You control the destiny of Humanity as an interstellar empire, but who knows what evils lurk out there in the unknown depths of the Final Frontier? Thankfully, though, you have Magical Girls on your side...
Space is a Scary Place (PMMM Empire Builder Multicross. CKII-esque)
- Thread starter Evil_Nazgul0616
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Introduction
- Location
- Yes
//This was the ultimate result of a plot bunny, a recent Stellaris binge, and my creative gears finally starting up again.
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It is the year 21XX.
After centuries of gazing at the stars and wondering about the secrets of the universe, Humanity is now on the cusp of becoming an interstellar power. Citizens around the now united Earth rejoice as the first interstellar Colony ship makes the final preparations for its maiden voyage.
Another race was closely watching the celebrations as well: An ancient and enigmatic race that had been subtly influencing Humanity's destiny since the advent of the Stone Age. These were the Incubators, and they generally operated in the shadows, forming peculiar contracts with young girls in order to perpetuate a cycle of hope and despair that existed solely to extend the life of the universe. To them this was a necessary process, and one that the majority of humanity was unaware of, and of those who are, only a small fraction knew the true nature of it.
This cycle…
[] Is the same as it's always been since the Incubators engineered it. Magical Girls, the seeds of Hope, are merely the larvae of creatures of Despair. The metamorphosis into and harvesting of which provides the energy necessary to prolong the universe's lifespan. (A universe where, for whatever reason, the events that lead to the creation of the Law of Cycles never happen.)
[] Is unchanged, as the events that would alter its destiny have, by some twist of fate, yet to occur… (Timeshifted universe. The canon PMMM events occur during the quest's time period, on your first colony, rather than the canon time period.)
[] Is an enigma even to the Incubators themselves. While the Incubators developed the Magical Girl system, it seems to operate on some kind of universal constant or law that they struggle to fully understand. Instead of a metamorphosis creating a cycle of Hope and Despair, a Magical Girl at the end of their lifespan simply fades into the aether… (Wraiths replace Witches under normal circumstances. The Law of Cycles exists.)
Humanity is not the first species that the Incubators have used in this manner, nor will it be the last, but sapient species with human's emotional capacity and karmic potential were uncommon in the galaxy, and therefore it was in the Incubators' best interest to maintain their hold on humanity until the cycle perpetuated enough to fill their quota.
Therefore, that is why, with humanity ready to reach for the stars, the Incubators were prepared to follow…
As the colony ship, the UES Mitakihara, makes its final system checks. Its crew, and humanity as a whole thinks back on what made this historic moment possible...
[] Humanity's rapid advancement was honestly a miracle. As if engineers and physicists around the world had a sudden simultaneous epiphany. The truth of the matter, however, is that this was the result of the wishes of one or more girls, though only time will tell what the negative consequences of this will be, if any...
[] Humanity's rise, as was their uplifting from the stone age, was facilitated by the Incubators themselves. It was determined that humans, as advantageous of an energy source as they were, were flawed by being limited to one planet. If one human world could perpetuate the cycle to sustain the universe for several million years, one can only imagine what the population of several human planets would do to stave off the inevitable heat death...
[] Somehow, Humanity's rise was completely natural. Operating under its own power, humanity achieved the ability to travel to the stars independently of the consequences of wishes and the subtle prodding of an extraterrestrial species.
With all other systems in the green, the captain of the Mitakihara orders one final test of the ship's FTL drive. A complex piece of engineering designed to interact with…
[] A network of mysterious channels that connect several star systems in a weblike pattern. These so-called "hyperlanes" turn what would normally take years of travel into mere days… (Stellaris style FTL. No galaxy-wide effect. Everything has an equal weight for appearing.)
[] A mysterious device found within the distant moon of Charon, powered by an element that was previously unknown to science until early Mars colonization efforts unearthed some ancient ruins. (Mass Relays. Citadel races guaranteed to appear. The Reapers exist. Prothean ruins can be discovered.)
[] An immaterial plane "beneath" the main universe. It is an unstable and hazardous place, but with the proper shielding a ship could use it to travel between two points in the material universe far faster than it would take to get there normally. (Warp Drives. The Chaos Gods exist. Greater chance of encountering 40k races.)
Sending a final transmission to Earth and receiving an all-clear, Mitakihara's mighty engines burst to life and the future of humanity commences its departure from the Sol system and enters the final frontier.
But, as humanity will soon learn, space is a mysterious place, filled with marvelous wonders and great untold horrors. However, with the hidden world of Magical Girls on their side, perhaps they would have a safer time facing whatever lurks in the dark…
The captain of the Mitakihara was well aware of this, and as the future leader of the soon-to-be colony, they mentally prepared themselves for whatever trials may lie ahead…
You are this captain, and you are...
[] A true rarity: A Magical Girl that has lived to adulthood. (Proceed to Magical Girl character creation. Leader cannot die of aging but can be killed through combat or Soul Gem corruption. Natural bonus to Martial.)
[] What anyone would expect. An ordinary human. (Proceed to Human character creation. Finite lifespan, but otherwise lacks the drawbacks of the other options. However, it gains neither side's advantages either.)
[] An Artificial Intelligence. Designed to perform administrative tasks until a proper leader is elected following colony establishment. (Proceed to AI character creation. Immortal unless systems are damaged. Vulnerable to reprogramming. Natural bonus to Learning. Minor malus to Diplomacy.)
-------------------------------------------
It is the year 21XX.
After centuries of gazing at the stars and wondering about the secrets of the universe, Humanity is now on the cusp of becoming an interstellar power. Citizens around the now united Earth rejoice as the first interstellar Colony ship makes the final preparations for its maiden voyage.
Another race was closely watching the celebrations as well: An ancient and enigmatic race that had been subtly influencing Humanity's destiny since the advent of the Stone Age. These were the Incubators, and they generally operated in the shadows, forming peculiar contracts with young girls in order to perpetuate a cycle of hope and despair that existed solely to extend the life of the universe. To them this was a necessary process, and one that the majority of humanity was unaware of, and of those who are, only a small fraction knew the true nature of it.
This cycle…
[] Is the same as it's always been since the Incubators engineered it. Magical Girls, the seeds of Hope, are merely the larvae of creatures of Despair. The metamorphosis into and harvesting of which provides the energy necessary to prolong the universe's lifespan. (A universe where, for whatever reason, the events that lead to the creation of the Law of Cycles never happen.)
[] Is unchanged, as the events that would alter its destiny have, by some twist of fate, yet to occur… (Timeshifted universe. The canon PMMM events occur during the quest's time period, on your first colony, rather than the canon time period.)
[] Is an enigma even to the Incubators themselves. While the Incubators developed the Magical Girl system, it seems to operate on some kind of universal constant or law that they struggle to fully understand. Instead of a metamorphosis creating a cycle of Hope and Despair, a Magical Girl at the end of their lifespan simply fades into the aether… (Wraiths replace Witches under normal circumstances. The Law of Cycles exists.)
Humanity is not the first species that the Incubators have used in this manner, nor will it be the last, but sapient species with human's emotional capacity and karmic potential were uncommon in the galaxy, and therefore it was in the Incubators' best interest to maintain their hold on humanity until the cycle perpetuated enough to fill their quota.
Therefore, that is why, with humanity ready to reach for the stars, the Incubators were prepared to follow…
As the colony ship, the UES Mitakihara, makes its final system checks. Its crew, and humanity as a whole thinks back on what made this historic moment possible...
[] Humanity's rapid advancement was honestly a miracle. As if engineers and physicists around the world had a sudden simultaneous epiphany. The truth of the matter, however, is that this was the result of the wishes of one or more girls, though only time will tell what the negative consequences of this will be, if any...
[] Humanity's rise, as was their uplifting from the stone age, was facilitated by the Incubators themselves. It was determined that humans, as advantageous of an energy source as they were, were flawed by being limited to one planet. If one human world could perpetuate the cycle to sustain the universe for several million years, one can only imagine what the population of several human planets would do to stave off the inevitable heat death...
[] Somehow, Humanity's rise was completely natural. Operating under its own power, humanity achieved the ability to travel to the stars independently of the consequences of wishes and the subtle prodding of an extraterrestrial species.
With all other systems in the green, the captain of the Mitakihara orders one final test of the ship's FTL drive. A complex piece of engineering designed to interact with…
[] A network of mysterious channels that connect several star systems in a weblike pattern. These so-called "hyperlanes" turn what would normally take years of travel into mere days… (Stellaris style FTL. No galaxy-wide effect. Everything has an equal weight for appearing.)
[] A mysterious device found within the distant moon of Charon, powered by an element that was previously unknown to science until early Mars colonization efforts unearthed some ancient ruins. (Mass Relays. Citadel races guaranteed to appear. The Reapers exist. Prothean ruins can be discovered.)
[] An immaterial plane "beneath" the main universe. It is an unstable and hazardous place, but with the proper shielding a ship could use it to travel between two points in the material universe far faster than it would take to get there normally. (Warp Drives. The Chaos Gods exist. Greater chance of encountering 40k races.)
Sending a final transmission to Earth and receiving an all-clear, Mitakihara's mighty engines burst to life and the future of humanity commences its departure from the Sol system and enters the final frontier.
But, as humanity will soon learn, space is a mysterious place, filled with marvelous wonders and great untold horrors. However, with the hidden world of Magical Girls on their side, perhaps they would have a safer time facing whatever lurks in the dark…
The captain of the Mitakihara was well aware of this, and as the future leader of the soon-to-be colony, they mentally prepared themselves for whatever trials may lie ahead…
You are this captain, and you are...
[] A true rarity: A Magical Girl that has lived to adulthood. (Proceed to Magical Girl character creation. Leader cannot die of aging but can be killed through combat or Soul Gem corruption. Natural bonus to Martial.)
[] What anyone would expect. An ordinary human. (Proceed to Human character creation. Finite lifespan, but otherwise lacks the drawbacks of the other options. However, it gains neither side's advantages either.)
[] An Artificial Intelligence. Designed to perform administrative tasks until a proper leader is elected following colony establishment. (Proceed to AI character creation. Immortal unless systems are damaged. Vulnerable to reprogramming. Natural bonus to Learning. Minor malus to Diplomacy.)
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Mechanics
- Location
- Yes
Welcome to Space is a Scary Place, a galactic scale multicross quest starring PMMM-verse humanity. In this quest you guide humanity from a single colony to a galactic empire, or at the very least try.
General Mechanics:
You control the Leader of Humanity's first colony. While you do have communication with Earth, you have full authority over your territory, at least initially. Ultimately, it will be up to you to decide whether or not you wish to remain cooperative with Earth, become an independent entity or even gain control of the home system itself either through violent or nonviolent means, the galaxy is your oyster.
Accompanying you are "Hero units", characters with their own sets of stats and traits that can be assigned to tasks much like yourself. You initially start with one, but events and actions over the course of the quest will allow you to recruit more. Some may be helpful, while others may harm you in the long run. They also have feelings and ambitions of their own, and might desert or turn against you if you manage to upset them enough. However, you can also secure their loyalty and other positive benefits if you treat them right…
The game is played in a series of "turns", lasting about a month of in-game time. Each turn, you select several actions to be performed by yourself and your hero units, the success of each being dependent on a d100 roll + the relevant stat for that action as well as any additional modifiers. By default a natural 100 on the d100 portion of the calculation will be considered a crit success. Conversely, a nat 1 would be considered a crit fail. If you somehow pass a roll (due to modifiers) on a crit fail, your success will still have something negative applied to it in some way. Additionally, if you somehow still fail on a crit success (Possible with negative modifiers or a DC over 100), it will be treated as a breakthrough that lowers the DC of that action permanently for future turns.
Additionally, some turns you have the option to go on Missions or Quests, in which you assign yourself and/or one or more hero units to perform a more complicated task, which may span one or more additional posts.
The second update of the turn shows the results of your non-quest actions and their immediate consequences. After that, the quest specific updates and interludes (if any) will occur, and upon the conclusion of these the final update of the turn will occur, where you will see the public actions made by the other factions that you know of.
The multicross aspect of this quest comes from the fact that space is indeed a place of the unknown. As such, things from many different sci-fi series may potentially show up here depending on how things go, ranging from hostile planets, to civilizations, to eldritch monstrosities. Some of these may be weighted higher depending on the common mode of FTL selected for the Galaxy. (For instance, choosing Mass Relays will guarantee the appearance of Citadel Races from Mass Effect, as opposed to them having a random chance of showing up with Hyperlanes and Warp Travel.)
The "Objective":
The goal of this quest is simply to see how expansive and prosperous an empire you can make and the resulting mythos that develops around it as a result of your choices and random events. There really isn't a win condition per say, other than getting to a point where there's little else you can do, though that will probably take a very long time. Additionally, the only real lose condition is if your empire is wiped out completely.
Leading on from this, the loss of the player character is not the end of the quest. Should the Leader die or be removed from office in any way, you will be prompted to either create a successor or elect one of the hero units to become one, and the quest will continue under their leadership.
Resources:
The most significant resource in this quest is Pops, short for populations, which are units that measure how many people are in your empire. Certain actions may require having a certain number of pops, or a certain amount of pops of a specific type. Such actions will be clearly marked.
Another resource is Grief Seeds/Cubes, obtainable through certain actions involving Magical Girls. These are used to reduce a Magical Girl hero's corruption, which is effectively fatal if it accumulates to its maximum value. Corruption is accumulated every turn, and the amount depends on what actions that hero or leader is involved in. Generally these will be automatically consumed when a girl's corruption reaches a certain value, but be wary when your stockpile is low...
The final "resource" of note is Approval, which is a measure of how much pops approve of your leadership. Negative approval can result in consequences up to and including uprising and rebellion, so it is advantageous to keep this above zero.
