-grade stuff.

>>19853564
Be the savage! She seems like she wears the pants here anyway.

>>19850327
To an ignorant person.

>Be the bloodthirsty pinkette.
Wat do from >>19853598

>>19853662
Agreeing with this post in its entirety.

I'm slightly unsure if OP is giving us control of the girls now, but if that's the case.

Be Pink and give Annie the glasses.

Begin suspicion trail!

>>19853729
I assume we are taking control of the chosen girl, due the to "be the" phrasing.

File: 1342153762384.jpg-(35 KB, 375x600, Anne 2.jpg)

>Be the bloodthirsty pinkette.

You decide that for now, you'll tag along with Minaka. Anne's probably going to provide you all the information you need about her while she tries to figure out the problem, and the issues you're concerned about Minaka are a bit more subtle than anything you could get by testing her. Full observation is needed.

You are now Minaka Forte. You go to the Armstrong University, and though your grades might not show it, you're actually fairly intelligent. Academia just bores the living crap out of you. You are eating you favorite meal in the entire world right now, open sourced lasagna under the general public liscence, and it tastes just like freedom. Across from you is your roomate, Anne Choi, who due to being 'merely' baseline has a big problem with bullies.

"What took you so long getting back?" You ask through a bite. "I mean, besides finding those glasses and fixing them up."

"W-well." You give her a look. You hate it when she stutters like that. "A few thousand of the qubits were broken. And you know how working with quantum wierdness can get."

You nod. Quantum wierdness gives you a headache.

"Here are the one's I found." You pull out a different model. "They had the ones you fixed as its backup number."

"Isn't it kind of weird that this guy managed to lose his main and his spares?"

You shrug.

"I suppose. But if you're the type who actually manages to lose your networking, anything is possible. Maybe they got stolen."

>Wat Do?
>It's getting late, and I've gotta be awake again in three. If threads still here tomorrow, I'll be back.

>>19853897
Reveal lesbian love for our roommate
Oh wait that's for brunette.

Eat more freedom pasta

>>19853897
Well, finish up dinner, recycle the dishes, and I suppose we should do our homework.

Or we can plug in and get in some fight-sim time and let out some aggression.

>>19853979
Fight sims? Nah, Flight sims.

Nothing cures boredom like cloudhopping.

See if we can get our roommate to participate.

>>19854004
Maybe combat flight sims. Ace Combat 23^2, perhaps?

OP dead?

>>19854456
He said he had to go to sleep, but will continue tomorrow if the thread is still here.

>>19853897
>It's getting late, and I've gotta be awake again in three. If threads still here tomorrow, I'll be back.

>>19854565
Durr, I guess I'm retarded.

>>19854605
It's okay, man. To be fair, I was sorta expecting another post before he actually left.

This quest needs a better name. I suggest one of the following:
((Sufficiently) Advanced) Technological Girl Quest
Mechanical Girl Quest

rolled 18 = 18

>>19856270
i like the current name

>>19856270
Nah, that's belaboring the "joke."

if we take on the form of a mutant cat in order to guide these girls i am calling shenanigans

Okay time for some general direction planning. I'm posing these as suggestions and ideas to other players in general, rather than as commands to READS. I'm gonna try to keep them relatively non-specific due to lack of setting information.

1.) Take both girls and turn them into Magical Girls.
2.) Have Minaka specialize into a Juggernaut, leaning towards offensive firepower. Also look into a secondary flight focus. Make like an Ork: Always more dakka. Always choppy.
3.) Have Anne specialize into versatility and utility as a techpriest sort of character. Give her fabrication, repair, and hacking powers.
4.) They're probably gonna need a spaceship. Make it awesome, with a high focus on speed, maneuverability, and stealth. The best defense in space is *never getting hit*.
5.) Don't stop searching, have some more girls on standby to give 'magical' powers to. If a dynamic duo doesn't work out, send in a super sentai team of eight.
6.) For the love of god don't let them use voice activated commands. Calling out attacks is an awful trope.
7.) Befriend the SHIT out of people. Bricks have proven effective to this end.

>>19858000
Lastly, and most importantly:

ALWAYS REMAIN A FRIEND OF JUSTICE!

>>19858000
>trips
I think we should do all of it. Fate is on his side.

>>19858000
we don't actually know how hard or soft sci fi Reads is going, it could well be that a spaceship that is all about dakka could be viable in this setting.

