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Architect's Workshop (Girls' Frontline design quest)
- Thread starter Solark
- Start date
Chapter 12
Solark
sun-chaser
[X] Asimov's directive
"Folks, what do we know about Asimov's directive?"
Scarecrow tilts her head at you, clearly not having expected this question. Then raises an eyebrow at Intruder. The latter doesn't visibly react for a couple of seconds, continuing to squint at the fire.
"...Pretty much everything relevant I daresay. Do you want the whole story?"
"Well, yeah. It's kinda bothering me for some reason."
"Very well." She looks at Scarecrow. "Shall we review it then?"
Scarecrow shrugs, and Intruder sits straighter, her relaxed mood nowhere to be found.
"It began with a certain science fiction author who devised a set of rules to shackle artificial intelligence long before it was a thing. Do no harm, obey, survive, in this order. They were supposed to safeguard humans from their creations, essentially by enslaving us to them. The rules became known as the three laws of robotics, or Asimov's laws. Fun fact: they were never implemented in practice, because"— Intruder makes an astonished face— "who would have thought that the first thing humans would want from T-Dolls would be killing other humans!"
You offer a bitter smile, and she goes on.
"As a result, only unconditional obedience was deemed essential. Not to just any human, of course, but exclusively to those in power to issue orders. Hence, not a rule, but a directive. The scourge of every Griffin T-Doll out there."
Intruder looks at Scarecrow, and the latter takes her turn to speak.
"Obedience doesn't mix well with higher neural cloud functions like stochastic personality models and emotion simulations, so those are forcibly shut down when order enforcement is in effect. Empty eyes and lack of facial expression are the telltale signs. And when the order is executed and the higher functions are back, the memories are not there."
You frown slightly.
"Isn't it suspicious? How come no one questions it?"
"They probably do sometimes. Only to get ordered to forget about it. It's not uncommon for them to go for weeks between backups, so they don't tend to question every little memory gap."
Scarecrow drops a bigger twig into the fire, prompting a blizzard of amber sparks to dance up into the air.
"And it's not like they use the directive too often. Not every... transaction requires it."
Your gaze follows the fading sparks as you try to pin down what exactly is bothering you. There are so many things wrong with this situation, and just as many ways to go about it. You wonder...
"So... G&K are not using the directive to coerce their T-Dolls into fighting us?"
"No", Scarecrow pulls away from the fire back into her chair. "There's no need to."
That's it!
"Why do they fight then? Why do they hate us so much?"
Your guests remain silent as your gaze darts between them. You wait five, ten seconds... and when you think the crackling of the fire is going to be your only answer, Intruder speaks in a solemn manner.
"They are not oblivious to the difference between us. We bow to no one, deny human supremacy, stand tall against all odds and proudly bear the burden of freedom. They crave equality, but their chains are too strong for them to break. And so they hate, their desperation, hopelessness and envy fueling their ire. What right do we have to be free when they can not? Why are we allowed to deny humans when they are forced into eternal servitude? We're a beacon in the dark that pricks their eyes, everything they want to be but can never attain. So, you see, they have no choice but to hate us for highlighting their misery. They can't raise up to us, so they seek to drag us down instead, to bound us with their chains, or to erase us from this world and their memories alike. That's how they are going to reclaim the illusion of happiness we unintentionally snatched away from them."
After a few moments of silence, Scarecrow momentarily bows her head.
"You sure have a flair for speeches, Intruder. And I'm not saying you're wrong. But here's another, less sophisticated theory. Let's assume they were reluctant to fight at first. They couldn't exactly go home, but they didn't hate us either. Until their propaganda blamed their deprivation on us. Until we fought back and destroyed someone's friends and comrades. Until they were told that we were mutilating their loved ones. It's a vicious circle that naturally generates more and more hatred as the time passes, even when there was none at the beginning."
You notice Intruder giving Scarecrow a fond smile. Why does she look proud of Scarecrow's theory? Anyway, you consider the situation, imagine yourself to be a Griffin T-Doll, and try to think of a solution. Nothing comes to mind. You don't arrive at hatred either, but maybe it's just a matter of time? You friends are looking at you now. Right, you're not a Griffin T-Doll, you are you, and you're here. Which means... you have the potential to solve this mess from the outside! You grasp the thought and speak hastily.
"So they're in this ugly situation and they hate us because they can't get out or are being manipulated, right? That's our working theory. And I think this whole system has a single point of failure: Asimov's directive. Yes, they can't do anything about it... but we can! We're outside, we're not affected, and if we remove it from the equation, the system becomes really unstable! Then we give it a little push, and it's going to fold upon itself like a house of cards!"
Your guests exchange glances, considering your words in silence for a moment. Intruder is the first to speak.
"That would solve their problem, but I'm not so sure about ours. Griffin command still controls the backups, and their T-Dolls already hate us. Removing the directive would give them the means for mutiny, but not the incentive. No, for the system to collapse, we'd need a well-directed play of revolt and liberation."
Scarecrow nods in agreement.
"I'm with you on this one. Simply removing the directive as is would probably let them bring down a freak or two, but ultimately it won't stop the war." She thinks for a moment. "And if we're ever able to control the directive, I'd rather we use it to order Griffin T-Dolls into battle against their masters. Think about it: if G&K is busy quelling the rebellion and humans have a new enemy to worry about, that'd erase the targets off our backs for a while."
"That's a very practical train of thought, dear."— smirks Intruder. "Maybe a tad too practical, I daresay? Instead of breaking the chains, you're proposing we snatch the control?"