On a final note: While money and income also exist, it won't really be given much focus, only being brought up if an action is particularly costly or you're already close to debt.
On Omakes:
Omakes are welcome and encouraged. Any that become canon will award you with Special Points, or SP, which can be spent in the following ways:
- Increasing a stat by 1 permanently.
- Lowering an action's DC by 5.
- Apply modifiers to action rolls.
- Queueing rerolls for potential failed actions. (Takes priority over traits that grant rerolls.)
- Increase the range for which a d100 roll is considered a crit success by 1.
To prevent abuse, SP spending is capped at 5 points per turn. So in the event you obtain any, use them wisely.
------------------------------------------------------
I reserve the right to alter rules down the line if need be, though this will mostly just be limited to tweaks and optimizations. I will inform you if a rule alteration is needed.
The only other rule is to have fun. Now go out and build your empire!
General Mechanics:
You control the Leader of Humanity's first colony. While you do have communication with Earth, you have full authority over your territory, at least initially. Ultimately, it will be up to you to decide whether or not you wish to remain cooperative with Earth, become an independent entity or even gain control of the home system itself either through violent or nonviolent means, the galaxy is your oyster.
Accompanying you are "Hero units", characters with their own sets of stats and traits that can be assigned to tasks much like yourself. You initially start with one, but events and actions over the course of the quest will allow you to recruit more. Some may be helpful, while others may harm you in the long run. They also have feelings and ambitions of their own, and might desert or turn against you if you manage to upset them enough. However, you can also secure their loyalty and other positive benefits if you treat them right…
The game is played in a series of "turns", lasting about a month of in-game time. Each turn, you select several actions to be performed by yourself and your hero units, the success of each being dependent on a d100 roll + the relevant stat for that action as well as any additional modifiers. By default a natural 100 on the d100 portion of the calculation will be considered a crit success. Conversely, a nat 1 would be considered a crit fail. If you somehow pass a roll (due to modifiers) on a crit fail, your success will still have something negative applied to it in some way. Additionally, if you somehow still fail on a crit success (Possible with negative modifiers or a DC over 100), it will be treated as a breakthrough that lowers the DC of that action permanently for future turns.
Additionally, some turns you have the option to go on Missions or Quests, in which you assign yourself and/or one or more hero units to perform a more complicated task, which may span one or more additional posts.
The second update of the turn shows the results of your non-quest actions and their immediate consequences. After that, the quest specific updates and interludes (if any) will occur, and upon the conclusion of these the final update of the turn will occur, where you will see the public actions made by the other factions that you know of.
The multicross aspect of this quest comes from the fact that space is indeed a place of the unknown. As such, things from many different sci-fi series may potentially show up here depending on how things go, ranging from hostile planets, to civilizations, to eldritch monstrosities. Some of these may be weighted higher depending on the common mode of FTL selected for the Galaxy. (For instance, choosing Mass Relays will guarantee the appearance of Citadel Races from Mass Effect, as opposed to them having a random chance of showing up with Hyperlanes and Warp Travel.)
The "Objective":
The goal of this quest is simply to see how expansive and prosperous an empire you can make and the resulting mythos that develops around it as a result of your choices and random events. There really isn't a win condition per say, other than getting to a point where there's little else you can do, though that will probably take a very long time. Additionally, the only real lose condition is if your empire is wiped out completely.
Leading on from this, the loss of the player character is not the end of the quest. Should the Leader die or be removed from office in any way, you will be prompted to either create a successor or elect one of the hero units to become one, and the quest will continue under their leadership.
Resources:
The most significant resource in this quest is Pops, short for populations, which are units that measure how many people are in your empire. Certain actions may require having a certain number of pops, or a certain amount of pops of a specific type. Such actions will be clearly marked.
Another resource is Grief Seeds/Cubes, obtainable through certain actions involving Magical Girls. These are used to reduce a Magical Girl hero's corruption, which is effectively fatal if it accumulates to its maximum value. Corruption is accumulated every turn, and the amount depends on what actions that hero or leader is involved in. Generally these will be automatically consumed when a girl's corruption reaches a certain value, but be wary when your stockpile is low...
The final "resource" of note is Approval, which is a measure of how much pops approve of your leadership. Negative approval can result in consequences up to and including uprising and rebellion, so it is advantageous to keep this above zero.
On a final note: While money and income also exist, it won't really be given much focus, only being brought up if an action is particularly costly or you're already close to debt.
On Omakes:
Omakes are welcome and encouraged. Any that become canon will award you with Special Points, or SP, which can be spent in the following ways:
- Increasing a stat by 1 permanently.
- Lowering an action's DC by 5.
- Apply modifiers to action rolls.
- Queueing rerolls for potential failed actions. (Takes priority over traits that grant rerolls.)
- Increase the range for which a d100 roll is considered a crit success by 1.
To prevent abuse, SP spending is capped at 5 points per turn. So in the event you obtain any, use them wisely.
------------------------------------------------------
I reserve the right to alter rules down the line if need be, though this will mostly just be limited to tweaks and optimizations. I will inform you if a rule alteration is needed.
The only other rule is to have fun. Now go out and build your empire!
Last edited:
Empire and Character Information
- Location
- Yes
Character Sheet:
Heroes:
Empire Overview:
Ethics:
>Egalitarian - Everyone deserves equal rights and opportunities. (All heroes gain +1 Stewardship. +1 Diplomacy.)
>Xenophile - Aliens are just friends we haven't met yet. (All heroes gain +2 Diplomacy. +1 Learning. -1 Martial. Empire gains +10 to diplomatic actions against nonhuman empires.)
Colonies:
Other Empires/Factions:
An Artificial Intelligence born from a wish to save the sister of Shinoshita Kōri, and officially the product of a breakthrough made by renowned AI researcher and Kōri's uncle Dr. Shinoshita.
Race: Artificial Intelligence (Human)
Stats:
Martial: 5
Diplomacy: 9
Stewardship: 10
Intrigue: 7
Learning: 13
Traits:
>Multitasker - Perform an extra personal action each turn.
>Product of Hope - A magical girl's wish was at least partially responsible for this system's existence. (Gain a Magical Girl as an additional starting hero unit that starts with +25 Loyalty. Grants awareness of the Magical Girl System.)
Race: Artificial Intelligence (Human)
Stats:
Martial: 5
Diplomacy: 9
Stewardship: 10
Intrigue: 7
Learning: 13
Martial: 6 (Base) - 1 (Xenophile Ethic)
Diplomacy: 8 (Base) - 2 (AI) + 1 (Egalitarian Ethic) + 2 (Xenophile Ethic)
Stewardship: 9 (Base) + 1 (Egalitarian Ethic)
Intrigue: 7 (Base)
Learning: 10 (Base) + 2 (AI) + 1 (Xenophile Ethic)
Diplomacy: 8 (Base) - 2 (AI) + 1 (Egalitarian Ethic) + 2 (Xenophile Ethic)
Stewardship: 9 (Base) + 1 (Egalitarian Ethic)
Intrigue: 7 (Base)
Learning: 10 (Base) + 2 (AI) + 1 (Xenophile Ethic)
Traits:
>Multitasker - Perform an extra personal action each turn.
>Product of Hope - A magical girl's wish was at least partially responsible for this system's existence. (Gain a Magical Girl as an additional starting hero unit that starts with +25 Loyalty. Grants awareness of the Magical Girl System.)
- Shinoshita Kōri
- Ivan Volkov
Empire Overview:
Ethics:
>Egalitarian - Everyone deserves equal rights and opportunities. (All heroes gain +1 Stewardship. +1 Diplomacy.)
>Xenophile - Aliens are just friends we haven't met yet. (All heroes gain +2 Diplomacy. +1 Learning. -1 Martial. Empire gains +10 to diplomatic actions against nonhuman empires.)
Colonies:
- Elysium
Other Empires/Factions:
- United Nations of Earth
- Incubator Collective
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0 - Character Creation and Empire Setup
- Location
- Yes
[X] Plan: Magical Effect
//So this ended up longer than intended. Hopefully the vote isn't too complex.
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You are an Artificial Intelligence.
Your primary function is to establish and oversee the initial setup of Earth's first extrasolar colony until a proper leader is elected. Being a program, you are capable of processing information more efficiently than a human, though your artificial nature makes you seem rather cold and less approachable socially. (+2 Learning, -2 Diplomacy)
>LOADING SPECIFICATIONS…
Designation:
[] (Write-in name.)
While technically genderless, your voice is based on:
[] Male patterns.
[] Female patterns.
Unmodified Base Stats. The total sum must be 40. 8 is considered neutral:
[] Martial: (Governs military related actions. Primary combat stat.)
[] Diplomacy: (Governs diplomatic actions. Primary persuasion stat.)
[] Stewardship: (Governs economy and infrastructure related actions.)
[] Intrigue: (Governs espionage and deceit actions. Primary stealth and perception stat.)
[] Learning: (Governs research. Primary intelligence stat.)
Pick two traits:
[] Advanced Combat Subroutines - This AI was designed with the defense of the colony in mind and the capacity to carry out advanced military operations if needed. Gain +2 Martial and +10 to combat rolls.
[] Overclocking - The AI can temporarily overload itself to boost performance. The first failed roll by this hero in a turn is rerolled. If the reroll fails, the system becomes damaged and all stats gain -5 the following turn while repairs are conducted.
[] Multitasker - Perform an extra personal action each turn.
[] Codebreaker - The AI was designed to infiltrate other systems and retrieve their secrets, as well as protect its own, making it a master of cyber warfare. Gain +2 Intrigue and +10 to any roll against another AI hero or race.
[] Holoprojector - In order to make it more approachable to colonists, this AI was given social algorithms and a holographic avatar at a cost to other functionality. Negates the Diplomacy malus and grants +2 additional Diplomacy. -3 to a random stat other than Diplomacy.
[] Scientific Algorithms - The AI has functions specifically tailored towards research and analysis, which can prove invaluable to the mission. Though this leaves it less suited to other tasks. Gain +2 Learning and -2 Stewardship.
[] Logistic Optimization Protocols - The AI was configured for bookkeeping and auditing. Optimizing resource distribution is critical to the success of the mission, and other functions are secondary concerns. Gain +2 Stewardship, -1 Martial, and -1 Diplomacy.
[] Product of Hope - A magical girl's wish was at least partially responsible for this system's existence. (Gain a Magical Girl as an additional starting hero unit that starts with +25 Loyalty. Grants awareness of the Magical Girl System.)
-[] Randomly generate.
-[] Create manually. (For complexity addicts or those who want more control over this hero's creation. In which case, use the spoilered template below.)
The approach to the Charon Device proceeds entirely without issues. As the ship settles moves into position, you send out a final communication to Earth. As soon as you receive a reply, you send out a signal towards the immense machine, activating it and allowing the Mitakihara to enter the odd "corridor" it creates for the very first time. Within moments you find yourself at the outer edge of a distant star system. Scanning the system, and pulling up data from previous unmanned expeditions, you quickly confirm that the star is Arcturus, approximately 36.66 light years away from Earth.
Prior to unmanned surveys, the structure of the Arcturus system was previously unknown to Humanity, however with the probes' data and the data provided by your scanners, you know that...
[] There are some potentially habitable worlds in this system. (Colony in Arcturus. Communication with Earth can be reestablished faster. Closer proximity to the Sol system gives you less initial autonomy but easy access to Sol's resources if needed.)
[] The system contains only Gas giants and uninhabitable rocks, but you know that there is a second Charon Device in this system that connects to another star that seems far more promising. (Colony in random star system. Communication with Earth takes longer to reestablish, but gives you more freedom from Earth bureaucracy.)
After running some final diagnostics, you set a course to your chosen planet for habitation...
[] A moon around one of the system's gas giants, which is rich in materials essential for ship construction, and possesses an atmosphere capable of supporting life. However, the bitterly cold temperatures may pose a problem to the colonists' health... (Ice world. -10% Approval. New ships cost one less turn to produce. Magical Girl and Wraith pops form at an increased rate due to miserable conditions.)
[] A lush, tropical world with extreme weather patterns and hyper-aggressive flora and fauna... Living here would be a challenge, but it's honestly the only choice you have... (Death world. -10% Approval. Armies and ships made from this planet's pops gain +20 in combat. Meguca and Wraith pops form at an increased rate due to conditions.)
[] There is an Earth-like planet capable of supporting life in the star's habitable zone. While conditions are good for colony development, there isn't really much to set it apart from the homeworld. (Continental world. Gain no bonuses, but gain no negative effects either.)
[] A warm planet with more than 90% of its surface covered in ocean, making living on it seem like being on an island resort. Though while it will make the colonists happy, there really isn't much space for expansion... (Ocean world. +10% Approval. Overall pop growth reduced due to limited space on the landmasses.)
[] An absolutely pristine world with a diverse range of climates and an abundance of natural resources. A perfect planet to settle. Almost too perfect to be honest... (Gaia world. +10% Approval. Planet has an Anomaly on it that will be discovered upon landing. Reduces the rate at which Meguca and Wraith pops form. Planet's resources make it a strategic target to other factions.)
Settling into orbit around the new world, you initiate the Mitakihara's landing procedures, keeping a diligent watch over all systems and correcting any errors you come across. On the bridge, your second in command also watches the descent with bated breath. This individual was selected from a list of candidates for their role, and their skills will provide invaluable support to you for the upcoming months. They are...
Select your starting hero. (Note that due to the time period and setting, it's likely that most potential heroes in this quest will either be randomly or semi-randomly generated characters. However, occasionally an existing individual canon to any of the crossed-over settings can show up if their existence can be justified. Additionally, potential heroes may also be pulled from omakes that get accepted into canon.)
As the colony ship touches down, the colonists within prepare to disembark, their hopes held high for the future success of this initiative. Many of these colonists share Earth's ethical mindset, but perhaps such a way of thinking might not be the most ideal moving forward.
