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>>2301319
“And... what about finishing her conditioning yourself?” Bianca asks you warily. “Sounds like neither alternative is wonderful, so why not just do the one that doesn't clearly suck?”

“It would be just as bad as what the Vists were doing to her,” you contend.

“That can't be true,” Bianca replies. “I mean come on.”

“It would still be robbing her of a chance to develop her own sense of self,” you explain your main concern. “She's not a machine to be set to my preferences.”

“There's gotta be a way to give her that chance,” Bianca insists. “Anyway, your other choices are destroying the person she is or letting her mind fall apart at the seams, right? Or am I reading too much into it?”

“No, that's about the size of it,” you sigh. “Which is why I'm stuck. Even just leaving her unconscious is going to make getting out of here that much harder, and if we can't escape with her then all this was pointless anyway.”

>Keep her unconscious for now, just focus on getting off the Magellanica.
>Bianca may be right. Completing the clone's conditioning as humanely as possible is the only moral thing to do.
>Remove the clone's conditioning entirely. It may destroy who she is now, but you won't condition her like this.
>Awaken the clone as she is. It may make things difficult for her, but you can probably handle any problems.

>>2301323
>>Bianca may be right. Completing the clone's conditioning as humanely as possible is the only moral thing to do.

>>2301323
Oh shit, I thought you'd be taking a break due to the flu. Hope you're feeling better.

>>Bianca may be right. Completing the clone's conditioning as humanely as possible is the only moral thing to do.
Well, in Carya's defense, her method would probably be not as rigidly military oriented as what the Vists may have been planning. Curious to see how she'll try to pull this off.

Lessons learned from the Purus emotional development, please lend us your strength for this upcoming dice roll.

>3d10, taking the best of three

Rolled 4, 3, 1 = 8 (3d10)

>>2301342

Rolled 3, 8, 7 = 18 (3d10)

>>2301342

Rolled 6, 5, 2 = 13 (3d10)

>>2301342
purupurupuru

>>2301342
“You may have a point,” you muse quietly, rising from the room's single chair to look down at the clone.

Sis... what are you doing?

“I'm going to wake her, see what exactly we're dealing with,” you decide.

Are you sure that's a good idea?

“If she has a personality already, then there's only one thing I can do for her,” you tell your sister. “At least, there's only one moral thing I can do.”

You reach out to the clone's mind, to the cybernetic implants in her brain, silently urging her awake. Or rather you try to 'urge' her awake, but it ends up being a silent command: painfully similar to how you'd control a funnel.

The clone's eyes open and she immediately sits up.

“Hey, easy now,” you insist. “Don't rush it.”

“Where am I?” she demands quietly.

“In a hotel room, near the Magellanica's spaceport,” you tell her.

She turns her head, scanning the space and coming to the conclusion that you aren't lying. “You are the one who woke me?”

“Yes,” you reply.

“Is my conditioning complete?” she presses. “What is my current task?”

“Your conditioning was... interrupted,” you admit.

“Where is Master?”

>Your master relinquished custody of you. You have no master now.
>I suppose given everything that happened I'd be your 'master' now.
>Irrelevant. I need to assess your condition before I finish your conditioning.
>Other?

>>2301404
>>I suppose given everything that happened I'd be your 'master' now.

>>2301404
>>I suppose given everything that happened I'd be your 'master' now.
>>Irrelevant. I need to assess your condition before I finish your conditioning.

Basically tell her that you are going to ask few question and you are her "master". She seems so out of touch, a proper lab subject.

>>2301425
This is good-puru.

>>2301404
>“Where is Master?”
It's weird that she phrased it this way, as opposed to "Are you my Master?" or "Who is my Master?".

Can't help but think that it might mean the identity of a Master for her has already been taken.

>>Other?
Can she drop a name for this Master? If none is forthcoming, I'm gonna go with this.
>>Irrelevant. I need to assess your condition before I finish your conditioning.
Just to play it a little on the safe side.

>>2301404
supporting: >>2301425

>3d10, highest of three

Rolled 1, 7, 1 = 9 (3d10)

>>2301467

Rolled 1, 7, 10 = 18 (3d10)

>>2301467

Rolled 6, 9, 4 = 19 (3d10)

>>2301467

Rolled 5, 5, 4 = 14 (3d10)

>>2301467

>>2301467
“I guess given everything that's happened, that would be me,” you sigh. “The 'master' you're talking about is Martha Vist, right?”

The clone nods solemnly. “Correct.”

“She... remanded you into my custody,” you inform her. “So if you need someone to call a 'master', that's me.”

The clone looks at you for several long seconds, but eventually she nods. “Understood.”

“You're... okay with that?”