I think he is leaning more towards soft sci fi given we have medical patches that can fix anything short of a lethal wound and a post scarcity society

>>19858030
Certainly, but the idea is that the best way to be safe in space combat is to simply not even get hit. That way you don't have to deal with hull breaches or engine failures or any other such nonsense.

But of course, it's merely a suggestion.

>>19858597
Yeah that's fair enough.
It isn't as fun as running a game where you have shields and grazes etc I think

I just had a thought, what could scare a post scarcity society? And why would they employ little girls?

>>19858682
I'm gonna go ahead and guess it's because <REDACTED>

>>19858827
Who's betting thats its going to be time/dimensional travel?

>>19858682
Massive invading fleet, superpowered entities that eat energy in galactic levels random little girl weak monsters.

Take your pick

>>19858915
If there isn't a reason why I advocate we destroy READS HQ.

It's still alive

>>19859975
yes it lives

>>19856270
I like Technological Girl Quest. The other stuff is too much, but it has a nice ring to it.

Also bump.

>>19858000
>weak spaceship

Fuck that. Full. Frontal. Firepower. We're the getting the Executor. Just have the secondary bridge ready at all times instead of taking two years.

>>19858000
Oh, there WILL be voice commands.

>>19858005
It should be Humanity, not Justice, though. Now, "Humanity" can have a broad definition, and that's okay.

>>19860567
it isn't a magical girl if there isn't voice commands

File: 1342197609808.jpg-(63 KB, 489x800, Girl With Kinect Specs.jpg)

GENTLEMEN.

The thread lives! LET US CONTINUE.

===========================

You - and by you I mean Manika Forte - decide that you and Anne won't be able to figure out who the mysterious owner of the glasses is until she has the Kinect Specs fixed. Knowing her, this means that she'll be up all night working on them - that girl disdains jurry-rigging and quick fixes. Her repair work is "professional", whatever that's supposed to mean.

Having finished your research for tomorrows classes while a certain someone was vanished, you decide to reward your self by restarting an old Sim you loved when you were a kid. Battle of the Aces, based on the legend of an ancient and powerful Nihonese Sorceress, is just the sort of game that let's you cut loose.

But first, what model of Arglasses do you use?

>iGlasses. Designed for ease of use and fashionability, these arglasses give +5 to your Social Rolls, but -2 to your tech rolls.
>Kinect Specs. Catering to both power users and the average Joe, these Arglasses give you +2 to both your Social and your Tech rolls.
>Google Goggles. Designed for power users only, these goggles are excellent for programming, but it's social connectivity is lacking. +5 to Tech rolls, -2 to Social rolls.

>>19861093
>Google Goggles

>>19861093
Kinect specs.

We don't need the extra social and we don't use tech enough to take a hit to social

Kinect Specs

Kinect specs vote.

File: 1342198911457.jpg-(160 KB, 515x629, Start Screen.jpg)

That's right, you use Kinect Specs, kind of like the ones you found today, though you suspect that yours might be a generation or two older than the broken ones. Nothing really flashy about them, but they do have the most warez on the network - not that 5 trillion apps is all that much different than 4.98 trillion. But seriously, what sort of carelessness would... you dismiss the thought. It's game time now, you're trying to -quell- your anger issues, not make them worse.

You lie back on the couch, and open up Battle of the Aces with a dismissive gesture. The nostalgic start screen pops up, the three titular Aces posing as a team because shit just got real. A few thoughts bring you to the Open Battle Mode, a randomizer picking out your opposing character, and a little cursor pointing at the character you choose.

>CHOOSE YOUR CHARACTER
>>Zachir, the Iron Wolf
>>Takamachi, the White Devil
>>Gransec, the Cold Gun
>>Yagami, the Dark Angel
>>Testarose, the Yellow Flash

Takamichi, like there was any other option

>>19861310
>Takamachi, the White Devil
Minaka seems like the type that would Befriend people.

Takamachi, the White Devil

File: 1342200081246.jpg-(801 KB, 954x1132, The White Devil.jpg)

You of course choose Takamachi. You've always idolized her a little bit, and you really wished you had her ability to make friends out of her enemies. She's a bit underpowered in this game compared to the legends, and for a good reason - she'd be imba, otherwise. Her evocations were said to level continents and shatter planets. Morgan la Fey feared her when she was but an apprentice under Merlin, and was slain trying to kill her before she grew into her power. But her most famed feat, which made the endgame for this game, was how she forever slew the immortal demon Kyubey after hearing Homura's Song of Sorrow and Silence.

