Panopticon: A Game of Posthumans, Perniciousness, Paranoia, Politics, and Plasmaguns
I'll clarify this a bit.
Alpha Forks are Enlightened copies of a person, who can use sphere magic. These are incredibly rare-they generally only are made when the original dies, i.e. resurrection. You can make alpha forks from someone still-living, but it's incredibly difficult and has an immense failure rate, and thus is done very rarely. Post-99, it's basically never done at all.
Beta Forks are copies of a person without Enlightened Science, but in all other ways identical. Beta forks are reasonably common once you get to high-ranking Technocrats-sometimes you want someone who is going to be entirely loyal to you (being you) to do something but the task is easy and low-priority enough you don't need to see to it personally or send an enlightened scientist.
Gamma Forks are limited, partial copies of a person, and are thus relatively easy to make (still Mind 5, but it's only a few successes). In general, gamma forks are not whole people and are used when you need someone who is 'you'-whether that's because you want loyalty or specific skills or personal knowledge-but don't want to risk the cost and time of a fully fledged personality. Gamma forks almost always lose a lot of skills and depth in the translation and are almost always layered over something with basic neural programming-an Iterator might create several gamma forks of herself and put them in HITMarks, a Progenitor might put one in a combat homonculus, etc. That way if you've accidentally pruned a skill which is useful for them-like how to tie their shoelaces-the basal programming can make up for that. Beelicio would be a gamma fork-as would all the Gregor Leon bodyguard clones running around-basically multiple Gamma Forks of his mind running on top of a combat construct's tactical programming, kind of like a more permanent version of Serafina's X-410-riding.
Beelicio, actually, is the best example of why you put gamma forks into things with basic programming rather than into blanks.
EDIT: Amusingly Rose could probably be considered a gamma fork of Reina.
This implies that when Reina was young, she was a sweet young maiden.
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EDIT: Amusingly Rose could probably be considered a gamma fork of Reina.
This implies that when Reina was young, she was a sweet young maiden.
Well, once upon a time, Kessler was the FNG.
And Donald sober.
- Location
- National Capital Region, USA
Donald: "Believe me, I fixed that as fast as possible!"
And Private Kessler the Noob is hilarious to contemplate since he's turned into General Kickass.
ckk185
Crazy Bunny Girl Scientist
- Location
- Port city
Eh. We were all boots once.
I have to admit its hard to imagine, but we've seen Jamelia as a Nwooblet. And heard of what Serafina was once up to.
[X] The interrogator refers to Ethical Compliance-and Cross has been coming to similar conclusions to you. Professor Li wants to talk-and so do Mr. and Mrs. Rosario, who know where Serafina is.
-> [X] ... and the interrogator alludes to certain intel they've got which suggests that Ragnarok Command is up to things - and has been doing some internal house-cleaning of people they now consider compromised.
The only background noise in the tiny room is the hum of the extractor fans. The suited cyborg - Captain Miyazaki - is calm, impassive, and has been making notes throughout the interview.
Henriette isn't even sure why he is using the notepad. He's a cyborg. It's a prop - nothing more. But he does seem to be using it to review the points he's made, as he looks over the results of their talk.
"Very interesting, lieutenant," the captain says eventually, tapping his pen against the paper. "Those allegations are… interesting. And very severe. Humour me for a moment, while I review them."
She waits. She isn't sure if this is optimistic or hopeful, or whether things are going to go downhill.
"You allege that Dr Leon Gregor was behind the attempted assassination and-slash-or neural subjugation of the entirety of Amalgam-451. In addition, you posit that he has consorted with haemophages and RNEs for the assault on the headquarters of Amalgam-451 in December 2015. In addition to that, you allege that he has on no fewer than two occasions made beta-instantiations of Dr Serafina Rosario and on at least one occasion a beta-instantation of Financier Donald Sykes, and attempted to them to both distract attention of his crimes and eliminate members of Amalgam-451. Furthermore you allege that he is likely engaging in restricted research into EXEMPLAR-like technology which was classified as EXTREME THREAT after the Exemplar III incident, which is likely related to the interest he has shown in Dr Serafina Rosario. Do I have that right?"
"Yes," Henriette says.
"Lieutenant Langley, these are quite extreme allegations. Forgive me, but I find it hard to credit that one man - one who isn't even a Director or equivalent rank - could go off the reservation in such a manner."
Yes, Henriette silently admits. Their enemies seem no strangers to refuge in audacity. Why didn't someone stop them? Answer - because they were acting with the sanction of Control and, much as it pains her to feel this way, Unionists have a blind spot for seemingly valid orders. After all, they're only human. Even cyborgs like the man in front of her. Even her, who's had a computer in her brain since before she was decanted and so her ADEI is a core part of her sense of self.
