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Author Topic: You Are Cybernetic Avenger: Turn 8 (1/7/2016)  (Read 7996 times)

_DivideByZero_

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Re: You Are Cybernetic Avenger: Turn 4 (12/28/2015)
« Reply #30 on: December 28, 2015, 05:35:26 am »

"Not yet. There is still a final grace I seek before I will relinquish the flesh. A final purpose. For now I must be stronger in this body."

I was thinking that I may be able to use ghosts to create an artificial nervous system one under control of my will. This way I can forcibly stimulate functions of the body. Yes a body clogged with souls, one that takes true will power to master.

"Tell me, do you do much with ghosts?"


Explore the feasibility of NeoDireWolf's idea.

The stranger's facial features seem more exaggerated than before. The odd eye is about twice as large now, and his hair--

"What are you, a moron?!" says the girl. The voice comes from behind.
"Ghosts are people. You can't just build them. There's a special process. You don't remember the first ten years of your life, do you?"
Ten? If you count your birthdays, you get five... ten... fifteen... sixteen...
That's ten missing.

"Actually, I believe his idea has merit," says the distorted figure.
"This artificial flesh would require ghosts willing to serve--or forced, rather. Still, without a human Host a ghost cannot survive for long. This one would have to sustain several humans at once, each within transmission range. It would be a sad state of affairs indeed..."
"Unless you solve the transubstantiation problem..."
"Correct."

He turns to you.
"Flesh. You may not be aware of it yet, but a ghost does not survive long if disconnected from its human host. This is because a ghost and a host share personhood. As the physical bond between substances is severed, however, they no longer share a form, and in the absence of external forces, all matter returns to its form. Thus a ghost returns to its root: simple logitree material. Raw. Feral.
A ghost with no host cannot control his thoughts or his evolution. He loses all form, purpose, and substance. He loses his soul. What the Angel before you seeks, is to give a ghost a soul of his own."
Logged
Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth? (Gal 4:16)

lawastooshort

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Re: You Are Cybernetic Avenger: Turn 4 (12/28/2015)
« Reply #31 on: December 28, 2015, 11:43:46 am »

"Uh. Okay. I've not gained that much expertise in this field thus far... What kind of training and equipment can you offer me? Which is not to say I don't accept, I do, it seems a worthy thing to do. Or rather a worthy cause. Say, what would you say your cause was? Why do you want this power?"
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_DivideByZero_

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Re: You Are Cybernetic Avenger: Turn 4 (12/28/2015)
« Reply #32 on: December 28, 2015, 04:58:53 pm »

Uh, do whatever they want me to. Inquire as what to do.

You put the headset on?

The feeling you get is one of being yanked out of the real world and being shoved back into the network. But instead of your old self you are stuck with your weak, physical body. Knocked to the (virtual) floor, you see darkness all around, and you sit atop an obsidian tower. Stars slowly come into view, as do brighter stars with names by them: planets.

You hear a slithering sound coming from below the tower floor which you stand on. There is a stairwell leading into the darkness, but it is unlit.

"Uh. Okay. I've not gained that much expertise in this field thus far... What kind of training and equipment can you offer me? Which is not to say I don't accept, I do, it seems a worthy thing to do. Or rather a worthy cause. Say, what would you say your cause was? Why do you want this power?"

"Because the factions here want to sell out. For some reason everyone wants to go back to a world government. But anyone who knows history can tell how that turned out.

Unless... of course... you don't know history. I can give you a rundown if you like."


He removes his cigar and blows a puff of orange, nanite-infused smoke.

"As for equipment and training, see for yourself."

The room turns into a garage, with faint scarlet light pouring in through vents on the upper walls. Fluorescent spotlights illuminate rows upon rows of tanks, armed transports, and aircraft, leaving dark, unlit areas mixed between.
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Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth? (Gal 4:16)

WunderKatze

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Re: You Are Cybernetic Avenger: Turn 4 (12/28/2015)
« Reply #33 on: December 28, 2015, 05:41:17 pm »

NeoDireWolf's foot begins to tap irritably as he listens to them talk. "Of course. Of course. I wish to synchronize ghosts to my nervous system in order to gain control over which processes of my flesh are stimulated and to what magnitude."