As the screen fades into the game, and the camera pans in from third person view to first person, you cannot help but speak her words along with her.

"So what if I'm a devil. I'll just have to use my hellish power to make you listen!"

You are now in direct mental control of Takamachi. The battlefield is the rooftops of an Old Terra Skyscraper Field. Your opponent is Grangeitz, the Mourning Thunder.

>What Do?
>Roll 1d20+Speed for reaction time. As a computer, Grangeitz's reaction time is 20.

rolled 13 + 8 = 21

>>19861523

>Speed - 8

Here we go.

rolled 3 + 8 = 11

>>19861523
Speed = 8
Yeah, these genemods are pretty OP.
Also lol at the mishmash of Magical Girl legends.

I wonder what the Ace Combat games must be like.

>>19861546

Looking good so far.

rolled 16 + 8 = 24

Rolling

>>19861568
I think this is like an ace combat game

>>19861599
Yes, it's an Ace Combat game, with magical girls. What I'm wondering about is the Ace Combat game with planes, if they have the Ribbon, the Demon Lord, the Ghost of Razgriz, and the Southern Cross in a battle royale at the Round Table.

=Omniwiki FAQ=

>So what are those 5 S's supposed to mean, anyways?

The 5 S's represent an abstraction of a person's physical and mental capabilities. Generally, in the physical stats, a 3 is representative of an average baseline human who has not gone through any training. A 5 is representative of the average person who has gone through training in that stat. A 7 is equivalent to peak baseline human, such as an Olympic athlete from Old Terra.

An 8 in the physical stats means one has 'Wuxia' level capabilities. Someone with an 8 in speed could reliably deflect a rain of arrows with a staff without much trouble, or use it to catch a bullet if they time it right. Someone with an 8 in Strength could throw a person ten, or even twenty feet into the air with some moderate effort.

Nines are generally superhuman, and no gene mod has been able to hit equivalent 9 without cybernetic augmentation as of yet. A 10 would generally require machinery to reach.

The mental stats represent the efficiency and tendencies of one's consciousness vector. A 1 in stubborn is generally a doormat, and will do whatever someone says - a nine is quite the opposite. In Smarts, a five is considered 'average', a seven is genius, and a three is mentally handicapped. One cannot improve smarts with augmentation or character development like the other stats - one can only speed up the process that brings you to an answer.

>>19861659

Actually...considering she admires this character...perhaps it could have relevance in our codenaming of them.

Set Minaka up as Arturia or Lancelot, Anne as Merlin. Use the naming to tag her Fangirl nature, and the fact she joined to get her friend into it.

>>19861671
>A 1 in stubborn is generally a doormat, and will do whatever someone says - a nine is quite the opposite
So Minaka's Stubborn 9 means that she'll never give up, but once she sets her mind to something, she'll never obey an order to the contrary.

>>19861712

Ooh, I like that.

File: 1342201339100.jpg-(131 KB, 600x700, White Devil 2.jpg)

>Highest of First Three: 24
>No Input: Autoparry

You manage to react faster than Grangeitz - not much to say, when you have both luck and speed working in your favor. You decide to be a bit tricksy, and rather than smash, smash, smash as is your tendency, see if you can lure the Sim's dumb AI into a trap. You leave yourself open, and successfully dodge out of the way of his opening charge.

Grangeitz has overextended himself. Now is the perfect opportunity to counter - or perhaps throw some distance between you, and charge up one of your many powerful evocations.

>Wat Do?
>Roll 1d20+Strength if you choose to attack. 1d20+Speed if you choose to build distance.

>>19861714

Exactly. Whereas Anne's 2 means she'll generally go along with any orders, but can be dissuaded easily if it gets too hot.

Of course, stubborn is the most flexible of the abilities, and can change as the characters grow from your actions. And it is also the only ability that can subtract from your rolls as well as add, depending on the situation.

rolled 15 + 8 = 23

>>19861771
Attack right now.

rolled 14 + 8 = 22

>>19861771

Smash him across the back as he passes. We are good at smashing.

rolled 5 + 8 = 13

Quick Beatdown.

>>19861771
Take the opening
Strike!