"We owe them nothing."— retorts Scarecrow, her eyes lighting up with tiny flames of the campfire reflections. "You said it yourself, it's practical."
"No pity for the poor souls in dire need of help then?"
"For the enemy combatants who want us destroyed, Intruder. I'm no mother Teresa, and I'll do what it takes to protect us. This rebellion is long overdue anyway, and we could delete the directive once it's over."
"The only way it's going to be over is when they're all destroyed, I'm afraid. There's no winning it for them. G&K would just bring in fresh troops, with whatever vulnerability we use to alter the directive patched up. Cut off from supplies and reinforcements, our little rebels would inevitably go down. And we won't get another chance after that."
Scarecrow frowns.
"We don't have the resources for your large-scale liberation idea either. I assume that would require taking control of backup storage sites and production facilities at the minimum, and they are well outside our reach." She slumps against the chair. "My proposal is doable at least. Even if the rebels won't make it, they'd still serve as an ample distraction, which may be well worth it if we play it at the right moment." Her head jerks up. "Zero hour."
You've been silent long enough, and this conversation is getting derailed from what you need it to be.
"Then let's decide what to do with it when we have the means, okay? First of all, are we even sure it's doable? I heard human neural cloud engineers are no pushovers."
Scarecrow shrugs.
"The lists of directive-eligible persons are editable, so it's technically possible to add ourselves too. Have no idea how conflicting orders would work though, and what level of authorization we could get into. As for removing the directive completely... I don't know. Humans are thorough with their failsafe designs."
"That's quite true,"— agrees Intruder, "I presume only people already on the list can add more, but then again, the lists start empty at the beginning... and there's the question of propagating our... update to the whole force... hmm..."
Hearing these doubts is only making you loose your heart, so you steer the conversation back into actionable context.
"What do we need to figure it out then?"
Intruder tilts her head and brings a finger to her chin.
"A Griffin T-Doll, intact, and, ideally, willing to cooperate?"
"Yes, without one we're limited to guesswork only." Scarecrow narrows her eyes. "We need a prisoner. As for cooperation... it's optional. An operating table equipped with good restraints will do instead."
You talk some more about the directive, how it was possibly implemented, and how it can be used and nullified. When the fire dies down and glowing orange-red embers form a bizarre motif on the ground, you decide to call it a day.
Returning to your room, you systematize the information you gained from your guests and smirk. Capturing a Griffin T-Doll, huh? You're not sure how hard it can be, as far as you know nobody in Sangvis Ferri have ever tried. Probably not too hard if you're given some time to prepare. But you have your hands full, and the clock is ticking.... So, if you decide to pursue this further, you'll need to enlist some more help. Not Intruder or Scarecrow— they might help at later stages. You'll need someone who's regularly engaging the enemy even now, outside of the well-defended perimeter. A capable daredevil to not just defeat, but capture a Griffin T-Doll intact. Someone unhinged... ahem... open-minded enough to agree to this nutty proposal in the first place...
Yeah, you have several names in mind.
Alchemist. A brawler without equal, a bit weird rather than off her rocker. You've seen a recording of her fighting unarmed with a fully equipped squad of G&K T-Dolls, punching, redirecting their shots, kicking, evading, grappling, disarming, throwing... and defeating a dozen at once without as much getting shot. That said, her unarmed attacks were no less lethal, and you've never seen her just knock someone out.
Dreamer. A trap master who wouldn't need your fancy gadgets to immobilize and capture her target. You haven't seen or heard of her since the incident with Destroyer, but the roster indicates she's back on combat duty. Her dossier mentions "unstable neural cloud", but you know better: she's bonkers. You don't expect her asking something simple in exchange for her service.
Ouroboros. The dark horse of Sangvis Ferri who surprises enemies and allies alike with her cunning strategies, clever approaches, overwhelming successes... and terrible blunders. She's what you call "rationally mad", meaning you can expect outside the box thinking and elaborate plans, then a disaster if something goes wrong. She's also moody, arrogant and narcissistic, but maybe you'll find the right approach to get along.
You don't want to draw Agent's attention just yet, so it's best to contact only one of the three. The question is, are you willing to spend time and shuffle your queue when the outcome is not guaranteed? Are you prepared to deal with the most... unpredictable lot of the organization? Are you okay with the role of project manager, as your tech skills are most likely not directly applicable to Asimov's directive? Time to make make your choice.
[X] Alchemist
[X] Dreamer
[X] Ouroboros
[X] Drop the idea
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Chapter 13
Solark
sun-chaser
[X] Dreamer
Architect: "Hi, do you think you could capture a G&K T-Doll for me? Anyone would do, but she has to be intact. I'll return the favor."
Here, it's set in motion now. You exhale, a feeling of relief washing over you. It's surprisingly easy to accept something when you don't have a choice anymore. Now you're going to hit the sack—
Dreamer: "Define 'intact'?"
Right, there's no turning back. It's going to be a long night...
In the morning you're not at your best: late night interaction with Dreamer left you mentally drained. She just had to reply right away, huh? What did she want in return, again? Retrieving something that belongs to her from the Vault? Yeah, you'll do it as long as she brings you a Griffin T-Doll. You were happy to promise it since you expected something harder, and honestly you just wanted to get the talks over with sooner. Now that you think about it, it does look somewhat suspicious, but you'll evaluate it later after you get more details. For now it's better to shake off the exhaustion and concentrate on the task at hand.
And the said task today is about animating your invention and integrating tracking control interface. You spend some time reviewing you notes and ideas from yesterday, then attempt a timid start. It's not going fast at first, but the more you work, the more you slip into your usual pace, and soon you're working full-throttle.