After running some calculations, you decide that...
[] There is no need to deviate from Earth's Ethics. (Empire will start as Egalitarian and Xenophile.)
[] A change is necessary. (Choose two Ethics from the spoilered list.)
As power supplies are set up, and rudimentary shelters are constructed inside and around the Mitakihara, the next chapter in Humanity's history is set to begin. However, before this can happen, there is exactly one thing left to do....
Name your first colony.
[] (Write-in.)
-[X] Is an enigma even to the Incubators themselves. While the Incubators developed the Magical Girl system, it seems to operate on some kind of universal constant or law that they struggle to fully understand. Instead of a metamorphosis creating a cycle of Hope and Despair, a Magical Girl at the end of their lifespan simply fades into the aether… (Wraiths replace Witches under normal circumstances. The Law of Cycles exists.)
-[X] Somehow, Humanity's rise was completely natural. Operating under its own power, humanity achieved the ability to travel to the stars independently of the consequences of wishes and the subtle prodding of an extraterrestrial species.
-[X] A mysterious device found within the distant moon of Charon, powered by an element that was previously unknown to science until early Mars colonization efforts unearthed some ancient ruins. (Mass Relays. Citadel races guaranteed to appear. The Reapers exist. Prothean ruins can be discovered.)
-[X] An Artificial Intelligence. Designed to perform administrative tasks until a proper leader is elected following colony establishment. (Proceed to AI character creation. Immortal unless systems are damaged. Vulnerable to reprogramming. Natural bonus to Learning. Minor malus to Diplomacy.)
-[X] Somehow, Humanity's rise was completely natural. Operating under its own power, humanity achieved the ability to travel to the stars independently of the consequences of wishes and the subtle prodding of an extraterrestrial species.
-[X] A mysterious device found within the distant moon of Charon, powered by an element that was previously unknown to science until early Mars colonization efforts unearthed some ancient ruins. (Mass Relays. Citadel races guaranteed to appear. The Reapers exist. Prothean ruins can be discovered.)
-[X] An Artificial Intelligence. Designed to perform administrative tasks until a proper leader is elected following colony establishment. (Proceed to AI character creation. Immortal unless systems are damaged. Vulnerable to reprogramming. Natural bonus to Learning. Minor malus to Diplomacy.)
//So this ended up longer than intended. Hopefully the vote isn't too complex.
-------------------------------------------
You are an Artificial Intelligence.
Your primary function is to establish and oversee the initial setup of Earth's first extrasolar colony until a proper leader is elected. Being a program, you are capable of processing information more efficiently than a human, though your artificial nature makes you seem rather cold and less approachable socially. (+2 Learning, -2 Diplomacy)
>LOADING SPECIFICATIONS…
Designation:
[] (Write-in name.)
While technically genderless, your voice is based on:
[] Male patterns.
[] Female patterns.
Unmodified Base Stats. The total sum must be 40. 8 is considered neutral:
[] Martial: (Governs military related actions. Primary combat stat.)
[] Diplomacy: (Governs diplomatic actions. Primary persuasion stat.)
[] Stewardship: (Governs economy and infrastructure related actions.)
[] Intrigue: (Governs espionage and deceit actions. Primary stealth and perception stat.)
[] Learning: (Governs research. Primary intelligence stat.)
Pick two traits:
[] Advanced Combat Subroutines - This AI was designed with the defense of the colony in mind and the capacity to carry out advanced military operations if needed. Gain +2 Martial and +10 to combat rolls.
[] Overclocking - The AI can temporarily overload itself to boost performance. The first failed roll by this hero in a turn is rerolled. If the reroll fails, the system becomes damaged and all stats gain -5 the following turn while repairs are conducted.
[] Multitasker - Perform an extra personal action each turn.
[] Codebreaker - The AI was designed to infiltrate other systems and retrieve their secrets, as well as protect its own, making it a master of cyber warfare. Gain +2 Intrigue and +10 to any roll against another AI hero or race.
[] Holoprojector - In order to make it more approachable to colonists, this AI was given social algorithms and a holographic avatar at a cost to other functionality. Negates the Diplomacy malus and grants +2 additional Diplomacy. -3 to a random stat other than Diplomacy.
[] Scientific Algorithms - The AI has functions specifically tailored towards research and analysis, which can prove invaluable to the mission. Though this leaves it less suited to other tasks. Gain +2 Learning and -2 Stewardship.
[] Logistic Optimization Protocols - The AI was configured for bookkeeping and auditing. Optimizing resource distribution is critical to the success of the mission, and other functions are secondary concerns. Gain +2 Stewardship, -1 Martial, and -1 Diplomacy.
[] Product of Hope - A magical girl's wish was at least partially responsible for this system's existence. (Gain a Magical Girl as an additional starting hero unit that starts with +25 Loyalty. Grants awareness of the Magical Girl System.)
-[] Randomly generate.
-[] Create manually. (For complexity addicts or those who want more control over this hero's creation. In which case, use the spoilered template below.)
Basic information:
[] Name: (Specify)
[] Age: (Must be between 8 and 17, inclusive.)
[] Hair color: (Specify)
[] Eye color: (Specify)
[] Wish: (Must be related to the AI's creation.)
-[] Power: (Must be related to the wish in some way.)
-[] Weapon: (Specify)
-[] Costume: (Brief descriptions only please. No essays.)
Base Stats: (Total sum must be 40. 8 is neutral.)
[] Martial:
[] Diplomacy:
[] Stewardship:
[] Intrigue:
[] Learning:
Pick two traits:
[] Veteran - This Magical Girl has been in her fair share of fights against the forces of despair. +1 Martial. +20 against Witches/Wraiths.
[] Darwinist - Survival of the fittest and maintaining territory are a prime concern of this Magical Girl's philosophy. +1 Martial. -10 to Diplomacy checks against factions possessing Egalitarian, Xenophile, or Pacifist ethics.
[] Paragon of Justice - Magical Girls are heroes of justice and should fight for all that is good! +20 to combat against "evil" targets. Gain -20 to Diplomacy against "evil" factions. Having this world view shattered can be dangerous.
[] Negotiator - This individual believes words are mightier than the sword. +10 to Diplomacy and Intrigue checks.
[] Determinator - This person will not stop until they achieve a goal and is prone to frustration after repeated failures. Roll again if an action they're working on fails. If the reroll fails, gain -5 to the relevant stat for the next turn.
[] Short Temper - This person gets riled up easily, for better or worse. +10 to combat rolls. -10 to Diplomacy rolls.
[] Bookworm - This person feels more at home in a library. +10 to Learning checks when on missions.
[] Church of Hope - Views the Law of Cycles with a religious reverence. Gain an Occult stat of 1, or +1 Occult if the stat is already present. +10 to Diplomacy checks against other Magical Girls with this trait, -10 to Diplomacy checks against Materialist factions.
[] Cult of Love - Worships somebody unspeakable. Gain an Occult stat of 1, or +1 Occult if the stat is already present. -10 to Diplomacy checks against other Magical Girls that lack this trait, but gain additional bonuses at high loyalty.
[] Cult of Order - Devoted to the Incubators. Almost religiously so. Gain +2 Occult if empire is Spiritualist when this trait is gained. +2 Learning otherwise. +10 to Diplomacy checks involving Incubators. -10 to Diplomacy checks involving those that distrust them.
[] Disciplined - This Magical Girl has a firmer grasp over her emotions than most. Corruption point gains per turn by this hero are reduced by 1.
[] Multitasker - Can perform an extra personal action each turn.
[] Name: (Specify)
[] Age: (Must be between 8 and 17, inclusive.)
[] Hair color: (Specify)
[] Eye color: (Specify)
[] Wish: (Must be related to the AI's creation.)
-[] Power: (Must be related to the wish in some way.)
-[] Weapon: (Specify)
-[] Costume: (Brief descriptions only please. No essays.)
Base Stats: (Total sum must be 40. 8 is neutral.)
[] Martial:
[] Diplomacy:
[] Stewardship:
[] Intrigue:
[] Learning:
Pick two traits:
[] Veteran - This Magical Girl has been in her fair share of fights against the forces of despair. +1 Martial. +20 against Witches/Wraiths.
[] Darwinist - Survival of the fittest and maintaining territory are a prime concern of this Magical Girl's philosophy. +1 Martial. -10 to Diplomacy checks against factions possessing Egalitarian, Xenophile, or Pacifist ethics.
[] Paragon of Justice - Magical Girls are heroes of justice and should fight for all that is good! +20 to combat against "evil" targets. Gain -20 to Diplomacy against "evil" factions. Having this world view shattered can be dangerous.
[] Negotiator - This individual believes words are mightier than the sword. +10 to Diplomacy and Intrigue checks.
[] Determinator - This person will not stop until they achieve a goal and is prone to frustration after repeated failures. Roll again if an action they're working on fails. If the reroll fails, gain -5 to the relevant stat for the next turn.
[] Short Temper - This person gets riled up easily, for better or worse. +10 to combat rolls. -10 to Diplomacy rolls.
[] Bookworm - This person feels more at home in a library. +10 to Learning checks when on missions.
[] Church of Hope - Views the Law of Cycles with a religious reverence. Gain an Occult stat of 1, or +1 Occult if the stat is already present. +10 to Diplomacy checks against other Magical Girls with this trait, -10 to Diplomacy checks against Materialist factions.
[] Cult of Love - Worships somebody unspeakable. Gain an Occult stat of 1, or +1 Occult if the stat is already present. -10 to Diplomacy checks against other Magical Girls that lack this trait, but gain additional bonuses at high loyalty.
[] Cult of Order - Devoted to the Incubators. Almost religiously so. Gain +2 Occult if empire is Spiritualist when this trait is gained. +2 Learning otherwise. +10 to Diplomacy checks involving Incubators. -10 to Diplomacy checks involving those that distrust them.
[] Disciplined - This Magical Girl has a firmer grasp over her emotions than most. Corruption point gains per turn by this hero are reduced by 1.
[] Multitasker - Can perform an extra personal action each turn.
***
The approach to the Charon Device proceeds entirely without issues. As the ship settles moves into position, you send out a final communication to Earth. As soon as you receive a reply, you send out a signal towards the immense machine, activating it and allowing the Mitakihara to enter the odd "corridor" it creates for the very first time. Within moments you find yourself at the outer edge of a distant star system. Scanning the system, and pulling up data from previous unmanned expeditions, you quickly confirm that the star is Arcturus, approximately 36.66 light years away from Earth.
Prior to unmanned surveys, the structure of the Arcturus system was previously unknown to Humanity, however with the probes' data and the data provided by your scanners, you know that...
[] There are some potentially habitable worlds in this system. (Colony in Arcturus. Communication with Earth can be reestablished faster. Closer proximity to the Sol system gives you less initial autonomy but easy access to Sol's resources if needed.)
[] The system contains only Gas giants and uninhabitable rocks, but you know that there is a second Charon Device in this system that connects to another star that seems far more promising. (Colony in random star system. Communication with Earth takes longer to reestablish, but gives you more freedom from Earth bureaucracy.)
After running some final diagnostics, you set a course to your chosen planet for habitation...
[] A moon around one of the system's gas giants, which is rich in materials essential for ship construction, and possesses an atmosphere capable of supporting life. However, the bitterly cold temperatures may pose a problem to the colonists' health... (Ice world. -10% Approval. New ships cost one less turn to produce. Magical Girl and Wraith pops form at an increased rate due to miserable conditions.)
[] A lush, tropical world with extreme weather patterns and hyper-aggressive flora and fauna... Living here would be a challenge, but it's honestly the only choice you have... (Death world. -10% Approval. Armies and ships made from this planet's pops gain +20 in combat. Meguca and Wraith pops form at an increased rate due to conditions.)
[] There is an Earth-like planet capable of supporting life in the star's habitable zone. While conditions are good for colony development, there isn't really much to set it apart from the homeworld. (Continental world. Gain no bonuses, but gain no negative effects either.)
[] A warm planet with more than 90% of its surface covered in ocean, making living on it seem like being on an island resort. Though while it will make the colonists happy, there really isn't much space for expansion... (Ocean world. +10% Approval. Overall pop growth reduced due to limited space on the landmasses.)
[] An absolutely pristine world with a diverse range of climates and an abundance of natural resources. A perfect planet to settle. Almost too perfect to be honest... (Gaia world. +10% Approval. Planet has an Anomaly on it that will be discovered upon landing. Reduces the rate at which Meguca and Wraith pops form. Planet's resources make it a strategic target to other factions.)
Settling into orbit around the new world, you initiate the Mitakihara's landing procedures, keeping a diligent watch over all systems and correcting any errors you come across. On the bridge, your second in command also watches the descent with bated breath. This individual was selected from a list of candidates for their role, and their skills will provide invaluable support to you for the upcoming months. They are...
Select your starting hero. (Note that due to the time period and setting, it's likely that most potential heroes in this quest will either be randomly or semi-randomly generated characters. However, occasionally an existing individual canon to any of the crossed-over settings can show up if their existence can be justified. Additionally, potential heroes may also be pulled from omakes that get accepted into canon.)
[] Helena Dawson
A woman from America who majored in economics and foreign relations, making her adept in managing both internal and external affairs. However, a master manipulator she is not, and she will often fall short if asked to perform tasks of a more clandestine nature.
-Age: 30
-Gender: F
-Unmodified Base Stats:
>Martial: 5
>Diplomacy: 11
>Stewardship: 12
>Intrigue: 3
>Learning: 9
-Traits:
>Negotiator - This individual believes words are mightier than the sword. +10 to Diplomacy and Intrigue checks.
>Bookworm - This person feels more at home in a library. +10 to Learning checks when on missions.
