((L3 may not be stable, but a station can still be parked there with some minor stationkeeping required. And it's the furthest from the planet - not that it'll help much, if Steve's estimate on the containment breach of the artifact from mission 4 is any indication.))
((At that point, is there even any reason to putting it at a Lagrange point? Seems like it would be cheaper, Δv-wise, to just put it on another planet.))
Like I said in the previous post: With my vocal cords.
First, replace the silvery material for later investigation and store the action figure. Then, head to the isolation chamber.
Once there, say the following:
"Hi. I heard you were sentient. Can you understand me?"
If this fails, stick my hand in it and try again.
Well, talking to it has no effect.
Sticking your hand into it has:
[Will:1]
[End:1]
...
You wake up on the dusty plains outside of the base, very confused as to where you are and whats going on. Last thing you remember is a big rock falling down toward you.
No amps in our workers, nor changeling implants. I suppose we can be reasonably sure that none of the workers left here are operatives in disguise, since those two items would be unbelievably difficult, if not impossible to get rid of without a full surgery bay. Still possible there is one, but the obvious - and most far-reaching - option is out.
((This one:
Message the Armoury Master:
I need a bit of advice regarding Organochemistry or Neural Connector amps (much more likely the former) - during the space battle, a member of ARM came into the control room and attempted to detonate a nuclear device. He was subdued, and is imprisoned, but we can't be sure whether or not he was acting of his own free will. Is there any way, without the use of amps (as we have nobody to use them, nor even the means to manufacture them yet), to determine whether someone has had their mind manipulated?
))
Not without knowing what their brain was like before hand.
((I had actually considered turning that off to be part of my action, but decided against it in case it forced a roll or something.))
Respawn.
"Why must these VRs be that realistic... I still feel sick..."
No amps in our workers, nor changeling implants. I suppose we can be reasonably sure that none of the workers left here are operatives in disguise, since those two items would be unbelievably difficult, if not impossible to get rid of without a full surgery bay. Still possible there is one, but the obvious - and most far-reaching - option is out.
"But Charles hasn't even... eh, okay. I've written a program that links our video feeds, although it seems to already be purposeless."
TINKER! AND CHARGE AN AUX BONUS!
First things first, set my VR body to be a dex synthflesh body with an MK.III. Examine what my stat bonuses are.
Now spawn myself into a regular tinker environment. Spawn a few Piezoelectric shard launchers, in various stages of deconstruction. Examine how they work- If I understand it correctly, the gun feeds a liquid solution into the firing chamber, and then channels electricity(?) through it which instantly solidifies it into the crystals. Then it... uses some form of electrical repulsion to propel the round out of the barrel? I'd like a better description, if you have one. Also, at what RPM does it fire a charged volley? Can you fire charged volleys in quick succession?
For now, just spawn little mini-sods armed with mini-PSLs that fire rounds at the below sizes. I want to see how well they do against full size mk1 dummies, and full size battlesuits for the heck of it.
Test 0: 24 inch shards (Yes, this is a standard PSL. I still want the description.)
Test 1: 12 inch shards
Test 2: 6 inch shards
Test 3: 4 inch shards
Test 4: 2 inch shards
Test 5: 1 inch shards
Test 6: 1/2 inch shards
And puppet Charles into making a nice speech about how the civvies better get into a particular living section, and lock all the doors once the civvies are inside.
+2 dex and specific +1 dex for dodging.
Yeah, thats basically it, in terms of the mechanics
RPM? As in what speed is the shard rotating?
Yes, if you have the fluid for it.
0: Against a MK I, this thing doesn't even get the chance to explode, it just punches straight through the guy,
1.Same as above
2. Gets about 3/4ths through and then detonates, spraying electric crystal shards in all directions. Guy is fucking dead.
3.Penetration and electricity do most damage, detonation does lots of local damage but isn't as spread.
4.-5, like above but weaker, still probably fatal or at least really damaging if you manage to hit someone in the chest
6.Now it's getting to the point that it's too small to do good damage. Still fucking hurts and such, but not really damaging in a fatal way.
Anton Chernozorov
Genau das, was wir brauchen. See if you can get some kind of video on the area, by scout drone or similar. We can determine what we do then - and I hope that we do not find what I expect. And if it is, we'd probably be better off making a strategic-yield nuclear device than any number of footsoldiers.
"Much as a sympathize with the notion of blowing things up, I would rather not slag any more of our own facility than absolutely necessary. Let's leave it as Plan B - first we should see what actually goes on in there, and try to resolve the situation with less destruction. Or at least better focused destruction.
Anyway, it seems we won't have a Sod strike group anytime soon. Don't know about "flesh is weak", but it certainly takes some time to make. I don't know if we can wait a few months either, and I certainly don't want to go down there without backup - or at all, really, at least until I know what's down there. Wasn't there an organochemistry amp overload that resulted in a creature that fled underground?
I do have an idea of what we could do in the meantime... but it needs some discussing. And I'll need Saint's help."
Anton pauses for a moment, consolidating his thoughts into as coherent a mass as he can.
"Basically, remember the RT unit? One of its features are the "zombie functions", where two support CPUs drive the body when the brain is not around. Well, we can't make RTs now, but we can probably hammer out a set of programs for a regular synthoid body with its own support CPUs, and a powerful comms unit instead of a brain. Tie the sensor feedback into a VR scene, and we can pretty much drive a body around in place of the brain. Instant remote control avatars. And best part, we probably don't need any new production lines to make any of it."
Talk to Simus.
Try (again) to get a camera feed from the damaged area underground, see what it is.
Ask Aresteve (or Steve, whoever is more qualified) on the feasibility of the proposed RC Synthoid - can a robot body be controlled with a comms unit and a CPU block plugged into where its brain should be?
No problem with that, though You'll probably need some time to get everything to work right. As in to get them moving without falling down, not shooting teammates, etc.