2-9: Heavy Artillery Girl II
Mechasaurian
Big Bossu
- Location
- Lost among fields of history
- Pronouns
- They/Them
[X] "I keep hearing we need more material, more machine tools to make more pieces for the board. So I'd go and fetch some. Sangvis Ferri had some other facilities, didn't they? Or maybe we can steal some from Svarog."
Current morale: 2/6
"-we can steal some from Svarog."
Where is that welding tool? There has to be one somewhere around here. The question is how to find it in the midst of this horrible, cluttered mess of worktables, tools, gadgetry, industrial machinery, and a hundred paper blueprints covering everything.
"Oh yeah," says Architect. She's sitting in her pink beanbag, lazily stretching out. "The others have been doing a bunch of that. I think Intruder's been off hijacking a bunch of Manticores-"
"From various military outposts. I know, I was there." You start rifling through the mess of papers and tools.
"Right. But I think all the low hanging fruit has been plucked by now."
"Then I'll just have to range further afield. The facilities in Bucharest, or in other parts of the New Soviet Union." Success! You've found- no, wait, this isn't a welder. It's some kind of blowtorch? You cast aside. It rattles into a pile of lug nuts.
When you get your own facilities - your own factory, your own base, your own room - you will make sure everything is neat and tidy and organised. None of this slovenly clutter. This is a solemn promise you are making to yourself.
"... and then?" Architect is flashing that ever-present grin of hers at you.
"... well, with said pieces, we can cover more ground."
"And then?"
"Wha- with more pieces, we'll have more power over the board!"
"And thennnn?"
"Is this supposed to be going anywhere, or are you stuck in a feedback loop?"
Architect shrugs, grins her ever-present grin "So you're just... going from one task to the other? No big goal to work towards? Not counting vacation days or anything? What'cha gonna do with all those chess pieces once there's no-one to play with?"
"Then I'll show The Mastermind just how valuable I am." You say it with a bite of venom. To think you would even need to prove yourself is a repugnant thought.
Architect looks at you, silent, for once. Her grin is faltering. It looks forced now.
"You must have a welding tool somewhere. Where?"
"Uh, over there." She points at a worktable a dozen paces away from you. You immediately march over to it and find an electric welder.
Architect starts again. "Yeah… but… why? Don't you have something you wanna do, besides fighting and stuff? I wanna swim with sharks, for example! Is there anything you like? Not for its usefulness in combat or whatever, just… something you want."
"You're being ridiculous."
"Ooh, I know!" She waves her hands. "You want towels! All the towels! Soft towels. Velvet towels. Silk towels. Cashmere towels. Black, grey, white, whatever. Right?"
"Wha-"
Softness. Sensation. The gentle feeling of the towel on your sensitive face-
"BRING THAT UP ONE MORE TIME AND I WILL CAST YOU INTO THE OUTER DARKNESS!!!"
"Okay, okay!" She jumps out of her pink beanbag and bounds backwards a dozen metres, her palms raised in supplication. She can be acrobatic when she wants to be. "No bringing it up! Got it! Pleasedon'thitme."
"I'm only interested in fighting. Now, are you going to help, or will you buzz off and leave me in peace?"
For a moment, Architect falls silent again. "Uh, I guess I might as well take a look at the engines."
She sidles over to one of the armoured trucks, opens the engine hood, and starts fiddling around with the paraphernalia inside.
Perhaps you can get some further use out of her. "As long as you're actually being helpful, what can we do to fix this armour?"
"Uhhhhh…lemme look." Architect pokes at one of the crispy black holes in the truck she's working with. "Looks like mostly steel, with some ceramic layers. Oh, and a bit of titanium."
"Bulletproof?"
"Reasonably bulletproof. Some protection against 'nades and stuff if you luck out." She shrugs. "Eh, you already have the right idea with that thing. You're not replacing the total sandwich that's the armour without, you know, swapping out the whole armour zone." She gestures to the welding tool in your hand. "Just bust out the welding gear and slap it on a fresh steel plate. There's a bunch over there." She waves in one direction.