[] Ivan Volkov
A man of Russian descent with a background in the military, as such he is well versed in the realm of tactics and resource logistics. Unfortunately, his definition of Diplomacy amounts to holding the other party at gunpoint, so you should probably keep him out of negotiations...
-Age: 46
-Gender: M
-Unmodified Base Stats:
>Martial: 12
>Diplomacy: 3
>Stewardship: 10
>Intrigue: 7
>Learning: 8
-Traits:
>Military Background - Service in the United Earth military has imparted this individual with valuable knowledge. Gain +2 Martial and a bonus +10 to combat rolls.
>Intimidating - Half of this hero's Martial is added to Diplomacy checks. Can potentially harm relations with the other party.
[] Ayano Chiba
A young woman from Japan with a peculiar looking ring on her finger. Seems to have a thorough and intellectual mindset that makes her ideal for scientific pursuits, though she is somewhat socially awkward.
-Age: 23
-Gender: F
-Unmodified Base Stats:
>Martial: 8
>Diplomacy: 4
>Stewardship: 5
>Intrigue: 10
>Learning: 13
-Traits:
>??? (A certain awareness is required to reveal this trait.)
>Meticulous - This individual is thorough with their methods. When assigned to a survey action, increase the chance of an anomaly being discovered by 10%.
A woman from America who majored in economics and foreign relations, making her adept in managing both internal and external affairs. However, a master manipulator she is not, and she will often fall short if asked to perform tasks of a more clandestine nature.
-Age: 30
-Gender: F
-Unmodified Base Stats:
>Martial: 5
>Diplomacy: 11
>Stewardship: 12
>Intrigue: 3
>Learning: 9
-Traits:
>Negotiator - This individual believes words are mightier than the sword. +10 to Diplomacy and Intrigue checks.
>Bookworm - This person feels more at home in a library. +10 to Learning checks when on missions.
[] Ivan Volkov
A man of Russian descent with a background in the military, as such he is well versed in the realm of tactics and resource logistics. Unfortunately, his definition of Diplomacy amounts to holding the other party at gunpoint, so you should probably keep him out of negotiations...
-Age: 46
-Gender: M
-Unmodified Base Stats:
>Martial: 12
>Diplomacy: 3
>Stewardship: 10
>Intrigue: 7
>Learning: 8
-Traits:
>Military Background - Service in the United Earth military has imparted this individual with valuable knowledge. Gain +2 Martial and a bonus +10 to combat rolls.
>Intimidating - Half of this hero's Martial is added to Diplomacy checks. Can potentially harm relations with the other party.
[] Ayano Chiba
A young woman from Japan with a peculiar looking ring on her finger. Seems to have a thorough and intellectual mindset that makes her ideal for scientific pursuits, though she is somewhat socially awkward.
-Age: 23
-Gender: F
-Unmodified Base Stats:
>Martial: 8
>Diplomacy: 4
>Stewardship: 5
>Intrigue: 10
>Learning: 13
-Traits:
>??? (A certain awareness is required to reveal this trait.)
>Meticulous - This individual is thorough with their methods. When assigned to a survey action, increase the chance of an anomaly being discovered by 10%.
As the colony ship touches down, the colonists within prepare to disembark, their hopes held high for the future success of this initiative. Many of these colonists share Earth's ethical mindset, but perhaps such a way of thinking might not be the most ideal moving forward.
After running some calculations, you decide that...
[] There is no need to deviate from Earth's Ethics. (Empire will start as Egalitarian and Xenophile.)
[] A change is necessary. (Choose two Ethics from the spoilered list.)
These are empire-wide modifiers that affect all heroes. Ethics within the same axis are mutually exclusive and cannot be chosen together. This initial choice costs you nothing, but should a change be desired it will cost Approval. Ethics can be changed once per game-year.
[] Political Axis
-[] Egalitarian - Everyone deserves equal rights and opportunities. (+1 Stewardship. +1 Diplomacy.)
-[] Authoritarian - Power should be held by the few. (+1 Stewardship. +1 Martial. )
[] Truth Axis
-[] Materialist - Everything has a logical scientific explanation. (+1 Intrigue. +1 Learning. +10% Approval to AI leaders. +10 to diplomatic actions against machine races.)
-[] Spiritualist - Some truths of the universe are the result of something more… (+1 Intrigue. All Non-AI heroes gain access to the Occult stat if not already present. It starts at 1. -10% Approval to AI leaders. +10 to military actions against machine races.)
[] Military Axis
-[] Militarist - The best defense is a good offense. - (+2 Martial. -1 Diplomacy)
-[] Pacifist - Fighting should only be done in self defense. (+2 Diplomacy. -1 Martial.)
[] Diplomatic Axis
-[] Xenophobe - The xeno scum cannot be trusted. (+2 Martial. +1 Intrigue. -1 Diplomacy. +10 to military actions against nonhuman empires.)
-[] Xenophile - Aliens are just friends we haven't met yet. (+2 Diplomacy. +1 Learning. -1 Martial. +10 to diplomatic actions against nonhuman empires.)
[] Political Axis
-[] Egalitarian - Everyone deserves equal rights and opportunities. (+1 Stewardship. +1 Diplomacy.)
-[] Authoritarian - Power should be held by the few. (+1 Stewardship. +1 Martial. )
[] Truth Axis
-[] Materialist - Everything has a logical scientific explanation. (+1 Intrigue. +1 Learning. +10% Approval to AI leaders. +10 to diplomatic actions against machine races.)
-[] Spiritualist - Some truths of the universe are the result of something more… (+1 Intrigue. All Non-AI heroes gain access to the Occult stat if not already present. It starts at 1. -10% Approval to AI leaders. +10 to military actions against machine races.)
[] Military Axis
-[] Militarist - The best defense is a good offense. - (+2 Martial. -1 Diplomacy)
-[] Pacifist - Fighting should only be done in self defense. (+2 Diplomacy. -1 Martial.)
[] Diplomatic Axis
-[] Xenophobe - The xeno scum cannot be trusted. (+2 Martial. +1 Intrigue. -1 Diplomacy. +10 to military actions against nonhuman empires.)
-[] Xenophile - Aliens are just friends we haven't met yet. (+2 Diplomacy. +1 Learning. -1 Martial. +10 to diplomatic actions against nonhuman empires.)
As power supplies are set up, and rudimentary shelters are constructed inside and around the Mitakihara, the next chapter in Humanity's history is set to begin. However, before this can happen, there is exactly one thing left to do....
Name your first colony.
[] (Write-in.)
Last edited:
Heart of Steel (Semi-canon)
Eternal_0bserver
(Unverified Bookworm)
- Location
- Earth, Northern Europe
It definitely took a lot more time and effort than I originally thought, and my illness is definitely not helping. Writing in a foreign language is quite difficult, so I will be grateful for your corrections.
===============
Heart of steel.
Mitakihara's spacious captain's office was submerged in the darkness. The only light sources in the room were the multitude of glowing blue holographic monitors hovering around the table, and a pair of dimly twinkling golden eyes, whose owner sat in the chair opposite. Her appearance gave a strange impression - the figure of a teenage girl with long light blue hair was dressed in a dark blue Admiralty uniform and a huge cloak that hid most of her body, and on her head was a cap with the symbol of the Alliance.
Her body was motionless, and her face did not express any emotions - the only thing that did not allow her to mistake her owner for a skillfully made doll was her intense, unblinking gaze, carefully watching the displays.
The silence in the room was suddenly broken by the noise of the intercom, and a soft female voice came from the speakers. "Ma'am, Dr Sakurada wants to talk to you."
The girl's expression did not change, but her gloved hand pressed a couple of buttons, after which the lamps on the ceiling began to come to life, illuminating the room with soft light. "Thank you. Let her come in. " The girl's voice in the chair was soft but firm.
The holographic panel on the door blinked green and the door opened to admit a rather young woman with bright red hair, wearing a lab coat over her rather ordinary clothes. Glancing around the office and noting the absence of any personal belongings, she sighed, then went to the table, and watched how the owner of the room turned off the intercom and, with a smooth movement of her hand, shifted all the screens so that they did not interfere with the conversation.
"Good evening Administrator Samael. It's nice to finally see you in person."
"Greetings, Dr. Sakurada. I have already received your report on the psychological state of the crew. Thank you for your hard work. Could you please tell us the purpose of your visit today, and why did you bother to come here in person? " Girl - Samael asked, her tone is flat.
"I would like to get an idea of the condition of each member of the crew, including you. Dr Sakurada said, looking closely into her interlocutor's eyes.
There was silence in the room for a few seconds. Finally, the girl bowed her head a little. "You know that your worry is completely pointless, right? After all, I am AI. " The girl replied, surprise in her tone. Didn't the doctor know about this? In the end, her appointment caused a public outcry. Many people criticized the leadership of the Alliance for this step, and among them were quite high-ranking people. Each of the project participants had to sign a paper that they agree is under the command of the AI, albeit one that is recognized as a real person.
The red-haired woman looked bewildered for a second before her features twisted into anger. After a couple of seconds, the woman closed her eyes and took a deep breath, after which her face returned to a neutral expression, although the embers of anger smouldered in her eyes. "Yes, I've heard this opinion. However, my job is to keep track of the health of each crew member, and their roster includes you. "
"Then you don't have to worry, there are no abnormalities in my condition." Samael's gaze increased slightly.
"Oh, I can see it." The woman said, glancing around the girl's outfit, sarcasm in her voice.
Sometimes Samael was almost jealous of conventional AI, which only remotely understood all these social interactions.
"My body, although outwardly very similar to a human, is completely different. I can't breathe, I don't feel the discomfort of being motionless, my facial expressions are limited, and my body is simply not able to move in the same way as a human. All this causes discomfort to the interlocutor, so the researchers recommended that I wear clothes that hide almost all of my body, except for my face. In addition, my appearance seems to some people inappropriate for my position, and formal attire helps to smooth out that impression. " For the same reason, her boots had a platform, and the captain's chair was noticeably larger and higher than the chair opposite.
Dr Sakurada still looked unimpressed. "As far as I know, you hardly ever communicate with your subordinates personally. And yet you constantly wear these clothes in a room where there is almost always no one but you? "
"You came to me. In addition, I am not harmed by low or high temperatures, except in extreme ones. I also have no tactile sensations, so wearing this uniform does not give me any inconvenience. "
In addition, a tiny echo, similar to the shadow of thought from a past life, the existence of which Samael would not admit to anyone, said that this form looked incredibly cool on her.
For a moment, the doctor looked like she wanted to continue arguing, but after another long sigh, she decided to change the subject. Her gaze lingered on the holographic displays showing a wide variety of data. "As far as I know, there are still ten days before departure, and the first colonists with their families have not yet arrived. Does it make any sense for you to study all this data? "
"I am investigating possible deviations in the ship's systems in passive mode. So far, the analysis programs have not found anything, but there is always a chance that they have missed something. The human observer is very valuable, but the constant comparison of so much data in real-time for one person is difficult, and even a large team of scientists will quickly tire of it. Therefore, I took this task upon myself. Besides, I don't need to take breaks, because I don't need food and sleep. "
There are many benefits to being a machine. Samael's eyes shouldn't see the entire space at once, without needing focus, her multitasking was excellent because she could continue to analyze the data even during such a conversation. Although she regretted a little that her architecture did not imply communication with other devices, forcing her to interact with them like an ordinary person.
"In other words, are you taking on a job that is too hard, boring and repetitive for everyone else? You know that an android with a true personality does not need to work harder than an average person? " said the doctor, a strange look on her face. Something like ... frustration and guilt? She stared into the android's eyes without blinking, but in the end, was forced to admit that she could not win this competition.
The uncomfortable silence stretched out for several minutes, but in the end, it was the girl in the captain's chair who opened her mouth first. "Mitakihara is a large and completely unique project, created to achieve possibly the most ambitious goal that humanity has tried to achieve during its entire existence. This ship is unique and unmatched. " And indeed it is. Everything from the intricate design of the ship to its advanced performance that surpassed even the wildest expectations of its creators seemed to be something unreal. Some of the more impressionable participants in the project claimed that a miracle was involved in its creation. Well, Samael knew enough about the world to consider this explanation quite plausible.
"The bizarre starship isn't even the strangest wish of the year."
"However, this ship also has a fundamental flaw. One person is simply not able to command him properly at this moment. There are too many to remember, too many variables to take into account, too many unknowns, too great risks. That is why I was chosen for this position. " Samael spoke, and although her expression and tone had barely changed, her interlocutor felt a strange pressure from the android's gaze. "That is why the researchers insisted on my candidacy as the leader of this mission. I can work continuously and efficiently, and I can ignore trivial things like boredom and stress. So, Doctor, while I appreciate your attention, there was no need for your concern from the beginning. The android's last words exuded confidence.
For several minutes, both interlocutors were silent. The receptionist girl continued to contemplate the room with an impassive gaze. At the same time, the doctor looked down at her fists, which were clenched so tightly during this speech that her knuckles turned white.
"And that's why you hide in this tall tower, cutting yourself off from all normal communication behind voice messages and reports, plunging into useless work?" the doctor said quietly, looking down. Samael was about to protest this outrageous misinterpretation, but her interlocutor raised her hand in the air, stopping the denial. "Very good. I understand. You are the only one who can handle this mission. And I'm willing to admit that Samael is as resilient to stress as she claims ... "The doctor looked up, a strange mixture of regret and determination in her eyes. "... But what about Shinoshita Kōri?"
It finally got a reaction from the android. Her confidence vanished instantly, and her expression was somehow even more dispassionate than it had been at the beginning of the conversation. "What about her?"
"How does your ward feel about not returning home all day? As far as I can tell from your files, you… " She swallowed, looking as if she genuinely rejected even the idea of what she was about to say. "As far as I know, you were created as Shinoshita Kōri's guardian ... And as a replacement for her terminally ill sister. Created as an imitation. " The woman spoke, disgust and anger mingled in her voice.
