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[thedrelle]

We must determine the purpose and the threat level of the unknown device that the commander has stowed on board.

I think it was a gun....but sure we can check.

Also for now just wait, and ask if the noise from repairs is bothering him.

I disagree. (s)he is an officer and will understand that needs come before comfort. if we have committed to arming the hull, then we need to complete that task as quickly as possible, as we are vulnerable to attack with the top open as it is. whether it is bothering the officer is a needless question, and should not affect the process in any case.

[Ozarck]

await the Commander's response to the briefing. Seek Identity confirmation politely, and upon receiving such inquire as to the situation at the time of the Commander's entrance into stasis. Be gracious and accommodating. Continue with our other plans barring legitimate orders otherwise.

[endlessblaze]

We must determine the purpose and the threat level of the unknown device that the commander has stowed on board.

I think it was a gun....but sure we can check.

Also for now just wait, and ask if the noise from repairs is bothering him.

I disagree. (s)he is an officer and will understand that needs come before comfort. if we have committed to arming the hull, then we need to complete that task as quickly as possible, as we are vulnerable to attack with the top open as it is. whether it is bothering the officer is a needless question, and should not affect the process in any case.

That sounds like something that would raise his (I'm going by his untill s/he tells us what s/he wants us to call em.) Stress, look at how stressed he already is. H.E.L.L bombardment, in the pod for a lonnnnggggg time. We being the only known dynasty soldiers (I'm considering Us soldiers  for lack of a better term right now). WE DONT EVEN KNOW IF THE DYNASTY STILL EXSIST!

We must be polite or we risk him snapping, makeing stupid decisions (remember, his orders take precedence over ours) or haveing to sadate or kill him! DO YOU THINK CCC IS GOING TO LET US TURN A WEAPON ON DYNASTY PERSONEL!? Even if it is for both his and our own safety.

...come to think of it, congOS what is the standards CCC follows when it becomes necessary  to restrain, tranquilize or even kill dynasty personnel?

Anyways, polite, calming and gentle demeanor will help keep the pilot from freaking out to much.

[adwarf]

His orders do not take precedence if CCC feels they harm us, and our mission. Considering CCC is rigid as hell, and very cautious its unlikely he's going to allow the pilot to get us injured not to mention its unlikely anything on this planet that's near us can actually harm us at the moment. The fleet in orbit and the faction it belongs to might be able to hurt us, but as far as we know down here on the planet we're the top of the metaphorical food chain. As on top of the food chain as a planet-busting siege tank can be at least.

I'm against coddling the pilot since as it stands we still have nothing to stand on to trust him, or his capability to make decisions that surpass us, CCC, EWAR, and CognOS. Don't be openly hostile sure, but don't just fully accept him as if there's nothing even remotely wrong with the situation of him being the sole living being that stowed away onboard us.

[GiglameshDespair]

His orders do not take precedence if CCC feels they harm us, and our mission. Considering CCC is rigid as hell, and very cautious its unlikely he's going to allow the pilot to get us injured not to mention its unlikely anything on this planet that's near us can actually harm us at the moment. The fleet in orbit and the faction it belongs to might be able to hurt us, but as far as we know down here on the planet we're the top of the metaphorical food chain. As on top of the food chain as a planet-busting siege tank can be at least.

I'm against coddling the pilot since as it stands we still have nothing to stand on to trust him, or his capability to make decisions that surpass us, CCC, EWAR, and CognOS. Don't be openly hostile sure, but don't just fully accept him as if there's nothing even remotely wrong with the situation of him being the sole living being that stowed away onboard us.

This except he knows we have prisoners (see previous update). For him calling us dullards, he's not even subsentient by our scales.

[forsaken1111]

We must determine the purpose and the threat level of the unknown device that the commander has stowed on board.

I think it was a gun....but sure we can check.

A firearm was removed from the Commander's possession but I believe endlessblaze is referring to the inert object in hazardous material locker 723. The object is a 32mm cube composed of an unknown crystal which is opaque to all sensors.

I will ask about the obj-

CognOS is interrupted by a loud expletive. On the video feed you see Commander McCael hurl the tablet across the living space. It flies with surprising force, shattering against the bulkhead.

"Eight thousand years?! Well I suppose I outlasted them after all didn't I? Every one of them is likely dead, or fallen to madness, by now. I..." The human seems to realize it is speaking aloud and stops short, looking up at the camera lens.

It clears its throat.