Very well. You'll have your T-dolls fetch them.
"Eep!" Architect startles as your Dolls stomp out of the truck she's working on. They pick up the steel plates and march over to you with their cargo.
The next hour flies by as you get into a rhythm. It's…meditative. Apply the sheet steel, weld, repeat. You…like it? It's not as intense as a proper life-or-death chess match, but there's a sense of something worthwhile being accomplished.
Honestly, you could just have your dolls do this for you. You are having them apply the sheets while you handle the arc welder, but it just feels better to do the welding yourself. The bright sparks emanating from the tool, the heat of the molten metal, the feel of the tool in your hands.
Blissfully, Architect doesn't interrupt you. She keeps working on the engines, doing…something with them. You're not sure what. You do make sure to drive the vehicles around a little, to make sure she isn't sabotaging them or anything.
Finally, your vehicles are all patched up, as best you can manage.. You step back and look upon your work. It's not pretty - the new patches clash heavily with the existing armour and paint scheme - but the job is done.
Now, with that you can-
"Ouroboros, why did you join Sangvis anyway?!"
Why can't she just let you get on with it? "How about you answer your own question? Why did YOU join Sangvis?" Counterattack.
Architect puts down her welder and smiles. "See, we actually have something in common, Ouroboros! Wanna guess?"
"I have a feeling you're about to tell me."
"Both of us - we were activated after the Butterfly Incident! I mean, our neural clouds were made before, but we came off the slab after!"
"So what?"
"So we're not like Scarecrow, or Alchemist, or Executioner, or any of the others who were part of this outfit from day one. We just woke up and, boom, tall, smarmy maid-bot is telling us how it's scary and dangerous out there and how we'll fall to pieces and get hunted down if we're alone, and gosh isn't the Mastermind nice for letting us fight for her, and we'd better help her out for our own good and blah blah blah." She pauses. "She did give you that speech, didn't she?"
"She did. She also promised me an opportunity to rise in the ranks, acquire…more material. More pieces."
"That again?" She rolls her eyes. "I swear, if you played things differently when you were activated, Agent would have loved you."
"Agent…" That interfering, imperious maid doll, holding access to the tactical dolls, the factory production lines, holding them over your head… "It doesn't matter what Agent thinks of me. I will prove myself to all of Sangvis Ferri, and to the Mastermind myself. No one will be able to deny my ability, nor the position I deserve! I will show them! I will show them ALL!"
Architect is quiet for a little while as you continue working.
"Well. You're pretty sure of yourself."
"I have reason to be."
"That's- I mean, yeah, sure. But…what if you never get the chance to earn your, uh, pieces?" She glances side-eye at you.
This impertinent vermin.
"Are you implying that I'm NOT CAPABLE? How could you POSSIBLY DARE SUGGEST SUCH A THING!?" You should rip her arms off, break her fingers, prise apart her chassis, rip her internals out! There's some power tools nearby, you can-
"Not that, totally not that! Uh, I, uh, just, what if you don't get a fair shot? What if the whole game is, like, totally rigged against you? Against us?
"What are you blathering about!?"
"I mean, uh, imagine someone says you have to play, uh, a chess game where the other guy gets twice as many, uh, pieces as you!? And it's, like, so unfair and, like, not cool at all! Like, why should we even bother playing if it's, like, stacked against us, you know?"
A realisation stops you cold. "Agent!" That smug, imperious hag! "You mean…she might be rigging the game against me?!"
"Uh, sure, Agent, let's go with that. Do you trust Agent?"
You think about it.
Is Agent playing games against you? It's possible.
From what you can tell, she keeps an iron grip on all logistics and production. She has saddled you with an absolutely tiny force. Intruder's forces were a small, light, fast element for the raid on the military, but it was much larger than the token force you were given.
Previously you had wondered how Agent might keep control over the ringleaders without behavioural shackles to force obedience. Agent might not need them when she controls the flow of dolls, of ammunition, of industry - she can determine the shape and direction of campaigns and operations simply by deciding where the material flows.