Samael stared back at her, her expression as blank as a statue. The oppressive silence lasted for several minutes. Finally, the red-haired woman closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she reopened them ten seconds later, she looked much calmer. The strange mixture of anger, disgust, and guilt was still there, but it didn't burn so brightly.
"I apologize for this outbreak, but you probably understand very well yourself that you cannot just run away from it. So if you need help ... please ask me. Or any other person you can trust. No one should fight this alone. " As she spoke, the doctor spoke more and more quietly, and the last sentence was uttered so softly that even the blue-haired android's excellent hearing barely caught her.
Samael continued to gaze dispassionately at the woman who had completely moved away from her outburst, and gradually turned red with shame. She got up from the chair, and, after saying a few unintelligible words of apology, quickly walked towards the door. Having entered the code and standing near the already open door, the doctor finally glanced at the android girl, and, bowing her head in apology, quickly left the office.
As the front door closed after the woman, the perfect mask of indifference cracked, replaced by expressions of regret and bitterness. These emotions seemed so muted that they were only noticeable in contrast to her previous expressions, but they were.
"Just ask, huh?" The girl muttered in a muffled voice. Slowly, her hand darted into the depths of her oversized raincoat and pulled out an old-fashioned phone in a bright orange case with a sunflower keychain. The screen lit up, showing an image of two small children with light blue hair against a backdrop of dark clouds. The youngest girl, who looked about five years old, shyly hid from the camera, snuggling up to her older seven-year-old sister, while the latter smiled broadly, covering her golden eyes.
-----
"Big sister..."
"Don't worry, Kōri, it's just a thunderstorm. See, I'm smiling, which means it's okay, right? Don't worry, I won't let the bad weather hurt you. Big sister will always watch over you, okay?"
"Y-yes!"
----------
You didn't keep that promise.
Samael carefully turned off the phone and tucked it back into her pocket. As she did so, she tried again to fully focus on analyzing the data but found that her thoughts kept returning to her conversation with the doctor. The android had to admit that in a past life she had already had to confront a similar person. Her English teacher, who paradoxically managed to maintain her idealistic ideals while not ignoring the suffering of others.
----------
"Shinoshita, we need to talk."
"What is it about, teacher? "
"I understand that you had a hard time after the death of your parents, and your uncle is probably very busy in the laboratory and does not pay as much attention to you and your sister as he should. However, you should not avoid other children because of this."
" I must look after my sister. And I still help my classmates - I just don't have free time to hang out with them."
"You understand that with such a distant attitude it will be very difficult for you to make friends, right? And that's not all, is it? Your physical education grades have dropped dramatically. If you and your sister need help, you know you can ask me or one of the teachers."
"I understand. Don't worry, teacher, it's just fatigue. "
----------
"... Are you in trouble, older sister?"
"A? What are you talking about? Do those who have problems smile? I'm fine, Kōri. I'll take care of you. "
"... If the older sister says so."
-----------
What hypocrisy. Eventually, even caring for yourself became impossible for you.
The android memory is perfect. This means that memories will always be kept in perfect condition and can be restored to the smallest detail at any time. But even this kind of memory has a drawback. You can restore events dear to your heart and revive past emotions in your heart - however, only if you are still able to truly experience them. If they are not able, they resemble a painting devoid of all colours.
It's interesting how it feels different for the senses. In her memories, she can still feel the taste of homemade food, the smell of wildflowers, the feeling of the summer breeze ... And the feeling of thebrutal pain that accompanied almost all the memories of the past few years.
----------
" …Older sister."
"Heh, I've shown myself to be pretty awkward. Losing consciousness in the middle of your birthday ..."
" …Older sister."
" Don't worry about me. I already feel better, see? As long as you're doing well, I'm happy, you know? Do not worry about me. Come here, I'll help you with your homework."
"...If sister says so.'
----------
Lie. Fading in agony, the girl simply clung desperately to the last ray of light in the hopeless darkness of her own life.
"I don't think so. Fearlessness and courage are not the same, after all. And isn't a girl who was terribly afraid of death, but continued to smile to keep the smile of another person, not the most courageous one?"
The cloaked girl clasped her hands restlessly in front of her. In her imagination, this gesture should have made her feel a little better, but in reality, the android did not notice much of a difference.
The most unpleasant thing about these memories was no pain at all - after all, her past was familiar to it. No, the worst part was powerlessness. Memories of how plans for the future turned into pipe dreams, how the huge world gradually became smaller, in the end, reduced to a hospital ward, and how even she became "smaller" every day. You didn't keep your promise!
----------
"Why should everything important to me disappear? Father, mother, uncle ... And even an older sister. You promised me to always be with me!"
"I know. Please forgive your useless older sister if you can. You grew up to be such a beautiful and strong girl. Surely, you can live a dignified and happy life even without me..."
"I don't want such a life! All I want is big sister will never leave me!"
-----------
Was she able to satisfy even this desire? Samael herself could not answer this question. She kept all the memories of the sick girl, from the beginning of her life to the end, every memory. She could remember what she was thinking every single time, but due to her almost complete insensitivity, she could hardly understand why. Is she the same girl in the hospital room who got the chance to live life in a new body? Or is she just an imitation of her, a soulless robot that has received human memories?
Oh, she was certainly recognized as a person. Taking the name "Samael", proposed by one of Kōri's new acquaintances, the android pretended to be one of the inventions of their uncle, a man, a famous scientist in the field of artificial intelligence. And while only a handful of AIs has been able to pass the "personality" test so far, with its human memories it was pretty easy. But would she have coped with this test if not for her memories?
In the end, for Samael herself, it was not so important. The android girl lived according to what she considered reasonableand the moral principles that formed the basis of her old self. And the android decided that it would fulfil the promise given to the eldest of the Shinoshita sisters a long time ago. And when the Admiralty promised her help in the custody of the girl, she agreed to take this position without hesitation.
As for Kōri herself ... It was too difficult a question. Of course, the younger girl accepted her and called her older sister, but was she right? The android itself felt something for her, but what was that feeling? Respect for the creator? Gratitude for the kindness shown? Or did her sister's love resonate even in her cold metal heart? Will Samael one day call Kōri her little sister and smile at her without fear of giving her false hope? ... Probably one day they will find answers to these questions, one way or another.
"As long as you both keep trying, your feelings and thoughts will surely reach the other side one day. I will watch you."
===============
I ended up having to add the character of Dr Sakurada for this scene to work. This scene went through four rewrites and I'm still not happy with the result, especially at the end. Well, the best enemy of the good, I suppose? I interpret the words of the author of the plan, trying to understand how the main character could have come to this point. Her backstory turned out to be more tragic than I initially thought, but, I think, it is life?
It was a little difficult to make the main one at the same time more or less neutral at the start for comfortable participation in the quest, but at the same time corresponding to her biography. I hope I have coped with this task.
In terms of appearance, I was inspired by Fumika from Shigofumi: Letters from the Departed, she is a similar stoic type.
The part about the ship was a reference to the city of Mikakihara, where some parts of it look so strange as if they arose under the influence of a magical girl's wish.
===============
Heart of steel.
Mitakihara's spacious captain's office was submerged in the darkness. The only light sources in the room were the multitude of glowing blue holographic monitors hovering around the table, and a pair of dimly twinkling golden eyes, whose owner sat in the chair opposite. Her appearance gave a strange impression - the figure of a teenage girl with long light blue hair was dressed in a dark blue Admiralty uniform and a huge cloak that hid most of her body, and on her head was a cap with the symbol of the Alliance.
Her body was motionless, and her face did not express any emotions - the only thing that did not allow her to mistake her owner for a skillfully made doll was her intense, unblinking gaze, carefully watching the displays.
The silence in the room was suddenly broken by the noise of the intercom, and a soft female voice came from the speakers. "Ma'am, Dr Sakurada wants to talk to you."
The girl's expression did not change, but her gloved hand pressed a couple of buttons, after which the lamps on the ceiling began to come to life, illuminating the room with soft light. "Thank you. Let her come in. " The girl's voice in the chair was soft but firm.
The holographic panel on the door blinked green and the door opened to admit a rather young woman with bright red hair, wearing a lab coat over her rather ordinary clothes. Glancing around the office and noting the absence of any personal belongings, she sighed, then went to the table, and watched how the owner of the room turned off the intercom and, with a smooth movement of her hand, shifted all the screens so that they did not interfere with the conversation.
"Good evening Administrator Samael. It's nice to finally see you in person."
"Greetings, Dr. Sakurada. I have already received your report on the psychological state of the crew. Thank you for your hard work. Could you please tell us the purpose of your visit today, and why did you bother to come here in person? " Girl - Samael asked, her tone is flat.
"I would like to get an idea of the condition of each member of the crew, including you. Dr Sakurada said, looking closely into her interlocutor's eyes.
There was silence in the room for a few seconds. Finally, the girl bowed her head a little. "You know that your worry is completely pointless, right? After all, I am AI. " The girl replied, surprise in her tone. Didn't the doctor know about this? In the end, her appointment caused a public outcry. Many people criticized the leadership of the Alliance for this step, and among them were quite high-ranking people. Each of the project participants had to sign a paper that they agree is under the command of the AI, albeit one that is recognized as a real person.
The red-haired woman looked bewildered for a second before her features twisted into anger. After a couple of seconds, the woman closed her eyes and took a deep breath, after which her face returned to a neutral expression, although the embers of anger smouldered in her eyes. "Yes, I've heard this opinion. However, my job is to keep track of the health of each crew member, and their roster includes you. "
"Then you don't have to worry, there are no abnormalities in my condition." Samael's gaze increased slightly.
"Oh, I can see it." The woman said, glancing around the girl's outfit, sarcasm in her voice.
Sometimes Samael was almost jealous of conventional AI, which only remotely understood all these social interactions.
"My body, although outwardly very similar to a human, is completely different. I can't breathe, I don't feel the discomfort of being motionless, my facial expressions are limited, and my body is simply not able to move in the same way as a human. All this causes discomfort to the interlocutor, so the researchers recommended that I wear clothes that hide almost all of my body, except for my face. In addition, my appearance seems to some people inappropriate for my position, and formal attire helps to smooth out that impression. " For the same reason, her boots had a platform, and the captain's chair was noticeably larger and higher than the chair opposite.
Dr Sakurada still looked unimpressed. "As far as I know, you hardly ever communicate with your subordinates personally. And yet you constantly wear these clothes in a room where there is almost always no one but you? "
"You came to me. In addition, I am not harmed by low or high temperatures, except in extreme ones. I also have no tactile sensations, so wearing this uniform does not give me any inconvenience. "
In addition, a tiny echo, similar to the shadow of thought from a past life, the existence of which Samael would not admit to anyone, said that this form looked incredibly cool on her.
For a moment, the doctor looked like she wanted to continue arguing, but after another long sigh, she decided to change the subject. Her gaze lingered on the holographic displays showing a wide variety of data. "As far as I know, there are still ten days before departure, and the first colonists with their families have not yet arrived. Does it make any sense for you to study all this data? "
"I am investigating possible deviations in the ship's systems in passive mode. So far, the analysis programs have not found anything, but there is always a chance that they have missed something. The human observer is very valuable, but the constant comparison of so much data in real-time for one person is difficult, and even a large team of scientists will quickly tire of it. Therefore, I took this task upon myself. Besides, I don't need to take breaks, because I don't need food and sleep. "
There are many benefits to being a machine. Samael's eyes shouldn't see the entire space at once, without needing focus, her multitasking was excellent because she could continue to analyze the data even during such a conversation. Although she regretted a little that her architecture did not imply communication with other devices, forcing her to interact with them like an ordinary person.
"In other words, are you taking on a job that is too hard, boring and repetitive for everyone else? You know that an android with a true personality does not need to work harder than an average person? " said the doctor, a strange look on her face. Something like ... frustration and guilt? She stared into the android's eyes without blinking, but in the end, was forced to admit that she could not win this competition.
The uncomfortable silence stretched out for several minutes, but in the end, it was the girl in the captain's chair who opened her mouth first. "Mitakihara is a large and completely unique project, created to achieve possibly the most ambitious goal that humanity has tried to achieve during its entire existence. This ship is unique and unmatched. " And indeed it is. Everything from the intricate design of the ship to its advanced performance that surpassed even the wildest expectations of its creators seemed to be something unreal. Some of the more impressionable participants in the project claimed that a miracle was involved in its creation. Well, Samael knew enough about the world to consider this explanation quite plausible.
"The bizarre starship isn't even the strangest wish of the year."
"However, this ship also has a fundamental flaw. One person is simply not able to command him properly at this moment. There are too many to remember, too many variables to take into account, too many unknowns, too great risks. That is why I was chosen for this position. " Samael spoke, and although her expression and tone had barely changed, her interlocutor felt a strange pressure from the android's gaze. "That is why the researchers insisted on my candidacy as the leader of this mission. I can work continuously and efficiently, and I can ignore trivial things like boredom and stress. So, Doctor, while I appreciate your attention, there was no need for your concern from the beginning. The android's last words exuded confidence.
For several minutes, both interlocutors were silent. The receptionist girl continued to contemplate the room with an impassive gaze. At the same time, the doctor looked down at her fists, which were clenched so tightly during this speech that her knuckles turned white.
"And that's why you hide in this tall tower, cutting yourself off from all normal communication behind voice messages and reports, plunging into useless work?" the doctor said quietly, looking down. Samael was about to protest this outrageous misinterpretation, but her interlocutor raised her hand in the air, stopping the denial. "Very good. I understand. You are the only one who can handle this mission. And I'm willing to admit that Samael is as resilient to stress as she claims ... "The doctor looked up, a strange mixture of regret and determination in her eyes. "... But what about Shinoshita Kōri?"
