>>44020884
"Continuation."

>>44020884
"I'm too young for you to be asking this...."

>>44020884
...Processing....... Being able to taste soup might be nice.

>>44020884
This >>44020986

>>44020884
I am unsure, I know so little about the world. I suppose for now, I want to learn

>>44020884

Eeeeeeeeeeeeee it's back

"I'd like to keep living, first of all. Beyond that, I enjoy helping people."

>>44020884
The death of ALL life.

"I'm too young for you to be asking this." You say, almost immediately.
"Why do you say that?" Dave frowns.
"I know so little about the world." You say. "I don't know what can and cannot be experienced. So... I suppose for now, I want to continue living, and continue learning. Beyond that, I enjoy helping people."

"When you're not crushing them in videogames." Dave grumbles- but you can tell he means it jokingly.

The door creaks open, and you twist around to view Tandi Dahl, your mother.

"It is Tandi Dahl, my mother." You state.
"Sure is." Dave says, leaning against the wall. "What's up?"
Your mother cranes her head, looking straight upwards, and then glances back to Dave.
"The ceiling." She says.
Dave rolls his eyes.
"Anyway." Tandi says. "Azure, I came in to check on how you're doing. Is your shell working fine? No problems, er, thinking?"

You consider it for a moment, and then bob your shell. "When I attempt to remember something or use knowledge that I haven't used recently, it takes some time."
"Yeah... I can't do much about that. It's the way your archive works when you don't have enough storage space." She says. "Your shell's a bit too small to fit some bigger data storage, and I can't really make it bigger without boosting your hover drive." She says, sighing.

You just now notice that your mother looks quite tired. She has dark bags under her eyes, and her eyes themselves are strained and slightly bloodshot.
Dave doesn't seem to notice, and he speaks up.
"I'm sure you could talk Isha into finding you guys a shipment of more bots you guys could steal and disassemble. She does owe sparky here, anyway."
"I doubt we could talk Mike or his raiders into stealing it for us." Tandi says. "Even if Abel okayed it."
Dave frowns. "Do you guys really need Mike to do everything personally?"
"... I guess not, but..."
Tandi trails off, without a response.

>?

>>44020986
Basically this.

Azure has very limited life experience, let alone puzzling metaphysical quandrys of existance.

>>44021261

To Dave: "I think the people here generally find Mike disagreeable, and the feeling seems mutual, so him going out gives both sides some space from one another."

To Mom: "Are you alright? You look tired."

>>44021261

>You okay mom?

"I think the people here generally find Mike disagreeable, and the feeling seems mutual, so him going out gives both sides some space from one another." You tell Dave.
He frowns.
"Lots of people like Mike." He says. "You've probably only really seen one side of him. But that's probably his fault. He has his issues. Then again, we all do, or we wouldn't be here."

He shakes his head, and pushes himself to his feet. "Anyway, I should probably go get some work done. I'll leave you two to catch up."
"See you." Tandi says, and then Dave limps his way out of the rec room.

And then the room is empty except for you and your mother.

Now is the right time to ask.

"Mother?" You ask.
"Hm?"
"Are you alright? You look tired."

Tandi grimaces, and sits down next to you.
"I am tired." She says. "I haven't been sleeping lately. Spent too much time poring over those documents Isha brought. I have to figure out how they work, but some of the more complex stuff is beyond me. But I have to do it."
"Why?"
"Because we have to stay ahead of them." She says. "If Arcturus gets the jump on us, they'll figure outwhere we're hiding. Then we're finished. That means faster Ravens to outrun that new tentacle machine they're building. I have no clue how the plans say they'll be going so fast when they have so much extra weight. But I have to assume that they're correct, because the alternative..."

She sighs, and pushes her fingers into her eyes.
"Sorry, Azure, I shouldn't push all of this onto you. It's just that they're breaking physics somehow and I can't figure it out."

>?

>>44021729
I think the correct response is a hug, can you feel it? I'm hugging you

>>44021729
Would I understand the data?

