>>2823356

A team of press were setting up outside when you approached, moving photo equipment away from the Knight. You braced yourself for a second round of questioning from their MP escort, but instead were given a confusing round of approval; more akin to a frat party than spirit de corps. You ask for the whereabouts of the Captain and are informed she’s with her Knight, directed up the gantry where a few straggling civvies were hauling cases. You thank them and move upstream, climbing the ramp.

Seeing the Sigyn in person was quite different than through the Magd’s cameras. The silhouette seemed flatter and more angular, but up close, the smooth curves and lines resolved from the rougher structure. Where the original lines existed, she has a rippled aesthetic, like the smooth whorls of obsidian stone. You could see where ports and hatches were built up, baffling and ducting airflow around the practical surfaces.

As you summit the engine cowling, you see the main body proper, swooping across, and channeling the wind into a strong gust. The wind was balanced by the radiant heat from the craft’s skin complimenting the sun from above and maintaining a pleasant temperature. From your limited knowledge of the specific machine, it was a consequence of IR signature management. No doubt Sigyn’s crews would spend sunny days up here when they could escape notice, no different than ducking into the shade of Durga during rain or heatwaves.

You drift partway around the machine when you hear a splash. Midline to the body, where the “manta” shape is almost flat, you see a meter-wide port in the surface flickering with light where the sun caught ripples on the surface. a soggy bundle of webbing and buckles sit next to a towel beside a U-shaped scaffold breaking the surface. A moment later, Alex pulls herself from under the water, sending up a shower of glittering droplets. She pulls herself up and leans over the bar, coughing as she strips goggles and a regulator from her face. She rests there a moment, taking a moment to puff into the immersion gear to clear water from the valves. She doesn’t appear to immediately notice you.

While you like the 2-piece she’s wearing; You’re relatively sure it’s out of regs: It defeats the purpose of Urban Digital if it fails to break up curves and…

>Full Retreat: I don’t believe in coincidence: Fate wants to get me fired. Withdraw before she can notice/recover.
>Refuge in Audacity: Announce yourself, ask her when you can get the swimsuit issue.
>Logistical Support: Your job is the care and backup of Knight pilots; Offer her the towel
>Report: Let Alex know you’re here. Leave the rest up to decorum.
>Write in?

Updates and sessions are announced on my QM twitter, @FernglasQ.

Haven't forgotten about writing that setting primer, just haven't actually done it. I'll try to have it by the Sunday session.

>>2823360
>Logistical Support: Your job is the care and backup of Knight pilots; Offer her the towel
"Need a hand?"

>>2823414

>"Finally an uncomplicated coverup."

Writing.

>>2823586

You have often been told the most important trait instilled in a soldier is the propensity for action. To combine the decision with the action and the observation with the reflex. That split second is often all that divides disaster from triumph. So when the Blond officer looks up and notices you, you are already a step ahead to short circuit the catastrophe. She glances down at her outfit; or lack thereof, and before she can come up with some wild accusations, or perhaps simple emotional anguish, you have neatly scooped up and unfurled the towel, held up and out to preserve some semblance of modesty to your superior.

“Ma’am; Your… ah… cover.”

She accepts the sheet with only a touch of heat on her cheeks. She considers it for a moment and decides purpose over modesty, drying her hair and face. She manages a decent job talking around the cloth.

“It’s very American to show up unannounced.” She pauses a moment to scrub her face, “Am I supposed to be flattered?”

“I doubt you seriously believe I climbed up here to peep. I would have expected the uniform.”

“Funny, that’s what I thought this morning.” She seasons the line with a dash of rancor . She turns the towel over, trying to eke the driest surface out of the threadbare article.

“The Press Corp are like that. You can always tell them to take a hike.” You glance off the machine, seeing where shades and equipment were being arranged outside of the ops building.

“Didn’t start with them.” She examines the sodden towel before giving it a toss over the entry ladder and moving to a dry section of hull to air dry.

“I’m guessing it involves Warsaw?” You grab a nearby spot of hull, toasting your hand a bit where it’s still sore.

“Too good of a guess. You’ve been filled in?”

“They haven’t issued me a speedo yet, but there’s a victory event right?”

She smirks. “Yeah, they’re calling it on the Ukraine. Some cleanup East, but they’re pulling me now. Going back for some good old fashioned bond shilling and recruitment. It’s not like they need soldiers out here.”

>>2824078

“We’re the same, they’re pulling us back too. We’re polishing up Durga for it tonight.”

“What kind of creep would order-” She pauses, parsing your quizzical expression. ”The Knight. You’re talking about the Knight. That makes a lot more sense…”

“You alright?”

“I’m fine. I kinda volunteered for this.” She adjusts her top with a look of distain.

“Propaganda typically picks people who are really into it. Why’d they ask you in the first place?”

“Again, other way around. I asked them. On a rush job actually. Command had a very normal kiss babies, give speeches itinerary actually.”

Your baffled expression seems to make her more self-conscious than the outfit ever did.

“I saw that face a lot today. I don’t blame you. Don’t worry about it. It’s actually kind of fun, but I’m not in the mood to enjoy it.”

>Approve: As strange as it sounds, this seems to be a big deal to her. Give her a tasteful complement and explain your “presence” at Warsaw
>Work: Skim the topic and get on the same page RE: Warsaw. Make sure she knows you’re not in a position to help.
>Indignant: Something or someone pushing her. You’re going to wring some necks as soon as she tells you who.
>Pry: Ask her if there’s anything you can do to help her with her situation. She can do whatever she wants, but you want to help her.
>Transparent: Explain your circumstances in detail. A quiet conversation 20 meters above the tarmac of a busy helipad is a nightmare case for eavesdropping.
>Write in?

>>2824084
>Pry: Ask her if there’s anything you can do to help her with her situation. She can do whatever she wants, but you want to help her.

>>2824084
I'm a little confused. She's being forced into doing what? Going to the Warsaw event or being a poster girl or something?

>>2824145

She was asked to do an event in Warsaw. In response, she pulled the Press Corps to do a publicity shoot, which they obliged.

She wasn't asked to do anything untoward by her superiors, but when she was asked to do normal promotional stuff, she went and organized this for her own reasons.

>>2824084
>Pry: Ask her if there’s anything you can do to help her with her situation. She can do whatever she wants, but you want to help her.

>>2824084
>>Work: Skim the topic and get on the same page RE: Warsaw. Make sure she knows you’re not in a position to help.

>>2824084
>>Approve: As strange as it sounds, this seems to be a big deal to her. Give her a tasteful complement and explain your “presence” at Warsaw

>>2824309

I fucked up my format. Let me try again.

>>2824124
>>2824171

"Is there something you're not telling me?"

>>2824193
>>Work: Skim the topic and get on the same page RE: Warsaw. Make sure she knows you’re not in a position to help.