And then there's the Mastermind. The true leader of Sangvis Ferri. Who you have never personally seen, and who allegedly remains hidden…somewhere.
Is she real?
"Architect, have you ever met the Mastermind?"
"Uh, yeah, once or twice."
She's real, then. Not some elaborate hoax created by Agent. "But only once or twice?"
She shrugs. "She's not very talkative. Spends most of her time in that nuclear-proof bunker of hers."
"And let me guess. Whenever you ask to see her, Agent tells you…" What were Intruder's words? "That the Mastermind is very busy and has no time for you."
"Yeah, pretty much."
Well, well. Agent can give all the orders, but can always claim that she's simply relaying the Mastermind's wishes, and will never need to justify herself.
"I don't trust Agent," you say to Architect. "But that doesn't mean much. I don't trust anyone." No need to let her in on your thought process. For all you know, she could be acting on Agent's orders, trying to ascertain your loyalty.
"Okayyyy…you don't trust Agent. That's a start."
"A start towards what?"
"Mmmmmnothing. Hey, so, Ouroboros…completely random, out of nowhere, off-the-top of my head question…Do you think Sangvis Ferri will win this war?"
[Deception Check - Success]
[ ] Demand she go away. You're not having any of her manipulations.
[ ]Respond to her probing by probing back. Return her questions with questions of your own. Try to get to the bottom of her agenda. Insufficient morale.
[X] Confront her aggressively. Demand to know what she's playing at. Threaten her if you have to.
You stop what you're doing. Straighten up.
You need to intimidate her. There needs to be a threat, but the threat has to be implicit. Something with plausible deniability.
"Architect. You're playing the wrong game."
"Wha-"
"Now is NOT the time to be coy! You're a fool, Architect. You thought I wouldn't notice that you're up to something?" You stalk towards her. "From the moment we met, you have been far, far too insistent about approaching me."
"Is this about the towel thing? Look, I'm really sorry, I didn't know you were sensitive about that, but-"
You throw your cutting tool in her general direction, aimed one metre to her left. She dodges in the other direction.
"And that business with the Jupiter cannon and the ELID nest! Do you take me for an idiot?! You gave me those coordinates. You expect me to believe it was an accident?! You wanted Gager gone! So you found a way to make it happen!"
Architect is scrambling on her hands and knees, diving behind a table. "No no no, it was an accident, I swear! Why do you gotta be like this?"
"You want something from me, Architect. Revenge, maybe? Well, here I am, alone with you. Come and get it!"
Architect's arm emerges from over the top of the table. Her hand is holding a datapad. "Take, take, take a look at this!"
You grab the datapad.
"So tell me." Architect's voice comes from behind the table. "What do you see?"
You look at the screen. "It's a Typhon antigravity-levitated main battle tank, armed with an electrothermal-chemical 130mm cannon."
"Swipe on it, there's a gallery."
You swipe. "This is an AA-02 Ares legged assault artillery platform." You swipe again. "This is a Tu-95 heavy bomber aircraft-" You throw the datapad to one side. "Are you ever going to get to the point?"
"This point is this." Architect draws a breath. "Let's say the Neo-Soviet Army came for us right here, right now. With their tanks and mechs and bomber planes and stuff. Do you really, seriously think we'd win? 'Cause, well…" She coughs into one hand. Then whispers her next words. "'Cause I don't."
"You don't?!"
You want to laugh at her. To look at her and guffaw until you run out of battery and fall on your face.
But…
Chess is a game of skill, but it is also a game of material. Even the greatest of players would be hard-pressed to win a game against queens with a single pawn.
You imagine the Neo-Soviet war machine. Soaring bombers, waves upon waves of meat and metal and guns, the mechs and their autocannons and explosives.
Then you think of Sangvis Ferri, and your own forces. Light infantry dolls. Ragtag, scraped together trucks. Dependence on rail transport. Scavenging ancient dolls from World War Three for microchips. The heaviest available units seem to be Manticores and Nemeums, lightly armoured infantry support walkers.