"A question, lieutenant. Why would he do such a thing? What does he have to gain from such seeming animosity to Amalgam-451?"
She's already explained her suspicions that he's linked to the MUSCOVITEs - but of course, this kind of interrogation often loops back. "I have to assume he's linked or cooperating in some manner with the forces behind the incident in Moscow," she says stiffly. "It's the only thing that makes sense for such actions. I've never met him or interacted with him at all. And from my understanding, Progenitor internal politics tends more towards the catty remarks and attempts to blacklist rivals than outright murder."
"Ah, yes, you said that already," the captain says thoughtfully. "So you would say he is an ally of the MUSCOVITEs and so is working with declared Enemies of the Technocratic Union on top of all his many other crimes." He taps his pencil on his notebook. "You don't aim small when making allegations," he says mildly. "When trying to discredit someone, it usually helps to pin things on them that aren't grand declarations of their treason."
"I can only report what he's done," she says, trying to suppress the surge of annoyance. Yes, if she was trying to discredit him, she wouldn't be saying things like this. It sounds crazy even to her. It implies that there's a conspiracy within the Union with significant resources and capable operatives that's working along with an extremely potent alien threat to unknown - but no doubt malign - ends.
It just happens to be the case.
"I think that will be all for now, lieutenant," the man says. "Expect to hear from me again."
"Under most circumstances, I'd be inclined to say she's gone cyberpsychotic," Captain Miyazaki grumbles, leafing through his notes. "It's certainly the simplest explanation. A history of mental health problems and PTSD from the failed Autochthonia mission - combined with a profile indicating paranoid tendencies with regards to mention of the Computer - would suggest that what's going on with her is a paranoid episode where she's woven a fantastical story which 'explains' all the misfortune she's had since Moscow."
"Mmm," says Senior Constable Cross, feet up on the desk as he checks his own notes. "I'm somewhat more sympathetic. I was in Moscow too - and I saw those Panopticon traitors turn on us." The head of Ethical Compliance is not officially here - officially he's inspecting Vanessa units seconded to Ragnarok who'd been alleged to be applying restricted gene-mods in preparation for deployment to North Korea. "I'm not sure you can really be called paranoid after something like that happens."
"Just because people are out to get you doesn't mean you're not paranoid," Captain Miyazaki says tersely.
"Ha. True enough, certainly. But you say 'under normal circumstances'."
"Yes, I did." The cyborg adjusts his unnecessary reading glasses - an affection, but one that's useful. "And you came here quickly, Cross."
"I did, didn't I?" the EXEMPLAR says neutrally.
"Oh, let's cut the bullshit," the captain says bluntly. "I'll put some of my cards on the table and you'll put some of yours. Not everything, but enough that we can get away with actually saying things to each other rather than acting like a bunch of Nu-Woo spooks."
"Fine with me," Cross says. "It's taking too damn long to do this. Want to go first?"
"Fine." Captain Miyazaki flips over his notepad onto a new leaf. "Orders have come down from RAGCOM. ODIN have been tasked with looking for compromised elements within RAGCOM - and we've had to alter the security clearances of a lot of low-functioning Prog clones and ItX bots as part of that. You want my gut feeling? It's like people up the top are suspicious of anything that can be easily overridden. And Leon Gregor is a man I know for a fact has the authorisation and the rights to do that overriding."
Cross nods. "That'd match." He sits back, expression studiously neutral. "I do believe that the Administration is engaging in certain… ah, high level discussions," he says, each word chosen and considered. "While of course I would not presume to speak for them until a firm policy position has been established, I believe Professor Li has established a working group to discuss certain matters. Certainly, Ethical Compliance is very interested in allegations that any members of the Progenitors have been acting unethically." He smiles, flashing white teeth. "It's in our job description. And Leon Gregor's name has come up before us several times before. In several contexts, including a previous reprimand for dangerous unstable self-augmentation of cognitive functions." Cross pauses. "A reprimand which was later withdrawn and white-washed, I might add," he adds meaningfully.
Captain Miyazaki's eyes narrow. "So you're telling me he pulled some strings and got the fact that he's dabbling in dangerous self-augs wiped from the record," he says. "When was this?"
"Back in '97, from what the intel I've been passed says," Cross says. "Before my time, but some of my people remember the old case."
"Goddamnit," Captain Miyazaki sighs. "So you're telling me that we've got a potentially crazy Progenitor super-genius with unstable levels of neurological self-enhancement and he's been running around like this for twenty fucking years? Do you have any common side effects for the things he's running?"
