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[USEC_OFFICER]

Multiverse Mecha Mayhem
OOC Thread

The Ziva's Revenge is a modern ship in many universes and extraordinarily advanced in most others. As such the massive vessel is almost entirely operated and controlled by its on-board AI and many independent robotic systems, meaning that the entire biological crew can fit into the conference room to talk with the new mech pilots for Hakim's expedition. For a trillion-credit ship the room is surprisingly muted and simple, with tables and chairs made out of metal and hardwood and soft lighting illuminating everything. It wouldn't look out of place in an office with more money than ambition, which is surprising since it belongs to such a notorious space pirate. It doesn't even have any trophies decorating the walls, only a few tasteful paintings scattered about.

The biological crew of the Ziva's Revenge are seated on one side of the table, with Hakim at the head and the rest sorted by rank. The two exceptions are Aaron, who is busy setting out snacks and drinks for everyone, and George, who is trying to hide from all of the scary new people in Hakim's lap. Behind them floats the ship's holographic avatar busily typing away on a tablet, to it plain that she's listening in while still working on resupplying the ship. Aurora Aybek Shipyards is top of the line in this universe and the ship has numerous loading machines but resupply is still expected to take an hour before the Ziva's Revenge can set off. More than enough time to talk with the mech pilots and discuss the task at hand.

"Thank you for coming, all of you. I must admit that I expected more pilots to heed my call but no matter. You four should be more than sufficient and it does mean that the rewards shall be even higher."

"Another mech or two would have boosted our chances of success by several percent though."

"Yes, but when do I care about the odds?"

"Never, but if you did then maybe you wouldn't keep losing at poker."

Hakim shoots a nearby camera a glare with his good eye, but before the two can argue Iesha interjects.

"It's nice to meet you all. I am Chief Engineer Iesha Kama and I will be looking after your machines for the duration of this voyage. Ziva is equipped with top of the line maintenance facilities but servicing machines from so many different places is sure to be challenging, so if you can provide any assistance I would be very appreciative. I am... uncertain on how to handle Ln'Eta's equipment in particular."

"I suppose that introductions are in order. I am Captain Hakim Whydah, if that was not yet apparent, and you have already met Iesha and Ziva. The gentleman to her right is Guiomar Shehu, the Chief Medical Officer aboard this ship."

"I trust that this will be a safe and routine voyage but if you have any medical concerns or complaints I will gladly assist," Guiomar says with a companionable nod of his head, before returning to his crossword puzzle.

"And I am Aaron Torosian. Professional Chef. Do let me know if you have any dietary issues. The Ziva's Revenge has an extensive kitchen and it would be no hassle to accommodate them. And please, enjoy the refreshments."

After a brief silence the woman at the end of the table lets out a startled noise and quickly introduces herself.

"You can call me Berhane-AA. I have already entered your profiles into the ship's security database and quadruple-checked that everything is correct. I want to avoid any... Oooh... Any accidents."

"Berhane-AA is in charge of security aboard the ship, along with Ziva. Hopefully her services will be not be needed but trust me when I say that appearances are deceiving. She is ready to defend the ship with her life if need be and is more than capable of extracting a high cost."

"Oooh..."

"Now with introductions out of the way, I suppose that you all can introduce yourselves as well, if you wish. If we are to work together there is no need to be shy. Otherwise, we can begin with the briefing. Assaulting the End of the Multiverse and retrieving my debt from Lord Z will be an extensive and difficult task. Naturally I would not divulge my plans where their spies might be listening, so I have waited until now to inform you of them. It is straightforward but will rely on a quick and devastating strike, which is why I need your assistance."

"Maybe we need to talk about the End of the Multiverse first? How much do you all know about the place and the people who live there? None of you are from universes close to the End of the Multiverse, so I would be surprised if you have ever encountered an Endian before, but maybe you've got some information second hand?"

[Failbird105]

Ln'Eta

"Oh don't worry, my little Wretched Deep will regrow and mutate on its own accord when left alone for a while!" Ln'Eta exclaims with a giggle. "although... be sure to keep some fresh meat on hand."

The eldritch entity looks straight into Ieshas eyes and the world seems to become... darker. "It doesn't need to eat, but it gets antsy when it doesn't get to tear any flesh."

And then everything was back to normal "Now then, on the topic of the End of the Multiverse. When you've perceived everything in it and in most of the spaces between it gets hard to remember the specifics. I'm assuming you're talking about the horizontal edges, not the vertical ones. After all, you squishy little mortals can't perceive very far outside of the layers with physics you're comfortable with, let alone survive!" She explained cheerfully.

[Devastator]

Jimmy Carson is a young teenager with red hair and freckles.

"I'm Jimmy Carson, and I'm from Crestwood, and I think I musta missed something."