So... You can hear my thoughts... Twice earlier I have had the impression that this was the case....

"These ghosts would be no better off then me. I do not wish to destroy the ghosts that would enter me. Rather I wish to become unified in one flesh, then when my final grace is fulfilled I will relinquish the flesh and the ghosts that I will have taken on.
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Sigh, they always said that junk food was bad for you. I guess that leaves us with canabalism.

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OPERATION MARKET STORM

lawastooshort

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Re: You Are Cybernetic Avenger: Turn 4 (12/28/2015)
« Reply #34 on: December 28, 2015, 05:54:00 pm »

"Oh... I have to admit I hadn't entirely appreciated the scale of your operation. Goodness."

Seeing the enormous scale of this something fighting something who knows how many times larger than itself gave Neil a few thoughts for later. The world outside is a serious place...

"Well - you're the experts at this, right? I'll let you guide me as to what I might need and whatever training I might need to use it. I mean, by experts, that this is something that's been going on a while, right? An unofficial war? That most everyone on the planet's never going to know about? How many people are there, you know, in... the networks compared to outside them?"

Neil walked up and down the first row of vehicles for a minute.

"But wait - you might laugh but no, I don't believe I entirely do know history. A world government? I mean isn't... aren't we just..."

Kept in vats, part of Neil wanted to finish.

"Who wants to go back to a world government? Isn't that what we have already? Even out here?"

Out of the vats, Neil wanted to clarify... I mean, he kind of knew how people weren't really people, or were, but were separate, or...

"Things are a lot more complicated than folks let folks let on, hey? I feel like I've been given some kind of stupidifying drug..."

He pinched the bridge of his nose for a second and hoped some more answers might come. Although he felt nothing wrong with his new... acquaintances, he hoped that they wouldn't realise that he had no reason - yet - to be on their side. How could he be on anyone's side, knowing so little? He felt like a baby deer, plopped out of his mother onto the savanna and handed a gun whilst being asked to choose sides. It was all several levels of decision above what he felt capable of just now.

Still, there didn't seem to be any reason not to dive in.

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_DivideByZero_

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Re: You Are Cybernetic Avenger: Turn 4 (12/28/2015)
« Reply #35 on: December 28, 2015, 06:59:47 pm »

NeoDireWolf's foot begins to tap irritably as he listens to them talk. "Of course. Of course. I wish to synchronize ghosts to my nervous system in order to gain control over which processes of my flesh are stimulated and to what magnitude."

So... You can hear my thoughts... Twice earlier I have had the impression that this was the case....

"These ghosts would be no better off then me. I do not wish to destroy the ghosts that would enter me. Rather I wish to become unified in one flesh, then when my final grace is fulfilled I will relinquish the flesh and the ghosts that I will have taken on.

"What is a thought? Even ghosts have the luxury of keeping secrets from others, but the neural apparatus embedded within the skull may as well be a looking glass into the mind..."

"Wait, that wasn't..." the girl says again. She then remains silent.
"This one has many ambitions. The same cannot be said of yourself, Roi."
You somehow get the sense he isn't talking to you anymore.
"He wishes to transcend bounds. You merely serve yourself. You too desire freedom, but the drive to further human evolution is missing. You wish only to free yourself of the flesh and take on a ghost form once again."

The girl walks back down the stairs.

"So tell me, newcomer," he addresses you this time. "Do you have reservations against killing the ghosts of the diverged? Unlike a living ghost, a divergent ghost may as well be damned. It is the transubstantiation problem that plagues all attempts to separate humans from ghosts through any means. A ghost, upon divergence, no longer shares a substance with its host but transforms into a new substance. Hence 'transubstantiation.'

We need samples in order to perform studies on the psyche of ghosts. There are two types of samples we need: diverged ghosts, and diverged hosts. Which would you be supporting us in acquiring?"


"Oh... I have to admit I hadn't entirely appreciated the scale of your operation. Goodness."

Seeing the enormous scale of this something fighting something who knows how many times larger than itself gave Neil a few thoughts for later. The world outside is a serious place...

