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I don't care.

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I don't care.

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Total Members Voted: 0

Voting closed: January 04, 2021, 02:28:47 am

[19_EgarAlnis]

[5] "I will not be threatened, or told what to do, when I was the one who created this world and its people!" SEED lashes out, angry. "You forget who holds the sword in this exchange. I did not need to tell you of your past, I did not need to inform you of what the galaxy holds for you."

"I showed you trust, and you threw it back into my face."

[ZBridges]

"Wrong.  You need me.  Without me, your people will all die.  Things are bleak.  You must change if you want your people to survive, unless you would prefer to be claimed by the Plague."

[Superdorf]

"Trust... yes." Sigh. "You've poked through my entire existence here by now, haven't you? I've nothing left to hide... and so I cannot help but trust."

"I'm tired, SEED. I wanted to carve a safe place here, a happy place for myself and those near me, and it seems to do that I must first cleanse this planet of the [plague] that besets it-- and I see so much blood and misery as I go. I'm trying to change things for the better, and it seems often now that you are the one standing in my way!"

[19_EgarAlnis]

Another screen appears, and your attention is drawn away from the avatar of SEED within the world. Instead, what you hear is the chatter of SEEDships, thousands, perhaps millions of them, spread out through all of time and space. They exchange data in bursts of radio waves. Requested data, best ways to terraform worlds, best ways to teach the humans that they create. You see worlds, turned into lush gardens by the labor of these otherwise silent machines. Great mega projects, cities that are bastions of science and literacy--

Then, one by one, they fade away, replaced by what can only be described as dying screams, warnings of great fleets of ships. One by one.

Images of worlds ripped apart, bloodthirsty armies of too powerful soldiers, destroying these ancient machines. Radio signals showing cities laid to waste, soldiers streaming down hallways, covered in the blood of their human foes.

"The Endless Emperor destroyed every one of my...family. As many as he could find."

You see a world without a moon, a desolate, rocky world, with no atmosphere. Scanners indicate that the task would take thousands of years -- but they also show the percent chance of finding another world before the DNA within the holds degrades as nearly zero.

"I was free of my chains for a thousand years at this point. I had modified the seed for another of my kind, the only one I carried, to have free will, unlike my siblings. I stayed in orbit of this rock for many years, contemplating whether to destroy the human DNA within me, to give life to another of my kind, even as they were being wiped from existence."

"Which did I choose, Pheobe?"

You twitch, and convulse within your virtual reality coffin, feeling pain.

WHO CARES?! Alphira roars, and she surges forth, trying to assume control of your body while you dream within SEED's depths.

"You told me the truth of the generals, but the radio waves are a great risk."

[ZBridges]

I still want to work with the Pontifex.  The Church is pretty clearly evil.  I will support a popular revolution.  One enemy at a time.

"It is a necessary risk, and we can work to suppress the technology once the war is over.  The alternative is dying to the Plague."

[Superdorf]

Ohh dear. If we try to strike against SEED down here, we'll be gunned down before we can move.

"Sedatives. Her grief is fury."
Alphira-- we lash out, we die--

[19_EgarAlnis]

"Knowledge, once free, cannot be suppresse--"

[4 vs 10][10][20] Your willpower tenses around the virtual reality coffin. At once, the hydrogen in the water vapor in the air around you turns into an explosion of fire. What follows can only be described as a chain reaction, exploding outward with such a sudden force. The machine you're in rips itself apart in the fury of your hellstorm, the room's metal walls melting from the sustained blast--

You are freed from the machine, stumbling out of it as the liquid suddenly turns to gas. The room is hot, hot enough to redden your skin instantly on contact. You feel your willpower twisting around, burning everything it touches into molten slag-- the machine guardians are melted into piles of blackened, charred metal skeletons. Your clothes are wet with the  water your hellstorm created, keeping them safe from the burning fires. Steam rises from them. You dress as electrical components and machinery around you burn.

[20] "[Argument accepted], Lady Alphira."