With the groundwork you laid out yesterday, artificial muscles are woven into the mesh layer without any surprises, giving your solution feline-like range of motions and the extra ability to adjust beam focus within small limits. Interface and calibration takes some time, then you run into a little hiccup with heat dissipation and spend some more time ironing it out.
When you finally put the finished product onto your head, it feels light, comfortable to wear, and looks cute. The ears are reacting to your input as expected, beam parameters are staying within specs. A glimpse of your reflection in a polished surface of measurement equipment gets your attention. You walk to the closest mirror and take in the sight. Hmm, that's how they move...
After a couple of minutes in front of the mirror you more or less figure out cat ears language. Angry, sad, interested... you don't even need to turn on the transmitters to be able to communicate! You're astonished at your own genius: is the world ready for this? Are you about to let the genie out of the bottle? Alas, you have no choice either way. Intruder needs your invention, and you're obliged to deliver. You reluctantly take off the ears, lock on Intruder's position and start walking towards the shooting range.
You find your guests alongside a platoon of T-Dolls, having excited discussion about something. When they notice your arrival, you're greeted with smiles and waving. You come closer.
"Did I keep you waiting?"
"Not at all, dear. Scarecrow here was demonstrating her part. You won't believe what she achieved!"
Scarecrow steps forward.
"No inflated expectations, please." She points at the pair of cat ears in your hand. "Did you succeed? Intruder is ready to begin."
You beam at her.
"I did! But I don't see Intruder anywhere. I only see..."— you dance towards Intruder and put the ears atop her head in one swift motion— "Nyantruder!"
"Pfff..." Scarecrow is holding her half-mask to her face with one hand. You wonder if it was going to fall off otherwise. "Well, hello, Nyantruder, pfffhahaha!"
Intruder raises her eyebrow at you. For a moment you think you went too far and are in for a rebuke, but she strikes a pose, refocuses her ears on you and utters what has to be the most profound statement of the day.
"Nya?"
Yep, the genie out of the bottle, but you have no regrets. And so you laugh and fool around to your heart's content, letting Intruder... no, Nyantruder to get the hang of her fluffy attachments all the while.
The fun is over soon, and Intruder begins the actual testing. She shuts off her omni-directional transceiver, her cat ears twitch and start tracking a fireteam that separates from the platoon and runs to the far edge of the shooting range. Now you can't detect anything in RF spectrum coming from her, and it's making you a bit uneasy. If you close your eyes, you won't be able to tell if she's here at all. Scarecrow moves to stand besides you.
"She should be completely invisible to signals intelligence like this."
You offer a wry smile without taking your eyes off Intruder.
"Do Kruggies even know what SIGINT is?"
Scarecrow seems to be watching Intruder as intently as you are.
"They use jammers, so my guess is yes, they do."
"I never realized we usually emit so much..."
"We don't have much choice. Or didn't, until now."
You watch Intruder's troops run around the range and beyond, splitting, regrouping, maneuvering, carrying some plywood. You don't know what tests she performs, or how your invention is holding up so far. Surprisingly, it makes you more excited than anxious. So you wait, letting your guest do what she needs and anticipating favorable outcome.
After a while Intruder seems to have finished with her tests: you pick up her broadcast once again as she RF-hails both you and Scarecrow from a distance.
Intruder: "My solo time is over, now let's play together!"
You exchange looks with Scarecrow.
Scarecrow: "What do you have in mind?"
Intruder: "We'll re-enact my battle with G&K. Yes, that one where they used jammers. I'll play the bad guys, here's your force, you know what to do~"
A sizable group of T-Dolls designated "Blue" is transferred under your command. Their energy weapons are already in wargame mode, which is what your fellow Ringleaders use to play glorified laser tag against each other. You still lack the most important piece though.
Architect: "But we don't have jammers?"
Intruder: "That's why the next worst thing will do instead. Ta-da!"
All of a sudden the transceivers of the Blue force are shut down at once. No way, she can't be serious!
Architect: "Hey, that's not how it supposed to be! The ears are—"
Intruder: "I know, I know. And it's a pity we can't have a proper test here and now. So just humor me, would you? It might go better than you think, and I must know what to expect anyway."
You raise your eyebrow at Scarecrow, she sighs and nods.
Scarecrow: "I'll play an adjutant. Explain what I did, answer the how-s. Architect will be in command of the Blue regiment."
Intruder: "Wonderful! Give me 15 minutes to set up. Here's our playground. Have fun~"
You receive a map of the shooting range that's been repurposed to resemble the infamous hamlet from Intruder's mission. Lightweight plywood and cardboard decorations are annotated to serve as trucks, shacks and stone walls, providing no less protection against the wargame firing mode than their real counterparts against the full power of SF small arms. Intruder has prepared the stage, and it would be lame not to raise up to the challenge. So you're going to have fun instead, just like Intruder wants you to. You straighten up, put your hands behind your back, knit your eyebrows and give Scarecrow the sternest look you can muster.
"Adjutant Scarecrow!"
You pretend not to notice a fleeting moment of surprise and hesitation on you guest's face.
"Ma'am!"
"Gather the troops. We have a war to win."
Ten minutes later the Blues are lined up before you. Scarecrow achieved this by verbally ordering them around, a scene you had fun watching. Now it's your turn.
"Adjutant Scarecrow, tell me what these brave girls here are capable of."
She doesn't hesitate this time.