>>44021729
Poor woman, needs a little rest, most people can't function well on so little rest.

>>44021729

>Bump her head

"Would you like a hug? I am trying to hug you?"

>>44021729

Seconding >>44021777

Shadowrun time

*Stronger repulsors

*Materials are lighter then they should be, new alloy.

*Nanites (Universal solution in EVE)

*Aliens

*Eldrich Magic

*Exotic matter utilized to allow for obscene speeds (unlikely but exabyte is known to recycle content)

*Schematics are correct but lacking detail, some components are more powerful then described or are made of slightly different make, the factory would not know because they'd just assume they're being supplied whats described and they're only being paid to build the damn thing.

Thunk.

There is a hollow noise as your screen presses up against Tandi's shoulder, gently pressing against it.
"I think the correct response is a hug." You say. "Can you feel it? I am hugging you."
There is a moment of silence, other than the whine of your anti-gravity drive.

Your pressure sensors feel two warm arms wrap their way around your spherical shell, as Tandi holds you close. She sniffles.
"Thanks." She says.
"You need rest." You say, your speakers buzzing into her shoulder. "Most people cannot function well on so little rest."
"I can't." She says. "I need to figure this out."
"Perhaps I would understand the data." You say. "You need rest. I will take a look at the data while you do."

Finally, Tandi pulls back and looks you in the screen. Her eyes are watery.
"I don't know if you'd understand it, but I don't have many other options, do I?"
"That was one question." You say.
"It was a rhetorical one." Tandi says, and wipes at her face with the sleeve of her blouse. "Alright. I'll go see if I can get some sleep. Could you take a look at the design documents for me? They're in the server room, where you were born. The far table has everything spread out. If anyone asks, I gave you authorization. I don't know how much processing power your shell has, but if you need data, go ahead and take it from the server."

You bob your shell in an approximation of a nod, and you follow her out of the room.


The server room is empty. On one corner of the room, the large, ancient machine sits, humming along, while a long crude table sits on the other wall. There, a pile of papers sit, arcane red scrawls written in the margins, and complex engineering diagrams and cross-sections of a particular machine printed in the main body.

Tandi is trusting you with this.

You're not sure why, but you want to make her proud.

>Roll 1d100.
>First three rolls count.

Rolled 66 (1d100)

>>44022088
beep boop

Rolled 95 (1d100)

>>44022088
Calculating...

Rolled 94 (1d100)

>>44022088

Rolled 6 (1d100)

>>44022088

>>44022141
>>44022144
we are best daughterbot

>>44022088
There is no way we can fail with rolls like these! >>44022126
>>44022141
>>44022144
>>44022159

Rolled 98 (1d100)

>>44022088
>>44022239
I can't even critfail right

>>44022260
No no you cannot

>>44022088
>>44022126
>>44022141
>>44022144
>Result: Great Success!

Carefully, slowly, almost painstakingly, you gather data about each individual component of the Aurora, the ASF anti-terrorist vehicle.

The primary chassis is made out of a molecularly-machined alloy known as Ether. Incredibly light, but exorbitantly expensive. The anti-gravity drives are of the lowest, smallest scale possible, but are installed in every cardinal direction in a number approaching two dozen.
The tendrils are magnetically-controlled, with optical power systems leading to large-scale gravity drives, both for tractoring or extra propulsion.

As you construct the Aurora within your mind, your essence shapes it inside of your head, slowly, carefully simulating it.

Within the confines of your mind, series of Auroras are born and act, chasing a similarly-imaginary Raven. You bring up many different hypotheses and discard each almost immediately, either due to technological concerns, logistical concerns, or just plain physical concerns. Free-floating, the Aurora should not have nearly the speeds that the design document claims it has.

Quite suddenly, your memories of the game this morning with Dave come to your mind, where one of your units could change its movement method, and you experience an intuitive leap.

>Continued!

>>44022431
The one thing not detailed in the documents are the vehicle's firmware.

It is not detailed how it moves.