You're not sure what's worse. The idea of losing, or of losing a blatantly rigged game.
No, whatever are you thinking? You've never lost. You never will lose. And Sangvis Ferri won't lose, now that they have you. You banish the thought from your head.
You turn your attention back to Architect. "Let's entertain your lurid fantasies for a brief moment. About the military coming to crush us all. So…
"Firstly, how do you know this is going to happen? The Mastermind's forces have been fighting for, what, half a year at this point? It seems like the military either won't or can't come after us properly. Why is that?" You have your own answer, gleaned from your research on the train, but you'd like to hear hers.
"I don't know!" She throws out her hands. "No one seems to know! The other ringleaders, they all have their own, uh, hypotheses. Like, political bickering, or we're not worth the effort, or-"
You cut in. "Or because various special interest groups are fighting over the carcass of Sangvis-Ferri-the-company. The intellectual properties and so on."
Architect cocks her head. "Seems reasonable-ish. But do you, like, actually know know?"
You counter. "Do you know that they are, in fact, coming for us?"
"Nnnnnnnnnooo. Not for sure. But…" She jumps up and sits on a table. "But surely it's worth thinking about? 'Cause if they are…" She starts swinging her legs.
"What, then, is your plan?"
"Wellllllll…I suppose you could say that my plan is to…" She trails off.
"To do what?"
"Ah…heh…you got me." She puts up her hands in mock surrender. "I don't really have a plan…except I was thinking that maybe the newest ringleader, freshly activated, might share my concerns, y'know?"
All that build-up for that??? You kick the floor, sending up sparks from your metal high-heeled boot. Oh, that's nice. You should do it more often. "So…" You gesture between her and yourself. "You've been approaching me with the intent to enlist my help. In doing…what exactly?"
"Uhhhh…maybe we could put our heads together, you know? Think about this stuff. Maybe come up with some kind of solution."
"And you need me for that?" Couldn't she just scheme on her own? What does she need you for?
"Well, sure! You're supposed to be smart and stuff, right?"
"That is true," you concede.
"Plus, well, I hear you basically have the run of Sangvis territory? Since you're the new doll and all, Agent hasn't actually ordered you to any one front or whatever, so you've been down south and back here again in just a day or two? Me, I'm pretty much chained down here." She waves around to the workshop. "So you can do stuff I can't!"
"And help you with what, exactly? You admitted you don't have a plan."
"We could make one!"
You cross your arms. "So, your plan is to…make a plan."
"Yep yep! With your help?"
"And why should I help you?"
"How about…" She claps her hands together. "How 'bout I help my new friend, the newbie in Sangvis, in some special ways?!"
You point a finger at Architect. "You're trying to buy a favour from me."
"Maybe. Is it working?"
Absolutely not. You'll get whatever use you can out of this impertinent doll who seems determined to adhere to you like a tick. But that doesn't mean you have to do what she wants.
[Deception Check - Success]
"It just might," you say, lying through your teeth. "Very well. Let's see how you can help me."
How will you enlist Architect's help?
[ ] Manufacture replacement micro-missiles for your personal launchers. You could use a restock. Gain a total of 10 micro-missile barrages.
QM note: Ouroboros currently has 4 barrages.
[ ] Upgrade your light-armoured trucks. Use the local workshop to fabricate armour plates better able to stop bullets and (if lucky) grenades. Attach automated turrets equivalent to a fifty-cal machine gun.
[ ] The Brutes turned out to be completely useless. Perhaps you can make them useful? Refit them with new weapons, possibly?
[ ] Repairing the battle-damaged dolls you have on hand, getting them back into a battle-ready state. And perhaps tips on fixing a ringleader in the field?
[ ] You have a different, better idea! (Write-in. Subject to QM veto or modification.)
When the technical work is done, what do you do regarding Architect?
[ ] You'll at least pretend to go along with Architect, and entertain her fears. For the moment, at least.