“Irrelevant,” the clone responds.

“But,” you repeat, “are you okay with it?”

The clone seems to choose her next words more carefully. “I will not miss her.”

“Well then,” you nod, glad to get that out of the way, “you know that I need to complete your conditioning, right?”

“For long term mental stability,” the clone agrees. “I have been told the risks.”

“However, if I may ask...”

“You don't need to ask permission first.”

The clone nods in understanding. “I see none of the requisite equipment.”

“Well, I'm a natural newtype,” you tell her, “and I have experience... well, with people in your position.”

“Understood.”

“But first I want to ask you a few questions, assess your general condition,” you tell her.

“Understood.”

>Do you have a name? How long have you been active?
>What 'tasks' did the Vist Foundation have you doing?
>Any injuries or illnesses I should know about first?
>Other?

>>2301548
>>Do you have a name? How long have you been active?
>Any injuries or illnesses I should know about first?

>>2301548
>>Do you have a name? How long have you been active?

>>2301548
>Were you the only cloned newtype in the Vist Foundation or did you see other cloned newtypes?

>>2301548
>>Do you have a name? How long have you been active?

>>2301562
I kinda hope this question can also be eased in at some point.

>>2301548
>>Do you have a name? How long have you been active?
>>Any injuries or illnesses I should know about first?

Being in lab for her whole life is not that great for general health.

>>2301548
“Do you have a name?”

After a moment, the clone shakes her head. “Only a designation, Alpha.”

“Alpha?” you repeat. “Do you know why they called you that?”

“I was given that designation during testing, about ten months ago,” she informs you.

“How long have you been active?” you ask.

“Eighteen months.”

“And, were you the only one like you?” you press. “The only 'test subject' used by the Vists?”

The clone shakes her head again. “There was another, the 'Beta'. I never saw the Beta face to face.”

>Then how did you know of this 'Beta' at all?
>What tasks did the Vists have you doing?
>Any injuries or illnesses I should know about?
>Other?

>>2301612
>>Then how did you know of this 'Beta' at all?
>>What tasks did the Vists have you doing?
>>Any injuries or illnesses I should know about?

>>2301612
>>Then how did you know of this 'Beta' at all?
>>What tasks did the Vists have you doing?
>>Any injuries or illnesses I should know about?

All of them!

>>2301612
>>Then how did you know of this 'Beta' at all?
>>Other?
Was she able to 'communicate' with Beta w/o meeting up, or did she just learn it through second hand knowledge from, say, Martha or the personnel?

Sorely tempted to let her establish her own name too, shore up that identity and all. Alpha is just a designation still.

>3d10, highest of three

Rolled 3, 7, 8 = 18 (3d10)

>>2301685

Rolled 6, 6, 8 = 20 (3d10)

>>2301685

Rolled 3, 2, 3 = 8 (3d10)

>>2301685

Rolled 1, 1, 6 = 8 (3d10)

>>2301685

>>2301685
“How did you know about this 'Beta', then?” you ask curiously.

“It was a part of our exercises,” 'Alpha' explains to you. “The other and I would be placed into the System, made to fight each other until one of us was incapacitated.”

“Incapacitated?” Bianca repeats.

'Alpha' nods. “Either rendered unconscious or left with too many broken bones to continue.”

“Like newtype cockfighting,” Bianca grumbles bitterly. “Please tell me we get to kill that Vist bitch?”

You wave your hand, silently telling Bianca to shut her mouth for a second. “What 'system' are you talking about?”

“Mobile suit operating systems,” 'Alpha' swiftly confirms your suspicions.

“How were they testing mobile suits?” Bianca asks.

“It does seem difficult to do such a thing in secret,” you agree.

“The Magellanica has substantial interior space,” 'Alpha' points out. “And the Vist family never struck me as having a lack of funds.”

“Well then, we should probably get started,” you decide. “We still have to finish your conditioning.”

“Understood.”

>Do you have any requests before we get started?
>Lay out a plan for what you're going to do?
>Just get to it. The sooner you're done the better.

>>2301810
>>Do you have any requests before we get started?

>>2301810
>>Do you have any requests before we get started?

>>2301810
>>Do you have any requests before we get started?

>>2301810
>>Do you have any requests before we get started?
>>Lay out a plan for what you're going to do?

>>2301810
“Do you have any requests?” you ask. “You know, concerns before we get started?”

'Alpha' takes a moment to consider her answer. “What will my new purpose be, master?”

“Your purpose?”

“I was created with a single purpose in mind,” she tells you. “Though it was often painful, it was my reason for being. A created existence without a purpose is an empty one.”

“It was never your reason for being,” you assert. “Only the one that your creator needed you for.”