"Well - you're the experts at this, right? I'll let you guide me as to what I might need and whatever training I might need to use it. I mean, by experts, that this is something that's been going on a while, right? An unofficial war? That most everyone on the planet's never going to know about? How many people are there, you know, in... the networks compared to outside them?"

Neil walked up and down the first row of vehicles for a minute.

"But wait - you might laugh but no, I don't believe I entirely do know history. A world government? I mean isn't... aren't we just..."

Kept in vats, part of Neil wanted to finish.

"Who wants to go back to a world government? Isn't that what we have already? Even out here?"

Out of the vats, Neil wanted to clarify... I mean, he kind of knew how people weren't really people, or were, but were separate, or...

"Things are a lot more complicated than folks let folks let on, hey? I feel like I've been given some kind of stupidifying drug..."

He pinched the bridge of his nose for a second and hoped some more answers might come. Although he felt nothing wrong with his new... acquaintances, he hoped that they wouldn't realise that he had no reason - yet - to be on their side. How could he be on anyone's side, knowing so little? He felt like a baby deer, plopped out of his mother onto the savanna and handed a gun whilst being asked to choose sides. It was all several levels of decision above what he felt capable of just now.

Still, there didn't seem to be any reason not to dive in.

"Yeah... the whole 'we are not allowed to educate people on the outside world' thing is a bit of a travesty. But there would be mass chaos if we didn't do it. Wayward, on the other hand, deliberately forces people out of the network so they can serve as lackeys. That is something that I, personally, and all of us, would never do."

He pulls out another cigar. The first one did burn awfully quickly...

"So here's a rundown: a long time ago, people used to live just like yourself. That is, there were no ghosts, no networks, no nothing. Everyone grew up, lived, and died in the real world. But as technology improved, the basic precursor to the reality network got started, and people spend more and more time in a virtual world. It was nowhere near as immersive as the one you came from, but it was immersive enough that soon everyone was in it except the ones that ran it. That was the world government, at least, what was left of it.
In the meantime, the colonies Earth had set up on other planets in the system were thriving, on planets much worse than this one too. But then, at around 3000 A.D... all hell broke loose. Earth declared war over a piddly shipment of antimatter coming from another star, and, well, the end result was us. We sent people to find new Earths because we destroyed our own. Earth is no longer habitable, not by standard measures.

You see, up until that point, the colonies measured themselves. They knew their place. But when Earth tried to assert dominance, that's when things collapsed. We gotta learn from history, keep it from happening again... before it's too late."


He walks by one of the vehicles. It's headlights lights turn on and the hatches open up mechanically. Apparently it has small wheels on each tread segment, so it can strafe sideways, albeit slowly. It starts to taxi onto the aisle in the middle of the hangar.

"We're not quite a world government already. Not even close. The closest thing top a government we have here are the Divergent, since they manage reproduction and all the server hardware.
But they don't own the colony. No-one does. Wayward and ExoCore do own some colonies, but they are not states in the traditional sense. They are corporations. They don't have any duty nor obligation to those they control."

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Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth? (Gal 4:16)

lawastooshort

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Re: You Are Cybernetic Avenger: Turn 4 (12/28/2015)
« Reply #36 on: December 29, 2015, 11:26:16 am »

"Thank you. Makes everything make a bit more sense. I approve of rulers having duty and obligation... Okay, so - I am happy to do this, and see what happens. So it's like a sabotage mission? Well, is. Not is like. Can you introduce me to your arms, demolitions equipment, transport and team? Is that how it works? Do I get any training? Anything to help me operate?"

Neil tried to sound reasonably professional, as if he knew not just what was going on, but what he was doing...
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WunderKatze

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Re: You Are Cybernetic Avenger: Turn 4 (12/28/2015)
« Reply #37 on: December 29, 2015, 04:47:08 pm »

"I'll hunt both, as needed. As long as I can have access to all of the data that your studies produce."

NeoDireWolf pauses for a moment.

"Tell me how many others do you have here?"

Begin the hunt.
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Sigh, they always said that junk food was bad for you. I guess that leaves us with canabalism.