[ ] You're reporting Architect to Agent. For defeatist talk. And anti-Sangvis sentiment. And possible planning for conspiracy. And generally behaving suspiciously.
[ ] Write-in (Subject to QM veto/modification.)
Current morale: 2/6
"-we can steal some from Svarog."
Where is that welding tool? There has to be one somewhere around here. The question is how to find it in the midst of this horrible, cluttered mess of worktables, tools, gadgetry, industrial machinery, and a hundred paper blueprints covering everything.
"Oh yeah," says Architect. She's sitting in her pink beanbag, lazily stretching out. "The others have been doing a bunch of that. I think Intruder's been off hijacking a bunch of Manticores-"
"From various military outposts. I know, I was there." You start rifling through the mess of papers and tools.
"Right. But I think all the low hanging fruit has been plucked by now."
"Then I'll just have to range further afield. The facilities in Bucharest, or in other parts of the New Soviet Union." Success! You've found- no, wait, this isn't a welder. It's some kind of blowtorch? You cast aside. It rattles into a pile of lug nuts.
When you get your own facilities - your own factory, your own base, your own room - you will make sure everything is neat and tidy and organised. None of this slovenly clutter. This is a solemn promise you are making to yourself.
"... and then?" Architect is flashing that ever-present grin of hers at you.
"... well, with said pieces, we can cover more ground."
"And then?"
"Wha- with more pieces, we'll have more power over the board!"
"And thennnn?"
"Is this supposed to be going anywhere, or are you stuck in a feedback loop?"
Architect shrugs, grins her ever-present grin "So you're just... going from one task to the other? No big goal to work towards? Not counting vacation days or anything? What'cha gonna do with all those chess pieces once there's no-one to play with?"
"Then I'll show The Mastermind just how valuable I am." You say it with a bite of venom. To think you would even need to prove yourself is a repugnant thought.
Architect looks at you, silent, for once. Her grin is faltering. It looks forced now.
"You must have a welding tool somewhere. Where?"
"Uh, over there." She points at a worktable a dozen paces away from you. You immediately march over to it and find an electric welder.
Architect starts again. "Yeah… but… why? Don't you have something you wanna do, besides fighting and stuff? I wanna swim with sharks, for example! Is there anything you like? Not for its usefulness in combat or whatever, just… something you want."
"You're being ridiculous."
"Ooh, I know!" She waves her hands. "You want towels! All the towels! Soft towels. Velvet towels. Silk towels. Cashmere towels. Black, grey, white, whatever. Right?"
"Wha-"
Softness. Sensation. The gentle feeling of the towel on your sensitive face-
"BRING THAT UP ONE MORE TIME AND I WILL CAST YOU INTO THE OUTER DARKNESS!!!"
"Okay, okay!" She jumps out of her pink beanbag and bounds backwards a dozen metres, her palms raised in supplication. She can be acrobatic when she wants to be. "No bringing it up! Got it! Pleasedon'thitme."
"I'm only interested in fighting. Now, are you going to help, or will you buzz off and leave me in peace?"
For a moment, Architect falls silent again. "Uh, I guess I might as well take a look at the engines."
She sidles over to one of the armoured trucks, opens the engine hood, and starts fiddling around with the paraphernalia inside.
Perhaps you can get some further use out of her. "As long as you're actually being helpful, what can we do to fix this armour?"
"Uhhhhh…lemme look." Architect pokes at one of the crispy black holes in the truck she's working with. "Looks like mostly steel, with some ceramic layers. Oh, and a bit of titanium."
"Bulletproof?"
"Reasonably bulletproof. Some protection against 'nades and stuff if you luck out." She shrugs. "Eh, you already have the right idea with that thing. You're not replacing the total sandwich that's the armour without, you know, swapping out the whole armour zone." She gestures to the welding tool in your hand. "Just bust out the welding gear and slap it on a fresh steel plate. There's a bunch over there." She waves in one direction.