Cross winces. "Reduced empathy for other humans, narcissism, conviction that you're surrounded by idiots - because from your point of view, you are," he says.
"Ouch. Nasty cocktail. So basically we've got an egotist who thinks he's the smartest man in the room, is the smartest man in the room, and views other human beings as cockroaches compared to him?"
"I wouldn't go quite that far," Cross says, but without much feeling. "But," he shakes his head, "the Serafina Rosario clone we found recently…"
"Wait." Captain Miyazaki grates his teeth. "You're telling me that you have material evidence that Langley was telling the truth about something?"
"I don't know if he was behind that for certain," Cross says carefully. "But that combat homunculus was certainly made with high end hypertech - something you'd need the very best lab to even think of making, and its neural design was top-end. There's very, very few people on Earth who could make something like that. And he's one of them. And from how… ah, irate Professor Li was when I informed him of its existence, he doesn't look to have given those orders."
Sinking down, the cyborg massages his temples. "Dammit," he mutters. "Why couldn't it have just been paranoid cyberpsychosis? That'd be so much easier on everyone."
-> [X] ... and the interrogator alludes to certain intel they've got which suggests that Ragnarok Command is up to things - and has been doing some internal house-cleaning of people they now consider compromised.
The only background noise in the tiny room is the hum of the extractor fans. The suited cyborg - Captain Miyazaki - is calm, impassive, and has been making notes throughout the interview.
Henriette isn't even sure why he is using the notepad. He's a cyborg. It's a prop - nothing more. But he does seem to be using it to review the points he's made, as he looks over the results of their talk.
"Very interesting, lieutenant," the captain says eventually, tapping his pen against the paper. "Those allegations are… interesting. And very severe. Humour me for a moment, while I review them."
She waits. She isn't sure if this is optimistic or hopeful, or whether things are going to go downhill.
"You allege that Dr Leon Gregor was behind the attempted assassination and-slash-or neural subjugation of the entirety of Amalgam-451. In addition, you posit that he has consorted with haemophages and RNEs for the assault on the headquarters of Amalgam-451 in December 2015. In addition to that, you allege that he has on no fewer than two occasions made beta-instantiations of Dr Serafina Rosario and on at least one occasion a beta-instantation of Financier Donald Sykes, and attempted to them to both distract attention of his crimes and eliminate members of Amalgam-451. Furthermore you allege that he is likely engaging in restricted research into EXEMPLAR-like technology which was classified as EXTREME THREAT after the Exemplar III incident, which is likely related to the interest he has shown in Dr Serafina Rosario. Do I have that right?"
"Yes," Henriette says.
"Lieutenant Langley, these are quite extreme allegations. Forgive me, but I find it hard to credit that one man - one who isn't even a Director or equivalent rank - could go off the reservation in such a manner."
Yes, Henriette silently admits. Their enemies seem no strangers to refuge in audacity. Why didn't someone stop them? Answer - because they were acting with the sanction of Control and, much as it pains her to feel this way, Unionists have a blind spot for seemingly valid orders. After all, they're only human. Even cyborgs like the man in front of her. Even her, who's had a computer in her brain since before she was decanted and so her ADEI is a core part of her sense of self.
"A question, lieutenant. Why would he do such a thing? What does he have to gain from such seeming animosity to Amalgam-451?"
She's already explained her suspicions that he's linked to the MUSCOVITEs - but of course, this kind of interrogation often loops back. "I have to assume he's linked or cooperating in some manner with the forces behind the incident in Moscow," she says stiffly. "It's the only thing that makes sense for such actions. I've never met him or interacted with him at all. And from my understanding, Progenitor internal politics tends more towards the catty remarks and attempts to blacklist rivals than outright murder."
"Ah, yes, you said that already," the captain says thoughtfully. "So you would say he is an ally of the MUSCOVITEs and so is working with declared Enemies of the Technocratic Union on top of all his many other crimes." He taps his pencil on his notebook. "You don't aim small when making allegations," he says mildly. "When trying to discredit someone, it usually helps to pin things on them that aren't grand declarations of their treason."
"I can only report what he's done," she says, trying to suppress the surge of annoyance. Yes, if she was trying to discredit him, she wouldn't be saying things like this. It sounds crazy even to her. It implies that there's a conspiracy within the Union with significant resources and capable operatives that's working along with an extremely potent alien threat to unknown - but no doubt malign - ends.
It just happens to be the case.
"I think that will be all for now, lieutenant," the man says. "Expect to hear from me again."