"I thought this was just some kind of test by my buddy Brains, because you had that poster and it was on the wall, right where we had the secret communicator set up, so I pushed it and now I'm here."

"Can we just go back a little and start over?  I mean, what is going on, exactly?  What kinda place is this?"

[a1s]

Takhir is a grizzled veteran of walking tank combat.

"What it, this End of Multiverse?" - he asks taking a drink from his canteen - "Motherland wide, but I never heard of this thing".

[USEC_OFFICER]

"Oh don't worry, my little Wretched Deep will regrow and mutate on its own accord when left alone for a while!" Ln'Eta exclaims with a giggle. "although... be sure to keep some fresh meat on hand."

The eldritch entity looks straight into Ieshas eyes and the world seems to become... darker. "It doesn't need to eat, but it gets antsy when it doesn't get to tear any flesh."

Iesha stares at Ln'Eta with her mouth open slightly, silent except for the whirling of her fans. Aaran is thus the one who speaks up,

"It would all be vat-grown, but Ziva is capable of supplying plenty of meat. Would that be sufficient?"

And then everything was back to normal "Now then, on the topic of the End of the Multiverse. When you've perceived everything in it and in most of the spaces between it gets hard to remember the specifics. I'm assuming you're talking about the horizontal edges, not the vertical ones. After all, you squishy little mortals can't perceive very far outside of the layers with physics you're comfortable with, let alone survive!" She explained cheerfully.

"There's only one 'edge' in high dimensional space, where the sentience and trans-sentience dimensions approach zero and the models get all screwy. The other dimensions might break down too when you're too deep in it, but we'll be avoiding those areas so there's nothing to worry about. The Endians only inhabit the 'surface level' of the End of the Multiverse anyways, so once we cross the Gate of Infinite Blackness we'll be in the thick of things. Which is good, because I want to spend as little time in that place as possible. I do not like the way it makes me feel."

Takhir is a grizzled veteran of walking tank combat.

"What it, this End of Multiverse?" - he asks taking a drink from his canteen - "Motherland wide, but I never heard of this thing".

"I have been there three times before and I still cannot put it into words. It is something you have to experience for yourself. Or not. You will understand when you are there. Or not. Again, I still cannot put it into words. What is important is the End of Multiverse is both Lord Z's domain and their hiding place. If I am to retrieve my debt from them then I must break into it and to do so I require your assistance. The Ziva's Revenge is a magnificent ship but she still cannot fend off the Endians by herself. With your, and everyone else's, mechs then we should be able to accomplish such a feat."

"Can we just go back a little and start over?  I mean, what is going on, exactly?  What kinda place is this?"

"Did you... not read the request I sent out? That should have made it clear what this expedition is about."

[Devastator]

"I thought it was just my buddy playing around with some new adventure or test or game or something.  But this seems to be something else."

"I mean, there was some stuff about somebody called Captain Hakim, and you listed a bunch of titles, and then something about going after a Lord of the End of the Universe, and then some stuff about a Black Key, and how you needed somebody daring and brave.."

"It finished with some stuff about having to know the air is 20% oxygen and 80% nitrogen, which I thought was to scare away the other kids, because none of them would know stuff like that but us two.  Then there was something about Mecha, but I thought that was just him using a new word, but I can't figure out what that means from what you're saying."

"And I mean, yeah, it ended with Serious Applicants Only, but the two of us real detectives.  We were in the paper and have business cards and everything.  So I thought it had to be for me, nobody else is really serious in town."

"But what's this about?  It sounds interesting.. just can you start over from the beginning?  Like who are you, and where am I, and what are we going to be doing?"

"I mean, you said you're a captain, and this is a ship.  Are you in the Navy?"

[USEC_OFFICER]

"Not... quite. I am Captain Hakim Whydah, infamous across the multiverse as a space pirate. It is no matter if you have not heard of my name before. The multiverse is almost infinitely large and there are many places which are isolated. As for what we are to be doing, it is just as the message said. I will need assistance retrieving the Dark Key and taking what Lord Z owes me. The Ziva's Revenge is a magnificent ship but the Endians are powerful and numerous. Brave and talented fighters are needed."

"If you don't know what a mech is you might be the wrong person for the job though. This is going to be more than just some detective work. It's going to involve fighting Big Endians, who are, uh, big as the name suggests."

"And Lord Z is even taller than that. Half as tall as the Ziva's Revenge, I believe."

"Right. So you'll need some kind of combat machine to deal with them. A handgun isn't going to be enough. You need something big with lots of firepower. Something we don't have on hand or else we wouldn't be asking for assistance like this."

"If you do not have a machine of your own then I am uncertain if this voyage has need of you. Your skills might be useful seeking the Dark Key but afterwards? You can hardly contribute in a battle with the Big Endians."