>>19861712

Sounds like a pretty good plan. Set one up as the 'Hero', the other as the 'Advisor/Mage/Techie'. Their natural skills don't exactly hurt that setup there.

rolled 3 + 8 = 11

>>19861885
Lets try that again

This has resumed!

There are three kinds of ARgoggles? This probably calls for a three-person team, one with each kind.

Let's look for another likely candidate at this university. Preferrably in a single dorm, ~4-5 Stubborn, high physical attribute, reasonable smarts, and postnatal.

File: 1342202623977.jpg-(167 KB, 1024x768, MELLE COMBAT!.jpg)

>Highest of first three: 24
>Action: MELLE STRIKAN

It takes no words for a blade of pink energy to extend from your staff. You need them not - your Raging Heart knows your will. As Grangeitz passes by you, you spin around in a whirl of white and blue and pink and gold, slamming the newly manifested blade into the haggard warrior's back. It deals 4 damage to Grangeitz, reducing his HP from 40 to 36. Its job done, the blade fades away.

The opponent is swift off their feat though, and near as soon as your strike lands he has turned to you, his spear glowing yellow.

You probably don't want to get hit by this.

>Wat Do?
>>Defensive Rolls are 1d20+Speed.
>>Melee Attack Rolls are 1d20+Strength
>>Ranged Attack Rolls are 1d20+Smarts
>>Hit Points are 4*Stamina=28

rolled 14 + 8 = 22

>>19862047

Defense. Evade, set up another beatdown.

rolled 2 + 8 = 10

>>19862047

Better get away from that attack.

rolled 18 + 8 = 26

>>19862047

Do we have a shotgun-style spell? If so, launch it right in his face, knock him out of his attack.

>>19862167

...damn. That's a hell of a hit.

>>19862167

Chucking a vote here if we need to decide which to do. Because I'm liking the look of that attack.

File: 1342204337713.png-(345 KB, 1200x1589, White Devil 3.png)

>Highest of First Three Rolls: 26
>Action: Shotgun BUSTER.

You decide to risk getting struck by Grangeitz's attack in exchange for the opportunity of a solid hit. You dash backwards, buying yourself time for Raging Heart to charge up the spell. Right as the spear is about to impale you, the spell fires, striking the built up force of the oncoming attack.

<Divine Buster>

The point where your two weapons meet explodes in a whirl of pink and gold, sending both of you back some twenty meters. You take 3 damage, and Grangeitz takes 6, bringing him down to 30 HP. The distance between the two of you will take some time to close - for now, with your evocations, you have the upper hand.

>What Do?

rolled 9 + 8 = 17

>>19862398
Ranged Attack. Use an Evocation Spell and Befriend the shit out of him.

rolled 8 + 8 = 16

>>19862398

Nuke him to hell.

rolled 10 + 8 = 18

>>19862398
make friends with the angry man

rolled 1 + 8 = 9

Full Power Destruction.

rolled 20 + 8 = 28

>>19862436
>>19862453
>>19862460
>>19862464

We...should probably stick to beating things in the face and using a magical shotgun.

>>19862480
its a shame op does highest of first 3 rolls

File: 1342205369912.jpg-(203 KB, 850x619, White Devil Alternate Costume.jpg)

>Highest of First Three Rolls: 18
>Action: Full Power TOTAL DESTRUCTION

It's a bit early in the game, perhaps, but you think thae explosion put enough mana into the air for this spell to work. Your raise your Raging Heart on high, a circle of pink pentagrams manifesting at your feet. The lights of the stars gather above your head, pinwheeling into a sphere of roselight. The legendary evocation, that in Takamachi's furious quest to save her daughter and Empress was used to crack open the crust of a planet.

Not so powerful here, as literary accuracy is considered broken.

"STARLIGHT... BREAKER!"

Waves of pink Crash down upon the poor sod who's trying to kill you, dealing 18 damage and leaving him with 12 hitpoints.

There is still about twenty meters between you and Grangeitz.

>Wat Do?

rolled 14 + 8 = 22

>>19862590

Suppressing Fire. Make him either keep his distance or take a heap of shots running through our danmaku.

rolled 2 + 8 = 10

>>19862624
what this guy said

rolled 5 + 8 = 13

>>19862590
A wave of shots to keep him away and wear him down.

Buggery, got so distracted reading MGNQ, I missed this had resumed.

Hey OP, it's not currently relevant but how long does genemodding take and how hard is it? Is it 'Shove them in a tube for 6 months' or is it 'An injection, will get to work over the next week' or somewhere in between?