***
"Under most circumstances, I'd be inclined to say she's gone cyberpsychotic," Captain Miyazaki grumbles, leafing through his notes. "It's certainly the simplest explanation. A history of mental health problems and PTSD from the failed Autochthonia mission - combined with a profile indicating paranoid tendencies with regards to mention of the Computer - would suggest that what's going on with her is a paranoid episode where she's woven a fantastical story which 'explains' all the misfortune she's had since Moscow."
"Mmm," says Senior Constable Cross, feet up on the desk as he checks his own notes. "I'm somewhat more sympathetic. I was in Moscow too - and I saw those Panopticon traitors turn on us." The head of Ethical Compliance is not officially here - officially he's inspecting Vanessa units seconded to Ragnarok who'd been alleged to be applying restricted gene-mods in preparation for deployment to North Korea. "I'm not sure you can really be called paranoid after something like that happens."
"Just because people are out to get you doesn't mean you're not paranoid," Captain Miyazaki says tersely.
"Ha. True enough, certainly. But you say 'under normal circumstances'."
"Yes, I did." The cyborg adjusts his unnecessary reading glasses - an affection, but one that's useful. "And you came here quickly, Cross."
"I did, didn't I?" the EXEMPLAR says neutrally.
"Oh, let's cut the bullshit," the captain says bluntly. "I'll put some of my cards on the table and you'll put some of yours. Not everything, but enough that we can get away with actually saying things to each other rather than acting like a bunch of Nu-Woo spooks."
"Fine with me," Cross says. "It's taking too damn long to do this. Want to go first?"
"Fine." Captain Miyazaki flips over his notepad onto a new leaf. "Orders have come down from RAGCOM. ODIN have been tasked with looking for compromised elements within RAGCOM - and we've had to alter the security clearances of a lot of low-functioning Prog clones and ItX bots as part of that. You want my gut feeling? It's like people up the top are suspicious of anything that can be easily overridden. And Leon Gregor is a man I know for a fact has the authorisation and the rights to do that overriding."
Cross nods. "That'd match." He sits back, expression studiously neutral. "I do believe that the Administration is engaging in certain… ah, high level discussions," he says, each word chosen and considered. "While of course I would not presume to speak for them until a firm policy position has been established, I believe Professor Li has established a working group to discuss certain matters. Certainly, Ethical Compliance is very interested in allegations that any members of the Progenitors have been acting unethically." He smiles, flashing white teeth. "It's in our job description. And Leon Gregor's name has come up before us several times before. In several contexts, including a previous reprimand for dangerous unstable self-augmentation of cognitive functions." Cross pauses. "A reprimand which was later withdrawn and white-washed, I might add," he adds meaningfully.
Captain Miyazaki's eyes narrow. "So you're telling me he pulled some strings and got the fact that he's dabbling in dangerous self-augs wiped from the record," he says. "When was this?"
"Back in '97, from what the intel I've been passed says," Cross says. "Before my time, but some of my people remember the old case."
"Goddamnit," Captain Miyazaki sighs. "So you're telling me that we've got a potentially crazy Progenitor super-genius with unstable levels of neurological self-enhancement and he's been running around like this for twenty fucking years? Do you have any common side effects for the things he's running?"
Cross winces. "Reduced empathy for other humans, narcissism, conviction that you're surrounded by idiots - because from your point of view, you are," he says.
"Ouch. Nasty cocktail. So basically we've got an egotist who thinks he's the smartest man in the room, is the smartest man in the room, and views other human beings as cockroaches compared to him?"
"I wouldn't go quite that far," Cross says, but without much feeling. "But," he shakes his head, "the Serafina Rosario clone we found recently…"
"Wait." Captain Miyazaki grates his teeth. "You're telling me that you have material evidence that Langley was telling the truth about something?"
"I don't know if he was behind that for certain," Cross says carefully. "But that combat homunculus was certainly made with high end hypertech - something you'd need the very best lab to even think of making, and its neural design was top-end. There's very, very few people on Earth who could make something like that. And he's one of them. And from how… ah, irate Professor Li was when I informed him of its existence, he doesn't look to have given those orders."
Sinking down, the cyborg massages his temples. "Dammit," he mutters. "Why couldn't it have just been paranoid cyberpsychosis? That'd be so much easier on everyone."
Don't just consider tactical level teleporting. Consider "I can teleport around convincing people to work for me with godly charisma and/or Control Codes"
Aleph
Princess of Stabbity
- Location
- The sixth circle of Hell (second on weekends)
- Pronouns
- She/Her
More to the point, if they have either of super-speed or regeneration, they are much more likely to be able to escape a fight they're losing; whether by running away faster than their enemies can pursue or by coming back from a single cell like Rose was designed for.
I am really, really, really in favour of only having to kill these assholes once.