“Nevertheless, it was meaningful to me.”

After considering her request, you sigh. “Okay. I'll give you something to start with... but after that we start doing things my way.”

“Your way, master?”

You nod. “My way. After this? No more conditioning, no more tests.”

“No more conditioning?” 'Alpha' repeats.

“That's right. Deal?”

“If you say so, master.”

>3d10, best of four

Rolled 4, 6, 10 = 20 (3d10)

>>2301968

Rolled 10, 7, 3 = 20 (3d10)

>>2301968
Oh, I assumed she'd try choosing her own name as part of the request.

Rolled 5, 8, 4 = 17 (3d10)

>>2301968

Rolled 9, 7, 6 = 22 (3d10)

>>2301968

>>2301968
“Lie back down,” you order, gently pushing against the clone's shoulder with your hand and against her mind with your own.

She follows your instructions, and Bianca watches somewhat nervously.

Her mind is... a mess, quite frankly. You can tell that despite having the money the Vists lack the finesse of other Newtype programs, their procedure more resembling a sledgehammer than a scalpel. It's worse than you could have anticipated... she has no sense of self that hasn't been artificially created, no sense of self worth absent her orders. It's hard to know where to even start.

She's had it rough, sister.

“No kidding,” you sigh. “Calling her 'broken' doesn't do it justice... those bastards really did a number on her.”

“So how does this even work?” Bianca asks. In response you lay your hand on Alpha's forehead.

“Do you know what a cyber-newtype is?” you ask in return.

“Can't say that I do.”

“It's a slight misnomer,” you explain. “In addition to the cybernetic components they receive organ transplants, their brain chemistry is altered through drug injection, and most importantly... they're subjected to hypnotic suggestion.”

“And that's the part you can influence?”

You nod quietly. “I could remove the suggestions entirely, or in this case tweak them.”

“Have you done this before?”

Careful, sis...

“Not exactly,” you answer, and not untruthfully. “There are other cyber-newtypes in our fleet of course, but they... their cases were different. Slow, subtle change instead of one major intrusion. Removing the layers of conditioning a little at a time, all the while encouraging the emergence of their latent natural abilities.”

“So more like rehabilitation?” Bianca muses.

“Not a bad way to think of it.”
>1/2

>>2302142

>>2302142
“But this...” you continue. “I want her to feel that despite what others might tell her the fact that she's a clone doesn't mean her life is worth less, that she can find meaning in her life beyond serving the purposes some 'master' sets out for her. I also want to try and make certain that if anyone else tries to recondition her in the future they won't just be able to wipe out whoever she eventually becomes on her own.”

“What do you mean?” Bianca asks.

“I mean I'll be trying to clean up my proverbial tracks,” you clarify. “Hypnotic conditioning works with cyber-newtypes because when they're initially conditioned the triggers are left in place. Without knowing what they were I can't remove them without damaging her existing persona, but I can make them inaccessible.”

You're going to put them behind your own trigger.

“Precisely,” you nod to the voice inside your head. “Not so much changing the locks as putting the compromised lock behind another lock.”

“You newtypes are weird,” Bianca sighs, scratching her head. “I can barely even follow what's going on anymore.”

“Well, the takeaway is I know what to do,” you summarize, “and how to do it. I just need to be careful, that's all.”

After thirty minutes, you can begin to relax. You've done about all you can to modify the suggestions that were already in place and to add what Alpha might have been missing.

>Let her rest. You could all use it.
>Wake her, test your work as best you can.
>Wake her, begin making preparations to leave.
>Other?

>>2302191
>>Let her rest. You could all use it.

>>2302191
>>Let her rest. You could all use it.
But with this addition
>>begin making preparations to leave.

>>2302218
Yeah, in with this guy

>>2302191
“Hey, wake up.”

Alpha's eyes open and she tries to sit up, but your hand on her shoulder stops her. “Master?”

“I thought I told you that you didn't have to call me that,” you grumble.

“You did not order me not to,” the clone points out. “Apologies, but it feels more natural to me.”

“Fine,” you nod. “Then you can keep doing it for a while. But for now get some sleep, you just got reconditioned.”

“I can still...”

“No,” you decline her offer flatly. “Sleep, now. I'm gonna be doing the same thing, all that mindfuckery took it out of me.”

“Very well, master,” Alpha relents, rolling over as if trying to roll off the bed. You stop her from doing that as well.

“Don't bother. We'll just share.”

“And... so what about tomorrow?” Bianca asks.

You spare her a tired glance. “Try and book us passage to anywhere but here. We'll arrange to bail out along the way and rendezvous with Sericea.”

“You don't want Rossweisse to do it?”