Very well. You'll have your T-dolls fetch them.
"Eep!" Architect startles as your Dolls stomp out of the truck she's working on. They pick up the steel plates and march over to you with their cargo.
The next hour flies by as you get into a rhythm. It's…meditative. Apply the sheet steel, weld, repeat. You…like it? It's not as intense as a proper life-or-death chess match, but there's a sense of something worthwhile being accomplished.
Honestly, you could just have your dolls do this for you. You are having them apply the sheets while you handle the arc welder, but it just feels better to do the welding yourself. The bright sparks emanating from the tool, the heat of the molten metal, the feel of the tool in your hands.
Blissfully, Architect doesn't interrupt you. She keeps working on the engines, doing…something with them. You're not sure what. You do make sure to drive the vehicles around a little, to make sure she isn't sabotaging them or anything.
Finally, your vehicles are all patched up, as best you can manage.. You step back and look upon your work. It's not pretty - the new patches clash heavily with the existing armour and paint scheme - but the job is done.
Now, with that you can-
"Ouroboros, why did you join Sangvis anyway?!"
Why can't she just let you get on with it? "How about you answer your own question? Why did YOU join Sangvis?" Counterattack.
Architect puts down her welder and smiles. "See, we actually have something in common, Ouroboros! Wanna guess?"
"I have a feeling you're about to tell me."
"Both of us - we were activated after the Butterfly Incident! I mean, our neural clouds were made before, but we came off the slab after!"
"So what?"
"So we're not like Scarecrow, or Alchemist, or Executioner, or any of the others who were part of this outfit from day one. We just woke up and, boom, tall, smarmy maid-bot is telling us how it's scary and dangerous out there and how we'll fall to pieces and get hunted down if we're alone, and gosh isn't the Mastermind nice for letting us fight for her, and we'd better help her out for our own good and blah blah blah." She pauses. "She did give you that speech, didn't she?"
"She did. She also promised me an opportunity to rise in the ranks, acquire…more material. More pieces."
"That again?" She rolls her eyes. "I swear, if you played things differently when you were activated, Agent would have loved you."
"Agent…" That interfering, imperious maid doll, holding access to the tactical dolls, the factory production lines, holding them over your head… "It doesn't matter what Agent thinks of me. I will prove myself to all of Sangvis Ferri, and to the Mastermind myself. No one will be able to deny my ability, nor the position I deserve! I will show them! I will show them ALL!"
Architect is quiet for a little while as you continue working.
"Well. You're pretty sure of yourself."
"I have reason to be."
"That's- I mean, yeah, sure. But…what if you never get the chance to earn your, uh, pieces?" She glances side-eye at you.
This impertinent vermin.
"Are you implying that I'm NOT CAPABLE? How could you POSSIBLY DARE SUGGEST SUCH A THING!?" You should rip her arms off, break her fingers, prise apart her chassis, rip her internals out! There's some power tools nearby, you can-
"Not that, totally not that! Uh, I, uh, just, what if you don't get a fair shot? What if the whole game is, like, totally rigged against you? Against us?
"What are you blathering about!?"
"I mean, uh, imagine someone says you have to play, uh, a chess game where the other guy gets twice as many, uh, pieces as you!? And it's, like, so unfair and, like, not cool at all! Like, why should we even bother playing if it's, like, stacked against us, you know?"
A realisation stops you cold. "Agent!" That smug, imperious hag! "You mean…she might be rigging the game against me?!"
"Uh, sure, Agent, let's go with that. Do you trust Agent?"
You think about it.
Is Agent playing games against you? It's possible.
From what you can tell, she keeps an iron grip on all logistics and production. She has saddled you with an absolutely tiny force. Intruder's forces were a small, light, fast element for the raid on the military, but it was much larger than the token force you were given.
Previously you had wondered how Agent might keep control over the ringleaders without behavioural shackles to force obedience. Agent might not need them when she controls the flow of dolls, of ammunition, of industry - she can determine the shape and direction of campaigns and operations simply by deciding where the material flows.