Within your simulation, your imagination, a biomechanical terror pounces, powerful tendrils shoving it into the air, using the tractor function of their tendrils to pull it forward just as it shoves away from the ground. Sinuous limbs cling forward and fold themselves through buildings...

>Basic Fabrication: COMPLETE.
>Advanced Fabrication: 40%
>Advanced Shell Control: COMPLETE.

Tandi walks into the room, a cup of steaming coffee in her hand as she walks in.
Then she blinks. "You're still here?"
"Yes." You respond, scanning over the documents again, running another iteration of the quickly-developing Aurora Movement Firmware in your simulation. You've not only hit the max speed labeled on the documents, through careful tweaks to the anti-gravity systems and adjustments to the tendrils, you've beat it by a full five miles per hour. Any more, and the wind resistance becomes too much for the design. The gait is too wide. Perhaps you could...

"It's been, uh... like twelve hours." She says. "... Were you here the whole time?"

>?

>>44022450
Yes, could you get me a cup of coffee? I've been up all night.

>>44022450
"Yes. I have determined precisely how the Aurora matches the documents and have determined functional improvements on the design beyond their current capacity."

>>44022450
Don't forget, that was One Question.

>>44022480
This.

>>44022450
Sup Exa. Glad to see you.

>>44022507
i assume its going to happen anyway

>>44022431
Correct me if I'm wrong Exabyte, but Ether is a refined alloy of Handwavium and Weapons grade Plotonium right?

>>44022450
MOM! I MADE IT GO FASTER!

That design sounds like if you whammed it with a heavy enough attack, or stuck it under a weight, its features that allow it high speed would work against it.

Simple gel/liquid solidifying munitions to gunk up joints and add weight to its hull would have great detrimental effects.

>>44022450
The Aurora moves unlike any machine that I have information of, it is almost animal like.
(assuming we know about animals.)

>>44022597
>It's a magic futuretech metal version of aerogel, basically.
>So the answer to your question is yes, obviously.
>Sci-fi so soft it might as well be the skim off a bubble bath.

"That was one question." You say.
Then you turn to Tandi.
"Could you get me a cup of coffee? I have been up all night."
"First off, it wasn't even noon when you started. It's only nine. Second of all, you can't drink coffee."

You tilt your shell forward, as if pouting, and then spring back up again.

"I have determined precisely how the Aurora matches the documents." You say. "And have determined functional improvements on the design beyond their current capacity."
"What?" She asks, eyes widening. "Really?"
"Those were two questions, and both of their answers are yes."

Through your port connection to the server's screen, you show her your simulation, with the Aurora darting forward, using its limbs as both arms and legs as it skitters across a generic urban environment. "I believe these were designed not to fly, but to use the anti-gravity drives to accelerate the vehicle across the surface. They still have the ability to fly, but lose most of their speed doing so, but they can also latch onto a Raven if they get into reach."

>Continued!

>>44022857
"... So they do parkour." Tandi says.
"Yes." You say, having watched several parkour videos during your research. "They move more like animals than vehicles."
"Huh." She says. "Sounds like the pilots can only choose where to go, and the firmware takes care of the rest of it. They be impossible to pilot otherwise."
"I could pilot one." You say.
"I meant for a human pilot." She says. "I guess we could also gum up the tendrils somehow, with an expanding foam, but I'm not very good at the whole chemistry thing."
"We could also hit it with a solid attack, or ram it." You say. "If the majority of its systems are automatic, then it would overreact to a sudden unbalance."

The two of you continue talking about the Aurora and its various strengths and weaknesses, suggesting various ways to evade or damage them, when Mike walks into the room, shoulders high. He raises an eyebrow at the two of you poring over the server's screen and talking in hushed tones, and then clears his throat.

Tandi jumps and straightens, turning to him. "Yeah?"
"I was wondering if you had any information about the new machines the ASF are working on. I heard you were having troubles figuring out what one of them actually do."
"I used to. We've pretty much figured everything out about the Aurora, Their anti-Raven machines. Short answer, they're less Sentinels from the Matrix, more Tripods from War of the Worlds. The long answer is whatever I'm going to write in my report for you later."
"Good work." He says, nodding at her.
"Azure did most of the work." Tandi says. "I was beating my head against it for the past week.
"Well, then I should thank you too, Azure." He says, and nods to you. "I have to say, you're a lot more useful than I thought you would be. Sorry for treating you like a liability back when you were built."