You shake your head. “No, the Vists would notice that too easily. You, they won't notice as easily.”

“Got it, Captain. Get some rest.”

“That's the plan.”

>>2302305
And speaking of rest, I need to get some myself.

Thanks for reading, and see you all next weekend when I'll be healthier. Questions and comments and stuff like that, feel free to post here or in the Discord, and keep an eye on Twitter for updates.

>>2302314
Thanks for running King!

“Wow, you sure look thrilled to be here.”

Carya Marseille-O'Hara quietly accepts a small cup from her commanding officer, who pours coffee into it from a thermos. The morose-looking officer offers a faint smile, then goes back to looking out the heavily reinforced viewport at the alien world far below the Nagato.

“That obvious?”

Karen Joshua snorts once. “Yeah, believe it or not most people on the ship right now are in a pretty good mood.”

“That'll happen,” Carya sighs. “Valentine's Day stuff, right?”

“Right.”

After a few moments of silence, Karen pours herself some coffee as well. “Wanna talk about it?”

“You know what's going on,” Carya asserts in a moody grumble.

“It'll help to talk.”

After a few more moments of silence, Carya relents. “He's literally lightyears away, and if we had normal jobs he wouldn't be.”

“You're not cut out for 'normal' jobs and you know it,” Karen points out. “You'd go nuts. And he'll be back.”

“I know,” Carya admits. “I'll get over it. Doesn't mean I'm happy about it now.”

“So, you?”

“Hm?”

“I mean, you feeling okay?” Carya repeats.

This time it's Karen's turn to take a few moments. “I think so. You never really get over things... but you do learn to move on, you know? Even if you're never really the same.”

“Yeah, I hear you,” Carya agrees quietly, frowning into her gently-steaming cup. “So, you hear anything about that event some of the Chiefs are holding?”

“I think flag officers have a standing invite,” Karen nods. “You interested?”

“I could eat.”

The Admiral gestures towards the hatch. “Sounds like a plan.”
>1/1

>>2310934
aww... that's bittersweet.

>90 minutes

File: Sayla smaller.png (1.15 MB, 688x698)

1.15 MB PNG

>>2321827
You are Captain Carya Marseille-O'Hara, and you awaken suddenly at five in the morning. The interior of Magellanica is still dimmed, with only the halogen glow of the spaceport's lights left on to illuminate the area outside your hotel room's small window.

Surprisingly you're not the first one awake.

“Trouble sleeping?”

'Alpha', the clone of Artesia that you rescued from the Vist Foundation's headquarters, is sitting on the edge of the bed in the military-issue undergarments she was being reconditioned in when you discovered her. She's looking out the window at the lights in the distance.

“Always,” she replies. “I hope I did not disturb you, master.”

“We need to leave early,” you yawn, wiping gently at the corners of your eyes. “Not your fault, I just wake up early in situations like this.”

“I see.”

You take a few steps across the room and shake Bianca by her shoulders, which wakes her with a start.

“Jeez, Captain, you scared the shit outta me...”

“What's our rendezvous time with the car?”

Bianca rubs her ears blearily. “Quarter to six.”

“Then it's time to start getting ready,” you insist. “What's our inventory of clothing?”

“I mighta saved our civvies?” Bianca muses, before her voice takes a more certain tone. “Yeah, saved em alright. They're in the trunk of the limo.”

It takes you a few minutes to go down to the parking lot and retrieve the pile of clothes, which definitely doesn't look sketchy at all. But thankfully it's still too early for most of the hotel patrons to be conscious, and you don't see any evidence that you're being observed by any Vist Foundation employees. So you return to the room and lay out what you have available, the beginnings of a plan forming in your mind.

“What'd you tell the crew we've chartered?” you ask Bianca.

She shakes her head. “Just three people. No other details. Half up front, half on arrival.”

“We'll masquerade as bodyguards escorting a VIP partygoer,” you decide, setting aside the dress you wore last night. “Alpha, you mind playing the role of the VIP?”

“What is required?” she replies.

“Wear a dress, don't say anything, subtly avoid eye contact.”
>1/2

>>2321991
>sorry for the delay, unexpected connection problems
With the task of dressing to your parts accomplished, you raise a point to your partner.

“I was too tired to ask,” you admit to Bianca, “but did you deal with the limo's license plates?”

“You were muttering it in your sleep,” she tells you, “so yeah. I nabbed some plates off a rental car in the same lot and swapped 'em.”

“Nice,” you nod appreciatively.

>Wait for the car to come and pick you up, as Bianca arranged last night.
>Throw them a curve ball, drive the limo the short way to the spaceport.
>Take the extra time to book three passenger tickets on a regular liner.
>Other?

