Turn 3 Results
- Location
- USA
[X] Plan House in Order
-[X] Culling Operation (-100)
-[X] Battle Analysis (-50)
-[X] Biomorphic Augmentation (-200)
-[X] Better Pilot Interface (-50)
-[X] House of Asclepius (-200)
-[X] An Arm of Silver (-100)
-[X] Meta-Human Outreach (-200)
-[X] Hack The Planet (-50)
-[X] Claw of The Executioner (-100)
-[X] Get to know someone (Felix Adams)
-[X] Culling Operation (-100)
-[X] Battle Analysis (-50)
-[X] Biomorphic Augmentation (-200)
-[X] Better Pilot Interface (-50)
-[X] House of Asclepius (-200)
-[X] An Arm of Silver (-100)
-[X] Meta-Human Outreach (-200)
-[X] Hack The Planet (-50)
-[X] Claw of The Executioner (-100)
-[X] Get to know someone (Felix Adams)
"Well, this has been a pretty good month." You said as you reviewed the progress made by your departments. "We should be able to get out of the growing pains, hopefully nothing happens to make things more complicated." You then paused and looked up as the department heads stared at you with differing expressions of concern and exasperation.
"Shit, did I just jinx myself?"
Military
[X] Culling Operation: "Director, while we have secured the containment zone around the Alpha Breach, there are still Biomorphs inside the zone that will prove to be problematic if not dealt with. While I'd prefer having more men and vehicles before we moved out, I'll work with what we have." (Cost: 100. Time: 1 Turn. DC: 60. Reward: Biomorph Forces inside Containment Zone decreased.)
(Roll: 68 vs DC: 60, Pass.)
"Hummingbird to Killzone 3, we have a herd of Manglers heading your way. ETA 1 minute. How copy?"
"This is Killzone 3, we are ready to give our guests a warm welcome. Over."
You couldn't help but smile as you watch your troops lure in a herd of Biomorphs into one of the well-prepared kill zones before they are shredded into mincemeat. The sounds of a million bullets cutting down and silencing the alien shrieks of the Biomorphs across multiple kill zones bring you a vindictive sense of glee.
"Those new tactics you came up with are working out very well, Commander." You said, looking over at Adams who nodded with a stoic, professional expression, but you could feel the smug aura he was giving off.
"Thank you, Director." He said.
"So, how do you feel about grabbing a drink in my office to celebrate?" You asked.
"… Pardon?"
Reward: Biomorph Forces Culled, 19 Units of Manglers, 2 Units of Ultras, and 14 Units of Rollers Killed. +500 Funding.
[X] Battle Analysis: "Director, now that we've had a proper battle with the Biomorphic threat, we can use the data and recordings of our forces as a base to examine our performance and find ways to refine our tactics." (Cost: 50. Time: 1 Turn. DC: 50. Reward: +5 in Combat rolls against Biomorphs, Unlocks Upgrades.)
(Roll: 68 vs DC: 50, Pass)
Before Culling Operation…
"There's not much we could do with what we have. We have a lot of infantry units, which can cover and hold a lot of ground. But they aren't very mobile, and they don't pack a lot of firepower by on their own. So, our new doctrine is to have our infantry units dig in to create entrenched positions while our helicopters lure Biomorphs into our well-prepared kill zones. It should have everything like barbed wire and tank traps to stop Rollers, land mines to help thin their numbers, and whatever else the engineers can come up with to make it as deadly a place as possible. As they are busy trying to go through our traps, our infantry in trenches and pillboxes rain lead on the Biomorphs with every weapon we have. Hopefully that will kill everything that got lured in. We'll have multiple killzones so that we can have a rotation of constant luring while giving the Killzones that just killed a horde time to reset their traps." Commander Adams informed you after having a team go over the battle footage with a fine comb.
"This is what we'll do in the upcoming Culling operation?" You asked, to which Adams nodded.
"That's right. It is fairly basic for now. As to how we could improve our combat capability for future operations, we come up with a few suggestions. The cheapest and simplest solution is to give our troops bigger guns that shoot bigger bullets. Heavy Machine guns like the M2 Browning, Barrett 50 Caliber Rifles, Carl Gustav Recoilless Rifles, 6 Gauge Shotguns, and whatever else we could get our hands on. I'd eve settle for an Elephant gun or a World War 1 AT Rifle if there are any. Anything that our troops can carry that packs a punch should be considered." The Commander listed out the first option, and the one you'd figured would probably be the easiest to implement.
"I'll see if Josephine can find someone that can sell their guns to us. What else?"