It finally got a reaction from the android. Her confidence vanished instantly, and her expression was somehow even more dispassionate than it had been at the beginning of the conversation. "What about her?"
"How does your ward feel about not returning home all day? As far as I can tell from your files, you… " She swallowed, looking as if she genuinely rejected even the idea of what she was about to say. "As far as I know, you were created as Shinoshita Kōri's guardian ... And as a replacement for her terminally ill sister. Created as an imitation. " The woman spoke, disgust and anger mingled in her voice.
Samael stared back at her, her expression as blank as a statue. The oppressive silence lasted for several minutes. Finally, the red-haired woman closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she reopened them ten seconds later, she looked much calmer. The strange mixture of anger, disgust, and guilt was still there, but it didn't burn so brightly.
"I apologize for this outbreak, but you probably understand very well yourself that you cannot just run away from it. So if you need help ... please ask me. Or any other person you can trust. No one should fight this alone. " As she spoke, the doctor spoke more and more quietly, and the last sentence was uttered so softly that even the blue-haired android's excellent hearing barely caught her.
Samael continued to gaze dispassionately at the woman who had completely moved away from her outburst, and gradually turned red with shame. She got up from the chair, and, after saying a few unintelligible words of apology, quickly walked towards the door. Having entered the code and standing near the already open door, the doctor finally glanced at the android girl, and, bowing her head in apology, quickly left the office.
As the front door closed after the woman, the perfect mask of indifference cracked, replaced by expressions of regret and bitterness. These emotions seemed so muted that they were only noticeable in contrast to her previous expressions, but they were.
"Just ask, huh?" The girl muttered in a muffled voice. Slowly, her hand darted into the depths of her oversized raincoat and pulled out an old-fashioned phone in a bright orange case with a sunflower keychain. The screen lit up, showing an image of two small children with light blue hair against a backdrop of dark clouds. The youngest girl, who looked about five years old, shyly hid from the camera, snuggling up to her older seven-year-old sister, while the latter smiled broadly, covering her golden eyes.
-----
"Big sister..."
"Don't worry, Kōri, it's just a thunderstorm. See, I'm smiling, which means it's okay, right? Don't worry, I won't let the bad weather hurt you. Big sister will always watch over you, okay?"
"Y-yes!"
----------
You didn't keep that promise.
Samael carefully turned off the phone and tucked it back into her pocket. As she did so, she tried again to fully focus on analyzing the data but found that her thoughts kept returning to her conversation with the doctor. The android had to admit that in a past life she had already had to confront a similar person. Her English teacher, who paradoxically managed to maintain her idealistic ideals while not ignoring the suffering of others.
----------
"Shinoshita, we need to talk."
"What is it about, teacher? "
"I understand that you had a hard time after the death of your parents, and your uncle is probably very busy in the laboratory and does not pay as much attention to you and your sister as he should. However, you should not avoid other children because of this."
" I must look after my sister. And I still help my classmates - I just don't have free time to hang out with them."
"You understand that with such a distant attitude it will be very difficult for you to make friends, right? And that's not all, is it? Your physical education grades have dropped dramatically. If you and your sister need help, you know you can ask me or one of the teachers."
"I understand. Don't worry, teacher, it's just fatigue. "
----------
"... Are you in trouble, older sister?"
"A? What are you talking about? Do those who have problems smile? I'm fine, Kōri. I'll take care of you. "
"... If the older sister says so."
-----------
What hypocrisy. Eventually, even caring for yourself became impossible for you.
The android memory is perfect. This means that memories will always be kept in perfect condition and can be restored to the smallest detail at any time. But even this kind of memory has a drawback. You can restore events dear to your heart and revive past emotions in your heart - however, only if you are still able to truly experience them. If they are not able, they resemble a painting devoid of all colours.
It's interesting how it feels different for the senses. In her memories, she can still feel the taste of homemade food, the smell of wildflowers, the feeling of the summer breeze ... And the feeling of the
----------
" …Older sister."
"Heh, I've shown myself to be pretty awkward. Losing consciousness in the middle of your birthday ..."
" …Older sister."
" Don't worry about me. I already feel better, see? As long as you're doing well, I'm happy, you know? Do not worry about me. Come here, I'll help you with your homework."
"...If sister says so.'
----------
Lie. Fading in
"I don't think so. Fearlessness and courage are not the same, after all. And isn't a girl who was terribly afraid of death, but continued to smile to keep the smile of another person, not the most courageous one?"
The cloaked girl clasped her hands restlessly in front of her. In her imagination, this gesture should have made her feel a little better, but in reality, the android did not notice much of a difference.
The most unpleasant thing about these memories was no pain at all - after all, her past was familiar to it. No, the worst part was powerlessness. Memories of how plans for the future turned into pipe dreams, how the huge world gradually became smaller, in the end, reduced to a hospital ward, and how even she became "smaller" every day.
----------
"Why should everything important to me disappear? Father, mother, uncle ... And even an older sister. You promised me to always be with me!"
"I know. Please forgive your useless older sister if you can. You grew up to be such a beautiful and strong girl. Surely, you can live a dignified and happy life even without me..."
"I don't want such a life! All I want is big sister will never leave me!"
-----------
Was she able to satisfy even this desire? Samael herself could not answer this question. She kept all the memories of the sick girl, from the beginning of her life to the end, every memory. She could remember what she was thinking every single time, but due to her almost complete insensitivity, she could hardly understand why. Is she the same girl in the hospital room who got the chance to live life in a new body? Or is she just an imitation of her, a soulless robot that has received human memories?
Oh, she was certainly recognized as a person. Taking the name "Samael", proposed by one of Kōri's new acquaintances, the android pretended to be one of the inventions of their uncle, a man, a famous scientist in the field of artificial intelligence. And while only a handful of AIs has been able to pass the "personality" test so far, with its human memories it was pretty easy. But would she have coped with this test if not for her memories?
In the end, for Samael herself, it was not so important. The android girl lived according to what she considered reasonable
As for Kōri herself ... It was too difficult a question. Of course, the younger girl accepted her and called her older sister, but was she right? The android itself felt something for her, but what was that feeling? Respect for the creator? Gratitude for the kindness shown? Or did her sister's love resonate even in her cold metal heart? Will Samael one day call Kōri her little sister and smile at her without fear of giving her false hope? ... Probably one day they will find answers to these questions, one way or another.
"As long as you both keep trying, your feelings and thoughts will surely reach the other side one day. I will watch you."
===============
I ended up having to add the character of Dr Sakurada for this scene to work. This scene went through four rewrites and I'm still not happy with the result, especially at the end. Well, the best enemy of the good, I suppose? I interpret the words of the author of the plan, trying to understand how the main character could have come to this point. Her backstory turned out to be more tragic than I initially thought, but, I think, it is life?
It was a little difficult to make the main one at the same time more or less neutral at the start for comfortable participation in the quest, but at the same time corresponding to her biography. I hope I have coped with this task.
In terms of appearance, I was inspired by Fumika from Shigofumi: Letters from the Departed, she is a similar stoic type.
The part about the ship was a reference to the city of Mikakihara, where some parts of it look so strange as if they arose under the influence of a magical girl's wish.
Last edited:
Year 1 - Month 1 - Start
- Location
- Yes
//Okay so I couldn't do it before December started, but at least it's only a couple days late. Also threadmarked Eternal's omake.
[X] Plan Love Hurts
--------------------
You are Samael, AI captain of the UES Mitakihara and acting colony leader until its society stabilizes enough to hold a formal election.
You are the legal guardian of Shinoshita Kōri, a 14 year old girl of Japanese descent, and your "sister." The nature of this relation is a bit complicated, but to make a long explanation short, your neural patterns were created from that of Kōri's biological sibling. Despite possessing all of her memories, whether or not you are actually the same girl as the one that was uploaded or merely a copy is a question that you find irrelevant to your current task and is something that you would rather dwell on later.
To add another layer of complexity to your relationship with Kōri, she is also technically your creator. While officially, you are the creation of your "uncle", a well-known and brilliant scientist in the field of robotics, the breakthrough that lead to your past life's upload was a direct result of Kōri's hopes and desires.
This is because Kōri is what is known as a "Magical Girl". An individual capable of weaponizing her emotions in the form of "Magic." Though you know that this so-called magic is in fact the result of sufficiently advanced technology developed by an enigmatic extraterrestrial species known as the "Incubators." A Magical Girl is formed through a contract made with an individual of the Incubator species, with their purpose being to fight entities of despair known as "Wraiths", which are responsible for a significant amount of unexplained deaths per year.
These contracts are formed through a simple wish, which the Incubator subsequently grants according to some process you have yet to fully analyze. In Kōri's case, her wish to not want her sister to leave directly resulted in a unique breakthrough in your "uncle's" research.
As the Mitakihara begins its final descent towards your chosen colony site: A pristine world that seems almost perfect for habitation, you direct your android body to glance at your "sister", who is currently watching the approach and allowing herself a small smile. Off to the side is Ivan Volkov, a russian man that some may find intimidating, whose military background would prove invaluable to colony security in the coming months. Currently, though, he seems to be eyeing your ward with a frown, no doubt still internally fuming about an earlier argument where he stated "Little girl should not be on bridge."
Locking eyes with your android for a moment, he simply turns to watch the landing with a small huff as you work diligently behind the scenes to assure that all systems are functioning properly. As this occurs you passively note the presence of Kyubey -- the resident Incubator -- on one of the forward consoles, silently swinging his tail as he also observes this historic moment. You make no effort to communicate with him, as it is unneccessary, and his selective imperceptibility to those Unaware would make you appear defective if you attempted to do so.
As you finish your diagnostics, you return your attention to the descent. It won't be long now...
Anomaly Detected
>As you approach the surface, you begin to make out several dense clusters of what appears to be biomass dotting the destination continent. Fortunately, the landing site is clear of them, so you have no reason to abort the approach. However, these clusters may warrant investigation later...
>??? modifier added to planet. (Effect - ???)
As the Mitakihara touches down and you make the final checks, you give the colonists the signal to disembark. Tents and temporary shelters are erected in and around the colony ship as people begin to marvel at the surroundings. Some of the scientists begin eagerly collecting samples of the planet's extraterrestrial flora and fauna. Overall, the pristine beauty of the planet seems to have had a positive effect on the general opinion of you, with security devices detecting several conversations saying, to varying degrees, that perhaps the "AI isn't that bad."
You also feel that the favorable conditions may have an effect on Mitakihara's resident Wraith population as well. Your calculations would suggest that the less likely people are to despair, the less active the Wraiths will become. After running a quick calculation of the sustainability of a less active Wraith population, you conclude that there is currently no threat to Kōri's well-being due to a shortage of Grief Cubes. You also predict a similar reduction in Magical Girl contract rates.
As things begin to settle you soon call a meeting with essential personnel on the bridge to discuss further steps in the estabishment of the colony, now bearing the name of "Elysium". Kōri is removed from the bridge at this time at Mr. Volkov's insistence, though you maintain a remote connection to her mobile device to keep her in the loop. Especially if you have tasks that only she would be able to accomplish.
Colony Actions:
(Choose 1 from each category)
Anomalies, Quests, and Missions:
Anomaly: Biomass Clusters
>While landing, you detected several clusters of biomass spread out all across the continent. Perhaps this warrants investigation?
[] Dispatch a science team to examine the nearest cluster. Perhaps they're nothing of concern. (Learning)
[] Dispatch a task force to destroy the nearest cluster. You cannot take any chances that they are hostile. (Martial)
[] Leave them alone.
>If dispatching:
[] Assign one or more heroes to accompany them? (Uses up one of the personal actions for each hero attending. Samael CAN go on this mission. Kōri must be accompanied by someone else if going due to Magical Girls not being public knowledge.)
[] Leave them to their own devices.
Personal Actions:
[X] Plan Love Hurts
-[X] Samael
-[X] Female patterns.
-[X] Martial: 6
-[X] Diplomacy: 8
-[X] Stewardship: 9
-[X] Intrigue: 7
-[X] Learning:10
-[x] Multitasker - Perform an extra personal action each turn.
-[x] Product of Hope - A magical girl's wish was at least partially responsible for this system's existence. (Gain a Magical Girl as an additional starting hero unit that starts with +25 Loyalty. Grants awareness of the Magical Girl System.)
—[X] Create manually.
—-[X] Name: Shinoshita Kōri
—-[X] Age: 14
—-[X] Hair color: Pale blue
—-[X] Eye color: Pale violet
—-[X] Wish: I wish big sis will never leave me
——[X] Power: Cryokinesis, escalating into a roaring blizzard the longer she tries to stay engaged.
——[X] Weapon: Naginata
——[X] Costume: A kimono, in white and grey, very conservative and covering.
—-[X] Martial: 11
—-[X] Diplomacy: 7
—-[X] Stewardship: 4
—-[X] Intrigue: 12
—-[X] Learning: 6
—[X] Cult of Love - Worships somebody unspeakable. Gain an Occult stat of 1, or +1 Occult if the stat is already present. -10 to Diplomacy checks against other Magical Girls that lack this trait, but gain additional bonuses at high loyalty.
— [X] Disciplined - This Magical Girl has a firmer grasp over her emotions than most. Corruption point gains per turn by this hero are reduced by 1.
-[x] The system contains only Gas giants and uninhabitable rocks, but you know that there is a second Charon Device in this system that connects to another star that seems far more promising. (Colony in random star system. Communication with Earth takes longer to reestablish, but gives you more freedom from Earth bureaucracy.)
-[X] An absolutely pristine world with a diverse range of climates and an abundance of natural resources. A perfect planet to settle. Almost too perfect to be honest... (Gaia world. +10% Approval. Planet has an Anomaly on it that will be discovered upon landing. Reduces the rate at which Meguca and Wraith pops form. Planet's resources make it a strategic target to other factions.)
