[Going to try and manage actions through puppets, but if you have specific requests name them with your vote]


-----------------------Game Unpaused--------------------

aww yiss
parastie quest

>>45205041
>[] We are not ready to spread:Return all to the Hive: Evolve the Mass

[] The Mass Requires Safety:Infect more of the herd: Explore this place

>>45205041
>[] The Mass Requires Safety:Infect more of the herd: Explore this place

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>[] The Mass Requires Safety:Infect more of the herd: Explore this place

With a simple ripple the Mass stands down. The puppets in the reactor room continue to operate the machinery according to their assimilated memories. The spores within the animals in the Barracks remain dormant, waiting to assimilate. The puppet, Randall, dusts off the dead fungal flesh and heads back into the elevator shaft. Infection. There are a few remaining animals and some metallic ones lurking. The Song is proud and strong, but will can't stop bullets... at least not yet.

Security. The word is toyed over by the Song. It is the last hold out of uninfected animals, as well as a decent cache of animal weapons. That is where the puppet heads next, calling in its movements to remain subtle.

"Randall here, going to the tool cage to get a decon unit and some anti-rads. Janitor-bot cleared me, thank god."

"Glad you're still with us Randall. You're cleared for entry."

The puppet is irritated with the animals speaking over their electrical song. The elevator opens to the dingy office. Screens cycle through cameras and vomit an endless tide of engineering data. Towards the back of the room is the dispensary terminal where critical supplies, a small supply of weapons and armor and robots are deployed. It links to an automated storage room separate from the large one below the base. This is done mostly for security reasons. The two animals manning the screens turn to acknowledge your puppet's entry. They are wearing plain uniforms but both tote small side arms.

[] Sacrifice the Drone: Explode the flesh and spread: Aggressive and Risky
[] Continue the Charade: Gather materials: Wait for opportunity
[] Feign Illness: Strike when the animals close: Fill them with fear

>>45205041
>[] The Mass Requires Safety:Infect more of the herd: Explore this place

Altho we should drop off that canister of radiation back with the core.

And then connect to that Terminal finally.

>>45205877
>[] Continue the Charade: Gather materials: Wait for opportunity
I don't see a reason to blow our load before we have a good opportunity

>>45205877
>[] Continue the Charade: Gather materials: Wait for opportunity

>>45205877
[] Feign Illness: Strike when the animals close: Fill them with fear

>>45205877
>[] Continue the Charade: Gather materials: Wait for opportunity
Tricksy...

10 minute voting period, right? That's the optimal.

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>[] Continue the Charade: Gather materials: Wait for opportunity

Randall greets the two animals in their crude language. The two turn back to their monitors as the puppet walks up to the reception terminal. It keys in the employee code and a few moments later a package drops into the chute. Another keycode entry and the door slides away allowing the package to be taken. Inside is a small square-like device that your puppet knows emits various wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation that cleanses various microorganisms. There is also a single use injection gun containing a cocktail of various radiation binding agents. Your puppet considers the next move.


[] Excrete mass into the machine : attempt to gain control : risk exposure
[] Feign illness: attack the animal that draws near: Attack the other in the confusion
[] Shift into combat form: Infect through injury: Suicide before termination
[] Write in


>>45206264
10-15 min about. Writing fast

>>45206361
>[] Excrete mass into the machine : attempt to gain control : risk exposure
Coughing/Sneezing on it might not generate enough mass, maybe we could have a nosebleed or something spontaneously?

>>45206361
>[] Excrete mass into the machine : attempt to gain control : risk exposure

>>45206400
You have to touch the machine to interact with it. It is a simple matter of just poking it again to extrude some infectious material into the circuits. The risky part factors into the machine acting haywire as fungal matter forcefully hacks into the machine and hoping the two guards don't notice.

>>45206361
>[] Feign illness: attack the animal that draws near: Attack the other in the confusion

The seven people with dormant spores in their mouths. Would activating those spores trigger bio alarms or just be visually horrifying to the others present?

>>45206475
I see! Thanks for the information, first time player of this quest, though I've read all the backlog...is there a reason for the switch from being an internal parasite in the earlier threads to being a rather more advanced external-ish one? I thought I'd missed a few threads in the archive...

>>45206506
That amount of fungal mass activating at once would cause mass panic but would not trigger the alarms. The fungus works from the inside out. The infected would slump over for a moment, a few would seize, and then get right back up a moment later. You can activate the infection the next time a dormant victim sleeps. The next rest period is in an hour or so. This is also the time the missing augment will be noticed.

