//CPU Purple Heart
//Post-Fall 2262, Spring
//Turn 2 Resolution
//"Let me tell you two pieces of information: One, I am not a pervert. Two, I will quite literally strip off all your skin if you don't start talking yesterday." -Spymaster Pinky, Taimura Incident
Reconstruction (Martial): Fact is, you need more bodies in uniforms that can shoot properly and take orders if you want to be able to strike back properly. This will take some time, especially for training, but it may be your best option. (1 Turn, Low Risk, Costs 2 Resources, Raises Professional Military) [LOCKED IN]
Rolled 28
Success, Training Concluded
Well, things didn't go
too badly this time around. Vert took over the actual training this time, while you mostly did supervision and stuff. At the end of it, though it took a while, you've finally got a security force going. Add in the people you saved from the base, and that makes a fairly decent force. Though, you kind of wish you managed to put in some training for more cohesive teamwork, but that's just something you'll have to handle as a whole.
40 Professional Soldiers Trained, Organisation at Rag-Tag (Teamwork 0)
Surface Operations (Martial): Even with the problems down under, you need to think about the surface. You can't just tunnel your way to whever Skynet is based. (1 Turn, Variable Risk, No Cost, Reduces Skynet Presence)
Rolled 51
With Security back in play once more and Skynet reeling because you kinda-sorta nuked one of their closer bases with a giant sword, you take the opportunity to organise a few surface raids of known patrols. It takes some time and effort, and honestly you didn't manage to deal as much damage with a bunch of troopers as you did on your own, but then again normal soldiers can't nuke things with a giant sword. But it would be cool if they could!
And there
was that one other base they found. Nothing too fancy, just a small outpost, but it's a start! Could be good for a test-drive of your new equipment, and your new soldiers...
Skynet Presence Reduced, Small Outpost Discovered
Restoration (Stewardship): The Vault is in tatters. It is pure luck that the Hunter-Killers that made it past the guard station didn't kill more people, and then there's the fact that Dio cut the Gate apart. Noire'll handle this one, so long as you take care of the rest. (2 Turns, Low Risk, Costs 2 Resources) [LOCKED IN]
Rolled 65
Success
Despite having a lot of work undone by cloaked robot assassins and then being discovered through sheer dumb luck, Noire's doing
pretty well. You could even say she's on a roll, to get everything done on time and make sure nobody dies horribly to a Hunter-Killer
this time. She's even managed to improve the food situation slightly, and start up repairs on the Gate!
Food Status at Small Surplus, 1 Turn Remaining
Base Income +1
Lab Archives - Restriction ULTRAVIOLET Datafiles (Learning): Meanwhile, there's the stuff Nepgear cracked open while you poked through the Lab, looking for anything useful. She's already hacked through all the encryption, leaving the actual sorting up to Archives, and now there's all the stuff from the 7th Floor you all left behind on account of Adjudicator Exojack! There's definitely more here... maybe including the denial charges. Or not. (1 Turn, Moderate-High Risk, Costs 1 Resource)
Rolled 29
Well, looks like Blanc figured some things out while you weren't looking! Granted, the files appear to be bugged further than you expected, but she managed to save most of it. She called you and everyone else who wasn't working over to check it out, and... it appears that whatever was happening at that Lab, it's bigger than anyone could have guessed. Because, you know, it was working directly with the former CPU of Nacma, Yellow Heart. Who, according to these files, would occasionally drop by and inspect her own projects. That she financed and benefited from, because she was also a shareholder.
It mentions how they've been working on a variety of projects, such as the manufacturing of better, improved Processor Units, CPU weaponry, and the possible applications of a CPU Memory. It seems that the little crystal you found on the 7th Floor is more than just a springboard to become a kickass Goddess, but also an excellent component in the creation of
Artifacts.
Legends have been spun about Artifacts, about how they're more often than not the melding of technology and magic, and require a true sacrifice in their construction. Well, a
CPU Memory seems like the biggest kind of sacrifice
ever, because those things
make more CPUs. Potential Goddess, gone forever. That's crazy. And as it turns out, such tools have already been made throughout the ages, from a Forge Hammer that makes all it makes a flawless masterpiece, to a bookmark that preserves the book clasped around it perfectly and brings it to life in the reader's imagination, to a sword that can defy evil in its purest form and strike down all foes permanently, and so on and so forth. It's... basically CPU Weaponry. But permanent, and usable by non-CPUs.