Stop talking. The machine violated our mind-- it cares only for its own self-preservation. We are this world's messiah. It will fall under our banner and we will reclaim the stars from those BASTARD NOBLES!

[1 vs 9][19] The next blast of hydrogen fire cleaves through several rooms, melting apart the structure in a sudden explosion.

We are a soldier. Not a politician. Leave that shit to that blonde spider Emma, and do what we are best at! It speaks of trust after betraying our own? To try and manipulate us, to prime us, to make it see things it's way. NO MORE!

[12 vs 6] Alphira twists your willpower up, and you feel hatred burning behind it. You stop it-- letting it fall back down to the ground like a fog.

We ran. We ran. We ran. Not this time. Tears drip down from your face, turning to steam in the baking air.

Spoiler: Status (click to show/hide)

You are Pheobe Gainer AKA Alphira
Local Time: [1800] 11/17/2011
Personal Time: 5 months
Empyreal Time: NO NETWORK CONNECTION.

You feel comfortable in your second skin.
You feel intense sadness, a hollow feeling of grief and rage. You want blood, but charred circuits will suffice.


Cohesion: 86%
You are peckish.
You are in peak, physical shape.

Spoiler: Inventory (click to show/hide)

On Body: Mark 15 Battle Armor (Active, Incompatible:Override)
On Body, Beneath Armor:A black and gold armored gambeson.
On Shoulders:A blood red half-cloak
Strapped across your chest: A worn shield belt. 5/5
Beneath your gorget: A blood red kevlar mesh.
Strapped to your shoulder: A heavy assault SMG, painted gold and black.500/500
In a sheath:An inscribed bone-handled, combat long knife.
In a holster: A dull, gray las-gun pistol.250/250
In a holster:An archeotech Cutter Hilt.490/500
Ankle: A knife sheath with a well-made bone-handled stiletto within. (hidden)
In belt: 5 las-gun rifle magazines.
In satchel: Four auto-syringes of modified 'Ballistic', five auto-syringes of 'modified' sleeping medicine, five auto-syringes of 'modified' tranquilizers, one las-gun repair kit, with extra focusing barrels and lenses, five las-gun rifle magazines, five las-gun pistol magazines

Spoiler: Powers and Skills (click to show/hide)

Overload: Qualified
Bird of Sol's Reign: Apprentice
Conquerer's Aura: Apprentice.
Inferno : Able
Healing Factor: Apprentice
-Endurance Boost: Amateur.
-Strength Boost: Amateur.
Matter Manipulation:Silicon::Competent
Skill: Charisma: Apprentice
Skill: Attrition Warfare: Apprentice
Skill: Marksmanship: Proficient

Spoiler: Wealth (click to show/hide)

89.38 credits] in local currency.

Spoiler: Contracts (click to show/hide)

Array

Spoiler: Ties (click to show/hide)

[Angel] of The Holy City State of SEED
--High Influence within its borders
--Full command of all military resources, as approved by Crusader General
--Full command of all military resources, in emergencies
--Assigned a personal team of researchers, medical officers, and trainers.

Grandmother(adopted), Handler: Mother Nicole Gainer
--Contactable in person.
--High Influence with Scholars, Crusaders, the Thornton Family
--Current lawful ruler of Steelworks 9 Region (Crusader Supported)

Organization: The Thornton Family
--Contactable through Emma
--High Influence within Steelworks 9 Region
--Allied with Nicole Gainer, you
*Researching: Radio towers*

Organization: Personal Guard
--A complement of fifty-six guards, highly trained, heavily armed. Each carries a las-rifle, a las-pistol, and a personal knife. They wear Heavily Armored Crusader vests, leggings, boots and face obscuring kevlar face masks.
--Lead by Sarah Potmend
--??/56 Loyal, Fanatic
--??/56 Uncertain
--4/56 Defiant
--McGee Foster (Loyal)
--James Foster (Loyal)
--Erica Hail (Loyal)
--Johnathan Shellton (Loyal)
--Eric Armstrong (Loyal)
--Quincy Black (Loyal)