"Another option we can pursue is to get our own Artillery batteries to blast Biomorphs to smithereens. We needed a mobile platform that can retreat in case the area is overrun with Biomorphs, accurate enough to hit individual Biomorphs, and have a very long range so that they can also help in Titan fights. A mobile missile artillery system is the only artillery that fits every criterion. If we have our troops or buy drones equipped with laser designators, we can be pinpoint accurate with our ballistic missiles. It might not be as accurate in battles with a lot of smoke, but radar guided missile can be used instead." Adams gave you the second of the options, and you paused for a moment at the possible cost of buying a few MLRSs as well as their very expensive ammunition.
"If we can get that Anti-Titan weapon the Chinese have, we can probably use it like what you have suggested. I'll have to see if either Josephine or Twilight can get their hands on it." You added in your two cents.
"The last option and most expensive is to buy a few AC-130 Gunships or more Attack Helicopters. The amount of firepower that can be brought to bear as well as how long the AC-130 can stay in the air would have been a tremendous help in Mexico. More Attack Helicopters would also be great to have in the event we needed a lot of firepower very quickly. Like in the event the Biomorphs broke through one of our lines and we needed something fast to intercept and kill them before they cause too much damage." Adams finished his last suggestion, and you imagined a flight of gunships circling above the battlefield, laying down a rain of lead as your Slayers fought Titans, giants of steel battling monsters of equal size as death fell around them.
It was very cinematic.
"Right, well let's hope the budget holds out for next month." You remarked.
Reward: +5 in Combat rolls against Biomorphs, Unlocked Upgrades.
Research
[X] Biomorphic Augmentation: "While I can understand a reluctance, in the face of a foe we know so little about, it may be necessary to consider all potential avenues for combating the Biomorph threat. I can begin devising a method by which we could extract useful biological data that we can adapt and apply to our own troops… if you are willing to give the order, Director." (Cost: 200. Time: 2. DC: 75. Reward: Biomorphic Augmentation Facility Unlocked, Gain Biomorph Augment Data when dissecting Non-Titan Biomorphs.)
(Roll: 90+10 (Laura)+20 (Vahlen)+5 (2nd Lab)=115 vs DC: 75, Pass Artificial Crit.)
"You managed to crack the process?" You asked Dr. Vahlen, who was looking at her tablet with an intensity that you normally reserved for your darling Slayers.
"Yes, even better, I have figured out ways to make use of the procedure with minimal need for custom specialized equipment, which should please Emily down in engineering. It should only take half the time and cost less of our funding in order to construct, provided nothing unforeseen happens to delay it." Dr. Vahlen said as she brought up tablet and showed you what she had designed.
"I imagine they will still need a recovery and acclimation period before they can be deployed on the field." You said as you looked at the tablet. You raised an eyebrow at what you saw. "Huh, CRISPR? And some of this looks like it came from research on minimizing chances of organ rejection… and is that some of our Cyberware research as well?"
"Indeed, figuring out how to combine the procedures to further reduce the risks of rejection for this project was a challenge, but one that's proven to be worthwhile." Dr. Vahlen said. "The sooner we can give our forces the edge they need, the better."
Reward: Biomorphic Augmentation Facility Unlocked, Gain Biomorph Augment Data when dissecting Non-Titan Biomorphs. Biomorphic Augmentation Facility will cost less resources and time to build.
[X] Better Pilot Interface: "Ah, I take it you will be working on this? Well, I can try to lend whatever aid I can, but this isn't a field that I am overly interested in." (Cost: 150. Time: 1 Turn. DC: 50. Reward: Slayers are easier to operate, Slayer Pilot Training DC reduced.)
(Roll: 72+10 (Laura)+5 (2nd Lab)=87 vs DC: 50, Pass)
"How are you doing, Rebecca? Is the new interface working out alright for you?" You asked as you and Dr. Vahlen watched from the firing range's bunker. The camera feed the two of you are looking at shows the interior of Rebecca's Slayer as she is using the upgraded pilot controls of her Slayer. You noted that your Slayer's movements are smoother and the delay between input and output is significantly mitigated as Rebecca crouched down and braced the machine gun in a firing position.
"Yeah, this new setup is great! It's a lot easier to understand and use, and it's already optimized with my preferences too! This is great, Dr. Thompson!" Rebecca's voice crackled over the radio, even as she took aim at a distant target. With a pull of the trigger a bullet the size of a 2x4 flew through the air towards a car and struck with enough accuracy that it went in through a side window and out the other. Anyone in the car would have been utterly mist-tified, but this was a just to test the new interface's accuracy.