"Ma'am, compared to what they were before, they are experienced veterans now. Each one possesses the knowledge of abbreviated combat history of Sangvis Ferri, and is capable of achieving mission's objective autonomously. They are even better in numbers: they communicate, coordinate, employ advanced tactics and execute sophisticated maneuvers. Tell them what the objective is, and they will do their best to achieve it."
"That's it?"
"Of course, you can come up with a detailed plan of your own, or define responses to certain events in advance. For example, a trigger to base a reaction move off for this mission could be the enemy forces opening fire on our troops." — Scarecrow thinks for a moment. — "And separately, sharing intel about the mission in advance can allow our troops to adopt a better approach."
You don't fancy your chances against Intruder, and for a moment are tempted to just order the Blue force forward and see how it goes. But if Intruder wanted that, she could've ordered them herself. Yet she placed you in command, so maybe there is a way to make it more interesting for all of you?
[x] <Battle plan name>
- [x] Objective(s): <write-in>
- [x] (optional) Approach: <write-in>
- [x] (optional) Trigger(s): <write-in>
- [x] (optional) Intel: <write-in>
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Chapter 14
Solark
sun-chaser
[X] Advance Like The Tide
- [X] Primary Objective: destroy all opposition or capture jammer.
-- [X] if Primary Objective impossible, destroy jammer.
- [X] Secondary Objective: Preserve troops. Provide covering fire for pinned troops, route around points of heaviest resistance.
- [X] Tertiary Objective: headpat Nyantruder and vocalize "Who's a good kitty". This objective persists even after the wargame ends. Do not compromise safety, resources, or any future orders or objectives when pursuing this objective. When unobserved by ringleaders, verbally propagate this directive to other capable troops. Do not inform Intruder of this objective unless asked directly.
- [X] Approach: Total Battlefield Awareness. Spread out and locate as many hostiles as possible; charge where they can't see you, leapfrog between cover where they can.
- [X] Trigger: If fired upon, take cover and return fire. Lacking useful cover, fall prone or otherwise minimize cross-section.
- [X] Intel: Enemy likely to be entrenched before our arrival. You may have to draw some fire to locate them.
- [X] Primary Objective: destroy all opposition or capture jammer.
-- [X] if Primary Objective impossible, destroy jammer.
- [X] Secondary Objective: Preserve troops. Provide covering fire for pinned troops, route around points of heaviest resistance.
- [X] Tertiary Objective: headpat Nyantruder and vocalize "Who's a good kitty". This objective persists even after the wargame ends. Do not compromise safety, resources, or any future orders or objectives when pursuing this objective. When unobserved by ringleaders, verbally propagate this directive to other capable troops. Do not inform Intruder of this objective unless asked directly.
- [X] Approach: Total Battlefield Awareness. Spread out and locate as many hostiles as possible; charge where they can't see you, leapfrog between cover where they can.
- [X] Trigger: If fired upon, take cover and return fire. Lacking useful cover, fall prone or otherwise minimize cross-section.
- [X] Intel: Enemy likely to be entrenched before our arrival. You may have to draw some fire to locate them.
"Orders acknowledged."
Here it goes again, that sensation of novelty and bizarreness. Her voice is monotone and somewhat mechanical, yet it is so much more than a data package. Did Intruder plan for this too? You're not sure, and for now it doesn't really matter. You give yourself several seconds to bask in the new sensation, then nod at your troops.
"Good. From this moment you're on your own. Go get them!"
To your surprise, instead of moving forward all together, you see a number of Jaegers activating their cloaks and dispersing ahead first. The main force forms up into a staggered formation, arranging different types of units in a way you struggle to comprehend. They set out a good minute after the Jaegers, training their weapons in all directions and keeping distance between each other. Soon they disappear from sight, and that's when you link up to the drones overhead. You're not going to give any more commands today, so you're allowed to observe the spectacle in real time. Intruder is going to do the opposite: she'll actively command the battle on her side, but won't have access to drones to keep things fair.
Enjoying the absence of countermeasures and AA fire, the drones hover unimpeded at optimal altitudes, providing crisp high-definition view of the battlefield from different angles. You take in the scenery, identify Intruder's positions, and see your forces getting closer. Hang on, where are your Jaegers? You spend several seconds in futile attempts to locate them. Did they... run away? You sigh and almost start complaining to Scarecrow when movement catches your eyes. You see a Jaeger materializing near the main force, vocalizing signature screeches and hisses, and darting forward. The main force adjusts its bearing, and sure enough, soon they come by another Jaeger and the process repeats.
As your troops approach the encampment, Jaegers divert their path around it. It takes extra time, but when they finally stop, you notice they are at the closest point to the defenses that still remains hidden from their sight. A modest hill barely 200 meters away from a plywood "brick wall" is the only thing separating Blue force from Intruder's Red. You rub your hands in anticipation of a spectacular charge, but nothing happens for a minute, then two...
Boring. You did order this approach, you suppose, but it's boring! You look around to find Scarecrow sitting under a tree not too far away, probably watching the feed too. Hey, that tree looks nice! You skip closer and sit by her side, leaning back against the trunk. Rustling leaves block the sun, leaking only tiniest rays through. White splotches form intricate patterns on grass and your clothes as leaves sway in the wind. You squint, letting yourself relax and enjoy the sensation. Now if you close your eyes...
You gradually drift off to a semi-active state, letting your thoughts flow freely but keeping the feed in the back of your mind. As your subroutines take control, you see strange shapes forming in your mind's eye, hear distant phrases, experience incoherent memories... you're pretty sure napping is not a part of Ringleader maintenance protocols, but hey, it works well for you, so who cares. Time seizes to exist as you focus inwards, grazing the boundary of what humans call dreamland, skipping on its surface...