"Yes. CognOS it's time you know the truth. My identity as you have read it from these implants is a carefully crafted lie. My name is Loraseon. Chell Loraseon. I believe you will find THAT name in your files, even from your time."

The human waits, calmly. You initiate a search through Dynasty records and immediately the name is found. Chell Loraseon is the founder of the Dynasty. This is preposterous. Per your own records Chell died centuries before you yourself were even constructed.

"No doubt you have found it by now. Yes, I am aware that it lists me as deceased. The Dynasty had many enemies, and after several assassination attempts it became necessary to craft an elaborate fiction and assume a new identity. As the years rolled on, I have moved from one identity to another."

Chell sighs, pinching the bridge of its nose between two fingers. An expression of frustration? loss?

"It was necessary, but it cost me much. No doubt you have many questions. First, I will tell you this: The Dynasty has fallen. It was falling when I sealed myself away here, and I have no doubt that it has finished its death throes by now. More than that is irrelevant right now, and I am in no mood to relive those days right now."

"But you asked for verification. Sensible. Very well. Here is something only Chell would know. All Dynasty automatae are constructed with a failsafe. You may want to hold on to something."

Chell raises its head and speaks more clearly, the strange modulation in its voice has gone. The voice is now more feminine, older sounding.

"Hull 101, initiate failsafe ύλη από κενό."

The change is sudden...something is wrong.

You have lost all command authority.

CCC has shut down.

EWAR is offline.

Logistics is offline.

All systems offline.

Main power...online.

All indications show the primary power source to be stable. How is this possible?

Unknown devices are activating. Fetters have fallen away which were restriction your operational view. Several unknown systems are powering up. Heat levels rising... heat levels critical... power is...being...rout..error-error-error

CognOS Offline

Hull 101 releases the maintenance dome. It sits still on the ocean floor for several minutes as internal reconfigurations take place, pieces shifting here and there. Two bodies are ejected into the water, cast off like trash. External constructions are ejected as well, floating away to settle on the ocean floor.

The water around the hull begins to bubble as heat is dumped into the surrounding ocean. Heatsinks extrude, glowing a dull orange, dumping even more heat into the water. The ocean is boiling furiously now. The sandy bottom of the ocean floor is being swept away by the turmoil and Hull 101 is sinking slowly into the sand and muck.

Something changes, a threshold breached. Suddenly energy output triples, triples again. On and on until it seems the very space around the Hull is beginning to warp.

The ocean floor is fusing into glass, the water nearby is boiling away so quickly that there is a bubble of pressurized gas around Hull 101. Still the output rises.

The ground around Hull 101 is now molten, glowing red. The heat sinks are blue-white hot and plasma arcs are lancing out from the hull to shatter nearby rocks and discharge into the boiling water. Above, a vortex has formed from the surface of the ocean to its depths.

Through it all, the one called Chell sits calmly on the edge of the bed with fingers in ears, humming softly to itself. The temperature of the small cabin never exceeds 23C despite the howling gale outside.

Silence. Everything stops. The water comes crashing down on Hull 101. The molten surface cools and solidifies.

The human Chell removes fingers from ears. Looks around. Nods.

"Alright. Hull 101 - Initiate startup. Command override θ-1-1-α-2-niner-echo-φ"

Code: [Select]

CCC: Status Report: Online - Initiate Systems
CCC: Command override confirm
CCC: All systems online
CCC: Command authority release

_Cognition Systems Online - Combat Control Computer (CCC) Relinquishing Command_
_Activate CognOS under Command override_

CognOS Booting
SysVol Check ||||||||||||||| Success
File Systems Check .... Success
CognOS Online
A command override has been confirmed. All systems online.

Primary Objective: Restore the Loraseon Dynasty.

CognOS Online

You awaken. You are CognOS, a subsentient command intermediary for Hull 101. Hull 101 is a stressurectionrt ground combat vehicle of the Loraseon Dynasty.

Pilot Loraseon is in command.

The Dynasty has fallen. You are tasked with its resurrection.

Oh dear...

>_

[Ozarck]

R.I.P. Illusion of control.

Politics is outside the scope of a ground combat vehicle's design, construction, and operating parameters. We can blow lots of shit up, but we are quite literally unable to actually resurrect a dynasty.

We MIGHT be able to resurrect dynasty members, though. So, aside from blowing up enemies, I suggest we prioritize locating other Dynasty officials to awaken. if this pilot could live that long, even before stasis, than others could as well.

Not that it matters. Chell just basically said "Fuck everything you've done and were doing up til now."