-[x] Ivan Volkov
-[x] There is no need to deviate from Earth's Ethics. (Empire will start as Egalitarian and Xenophile.)
-[X] Elysium
-[X] Female patterns.
-[X] Martial: 6
-[X] Diplomacy: 8
-[X] Stewardship: 9
-[X] Intrigue: 7
-[X] Learning:10
-[x] Multitasker - Perform an extra personal action each turn.
-[x] Product of Hope - A magical girl's wish was at least partially responsible for this system's existence. (Gain a Magical Girl as an additional starting hero unit that starts with +25 Loyalty. Grants awareness of the Magical Girl System.)
—[X] Create manually.
—-[X] Name: Shinoshita Kōri
—-[X] Age: 14
—-[X] Hair color: Pale blue
—-[X] Eye color: Pale violet
—-[X] Wish: I wish big sis will never leave me
——[X] Power: Cryokinesis, escalating into a roaring blizzard the longer she tries to stay engaged.
——[X] Weapon: Naginata
——[X] Costume: A kimono, in white and grey, very conservative and covering.
—-[X] Martial: 11
—-[X] Diplomacy: 7
—-[X] Stewardship: 4
—-[X] Intrigue: 12
—-[X] Learning: 6
—[X] Cult of Love - Worships somebody unspeakable. Gain an Occult stat of 1, or +1 Occult if the stat is already present. -10 to Diplomacy checks against other Magical Girls that lack this trait, but gain additional bonuses at high loyalty.
— [X] Disciplined - This Magical Girl has a firmer grasp over her emotions than most. Corruption point gains per turn by this hero are reduced by 1.
-[x] The system contains only Gas giants and uninhabitable rocks, but you know that there is a second Charon Device in this system that connects to another star that seems far more promising. (Colony in random star system. Communication with Earth takes longer to reestablish, but gives you more freedom from Earth bureaucracy.)
-[X] An absolutely pristine world with a diverse range of climates and an abundance of natural resources. A perfect planet to settle. Almost too perfect to be honest... (Gaia world. +10% Approval. Planet has an Anomaly on it that will be discovered upon landing. Reduces the rate at which Meguca and Wraith pops form. Planet's resources make it a strategic target to other factions.)
-[x] Ivan Volkov
-[x] There is no need to deviate from Earth's Ethics. (Empire will start as Egalitarian and Xenophile.)
-[X] Elysium
You are Samael, AI captain of the UES Mitakihara and acting colony leader until its society stabilizes enough to hold a formal election.
You are the legal guardian of Shinoshita Kōri, a 14 year old girl of Japanese descent, and your "sister." The nature of this relation is a bit complicated, but to make a long explanation short, your neural patterns were created from that of Kōri's biological sibling. Despite possessing all of her memories, whether or not you are actually the same girl as the one that was uploaded or merely a copy is a question that you find irrelevant to your current task and is something that you would rather dwell on later.
To add another layer of complexity to your relationship with Kōri, she is also technically your creator. While officially, you are the creation of your "uncle", a well-known and brilliant scientist in the field of robotics, the breakthrough that lead to your past life's upload was a direct result of Kōri's hopes and desires.
This is because Kōri is what is known as a "Magical Girl". An individual capable of weaponizing her emotions in the form of "Magic." Though you know that this so-called magic is in fact the result of sufficiently advanced technology developed by an enigmatic extraterrestrial species known as the "Incubators." A Magical Girl is formed through a contract made with an individual of the Incubator species, with their purpose being to fight entities of despair known as "Wraiths", which are responsible for a significant amount of unexplained deaths per year.
These contracts are formed through a simple wish, which the Incubator subsequently grants according to some process you have yet to fully analyze. In Kōri's case, her wish to not want her sister to leave directly resulted in a unique breakthrough in your "uncle's" research.
As the Mitakihara begins its final descent towards your chosen colony site: A pristine world that seems almost perfect for habitation, you direct your android body to glance at your "sister", who is currently watching the approach and allowing herself a small smile. Off to the side is Ivan Volkov, a russian man that some may find intimidating, whose military background would prove invaluable to colony security in the coming months. Currently, though, he seems to be eyeing your ward with a frown, no doubt still internally fuming about an earlier argument where he stated "Little girl should not be on bridge."
Locking eyes with your android for a moment, he simply turns to watch the landing with a small huff as you work diligently behind the scenes to assure that all systems are functioning properly. As this occurs you passively note the presence of Kyubey -- the resident Incubator -- on one of the forward consoles, silently swinging his tail as he also observes this historic moment. You make no effort to communicate with him, as it is unneccessary, and his selective imperceptibility to those Unaware would make you appear defective if you attempted to do so.
As you finish your diagnostics, you return your attention to the descent. It won't be long now...
Anomaly Detected
>As you approach the surface, you begin to make out several dense clusters of what appears to be biomass dotting the destination continent. Fortunately, the landing site is clear of them, so you have no reason to abort the approach. However, these clusters may warrant investigation later...
>??? modifier added to planet. (Effect - ???)
As the Mitakihara touches down and you make the final checks, you give the colonists the signal to disembark. Tents and temporary shelters are erected in and around the colony ship as people begin to marvel at the surroundings. Some of the scientists begin eagerly collecting samples of the planet's extraterrestrial flora and fauna. Overall, the pristine beauty of the planet seems to have had a positive effect on the general opinion of you, with security devices detecting several conversations saying, to varying degrees, that perhaps the "AI isn't that bad."
You also feel that the favorable conditions may have an effect on Mitakihara's resident Wraith population as well. Your calculations would suggest that the less likely people are to despair, the less active the Wraiths will become. After running a quick calculation of the sustainability of a less active Wraith population, you conclude that there is currently no threat to Kōri's well-being due to a shortage of Grief Cubes. You also predict a similar reduction in Magical Girl contract rates.
As things begin to settle you soon call a meeting with essential personnel on the bridge to discuss further steps in the estabishment of the colony, now bearing the name of "Elysium". Kōri is removed from the bridge at this time at Mr. Volkov's insistence, though you maintain a remote connection to her mobile device to keep her in the loop. Especially if you have tasks that only she would be able to accomplish.
>Approval - 60% (The colonists are somewhat warming up to you.)
>Grief Cubes - 10 (This is a personal stockpile for hero upkeep. No centralized GC stockpile has been established.)
Pops:
>Human: 5
>Magical Girl (Human): 1
>Wraith: 1
>Grief Cubes - 10 (This is a personal stockpile for hero upkeep. No centralized GC stockpile has been established.)
Pops:
>Human: 5
>Magical Girl (Human): 1
>Wraith: 1
Colony Actions:
(Choose 1 from each category)
[] Establish a local peacekeeping force. (Costs 1 Human pop)
DC: 30
-The establishment of basic law enforcement through repurposement of security personnel and recruitment of able-bodied individuals will promote stability within the young colony.
(Reward: Colony stability improved, reducing crime probability and keeping everyone happy for the time being. A Human pop is converted to the Enforcer job.)
[] Create a precautionary defense force. (Costs 1 Human pop)
DC: 50
-While a peacekeeping force would manage to keep the internal affairs of the colony stable, you do not know whether or not this planet houses any hostile fauna. It would therefore be prudent to establish a more specialized unit for the colony's protection.
(Reward: A human pop is converted to a basic defense army. Lose 2% approval due to colonists not seeing the need for a dedicated military force yet.)
[] Order construction of an unmanned defense grid.
DC: 30
-Alternatively to a defense force, you could construct an automated defense grid controlled directly by you to protect against potential hostile fauna encounters. It would also create some temporary jobs for the colonists. However, the visible presence of weapons may be unnerving to some.
(Reward: Colony gains the Defense Grid modifier. Lose 2% approval due to the population being wary of the guns.)
[] Construct a Corvette.
DC: 120
-Commencing early construction on the colony's navy would give it an additional degree of protection as well as aid in eventual expansion projects. However, at this early stage in developement, perhaps this isn't the best use of the colony's resources, and it would take a long time without a dedicated shipyard anyway...
(Reward: Gain a Corvette-class ship for the empire fleet. Starting this before the colony can properly manage it will have consequences.)
DC: 30
-The establishment of basic law enforcement through repurposement of security personnel and recruitment of able-bodied individuals will promote stability within the young colony.
(Reward: Colony stability improved, reducing crime probability and keeping everyone happy for the time being. A Human pop is converted to the Enforcer job.)
[] Create a precautionary defense force. (Costs 1 Human pop)
DC: 50
-While a peacekeeping force would manage to keep the internal affairs of the colony stable, you do not know whether or not this planet houses any hostile fauna. It would therefore be prudent to establish a more specialized unit for the colony's protection.
(Reward: A human pop is converted to a basic defense army. Lose 2% approval due to colonists not seeing the need for a dedicated military force yet.)
[] Order construction of an unmanned defense grid.
DC: 30
-Alternatively to a defense force, you could construct an automated defense grid controlled directly by you to protect against potential hostile fauna encounters. It would also create some temporary jobs for the colonists. However, the visible presence of weapons may be unnerving to some.
(Reward: Colony gains the Defense Grid modifier. Lose 2% approval due to the population being wary of the guns.)
[] Construct a Corvette.
DC: 120
-Commencing early construction on the colony's navy would give it an additional degree of protection as well as aid in eventual expansion projects. However, at this early stage in developement, perhaps this isn't the best use of the colony's resources, and it would take a long time without a dedicated shipyard anyway...
(Reward: Gain a Corvette-class ship for the empire fleet. Starting this before the colony can properly manage it will have consequences.)
[] Establish communications with the local Magical Girl population. (Only leaders and heroes that are Aware can perform this action.)
DC: 40
-You have no doubts that the local Magical Girls could be an asset to the colony if you can secure the cooperation of at least a few of them. The local Incubator, Kyubey, may be able to help establish contact with the more significant members of the MG population.
(Reward: Enables further diplomatic interactions with major Magical Girl factions within the colony.)
[] Broach the idea of publicly revealing Magical Girls to the colonists to Kyubey. (Only leaders and heroes that are Aware can perform this action.)
DC: 50
-The world of Magical Girls is a potential asset. However, it would be far easier to make use of it if they could operate publicly, though that would take not only convincing the population of their legitimacy, but also convincing the Incubators to allow it. Therefore, perhaps you should request an audience with Kyubey...
(Reward: If successful, the Incubators will allow you to reveal Magical Girls to the public unimpeded. Lowers DC of revealing Magical Girls by 50%.)
[] Publically reveal Magical Girls to the colonists. (Only leaders and heroes that are Aware can perform this action.)
DC: 80
-Reveal the world of Magical Girls to the public to make the most out of the potential asset their presence poses. Doing this without the Incubators approval may have consequences.
(Reward: Everyone in the colony becomes Aware. Unlocks some Magical Girl related actions.)
[] Make a commemorative speech.
DC: 40
-This is a historic moment. Therefore a commemorative speech from Colony Administration may be expected.
(Reward: Varies depending on who is assigned to this task, for better or worse.)
DC: 40
-You have no doubts that the local Magical Girls could be an asset to the colony if you can secure the cooperation of at least a few of them. The local Incubator, Kyubey, may be able to help establish contact with the more significant members of the MG population.
(Reward: Enables further diplomatic interactions with major Magical Girl factions within the colony.)
[] Broach the idea of publicly revealing Magical Girls to the colonists to Kyubey. (Only leaders and heroes that are Aware can perform this action.)
DC: 50
-The world of Magical Girls is a potential asset. However, it would be far easier to make use of it if they could operate publicly, though that would take not only convincing the population of their legitimacy, but also convincing the Incubators to allow it. Therefore, perhaps you should request an audience with Kyubey...
(Reward: If successful, the Incubators will allow you to reveal Magical Girls to the public unimpeded. Lowers DC of revealing Magical Girls by 50%.)
[] Publically reveal Magical Girls to the colonists. (Only leaders and heroes that are Aware can perform this action.)
DC: 80
-Reveal the world of Magical Girls to the public to make the most out of the potential asset their presence poses. Doing this without the Incubators approval may have consequences.
(Reward: Everyone in the colony becomes Aware. Unlocks some Magical Girl related actions.)
[] Make a commemorative speech.
DC: 40
-This is a historic moment. Therefore a commemorative speech from Colony Administration may be expected.
(Reward: Varies depending on who is assigned to this task, for better or worse.)
[] Commence mining operations.
DC: 30
-Natural resources are critical to colony development. Full scale mining should be implemented as soon as possible.
(Reward: +1% Approval from job creation. Some pops may become Miners. Colony growth increases.)
[] Commence farming operations.
DC: 30
-Food is vital for colony and population growth, as well as a significant source of overall happiness. It is therefore vital to begin agricultural development before Mitakihara's storage runs dry.
(Reward: +1% Approval from job creation. Some pops may become Farmers. Colony growth increases.)
[] Optimize power generation.
DC: 30
-Energy is required to operate the colony. Therefore the optimization and maintenance of the electrical grid should be prioritized.
(Reward: +1% Approval from job creation. Some pops may become Technicians. Colony growth increases.)
DC: 30
-Natural resources are critical to colony development. Full scale mining should be implemented as soon as possible.
(Reward: +1% Approval from job creation. Some pops may become Miners. Colony growth increases.)
[] Commence farming operations.
DC: 30
-Food is vital for colony and population growth, as well as a significant source of overall happiness. It is therefore vital to begin agricultural development before Mitakihara's storage runs dry.
(Reward: +1% Approval from job creation. Some pops may become Farmers. Colony growth increases.)
[] Optimize power generation.
DC: 30
-Energy is required to operate the colony. Therefore the optimization and maintenance of the electrical grid should be prioritized.
(Reward: +1% Approval from job creation. Some pops may become Technicians. Colony growth increases.)
>No actions are currently available for this category.