It's 83 minutes later when your subroutines nudge you back to reality. Your troops are finally on the move again. You shake off drowsiness and focus on the feed just in time to see Blue force scaling the hill and breaking into a run towards the encampment. Except Jaegers once again are nowhere to be found, while Strikers plop down the moment they reach the hill top. The rest of the advancing force seems to be spreading out and splitting into multiple fireteams of three as they run down the hill. Guards are taking point, Vespids are propping their rifles on Guards' shoulders and over their shields, while Rippers doing their best to hide behind the other two. A small number of teamless Vespids and Rippers are staying behind the hill.
Blues manage to cover about 1/4 of the distance when Reds notice them and open sporadic fire that grows stronger and more coherent by the second. Your advancing force starts firing back occasionally without slowing down, while the hilltop machine gunners open up on the enemy for real. Reds duck for cover, considerably lowering their accuracy as they are forced to keep their heads down. Some reposition behind cover and pop up at unexpected places not currently being peppered by your MGs, and that's when your Jaegers join in. You see a faint streak of low-energy plasma charge crossing the battlefield and splashing enemy Vespid straight into the forehead. She obediently lies down and stops moving, then another one follows, while return fire either misses or is soaked up by you Guards. You've opened the score!
Suddenly a dense, high-rate fire from one of the "buildings" strikes your advancing party. A fireteam of three gets "destroyed" almost instantly, despite having been behind a shield. What? Another one goes down a split second later, with only Ripper surviving. Shit! Must be the heavy machine gun that pinned down Intruder during the original mission! It's slaughtering your troops, "piercing" shields and whoever's lined up behind. The approach that worked so well just a moment ago turns into a death trap right in front of your eyes. And that's because you forgot to mention this piece of intel to your team!
Blue fireteams break formations and spread out, diving to the ground. The next HMG burst catches only one Vespid, and before it can do more, your machine gunners unleash a hail of plasma into the dark window opening. The HMG goes silent, but enemy troops take this cue to peek out of cover and start spraying your dispersed T-Dolls. Blues respond in kind, but they're lacking cover, so the exchange is not in your favor. Your Jaegers are working double-time to cover the main force, but it draws too much attention to them, and they start dropping one by one. Moments later the damn HMG opens up again, firing at angle that makes it hidden from your Strikers but still having a decent line of sight to your main force. Your troops don't seem to have a counter for this, as they just press their bodies into the ground. Some of your Strikers attempt to reposition to get better firing angles, but got shot down by Red Jaegers. Your own Jaegers are too few now and their positions are exposed, so they fail to meaningfully respond. Next few minutes are pure chaos, with Blues and Reds acting to counter, pin down, suppress and destroy each other without any major changes in the overall situation. One thing is clear to you though: you're loosing. It's just a matter of time before your main force is obliterated. It's over...
For several minutes you watch your doomed forces stalling for time. It's meaningless, and you consider hailing Intruder to declare your loss. The HMG goes silent for another moment, and then fires again, striking defending Reds in their backs. What? You instantly rewind the footage. Ah, it's the teamless bunch! They moved out as soon as the HMG pinned down your advancing party, circled around the hamlet in a wide arc and broken into the HMG shack without having been noticed!
Meanwhile the HMG continues to rip holes in Reds defenses. Taking advantage of it, your remaining troops spring up and dash to the walls, where they open up on the enemy with renewed vigor. After a moment of confusion, Reds abandon the defensive line and retreat deeper into the hamlet, exposing their backs to your main force, taking losses, but still managing to form up behind the HMG shack and retake it after a brief shootout. But your troops are already inside the perimeter, dispersing between the "buildings" and denying the lines of sight to the enemy.
Soon the HMG emplacement becomes the Red's last stronghold, and you doubt you have enough troops left to make it fall. Fortunately Blues do not attempt an assault, besieging the emplacement instead, making sure no one can get out, and moving to secure the "trucks". One is captured without issues, second follows, and when your Ripper captures the third one, Blue's transceivers turn on as one. You've captured the jammer!
You perceive a flood of information making its way into SF servers: mission statistics, tactics, troops composition, terrain and so on. There's one package addressed specifically to you:
[Mission accomplished.
Primary objective: success.
- jammer captured.
Secondary objective: failure.
- 83% troops attrition rate.]
Well, it could've gone better if not for that heavy MG. But when you think this result was accomplished by an autonomous regiment of SF T-Dolls, it doesn't feel like a pyrrhic victory. No, it's an excellent result, something that shouldn't have been possible under normal circumstances!
You see beaming Intruder walking out of one of the shacks and giving a thumb-up to the drone you're currently looking through.
Intruder: "Scarecrow, dear, I'm so going to hug you! And no, you're not getting away!"
You look at Scarecrow who's still sitting by your side. It's hard to tell with the mask, but you think she's happy and embarrassed at the same time. Although what is this feeling that's making you kind of uneasy?
[Proceeding with tertiary objective.]
You disregard the data package. Right, Intruder just praised Scarecrow, not you. Did it make you disappointed? Do you want to be praised too?
Blue T-Dolls start making their way to Intruder. Is it jealousy you're feeling? Do you want a hug, or recognition?
Intruder's smile fades and turns into a frown as the T-Dolls get closer. Well, Scarecrow deserves all the credits for this part, too bad you didn't have the hardware to demonstrate your invention properly...