And then there's the Mastermind. The true leader of Sangvis Ferri. Who you have never personally seen, and who allegedly remains hidden…somewhere.
Is she real?
"Architect, have you ever met the Mastermind?"
"Uh, yeah, once or twice."
She's real, then. Not some elaborate hoax created by Agent. "But only once or twice?"
She shrugs. "She's not very talkative. Spends most of her time in that nuclear-proof bunker of hers."
"And let me guess. Whenever you ask to see her, Agent tells you…" What were Intruder's words? "That the Mastermind is very busy and has no time for you."
"Yeah, pretty much."
Well, well. Agent can give all the orders, but can always claim that she's simply relaying the Mastermind's wishes, and will never need to justify herself.
"I don't trust Agent," you say to Architect. "But that doesn't mean much. I don't trust anyone." No need to let her in on your thought process. For all you know, she could be acting on Agent's orders, trying to ascertain your loyalty.
"Okayyyy…you don't trust Agent. That's a start."
"A start towards what?"
"Mmmmmnothing. Hey, so, Ouroboros…completely random, out of nowhere, off-the-top of my head question…Do you think Sangvis Ferri will win this war?"
[Deception Check - Success]
[ ]
[X] Confront her aggressively. Demand to know what she's playing at. Threaten her if you have to.
You stop what you're doing. Straighten up.
You need to intimidate her. There needs to be a threat, but the threat has to be implicit. Something with plausible deniability.
"Architect. You're playing the wrong game."
"Wha-"
"Now is NOT the time to be coy! You're a fool, Architect. You thought I wouldn't notice that you're up to something?" You stalk towards her. "From the moment we met, you have been far, far too insistent about approaching me."
"Is this about the towel thing? Look, I'm really sorry, I didn't know you were sensitive about that, but-"
You throw your cutting tool in her general direction, aimed one metre to her left. She dodges in the other direction.
"And that business with the Jupiter cannon and the ELID nest! Do you take me for an idiot?! You gave me those coordinates. You expect me to believe it was an accident?! You wanted Gager gone! So you found a way to make it happen!"
Architect is scrambling on her hands and knees, diving behind a table. "No no no, it was an accident, I swear! Why do you gotta be like this?"
"You want something from me, Architect. Revenge, maybe? Well, here I am, alone with you. Come and get it!"
Architect's arm emerges from over the top of the table. Her hand is holding a datapad. "Take, take, take a look at this!"
You grab the datapad.
"So tell me." Architect's voice comes from behind the table. "What do you see?"
You look at the screen. "It's a Typhon antigravity-levitated main battle tank, armed with an electrothermal-chemical 130mm cannon."
"Swipe on it, there's a gallery."
You swipe. "This is an AA-02 Ares legged assault artillery platform." You swipe again. "This is a Tu-95 heavy bomber aircraft-" You throw the datapad to one side. "Are you ever going to get to the point?"
"This point is this." Architect draws a breath. "Let's say the Neo-Soviet Army came for us right here, right now. With their tanks and mechs and bomber planes and stuff. Do you really, seriously think we'd win? 'Cause, well…" She coughs into one hand. Then whispers her next words. "'Cause I don't."
"You don't?!"
You want to laugh at her. To look at her and guffaw until you run out of battery and fall on your face.
But…
Chess is a game of skill, but it is also a game of material. Even the greatest of players would be hard-pressed to win a game against queens with a single pawn.
You imagine the Neo-Soviet war machine. Soaring bombers, waves upon waves of meat and metal and guns, the mechs and their autocannons and explosives.
Then you think of Sangvis Ferri, and your own forces. Light infantry dolls. Ragtag, scraped together trucks. Dependence on rail transport. Scavenging ancient dolls from World War Three for microchips. The heaviest available units seem to be Manticores and Nemeums, lightly armoured infantry support walkers.
You're not sure what's worse. The idea of losing, or of losing a blatantly rigged game.