More than that, it details the methods for ascending another CPU using a CPU Memory, and specifically notes that a CPU Memory that, if still intact despite already fueling another CPU's Ascension, it can still be used... Or it could be used as an incredibly potent one-time shot in the arm of Shares to the newborn CPU to make them
completely awesome for a fight or five. On one hand, another CPU. On the other hand, you don't exactly have a population large enough to support two CPUs, namely because of the
next thing you people find out:
CPUs need Shares to function, if not necessarily
live.
At Starvation Mode, a CPU will not be able to function properly even in human mode, and will suffer from immense lethargy and fatigue until the deficit has been cleared. If a CPU runs out of Shares
completely, they'll either fall into a coma
immediately or do so after a couple days at maximum, while being completely incapable of transforming the entire time. And
you starved yourself of Shares when you went HDD in that base and proceeded to nuke that place flat. It was lucky that you got a bunch of Shares after proving to the Vault that you are
awesome, but your dad tells you to never count on it happening
every time.
The files also mention how to find a proper CPU Candidate for the Memory, and that compatibility with the Memory varies with each memory, but also heavily depends on personality, genetics, and mental state at time of transformation. The Memory will more strongly resonate with a candidate it is compatible with; if compatibility is high enough, Ascension occurs without any outside stimulus, completely overriding any safeguards that should have been put into play, because as it turns out giving girls (no one has ever seen a male CPU, and no one really wants to
try) divine cosmic world-shattering powers unprotected is a
pretty bad idea.
Pfft. Shows what they know. You feel
awesome.
Unfortunately, the files do not detail many things, like
how a CPU Memory is formed, or how to make more Processor Units, or how to make Artifacts, and a bunch of other tiny details besides. But hey, now you know. And it might be worthwhile to Ascend another CPU... but which one do you like most, and which one will be the least likely to turn into a
crazy person?
Datafiles Analysed, CPU Memory Functions Identified
Possible Candidate Analysis Available
Retention of Knowledge (Learning): Lots of people died in the decapitation strike, a lot of them the people who actually know things, the ones with experience and talent at the same time. Blanc knows basically everything, so all she needs to do is double-check the archives and ensure that any sabotage is redacted before more people get hurt, or children grow up stupid. (2 Turns, Moderate Risk, Costs 1 Resource) [LOCKED IN]
Rolled 93
Critical Success
Unfortunately you might have said those last two things aloud, so now your friends are bickering about who's crazy, who's better as a CPU, and who's just plain wrong.
Well, everyone except Blanc. Because she mentions that while everyone was giving each other the verbal cunninlingus,
she went ahead and cleared up the Archives. Not one section, not even one server.
The
entire thing.
And then she spent the rest of her time reading and writing and looking up that datafile. Because why not.
You swear, when it comes to books, this girl is the bestest there ever was.
Action Complete! Archives Secured! No Risk of Losing Additional Expertise
Supply Lines (Intrigue): IF knows that 101 used to have a bunch of ancient supply dumps and safehouses all over the place that they used before Skynet arrived a few centuries back. With everything the way it is, she could reestablish those and give everyone operating on the surface, those on long-range missions especially, a better chance. It'll be pricy, but she thinks she can make it work. (1 Turn, Moderate Risk, Costs 4 Resources, Reduces Difficulty of Intrigue Actions)
Rolled 69
Success
It took a
bunch of time and a
lot of patience, but IF's managed to bring a bunch of the old supply dumps back online and fully stocked with food, bullets, maps, and the occasional bed. With these hidden mini-forts, any scavengers on outdoor missions should be able to deal with sudden robot-or-mutant attacks better, since they actually have known safehouses to run to now. Good prep for future salvage runs, and good prep for recon tours into the Core. Which is good, because the clock is ticking. You can feel it.
Success: Future Intrigue Actions at +10
Internal Security (Intrigue): With the Hunter-Killers just showing up all over the place last turn, IF wants more security in place. With some traps and cameras here and there, as well as various ninja tricks you can't quite follow, IF is sure that she can reduce the prevalence of Surprise H-K, and sound the alarm whenever they do show up. (1 Turn, Low Risk, Costs 3 Resources)
Rolled 85
Great Success
What Iffy spent the
rest of her time doing was making sure that absolutely
everything indoors was safe, not covered in robots, and ready to shoot robots. She double-checks security patrols (to Vert's annoyance, considering its her job), prepares traps, and resets the sentry nests around the mouth of the Vault. And then she brute-force tests it, over and over again, using the salvage teams that aren't currently setting up safehouses in the field.
Some might consider it unfair, considering that each scav lives in the Vault and thus knows it basically inside and out, but then IF notes that
so do the machines. And if you can't even catch IF sneaking past everything, then the Vault's screwed either way.