"But we're kinda in a rush here, so we don't have time to bring you back where you came from. You'll have to stick with us until this voyage is over. It will be perfectly safe inside of me so there's nothing to worry about. Probably."

"Yes. I will have Berhane watch over you. She will protect you with her life to see you back where you belong. That I swear."

"Oooh..."

[Failbird105]

Ln'Eta

A finger moved to Ln'Etas cheek in a cutesy pose as she looked to the side in contemplation. "Oh my, are you sure that you want this done the hard way? Why, just a few little rituals and this whole thing would be cleaned up in no time. And with so much space to cover, I'm certain you could get what you need and make it out with your minds and bodies intact..."
And her eyes moved sharply to face back towards the group, her expression innocent(well, for an octopus creature), but her eyes clearly show that she's far from trying to hide the meaning behind her words.
" ...Enough~"

"As long as you don't mind a few universes... going under, along the way." She continued with a cheerful tone and eyes closed into what would have been a smile if her face had a mouth.

[Devastator]

"So.. you're a space pirate?  That's amazing.  And you're looking for a dark key, so you can get some money back from the evil Space Lord Z?"

"That's absolutely my kind of thing.  James Carson, at your service."

"And I'm not worried about the mech thing, you just gotta look at it deductively.  I mean, there's.. four of us here?  And you said that there are so many places you had those messages up?  So you have to only have gotten the people you need.  I mean, otherwise there would be hundreds of people here."

Jimmy beamed at his powers of deduction.

"So obviously I'm just the right person you need."

"And don't worry, I don't need any looking after.  I've been on all kinds of adventures and been in danger lots of times before."

Jimmy is going to try and leave it at that and find a chance to sneak around, and take a look at those fighting robots.  They have to be somewhere, right?  And they sound cool.

[USEC_OFFICER]

-snip-

The crew is deathly silent for several long, uncomfortable moments before Guiomar speaks up.

"No need to over-complicate things. The plan is sound and shouldn't result in no loose ends that might cause trouble down the line."

"Yes... Let us not get distracted from the task at hand."

-snip-

"I don't think that's how it works. Not everyone- And he's gone. Berhane, can you make sure that he stays out of trouble?"

"Oh, yes. Of course."

While Jimmy was free to walk around and admire the interior of the ship he wasn't allowed to do so unescorted just yet, as the tall security officer follows behind at an uncomfortable distance. The corridors of the ship which are meant for the crew are stylish yet plain, decorated similarly to the conference room, while the corridors meant for the service robots are mostly made of painted steel with a rubberized floor for grip. The latter are also full of said service robots going about on some task or another but they silently part for Jimmy should he wish to explore these spaces. However the route to the hangar is clearly labelled at each intersection and nothing stops him from going straight to it, even with Berhane hovering so close behind him.

[Devastator]

Hmm.. now I need to remember the motto of the detective.  Always be ready, always be attentive.. and a detective should always have a good memory.

Now what did my escort say.. something about the security database?

"Say, Berhane, what did you mean by entering us in the security database?  What does that mean for you?"

Chat as we enter the hangar.  Mostly try to get a few questions answered and figure out how security works, for future sneaking around.

When arriving at the hangar, take a look at the robots in it.  There's four people, right?  So four robots?

[USEC_OFFICER]

Abruptly the lights within the conference room begin to pulse as Ziva's avatar jolts its head up.

: "Captain! The Fluorescent Rose just jumped in!"

: "What unfortunate timing. Is Viktoryia hailing us?"

: "Yes, I'll put her on."

At the far end of the room a holographic screen abruptly appears, showing the transmission. Viktoryia Rybar may not be as infamous as Hakim but her name is still well known and the scrowl on her face is unmistakable. Judging by the transmission she's standing in the Fluorescent Rose's bridge, with the only other person in frame being her butler, Ihar Zima, who looks similarly upset.

: "Where's my money, Hakim?"

: "I told you, I will give it to you in a few more days. I-"

: "What's this expedition then? Do you really expect me to believe that you aren't running off to hide with your tail between your legs?"

: "I-"

: "Don't give me any excuses! Give me my money or else I'll take it from you with force!"

: "There's no need for violence. Why don't you-"

The ship suddenly rocks and the pulsing of the conference room lights quickens as Ziva's avatar looks shocked.

: "She shot me! The b-"

: "Next time I'll hit the bridge! Don't make me-"

At a signal from Hakim the transmission is cut off, and the space pirate's mouth curls down into a frown. He is the only one that seems concerned however, as the Chief Engineer jumps out of her seat and moves towards the door, while Aaron lets out a sigh and begins collecting the snacks and refreshments he left out.