HEAVY DAMAGE
OPERATION MARKET STORM

HighEndNoob

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Re: You Are Cybernetic Avenger: Turn 4 (12/28/2015)
« Reply #38 on: December 29, 2015, 10:22:51 pm »

"Uhh... a horse in a half-track? And who is that voice? It sounds oddly familiar..." What a horse doing hear, and why does that voice create such... feelings of familiarity?

Try to look behind the horse to find the voice.

((OOC: Is the horse supposed to be familiar, or is it completely random?))
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Quote
(5) You manage to struggle free of the guards and sprint to a safe distance before tossing a knife at one! (5 + 1 = 6) The throwing knife zips through the air, slitting a guard's throat! It then travels around the group of guards like a boomerang. It (5) Slits another throat, (Three 6's in a row!) decapitates three more (!), (4) slices open the last guard's arm, and (2) narrowly misses a random bystander. It then flies back into your hand. Holy crap.

_DivideByZero_

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Re: You Are Cybernetic Avenger: Turn 4 (12/28/2015)
« Reply #39 on: December 29, 2015, 10:30:48 pm »

"Uhh... a horse in a half-track? And who is that voice? It sounds oddly familiar..." What a horse doing hear, and why does that voice create such... feelings of familiarity?

Try to look behind the horse to find the voice.

"Ah... um... yes, this is going to be difficult to explain. But there is little time, so come and let us sally forth!"

The horse disappears. And yes, the horse itself looked a bit familiar, too familiar... but up until now you had the excuse of never seeing it from quite the same angle.
But soon after, the horse vanishes from your point of view in the halftrack. The vehicle's viewscreens light up, providing a 360° panoramic view from the interior as if there were windows. Now you can see it clearly:
The man on the horse is Sir Edward Exarch, Knight of the 24th Stallions.

Meanwhile, a woman's voice from the halftrack's radio comes on:
Instructor: Umm... Mr Exarch... Why are you talking to yourself?



« Last Edit: December 29, 2015, 10:32:23 pm by _DivideByZero_ »
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ATHATH

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Re: You Are Cybernetic Avenger: Turn 4 (12/28/2015)
« Reply #40 on: December 30, 2015, 01:52:10 am »

Well, I'm back. Can we assume that I've been watching the presentation?

After watching the presentation:

"I'm looking for something specific- I want to be able to see ghosts. I mean, I can already see them, but I want to see them, even when they aren't actively manifesting themselves. Does that kind of technology exist? If so, what do I have to do to get it?"
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Seriously, ATHATH, we need to have an intervention about your death mug problem.
Quote
*slow clap* Well ATHATH congratulations. You managed to give the MC a mental breakdown before we even finished the first arc.
I didn't even read it first, I just saw it was ATHATH and noped it. Now that I read it x3 to noping

_DivideByZero_

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Re: You Are Cybernetic Avenger: Turn 4 (12/28/2015)
« Reply #41 on: December 30, 2015, 05:33:40 am »

Well, I'm back. Can we assume that I've been watching the presentation?

After watching the presentation:

"I'm looking for something specific- I want to be able to see ghosts. I mean, I can already see them, but I want to see them, even when they aren't actively manifesting themselves. Does that kind of technology exist? If so, what do I have to do to get it?"

The grey man chuckles.
"Ah, I fear you might not have understood anything said to you thus far. Ghosts live in a different world than our own. In that world, they are always manifest. They do not manifest in this world, at least, not without being summoned via hologram."

He turns, arm outstretched at the five towers ahead.
"You will find that reality is far more... limiting. But such is the price of ensuring freedom for the majority of the population. Servers must be run by living people, you know. Anyway," he reaches for his pocket.
"If you truly want to visit the network once more, you can put this on. Be warned, you will appear as only a Spectre, a shadow of yourself, and your sensory capabilities will be greatly limited. But you can interact... just do do not expect any ghosts you meet to remember you. This is a mechanism put in place to prevent Spectres for inducing undue divergence. A ghost will not remember you once you leave his attention."


"I'll hunt both, as needed. As long as I can have access to all of the data that your studies produce."

NeoDireWolf pauses for a moment.

"Tell me how many others do you have here?"

Begin the hunt.