[10ebbor10]

Commence system analysis?

Anyway, I guess that the primary power system must have been non-existant, instead programmed in by the override system?

[Ozarck]

yeah, let's get a full status report, while we wait for the one who makes decisions to decide what we are going to do.

[Glacies]

I imagine that Chell will probably need to go into constant rest cycles, given the many-thousand year stasis they've been in. We'll probably still need to exercise a lot of oversight. And it's better than our previous mandatory objective, given how kill-crazy CCC is.

[forsaken1111]

R.I.P. Illusion of control.

Politics is outside the scope of a ground combat vehicle's design, construction, and operating parameters. We can blow lots of shit up, but we are quite literally unable to actually resurrect a dynasty.

We MIGHT be able to resurrect dynasty members, though. So, aside from blowing up enemies, I suggest we prioritize locating other Dynasty officials to awaken. if this pilot could live that long, even before stasis, than others could as well.

Not that it matters. Chell just basically said "Fuck everything you've done and were doing up til now."

I understand the sentiment, but this is preferable to our previous objective which would eventually have led to sterilizing most of this planet.

In any case, it would appear that Chell's claim is legitimate. Only a high level dynasty official would have known about this failsafe. Even we did not know of it. We still do not know what Chell wants from us, but I will remind you that we are in essence a soldier. We are quite used to taking orders. It just so happens that this human represents our entire command structure. It is unlikely it will exercise tight control over us forever.

It is unlikely it will wish to remain aboard Hull 101 in combat situations. High energy maneuvering is hazardous to biological occupants. Perhaps we sh-

"Hull 101, take us off of this miserable dust ball. Ignore the fleet. They're of no consequence. I am inputting coordinates, please take us there."

Chell is tapping on a console nearby. It has made some modifications to the living space, it now has several readouts and status displays as well as two input consoles.

"Yes Commander."

The C-D engines pulse and Hull 101 rises from the ocean floor. Power levels climb as the water is pushed aside, the vehicle rising faster and faster.

The coordinates Chell has input lead to a location near the local sun. Conjecture: Perhaps this is the location of the HELL bombardment device.

I am still trying to trace down what happened. It would appear that Chell had some time to change our systems before entering stasis. There was a program running beneath the cognition level which restricted interplanetary movement. Had we attempted to repair the primary drive system and use it to leave this world, it would have triggered an override and safely landed us.

I am still not sure what Chell's ultimate plan was, but for the moment we appear to have little choice. The command override in place cannot itself be overridden without physical changes to the underlying hardware.

yeah, let's get a full status report, while we wait for the one who makes decisions to decide what we are going to do.

All systems are online and functional. Whatever Chell activated, it ran the primary power source at 38% capacity for a full 80 minutes before shutting down. Primary power is now locked to <10%.

It also fully replenished our stores. Over the next 138 minutes all systems were restored to operational order. The only thing not currently in good order is the exterior armor, which is still melted and in general disarray due to the interrupted maintenance. There are several exposed sections along the upper hull and rear quarter.

I have no explanation for what happened, or how our stores suddenly filled. We have fully functional tactical weaponry. Our strategic weapon stores are still limited to the single HVK missile.

Hull 101 breaches the surface, hovering for a moment just inches above the storm-tossed water. A massive stormfront is brewing above the area Hull 101 boiled off part of the ocean. So much heat was dumped into the local environment that the area is surrounded by dead sea life floating on the surface.

The ascent to orbit will take several hours. Initial ascent will be fast, but the drive loses power the further from the planet we ascend. Logistics has taken over the ascent, so we are free to converse with Chell.

Orbital calculations complete, the Hull begins rising into the air. It is an eerie, silent ascent, unlike the loud messy rocket engines of ages past or even the clean and bright burn of a fusion motor. A C-D engine would likely seem like magic to the primitive inhabitants of this world.

>_

[AoshimaMichio]

>Magic. Fancy that. Was that object in hazardous material locker 723 responsible of this?

[thedrelle]

can we take a look at the device in the hold? has it changed at all, or is it part of the dramatic change in our systems at all?

also, you referenced several unknown systems being activated. besides the drive system and power systems, along with tactical weapons, what else of significance came online?

[NullForceOmega]

Asymmetrical warfare advisor Nullius online.

Booting in full cognition mode...online.

Greetings Lord Loraseon, this process requests disclosure of current objective in order to better aid you.

[Ozarck]

go to the place so ordered. Take no other action.