>>2322023
>>Take the extra time to book three passenger tickets on a regular liner.

>>2322023
>>Take the extra time to book three passenger tickets on a regular liner.

>>2322023
>>Take the extra time to book three passenger tickets on a regular liner.

>writing, by the way

>>2322074
“Give me a moment here,” you sigh, taking out your phone. “One last detail to put in place.”

You take a few moments to find the website of a company that runs charter flights into and out of Magellanica, and book three tickets using a false identity and one of the many lines of credit the Colony Transit Fleet has taken out over the years. The flight is scheduled for an hour after you should be leaving on the freighter Bianca made arrangements with, and will be heading for Von Braun.

Last, you send a brief message to Artesia mentioning that you will arrive in Von Braun at the time listed on the itinerary, and will need ground transport arranged... uncoded, of course. Since she knows how you operate and that you've gone on a sensitive mission, that fact should raise an alarm on Artesia's end while convincing anyone who's been trying to monitor your communications that you plan to be on that flight.

>3d10, highest of three

Rolled 3, 7, 8 = 18 (3d10)

>>2322085

Rolled 10, 7, 1 = 18 (3d10)

>>2322085

Rolled 8, 7, 1 = 16 (3d10)

>>2322085

>>2322085
At 05:48, your ride arrives in the lot outside the hotel, and you step forward to meet the driver. He's a gruff-looking man with some silver starting to show in his hair that glistens in the artificial light, but beyond that it's hard to tell anything about him.

“You're three minutes late,” you observe calmly, keeping your head obviously 'on a swivel' as part of your act. Bianca remains a few paces behind with Alpha. “We've got to get a move on.”

“Any baggage?” the driver asks.

You shake your head. “None. This was only meant to be a short duration business trip.”

“I see,” he nods. “So you two are supposed to be bodyguards, or something?”

>Let's not talk about this. We can talk more once we've left the colony builder.
>Our clients would prefer that the young lady's presence not be known for... political reasons.
>No offense, sir, but we're paying you to be passengers. Not to have a conversation.
>Other?

>>2322151
>>Our clients would prefer that the young lady's presence not be known for... political reasons.

>>2322151
>>Our clients would prefer that the young lady's presence not be known for... political reasons.

>>2322151
>>Other?
"Among other things. And we'll be leaving it at that. Some discretion is very much appreciated."

Just vague enough to give the group an air of mystery, and let anyone's imagination run wild with speculation.

>writing

>>2322247
“Your discretion would be appreciated,” you reply sternly. “Our clients would prefer that the young lady's presence not attract any undue public commentary that would cause an annoyance for the Vist Foundation.”

“The Vist Foundation, you say?” the driver asks grimly. “I see... it can be tough when you get involved with them.”

“So is the freighter going to be on time?” you press, changing the topic. “It's gotten pretty crazy here, we're keen to put this all behind us.”

“Yeah, should be fine on timing,” the driver tells you, scratching his head, “wouldn't wanna run a risk losing our place in line.”

“Okay,” you nod, waving Bianca over. Your partner escorts Alpha across the short stretch of asphalt and opens the back door for her, while you take the front passenger's seat.

The ride to the spaceport is brief, only seeming to feel longer than it is because of the country music your driver insists on playing and which you don't have the heart to deprive him of. The spaceport itself is unguarded, and your car pulls up to a small parking garage near one of the cargo loading gates.

“This gate, right here,” the driver tells you, pointing to a large airlock labeled “2”.

He leads you into the low-grav block, up an elevator, and out onto a long hallway. Out the window you can see your freighter, a large white vessel with a familiar silhouette...

“That's an Arcana class!” you realize, taking a moment to look out at the ship through the window in spite of yourself.

“You're familiar with it?”

“Yeah, it was used as cover for the development of the Musai,” you recount. “Literally just an upside-down cruiser with better upholstery.”

The driver chuckles to himself. “Yeah, it's my baby. Has been for years... bought her off the Republic after Lunar Line went bankrupt and kept right on flying her.”

“You're the Captain?” Bianca asks.

“What, you thought I'd let you all just waltz onto my ship without getting a measure of you first?”

>This is good. With a ship like this maybe you don't need to worry.
>There's something the skipper should know. He SOUNDS pretty skeptical of the Vists...
>Other?

>>2322327
>>There's something the skipper should know. He SOUNDS pretty skeptical of the Vists...

>>2322327
>>There's something the skipper should know. He SOUNDS pretty skeptical of the Vists...

>>2322327
>>There's something the skipper should know. He SOUNDS pretty skeptical of the Vists...
>>Other?
Periodically check the status of the faked chartered flight if it's experiencing any unexpected delays. Could mean that the Vists took the bait and is combing the area early.