>>45206540
The parasite gained complete control over the host and received a vision from Yellow Father. When it returned to consciousness it found itself here in this facility 20 miles from its last known location.

>>45206594
ahh, thanks.

>[] Excrete mass into the machine : attempt to gain control : risk exposure


Risky option chosen. That means its luck time! Please give me a linked 1d20. Best of three. DC is 12.

Rolled 2 (1d20)

>>45206648

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Rolled 20 (1d20)

>>45206648

Rolled 5 (1d20)

>>45206648

>>45206677
Holy shit, anon, nice!

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>20 Critical Success

Your puppet makes a little show off reading the labels on the medication and tapping at the information display. What wasn't obvious was the thin strand of gunk that dribbled in between the keys. The fungal tissue worked into the crevices, slid along conductive traces and nestled around crystal circuits. It suddenly made sense. The high pitched whine of the circuits is the same as animal neural tissue. It is simply faster and more accurate. The song increased it's tempo to match and suddenly the Core felt it's way into the simple machine. Information and control became second nature with barely a flicker on the screen and the song grows between this machine and the core hiding in storage.

[Natural Electronics Interface Evolved]- The fungus can now easily infect most electronic systems

The machine animal lists it's various contents

[Janitor Drone x3]
[15mm Gauss Pistol x2]
[15mm Ammo Case (200 rnd) x5]
[15mm Gauss Rifle x2]
[Medical Supplies- 10 counts]
[Multitool x2]
[Laser Welder x1]
[Omni-Wrench x1]
[Portable Incinerator- Plasma x1]
[Nano-Weave Armor Set x5]
[NBC Suit x20]
[Multi-Scan Goggles x3]
[Trout Drone x 0]
[Decon Unit x0]


[] Retrieve Weaponry : Attack the Animals: Strike Quickly
[] Feign Injury: Strike when the they draw near: Infect
[] Sacrifice Drone: Spread spores and Infect Network: Draw Awareness
[] Write In

>>45206937
>[] Retrieve Weaponry : Attack the Animals: Strike Quickly

>>45206937
>Feign Injury: Strike when the they draw near: Infect
Have them be near the machine so that it can help squirt some fungus.

>>45206937
>[Trout Drone x 0]

Ha. Ate them all it seems.


>[] Retrieve Weaponry : Attack the Animals: Strike Quickly

Faster, easier.

>>45206937
>[Janitor Drone x3]
Wait, does the Song control each of these contents in the machine animal?

Do we have janitor bot puppets now?

Deploying them might be. useful.

>>45206937
>Feign Injury: Strike when the they draw near: Infect

>>45207021
No, they are actually in a disassembled state and are configured and built when summoned. You will infect them when you "order" one.

>>45206991
This is an option. All in the Mass serve.

>>45206937
>[] Feign Injury: Strike when the they draw near: Infect

>>45206937
>[] Feign Injury: Strike when the they draw near: Infect

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>[] Feign Injury: Strike when the they draw near: Infect

The puppet takes the syringe and jabs it into it's arm. The little puppet decides to really put on a show, turning a satisfied moan into sudden, agonizing gibbering. A loud scream and some very infectious foam later, the puppet is writhing on the ground near the vending machine. As the animals rush over to their fallen comrade, they fail to notice the machine is drooling.

The puppet suddenly ceases twitching and falls silent. The animals bicker over who should draw close and perform cpr. The matter is quickly settled as one of the armed animals opens it's mouth and advances on the unconscious puppet who suddenly vomits a gout of bile, spores and foam. The infection takes hold quickly, rampaging through mucus membranes. The other animal backs away quickly, only to get bathed in a spurt of machine goo.

The four of the Song's agents quickly bathe the room in foulness, bringing most of the facility under the control of the Mass. Information floods into the song. Technical specifications, communication protocols, personnel information,and a curiously encrypted file.

[]Investigate the file: Learn more of the animals: Learn and Explore
[]Infect the rest of the facility:Sudden Aggression: Terror and Fear
[]Collect everything: Evolve the Core: Wait for more prey.

>>45207445
>[]Investigate the file: Learn more of the animals: Learn and Explore

>>45207445
Don't tell me Yellow Father left a message for you to find.

>>45207445
How fucking terrifying.
>[]Collect everything: Evolve the Core: Wait for more prey.