"Good shot, you threaded the needle on that." You told Rebecca, who let out a cheerful 'Wohoo'.
"This new interface should make training new Pilots easier." Dr. Vahlen said as she looked over the data. "Reworking both the physical controls and the OS must have been quite stressful."
"Pffft, for my darlings I could work through the issues!" You said, smirking.
Now, you just needed more Slayers to actually have Pilots for…
Reward: Slayers are easier to operate, Slayer Pilot Training DC reduced.
Industrial
[X] Secondary Workshops: "Thanks to the idiot we have to start all over. The other engineers weren't happy either so he'll be getting his pay cut until he can pay back the damages his accident caused."(Cost: 200. Time: 2 Turns. DC: 50. Reward: Secondary Workshops Built, +5 to Industrial Actions and +1 Re-Roll on Failed Industrial Actions.)
"Finally, it's done! I'm glad that's over with." Emily said as she took a seat while the engineering teams looked over and got familiarized with the new workshops.
"I'm happy for you, I know this has been something of a time sink." You said as you sat down next to her. "Heh, maybe I'll come down here to do some tinkering when I have the time!"
"Well, I look forward to that, Director." Emily said. "Though, maybe don't have me build a Slayer in the workshops? They're not that big."
"My darlings do need plenty of room." You said with a nod. "And hopefully this will make things easier for the other projects, like the hospital!"
Reward: Secondary Workshops Built, +5 to Industrial Actions and +1 Re-Roll on Failed Industrial Actions.
[X] House of Asclepius: "You want a full-on hospital built into the HQ? Should be better than the basic infirmary already set up. Sure, I can do that for you, Director!" (Cost: 200. Time: 2 Turns. DC: 50. Reward: Hospital Built, Infantry Units and Slayer Pilots recover faster and can survive worse injuries, Medical Grade Cyberware can be installed here.)
(Roll: 74 vs DC: 50)
"Oh yeah, the hospital is coming along on schedule." Emily said as she pulled out her tablet, everyone had one, and handed it over to you to look over. "Which, let me tell you, is a massive relief. It should be finished by the end of April, along with the new medical staff coming in. Getting the rooms set up for those medical cybernetics you and Vahlen managed to cook up is probably the hardest part."
"I'm sure our troops and staff will enjoy having some good medical coverage instead of having that basic Infirmary setup we had." You said before handing the tablet back. "Speaking of Dr. Vahlen, she'll be sending you some details soon for a new facility. Please, don't freak out when you see it."
"Oh, come on, how bad could it be?" Emily asked with an amused look on her face.
Will Complete Next Turn.
Diplomacy
[X] An Arm of Silver: "Laura, with the finds from our research division on those new medical prosthetics, we could make a mint on selling out the designs and how to produce them, while also scoring some decent PR from it as well. Just let me talk to a few folks and smooth over the processes." (Cost: 100. Time: 1 Turn. DC: 55. Reward: Medical Grade Cyberware Distribution, +250 Funding per Turn.)
(Roll: 52 vs DC: 55, Bare Fail.)
(Re-Roll: 100+10=110 vs DC: 55, Pass Nat Crit)
"Well, that was a bit of a close one, but I can definitely say that we've managed to come out ahead in that negotiation!" Josephine said as she came in and sat down in her office. "Had to go out and get the deal done myself, but it went wonderfully!"
"…That's a few extra zeroes than I was expecting." You said as you looked over the deal. "I see you managed to squeeze a bit extra than we initially expected to, huh? As expected of the 'Negotiator', eh?" You gave Josephine a smirk while she laughed.
"Oh, come now, my young Padawan. You know that I bring my best when working out a deal myself." Your friend said. She then frowned. "Unfortunately, going out for this meant I couldn't handle the outreach attempt for the Metahumans in the States…"
Reward: Medical Grade Cyberware Distribution, +350 Funding per Turn.
[X] Meta-Human Outreach: "Those idiots over in the US have no idea what kind of fumble they've made, but we might be able to profit off of it. Some support towards the young Meta-Human community could net us some friends with more personal power. Of course there is also the fact that the US might not like us if we go against their wishes." (Cost: 200. Time: 1 Turn. DC: 70. Reward: Favor from Meta-Human Community, Minor dislike from the US, More Meta-Human Related Actions Unlocked.)
(Roll: 67 vs DC: 70, Bare Fail)
"How bad is it?" You asked Josephine, who sighed.