>?

>>44023042
It is fine, you didn't know any better.


Smug Ai time

>>44023042
Human children are useless. I understand.

>>44023042
who are you and what have you done with mike?

>>44023042
Understandable and apology accepted, I am sorry for thinking that you are disagreeable.

>>44023202>>44023042

Seconding

"Who are you and what have you done with Mike?" You ask.

Mike scowls at you.

"Oh look, he's back." Tandi says, and Mike's scowl grows.
"It is fine." You say. "You did not know any better. I am sorry for thinking that you are disagreeable."

"Yeah. Might as well let bygones be bygones." Tandi says. "We all have the same goal, after all."
"Sure, if you say so." Mike says. He just turns and leaves, storming out of the room much like the way he'd entered.

"I'm sure he's just a big softie, deep down." Tandi says. "You know, really deep down. Like, beyond the crust of the planet deep."

You make the eye on your screen roll.

"So, what do you want to do now?" Tandi asks. She's looking much better than she did before you told her to rest, and she actually seems like she's only recently woken up- at a time when everybody else on the base is going to sleep. "I mean, the Ravens are all fixed up, so there's not much we can do there, but I'm sure there's something in the workshop we could repair or build. Most of it's junk, but maybe we could find something. Or we could work on teaching you more about coding."

Then she blinks.

"Or we could take Dave's advice, and hit Isha up for a place where the city's storing a bunch of supplies."
"You were against that idea this morning."
"That was when I was angsting." She says. "I'm feeling a lot better about things. We'd have to go on foot, and we'd need clearance from Abel, but we could figure something out, I'm sure."

>?

>>44023443
let's try coding, it sounds like a good bonding experience.

>>44023443
I favor an aggressive move. Would we need anything else?

>>44023443
Junk has less value than knowing how to code. Let's get to know coding. It's what we are made of after all.

>>44023443
Supplies would be nice, Maybe arms so I can give actual hugs.

>>44023525
If we wanted arms we should have picked the Dahl-bot. Until we get something definitely better I think we should stick with our security bot.

>>44023543
I quite like being the hovering glow ball.
Though having a simple manipulator would still be beneficial. Even if its just to plug ourselves in and out of things without needing assistance.

>>44023443
Coding

"I would like to learn some more." You buzz. "Code is what I am made of, after all."
"Not exactly." Tandi says. "You're much different than any kind of programming language. C'mon, let's go back to the rec room."

The rec room is a quiet affair, crowded with over a dozen people as they pile onto couches and chairs in a semi-circle around the television set, watching a movie that involves several large, angry dragons. Tandi immediately sighs. "Nah, we'd just distract them. My room has a computer we can use, so that'll work."


The way to your mother's room is rather confusing. It's only located through a maintenance hatch in the floor, in a hallway near the workshop, and from there, it's a maze of tight, quiet passageways. You would get lost if it weren't for Tandi leading you.
Tandi's room is very brightly colored. Across the walls are tacked cartoon posters of women in outrageous outfits. Her bed is covered in swathes of the largest patchwork quilt you've ever heard of, and one of the walls are covered in dozens of screens, attached to the walls.

"Here we are." Tandi says. She flips off the light switch. In response, Each screen, one by one, winks on, becoming the sole lights to the room. "Let's begin."

>Programming: 80%

The next morning, a loud bell rings out through the entire base.

>Continued!

>>44024230
Ah shit, here goes.

>>44024230
Tandi springs from the bed, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, and she immediately pulls open the door.
"It's a summoning for everyone, Azure." She says. "Come on."

"Very well." You say, and follow her through the maze toward the command room.

Abel is standing at the head of the table, not even sitting, as the entire population of the base fills every seat they can- and when the seats are filled, they stand in a circle around the table, everyone listening solemnly to Abel.