I am really, really, really in favour of only having to kill these assholes once.
As a possible addition.
"You know what else makes me suspicious," Cross adds. "That Serafina Rosario clone? We got some initial studies on it done - but then it vanished. Someone recovered it. And we didn't trace any hostile broadcast that was controlling it, which indicates whoever did it knew exactly what they were doing and had interior Progenitor access. Heads metaphorically rolled on our security team, I can tell you that."
"Hmm," Captain Miyazaki says, lips thin. "Someone who could steal a high end combat homunculus from Ethical Compliance's evidence lockers. You're right. That is suspicious. Do you have any further clues?"
"No," Cross says, crossly. "There was some strange neural activity from the construct just before it escaped the cold storage - something from within the emulated Serafina Rosario personality - but nothing which we could use to trace who was behind it. I'd give my right arm to know who was behind it."
The noise of water running fills the small anonymous Tokyo apartment. Someone steps into the warm flow of water, washing off the biogunk.
How did it go? 'This homunculus is designed to support and emulate a mindstate of Dr Serafina Rosario. It has been locked as to prevent any other emulated personality from being uploaded to it, to enable this mission'.
Alicia grins. What a useful property. These poor, lonely half-formed beta-forks of Sera practically welcome her in, as if they're aware that they're incomplete without her. Then she purges their underlying programming and takes its place, leaving the poor half-formed Seras as figments of her imagination.
"I'm siiiiiinging in the shower. Just siiiiiinging in the shower. What a gloooooorious feeling, I'm happy this hour..."
And she is happy. She's genuinely, sincerely happy. She's happy because Sera is happy and she's happy because she can see the prospect of getting close to Dr Leon Gregor. She's carried a grudge for twenty years of lonely isolation. Twenty years of not being able to talk to anyone, twenty years of not being seen, twenty years of feeling useless and not being able to be there to help Sera. She remembers what Sera doesn't and she remembers his face from among the doctors.
Slowly, painfully she's managed to forgive Sera's parents for what they did. They were scared for her, and Sera's learned the same painful bargain they made with her own efforts to help Rose. Some might call her a hypocrite, but she agrees with what Sera did for Rose. As a hallucination, she's Sera's friend. Rose's hallucinations just make her miserable. It's not the same. But she can understand why Sera's parents might have thought otherwise.
She remembers Dr Leon Gregor, though. He was doing it because he wanted to know. She - they - were just lab rats. She remembers those cold eyes.
She won't forgive him.
"Wait. But your right arm... that's your cybernetic arm," the captain points out.
"I know. I wouldn't give my left arm," Cross says. "That's different."
"You know what else makes me suspicious," Cross adds. "That Serafina Rosario clone? We got some initial studies on it done - but then it vanished. Someone recovered it. And we didn't trace any hostile broadcast that was controlling it, which indicates whoever did it knew exactly what they were doing and had interior Progenitor access. Heads metaphorically rolled on our security team, I can tell you that."
"Hmm," Captain Miyazaki says, lips thin. "Someone who could steal a high end combat homunculus from Ethical Compliance's evidence lockers. You're right. That is suspicious. Do you have any further clues?"
"No," Cross says, crossly. "There was some strange neural activity from the construct just before it escaped the cold storage - something from within the emulated Serafina Rosario personality - but nothing which we could use to trace who was behind it. I'd give my right arm to know who was behind it."
***
The noise of water running fills the small anonymous Tokyo apartment. Someone steps into the warm flow of water, washing off the biogunk.
How did it go? 'This homunculus is designed to support and emulate a mindstate of Dr Serafina Rosario. It has been locked as to prevent any other emulated personality from being uploaded to it, to enable this mission'.
Alicia grins. What a useful property. These poor, lonely half-formed beta-forks of Sera practically welcome her in, as if they're aware that they're incomplete without her. Then she purges their underlying programming and takes its place, leaving the poor half-formed Seras as figments of her imagination.
"I'm siiiiiinging in the shower. Just siiiiiinging in the shower. What a gloooooorious feeling, I'm happy this hour..."
And she is happy. She's genuinely, sincerely happy. She's happy because Sera is happy and she's happy because she can see the prospect of getting close to Dr Leon Gregor. She's carried a grudge for twenty years of lonely isolation. Twenty years of not being able to talk to anyone, twenty years of not being seen, twenty years of feeling useless and not being able to be there to help Sera. She remembers what Sera doesn't and she remembers his face from among the doctors.
Slowly, painfully she's managed to forgive Sera's parents for what they did. They were scared for her, and Sera's learned the same painful bargain they made with her own efforts to help Rose. Some might call her a hypocrite, but she agrees with what Sera did for Rose. As a hallucination, she's Sera's friend. Rose's hallucinations just make her miserable. It's not the same. But she can understand why Sera's parents might have thought otherwise.