>>2824276
>>Approve: As strange as it sounds, this seems to be a big deal to her. Give her a tasteful complement and explain your “presence” at Warsaw

ROLL:1d100, Best of 3
BONUS: Why would a Captain Alex Freidrich avoid a military parade in Warsaw?

Rolled 72 (1d100)

>>2824330
Something to do with her 'connections' maybe?

Another guess would be military family that would be there?

Rolled 12 (1d100)

>>2824309
dosen't like the "fakeness" of it all

Rolled 71 (1d100)

>>2824330

>>2824334
The two might be connected. 'Knowing the right people' for her to get some privileges to translate might be high ranking family.

>>2824334
>>2824338
>>2824342


BEST:72

Bonus passed: Good thing too. A serious Faux Pas on the edge of occurring.

Writing

>>2824358
Yeah I had a feeling. Prying doesn't usually go well unless you're alot closer.

>>2824358

“If you’re not doing this for yourself, it’s poisonous. What kind of…”

“I said don’t worry about it. I’m handling it.” She stands, gathering her gear.

“Look, I’m just trying to help. Maybe I can talk to someone about it.”

“Oh? Who?” She fixes you with an evaluating stare.

“I have senpai-No. Sorry.” You interrupt yourself before you complete the thought, ducking your head.

You see the flash of anger in her doused rather deliberately. She does not respond. You know she’s waiting for an explanation, one that you don’t have prepared. You flash through your short history with Alex… Sigyn…

Captain Freidrich?

“~You~ have family… Freidrich is an old military name. The reason I can’t help is because we don’t even rate.” You wince, right in the pride…

“A military name?” She puts her hand on her hip. “Is that actually all you know?”

“It’s enough right. Someone’s tone deaf enough to march Germans in Poland?” Less of a question, more of an admission of uncertainty.

“You’re making fun of me. There’s no way. Even Durga knew.”

“American remember? I got my history from action flicks. Jennings is the same. Lis is second generation Polish, but I wouldn’t count on it either.”

She chuckles. “Incredible. That explains it then…” She looks down towards the ops shelter. She mumbles something under her breath. She turns back to you. “I guess that’s close; Yes, Freidrich is a military family. I’ll leave it like that for now.”

>>2824726

“So, it’s a smokescreen. You’d have fun with it, but you’d prefer if you weren’t using it to…” You think of all the worst ways to end that sentence. You settle for a shrug.

“Embarrass is what you’re looking for. Yes, I’m embarrassed because I’m doing this to be embarrassed. I thought about doing these pictures since I started flying the Sigyn. It was exciting when I thought how much of a scandal they would be, but it’s not nearly as fun when that’s the point. It feels like blackmailing myself.” She sighs, “When you came up, I was just thinking how the photographer was as thrilled as I was supposed to be.”

You can see why that would be frustrating. If you wanted to do something for yourself, and something else forced you, you’d no longer be able to enjoy it on your own terms. No matter how much you wanted to have fun with it, there would always be that compromise at the edge. She can’t really bask in the attention involved if she knows that underneath, the real purpose was to give her family that attention. The purpose changes the product as well: Surely, she had to make decisions to magnify the negative to use the material as a tool rather than amplify the positive. And then there’s the problem of collateral: Doing this alone would have been just for fun, but she’s already worried that the cameras are going to drift onto Durga or others. It’s one thing to be the center of attention, it’s another entirely to drag people onto stage.

“Samuel, you’re staring.” Her expression is mildly amused.

Memo: Blank gaze into DISTANCE.

“Alright. So, I wasn’t entirely accurate when I said we’re going to be joining you. We’re not participating in the circus.” Alex tries to interrupt, but you hold up a hand. “There’s good reason. Durga isn’t going to be showing up either; It’s basically going to be your show. This is a good thing.”

“I fail to see why you think that’s helpful.” She folds her arms. “The only thing worse than going to Warsaw is going there alone.”

“We’re not getting the better end of the deal. Let’s focus on Warsaw though: We’re supposed to be there for visibility purposes. Be visible.”

“What is that even supposed to mean?”

“It means have fun. The VC’ll back you up if your family gets ticked. Clout or not, they’re helpless in the face of recruitment numbers.” You gesture towards her. “Once you’ve got momentum, you get to decide where you’re going: If your family and the VC want you to make Warsaw something, take it and make it yours. They’ll have to go along for the ride as long as you don’t put on the brakes.”

“Why would they?”

“Because if your family has any issue, they’re going to have to face the propaganda department. They don’t give a damn about proper, they only care for fit and appealing.”

>>2824729

“Isn’t that just trading one motive for another? I’m still not playing the game on my terms.”

“If there’s something I’ve learned recently, you never get to play the game on your terms.” You suppress a shudder thinking about the quagmire you just left. “You just have to win your own victories ahead of them. Even this: You’re getting the photos you want, and if you can always do more if you want to. It doesn’t stop being what you want just because you need it or someone else wants it. It always stays yours, it’s still what you want.”

“And you? What do you want?”

The question catches you off guard. “Eh?”

“You seem very passionate about the people around you. You don’t pretend you’re some saint though.” She shifts her weight foot to foot. “You want something.”

“I’ll remind you it was Jennings that was hitting on-“

She shakes her head. “Not me Armstead, everyone. Family, friends, comrades. You have a reason. I’m just here to get off my leash, but you want something for the others.”

>Brush off: I’m not that complicated. I’m thinking about the centerfold.
>Purpose: We only get that much, it’s important that we get something done with it. I just take helping others get to their goals as mine.
>Liberty: People are so caught up in things. I want to see them unfettered.
>Justice: Good things should happen to good people. Bad to bad. It’s that simple.
>Peace: I want everyone to go home and do whatever makes them happy.
>Duty: I don’t need a higher reason. I want to see them safe and sound because they’re my charges.
>Write in?

Calling it tonight. See you "Tonight" Tuesday at 5EST, 8/21 for our preparation and deployment into the Zone... I mean the Chernobyl Radio-ecological preserve.

As always. Questions/Comments/Critique. It's not really a session until I drink to forget a dangling participle!

>>2824751
>Peace: I want everyone to go home and do whatever makes them happy.
"I know I do."

>Liberty: People are so caught up in things. I want to see them unfettered.
"Or at least alleviate some of it. I won't pretend I can solve everyone's problems."

>>2824751
>Justice: Good things should happen to good people. Bad to bad. It’s that simple.
mixed with a little
>Write in
>Revenge: I lost family to this war.

Thanks for running.

>>2824769
She's not asking why we are fighting but why we go out of our way to help the people we care about out.

>>2824766

>Peace
>Liberty

>>2824769

>Justice
>Revenge

Vote closes in 15

>>2824751
>>Peace: I want everyone to go home and do whatever makes them happy.

>>2824766
>>2826211

>" I want them to make it out of this and do whatever dumb thing their lil' heart desires. Doesn't always work out, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to try."