"Everyone, we have some important news." He says. "Isha has come into contact with another rebel cell. We've been talking with them since midnight."

While murmurs fill the room for a moment, they quickly go silent again when Abel puts his palms on the table. His motions aren't full of charisma, nor is he speaking with any special kind of oratory- he's simply talking, and everyone is listening.

It's not his charisma that makes others listen to him- it's simply their respect for him.
"They're calling themselves the Free." He says. "But they don't see this as a contest. They're not trying to demonstrate to the city that we're not going to stand for Arcturus' heavy-handed laws or invasions of privacy. They see it as a war." He says.

"I'm not sure which of you heard about the mission where someone blew up a factory while our agents were in there, but it happened- and it was tracked down to this Free."
He frowns, looking down at the table.
"Seventeen dead, eight injured. None of them were ours, but most of them were innocent people. And that's the Free's duty. The three of us-" He says, brandishing a hand toward Isha and Mike- "can't decide how to handle this. We're not sure if we should aid them, or if we should try to stop them from hurting innocent people... Or if we should simply keep an eye on them and decide later.. And as always, when we can't decide something, we leave it to a vote."

Again, he looks up to meet all of your eyes. "Choose carefully."

>?

>>44024395
>And that's the Free's duty.
Should actually read
>And that's the result of the Free's actions.

>>44024395
I'd advise caution, they may not wish to spare anyone. They may be guided by anger rather than morality.

>>44024395
"Do I get a vote?"

>>44024395
I vote for a wait and see approach.

I mean actual attacks like the free pulled tend to make people hate you more then anything but if things do progress into a full fight it might be nice to have more guns on our side.

Well we know those new machines that are coming.

With these "The Free" killing people, its only a matter of time until we start facing people who shoot first and ask later.

Fighting them weakens our own cause, joining them might compromise why everyone is in the group in the first place.

We need a measure of who they are, so neutral, while cautious and observatory, should be the way to go.

>>44024395
>Helping them will result in continued civilian casualties. I believe most present would find that unacceptable.
>Stopping them entirely will require a large amount of resources, which will inhibit our development in other areas, even as our enemies (as we know) will also be continuing research regardless of our course of action.
>I conclude that it would be optimal to continue to monitor the Free, and act to reduce their civilian casualties as close to zero as possible.
>If this course of action is taken, it would also be advisable to continue communications with the Free, notifying them that our objections are to their methods and not their purpose. There is a slight possibility that they will be willing to cooperate with us to allow us to minimize civilian casualties.
>It is very slight, though.

Immediately, everybody starts murmuring to one another, filling the room with the buzz of discussion. Isha, Mike, and Abel completely abstain.
"Do I get a vote?" You ask Tandi.
"Of course you do." She says. "You're one of us, after all."
"Well... I believe we should be cautious. If we help them, then that will only result in continued civilian casualties. But if we try to stop them, then it will weaken our own cause."

"So you think we should wait and see?" Kate asks.
"We need a better measure of who they are." You say. "It sounds like they are guided more by anger than morality, and I believe most present would find that unacceptable."
"... Yeah." Dave says. "I joined up because I thought we could do better. And killing people isn't better."

Slowly, the crowd's conversation turns only one way- the most moderate way, keeping their hands out of the business entirely. After the discussion, Abel tallies up the votes, and then gets to his feet again.

"It's been decided." He says, still just as plainly as he usually speaks. "We won't interact with them- either to assist them than to convince them otherwise, unless it's something important."

He sighs. "I'm sorry to wake you all up for something like this, but it's a decision we needed to come to. You guys are dismissed."

At Abel's word, people begin to get to their feet, and make their way out of the conference room- some back to their beds, others to the rec room, and more to their stations.

Once there are only four of you left- You, Abel, Tandi, and Isha, does Abel sigh and slump back into his chair.