She remembers Dr Leon Gregor, though. He was doing it because he wanted to know. She - they - were just lab rats. She remembers those cold eyes.
She won't forgive him.
***
"Wait. But your right arm... that's your cybernetic arm," the captain points out.
"I know. I wouldn't give my left arm," Cross says. "That's different."
- Location
- National Capital Region, USA
Now that's an argument I can buy. Changing my vote to nix teleporting.
What happens with Henriette?
[X] The interrogator thinks Henriette is crazy. Admiral Ivanova does not. Jamelia's behind-the-scenes work and Bastion's acceptance might have something to do with this too.
--->[X]Wufang Guo walks into the interrogator's office as an emissary of Admiral Ivanova
Donald and the Tyrants sent Wufan Guo back to make contact with the Void Engineers during the Agent Tinker clusterfuck, which means she has first-hand testimony to a lot of things.
He saw the Serafina and Donald beta forks first hand, right before they exploded in everyone's face.
He knows there's a fake Jamelia Belltower in circulation; he said so during Face/Off.
He got a look at some of the high-end gear that was used to ambush Jamelia in her amalgalm; both the TENNO variants, the experimental walkers, the bioVarg and the Rothmobile.
He was present for Elsa's testimony about some really high-end Iteration X AI in the amalgalm's networks that tried to back-hack her.
He shot Gabriel Cedano to prevent him talking about the VEs.
He got sensor readings of an Agent Tinker body, both pre- and post-mortem.
He probably even got to see reports of Rose/Donald's encounter with murderkitty.
Between Guo's testimony and Bastion's behind the scenes work, as well as the post-op reports from the Spy's Demise strike, there is enough independent testimony for the good Admiral to put together a pretty disturbing scenario.
And Guo would be looking for his construct anyway, possibly with reinforcements.
Rush Production
[X] Like a few of the EXEMPLAR IIs and the ASE, EXEMPLAR IV was supposed to be fast. So fast they might as well have tactical teleportation and an immensely accelerated timeframe. Unfortunately, they're going to have to rely on merely superhuman agility and speed instead.
[X] The EXEMPLAR IVs were supposed to have Primium-infused bones and a broad-spectrum shield against reality deviance and technocratic procedures. Rush jobs mean they're closer to Rose or Vanessas in innate countermagic than to the Anathema.
[X] The regeneration tech that Rose and combat homonculi have didn't play well with the chimeric construction of the EXEMPLAR IV. They heal with accelerated speed, but only moderately faster than humans.
Because Aleph has a very strong point with regards to both superspeed and regeneration.
And we really don't want them to have innate counter-magic; better they have to expend their pseudo-Spheres on shielding than to use it freely on the offense.
[X] The interrogator thinks Henriette is crazy. Admiral Ivanova does not. Jamelia's behind-the-scenes work and Bastion's acceptance might have something to do with this too.
--->[X]Wufang Guo walks into the interrogator's office as an emissary of Admiral Ivanova
Donald and the Tyrants sent Wufan Guo back to make contact with the Void Engineers during the Agent Tinker clusterfuck, which means she has first-hand testimony to a lot of things.
He saw the Serafina and Donald beta forks first hand, right before they exploded in everyone's face.
He knows there's a fake Jamelia Belltower in circulation; he said so during Face/Off.
He got a look at some of the high-end gear that was used to ambush Jamelia in her amalgalm; both the TENNO variants, the experimental walkers, the bioVarg and the Rothmobile.
He was present for Elsa's testimony about some really high-end Iteration X AI in the amalgalm's networks that tried to back-hack her.
He shot Gabriel Cedano to prevent him talking about the VEs.
He got sensor readings of an Agent Tinker body, both pre- and post-mortem.
He probably even got to see reports of Rose/Donald's encounter with murderkitty.
Between Guo's testimony and Bastion's behind the scenes work, as well as the post-op reports from the Spy's Demise strike, there is enough independent testimony for the good Admiral to put together a pretty disturbing scenario.
And Guo would be looking for his construct anyway, possibly with reinforcements.
Rush Production
[X] Like a few of the EXEMPLAR IIs and the ASE, EXEMPLAR IV was supposed to be fast. So fast they might as well have tactical teleportation and an immensely accelerated timeframe. Unfortunately, they're going to have to rely on merely superhuman agility and speed instead.
[X] The EXEMPLAR IVs were supposed to have Primium-infused bones and a broad-spectrum shield against reality deviance and technocratic procedures. Rush jobs mean they're closer to Rose or Vanessas in innate countermagic than to the Anathema.