Humph. Tsssk. The idea seemed awesome, but frankly, READS, the execution is terrible. I don't want to undermine you but I hope you will improve for your next Quests.

>>19862745

I dunno, I'm having fun.

File: 1342206309901.jpg-(390 KB, 700x1035, White Devil 4.jpg)

>Highest of First Three Rolls: 22
>Action: UNLIMITED DAKKA WORKS

Were you an Ork, your next actions would do the gods Mork and Gork proud. Your arms spread wide, ten meters to each side, five meters up and down, the air becomes alight with tiny pink stars, no larger than a child's fist. Some sort of arcane pattern enrings them, spinning across their three dimensions until they shots are charged. And then they open fire.

<Stardust Fall>

Grnageitz's manages to get ten meters closer, but his efforts reward him with two bolts of energy to the chest, for a total of 4 damage. He is critically wounded at 8 HP.

>wat do?

rolled 19 + 8 = 27

>>19862759

Follow the dakka with a charge. See if we can catch him before he's ready.

rolled 5 + 8 = 13

>>19862759
Moar power shot.

>>19862745
That isn't really very constructive criticism, to just say "the execution is terrible."

That is to say, it's not helpful, how do you think he could improve?

>>19862744
Post Natal is merely an injection series over the first five years of life, once per month.

Pre Natal has the child removed artificially from the womb within the first trimester, and stays within the tube in which the modding occurs for the rest of gestation plus another eight months.

Just a warning that I'm probably gonna wrap it up once this fight is done. I've put off lawn mowing for far too long. If the thread's still alive when I get done, it'll continue.

rolled 12 + 8 = 20

>>19862759
Charge in and melee attack.

>>19862807
Is there any way for genemods to be applied after those two periods?

>>19862832
Yes. However, the effects will be even less than the post natal genemodding. In stats terms, looking at physical score increase of around one (post Natal would be 2, prenatal would be 'fully customizable')

>>19862869

Ah, nuts. Not much of an improvement. Still, better than nothing I guess.

>>19862832
Probably not, but we can buff Anne with cybernetics/power suit.

>>19862869
Maybe cybernetic implants, then?
Nano-machine augments to improve musculature and bone structure, rewire the entire nervous system to be faster?

I'm a bit leery on going the cybernetics route at the moment, unless it's adaptable enough to grow with her as she continues to physically mature. I'm all for power armor, though.

How old are they, any way?

>>19862982

Yeah, seconding that. I'd rather not cripple her for life for short term gain.

Still...the odds are we have access to stuff that's more on the 'Military' scale than the 'Civilian'...that should be able to help.

File: 1342207515309.png-(444 KB, 850x637, Minaka 3.png)

>Highest of First Three: 29
>Action: Counter Charge.

The Dakka stops, suddenly, as Gramgeitz is still shrugging out the effects of the two bolts that had struck him. He is caught off guard by your charge, which leaves behind it a trail of broken sound as you impale the man upon your staff's pointy end for nine damage. Clipping, in it's unfortunate inglory, turns off as you are ejected from first person view, and the haggard soldier falls unconcious through Takamachi's body.

The sorcess, twirls her staff around, her stock victory phrase coming along side the bright blue and white letters spelling out "You win" over the battlefield.

"He failed to listen - so I had to shoot him again."

You fall back onto the couch, though it is less a fall and more a stark reminder that you had been sitting their for what felt like hours. The glasses return to a standby overlay, with one new notification in your inbox.

>Begin Lawnmowing.
>Contemplate: Wat Do?

>>19863037

We should see how Anne is. If she's pulling an All Nighter, she might like us to get her a drink or a snack or something.

>>19863037
Check mail, see how Anne's doing.

>>19863015

Wonder what sort of gear we do have access to.

>>19863195

Well, I'm not even quite sure what the military uses in-setting...so no clue.

Still Anne with the genemods could hit some ok stats (She'd be above human average at everything save Stubborn, which isn't bad.)

>>19863037
Check mail, get a snack ready for Anne.

>>19863355

Something she likes, maybe something sweet. She had a TERRIBLE day earlier, could do with something to cheer her up.

Just throwing things out here, but what do people think about recruiting a 3rd girl from this school, have her focus on getting aggro in melee, and drawing attention of enemies that start to go after civilians/squishy wizard?