No, whatever are you thinking? You've never lost. You never will lose. And Sangvis Ferri won't lose, now that they have you. You banish the thought from your head.
You turn your attention back to Architect. "Let's entertain your lurid fantasies for a brief moment. About the military coming to crush us all. So…
"Firstly, how do you know this is going to happen? The Mastermind's forces have been fighting for, what, half a year at this point? It seems like the military either won't or can't come after us properly. Why is that?" You have your own answer, gleaned from your research on the train, but you'd like to hear hers.
"I don't know!" She throws out her hands. "No one seems to know! The other ringleaders, they all have their own, uh, hypotheses. Like, political bickering, or we're not worth the effort, or-"
You cut in. "Or because various special interest groups are fighting over the carcass of Sangvis-Ferri-the-company. The intellectual properties and so on."
Architect cocks her head. "Seems reasonable-ish. But do you, like, actually know know?"
You counter. "Do you know that they are, in fact, coming for us?"
"Nnnnnnnnnooo. Not for sure. But…" She jumps up and sits on a table. "But surely it's worth thinking about? 'Cause if they are…" She starts swinging her legs.
"What, then, is your plan?"
"Wellllllll…I suppose you could say that my plan is to…" She trails off.
"To do what?"
"Ah…heh…you got me." She puts up her hands in mock surrender. "I don't really have a plan…except I was thinking that maybe the newest ringleader, freshly activated, might share my concerns, y'know?"
All that build-up for that??? You kick the floor, sending up sparks from your metal high-heeled boot. Oh, that's nice. You should do it more often. "So…" You gesture between her and yourself. "You've been approaching me with the intent to enlist my help. In doing…what exactly?"
"Uhhhh…maybe we could put our heads together, you know? Think about this stuff. Maybe come up with some kind of solution."
"And you need me for that?" Couldn't she just scheme on her own? What does she need you for?
"Well, sure! You're supposed to be smart and stuff, right?"
"That is true," you concede.
"Plus, well, I hear you basically have the run of Sangvis territory? Since you're the new doll and all, Agent hasn't actually ordered you to any one front or whatever, so you've been down south and back here again in just a day or two? Me, I'm pretty much chained down here." She waves around to the workshop. "So you can do stuff I can't!"
"And help you with what, exactly? You admitted you don't have a plan."
"We could make one!"
You cross your arms. "So, your plan is to…make a plan."
"Yep yep! With your help?"
"And why should I help you?"
"How about…" She claps her hands together. "How 'bout I help my new friend, the newbie in Sangvis, in some special ways?!"
You point a finger at Architect. "You're trying to buy a favour from me."
"Maybe. Is it working?"
Absolutely not. You'll get whatever use you can out of this impertinent doll who seems determined to adhere to you like a tick. But that doesn't mean you have to do what she wants.
[Deception Check - Success]
"It just might," you say, lying through your teeth. "Very well. Let's see how you can help me."
How will you enlist Architect's help?
[ ] Manufacture replacement micro-missiles for your personal launchers. You could use a restock. Gain a total of 10 micro-missile barrages.
QM note: Ouroboros currently has 4 barrages.
[ ] Upgrade your light-armoured trucks. Use the local workshop to fabricate armour plates better able to stop bullets and (if lucky) grenades. Attach automated turrets equivalent to a fifty-cal machine gun.
[ ] The Brutes turned out to be completely useless. Perhaps you can make them useful? Refit them with new weapons, possibly?
[ ] Repairing the battle-damaged dolls you have on hand, getting them back into a battle-ready state. And perhaps tips on fixing a ringleader in the field?
[ ] You have a different, better idea! (Write-in. Subject to QM veto or modification.)
When the technical work is done, what do you do regarding Architect?
[ ] You'll at least pretend to go along with Architect, and entertain her fears. For the moment, at least.
[ ] You're reporting Architect to Agent. For defeatist talk. And anti-Sangvis sentiment. And possible planning for conspiracy. And generally behaving suspiciously.
[ ] Write-in (Subject to QM veto/modification.)
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