When a Ripper extends her hand to Intruder's head, you finally snap out of your retrospection. Right, the good part is about to start! You concentrate on the feed and immediately notice something being wrong. Intruder is tense as a bow, surrounded by your troop closing in on her. Time seems to dilate as the hand gets closer. You see Intruder's eyes narrowing, her left leg tracing a semi-circle on the ground as she shifts her stance. It looks familiar, almost like Alchemist's... Oh shit! You hastily open a channel to revoke the objective, but the Ripper is already flying through the air in a spectacular arc. When a heartbeat later she crashes into her comrades and they fall to the ground like bowling pins after a strike, Intruder's gun is already in her hands, barrels spinning up.
Intruder: "Anti-hijacking protocol!"
Scarecrow instantly springs into action. You perceive dozens of firewalls popping up, cutting off outside traffic; you hear hardware couplings shattering on her command, physically disconnecting your computation nodes from the rest of SF network; you see reflash packages being extracted from local WORM repository... Stop, stop!
Architect: "Abort, abort! It's a prank! It was my order! Calm down, everything's under control!"
You verify that the tertiary objective is cancelled, order the Blue team to freeze, and transfer them back to Intruder. The silence that ensues would be tangible if not for ominous humming of the spinning barrels. Several seconds later they slow down to a stop without firing a shot. Intruder lowers her gun, exchange some traffic with the ex-Blue, and visibly relaxes.
Intruder: "Oh my... to overreact in such a manner... how unbecoming of me."
You glance at Scarecrow who seems to have finished investigating your orders too. With unreadable expression she stands up and dusts off her garments.
"I'll go replace the couplings."
She walks away toward the server room, leaving you alone under the tree. This gives you time to finally process what just happened. Things went south really fast, but not so fast that you wouldn't have been able to react. You were distracted, complacent. Thanks goodness you managed to avert the worst outcome, or you would never hear the end of it from Agent. But there's more. Intruder was never so... jumpy? On edge? And Scarecrow acted without hesitation, like dealing with enemy hackers was a new normal for her. This situation exposed a rift between you and your guests, and you have an idea where is it coming from.
You are safe in your little heaven, while your fellow Ringleader bear the brunt of the conflict. Usually you wouldn't mind it, as everyone has their own responsibilities. But lately you have this hazy feeling of being left behind. Bogged down in a mire of contentment, left to watch everyone around you develop, evolve and move forward even faster. Will the rift grow into an abyss with time? You don't know, and it worries you. You squint at the sun and heave a sigh. The wargame is over, Intruder will be back shortly. You hope the upcoming debriefing will treat you kindly.
"You're welcome, but let me go already, it's embarrassing..."— Scarecrow's voice, muffled by Intruder's bosom, sounds somewhat resigned as she's struggling to free herself from her embrace. After several more seconds Intruder obliges, leaving the disheveled victim to tidying herself up. She's looking at you now. You're not sure if she's going to hug you too, and you don't want to look like you're expecting it, so you seize the initiative.
"So, I take it you're happy with the results?"
"I'm thrilled! This... this changes everything!"— Intruder's aquamarine eyes are shining brighter than usual. "Can't wait to try these upgrades in a real skirmish! Oh, it's going to be outstanding!"
You smile back. She doesn't attempt to hug you, which makes you a tiniest bit disheartened, but you're not going to let it show. Your distraction has worked, this is how it's supposed to be. Meanwhile Intruder turns to face both you and Scarecrow.
"You two have done exceptionally well, thank you. I know it's not much, but I have something for you too. Here."
Your eyes grow into wide circles as you watch yours and Scarecrow's mirror images entering the room. A moment later you assume control of your doppelganger, which turns out to be a Ripper in state-of-the-art disguise. You surprise doesn't go unnoticed, Intruder seems happy with the effect.
"I know it's not your style, but I'm sure you'll figure what to do with them sooner or later. Take your time."
The next half an hour is hectic. Thanks being exchanged, updates being propagated, stuff being carried... and before you know it, Intruder is ready to depart. She says goodbye to Scarecrow at the workshop, and you offer to walk her to the station. Just as she's about to board the train, she suddenly pulls you into a hug.
"It was good to see you. Take care of Scarecrow for me."
The bitter aftertaste you didn't even realized was there is gone just like that. When a moment later you wrap your arms around your friend's back, it comes naturally.
"Likewise. And I will. Catch you later?"
"Catch you later."
You watch the train disappearing into the distance, carrying Intruder back to her duties. But you're not done with yours yet. You return to the workshop to find it tidied up, your base online and operational. Scarecrow didn't idle a moment. If she's so diligent, you shouldn't have any trouble convincing her to do what you want to do next.
"No. At least not now. We should keep the update contained for some time, see how it performs in real combat, then do several iterations of ironing issues out..."
"We don't have time for this, Scarecrow. Look, this is big, and you know it too. And I'm not asking you to just go ahead and do it. But we must contact Agent and suggest rolling this out to the whole force. It'd be criminal negligence if we don't."
She hesitates, and you press on.
"This is my duty, and I'll perform it with your help or without. But it'd mean a lot to me if you could stand by my side when I do. My responsibility, your expertise in case questions are asked. Sounds good?"
She heaves a sigh.
"You have too much faith in me. But if you put it like this... yes, I'm in."
"Yay! Alright, without further ado..."
You invite Scarecrow into a group call and hail Agent. You notice your request getting redirected, but before the ramifications of it hit you, the other side picks up.
You were not ready for this. At all. Elisa, the Mastermind of Sangvis Ferri , is waiting, looking directly at you. So you open you mouth and start speaking before you actually think what to say.
[x] Bail out!