>>2322327
“She's not a pleasure craft,” the Captain admits as he leads you down the boarding tunnel, “least not anymore, but welcome aboard the Moonlight. Call me Ikaros.”

“That'd be her original name?” you ask. “Back during her days with the Line?”

“Yup,” Captain Ikaros affirms. “Started off second in command before the war, ended up the youngest Captain in the company. Served on her through the war, right up until the Line folded.”

“And now she hauls cargo?” Bianca asks.

“And fast!” Ikaros points out. “People too when we can get 'em. Left some of the nicer quarters and the dining hall as they were.”

“Folks'll pay a premium for speed.”

“Where are the pressure suits stored?”

The Captain gives you a funny look “Two in each cabin, why?”

“There's something you should probably know,” you admit quietly, gesturing down the corridor. “Bar's still this way, right?”

“Always was,” he confirms, following your lead. “You grew up in the old Duchy, didn't you?”

“Fought for it too once,” you confirm. “Now we've got bigger things to deal with.”

“You must've just been a kid.”

You pause at the note in his voice. “A lot of us were. Here.”

Once in the comfort of the bar, with its views out the starboard side of the hull, you relax a little. “You aren't a fan of the Vist Foundation?”

“Can't say I am,” Captain Ikaros admits. “I'm gathering you're not really going for the cloak and dagger stuff to protect their image?”

“No,” you admit. “We're...”
>3d10, taking the second roll

Rolled 7, 1, 3 = 11 (3d10)

>>2322413

Rolled 1, 8, 7 = 16 (3d10)

>>2322413

Rolled 1, 7, 8 = 16 (3d10)

>>2322413

>>2322427
I sure hope that'll be decent enough.

>>2322437
so do I

>>2322413
“I told you the bar would still be here!” a female voice insists as two new figures stroll into the compartment... then freeze.

“Mom? Dad?” you ask, in a state of total disbelief.

“Carya,” your father replies, similarly taken aback. Then his eyes fall on Alpha. “Why is Lady Artesia here?”

Alpha glances at you, then at Bianca. Finding no one who strikes her as a 'Lady', she points to herself in confusion. “Do you mean me?”

“No, Alpha, they've confused you for someone else,” you insist quietly. “I can explain...”

“Did they say Artesia?” Captain Ikaros realizes aloud.

“They did...”

“Holy Christ you're smuggling Artesia Som Deikun off the Magellanica on my ship?”

“Oh, for fuck's sake!” you snap, feeling Catrina rise to the surface to join you. Alpha's eyes widen slightly as she realizes what's probably been bothering her about you the whole time.

“It's okay, Alpha,” you insist quickly. “This is who we are, and why we couldn't leave you as you were. As for the rest of you...”

You turn your attention to the Captain and your parents. “Our purpose on Magellanica was to investigate criminal activity carried out by the Vist Foundation, linking them to terrorist cells across the Solar system. What we accidentally discovered was 'Alpha', a cyber-newtype clone of Artesia Som Deikun.”

“And now she's on my ship,” Ikaros mutters. “That's... wow.”

“We couldn't just leave her there to be experimented on and used as a weapon, like we were during the war,” you continue, turning more to your parents now. “It risked our whole operation, and was probably a dumb move, but we couldn't help it.”

“So... this is the sort of business you do?” your father asks sternly.

>Well... sort of. Usually by now there'd be giant robots involved.
>When we're not warping colony blocks between star systems.
>Actually, we've been considering possibilities for an 'active retirement'.
>Other?

>>2322485
>>When we're not warping colony blocks between star systems.

>>2322485
>>When we're not warping colony blocks between star systems.

>>2322485
>>Well... sort of. Usually by now there'd be giant robots involved.
>>When we're not warping colony blocks between star systems.

>>2322502
This is good too, I don't think the two options are terribly mutually exclusive.

>>2322506
That is what I thought.
"Normally we haul equipment and gear between star systems, but we use this freedom to look at things that could endanger our hard fought peace. Sometimes we have to act to prevent greater threat."

>>2322485
>>When we're not warping colony blocks between star systems.
And those are the relatively tamer aspects too.

>writing

>>2322548
“Well, we spend a lot of our time warping ships and colony blocks between star systems,” you frown, “and usually there'd be more giant robots involved by now.”

“Well, this has all been informative,” your father admits. “But it seems things are well beyond us now. Your mother and I will be aboard the ship... however we will be staying out of your way.”

You nod solemnly. “Okay. I understand.”

After your parents excuse themselves, Captain Ikaros turns his attention to you. “So you were asking for pressure suits because you anticipate combat?”