"Unfortunately, our attempts to reach out to them have been difficult. Finding the actual communities of Metahumans has proven difficult, they're still in hiding even after the US reconsidered their stance regarding them, and so the main issue is actually getting the support we could offer to the intended target. Thankfully, the US hasn't noticed our attempt, so they haven't reacted to it." Josephine said. "Hopefully, we can try again and actually work something out. We've narrowed down where they aren't, so finding them during our next attempt should be easier."
"Well, outside of some money down the drain, it's not a total loss. Especially since your deal with the medical Cyberware should easily make back what we used in this attempt." You said.
"Always looking on the bright side, that's just like you." Josephine said with a knowing smirk. "Well, I suppose some celebration is in order, drink?"
Result: DC Reduced for next Attempt, DC: 70 -> DC: 60.
Intrigue
[X] Hack The Planet: "Director, now that we have a proper cyber division, along with our talented new hire for it, I believe it would be prudent to make use of it to turn the internet into a far more… reliable source of Intel for our continued operations, along with having a potential ability to access systems that could make other operators run smoothly." (Cost: 50. Time: 1 Turn. DC: 50/90. Reward: Better Rumor Mill.)
(Roll: 72+15 (Ed)+20 (Twilight)=107 vs DC: 50/90, Pass Artificial Crit.)
"…You two are really scary when you work together." You remarked as you stared at the mountain of Intel and Data you were looking at on your tablet.
"Our talents just happened to synergize well on this matter, Director." Twilight said while Ed was playing with a dog that somehow had managed to be smuggled in. His name was Ein, apparently. "This operation simply played to our strengths."
"I imagine that with this, we now have additional sources of Intel outside of what we can get from watching the news. After putting it through the analyzers and drawing out the actually relevant stuff." You said as you looked over the Intel.
"Indeed. We've also managed to track down the source of the leak." Twilight said, and immediately you snapped up and gave him a look that demanded for him to continue. "The individual in question has been detained and brought in for questioning, we've also figured out who it was leaked to in terms of nations and organizations."
"Well, who is it?" You asked, already imagining the bloody vengeance you will extract upon them.
"It was an IT personnel who thought they could get some extra cash. They have been found and dealt with appropriately." Twilight said, dashing your plans. "We managed to find a list of buyers from his computer. Japan, China, Germany, and the US are the nations who bought the leaked blueprints from the leak. A number of other organizations have also bought the blueprints. We can't touch the sovereign nations, but we can do something about these private organizations." I rolled my hand to motion for him to go on.
"One of them is Lockheed Martin. They may want to use the Blueprints to sell Slayer sized systems for us and any nation building their own Slayers, or they want to make their own Slayers so that they could sell it to other nations. It is either of the two, but I'll have Ed keep an eye on them just to be safe. We could have Ed launch a Cyber-attack and wipe their systems, but it could cause more problems in the long run." You agree that it would be best to wait and see what they'll do with it first before making any moves. Who knows, maybe they would develop technology that you can use.
"Another organization that bought the blueprints is a Vasily Heavy Industries. They are a Russian company that have ties to oligarchs that support the Russian Federation. It is very likely a front company that wants to develop their own Slayer for the Russian Federation, so that they can maintain plausible deniability or hide the fact that they have Slayers of their own. With your permission, we can shut them down fairly easily and leave no trace behind." It is probably for the best that the Russians don't develop their own Slayers.
"The third buyer is an African arms dealer called Mohmar Hassan. It seems he is also developing his own Slayers to be sold to African warlords. Interpol has a warrant for his arrest, but he is very good at hiding that it would need some dedicated effort to find him or at the very least find where he is building his Slayers and stop him." Definitely on the 'Erased without a Trace' list. Maybe you could get a bounty on him if you arrest him.
"The last yet most concerning organization is Crossroads Engineering. They were responsible for manufacturing specialty vehicles from cars, trucks, and trains to boats and airplanes. Unfortunately, they have been subverted and transformed into a front for a Breach Cult called the Abyss Breachers that seeks to find a way to travel into the Breaches, believing it to be a way to 'Ascend' to a higher realm and become Gods. I am divided on how to proceed here; do we take them out immediately or infiltrate them so that we can catch a bigger fish later. I'll leave that decision to you, Director."
"Well, looks like you're about to get really busy, Twilight." You remarked as you processed all of this.
Reward: Better Rumor Mill, Figured Out Who Leaked Slayer Blueprints and Who Bought Them. Actions Unlocked.
[X] Claw of The Executioner: "Director, while I understand that it might not be something you're comfortable with, having some of our agents trained and having contacts that can covertly eliminate targets will leave us with more options in how to deal with situations that might come up." (Cost: 100. Time: 1 Turn. DC: 50. Reward: A number of Assassins are available for wet work operations.)