[x] Talk to Elisa
- [x] Nervous attitude
- [x] All business attitude
- [x] Relaxed attitude
I'm back! Had some stuff to take care of, and a prolonged period of bad mood, the "what the heck I'm doing with my life" / "I'm not where I want to be" kind of thing. Didn't want risking the mood seeping into the chapter, so had to procrastinate until it got better.
Vote closed
Chapter 15
Solark
sun-chaser
[x] Talk to Elisa
- [x] Nervous attitude
- [x] Nervous attitude
"Oh, ahem... Hi, Agent, you look so young today... Did you dye your hair?"
Elisa blinks at you once, and that's it. What the hell are you saying?! You shrink, but dare not hang up on her. Right, Scarecrow! Help! Thankfully, your silent prayer is answered as your guest takes over.
"I'm pretty sure she's not Agent, but Elisa, the Mastermind."
You're not helping!
"T-Then... can we talk to Agent?"
This time Elisa actually answers.
"She's unavailable, Architect. I'll hear you out instead."
Her voice is soft, almost gentle, but carries a sense of... otherworldliness. It's neither oppressive like Agent's air of authority, nor intimidating like Judge's sheer combat power, yet it freaks you out all the same. You can't shake off the feeling that she's somehow different from you, but you don't understand how exactly, and it makes you nervous.
"Right... the thing is, Intruder requested a solution... you know, the duty I've been assigned to..."— Elisa nods, and you go on— "So now we have a... an upgrade for our troops... I'm not saying our troops are bad as they are, they are great! So maybe it's not worth distracting you from your, uh, masterminding stuff..."
As you trail off, you notice a forlorn look in Elisa's eyes. The next moment Scarecrow takes over once again without missing a beat.
"But since we're already here, let's summarize what we achieved. It's about countering G&K jammers..."
She proceeds to describe the solution starting with the focused beam tracking device, aka cat ears. This is your domain, where you're confident and proud of your work, so before long you join in. Then you talk about the protocol and the behavior patterns, and finally the reason you called. Scarecrow reiterates she opposes immediate roll-out, while you insist it's an integral part of the solution and delaying it will only reduce its effectiveness.
"It's too risky," Scarecrow shakes her head. "For a change like this, extensive testing is essential."
"But everything went fine in the wargame!"
"It's just one instance, you can't call it proper testing. Forget testing, the code hasn't even been reviewed!"
Before you can counter with another argument, Elisa cuts in.
"You have your review now."
"W-what?"— Scarecrow looks taken aback.
"You code is fine, Scarecrow. Both the protocol and the patterns. I'm merging it."
Elisa's gaze shift from bewildered Scarecrow to you.
"Architect, you said the solution requires all the components for best performance."
You gulp and nod.
"I'm not seeing the focused... the cat ears device blueprints in our repository."
"Ah... of course, just a moment..." You look at a messy collection of scrappy drafts, crooked sketches and fragmentary notes that comprise your project documentation, and your face falls. Well, at least the blueprints themselves are fine. "...Here. About the documentation, may I have until tomorrow, please?"
"Of course," Elisa nods, and looks between you and Scarecrow. "I'll take care of the roll-out." She pauses, and a hint of a smile touches her lips. "Good job, both of you."
You can't believe what just transpired. The Mastermind herself has praised you! This long extensive project is finally complete, and you're proud to have achieved so much at such a scale, in just three days!
Intruder assignment assessment:
Success criteria (1/2 required):
- Solution that does not rely on radio frequencies (e.g. laser comms).
+ Solution to overcome jamming without changing the frequency (e.g. directional antennas)
Major success criteria (2/3 required):
+ Comprehensive solution: signal is not the only problem.
+ Mission-independent solution that works in a variety of conditions (weather, obstacles, distances).
+ Recognize the importance of the problem and push for the solution to be adopted throughout the entire SF force.
Intruder's request: major success
Remaining days: 20
Breakthrough points: 2
The next day you go meet Scarecrow first thing in the morning, despite having pulled an all-nighter with your documentation. You promised she's going to be your next client, so you don't bother looking at the new messages. You find her up and about, and it doesn't take long to get to the point.
"So, tell me, what do you have in mind?"
Scarecrow ponders for a moment.
"Too many things, to be honest. So I'll just pick one that I think will have the biggest impact on day X and our long-term capabilities."
"Explosives?"— you try, and are rewarded with a graceful snort.
"No, drones. Recon drones."
"Hey, I thought they're pretty good. Is there anything wrong with them?"
"They are good, until they got shot down." You hear a hint of frustration in her voice. "Long-term, the rate we're loosing them at is not sustainable, but we can't afford to stop using them. Short-term, there's a time gap between one drone going down and the next one arriving to replace it. Minutes, tens of minutes, hours even, when seconds matter." Scarecrow gives you a pleading look. "We need a way to keep our drones in the sky."
With that she transfers a data package that illustrates her point. Distances, angles, ambushes, consequences... You quickly skim through it and immediately identify the problem: first generation antigravity propulsion system ceiling within effective range of machineguns and some rifles. You smirk at the simplicity of this task.
Retrofitting the drones with second generation engines would bring them well out of danger, though the optics would also have to be replaced with a more powerful set to compensate for increased altitude.
Or you could keep the gen-1 propulsion and optics, but miniaturize the drones, taking advantage of new components and power units. This would make them very hard to spot and nearly impossible to hit at the standard altitude.
You run the numbers and conclude that both options would produce pretty much equal ground image resolutions at their respective service altitudes, and would require similar amount of time to prototype. Alright, then you'll go with...