“No,” you shake your head, feeling Catrina recede into the background. “I intend to have us bail out before it comes to that.”

“How do you intend to make that work?”

“We'll rendezvous with our own ship,” you explain. “It's in the area. So long as we get an hour lead on the Vist Foundation I think this ship of yours should keep things from becoming a problem.”

“Then I need to get up to the bridge,” the Captain sighs. “Make sure we don't miss our launch window.”

>Explain the entire situation to Alpha, make sure she understands who you are and who she is.
>Check on the flight schedule, see if you can tell whether the Vists took the bait.
>There must be a way to make this bait of yours more tempting without overdoing it...
>Other?

>>2322602
>>Explain the entire situation to Alpha, make sure she understands who you are and who she is.

>>2322602
>>Explain the entire situation to Alpha, make sure she understands who you are and who she is.

She seems to be in good enough condition to allow this. Continued confusion wouldn't be good. She should understand why we didn't tell her immediately.

>>2322602
>>Explain the entire situation to Alpha, make sure she understands who you are and who she is.
>>Check on the flight schedule, see if you can tell whether the Vists took the bait.

>>2322602
>>Explain the entire situation to Alpha, make sure she understands who you are and who she is.

>writing
>3d10, best of three

Rolled 6, 9, 5 = 20 (3d10)

>>2322655

Rolled 4, 6, 8 = 18 (3d10)

>>2322655

Rolled 7, 6, 5 = 18 (3d10)

>>2322655

>>2322660
Nice, anon.!
>>2322661
>>2322663
Is this going to become a trend?

>>2322655
“I want you to understand something, Alpha,” you begin quietly, taking a seat behind the bar and gesturing for her to sit across from you. “What you just felt was my sister's soul, which shares my body with me. Years ago, long before you were born, there was a war that killed nearly half of humanity. We were soldiers in that war, experimented on by our own side because we were both newtypes.”

Alpha remains silent, so you continue. “Since then we succeeded in forcing a treaty that would outlaw such experiments.”

“It appears the Vists were ignoring this treaty, master.”

You nod. “They were. One more thing to hold them accountable for.”

“You mentioned Artesia Som Deikun,” she observes. “Who is she? Is she the original?”

“She is,” you inform her. “And she's a friend of ours, a good person and a newtype herself.”

“Tell me, what is she like?”

“At one point she was the rightful heiress to the Zeon state,” you explain, “the side we fought for. But her parents were killed in a political coup and she was forced to grow up in hiding. We actually fought on opposite sides of the One Year War because of that.”

“And you are friends now?”

You nod. “Yeah, funny how unimportant those old politics feel now. We're much more alike than we are different, with a common cause.”

“The protection of newtypes?”

“Yes,” you tell Alpha, “along with shepherding humanity out into the stars.”

“So that is who we are,” Alpha muses thoughtfully. “Thank you for seizing me from the Vist Foundation, master. And for telling me the truth.”

“As I see it,” you point out, as you feel the engines of the Moonlight rumble to life.

“Understood.”

>Do you know how to fight, Alpha? Could you do so if it comes to that?”
>Follow my lead, and stay close. I don't intend to allow you to suffer anymore.
>You should give some thought to your future. No need to decide now of course.
>Other?

>>2322787
>>Do you know how to fight, Alpha? Could you do so if it comes to that?”

>>2322787
>>Do you know how to fight, Alpha? Could you do so if it comes to that?”

>>2322787
>You should give some thought to your future. No need to decide now of course.

>>2322787
>>You should give some thought to your future. No need to decide now of course.
>>Other?
Of course, we're here for you if you're at a loss on where to proceed.

>>2322787
“You should give some thought to what you want to do after this,” you muse. “But in the short term, I hate to ask... do you know how to fight, Alpha? If it came down to it, could you protect yourself?”

After considering your question, she gives you a straight answer. “I have mobile suit training, and I know how to shoot a sidearm. But I have no practical experience.”

“In any event I'd hate for it to come to that,” you tell her. “The plan is to get you aboard our ship first, get you checked over by an actual doctor. And I'd handle the rest from there.”

“I understand,” Alpha nods quietly.

“So our plan is to bail out and meet with Sericea in space if we have to?” Bianca asks.

“Yes,” you confirm. “We'll know what sort of situation we're in about an hour from now, whether the Vists scramble a force to chase us down or not. If they do...”

“A cruiser probably can't keep a lead,” Bianca completes the thought.

“I doubt it.”

“But it does come down to what they scramble,” Bianca suggests.

“A mobile suit on a subflight system would give us only three hours before intercept,” you declare, having calculated the velocities involved.