: "Ziva. What is the quickest that we can make a jump? Destination does not matter, I want-"

: "Out, yeah. 12 minutes but it's going to take even longer if Viktoryia interferes."

The pulsing of the lights quickens once again and from inside the ship alarms begin to blare. They are especially loud in the hangar, making Berhane-AA jump and look about nervously.

: "The Fluorescent Rose is deploying drones and I'm sure that the Crimson Snapdragon isn't far behind. I'll deploy-"

: "Save the drones. We will need them for later in the voyage."

Hakim stands up, picking up George from his lap and handing him over to Guiomar.

: "Don't worry. It will be safe," the doctor says as he pets the bun and carries him out of the room.

: "I was hoping to give you more time to acclimatize yourselves to the ship, but my hand has been forced. Can you please keep Viktoryia's forces away from the Ziva's Revenge for as long as needed? Your mechs will be much hardier than the ship's drones and we will need them for the voyage. As long as you don't stray too far from our ship you should be safe. Consider this a test for the future of the expedition."

The space pirate is in no mood for argument as he leaves with a swish of his cape. Another hologram of Ziva appears behind him, while the first one remains in the coference room to shrug at the remaining pirates. With a wave of her hand a nearby door opens and lights flash beyond it.

: "He's not used to working with new people. Not in a group. Follow me and I'll take you to the hangar. There's no time to waste!"


Inside the hangar, Berhane-AA turns to James and lets out one of her groans.

: "Oh... We're under attack. The pilots are all supposed to deploy. We should get out of the way. Unless. Oh..." The officer looks around nervously and licks her lips. "Are you sure you are not a pilot? There's an extra machine here. Isn't that one yours? Oh... Don't tell me I have to pilot. I don't like the way that oil oozes out of drones before they blow up. It's reminds me of. Of blood."


The armour and shields of the Ziva's Revenge has so far proved resistant to the fire of the drones, giving the pilots the time needed to deploy. Whether they can hold up indefinitely, especially while preparing for a jump, is something that should be left unanswered.

Enemy Stats

Spoiler: Legend (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: Friendly Units (click to show/hide)

Heart Havoc Warrior Justice Kiss (IronyOwl)
HP: 6/6
SP: 30/30
Major Damage: None.

James Carson (Devastator)
HP: 64/64
SP: 6/6
Major Damage: None.

Ln'Eta (Failbird105)
HP: 12/12
SP: 24/24
Major Damage: None.

Takhir Lermontov (a1s)
HP: 6/6
SP: 20/20
Major Damage: None.

Spoiler: Enemy Units (click to show/hide)

Dwarf Carnation Drone: (0 Toughness)
Blue-1:
HP: 4/4

Blue-2:
HP: 4/4

Blue-3:
HP: 4/4

Blue-4:
HP: 4/4

Blue-5:
HP: 4/4

Blue-6:
HP: 4/4

Blue-7:
HP: 4/4

Blue-8:
HP: 4/4

Blue-9:
HP: 4/4

Blue-10:
HP: 4/4

Vanilla Orchid Drone: (1 Toughness)
Yellow-1:
HP: 4/4
SP: 1/1

Yellow-2:
HP: 4/4
SP: 1/1

Easter Tulip Drone: (1 Toughness)
Green-1:
HP: 4/4
SP: 1/1

Green-2:
HP: 4/4
SP: 1/1

[IronyOwl]

"I sense no love in her voice," Justice Kiss sneers, "Only irritation. A civilization cannot be built upon irritation!"

She was quick to move down the hall, and then quick to start glowing and jump into her mech, which opened and shut precisely to receive her. A moment later, the massive cannon array on its back began shifting and powering up.

"LOVE EACH OTHER!" she bellowed, cannons joining in chorus and carving a path of violently pink explosions through the enemy drones.

Indiscriminate Snugglehug Salvo (-5 SP) on Blue 4,5,6
Double Attack: Indiscriminate Snugglehug Salvo (-10 SP) on Yellow 1,2

[Devastator]

"No, I'm not a pilot.  But I told you, if you got someone without a robot, it must mean you have an extra robot.  You just have to think it through."

"And that one has a big number 3 on it.  That's my number, so that must be for me.

Now, where's the steering wheel?"

Move northeast to the area with blue 9 and 10
Trudge North, onto the difficult terrain with blue 1,2 and 3.

[Failbird105]

Ln'Eta

Ln'Eta moves into the hanger with an unnatural calm grace for the speed at which her tentacles carry her. Her arms spread as she passes through the door, and

meltingtwistingbubblingblending

She and Wretched deep were one.

"Any of you who want to come out of this with your minds in one piece, close your eyes~"

And Wretched Deep... splits

Wretched Deep shows Vanilla Orchid 2 what lies Beyond the Gate.