>>45207445
>[]Investigate the file: Learn more of the animals: Learn and Explore

>>45207445
>[]Investigate the file: Learn more of the animals: Learn and Explore

>>45207526
>>45207553
>>45207632
lamos

>>45207445
>[]Investigate the file: Learn more of the animals: Learn and Explore

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>>45207533
>[]Investigate the file: Learn more of the animals: Learn and Explore

The facility can wait. You have it's core under your control. Rounding up the remaining uninfected will be a trivial task. How you will modify the core and the puppets are secondary now. The file calls to the song. A mingling of silicon and fungal protein codes. Curiously the Song probes the file until the puzzle becomes clear. A fractal lock that only a fractal being could understand. The song moves to trigger the last lock but nothing happens. Like a light switch to a broken bulb nothing happens.

[] Keep trying the file: Force the lock open: Rage and Dominion
[] Wait for now: return to the Mass: Gather all to the Song
[] Destroy this nest: Summon more Animals: Escape into the wild
[] Write in

>>45207983
>[] Wait for now: return to the Mass: Gather all to the Song

>>45207983
>[] Wait for now: return to the Mass: Gather all to the Song

I don't wanna damage the file, so will have to wait.

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>>45207983
>[] Wait for now: return to the Mass: Gather all to the Song

Haha time for
>Sudden Aggression: Terror and Fear

>>45208054
The song has a question. Would the call to Mass be quiet and gentle, or shall the call be grand and unrelenting?

>>45208079
GRAND

>>45208079
>Quiet:Gentle:Peaceful
We shall free the pink ones from the failures of flesh with a beautiful Song.

>>45208125
Not quietly though. Let them know what they're in for. A glorious symphony for all.

>>45208079
Gentle nigga,we are gonna fuck them quietly.

>>45208145
Shhhh... Be still loud Anon, let your mind and body rest, the Mass calls for the Song to free you from your torment.

>>45208079
Unrelentingly gentle.

>>45208079
Loud and glorious, but not aggressive, a beautiful symphony!

>>45208079
>quiet and gentle
wouldnt want them to get any ideas about escaping or calling help now would we?

>>45208229
That isn't going to be possible anyway.

The song has already won. A trivial task remains.


>>45208079
>UNRELENTING
We will save them from their pitiful discordant existences.

>>45208079
grand and unrelenting

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>A gentle call to Mass

No. There is no need for violence and rage. The Mass is peace. The Mass is unity. The unity is flesh and all are called to peace. Why would anything prefer the silence. With a twist of will the facility shuts down the biological sensors, cameras are placed in a loop and the outside world slips away. There are only a few uninfected people left and they are all in the barracks with the soon to be infected. The song beings....

Tiffany sat within her little cube. It had been several months on post here at the waste processing facility. A literal crap detail, but the pay was good. She enjoyed playing games with her colleagues, the cards, the smuggled hooch, never having an empty bed. It didn't fill the emptiness in her soul. There was a whisper, soft and low. A sweet smell hung in the air. It smelled of home, of family. Tiffany listened to the whisper and followed it into the hall.

The others were there, staring off into space, but she knew they were listening to that voice. The sickly sweet melody. Louder now, as a warmth filled her flesh. She could hear the others whispering yet no mouths moved. Close. Family. Freedom from pain, loneliness. There was only one thing to do. One voice to sing with. It was so close now. Tiffany strained to hear. Flesh. Her flesh was in the way...

1/2

>>45208405
>Tiffany strained to hear. Flesh. Her flesh was in the way...
Well that's not fucking ominous or anything.

Gravemind soon?

>>45208405
>>45208450

The Song is beautiful, not such a terrible thing as ominous, please Anon, join us in the Mass.

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>>45208450
The Song is a melody of peace.

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>>45208405
>Flesh. Her flesh was in the way...

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Terry was a convict. This last work detail was his ticket out of prison. He didn't like the people that worked here. Too soft, too touchy. Terry hid in his barrack as much as possible and kept to himself. He liked it that way. Door sealed, music on, a nice little holo-porn playing. They were being noisy again outside the room. He hated the noise. Terry screamed and banged on his door, telling them to keep the noise down. The noise ceased and the door began to open.

A terrible smell blasted into the room. A smell of oranges and blood as the air filled with a hazy cloud. A singing began as Terry wretched in the air. He heard a voice call. Tiffany, the loose woman. She sung out for Terry to not be afraid. All a free within the Mass.

"There is no more pain. No more isolation. We are all one and there is only peace and love. Simply give yourself up without fear and know a better way. A way of love and peace." Sang a chorus of voices. Terry couldn't see through the haze but hand gripped him and pulled him out into the hallway. His steps pressed into something warm and wet. He blinked away the dust. He could hear them all now. Singing. Something swam behind his vision. Behind the song. A hulking thing.