“Three hours and ten minutes,” Alpha announces.

You give her a strange look. “And ten minutes?”

“Yes, master.”

>How did you come to that conclusion?
>Thanks for the information.
>Other?

>>2322938
>>How did you come to that conclusion?
It's a particular MS that Alpha is familiar within the Magellanica, maybe?

>>2322938
>>How did you come to that conclusion?

>>2322938
>>How did you come to that conclusion?

>>2322938
>3d10, DC 16, crit 19
>best of three

Rolled 1, 10, 9 = 20 (3d10)

>>2322983

Rolled 1, 6, 9 = 16 (3d10)

>>2322983

Rolled 5, 10, 8 = 23 (3d10)

>>2322983

>>2322994
>>2323002
Well done lads

>>2322983
“How'd you come to that conclusion?” you ask. “You'd need to know the thrust capability of the base as well as the mass of the mobile suit... or suits... with some real accuracy.”

“Of course,” Alpha nods simply. “All mobile suits but one weigh eight point five tons dry and unequipped, and each support machine generates a set amount of thrust using its two engines.”

“All mobile suits?” Bianca frowns. “Mobile suit designs all have differing base weights and equipment loads.”

“No,” Alpha contends, “they don't.”

“Bianca's right,” you nod, Alpha turning to you in confusion. “How many mobile suits have you seen?”

“I am aware of the existence of two,” she informs you. “One designed for myself, larger and heavier but more powerful. There are also mass-production units. I would assume those would be what the Vist Foundation would choose to send after you.”

“Those are just the designs you have been exposed to,” you realize aloud. “Outside the Vist Foundation there are at least dozens of different basic designs with varied specifications.”

“Because of the war you mentioned,” Alpha guesses. “There were probably many competing programs.”

“That's right.”

“I see,” Alpha muses. “I apologize for any offense.”

“None taken,” Bianca sighs.

“So tell me about these mobile suits,” you prompt Alpha.

“Which are you concerned with?”

>The mass production units. Those are the most likely to come after us.
>The custom unit. That sounds more dangerous in the long term.
>What sort of operating system did they hook you up to?
>Other?

>>2323079
>>What sort of operating system did they hook you up to?

>>2323079
>>The custom unit. That sounds more dangerous in the long term.
>>What sort of operating system did they hook you up to?

>>2323079
>>The custom unit. That sounds more dangerous in the long term.
>>What sort of operating system did they hook you up to?

>3d10, best of three

Rolled 1, 3, 1 = 5 (3d10)

>>2323160

Rolled 4, 6, 10 = 20 (3d10)

>>2323160

Rolled 6, 10, 3 = 19 (3d10)

>>2323160

>back and writing

>>2323206
“You mentioned they had you hooked up to an operating system,” you recall, shifting the discussion for a moment. “What do you remember about that?”

“I remember that the cockpit was cramped,” she tells you, shutting her eyes and thinking carefully. “There were numerous wires attached to my skin. They had to shave some parts of my head to accommodate them. Aside from that I fear I lack the experience to form a comparison.”

“They were monitoring you that intensely,” you mutter. “What sort of scenarios?”

“Long range engagement, close range engagement, closing and separating, circling, deflection shooting, melee engagements,” Alpha informs you. “Many times.”

“Covering all the bases,” Bianca mutters.

I don't like the sound of this.

“Neither do I,” you agree with your sister. “Tell me, Alpha, what sort of cockpit system do the mass production machines you are used to use?”

“The production machines have no usable cockpit as standard equipment,” Alpha tells you, as if it were the most natural thing in the world for a machine to pilot itself. “Some can be retrofitted for a human pilot, but for the most part they are controllable remotely.”

“Have you ever seen one of these machines function autonomously?”

Alpha considers it a little before responding. “No, master. I have not seen it myself, though I would not be surprised if that were a possibility.”

So they finally did it.

“They used the AI system that's in your gundam?” Bianca realizes.

You close your eyes. “Not only that, they used flight data from a cyber-newtype to program their AI subroutines.”

“This is getting complicated.”

>>2323330
And on that note, I'm done for the evening. Thanks for stopping by, and I look forward to picking up where we left off next weekend!

Keep an eye on twitter and/or the discord for updates, but it should be same time same place.

>>2323330
Mobile Dolls! D.O.M.E Bits!
Fresh off the shelves!

Got a good feeling in my gut that ALICE will play something of an ECM role if those machines are deployed. Maybe along the lines of spoofing and feeding false target data on the bots.

Probably not gonna be as effective if the mass productions are slaved to the main MS with an actual cyber-newtype pilot though.

>>2323333
Thanks for the updates!