Figure out why there are cameras in the walls. Then ask miyamoto for permission to tear the cameras out after explaining what's going on.
Read last post.
You're guessing they're there to monitor something. Can't say what though.
Figure out why there are cameras in the walls.
((So the AI can watch us for typical HMRC insubordination of course. Why else?))
Take a good rest and have something to eat and drink. Then once I'm done with that, go merge all the map data together and then head to the garage to check out if we have the stuff that I could use to make electrical safety cages for us to carry.
Like the ones back on the quiet world? Yeah, you could do that. However some of the electric discharge is coming up from the ground so if you walk over top of it with the bottomless cage it might just use your leg rather then the cage.
(Anton fixes up the boxes. However, still need to know what those nets are made of and how they're designed. I assume you want them to be weighted on the ends. As per that gun, there are a surprising lack of compressed air tanks for you to make use of. The only tanks seem to be those for use by the welding and cutting torches.)
((Yeah, weighted on the end would be handy. About the material, kinda depends on what we have on hand in the base. Do we have rope? Steel wire rope? Or something made of a sort of synthetic fibers? Since it doesn't need to be a 'fine' net (the meshes) or anything, any of these should do.
And I guess we'll have to make due without a launcher, would hate cannibalizing a gauss rifle for it.))
Anton action: make 3 nets, if there are multiple usable materials use that which is most abundant, yet still decently strong to catch wildlife with it.
Then, hook up trailer to MPV and load said trailer with the boxes 'n nets. Take some spare rope/cable too, and some big sample containers from the lab. Also load some food and water, something for the full robots too.
((Unless anyone can think of anything else that would be handy to take with the trailer, or if anyone needs Anton for anything, speak up now, 'cause I'll let him depart next turn. Unless Sean takes control again, of course.))
'Lukas, while you're holding onto this, could you perhaps use those little drones of you to scout around a bit, and see if you can find some sort of nest or something? They have to breed somewhere.
Hey, rest of red team, you guys found anything yet? Captured anything?
Miyamoto action: use modified drone to look around, go up high and look for predatory creatures, or something that looks like a nest or something. Also take a reading of the atmosphere up high, if the drone can do that.
Also look how the beetle is behaving.
Anton gets everything built and loaded.
As per you, you get your drone up about, say, 2/3rds up one of the towers before one of those strange rods with arms swings by, catches it and carries it away after smashing it against one of the towers.
"Huh. Found one."
Lukas Red Team
'Lukas, while you're holding onto this, could you perhaps use those little drones of you to scout around a bit, and see if you can find some sort of nest or something? They have to breed somewhere.
"I'm not sure if that is possible for me to do. Basically these drones act on their own initiative and, as I understand from the doc's explanation, they simply attack anything that poses a threat to me. I can always try, but as soon as I activate them you and the others have to make sure that you don't actually harm me. I'm not sure whether I can stop them if they attack you."
Try to find out if there is a way to use the laser drones for exploration (do not activate them yet).
Inspect beetle, but be extra careful not to let go of it.
The Drones don't seem like they're very good for exploration, since they don't record things and seem rather independent.
The beetle is is about a foot long and vaguely scarab like, but it lacks normal mandibles. Rather it seems to have strange sort of grinder like mouth on it's underbelly.
Can we assume that I stayed behind? There are a few things left I want to try.
"Hey, don't you ignore me when I'm lasering you!" said Flint as he threw a rock at the creature.
Assuming I stayed behind:
Throw a rock at the creature with all my strength and see what happens (does it pass through it, bounce back, stops immediately, is eaten, etc). Put the rock in a sample container (without touching it if possible) regardless of the result.
If I've gotten a good chunk of the creature from the previous test, simply follow it from a safe distance and ignore the sampling attempts below.
If nothing in the previous test has shown me this won't work, tie a sample container at the end of my pole and try to sample the creature.
If the above doesn't work and nothing in the previous tests has shown me this won't work, tie a rock at the end of my pole and use it like an improvised sledgehammer to take a piece of the creature.
If the above doesn't work and nothing in the previous tests has shown me this won't work, tie the monorazor at the end of the pole and try to slice a sample of the creature.
Follow the creature from a safe distance.
((Too bad I didn't bring a gauss rifle with me...))
If I returned to base:
Resupply, leave my samples in the lab, try to get everyone else who has taken samples and is in the base to leave them at the lab, requesting update on what samples are in the lab, take a lot of rope, poles and sheets of metal with me go with Vich in the shuttle.