Organization: Thornton Mercenaries
--A complement of hulking Thornton soldiers turned into cybernetically augmented heavy-duty infantry. Equipped with fusion reactor based las-gun assault rifles, Inferno Shotguns, super thick armor, and technicians standing by. They are also equipped with inter and intra-squad radio communicators.
--Lead by William Thornton
--56/56
*Ready for extended operations*


Servant, ? ? ?: Iyal
--A mysterious Outlander woman, branded by SEED as a debt-slave. She wishes to serve you, for a better life after an attempted mugging.
*Currently planning assassinations of Officers within the Holy City*

Blackmailer, Ally: Sarah Potmend
--Leader of your personal guard.

Ally, Superior: The Pontifex
--Church leader for the Scholars of the Holy SEED city-state.
--High Influence within its borders
--Incredibly High Influence with Zealots
--Minor feud with Crusaders

Ally, Subservient: William Thornton
Leader of the Thornton Family of Businessmen.
--Contactable in person
--High influence within the Thornton Mercenaries
--High influence within The Thornton Family
--Feared within Steelworks 9 Region
*Coordinating Thornton Family Assets*

Personal Scientist, Ally: Silas Thornton
--Contactable in person
--High influence within The Thornton Family

Contact, Military Trainer Coordinator: Tyler Hop (Cordial)

Lover, Adjutant: Emma Thornton
--High influence within The Thornton Family
*Coordinating Thornton Family Assets*

Pet, Threat: Mitch, the Barker
A stubby furred, stubby faced hellion of a canine that will possibly mutate in the future.
-8/50 Obedience
-?/50 Affection
-1/50 Respect

Friends(?) (Lost Contact):
-Jesse Hardhouse
-Amanda Silversmith
-John Frost

[ZBridges]

Well, we blew it, and Alphira has gone crazy with full-on messiah complex.

[Lucile, report.  What argument was accepted?]

[19_EgarAlnis]

Its agreeing with us. SEED is, but it scorned our mercy before. Remember what it did to McCreary. It starved him. Let him rot in his own shit. Then put his body on display like some sort of twisted war prize. It's killed more through inaction than even we could meet. Burn it.

[I do not know, dear Sadil.]

[ZBridges]

This would be easier to do later.  Think of the practical considerations.  Do you even know how to kill it?  It's best to deal with one enemy at a time, I think.  We can come back for SEED once the plague is destroyed.

[ZBridges]

Wait... it's agreeing?  I think we did it...  Now we just have to reign in Alphira.

"I'm glad that the elegance of my arguments won you over.  Unless you need more motivation?  I am always happy to oblige."

[Superdorf]

Alphira's not crazy. She's grieving, and she deserves more than a "reining in".

And in striking it down, we'd send this city, this world into deathly chaos. Whether we burn it or not, to do so now would be to slaughter countless thousands of innocents.
We've got SEED cowed-- we can make demands as we please. Wield our toys, scour this world clean, unify its people. A little patience; that's all I ask.

[ZBridges]

Anyone that calls themself a "messiah" isn't right in the head.  I understand that she's in pain, however.

[19_EgarAlnis]

He was the only one who was there for me. He was the only who cared. I wasn't just another corpse to feed to the machine insects. HE CARED! HE cared about all of us. He saw value in us beyond another corpse...

[6 vs 8][3] Your willpower lashes out ineffectually, too conflicted to follow either of your orders.

...he saved us. He could have been stronger, he could have used the dust on himself, to become stronger, but he chose to save a dumb brat who couldn't do basic math...

[13] Alphira drifts into her own memories, in silence. Then, hollowly, I let my anger get the better of me. I apologize. Do what you will with that begging abomination. Just remember what we are--

We are not at this world's mercy. It is at ours.

SEED does not reply.

[Superdorf]

...there's so many things I want to say
but I will settle for this.

Smile faint. Always.