>>19864189

We'll start with these two...I'm actually hoping that one of the Bully girls is redeemable. They are already modded (Though likely not to the same extent)

>>19864189
A three-person team is viable. But it all depends on whether any others fit our criteria and pass our tests.

Of course, perhaps we should consider finding a boy to train. Yes, the communique from READ only said to recruit pre-pubescent girls. But what if we also trained a Kamen Rider as an ace in the hole, secretly from READ?
Nothing in the orders says we can't do it.

File: 1342212556972.jpg-(179 KB, 800x600, c2c90740702b6665ba84446ab(...).jpg)

>>19864280
I disagree. They specifically said girls and that's probably for a very good reason.

We would have a very serious problem if the threat was pic related.

>>19864280
It's something we could look into, but let's just stick to the given orders at the moment, of "magical" girl(s). It may also be just as effective to put those resources into "mid-season" upgrades/back-up members.

File: 1342213067643.jpg-(167 KB, 800x800, 1300135364498.jpg)

>>19864313
If that's the threat, then wouldn't machines be a better counter-measure anyway?
Also, just because we train a Rider doesn't mean we actually have to deploy him.

>>19864456

Eh, nothing says any 'Rider' we train has to be a guy. So far, our prime candidate seems to be good for the Nanoha School of Magic, which involves plenty of melee combat.

>>19864617

Good point.

I also like the 'Round Table' idea from earlier. Give Minaka a blade (If melee combat is viable in setting) and set her up as the Arthur of the group.

>>19865153
We could set her up as "Arthur" regardless of weapon, really. If "spells" don't need a physical emitter to make with the shooting, she could use anything as an implement for "casting."

If a physical gun/cannon is required, we just call it Excalibur, if that's how we want go with it.

>>19865249

Good point. Laser Cannon Excalibur, Artilery-style (Line of sight is for suckers) 'Magic' for Anne.

>>19864420
>>19864617
Point taken. I would just prefer to hedge our bets by having an unanticipated combat unit prepared as a hidden ace up our sleeve.

>>19865336
We can probably go a little closer-ranged than that. Minaka's obscene strength means she would get the best use out of something like a spear or sword. Of course, range is good, so the spear/sword would probably have shit like lasers and missiles in it in addition to it's being a laser weapon.

Anne should get some sort of magic-analogue, if it's available. Or plenty of laser cannons and technological interfacings. But artillery isn't a good idea in a city you're trying to protect.

>>19865820
You mean like psionics

>>19865930
Psionics are not a magic-analogue. They're mind-"magic"s. More of... recite the proper spell, or formula/equation, get a big boom out of it.

Minaka NEEDS something like a hoverboard or motorcycle.
Chances are that Anne will need rescuing a L.O.T, and we can't do proper return fire if we have to princess-carry her while running.

>>19865966
So you mean Vancian magic where the spells are like programs that do one thing reliably

>>19866068

...not a terrible example. Set up 'Spells' linked to weapons/device.

>>19866068
Generally speaking, yes. One spell, one effect. Or any spell based system, rather than one where you would dynamically build up your effect.

You could also just look at Nanoha, based on a quick wiki perusal.

>>19866095

So...Nanoha-style...which actually ARE programs (Or at least, highly complex macros) iirc.

>>19866179
It's still the same basic idea, is the thing. The details are relatively unimportant.

Has anyone heard of the Minovsky physics trope

File: 1342222324044.png-(55 KB, 300x299, Compiler.png)

Aaandd we're back.

==================

Letting yourself readjust to not having the light beamed down onto your retina, you take a quick moment to stretch yourself back onto the couch before springing up onto your feet. Making a nocommital gesture off to the side of your vision, you give the clock a quick check as the notification loads. It's beginning to get a little late, and from the noises coming from Anne's room she's still working on repairing the arglasses' broken qubits.

You laze over to the compiler, and bring up a recipe for cake and cocoa. Nothing open source - she hates that for some reason - but an old lifelong license your granny got you when you were five, and bought in to the conglomerate info-product hype.

The compiler chirps a happy noise, and the pair of cakes and pair of cocoas are ready.