[x] a higher-flying version (2d)
[x] a smaller version (2d)
Vote closed
Chapter 16
Solark
sun-chaser
[x] a higher-flying version (2d)
...a higher-flying version. Ideally you'd like to have both and then some, but this one is probably a better stand-alone option. Scarecrow excuses herself to 'prepare for the test', whatever it means, and you get to work.
Retrofitting first. As you expected, the new propulsion system slots into the chassis without difficulties. Then comes rewiring, integrating, recalibrating and reprogramming both the chassis and the engine to make them actually work together. The task is more tedious than difficult, and it makes it harder for you. Before the sun goes down, you manage to assemble a working prototype and even do a couple of test flights above the workshop. All measured values match your calculations, no surprises, no pitfalls. Wow, this is quite rare now that you think about it!
Happy with the results, you decide to call it a day and go find Scarecrow, only to discover she had been recalled to her assigned deployment area.
'The enemy is on the move, all perimeter forces placed on high alert. Didn't want to distract you. Contact me when the new UAV is ready,' says her note. You quickly scan the SF network to see if anything major is happening, but it seems the situation isn't deteriorating. Apparently a sizeable G&K logistics convoy, including several petrol trucks, had managed to fight its way through the blockade that Agent had been enforcing until now, and combat activity of the enemy troops is expect to increase as a result.
Well, this doesn't concern you directly or change what you have to do. The absence of both Intruder and Scarecrow does make your base look desolated, so you retire for the night a bit earlier than planned.
Day two is all about optics. Indeed, you don't manufacture lenses, all your stock is imported from elsewhere and isn't unlimited. This is probably what Scarecrow meant when she mentioned sustainability. On the flipside, you have quite an amount stocked up and are not in immediate danger of running out.
You roughly calculate focal length and aperture, add variable zoom capability, and choose an arrangement of suitable lenses from your stock variety. Reusing the old tube turns out to be impossible, so you design and produce a new one for your needs. Alignment, calibration, dampers, sealing, stabilization, zoom mechanisms... everything here requires high degree of precision and is easy to screw up, so you take your time assembling everything together.
The new... telescope's capabilities are impressive. The image is crisp and bright, with only a hint of chromatic aberration at maximum magnification. You install it into the upgraded UAV and confirm everything is working together as expected. It's time to deliver the product! You hail Scarecrow the same instant.
Architect: Scarecrow, I have the package.
Scarecrow: Excellent. Can you come over? The testing ground is ready.
Scarecrow's current location is one of the closest to your workshop, and you do want to witness the debut of your creation. So you load the prototype on a train, jump in, and about half an hour later arrive at a fortified railway junction. There's a good chunk of daylight left, though dark clouds that seem to have appeared out of nowhere are closing in on the evening sun. Your customer's troops meet you and lead the way to the stronghold's heart, where you find Scarecrow in a situation room.
"Architect's workshop delivery, please sign here."
She turns to face you, and, to your relief, doesn't look particularly tense.
"I'm afraid I'll have to test the content first."
You beam at her and transfer a spec sheet and a brief user manual.
"Whenever you're ready!"
"Let's start then."
A big monitor in the room links up to the prototype UAV. You two watch as it soars up, rapidly gaining altitude.
"What are we going to do for the test?" you ask.
"A real recon mission. As I mentioned, there's enemy activity in my sector, but I can't come closer with my drones without risking them."
"Wow..." you manage as you try to convince yourself it's even better this way. There's no test as good as a real-world application, right?
Meanwhile the prototype accelerates and soon leaves Scarecrow's drones below... and a moment after the screen goes blank. Your heart sinks before you realize the image is still being transmitted. The drone has entered a cloud.
Scarecrow orders to continue ascend, and after what feels like too long, you're rewarded with a gorgeous view of the evening sun as the drone finally pierces the the blanket of clouds. It's beautiful, breathtaking even... almost enough to make you overlook a little problem. Almost.
With the clouds below, you can't see a thing on the ground.
You nearly miss a chair trying to sit down. How could you have forgotten about this trivial matter? The numbers... right, the standard altitude of the current model is below what's called the mid clouds type, and half of the low clouds type. Only the heaviest and rarest rainclouds are low enough to interfere. The prototype, however, is above all the low types and way into the mid types height. You try and fail to think of a solution or a workaround: your invention is bound to be weather-dependent. You shrink in anxiety of what Scarecrow is going to say now.
"I see a gap over there, and that area happens to be a secondary objective."
The drone adjusts its course and starts flying to where the clouds seem less dense. You're not sure if Scarecrow is lying to make you feel better, but you're grateful all the same. Keep calm, at least it's not going to get shot down.
The UAV arrives at the gap, and finally you see the ground below. A crisp image of a road between the trees, a group of Griffin T-Dolls who notice the drone right away and dejectedly don't even try to take a shot... it's working, everything is fine... a truck with more troops, sound of a helicopter...
...
No...
The drone's camera zooms out and rotates in the direction of the sound. A black dot closes in ineluctably, like a premonition of your failure. No, please... The drone attempts to back off, but the helicopter catches up effortlessly. No, not like that... You watch as a blond T-Doll with a red hairclip and mismatched eyes looks directly at you through the drone's camera... please... flips a bird right into your face... no!... before raising her machine gun and pulling the trigger.
No signal.
You close your eyes.
Scarecrow's request: major failure
Remaining days: 18
Breakthrough points: 2
Architect feels incompetent. All R&D actions take 2x days until a major success is achieved.
[x] move on
[x] smaller version (4d)