Notably, IF is never detected a single time. But then she's sneakier than Hunter-Killers at times, so honestly
she is
cheating. But that's okay, because for everything else, there's an alarm in place.
Internal Security Confirmed! Risk of Robot Infiltrators Dramatically Reduced
A Plea for Help (Diplomacy): There are other bastions in the ruins of Lanca, other survivors. The captives that you and your friends rescued at the base is proof of that. With their help, and with some of your own posturing, you could make friendly contact with the other survivors of Lanca or even beyond. You might even get an alliance going against Skynet. (1 Turn, Moderate Risk, Costs 1 Resource, Chance of finding Other Vaults)
Rolled 57
Success
When she can, Compa pulls out the SmartMap of Lanca and tries to check with the ex-cons the locations of their original Vaults, in a hope to establish contact and maybe get them home once this is all done with. A bunch of them appear to be from far further, but one Vault in particular is in striking distance of a two-day roundabout trip! So, pulling a few guards along, Compa sets out on a roadtrip!
And there, she found
Vault 36.
...Considering they're filled with the descendants of the fanatical followers of CPU Yellow Heart
and they're stupidly-good hackers, you kind of wish she didn't. Oh well, you could probably use the help.
Vault 36 Found
Specialisation: Intrigue
----
Dreams: You've been having strange dreams ever since you became a CPU, of a girl in yellow in a city on fire. Goddesses can do the dreamscape thing, right? Maybe you can try to make sense of them.
Interlude to Follow
Quality Time: You could spend time with one of your friends and family instead, considering what happened. You becoming a CPU was a massive shock to everyone - you especially - but you haven't actually been able to talk to any of them about it since.
- Noire
"So..." You look up from the couch in Noire's office, away from Tetris, while she taps away at the desktop with the old CRT monitor. "How're you doing?"
She grunts, tapping away noisily on the keys. "Doing what?"
"You know..." You shrug. You basically snuck into her office out of the blue when you found a spare moment, and decided to check up on her. A proud girl like that, getting screwed by chance? She's probably in shambles! "
Things. You know, Hunter-Killers, getting captured, the fun stuff?"
She continues typing away, not really bothering to stop. "I'm fine, Neptune. Relax."
You frown. Noire
loves to talk. This terseness is more like Blanc! Something's definitely wrong.
Hopping on one foot over to her side, you look over her shoulder at what she's doing. Another report, on the restoration work done today? Huh. "Iunno, you
did nearly get turned into a robot and stuff. We'd have to have a dramatic duel where I shout for you to remember yourself while you swing a car at me or something! You know, like we do! Come on, Noire!" You put your hands on her shoulder and knead them, slowly, trying to get a rise out of her. "Something's up, and I wanna know what!"
She stops, placing her hands on the keyboard, and takes a deep breath. "Fine. You want to know the whole thing?"
"Yep!" Oh, wow, she's got some
knots. You should probably do something about that while you're here. "Let loose, I'll be here
aaaall day."
"Fine then." Another breath. "I don't think you should've become CPU."
The air turns frigid between the two of you, but you continue kneading away while plotting out an answer. Was
that all it's about? "That it?"
"That's it," she nods.
"Huh. Well," you shrug, "That's fair. But you mind going into the details?"
"Well... you're lazy, sloppy, and you spend too much time playing video games rather than actually working when people
need help." She looks at you, and you look back with a grin. "Case in point: right now."
"Eh, I'm on break. Plus part of my duties include making sure everyone's okay." You smirk. "Case in point: right now."
She sighs, and pulls your hands away from her shoulders. You note that she doesn't let go of them. "Look, Neptune... I don't know, I just think
I could have done a better job as CPU?"
"But I was awesome! I fought a Cyborg Ninja to a standstill, took out an Exojack, and nuked a base with a giant supersonic sword!" You tilt your head quizzically. This
girl sometimes. The
gall. "I guess you could
try, but I'm not sure
how?"
"Being a CPU is more than just one-off displays of power! It involves poise, grace, and composure in everyday life as well! No one's going to follow a CPU that loafs most of the time and only works when people are about to get hurt." She pauses. "Though... I guess that could be a good thing for a CPU, right? Caring for people? It's not like I'm
mad you came to check up on me, but as you can see I'm
perfectly fine."
Oh
wow. Noire just
praised you. This must be
capitalised.
You squeeze her shoulders.
"Wha--"
"These knots say differently, Noire!" You grin widely, against her thrashing squeals. "Get on the couch, Noire! I'm giving you a
massage."
No work was done for the rest of the day.
And you know what? Noire isn't going to complain.
This time.
Relationship Improved with Noire
----
Random Event
Rolled 30
Nothing of Note