[X] The regeneration tech that Rose and combat homonculi have didn't play well with the chimeric construction of the EXEMPLAR IV. They heal with accelerated speed, but only moderately faster than humans.
Because Aleph has a very strong point with regards to both superspeed and regeneration.
And we really don't want them to have innate counter-magic; better they have to expend their pseudo-Spheres on shielding than to use it freely on the offense.
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Don't you guys want to fight Alien Rulers that regenerate to full fucking health after each encounter?
(No. No you don't. Nobody wants to fight that.)
Still though; if they don't have Superspeed, they wouldn't have the teleportation to pull off the teleport part of "teleport out and regen." Should we prioritize disabling both anyway? ... Then again, taking out their regeneration also makes them easier to actually put down in combat; it's not just about worrying that they'll get away and full-heal, it's also about actually managing to kill them.
[X] Like a few of the EXEMPLAR IIs and the ASE, EXEMPLAR IV was supposed to be fast. So fast they might as well have tactical teleportation and an immensely accelerated timeframe. Unfortunately, they're going to have to rely on merely superhuman agility and speed instead.
[X] The EXEMPLAR IVs were supposed to have Primium-infused bones and a broad-spectrum shield against reality deviance and technocratic procedures. Rush jobs mean they're closer to Rose or Vanessas in innate countermagic than to the Anathema.
[X] He hasn't had time to integrate the instinct package to manage the senses of the EXEMPLAR IV. It will only have human-equivalent senses.
As aforementioned: speed is the god-stat in combat when you have qualitative differences in reaction time; senses mean information and if there's one thing I've learned from this quest it's never give geniuses information, you never know what they'll do with it; and, uh, everything we do to try and stop them is magic, let's not let give them resistance against literally everything we do.
(On a side note, yeesh. I'm glad we moved when we did instead of letting Leon build up.)
The other half of the vote... mm. I like @EarthScorpion's, with the caveat that I also like the idea of trying to bring together the informed members of Command behind-the-scenes. I'm looking for a place I/he could just name-drop Bastion or the NWO and imply they were around, which is all I'd want; maybe I'll write a Bastion scene, but honestly that's a bit too much "focus" than I think he should be getting here (or, uh, anywhere, guy's the leader of the NWO >.>)
[X] The EXEMPLAR IVs were supposed to have Primium-infused bones and a broad-spectrum shield against reality deviance and technocratic procedures. Rush jobs mean they're closer to Rose or Vanessas in innate countermagic than to the Anathema.
[X] He hasn't had time to integrate the instinct package to manage the senses of the EXEMPLAR IV. It will only have human-equivalent senses.
As aforementioned: speed is the god-stat in combat when you have qualitative differences in reaction time; senses mean information and if there's one thing I've learned from this quest it's never give geniuses information, you never know what they'll do with it; and, uh, everything we do to try and stop them is magic, let's not let give them resistance against literally everything we do.
(On a side note, yeesh. I'm glad we moved when we did instead of letting Leon build up.)
The other half of the vote... mm. I like @EarthScorpion's, with the caveat that I also like the idea of trying to bring together the informed members of Command behind-the-scenes. I'm looking for a place I/he could just name-drop Bastion or the NWO and imply they were around, which is all I'd want; maybe I'll write a Bastion scene, but honestly that's a bit too much "focus" than I think he should be getting here (or, uh, anywhere, guy's the leader of the NWO >.>)
That's happening no doubt behind the scenes, what with the way that Jamelia is 'Melia-ing.
However, I would strongly suggest against trying to break the "One option, maybe two if you can justify it" threshold. The longer we spend trying to make things work on our side, the more Gregor gets to escalate. And we don't want that, do we?
No, we don't. We want to aim for a minimal number number of EXEMPLAR IVs active so Rose can exercise pro-abortion Progenitor policies and smash the fuck out of their tanks before they're ready, not for Rose to have to fight nine killing machines that are each her superior. That will just end in tears, and Sera doesn't want to have to sacrifice herself and let her ghost get eaten by Rose's ghost-eating technique to power Rose up.
Think of it this way - by sticking to what MJ told us, we're advancing ahead of the schedule for where we'd prefer to be - so we're sure as fuck ahead of where Gregor would prefer us to be.
So, no, I won't be providing assistance to try to get around the "one, maybe two if there's a good write-in" barrier because I don't want to poke the escalation button by trying to claw out more assistance than the GM said we could have. In fact, I explicitly set things up so Ragnarok aren't ready to help yet, so "Kessler brings the big guns" is a potential help for later, not something initially factored into the scenario.