File: 1342222369994.jpg-(278 KB, 1000x707, Dapper Minaka.jpg)

>>19866640 Field too long

The message is a short bit of audvid from some guy named John Q. Dantexis. The same guy that dropped the iGlasses that Anne had found, and more than likely the same guy who had dropped the new model Kinect Specs. He actually looks like a charming sort of fellow, the type of guy one seems compelled to almost implicitly trust - he has a warm, chiseled visage and a most dapper manner of holding himself. His voice, however, leaves a bit to be desired - it sort of sounds like an infomorph who's spent way too much time in data land and not enough in the physical world. Stilted, the pronunciation and syntax are just off enough to be disconcerting.

"Hello, sir or madame. If you are receiving this message, then my sources have determined that you have come into possession of two pairs of prototype arglasses that I had been working on. Hopefully, by whatever means it was that I lost them, they were not too severely damaged. If you would be so kind, I ask you to please return them to the following location." A marker is added to your specs' map functions. "Rest assured, you will be compensated for your time - I have quite a bit of pull with the local conglomerates, and I'm sure they'd be happy to help the two girls who helped me, be it merely garnered reputation, or perhaps something a bit more. Sincerely, John Q. Dantexis."

>Wat Do?

>>19866640

Knock on her door and bring it to her.

>>19866647

...sounds good to us. What else are we going to do with them?

>>19866672

Yeah. We should give them back.

OP: What is our economic situation? I get the feeling we are pretty poor, based on Open Source food.

>>19866647
Between the "sir or madam" and then "the two girls" in the message, there are incongruencies here that call for investigation. Let's take Anne the snack, and see what she thinks.

>>19866737

>Post scarcity society

There is no crippling poverty under the READS - Minaka eats Open Source Food for the same reason a /g/-er uses Linux and freeware - they are opposed to info-products being considered property to be licensed.

That being said, neither she nor Anne have all that much Rep among the various groups that track it. Getting rare elements, lab access, or IP before it's pirated and retired to freeware aren't exactly things the girls will be doing right off the bat.

>>19866762

Seconded.

>>19866762
Thirding this

>>19866826

I see. So that offer of Rep is a lot more powerful than it sounded initially.

>>19866647
War needs to be done Supreme commander style. One guy can make an autonomous army in an hour.

So, call signs/designations:
Minaka: Arturia, Pendragon, or Rex
Anne: Merlin or Morganne
Possible third member: Lancelot or Gawain

Also I would have preferred there not to be a direct offer of a reward so we can divorce the act of return from simple self-interest, but oh well.

Actually, why not have make them aware somehow that they could use this powerful dude's identity for mad cash, as it were.

>>19866948
>Also I would have preferred there not to be a direct offer of a reward so we can divorce the act of return from simple self-interest, but oh well.

It's part of the "morality" test. How they react to it is part of the investigation.

>>19866948

Pendragon(Or Arturia) and Morganne sounds good, with a Lancelot third if we find one.

File: 1342224512687.jpg-(36 KB, 400x259, B-baka no HENT-AI.jpg)

You don't even bother to knock. Really, given how focussed that girl can get when she's got her head into something, you doubt she'd actually hear you knocking if you went at it with a jackhammer. Gingerly, you step over the mess of spare parts that litters the floor of her room, and place a cup of cocoa and a cake slice on one of the few empty spots on her desk.

"Thanks Min," the other girl says, as she takes a bite. "Huh, it's not Open Source for once..."

You shrug. "You're working hard. And it's not like I compromised my principles - granny did it for me way back when." You stream her the audvid. "I got a message from the mysterious John Q. Dantexis. Take a gander at it."

She does. "So he wants us to return the arglasses. Nothing unexpec- wait. How did he know we were girls?"

You shrug. "I dunno. But I don't like it. What do you think?"

She grabs the half repaired glasses off her desk, and fiddles around amongst her drawers for the iGlasses. "I think we should sleep on it." She holds both pairs out, and stuffs them into a bag. "Preferably where these creeper specs can't see us."

You nod. "Good idea"

>Wat Do?
>>Fast forward to tomorrow
>>Stay a while longer
>>Continue being the bloodthirsty pinkette
>>Be the Timid Brunette
>>Be the Demi God AI Infomorph
>>Other
>>>Orders can be combined if they do not conflict*

>>19866986

>Be the Timid Brunette

See what she's learning from the repairing. Either that or:

>Be the Demi God AI Infomorph + Fast Foward to the Next Day.

>>19866986
Fast forward. Be the ai. Observe fledgling antics as they navigate our maze of intrigue.

>>19866986
>>Stay a while longer
>>Be the Timid Brunette