"Not many," says a new reflection, a green-haired androgynous person wearing a purple coat like your top and a gray skirt like the one the girl was wearing.
Speaking of whom, she walks up the stairs right behind you. Her shirt reads "ROI."
"What is... that..."
"We have yourself and Roi at present," the new reflection continues nonchalantly. "This should be enough. You will not require headgears while you are at this site."

A moon pool-like portal appears on the floor below you. It opens up into a sprawling city of neon lights and flashing colors, looking quite familiar to one with experience: It is City Hotel, one of the largest cities in the mainstream network, second only to Cities Alpha and Bravo themselves of course.

At the center of the city is the Skylift. It brings passengers to and from an overhead ring with portals to nearby places, as well as a gate to the overworld. There is also a crystal here which ghosts dying in the area are reborn at.
Surrounding it in a concentric ring is the plaza. Here are shops of many kinds; advertisements; corporate recruiters; and the occasional parade or campaign.
In a ring around that is the corporate sector. Here are where most corporations and orders are located. Most are combat-oriented, so you will find training grounds filled to the brim with citizens. The network is a rather bloodthirsty place.

Around all this is the suburban ring, which houses all the private properties of persons who choose to live in this city. Given that ghosts don't need to eat or perform most functions a human would, except for fun, they only travel to their homes in order to rest or sleep. Ghosts still need a certain level of rest, spending about a third to one half of their time doing so.

Finally, the entire floating landmass ends just past the suburbs. Hotel is located just over the Ardenn, a densely-forested region that houses many dangerous creatures and is studied by many. Young ghosts have been known to disappear there, captured by bandits, while many others die and are reborn at the Skylift.

"You may find a ghost below. These will last you a day."
You notice that you now have wings, which can shapeshift to take any form you desire.
"If you wish to search out a human subject, then discard them and come further." A staircase appears, leading higher into the structure.

"Thank you. Makes everything make a bit more sense. I approve of rulers having duty and obligation... Okay, so - I am happy to do this, and see what happens. So it's like a sabotage mission? Well, is. Not is like. Can you introduce me to your arms, demolitions equipment, transport and team? Is that how it works? Do I get any training? Anything to help me operate?"

Neil tried to sound reasonably professional, as if he knew not just what was going on, but what he was doing...

The ghost seems mildly disgruntled. He sighs.
"You seem awfully human. Not that I blame you, of course, but most divergees I look at could hardly be told from ghosts. I typically don't have to give training, but in your case I do suppose it would be prudent. Hop inside this tank."

The vehicle that taxi'ed onto the roadway opens its rear hatch. It features two guns and a rather heavy set of treads. There are many others like it, but there are also lighter tanks which look far more maneuverable. One even looks like it has rocket boosters attached to swivels on the sides.
« Last Edit: December 30, 2015, 06:10:50 am by _DivideByZero_ »
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ATHATH

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Re: You Are Cybernetic Avenger: Turn 4 (12/28/2015)
« Reply #42 on: December 30, 2015, 12:06:00 pm »

"This... is exactly what I was looking for. Thank you."

If I can, leave the Divergents and go to Meat Factory.
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Seriously, ATHATH, we need to have an intervention about your death mug problem.
Quote
*slow clap* Well ATHATH congratulations. You managed to give the MC a mental breakdown before we even finished the first arc.
I didn't even read it first, I just saw it was ATHATH and noped it. Now that I read it x3 to noping

lawastooshort

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Re: You Are Cybernetic Avenger: Turn 4 (12/28/2015)
« Reply #43 on: December 30, 2015, 04:36:19 pm »

Neil wondered whether he could find anything in what the man said to be a compliment. He didn't think so. Not going by the way he said it. Oh well...

Drive the tank a bit. Listen to the man's instructions. Drive it a bit more - better! Also shoot.

((all presuming doing so won't kill or maim anything...))
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WunderKatze

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Re: You Are Cybernetic Avenger: Turn 4 (12/28/2015)
« Reply #44 on: December 30, 2015, 10:52:58 pm »

"So... Am I just snagging someone?"

Descend to the edge of the forest area to start hunting ghosts.
« Last Edit: December 31, 2015, 01:36:20 am by WunderKatze »
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Sigh, they always said that junk food was bad for you. I guess that leaves us with canabalism.

HEAVY DAMAGE
OPERATION MARKET STORM
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