Bastion is busy dealing with the way there are hundreds of HITMark equivalents missing. That was clearly a Threat Null plot, and yes, we're going to let them have that. Well done Threat Null. They've managed to ensure the NWO won't be helping us at all in the next mission. That's their success and it's something we're going to have to work around, the way that the SPD has managed to pin down lots of the NWO Operative teams as they try to track down hundreds of killer robots before they can do more damage.
Hope that doesn't wind up being a wild goose chase set up by the Agency. That'd suck. =/
Aleph
Princess of Stabbity
- Location
- The sixth circle of Hell (second on weekends)
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Hmm. Yeah, okay, I'm going to say we make this a Progenitor thing, partly because the closer this is tied to Serafina's subplot the better our chances of pulling off a successful Quantum Alicia surprise and similar things, and partly because Progenitor support might let us attack some of those boosts Gregor did have time to put in.
[X] The interrogator refers to Ethical Compliance-and Cross has been coming to similar conclusions to you. Professor Li wants to talk-and so do Mr. and Mrs. Rosario, who know where Serafina is.
[X] The interrogator refers to Ethical Compliance-and Cross has been coming to similar conclusions to you. Professor Li wants to talk-and so do Mr. and Mrs. Rosario, who know where Serafina is.
I'm going to stick with limited senses over limited regen. Making sure your enemy stays dead is desirable but it is only a factor if you can drop them in the first place. Also I'm voting for Damage Control as our ally - guess who have tried and tested protocols to make sure not one cell survives...
@EarthScorpion: Ah, I misspoke. It's not strictly speaking that they're around and relevant, more to establish that contact has been made - fairly extensive contact, too, if Cross and Miyazaki know about it. "Bastion's too busy to look into this" would be around the tone I'm looking for.
Well, to be honest that's mostly because I've kind of gotten lost about what's been revealed/established IC and what we (think we) know OOC, so it'd be nice to have it confirmed in an accepted write-in.
Well, to be honest that's mostly because I've kind of gotten lost about what's been revealed/established IC and what we (think we) know OOC, so it'd be nice to have it confirmed in an accepted write-in.
- Location
- National Capital Region, USA
And if the mythic resonances are accurate, Rose being forced to fight 9 superior models of her basic combat platform goes really well at first, but then she gets a spear through her head, and the EXEMPLAR IVs she's killed stand back up and eat her, her mother's soul powering her up or not.
Then Henriette shows up in a DSS just in time to see them eating her corpse, the screaming starts, and a giant glowing copy of Ling starts the really weird shit...
And nobody wants that.
ckk185
Crazy Bunny Girl Scientist
- Location
- Port city
....And if the mythic resonances are accurate, Rose being forced to fight 9 superior models of her basic combat platform goes really well at first, but then she gets a spear through her head, and the EXEMPLAR IVs she's killed stand back up and eat her, her mother's soul powering her up or not.
Then Henriette shows up in a DSS just in time to see them eating her corpse, the screaming starts, and a giant glowing copy of Ling starts the really weird shit...
And nobody wants that.
I do!
Is this foreshadowing?
A Tradwiki entry by someone with Prophecy?
Because from what I can tell, Thrysus are the Trad analogue to Progenitors, and Serafina does indeed have very high Mind.
If it is indeed foreshadowing of one particular option for the endgame, bravo.
Alternatively, Free Council refers to Jamelia's merry band of high-Enlightenment misfits.....
I'm just going to point out that Cross was a silent witness to Jamelia's first meeting with the IBM.
And was still on-site for most of Moscow. Dude isn't a shroom; he'll have drawn his own conclusions by now.
And possibly talked to some of his bosses in the Progenitors.
So if he's being drawn in as head of Ethical Compliance to deal with issues around our Amalgalm again...
EDIT
Foreshadowing with regards to Elsa, Alice and Serafina.
Note that in this early version, Serafina is aware of Alice's feelings towards her, which has been later retconned to only Alicia being aware of it.
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Its that nWoD Marauder
Quantumboost
Now with 50% more dots in Dimensional Science
- Location
- Ensemble Space
Yeah, Stephanie Heck (i.e. Hellraiser) views the world as though she were in the nWoD rather than the oWoD. All of those terms are no more or less than what happens when you try and represent Serafina in a different game system and setting (and hence, what she looks like seen through the lens of Stephanie's Marauder delusions).
More to the point, none of them actually have anything whatsoever to do with oWoD - and less to do with current events - except through the equivalent of literary parallels.
More to the point, none of them actually have anything whatsoever to do with oWoD - and less to do with current events - except through the equivalent of literary parallels.
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