"Driver, follow that colossal crystalline walking tower!"
The Crystalline creature enters the electric fields, making following it from up close pretty much impossible. Though that may be for the best considering that as soon as it enters the electric fields it starts absorbing electricity at a rather alarming rate; huge streams of current leaping from the ground into the creature's body. The crystal begins fading from white to a deepish blue.
[color=00cc00]"I.. have made a terrible mistake. I'll just lie here for a while."[/color]
Lie on roof, looking for anything out of the usual batshit insanity.
Hmm...well you think you can see the crystal a bit more...it's covered in electricity. Oh good. Sure thats not gonna end horribly. You wiggle yourself to the edge and watch as anton drives the little MPV out of the garage.
((Thanks. Will call you that.))
Coming into the base, Vich was pondering over to do now. The giant creature he awakened was a promising new development, and just got leave to explore it on his own. Might also be a possibility to advance in the ranks, come to look at it. Unless he screws it up, of course. Not screwing things up was more important considering he was planning to take a shuttle with him. But first, to check on an already underway project. Cameras.
He quickly walked over to where Jack was working on dismantling the infrared cameras sitting in the walls.
"Good work. I knew our overseers weren't stupid. Infrared cameras you say? Classic.
Now just to find those in the ceiling and the backup ones, and I think we're set to go.
But I were you, I'd wait before tearing them out. Because we'd better have an answer when Miyamoto asks why started tearing things out of the walls without even informing him. For now, let's figure out where those wires lead."
I'm assuming the cameras are attacked to the wires, right? Easily pluggable, or actually need to be torn out? Big or small?
Can I without doing technical work see where they lead?
"First of all, seeing where it ends up would let us know where this information is stored. At least I hope it will.
And it may let us know if Alvin receiving any of this. And it will also let us more easily take them out without damaging anything.
Then after you do that you should check the ceiling, while I try to get Miyamoto's permission to take the cameras out. I honestly hoped I wouldn't have to reveal that we're working together so early, but then talking to people is my job.
Huh, but if you were to talk to him I could give a couple tips. It would certainly allow us to keep our relationship a secret. Your choice." ((Sorry for covering so many things in that space. I think I'll put that conversation in quantum space so you have to reply and I am able to do other things.))
That done, Vich headed to find Mesk.
"Mesk Vraite? I'm Vich of blue team, if you don't know me already. We have awakened some gigantic monstrosity which is moving towards the electric fields, and I thinking of using an electrically insulated vehicle, like a mini-shuttle, to follow it. I have permission from Bishop for this endeavor. Well first of all, I came to inform you that I am planning to take a mini-shuttle out. But I am also wondering if we have any back-up pilots that could pilot us, since I don't know how to pilot a mini-shuttle." (After receiving the answer that we don't have a back-up pilot.) "Wait, we don't have a back-up pilot? That means if something happens to you... Would you be willing to... Or should I ask you to train somebody else to pilot one of these things?"
Refill my supplies and get into the mini-shuttle, waiting for Mesk to take us off.
The cameras are attached to wires; and not in the pluggy way. pretty small wires.
You can see where they lead a little bit, but following them for too long is gonna require removing panels and generally digging through the base structure.
You talk to mesk and then get in the shuttle.
((Hey guys, I'm on vacation and my ability to post here is somewhat spotty, so I'm not going to be as active as normal.
Also, Simus could be a good idea as a back-up pilot, if I recall, she doesn't have a bonus to AUX, but she also doesn't have a penalty. Just saying, in case we need one, I'm willing.)
Log all the data from the dissection and "food" and "waste" experiments, noting in the "food" log that it may be thermophilic bacteria embedded in the rock that they're eating. Then, get out a plate of the outer shell, note how thick it is, take it outside, and fire a 10-second laser pulse from my modified laser rifle at it.
You log the data and test out the laser. It manages to cut through the shell, but it takes almost the entire 10 seconds. The density of the shell combined with it's heat resistance seems to make it quite good at surviving laser fire.
Sure. Just let me refill my supplies.
Refill my supplies, then head over to Vich
You refill your supplies and then wander over to vich, who is sitting in the shuttle.
(very well)
Load up the shuttle and follow the colossal crystalline walking tower!
You load into the shuttle and start take off preparations.
Basically I'm giving you a turn to think of you still want to go there since things have changed and it's not in the nice safe dry lake bed anymore.