>>2824769

>Justice: Good things should happen to good people. Bad to bad. It’s that simple.

Writing

>>2826270

Not dead. RL interrupted me. Still working on the update.

>>2826270

“It’s a tired answer Alex; I just want to win the war”

“Everyone says that. Only a few blowhards mean it.” She ruffles her hair, letting the wind catch the remaining water. “It’s before or after that most people care about: The fight or the end.”

“The end then… I think. I want everyone to go home. I can’t imagine any of us actually want to be here.” You stand, looking over the staging areas.

The height isn’t enough to break the resolution of the men and women below. Each of them are still individual and unique. The uniform gives them a common theme, but there isn’t one of them that’s indistinguishable from the others.

“Some of us want to be here Sam. There wasn’t a time in my life I didn’t want to fly.”

“You could do without the added ordinance though. I noticed the retrofit; Sigyn must be a hell of a ride when she’s not loaded down.” You peer across to spot the aforementioned update but think better of getting too close to the edge of the lifting body.

“She is,” She sighs, “She can’t really dance that well with that much added weight. I see what you mean; Patrols and drills; The occasional airshow could be fun… I might even be able to squeeze a flyover in for Warsaw.”

“That’s what I’m getting at.” You level a finger at her. “A career of formation flying… and swimsuit calendars.”

“I’m… entirely sure that’s too specific.” She looks a tad mortified. “I’ll have you know that there’s a purpose for this outfit.”

“Durga said something about the Sigyn once. What’s the point of the pool anyways?”

“On final evasive, Sigyn can pull 22 G’s. Might still; I haven’t tried since the retrofit. it keeps the harness from breaking anything.” She glances to the mess of webbing drip-drying on the scaffold. “I’m not just up here frolicking in the waves.”

Some untamed part of the teenager you once were is suppressed; You allow it the mildest praise for a world where fly-girls and swimsuits were combined into an MOS. You move on with a far more reasonable tact.

“I don’t know what I’d be up to, but even if I was piloting a Magd, I’d rather be shoring up bridges than playing chicken with the Hanguo. We’ve got more to offer than feeding the meat grinder.”

She nods. “I see. Not a pacifist, but pragmatic. You understand the need for soldiers, but you’d rather if we’d go back to dirty looks over the border.”

“Exactly. When the war was cold, we could stick with volunteers like… yourself and my older sister. The temperament was different too: Far less drive for blood. We could settle for saber rattling.”

>>2826915

“You volunteered, didn’t you?” She glances over you, lingering on the rank patch.

“Not quite. Needed to take some control. Not really all that different than this as far as you’ve explained. See, they wanted to draft my lil’ sis.”

She holds up her hand defensively. “I’m going to go out on a limb and say I’m not nearly at the same magnitude there.”

“Way I see it, it’s not so different. They wanted a soldier, I gave them one, and in return I got to bend the rules a bit. I’m out here so Miriam can enjoy her peace.”

There’s a short silence before Alex responds. “Did she ask you?”

You snort. “Of course not. She didn’t even get her letter: I caught wind early and enlisted the same day.” You turn towards Alex. “Worth every minute I can keep her out of the VCAF: Call it my first exercise in spreading peace.”

“What if she doesn’t see it that way?” Alex cocks her head to the side.

You don’t comprehend a purpose to such a banal suggestion. “Why wouldn’t she? It’s hell out here. She’ll be happier in school.”

“You like helping people, it makes sense that you’d try to keep her safe: But you said the Armisteads are military. If it’s in your blood, why wouldn’t it be in hers?”

>Choice: It’s up to her what she wants to do. I simply made sure she had the option to refuse.
>Refusal: Miriam isn’t going to end up like Maya. You won’t lose another sibling.
>Acknowledge: You were somewhat unilateral. You might consider bringing it up and apologizing next time you talk to her.
>Respect: Once it’s no longer an obligation, it becomes an honor. You can’t help but be proud if she follows her sister and mother’s footsteps, even if it scares the shit out of you.
>Write in?

Terribly sorry for the delay. I'll take another vote tonight and see about getting the next update up as well, but I can't make any promises for tonight.

>>2826923
>>Refusal: Miriam isn’t going to end up like Maya. You won’t lose another sibling.
Even if she hates us for it, she'll be alive /to/ hate us.

>>2826923
>Choice: It’s up to her what she wants to do. I simply made sure she had the option to refuse.

>>2826923
>Choice: It’s up to her what she wants to do. I simply made sure she had the option to refuse.

>>2826923
>Choice: It’s up to her what she wants to do. I simply made sure she had the option to refuse.
>Refusal: Miriam isn’t going to end up like Maya. You won’t lose another sibling.
"Do you think I'm being selfish?"

I think it's a bit of column A and column B. Wants the best for sister and her ability to choose but also scared to death of losing her like Maya.

>>2826923
>Choice: It’s up to her what she wants to do. I simply made sure she had the option to refuse.

You can't stifle the little sister when she gets determined. Just gotta be there to tank the shots when she falls on her ass, adorably.

>>2826942
>>2826946
>>2827076

Choice: It’s up to her what she wants to do. I simply made sure she had the option to refuse.

>>2826934
>>2827059

>Refusal: Miriam isn’t going to end up like Maya. You won’t lose another sibling.

I'm going to extend the vote based on the incredibly shitty delay and pick the update up tomorrow. Next session is Thursday 5 EST.

Regarding the delay, this hopefully is a one time thing. I got distracted by an obnoxious injury. I'll try to make up for it with some work on the Primer tomorrow.

>>2826923
Refusal: Miriam isn’t going to end up like Maya. You won’t lose another sibling.
>Acknowledge: You were somewhat unilateral. You might consider bringing it up and apologizing next time you talk to her.

>>2826923
>>Choice: It’s up to her what she wants to do. I simply made sure she had the option to refuse.

>>2826934
>>2827059
>>2827916

>Refuse

>>2826942
>>2826946
>>2827059
>>2827076
>>2828512

>Choice

>>2827916

>Acknowledge


Vote closes in 15.

>>2830061

I'll get it right the first time one of these days.

>>2830061

>"She gets to decide on her own terms. I don't want her out here, but that's not my call..."

Writing

>>2830159

“It probably is. The fighters in the family were the women. That’s not the point though.”

“Isn’t it? You said you joined to keep her out of the VC.”

“I stated that a lil’ too strong. I joined to keep her out of the grinder. If her papers went though, she’d be in a grey cap right now, and there’d be nothing I could do for her. As it stands, she’s still on the safe side of the States, in a real bed with decent A/C and leisure time nights and weekends. That’s what I mean; I’m buying her time to figure herself out.” You glance at your watch.

“And… if she joins up?”

“She’ll be the best damn soldier in the VC… and I’ll toast her commission with a shot of something good and a fifth of something cheap.” You gesture towards Alex. “Dibs on the cheap.”

She smirks “I’m not sure if that’s the best or worst possible way you could cope. It’s good you thought it out.”

“Thought it out? Hell no. This is all ad lib. The only time I’ve thought of Miriam in a uniform shirt has been in nightmares, and the nametag says Jennings.”

Alex smiles at the quip. “I guess it’s a more natural concern for a brother. I’ve never been that close to my siblings.”

“Big family?”

“You have no idea.” She peers over the edge of the hull. A figure waves from the ops center. “Don’t take this the wrong way, I’d like to meet your sister sometime.”

“She’s good people, no doubt the moment she gets a break, she’ll insist I get her a SA flight and show her around whatever poor city we’re stuck in.” You sigh. “You know how it is, they start off sweet and get more demanding as they get older.”

“Sisters?”

“Women.” You grin.

“I’m utterly shocked why she’d ever give such an upstanding gentleman any trouble.” She snarks, wrinkling her nose. “Off you go Sam; You have to gear up for whatever it is, and I still have to make some lazy Bild journalist’s day.”

“Not that you need it, but good luck.” You give a thumbs up and move out of the way.

“Nice try. You’re walking down first.”

>>2830429

You have little difficulty getting back to the Durga site on time, even jogging against the general flow of materiel. Lis had gotten back early and had already made significant headway in the baked on grime on the Knight’s legs. It was advantageous that the finish on the machine was impeccably smooth, but the white surface punished any attempts to speed the work.

On the positive, barring the marks from the occasional close call with the IRH machines, the main body was impeccably clean: Even when the machine’s projectors were idle, the subtle force inhibited dust and dirt from settling. You think back to Hawke’s comments on the energy output of the machine. Despite the size and power of the weaponry, the shielding is likely the main culprit, simply due to the massive scale of the machine. No doubt a much lighter machine could be extracted from the design with a more efficient weapon and reactor; sort of a reverse tonnage race.

As you approach the barracks, Jennings passes you, covered in chalky dust. He scoops up an applicator for the armor’s surface treatment and gestures back to the building. “Someone pinged you with a secure message while we were out and about."

>>2830449

"Who sent it?"

"First name, Secure, Last name, Message." Jennings tries to dust off, but only manages to put up a cloud of white." Also, see if you can't source a spare hardener bulb; There’s a 5 cm gash in the L4 plate and I can't get the resin to cure deep enough. If we can’t get that flush, we’re going to have to pull and replace the plate."

“Tenn’s people cleaned us out on hardener supplies. I’ll look into it Jennings, but don’t forget we’re just getting her pretty. If you’re up for some rigging, we can always trade L1 for L4. It’ll take binocs to see the difference.”

“That’ll work, but I’d rather get it fixed: Just because they won’t see she’s got a target painted on her back won’t change the fact it’s there.” He turns up a palm in a supplicant gesture

“Put in the order now and we’ll replace it when it comes in. Is there projector coverage up there?”

“Kinda; It’s at the far edge of each of the sides.”

“That’s a bit concerning. I’ll make sure Durga knows.”

“There’s little she can do about it: Even on the projectors she turns like a shopping cart. Just about half of anything that could finish off that plate can manuever behind her, or sulk and get another shot off.”

>Quick and Dirty: Swap the plate. It’ll keep the protection up and look alright, but the bad plate will still be up there.
>Quick and Pretty: Glaze the damage: It’ll look perfectly fine for photo ops. You can always fix it before she gets into another fight.
>Deliberate and Correct: Rush an interim piece from a forge. Ugly and obvious, but the appearance of protection is overrated compared to actual defense. It'll eat up your day pushing the machine shop though.
>Leave it to Jennings: You don’t have time to handle this. Give him authorization to handle it at his discretion while you focus on the message.
>Write in?

>>2830451
>Quick and Pretty: Glaze the damage: It’ll look perfectly fine for photo ops. You can always fix it before she gets into another fight.

I'm holding Sam to that statement.

>>2830451
>>Quick and Pretty: Glaze the damage: It’ll look perfectly fine for photo ops. You can always fix it before she gets into another fight.

>>2830451
So the L4 plate is damaged, and is visible and protecting something on her rear. The L1 plate is close enough in shape that we could swap, is less visible than the L4, and covers something better protected. I get that right?

>Quick and Pretty: Glaze the damage: It’ll look perfectly fine for photo ops. You can always fix it before she gets into another fight.
For the parade. Afterwords, if we still can't get it fixed properly, we can swap L1 and L4 to reduce her vulnerability.

>>2830477

That's exactly the case. They're running up the spine of the machine under the cannons. The L4 is an easy target because it's higher up, while the L1 is lower, meaning only aerial targets or guided weapons will have a decent shot at it.

>>2830451
>Quick and Pretty: Glaze the damage: It’ll look perfectly fine for photo ops. You can always fix it before she gets into another fight.

>>2830469
>>2830473
>>2830477
>>2830546

>"We're not deploying with the Knight anyways. Fill the gap and cover it. We'll get it fixed when we return."

Writing.

>>2830557

“Give it a resin fill and I’ll surface over it. We can’t effectively repair damage to multiple layers of the substrate anyways. She’s just going for decoration.”

“What should I record on the sheet? I can’t exactly write “Spackled and taped.” He frowns.

“Check it out and put a sonic-test recommendation on it: Even if it ends up out of our reach, at least they’ll catch it.”

“Got it. Will do.” He shuffles back to the shed, looking for the necessary cheats.

You slip into the barrack and boot up your terminal. The machine takes its sweet time warming up, but eventually you input the necessary credentials and pull up your mail.

There’s a priority message from home base for a report on Durga’s reactor. You give them a short and sweet rundown on the sensor “glitch” involved. You don’t expect a reply: A report like this is as routine as one can get. As long as you don’t make it a habit, they completely understand the kind of attrition these detectors have under load.

That’s not the secure bit however. Instead there’s an entirely non-descript message that you would mistake for spam if it wasn’t entirely lacking a priority code, and encrypted to boot. You click to open and wait for the system to unlock it.

This is not an introduction.

We know you’ve been in contact with Hawke. We know what Hershman told you.

The fact you aren’t in a cell right now means you were smart enough to use it.

An apology would be given if we could be reasonably sure this won’t happen again.

We don’t have that assurance.

Since V cannot eliminate you, they instead are using you as a procedural bludgeon.

H is doing the same. She is not above using her allies as tools. However, she will not let you die.

You might wish she did. It’s amazing what you can live through.

Follow instructions, trust H. Our goals align in most cases, save one.

Do NOT allow D to interface with any active structures. (If present, hard to miss)

Combat forms present normal risk; power generation/manufacturing especially hazardous

Destroy them. Not difficult to encourage D. Return with inactive samples.

This is not an order.

This is a plea.

>>2830821

You blink a few times, reviewing the material. You examine the address block, only to see it’s conspicuously absent. You page back and get an error: the message is corrupt.

You curse and try reopening the missive.

Nothing: The system is no longer able to open the file.

You take a deep breath and pull a notepad from your desk. You summarize what you remember. You’re surprised what you keep: Unless there was something significantly more obscure encoded, you think you picked up everything.

Contextually, you suppose the “missing” words are Hawke, Durga and Valkyrie. By elimination, you can have a reasonable guess that you’ve attracted the attention of another institution or command. You hope they’re on the current list, otherwise you’d need to start tacking up ribbons and newspaper clippings.

There’s a knock at the door, nearly simultaneous to the click of the latch. You jump in your seat, awkwardly shoving the notepad into the chest pocket of your suit. You glance behind you to see Durga, still borrowing Jenning’s jumpsuit. She’s holding a small binder. You slow your heartrate through sheer force of will and turn to face her. She glances around the room warily, like she’s trying to spot whatever has you tense. She seems entirely oblivious to the possibility she may have been the instigating event.

She gives an unsure salute. “I… I let myself in; our team mates seemed busy, so I thought... I have the specifications for the new Knight for the mission.” She taps the binder to her chest. “I already memorized it, but I thought it would be good if we were on the same page. It should not take long.”

You nod slowly, glad for an completely benign ambush for once. “Alright. Let’s see it.”

>>2830827

The Erinyes is disturbingly similar to your daydreams of an agile descendant of the Durga. The machine is technically a pentapod, but not in practice: the design is fully functional on any three legs and remains mobile on two. The abdomen and thorax of the Durga were no longer present, with a upright body sleeked directly into the base using segmented plates. The surface still maintained the angular aesthetic, but used a matte-light grey.

Unlike the boat-like weapon scheme of the Durga, it far more resembled the failed “super Magds” the VC fielded before they moved into Knight doctrine: A double barreled cannon mounted on the right side, shipped up and over the torso, and a set of oversized shield projectors on the left. Pairs of conventional weapons were mounted along the machine, no doubt to compensate for the small target vulnerability of her more massive cousin.

The overall size was nearly half that of the Durga, but significantly denser. The machine could easily lay down like the old Tennhauser models and would only beat your Magd’s height by a few meters. The lack of treads prevents the same crawling strategy, but you’re glad that some designer in the VC still appreciates hull-down.

The incredible part of course, was the sheer amount of slimming inside the machine: Despite being ostensibly 2/3rds as armed as her predecessor, the machine had nearly a tenth of the power load, and still increased its torque to weight ratio on that tiny powerplant.

Armor protection was disturbingly lower, but the machine could almost keep up with your Magds at speed, although you would be surprised if that held true in practice: If you could find a single flaw, the passive thermal performance would be lackluster. Something this “small” and high-efficiency surely relies on a evaporative coolant for combat or high-mobility power loads.

“Well? What do you think?” Durga’s question is characteristic: She’s excited with the machine. “They say I can’t keep her, but Hawke says they’ll come around.”

“She’s a beauty. A lil’ on the toasty side, but that’s just progress for you.”

“Hawke tells me the Erinyes will be a better fit for me. At least for now, she says the Knight is going to get tired before I do.” She runs a finger along the page, tracing the unique configuration.

“It’s good. If it suits you better, you should use it. Balance is important for performance.”

>>2830832

“I am glad you think so.” She frowns, “I was really excited, but I was somewhat worried that they just put that in there when they taught me to use it.”

You’re entirely at a loss how to respond to that statement.

She continues, “But if you like it, there must be some things that are likable about it. Perhaps it is a good Knight. I tried to find something I hated about it, and I dislike the thermal performance, but I think I just dislike overheating, so I might still have been told to like it…”

She stops for a moment and smiles. “Sorry, I was all over the place there… I also needed to talk with you to get the details on the mission. Hawke told me it was a secret and I should only ask you.”

>Linger on the Erinyes: You have time to get through the briefing at your leisure. She seems genuinely excited about the machine, it might be good to give her that outlet.
>Report verbatim: You can give Durga the information as it was presented to you. She’ll have the complete picture and you can get back to your tasks.
>Give the Sam version: You can embellish and elaborate on Hawkes material based on your engineering knowledge. It might help you or her to understand the overall workings of the sortie.
>Go for broad strokes: You can hold onto the details to keep Durga close during the mission. Given the complicated nature of the situation, it will give you more time to investigate and time to react to anomalies.
>Revise the mission: You’re concerned about the anonymous, high-security message. If you tell her you’re only going for dead samples, she’ll believe you, and you can apologize to Hawke for the failure on your own terms.
>Write in?

>>2830834
>>Linger on the Erinyes: You have time to get through the briefing at your leisure. She seems genuinely excited about the machine, it might be good to give her that outlet.
All this super secret stuff is going way over my head, and getting mixed up in it is a good way to get a knife in the back.

>>2830845
Hawke seems to have given us the green light to tell Durga about the mission details. The question is how.

>>2830849

In the material Hawke presented, a micro form and a macro form were elaborated on. You saw no mention of any other designs.

Taken at face value, the "hard to miss" line is informing Sam that he won't have any difficulty identifying what they're talking about. Since the only design you know is microscopic other than the small macro-scale form Hawke demonstrated, you probably won't have any difficulty by process of elimination.

>>2830861
Alright so don't let the not quite so nano machines touch Durga. Got it.

>>2830834
>>Report verbatim: You can give Durga the information as it was presented to you. She’ll have the complete picture and you can get back to your tasks.
>But also do the part in the Sam version where we put our heads together with what enginnering knowledge we have to find more details.

>>2830883
>>2830834
I'll second this.

>>2830883
>>2830895

To clarify, you want to present the information verbatim, then elaborate based on your knowledge? As opposed to filtering the material through your lens as you present it?

>>2830902
Yeah. If we do it just through our lens there are stuff we might've missed in the actual details that Durga might pick up on.

>>2830905

Understood.

>>2830883
>>2830895
>"So this is what Hawke asked for. We're doing it, but I wanted to bounce some ideas."

>>2830845
>>Linger on the Erinyes: You have time to get through the briefing at your leisure. She seems genuinely excited about the machine, it might be good to give her that outlet.

>>2830849
>Give the Sam version: You can embellish and elaborate on Hawkes material based on your engineering knowledge. It might help you or her to understand the overall workings of the sortie.

Writing

>>2830913

[Tetsukazu Nakanishi – Stardust]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiFeNhXZgEs

“It’s fine. We all get a lil’ carried away sometimes.” You turn to fold your terminal down, then turn back to Durga. ”What do you know about Chernobyl?”

She gives a little huff. “I have a map and history of the area. Skip to the actual mission.”

You raise an eyebrow but continue into the material. She drifts into an attentive mien as you express the objectives and background. She does not interrupt you again.

“So, in conclusion, we are to investigate the region to locate the errant active materials and their metaforms, collect samples of them and destroy the rest?”

“That’s the long and short of it. Hawke’s a lil’ concerned that the… metaforms? Is that what they’re called?”

“A machine made primarily out of microscopic utility structures. Like a colony organism. We use highly limited versions of them for power generation and damage control. They get dangerous if they are without strict guidance.”

“Why’s that? They’re programmed. They only do what they’re told right?”

She rubs her neck. “No, not at this stage. They are given objectives and a seed of known good methods. In observed environments, they are very efficient: They optimize a task and do it for as long as you want. All they really want is to do the work as fast, well and efficiently as possible. They are perfectly safe that way. The problem is when you expand their functionality. They start getting… confused.”

“And by confused you mean?”

“They optimize until they no longer do what you want, but what you asked for… A machine meant to separate metal from ore starts stripping the minerals from its enclosure, because that is the fastest way to produce high purity metal. A medicinal bot meant to kill pathogens destroys the natural immune system because it is hindering its performance. Shell Compound is an interesting case: The second version would actually crack surfaces to fill them again.”

“And what would an energy-generating machine do?”

“No idea… hence confused. If you do not watch carefully, you miss the fork and you have to guess or dig to find what it decided.”

“So, it’s really efficient iteration? A machine that designs itself?” You draw a circle in the air.

“More like a machine that reinvents itself every moment. At least until they get finished and locked down.” She looks down and away. “When they deploy, They keep the seeds from them and start the process again. Different objectives, sometimes mixing around the seeds, sometimes changing the core design. They are difficult to understand when they get complicated. The broader their utility, the harder they are to follow, and the more likely they break down.”

>>2831271

“So, it could do anything?”

“Anything it thinks would satisfy its function. It could soak up heat, it could go dormant to store what it has, it could build its own generators. It really depends on what exactly it was asked to do and what known goods it was given as examples. They learn a better way to help, and… then they go off and do it…” She trails off.

“Huh. Alright. How can we apply this?”

She perks up. “Ah… You can track generations and objectives: That lets you trace back to more complicated and newer versions. The first thing that wild metaforms end up doing is developing castes, usually to get around their programmed limitations. The original forms were strictly tied to power generation and self-replication. They probably were fed how to make a combat form that doubled as a transport. Everything beyond that depends on their environment.”

“How do the little ones power themselves? They can’t be large enough for fission.”

“They probably built a thermal generator… They would just collect as much alpha decaying material as they could and use the heat to run a dynamo.”

“Does that mean they’re looking for heat instead of radiation? Anything they’d want for an RTG wouldn’t really kick out all that much high power.”

“I think so. Heat, then high-energy waves. They might also have developed visual sensors if they learned to identify storage sites.”

“What’s the next step?” You pull out the notepad and draw a crude little spider bot. “They start here, where do they go?”

“Large enough for fission; It’s the next trick they know. If we get unlucky, they hit the thorium plants first.”

You frown. “Why’s that unlucky?”

“The liquid reactors are small, relatively light and notoriously durable. They would have the perfect base for a crude Knight level threat.” She takes the paper and draws a spheroid body, moving on tracks and with mounted cannons. “If they encountered any IRH or VC forces, they would create some simulacrum of modern weaponry. Intact Russian examples could also be inspiration.” She finishes the sketch; drawing a cluster of optics and a few rather detailed Hanguo decals.

“Would they go any larger?” You frankly hope she didn’t save space for the “large” version on the page.

“Unlikely; they need far more time to iterate. More likely they would prepare manufactories to mass produce… I mean, this is all theoretical… Hopefully we show up and find a half dozen bots begging for us to crack open a can of Plutonium.” She smiles. “Like cats. Hawke told me they do that. With cat food I mean.”

You nod, returning the smile. “I don’t think these things would have problems with cans, Durga.”

>>2831272

She looks flustered. “Ye- The last known model had a captive piston weapon. It is incredibly short ranged but might crack the Panzermagd’s composite if you get mobbed. The Erinyes might be vulnerable in the joints, but I think I can get away with clearing the hull with the 30mm guns.”

You frown. “The 30mm? Would that work?”

“Armor is a waste of energy until they start getting attacked. If we are the first opposition out there, they likely are only incidentally bulletproof from their hull material. If we hit them hard and fast, they are stuck with the designs they currently have. We could clean up in a day, then move to the next site.” She’s got a hint of that wild smile of hers.

“And what if we lose momentum?”

“It gets interesting. They adapt, we face the new versions the next day. We just escalate steadily to match.” Her expression is positively starstruck, dreaming of her new toy.

You give her an unimpressed look. “And if we break down?

The metaphorical bubble pops and she quickly shifts between surprise, concern and, finally, guilt.

“We… Actually, we break off when we lose steam. The moment we stop winning is the moment we start losing.” She bites her lip. “I should start by seeing if we can crack their network. If that fails, we isolate samples and vitrify them. Then we exterminate and move on. If we find any larger structures, I can dismount and see what I can get out of them. The micro forms are harmless in my body, and I can signal the larger ones to ignore me when I get outside of the Knight: The concept of disguise is entirely foreign to them, I simply broadcast their ID, pass a handshake and move on.”

“Why can’t we hack them the same way? Pretend to be admin or something?”

“They dislike taking outside programming. It is a security feature: If you really need to pass something along to their core, you have to program new machines and have them propagate the update.”

She rubs her wrists. “I can do that. They taught me.” Her voice sounds very small.

>Planning: This is enough. We should pull in the rest of the team and plan for the mission.
>Pry: She’s doing the wrists thing again, like your first night back. You could ask her about it.
>Encourage: This was a good talk. She should try to bear this out into the field.
>Concern: You don’t like Durga being that exposed for the strategy. Suggest alternatives.
>Write in?

This post has a two part response: Please select a response and make any decisions you wish regarding loadout for the next mission in the following posts.

>>2831275

[ERINYES EQUIPMENT]

The Erinyes mounts an efficient double version of the Durga’s plasmoid cannon. The AOE is smaller, but damage remains similar. The weapon can also be configured for direct fire, with a small, much faster and more accurate projectile. Refire time suffers greatly in this mode however, as condensing the projectile requires an impressive amount of cooling, which is already at a premium.

The main defensive armament of the Erinyes is a reactive shield projector, which can cover 360 degrees of the Knight at a range of 10 meters. It is significantly worse at defending against volleys, but maintains the effectiveness of its larger cousin against single attacks. The Erinyes is expected to stay mobile to avoid being ganged up on. It theoretically can network with additional Knights to coordinate defense, but this is useless solo.

The machine mounts a set of point defense guns on its flanks. It also mounts two 30mm grenade Gatlings on the upper surface of the 4 and 8 o’clock legs. These can theoretically be retrofitted, if you had the faintest idea how they are configured.

Compared to the Durga, the Erinyes has limited cargo space. On the other hand, the greater agility and significantly shorter height permits practical use of this space outside of strategic logistics. The Erinyes can carry 3 gear slots worth of spare equipment.

[LOADOUT SELECTION]

Magds can equip 3 pieces of equipment. They can trade equipment within an hour assisted, and across 6 hours alone.

Weapons

30mm Grenade Gatling: Devastating short ranged weapon against soft targets. Automatic.

Missile Pod: Guided missiles with long range. Specialized for anti-armor or anti-infantry/anti-structure

Coilgun: Fires large bore shells at medium range. Ammunition carried is a mix of anti-armor/anti-infantry HEDP and anti-Knight Sabots. Ineffective against fortifications. Slow ROF

Equipment

Shell Projector: Equipment for applying multi-role Shell compound. Compound can be be selected for reinforcing structures and Knight armor, constructing light fortifications, or crowd control and fire suppression. Support option.

Extra Armor: A mating module that covers the front of the machine and includes 2 additional “sandblasters”. Armor is articulated to allow full range of motion and can be purged if it is still reasonably intact, leaving the light guns. Combat option.

EWar Package: An idiot-proof signal jammer, communications relay and enhanced sensor suite. Supports the squad with better intel and “quieter” operation. Stealth option.

Gear: Catchall Write-in option: Generally, fits anything compact a medium truck could carry.
*Field Kit: Necessary material to set up a forward shelter. On a tactical scale, has indefinite longevity if undamaged.
*HazMat Kit: Necessary material to contain, transport and clean environmental hazards. Includes protective suits and repair kits for said suits.

Empty: Omits equipment to enhance Magd's general performance.

>>2831277

>01(Sam): 30mm Gatling, Coilgun, EWar Package

>02(Jennings): 30mm Gatling, AI/AS Missile Pod, Extra Armor,

>03(Lis): 30mm Gatling, Coilgun, Shell Projector

>Erinyes Cargo: Gear(Field Kit), Gear(Haz Mat Kit), Empty (Intentional: For specimens)

>Accept: Go with recommended loadout.
>Revise: Adjust one or two items.
>Custom Loadout: Suggest entirely different configuration. Prompts revote

Going from not writing to writing too much. Sorry for the wait. This ends tonight's session. Next session is Sunday, 8/26 at 5 EST. Hope to see you there. As always, Questions/Comments/Critique.

>>2831275
Does programming new machines count as her 'interfacing' with these things? The thing we were told not to let her do?

>>2831469

From a technical perspective, you're unsure. Going with the sound and your gut feeling, it sounds a lot like it, especially the whole "I'm going to get out, sneak up and mess with the nanites." part of the plan.

>>2831627
In that case, better safe than sorry.

>>2831275
>Write in?
"Are you alright?"
Don't want to pry too hard, but we might get something out of a little concern.

>Concern: You don’t like Durga being that exposed for the strategy. Suggest alternatives.
>Write in?
Pull in the rest of the team to find these alternatives.

>>2831279
>Accept: Go with recommended loadout.

>>2831279
>Accept: Go with recommended loadout.
Fucking hate grey goo scenarios. Self replicating little shits always cause problems.

>>2831275
>Concern: You don’t like Durga being that exposed for the strategy. Suggest alternatives.
>Accept: Go with recommended loadout.

>>2831874
>>2837523

>Concern: You don’t like Durga being that exposed for the strategy. Suggest alternatives.

>>2831874
>>2831876
>>2832709
>>2837523

>Accept: Go with recommended loadout.

Currently unanimous vote with a write in. Vote closes at 5:15

>>2831279
>>Accept: Go with recommended loadout.

>>2838489

>"Are you sure you're OK with this? We can try a different approach?"

ROLL: 1d100, Best of 3
BONUS: You've seen this tic from Durga before. What's the impetus?

Rolled 68 (1d100)

>>2838623

Rolled 29 (1d100)

>>2838623
>BONUS: You've seen this tic from Durga before. What's the impetus?

Might be how they 'teach' her. They might have to strap her down in a chair or maybe they inject something?

Rolled 71 (1d100)

>>2838623
Something to do with her handlers.

Rolled 80 (1d100)

>>2838623
>BONUS
I've got nothing, though I'll take a look at the archive.

>>2838671
>>2838674
>>2838687

BEST: 71

Writing.

>>2838712

As you review the binder again, you see she’s caught in her tic for the moment. You notice the subtle ripple of her fingers on the fore hand; the thumb lingering under the wrist, picking up the pulse, or perhaps just the shifting tendon underneath. There’s a pattern to the motion; a general trend to grasp and release, obscured in the individual finger’s play. You find the action mesmerizing.

A loose packet in the binder slips and you clamp the cover shut quickly to catch the falling sheets. The movement breaks her from the mannerism, and she looks up at you with wary eyes.

“Ahem…” You tap the binder on your desk to resettle the documents, “What’s your personal on the mission? Seems to put you up on the front the whole time; a bit risky no?”

“The Erinyes is more than sufficient; The configuration is similar to the Durga and protection sufficient to provide an anchor for the team…”

“I was more talking about excursions. You’re shouldering a lot out there.”

“It will be fine. I can handle the mission parameters.”

“Not saying you can’t. Just wanting your opinion. Generally speaking, it’s a tall order to do this kind of work when the waste isn’t trying to fight back.” You loft the binder onto the middle of your bunk. “We should poll the others and talk it over a bit.”

“Stop that.” Her voice is firm.

You pause “…What in particular?”

“I do not need bullied. We can discuss it now.”

>>2839070

You frown; Her expression is entirely serious. “Bullied?”

“I will have difficulty disagreeing with them. If you have objections, I insist on addressing them with the… clearest head I can manage.”

You slip out of your office chair to join her on the bunk. From her expression, she isn’t entirely pleased with your approach. You decide closing the distance is worth annoying her in this case.

“Do you need anything Durga? If something hurts, I can get you something.” You allow the binder to zone the space between you.

It appears to be a wise decision, she responds by shifting away from you. “It is fine. I am not painful. Please stick to the topic at hand. What is your objection?”

“Call it general anxiety; I have a bad feeling about the whole nanites thing.”

“I appreciate it, but there is no reason to be troubled. I am prepared and trained to handle the material. My purpose in the clean up is to handle interfacing and taming the rogue material. There are very few alternatives, and most of them require a significantly larger team. As it stands, I am standing in for entire departments of programming and deployment. It is… not entirely a new role either.”

She attempts folding her hands a few times before very deliberately putting them into the pockets of the borrowed jumpsuit.

“I want to do it…”

She doesn’t sound all that sure, but from the way she sets her jaw, you are uncertain you’ll be able to budge her.

>Press: She mentioned her concerns with being manipulated earlier; Maybe she needs you to field her concerns, so she can actually see them clearly.
>Previous Work: If she describes what her role entails more, you’d be less concerned. Perhaps she could describe her past experience?
>Bully(?): Call in Lis and Jennings. She might not like it, but she needs to handle her team personally. Their input can also be valuable.
>Acquiesce: The highly technical material is over your head. You’ll trust her with this.
>Tip Hand: Mention the message you received. She might accept your concerns better if you explained the basis for them.
>Write in?

>>2839072
>Press: She mentioned her concerns with being manipulated earlier; Maybe she needs you to field her concerns, so she can actually see them clearly.
>Apologize for the 'bullying' attempt. We forgot that we were the only one that she could disagree with.
Cause I honestly did.

>>2839072
>>Tip Hand: Mention the message you received. She might accept your concerns better if you explained the basis for them.

Rolled 2 (1d2)

>>2839115

>Press: She mentioned her concerns with being manipulated earlier; Maybe she needs you to field her concerns, so she can actually see them clearly.

>>2839163

>>Tip Hand: Mention the message you received. She might accept your concerns better if you explained the basis for them.

>>2839202

>"Look. I'm not saying this off the cuff. I got a tip."

With only two votes, I'm going to work in the write-in: it's technically got half the vote.

Writing.

>>2839216

“I understand where you’re coming from. One second.” You stand and cross back to your desk, retrieving your notepad and flipping it back. You recite a few relevant lines.

“What is that supposed to be? Those are not the orders Hawke gave you.”

“No, I got it from a fancy lil’ email sent through the secure lines. It promptly ate itself, so I had to copy from memory.” You tap the sheet. “I know, not exactly the most trustworthy.”

She stands and grabs the notepad. You relinquish it quickly, fearing hesitation might be interpreted as subterfuge. She scans the material quickly. “Who is V?”

“From what Hawke told me, it’s Valkyrie. Apparently, I pissed off some people in high places…” You trail off, noticing Durga’s perplexed response.

“I guess that all but eliminates the possibility this was an elaborate ruse.” She taps the sheet. “I know Valkyrie. They are the applications group for Panzerknecht research; The Erinyes is one of their newest designs. Of course, the name is changed on all the data sheets. Why would they want you dead?”

“Your guess is as good as mine: Hawke doesn’t even have an answer for me.”

“They only care about Knights, pilots and cadets. There is no sense going after yo- You should have told me!” There’s an insistence in her sudden interjection that you peg more as juvenile than anything else.

“Would it have changed anything? Barring a timely intervention from Hawke, I’m pretty sure I haven’t budged them: They’re doing their own lil’ thing without my input.”

Her expression is halfway between a pout and scowl. “No. I would have just gone to Hawke… I thought she would tell me these things.” Her expression drifts towards hurt.

“I’m sure she has reasons. She’s been shooting straight with me so far, and even anonymous spooks seem to think she’s mostly on the level.”

“I understand, but for me, it is a bit different.” She takes a deep breath, “I will try to be reasonable with her when I bring this up.”

When?

>>2839730

“You… just mean Valkyrie right?” You are deeply concerned that she might just saunter off to meet with Hawke with the notepad in hand.

“Just because I am somewhat fettered does not mean I cannot understand tact.” She hands back the notebook. “The contents are mostly irrelevant, especially since it was transcribed. Her instructions would be to follow the mission and keep a close eye on you, which means the entire rendezvous would be a waste of time.”

You decide not to inquire to the exact level of surveillance she currently invests in your person. You have more pressing concerns.

“Are you sure? I think we should take this seriously; at the very least, someone who knows exactly where we’re going and what we’re doing disagrees with the game plan.”

“Any personal misgivings aside, I see no reason to doubt Hawke’s instructions.” She sighs, eyes closed, “We continue as planned… cautiously.”

You are unable to accurately convey your level of frustration, so you settle for tapping the book against your hip.

She makes eye contact. “Will it satisfy your concerns if I keep you in the loop? There is an incredible amount of material I will need to gloss over, but I can provide the broad strokes.”

“If it’s not just a running commentary on exactly how much trouble you’ve gotten into…” You rub your neck.

“That is fair. As always I will try to… remain open to input.” She stumbles coming up with the words.

“About that… Sorry about earlier. I forgot the difficulty you have with the others.”

“It just tests my patience. I have the ability to override them based on hierarchy, but it drags on me. I can never be sure if I was convinced or simply gave in. It is much more… comfortable with you.”


“I’ve been told I’m a good listener.” You smile. “Did you need anything else?”


She scoops up her binder and stands. “No, that should be it. I was going to return Jenning’s jumpsuit, but he told me to keep it…”

You glance at the sewn-on nametag pulled taut. Against your first judgement, you decide to give Jennings the benefit of the doubt.

“That’s generous of him, I think that’s one of his older ones. Utility wear ages like fine wine.”

“It is rather nice. I should find something to return the favor with.”

Maybe a bit of mild bus-throwing is in order. “He’s probably happy enough to see you wearing it.”

She nods with a half-smile at your half-truth as she exits the room. You can almost hear Jennings groaning now.

>Finish prep: You still have work to do for tomorrow. If you devote your remaining time, you can be in pristine condition for the sortie along with all your equipment.
>Dig for info: Durga’s comment aside, you can probably squeeze in some time for a crash course on nanomachines if you eat into your personal time and rush some of the work.
>Contact: You can probably squeeze in one more visit if you aren’t too picky about maintenance. Even a call to Miriam might be possible.
>Write in?

>>2839733
>Dig for info: Durga’s comment aside, you can probably squeeze in some time for a crash course on nanomachines if you eat into your personal time and rush some of the work.

>>2839733
>>Finish prep: You still have work to do for tomorrow. If you devote your remaining time, you can be in pristine condition for the sortie along with all your equipment

>>2839733
>>Finish prep: You still have work to do for tomorrow. If you devote your remaining time, you can be in pristine condition for the sortie along with all your equipment.

>>2839748
>>2839760

>"Priorities: If we're out for a week or two, I don't want anything out of shape or place."

>>2839740

>Dig for info: Durga’s comment aside, you can probably squeeze in some time for a crash course on nanomachines if you eat into your personal time and rush some of the work.


Due to beginning my classes for the semester tomorrow, and the fact that we're going right into the next mission off of this decision, I'm going to end the session here tonight. I'd like to be back on this Tuesday, but I can't be certain yet. Thursday is a definite session however. I'll put up an update and decision point when I get the time.

>>2839807
Thanks for running.

So the bad news is I've got a serious transportation issue to resolve, which is putting my next session up in the air.

The good news is that my scheduling looks good otherwise, so once that's resolved, I expect to be back on track.

Apologies for the interruption; We'll be back before you know it.

>>2843297
Gotcha

>>2843297

Update:

Issues should be resolved. I'm going to be in the clear again by Monday. Ergo, I'm going to start the new thread on Tuesday, 9/4, at 5 EST. I'll get the decision point up on Monday at the latest.

Sorry for the delay. I hope to see you then