(Roll: 72 vs DC: 50, Pass.)
"So, you now have access to a few hired killers who we can send out to take out people without it being tied back to us?" You asked Twilight as you looked at the dossiers of the newest additions to the department.
"That is the idea." Twilight said. "We can't always send in the troops, especially if we have a cultist hiding in a position of power."
"So, like the situation a few months ago?" You asked, thinking that you should probably keep a closer eye on that part of the world.
"Indeed, we can also use them to eliminate some other targets of interest once we've identified them. Though with our current network, it won't be as easy." Twilight said. "Having a method to covertly take out our enemies or key personnel in their ranks without bringing out the tanks and looking like we're invading will be a boon to the organization, Director."
"Avoiding that kind of political scandal would certainly make things easier, providing they aren't caught." You said.
"There are precautions in place should that occur." Twilight said.
Ominous, and something you should have expected.
Reward: Assassins Added, Assassination Actions unlocked when you have Targets of Interest.
Personal
[X] Get to know someone: You're going to be working with them, you might as well learn more about your subordinates and co-workers. (Cost: 0. Time: 1 Turn. DC: 50)
-[X] Felix Adams
(Roll: 69 (Nice) vs DC: 50, Pass.)
"So, you wanted to get to know me better, Director?" Commander Adams asked as he sat down on the other side of your desk.
"That's the idea." You said as you took a sip from your cup of coffee. Hmmm, you put too much sugar into it…
"Well… I suppose I can talk about a few things. I was called in once it was clear the Alpha Breach wasn't going to close itself, and that the Australian government couldn't handle it on their own." Adams said, looking off to the side. "Things were bad back then, and that was before the minor breaches started opening."
"Yeah, it was pure chaos." You said as you took a moment to remember where you were. "I was still working on the rough sketches for some domestic work robots and construction suits for a company that would eventually become the Slayers. Josephine had actually gotten you that gig before the company went under after the CEO and several board members were killed from a minor Breach spitting out a Titan nearby where they were. I got my payback later."
Adams took a sip of his drink before continuing, "Then I hear about some mad scientist working on actual, real life mechs to punch the giant monsters." You nodded with a cheeky smile as you considered the title of mad scientist to be a badge of honor. "I meet Rebecca's mom, the test pilot for the Gen-0. Sweet woman, but a little bit too happy to fight giant monsters with grappling and boxing."
"God! She was almost as bad as Anderson!" You said, shaking your head with a small laugh. "She also knew Muay Thai, I had to keep telling her how bad that would go if she used it…" You then frowned. "…I miss her, she was fun…"
"…What happened?" Adams asked. "All I was told was that she gave her life to stop a Titan, and the Gen-0 was lost."
"…She went through a Breach." You told him. "The Gen-0 was down an arm and the head unit was badly damaged that it looked like a crushed tin-can. The Titan was something different, spiky and more spider-like. She rushed it and tackled it into the Breach, while it used its legs to impale the torso unit and spear the head unit."
"I thought Breaches were one way?" Adams asked, looking at you with furrowed eyebrows.
"For normal organics, yeah. Drones could go in, but the moment a Breach closes the connection is cut." You told Adams. "The only one that's stayed open that we could use… well, we built this containment zone around it for a reason."
"And since Sarah was in the Gen-0…" Adams paused, then sighed. "Does Rebecca know?"
"That her mom is gone? Yeah, she still signed up though." You said. "She lives on base, I tried to find any family left but… couldn't find anyone. Records show she had a dad and a sister, but the former is confirmed as a fatality and the other is… missing. No idea where she is, if she is even alive."
"Damn…" Adams said then leaned back and downed his own cup. "… This needs to be stronger." He pulled out a metal flask from his belt and poured something into his cup, which I guess is liquor.
"Yup…" You said as you took another drink from your cup. Hmmm, it is really bitter now…
"…Hmm. You know, when we have to deal with those cultists, or anything else… conventional, I could help direct our troops against them." Adams said after a few seconds of silence. "Plus, I spent some time as a recruiter myself, I might be able to use that to see any diamonds in the rough for us."
"Well, having some more skilled hands could certainly help. And we will have to handle those cultists at some point, and maybe some mercs too if they outsource for muscle." You said as you nodded.
Every little bit helps.
Reward: Felix Adams traits revealed.
Art of War: +10 Bonus Vs Humanoid Enemies.
Eye for Talent: Recruitment Actions have Chance to Spawn Hero Units outside of Crits.