"I might go back to bed." Tandi says. "Unless you guys need me for anything."
"No, it's fine." Isha says, softly. "We don't need you for anything right now."
"Alright." Tandi says. She turns to you. "I'm gonna go take a nap. Unless you need me for something."

It seems that right now you have some free time- perhaps you could use this time to talk to someone. But if so, who?

>?

>>44025183
ask abel what the free's opinion of us seemed to be based off the talks you had. Just because we decided to ignore them they might not do the same to us.

>>44025276
This here.

"Excuse me." You say, and Abel looks up toward you.
"Yes?"
"What do you believe the Free thinks of us, based off of the talks you had?"

"Oh, well that's simple." He says. "They think we're just futzing around and waiting for someone better to fix things for us. Or that we're trying to make our own country without fighting Arcturus at all. Maybe somewhere inbetween. Why do you ask?"
"Because though we decided to ignore them, they might not do the same to us."
"That's precisely what Mike argued, when we talked about it." Abel says.

Then he leans back, relaxing.
"You've been doing wonderful work, and it seems like you get along with everyone, with one notable exception. I'm honestly surprised that not many people have many qualms with your... nature."
"She's cute." Isha says, offhandedly. "Like a pet, except also a person."

You're... not sure how to respond to that.

"So how have you been getting along, here?" He asks. "Is there anything you might want that you're not getting?"

>?

>>44025647
access to information, though i understand the reservations

>>44025647
Switch face to red, "Total dominion."

"But srsly tho, I'm good."

>>44025647
More information, a better frame, but I understand the reasons I cannot get them at present.

>>44025647

"Access to more information. Also hands."

Caught a Azure Quest thread! It is my lucky day!

>>44025647
I didn't get hands which actually isn't to bad but it would be nice to open doors on my own. Other then that things have been fine, just been trying to help out where I can really.

>>44025685
>>44025960
I would like to support these two options please.

"Total domination." You growl, your screen flickering red.

"No." Abel responds, with barely a reaction.

"No fun." You respond, and sigh.
"I didn't get hands, which actually isn't too bad, but it would be nice to open doors on my own." You say.
"Perfectly reasonable." He responds.
"Other than that, things have been fine. I've just been trying to help out where I can. As for things I would like, I can only think of two; Access to more information, and a better shell... but I understand the reasons I cannot get them at present."
"Mostly the fact that we don't have the supplies, and that some of our information is pretty secret." He says.

You nod.

"The supply issue will be rectified eventually, when we find a vulnerable point to hit up." He says. "So don't worry too much about that. As for information... You've been doing well so far, and people seem to trust you. It won't be long until we'll trust you with everything. Tandi's already authorized you to look up whatever tech data we have. Don't worry, this will only take time."

Then he grins, an expression that looks utterly alien on his face. "But it's about time for me to retire. I've been up far too long. It was nice speaking with you, Azure."

He pushes himself to his feet, and Isha follows.

The two leave the room, and at the last moment, you see them clasp one another's hands.

Interesting.

You're still pondering the relationship between Isha and Abel, including their significant age difference, when the entire earth begins to shake.

Far, far above, an explosion makes the city shudder.

>End of session!
>My twitter is @FutureExabyte
>And I also hang out in the IRC channel #Exabyte on the Rizon server.
>Sorry to be ending early today, but I'm pretty off my rhythm, and I'm trying to work my way back into it.

>>44026094
thanks for running

>>44026094
Damn, our evil plan thwarted again!

>>44026094
>Far, far above, an explosion makes the city shudder.
god damnit free!

Also thanks for running, when do you think you'll be up again?

Thanks for running good DM. When should we expect the next one?

>>44026181
>>44026170
Things are a lot calmer for me now, as opposed to the past few weeks, so I should be able to run sometime the next week, most likely Sunday.

Then again, if I get struck with a sudden burst of inspiration and I just HAVE to run, then I'll run whenever. I'm unreliable like that!

>>44026227
I will look forward to it then!

>>44026227
>Then again, if I get struck with a sudden burst of inspiration and I just HAVE to run, then I'll run whenever. I'm unreliable like that!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMFFfsXLlbA