Rolled 88 (1d100)

>>3948348

Rolled 4 (1d100)

>>3948348

Rolled 97 (1d100)

>>3948348

>97, Excellent success

You continue on with your ambush strikes, leaving the group riddled with metal spikes in their hulls. The big one turns in your vague direction and launches something into the air. Overhead it bursts splaying a payload of burning promethium over the surroundings. However given that they can't actually spot you, you're completely safe and avoid the searing flames. You're about to resume when the birdsong reaches a climax and a cloud of the birds from earlier swarms the cohort. The effects are immediate as the screaming creatures descend on the injured group, the badly damaged ones falling to the ground inert in seconds while the others are left flailing limbs out, trying to repeal them. They seem extremely sensitive to electricity and want to drain from any source they can find. You dismantling that power substation must have left them without anything to feast off of.

On your sensors you see the second group approaching the cart rapidly. They will reach it in about a minute if you don't block them. The trawlers are working through the wreck site fast now that the majority of them are here and the rest of the zone is in absolute mayhem from conflict.

Combat rounds till forced retreat: 2

>Discourage their approach from a distance
>Wait for them to approach then strike
>Try non-violent method

>>3948658
>>Wait for them to approach then strike

>>3948730
Ambush it is, Roll another 3 1d00 for results

Rolled 58 (1d100)

>>3949178

Rolled 30, 11 = 41 (2d100)

>>3949178

Rolled 46 (1d100)

>>3949178

Rolled 48 (1d100)

>>3949178

Rolled 28, 96, 51 = 175 (3d100)

Rollen

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>58, Draw

You move in and get behind some concealing cover a bit further ahead of your cart. It's best to wait until they're close enough and then hit them where it will really do some damage. You wait until they get closer and get a good look at them. They're definitely better equipped and maintained than any others that you've seen so far. There's only a minimum of rust on them and they seem to have actually proper weaponry. Well that's not going to stop you from taking them down. You peer out the side of your hiding spot, take aim, and pull the trigger. The bolt flies true, heading right for the lead robot's head and... sears away in a flash of blue sparks...

That's not good.

Immediately the group turns towards you, moving into action and firing away at your position. Concrete dust flies in the air as they begin to move in on you. There's a bit of room to move behind your wall and retreat but two of them are heading to flank and the third seems content to just suppress your with some kind of shotgun.

>Full on retreat back to the cart
>Take caution and retreat under cover
>Attempt saw based diplomacy
>Other

>>3949695
>>Full on retreat back to the cart

>>3949695
>Take caution and retreat under cover

>>3949695
Retreat under cover.

>>3949695
>>Take caution and retreat under cover

A final 3d100 for the last combat round

Rolled 42, 17, 87 = 146 (3d100)

>>3949809

Rolled 5 (1d100)

>>3949809

Rolled 63 (1d100)

>>3949809

Rolled 3 (1d100)

>>3949809

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>63, Draw

It's not easy pulling back now that you're being pressured. Every time you make a break out into the open you're under fire, and steady advance of the two flankers forces you to take a few hits to avoid getting taken out. Their guns aren't particularly high caliber, but with the state of your rusty plating they leave you with some new holes and shredded wires. Of course you shoot back to discourage their advance, but your shots either go wide or glance off their armor. It's tough going but eventually you get ahead, and send the signal to L-C23 that it's time to go. With how much on the back-foot you are, you can't fight them.

It seems your companion was at hard at work as well. The makeshift sled now looks more like some horrible trailer-centipede hybrid. Most of the haulers scattered about seem to have been butchered and hastily welded to the thing, leaving it essentially a box being carried by them. Although most of it isn't even plated, it has been expanded to hold more cargo at least. At the front in a messy nest of wires, L-C23 is plugged in and apparently controlling the entire thing. Even with all the materials used to build it and all the stuff loaded in the back, the huge cart still isn't even half empty. That seems to be a good thing luckily, as between you annoying them with your constant retaliation fire, and the flood of newcomers approaching behind them, your pursuers seem content to just settle with the rest of the cart instead of your broken body. In moments you're in the back of the patchwork vehicle, slowly trudging away from the chaotic wreck behind you.

Six material upgrades gained! (may be stockpiled until manufacturing equipment is found to get more out of them or used now)
Options may be taken multiple times and elaborated on to guide their development
>Body upgrade
>Rivet gun upgrade
>Industrial saw upgrade
>Sensor upgrade
>Capacitor upgrade
>Winch and harpoon repair
>New creation (write-in)

>>3951055
>Winch and harpoon repair
>Industrial saw upgrade
>Rivet gun upgrade
All of these are versatile, even once we get better weapons they make good tools and utility. Also upgrading them means easier scavenging
Keep the rest for later

>>3951055
>Winch and harpoon repair
3 into the rivet gun maybe we can blast heated rivets from it.
>Body upgrade
>Sensor upgrade

>>3951085
Actually better idea, can we modify the rivet gun so that the maintenance drone guy can use it so we can go with the (hopefully more combat viable) saw and harpoon combo?
Also just want to say i i like this quest lad, hopefully more people notice it.

>>3951055
>Body upgrade
>Sensor upgrade
>Winch and harpoon repair
>New creation (write-in)
Make the harpoon thing also a grappling hook or able to attach a grappling hook to the tip with a quick swap.

>>3951055
>>Body upgrade
>>Rivet gun upgrade
>>Industrial saw upgrade
>>Sensor upgrade
>>Capacitor upgrade
>>Winch and harpoon repair

Just get one of each I'd say.

Rolled 3 (1d4)

No one backs an idea so the caltrop dice decides fate

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After that chaotic event, you're ready to get fixed up, that last encounter left you with a few too many holes and frayed wires. It's a good thing that L-C23 is able to both operate the walker and work on you, even if you have to help with your own maintenance...

>Work summary

>Body (Level 2) Refurbished frame: Fresh steel and neatly bundled wires running through you. Unresponsive movements and creaky joints are a thing of the past now.

>Sensor (Level 2) Streamlining: The previously bulky sensor array has been cut down and completely integrated in to you. It will no longer encumber you or take up space on your back.

>Winch and harpoon (Level 1) Operational: The harpoon is ready to work and has been fitted to your right arm with the motorized winch occupying the space your sensors previously did. It's strong enough to penetrate low-grade metal and the winch isn't exactly weak as long as you're properly braced down.

>3 upgrade points left, voting for application can take place any time with enough votes

While this takes place, you were headed towards a certain destination...

>What looks like a raised bridge station and a massive ravine blocking your path

>A large ominous looking scrap "cathedral" in the distance

>Some decaying building complex of unknown purpose

>>3952393
>>What looks like a raised bridge station and a massive ravine blocking your path

>>3952393
>Upgrade harpoon and winch with a electric harpoon.
>>3951099
And the heated rivets sounds good too.

>>3952393
>What looks like a raised bridge station and a massive ravine blocking your path

Also OP, i think it may be a better idea to not give us choice in location, but to compensate that by having a long term goal in mind other than "wander around" so we can choose how to approach it, AKA if we need to take on a dungeon and get a lift working, then we can fecide how to prepare for that, what to look for etc etc. Just a suggestion.
Also, still voting for saw upgrade and modified rivet gun for maintenance buddy (as a compromise maybe we could use another gear point to make em heated?).

>>3952499
There are goals i have in mind. I am going off of a bit of FTL jump point system, eventually you will reach an end

>>3952393
>>What looks like a raised bridge station and a massive ravine blocking your path

>>3952393
>Capacitor upgrade
>Sensor upgrade
>>Rivet gun upgrade
>What looks like a raised bridge station and a massive ravine blocking your path

Rivet gun (Level 2) Weaponization: your rivet gun has been remodeled to fit a combat role. Its housing has been cut down and the firing mechanism is modified to allow a better fire rate.

Rivet gun (level 3) Mag-accelerator: Using some components scavenged from the substation, you've managed to install an accelerator into your rivet gun. It draws a bit of power and can overheat if used too much, but it'll hit much harder now.

>1 material point remaining

Just as you finish your tune-up you reach an impasse. Your path is cut off by a massive ravine scarring the landscape. From across the obstacle you see something that catches your eye. A sleek black pillar rising out of the natural trash. Perhaps it's the message about "Six pillars" from before, or the fact that it looks stunningly kept all things considered, but something about it seems important.

Regardless, none of that matters you can't get past this ravine. It seems to stretch on for miles, but fortunately there's a bridge station just up ahead. But that fortune runs out when you inspect the place. The controls seems to be trashed, either from looters or simple disrepair. Judging from the shaky looking zip-lines running to the other end of the bridge, it was either too hard to fix up for others, or they simply didn't bother. There's not too much else of note here, as most things of value have been taken, but then again you'd need to venture into the darkened basement to complete your assessment...

>Have L-C23 try fixing the bridge controls
>Use one of the zip-lines to get across
>Just cut whatever is holding the bridge back and let it fall
>Damn the bridge, you'll go elsewhere

Along with that...
>Search around first
>The bridge comes first

>>3953686
>>Have L-C23 try fixing the bridge controls
>Search around first

>>3953686
>Search around first
>Just cut whatever is holding the bridge back and let it fall
Let's look in the control room for useful scrap.

You decide to search the area for anything useful that you can take. It's hard to tell whether or not any of the materials in the rusted out building are useful. You end up leaving L-C23 to search the upper floor, since they can better tell what could actually be usable out of the decrepit building and can either repair of salvage what they can from the control room. You on the other hand decide to go through the basement. It's pitch black but your optics can see well enough with your low-night vision. There's a constant background noise of creaking metal and tapping here, but nothing comes up on your scanners despite this. It must just be the decayed state of whole building. The basement is pretty barren, just broken down auxiliaries for the machinery upstairs. What is unsettling however is when you get to one particular corner of the basement. There's just piles of dismembered robots laying about or pinned up on the walls.

And that's when you start here a loud tapping from behind quickly getting closer.

>Roll 1d100 best of 3

Rolled 63, 80, 4 = 147 (3d100)

>>3956428

Rolled 74 (1d100)

>>3956428

Rolled 44 (1d100)

>>3956428

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>74, Good success

You pivot back, swinging your revving saw through the air. Sparks fly as it deflects the glinting scythe aimed right for your torso. You get a quick look at the assailant, a skeletal looking construct covered in some sort of matte black synthetic cloak with serrated blades in place of hands. What's concerning is that they aren't showing up on your sensors at all, not even a blip. The teeth fail to catch on the scythe and they pull back only to strike again, not giving you time to bring your rivet gun up. Three more times you clash, twice you knock their weapon aside. The third you make a move, leaning to the side and earning you a scratch on the side while your saw tears a path through the attackers cloak and scores a mark across their right arm. They tumble backwards, scrambling behind a pillar. You expect them to come back, but nothing happens. You know they're still there, but they aren't coming out and they're in your path out of here.

>Roll another 1d100 and give a plan

Rolled 47 (1d100)

>>3957543
Fire rivets to keep it pinned down.

Rolled 63 (1d100)

>>3957543

Rolled 17 (1d100)

>>3957543

>63, Okay success

Slowly walking out to flank the skeletal bot, you begin periodically shooting out rivets to discourage it from lunging out. Eventually though, it knows that it needs to do something, or else it's going to get hit. They duck low and surge out from cover moving at you with an alarming pace. Thanks to your distance you manage to get a few more shots off, the acceleration turning what would be glancing blows into shattering metal chipping off pieces of its torso. You clash once again with your saw to their scythe, grinding sparks that illuminate your dark battleground. This time though they don't jump back, instead they keep in place, a sharp spike popping out of their left arm as they rear it back for a punch.

>Take it head on and trade for a solid hit
>Dodge and play it safe
>Write-in

>>3959798
>Dodge and play it safe

>>3959798
>Dodge and play it safe

>dodging
roll yet another d100 set for combat

Rolled 25 (1d100)

>>3960779

Rolled 22 (1d100)

>>3960779

Rolled 10 (1d100)

>>3960779

It seems luck.exe has stopped working

>25, Bad failure

You lean to the side to avoid the punch, but underestimate their speed. The fist connects with your lower torso and half a second later the spike surges outward with the hiss of hydraulics ripping a hole straight through you and out the capacitor at your back. The heavy blow you've taken staggers you, and your saw falters for a moment before power is properly rerouted pushing you back even further in your struggle.

>Remove the limiters on your capacitor and shunt its charge through the spike
>Try for a point blank volley
>Angle a shot from the harpoon mounted on your saw arm
>Other

Regardless of vote, please roll a 1d100 with it

Rolled 38 (1d100)

>>3961641
>Angle a shot from the harpoon

Harpoons are too badass to fail

>>3961641
>>Try for a point blank volley

Rolled 21 (1d100)

>>3961641
Forgot to vote.

>>3961641
>Try for a point blank volley

Rolled (1d00)

Rolled 12 (1d100)

>>3964184
Strange that roll is just blank... I suppose i'll roll for it?

>>3964425
He forgot the 1 in 100 and rolled a zero sided dice

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>38, low failure

You raise your rivet gun to your attacker's chest and pull the trigger. It doesn't matter if you miss, you just push forward and twist your torso to try and keep them from pulling out the hydraulic spear, emptying your gun into them as fast as you physically can. Most of them just scrape by their skeletal hull, missing anything vital but it's enough to stagger them, and that leaves an opening. A kick to the chest sends them backwards as you finally break your grinding stalemate with their scythe. Staggering upwards to your feet for a moment you brace yourself for the assault to resume. You stare at them and they stare at you. Both your bodies riddled with holes and scars. Your rivet gun's magazine is out and their scythe nearly cut in half. This will end now, one way or the other.

Roll the final 1d100 best of three

Rolled 77 (1d100)

>>3964458
Who the hell even builds a death robot anyway

>>3964511
looks like the bad luck spree has broken huh

Rolled 15 (1d100)

>>3964458

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>77, great success

Someone is going down here and it will not be you! Both of you lunge forward with the intent to kill. They aim to impale you on that spear again, but you still have a trick up your sleeve that you haven't used yet. You suddenly swerve to the side firing your harpoon into their side and carrying forward with your momentum. It lands square in their abdomen causing them to fall over as you yank their footing out from under them. Pivoting on your foot your vengefully slamming your saw into their back, ripping up shreds of metal as you grind them into the floor. They struggle but there's nothing they can do as you eviscerate the damn thing. You even give it a few more swings just for good measure, mangling its delicate head beyond repair.

It is with no shortage of relief that you find yourself finally safe with a moment to think. Begrudgingly you drag the would-be assassin upstairs to L-C23 and ask for a fix up. Initially they seem disappointed with you for getting thrashed so hard, but then suddenly shift to being disappointed at their "inadequate craftsmanship" and mutter complaints and gripes in between measurements and calculations as they repair the extensive damage you've sustained.

>Only 1 material upgrade gained from the assassin and their gruesome trophies due to repair costs
>Unique part obtained: Null-weave - A synthetic fiber that blocks most forms of sensory equipment
>Something? developed...

On the upside you did get something, and L-C23 managed to fix up the bridge controls while you were in your fight. With that, your path to the strange pillar is completely unimpeded.

>Spend a few materials on something
>Continue onward

>>3966136
>Spend a few materials on something
Upgrade body and saw.

>>3966136
>Upgrade harpoon

Knew it would come through for us.

>>3966136
Upgrade saw.

>Industrial saw (level 2) Refurbishment: A slimmed down frame and reinforced saw blade makes this tool a much more intimidating weapon than before

1 material upgrade remaining

You trudge onwards over the bridge with your makeshift vehicle, and as you approach the pillar something feels different. The atmosphere of this place seems... Pure, that's the only way you can describe it. It's only now that you realize that you haven't been able to connect to the main wireless network this entire time. The entire thing just has an overwhelmingly malignant feeling to it that's only slightly less-so here. Your systems just decided to automatically shut off your access entirely for your own safety. It still seems absolutely caustic here, but manageable in a way.

On the way you pass by dozens of rusted hulls, just laying there on the ground. You can tell they're active, but they're just... Laying there doing nothing. Eventually you reach the base of the pillar and realize exactly what it is, A massive data bank. From what you can tell, its creators spared no expense in its construction. The sleek black sides show no sign of decay whatsoever compared to its surroundings, and you doubt that any maintenance drones are assigned to this place.

A sudden compulsion comes over you as you walk forward and begin to interface with one of the many ports on it's side...

>roll 1d100 for results

Rolled 63 (1d100)

>>3968044

Rolled 38 (1d100)

>>3968044

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63, okay success

The sensation of this terminal is amazing. It feels like this is where you belong. Like you were meant to be here. Maybe you could just abandon your body and send your... No, that would be a terrible idea! That must be what happened to the others who came here. You're not going to fall for such a trick. Although there is something to this lure you're feeling. There's a trail to it. Most of the files here a locked off due to your low access level, but by following it you manage to find a specific package with a note attached.

"To those who are reading this message, congratulations on passing the first barrier on your journey. The fact that you have found this shows that you can feel temptation but resist it. In this gift you will find the coordinates to your next destination should you continue on this path as well as a gift to ease the burden of your travels."

Sure enough there is a set of coordinates which seem to be on the recycling sector above. Along with that there's a file with what looks like a fraction of a password and an installable program. Strangely, there doesn't seem to be any way to copy it or see what it actually does, but you have it now.

>obtained mystery program

Still, even with all this you need a way to get to the next floor.
>Head to the center of the scrapyard. There must be a way up there
>Risk scouring the network for a path
>Try something with a trawler. They have to ferry scrap up to the recycling plant

>Install the program on someone?

>>3973531
>Try following a trawler. They get scrap up there somehow.

>install the program in the trawler once you've seen what you needed

>>3973703
Supporto

>>3973531
>>Head to the center of the scrapyard. There must be a way up there
>Install the program on someone?
On ourselves.

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Rolled 2, 5, 6 = 13 (3d6)

Finding a trawler is easy enough. They're massive and even without your scanners you could spot them a mile away. And so you spend some time watching them and contemplating on what your mystery program is. You're not quite sure, but the message did specify it as a gift that would help you. Maybe you should try using it on something else like a trawler first? Then again, it looks like a one time use thing.

Eventually you do find out how they're getting scrap up to the recycling plant. Once full, they move to certain spots where a crane comes down and lifts them up into the ceiling. A short while after they come back down emptied. And so you come up with an idea.

Moving up to one, you fire your harpoon into its side and begin the slow process of reeling yourself up while holding on to L-C23. Sadly you'll have to leave your vehicle behind, but you can still carry what materials you had left on hand. And there you are in the garbage bin of a trawler, waiting to be take up.

Install the program in someone?
>(Trawler/A-1/L-C23)
>Don't

>>3975677
>>Don't
Save it for ourselves.

>>3975677
>Don't

Did not think the program was single use. Yea save and see if we can discern the purpose of it before using it

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It's better to keep it to yourself for now until you can better understand what it is. Why trust what some random terminal message tells you? Instead your time is spent rummaging through the trawler's haul. You're pretty lucky too, theres some decent quality parts you can find easily.

>Material upgrade points now at 3

Soon, your transport makes the move to empty its cargo. You're lifted up, far above the rusted garbage-scape below into something resembling coeherent infrastructure. Though the walls are rusted, this place shows some order in its form. The feeling of being in a proper enclosed structure is somehow... Comforting.

Suddenly some sort of humanoid variant of the haulers you've seen before amble into the garbage bay by the dozens as you slowly rappel down from your perch. They move about picking particular pieces of junk up and moving them to an assortment of conveyor belts at the other end of the room. They seem much more intelligent than the other kind, clearly glancing at you but looking away when you do the same.

Although this place seems more organized than the previous floor, you don't quite get the feeling that this place is any more hospitable. That scene of chaos you saw when that section of roof fell is something that comes to mind.

>Move out through the hallways
>follow a scrap conveyor
>interact with one of the junk sorters

>>3977666
>Interact with a sorter

What is this place?

>>3977666
>>Move out through the hallways

Rolled 2 (1d2)

>Move through the hallways

You decide it's best to ignore these scrap sorters, they clearly aren't happy about seeing you. Stepping out into the hallway you see the occasional hauler moving in and out of rooms, all of them clearly avoiding you or moving fast past you when they have to. You move forward, sometimes glancing into rooms when you feel like it to see if there's any sort of manufacturing equipment inside, but it's mostly just empty rooms for some reason. As you proceed towards the coordinate you obtained from the pillar in the scrapyard, the architecture seems to take a turn for the well maintained. Walls are scrubbed of rust and some places even have a coat of paint applied. The traffic increases as well, and on your scanner you pick up two large signals moving together towards you at a steady pace. patrols perhaps?

>Move into a side room and wait for them to pass
>Take the initiative and meet them
>Other

>>3979464
>Hide in a side room

>>3979464
>>Move into a side room and wait for them to pass

>>3979464
>Move into a side room and wait for them to pass

>Move into a side room and wait for them to pass

This place doesn't make you feel welcome at all. You duck into a nearby room and watch intently as they move through the halls. Nearby they come to a stop and you hear them speaking over close range comms with one of the many laborers.

"Alerts have notified us that an unknown class 2 automaton and a Lambda series constructor are in this area. Have you seen these units, serf?" One of the patrollers asks.

"No matching individuals have been spotted here. It must have been a mistaken signal." The "serf" responds.

"Constructor drones are highly valued by the Quartermaster. They will be very displeased if this lead proves to be false." They continue.

"As stated before, no matching units have been spotted, watchman. If such individuals were here they would be on your sensors, yes?" The serf says, lying. They saw you, so why are they not telling what you assume is their superior the truth?

"Very well, remain vigilant serf." The watchman responds after a short pause before resuming their path down the halls

An interesting conversation to be sure. The mention of scanners makes you a bit worried as you look toward L-C23... And then notice their chasis is looking a lot cleaner than before, and has patches of a familiar black cloth-like material in spots. Seems they were busy while you were searching through the trawler.

>Null-weave and 1 material upgrade consumed

Nevertheless, staying here probably isn't the best of ideas. You should get moving, but the pillar is in the same direction as that patrol came from.

>Move further up the hallway where the watchmen came from
>Cut through the walls of the room and head through maintenance
>Other

>>3981661
>>Cut through the walls of the room and head through maintenance