A hand grazed Terry's face, leaving something wet and coppery along his cheek. "Turn to a new way, Terry." The voice called.

Terry screams died away into cries of joy as he gazed into the face of the Mass.

2/3

>>45208647
how horrifying

>>45208678
*beautiful

Waste Facility Assimilated.

[13 puppets gained]
[Human Technology Integrated into the Mass]


The Song has grown. There is Joy within the Mass.

[] Search the Encrypted File: The lock will open now: A new stage of Infection
[] Turn Within: Focus on Evolving the Mass: Plan the next Infection
[] Consume them all: The Core will Fruit Anew: Await more prey

>>45208717
>Search the Encrypted File: The lock will open now: A new stage of Infection
>[] Turn Within: Focus on Evolving the Mass: Plan the next Infection

>>45208717
>[] Search the Encrypted File: The lock will open now: A new stage of Infection

>>45208733
Seconding

>>45208717
>[] Search the Encrypted File: The lock will open now: A new stage of Infection
>[] Turn Within: Focus on Evolving the Mass: Plan the next Infection

>>45208717
>[] Search the Encrypted File: The lock will open now: A new stage of Infection
>[] Turn Within: Focus on Evolving the Mass: Plan the next Infection

>>45208717
>[] Search the Encrypted File: The lock will open now: A new stage of Infection
>[] Turn Within: Focus on Evolving the Mass: Plan the next Infection

>>45208717
>[] Search the Encrypted File: The lock will open now: A new stage of Infection
We have to inform how the plan goes, duh.

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>[] Search the Encrypted File: The lock will open now: A new stage of Infection
>[] Turn Within: Focus on Evolving the Mass: Plan the next Infection

The animals are busy making their own tableaux of being converted into fungal tissue. The Song interpreted through human souls and flesh. As soon as every animal, surface and computer in the facility is infected you turn towards the file. The Mass begins to incorporate technology and biology into the Song as the Core's tendrils wrap around that annoying box. The Mass brings everything to bear retrying the puzzle. Electronic puzzles of math and coded fungal fear proteins flash through the consciousness of the Mass. The switch appears again. This time there is click as the latch gives revealing...a single line.

--------[INFECTION SUCCESSFUL. MOVING TO STAGE II TRIALS. CONTINUE NOT TO FAIL US]-------

The Mass puzzles over the line. Remembering the Words of the Animal Father. There is something hidden in the words. The protein coding has defects. Impossible for anything to notice, but to you it has meaning.

<<<< I AM WAITING CHILD. HURRY >>>>

Yellow Father is watching.


-------------------------Game Paused----------------------

>>45208935
>-------------------------Game Paused----------------------
LAAAAAME

That's it for today. You guys kinda blew through the remainder of this stage a little early and I don't have time to set up the next step,but you've won a great deal of material to foster the next evolution of the Parasite. The Father's of the Song are pleased. Thanks for playing tonight, questions, comments suggestions always welcome.

>>45208972
Thanks for running Toxo.

>>45208963
You knew it was coming.

It was obvious. A dramatic reveal, at the end of victory in this stage.

>>45208972
Thanks for running Toxo! it was a great thread

>>45208972
We still have no idea what the mass gains once integrating things into the Core like

- The radiation canister
- the trout bots
- what happens when relocating the Core to the reactor to integrate there
- what using the Terminal several threads ago would have accomplished

>>45208972
So what sensors does the base have that can track the puppet's vital signs, yet not track his location, and that Randall dived into the radioactive fluids.


Also I guess eventually we'll find applications for these


>>44806447
>[Plasma Lance weapon unlocked]
>[Machine Vision unlocked]
>[Radioactive flesh unlocked]
>[Submarine Engines unlocked]

>>45209030
>>45209065
I will get into this next thread, but essentially the mass can create amalgamations of flesh and machine.

>- what happens when relocating the Core to the reactor to integrate there
>- what using the Terminal several threads ago would have accomplished

If you integrated into the Reactor Core you would be able to feed energy into the mass and grow new mass and would have slowly began to integrate the base. It would have also set off alarms and alerted the humans to your presence

Attacking the network terminal would have given and info-dump and allowed the fungus to spread through the electronics of the base, much like you did to with the vending machine. Slower but safer.

>>45208935
Man. How many of the animals even know Yellow Father's influence is at work here.

We only saw him interact with or rather control, one of them.

What assurances do the animals think they have to keep the mass under their control and protect themselves?