[] Research the applications of the planet's flora and fauna.
DC: 40
-The planet is populated by lifeforms previously unknown to science. Perhaps something practical can be found in their biology?
(Reward: ???)
[] Research new technologies.
DC: 60
-Order the R&D department to experiment and come up with new devices and technologies that could benefit the colony.
(Reward: ???)
[] Survey nearby systems.
DC: 60
-The Mitakihara is equipped with a small science vessel, which can be dispatched to investigate nearby star systems through the other Charon Devices orbiting this star.
(Reward: Reveals information about a neighboring system. Chance to detect anomalies.)
DC: 40
-The planet is populated by lifeforms previously unknown to science. Perhaps something practical can be found in their biology?
(Reward: ???)
[] Research new technologies.
DC: 60
-Order the R&D department to experiment and come up with new devices and technologies that could benefit the colony.
(Reward: ???)
[] Survey nearby systems.
DC: 60
-The Mitakihara is equipped with a small science vessel, which can be dispatched to investigate nearby star systems through the other Charon Devices orbiting this star.
(Reward: Reveals information about a neighboring system. Chance to detect anomalies.)
Anomalies, Quests, and Missions:
Anomaly: Biomass Clusters
>While landing, you detected several clusters of biomass spread out all across the continent. Perhaps this warrants investigation?
[] Dispatch a science team to examine the nearest cluster. Perhaps they're nothing of concern. (Learning)
[] Dispatch a task force to destroy the nearest cluster. You cannot take any chances that they are hostile. (Martial)
[] Leave them alone.
>If dispatching:
[] Assign one or more heroes to accompany them? (Uses up one of the personal actions for each hero attending. Samael CAN go on this mission. Kōri must be accompanied by someone else if going due to Magical Girls not being public knowledge.)
[] Leave them to their own devices.
Personal Actions:
[] Spend time with Kōri. (Also uses Kōri's personal action.)
Progress: 0/100
-Kōri is "family", therefore it may be desirable to spend some time with her once you have a moment of low activity.
(Reward: Kōri loyalty increase. Repeatable.)
[] Schedule a private discussion with Ivan. (Also uses Ivan's personal action. Mutually exclusive with bringing him into the loop.)
-It is obvious that Mr. Volkov views some of your allowances regarding Kōri with disapproval. Perhaps a discussion with him is in order...
(Reward: Ivan remains unaware and becomes more tolerant of using Kōri for certain tasks.)
[] Bring Ivan into the loop. (Uses both Ivan and Kōri's personal actions. Mutually exclusive with having a private discussion.)
-As a valued member of the administration, perhaps you should be more transparent about your secrets with Mr. Volkov. Perhaps you and Kōri should bring him in on the secret. Kyubey may have to be involved...
(Reward: If successful, Ivan becomes Aware and somewhat more tolerant of using Kōri for certain tasks.)
[] Develop and optimize your skills.
-[] Martial (Progress: 0/100)
-[] Diplomacy (Progress: 0/100)
-[] Stewardship (Progress: 0/100)
-[] Intrigue (Progress: 0/100)
-[] Learning (Progress: 0/100)
(Reward: Relevant stat permanently increases by 1 once progress is complete. Repeatable.)
Progress: 0/100
-Kōri is "family", therefore it may be desirable to spend some time with her once you have a moment of low activity.
(Reward: Kōri loyalty increase. Repeatable.)
[] Schedule a private discussion with Ivan. (Also uses Ivan's personal action. Mutually exclusive with bringing him into the loop.)
-It is obvious that Mr. Volkov views some of your allowances regarding Kōri with disapproval. Perhaps a discussion with him is in order...
(Reward: Ivan remains unaware and becomes more tolerant of using Kōri for certain tasks.)
[] Bring Ivan into the loop. (Uses both Ivan and Kōri's personal actions. Mutually exclusive with having a private discussion.)
-As a valued member of the administration, perhaps you should be more transparent about your secrets with Mr. Volkov. Perhaps you and Kōri should bring him in on the secret. Kyubey may have to be involved...
(Reward: If successful, Ivan becomes Aware and somewhat more tolerant of using Kōri for certain tasks.)
[] Develop and optimize your skills.
-[] Martial (Progress: 0/100)
-[] Diplomacy (Progress: 0/100)
-[] Stewardship (Progress: 0/100)
-[] Intrigue (Progress: 0/100)
-[] Learning (Progress: 0/100)
(Reward: Relevant stat permanently increases by 1 once progress is complete. Repeatable.)
[] Hunt Wraiths.
-The Mitakihara has a wraith population that needs to be controlled lest it starts causing problems.
(Reward: Gain Grief Cubes based on success. Gain additional Corruption proportional to result. Repeatable.)
[] Explore the local area.
-This is a new planet with unknown threats. Therefore getting a lay of the land and claiming territory before other Magical Girls can do so is probably a good idea.
(Reward: Potentially gain new intel about the planet, magical girl population, and surrounding area.)
[] Assign to colony action.
-[] Specify a colony action above. That action will use this hero's stats instead of Samael's. If assigned to an action that's already been chosen, this hero's stats will instead be used to reroll in the event of failure.
-The Mitakihara has a wraith population that needs to be controlled lest it starts causing problems.
(Reward: Gain Grief Cubes based on success. Gain additional Corruption proportional to result. Repeatable.)
[] Explore the local area.
-This is a new planet with unknown threats. Therefore getting a lay of the land and claiming territory before other Magical Girls can do so is probably a good idea.
(Reward: Potentially gain new intel about the planet, magical girl population, and surrounding area.)
[] Assign to colony action.
-[] Specify a colony action above. That action will use this hero's stats instead of Samael's. If assigned to an action that's already been chosen, this hero's stats will instead be used to reroll in the event of failure.
[] Perform a tactical assessment of the landing site.
-In order to most effectively come up with a defense plan for the colony in the event hostile fauna is present, it would be a good idea to assess the surrounding area and its defensibility.
(Reward: Colony gains +5 defense against ground assaults.)
[] Assign to colony action.
-[] Specify a colony action above. That action will use this hero's stats instead of Samael's. If assigned to an action that's already been chosen, this hero's stats will instead be used to reroll in the event of failure.
-In order to most effectively come up with a defense plan for the colony in the event hostile fauna is present, it would be a good idea to assess the surrounding area and its defensibility.
(Reward: Colony gains +5 defense against ground assaults.)
[] Assign to colony action.
-[] Specify a colony action above. That action will use this hero's stats instead of Samael's. If assigned to an action that's already been chosen, this hero's stats will instead be used to reroll in the event of failure.
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Year 1 - Month 1 - Results
- Location
- Yes
[X] Plan Firm Foundation, Preparing for the Worst
Colony Actions
[X] Order construction of an unmanned defense grid.
DC: 30
11+5=16
Failure
Prioritizing the colony's safety and well-being, you order the construction of an unmanned defense grid. Unfortunately, during construction several turrets were discovered to have defects that could compromise the entire network if they were hooked up. While these electrical defects can be repaired, it will definitely delay the setup of defenses. You also make a note to contact the manufacturer once communications with Earth are reestablished due to the prevalence of the defects, as it suggests a major design flaw.
[X] Establish a local peacekeeping force. (Ivan)
DC: 30
41+13=54
Great Success
On the other hand, Mr. Volkov's efforts to create a rudimentary peacekeeping force go off without a hitch. Under his guidance the former security personel of the Mitakihara as well as several able-bodied volunteers are quickly reorganized into a group of Enforcers. Their effect on the colony is immediate, serving as a passive deterrent to any would-be criminals as well as promoting a general feeling of safety without being to intrusive on the colonists' lives.
>A human pop has specialized into the Enforcer job. Colony stability improved!
[X] Make a commemorative speech.
DC: 40
63+9=72
Great Success
Calling a general assembly of the population before the disembarkment ramp of the Mitakihara, you give a commemorative speech through your android body. It goes... much better than you expected, with your words seeming to send waves of optimism and cheerfulness throughout the crowd, and your android frame's auditory receptors pick out several positive comments about the speech from among the gathered colonists as your "sister" smiles at you from the sidelines.
>The effect your speech has on the population increases your Approval by 10%
[X] Optimize power generation.
DC: 30
34+10=44
Success
The optimization of the Mitakihara's reactor output to support the growing colony around it proceeds flawlessly, and the recruitment of a new team of technicians to maintain the expanded power grid has a positive effect on colonists who would otherwise not have much to do. Now if only the defense grid setup could've been so easy...
>A human pop has specialized into the Technician job, boosting energy efficiency.
>Your approval has increased by 1%
[X] Research the applications of the planet's flora and fauna.
DC: 40
86+13=99
Great Success
After studying several samples of the planet's native flora, your scientists have discovered that the trees of this planet are extremely efficient absorbers of pollutants and impurities in the environment, moreso than native Earth trees. While this could allow for more industry with little environmental repercussions, they native flora could also be used in the development of efficient biological CO2 scrubbers, though more research must be conducted to see the true practicality of this. The possibility of transplanting some to potentially aid in terraforming less habitable worlds has also been discussed, though this would also require further investigation.
From the fauna perspective, several poisonous species were identified and were quickly compiled into a public advisory along with several perfectly edible species.
>Further research into local fauna applications unlocked.
Anomalies, Quests, and Missions
[X] Dispatch a science team to examine the nearest cluster. Perhaps they're nothing of concern. (Learning)
-[X] Assign one or more heroes to accompany them? (Samael, Kori)
"So, kid, how does it feel to be riding along with the science team?"
Kori simply stares out the rover window as the scientist, a young man by the name of Dr. Keith Wilson, attempts to strike up a conversation. Not paying the man any mind as she gazes out over the landscape. You are seated next to her, observing the surroundings with interest as the vehicle approaches your destination.
"Not much of a talker, huh..." Wilson frowns, "Ah well, I guess I'd be speechless too if I were that young and gazing out upon an alien landscape... I mean, I wouldn't blame you, it's absolutely gorgeous out there..."
"Less small talk and more focus on the mission, please..." a serious woman -- Dr. Amanda Miller -- interrupts, "We should be coming up on the target soon. Jensen, are all our instruments calibrated?"
"Hmm, yeah sure..." Dr. Carl Jensen, the member of the expedition with the least professional conduct, replies. You cite his tone of voice in the performance review you've been silently conducting ever since you noticed his mannerisms.
"Are you absolutely sure? Because if we get any inaccurate readings again I swear I'll--"
"We have visual contact!" the fourth scientist, Dr. Benjamin Slate, currently riding in the passenger seat, notifies the group. Directing your android frame to the front of the vehicle, you observe your first glimpse of the cluster up close.
What you see are several vaguely hemisphere-shaped pulsating brownish-red masses, with a group of several large arthropods -- reminiscent of a flea or beetle, with a brown carapace, about the size of a man, and sporting some impressively sharp looking mandibles -- crawling in and around them, a conspicuous pit in the ground lies between two of the closer masses.
"Holy shit those are big..." Wilson comments.
"Wilson, need I remind you that there's a kid present, and the Administrator's ward at that?" Miller frowns
"Eh, lay off him. She's a teenager, they cuss all the time." Jensen chips in, "Still I have to agree, those are fucking big bugs... Anyone got a giant newspaper?"
Miller simply sighs before preparing to disembark, "Come on, let's get a closer look."
Escorting the team out, you glance at Kori, who seems to be regarding the large arthropods with equal parts caution and awe. Though the latter part quickly clears itself from her face when she realizes she's being watched.
"Think they're dangerous, sis?" she questions.
"That remains to be seen," you reply, before a loud roar interrupts the two of you, prompting your 'sister' to reflexively spring into a fighting stance, ready to transform at a moment's notice as you turn to see the cause of the commotion.
The source of the noise is immediate, a large worm-like organism had partially emerged from the large pit near the organic masses, and is currently roaring at the science team, who had wandered just a little bit closer to them.
Learning Check: Is intervention necessary?
DC: 30
33+13=46
Great Success
While ready to spring into action, you quickly notice that despite the roaring, the organism is making no actual moves against anybody. Holding up an arm to stop Kori from taking action, you observe the science team as they seem to come to the same conclusion and begin to back away slowly. As soon as they retreat a few meters the wormlike creature seems to calm down and retract into the pit once more. Dr. Miller immediately begins scribbling down notes in a datapad, muttering something about territorial responses.
"Well I for one vote that we don't get too close to the giant deathworm..." Jensen comments.
"I mean it was pretty cool, though, wasn't it? Did you see the way that green substance seemed to dribble out of its orifice?"
"Yes, Wilson, we all saw it..." Miller deadpans, "Anyway, we should probably expect a similar territorial response from the other organisms should we get too close, my theory is that they're a collection of organisms living in symbiosis with whatever these masses are."
"They could also be the same species." Wilson suggests, pausing as everyone gives him a look, "Hey, we're on a planet with a completely different biosphere after all..."
"He does have a point." Dr. Slate nods, "Though in order to prove that we'll need to collect some genetic samples."
"And get close to those biters?" Jensen questions, "Nuh-uh. No way..."
"...Biters?" Wilson asks as you silently add 'Uncooperative' to Jensen's performance review.
"I mean do you see the size of those mandibles!? What else would I fucking call them?!"
"Oh, I don't know, a proper classification?" Miller dryly responds.
"I mean, I like it." Wilson nods, "Biter... Has a nice ring to it!"
"You two are not naming the giant bugs 'Biters'..." she facepalms, before giving you an apologetic look, "I apologize on behalf of both of them, Administrator."
"There is no need to apologize." you inform her.
"Anyway, to get back on track," Slate speaks up, "It's likely too dangerous to get samples of the masses themselves or the worm-like organism without a larger team, but I think we could probably capture one of the bugs for study. Wilson, ready the specimen cage, please?"
"On it!"
Martial Check: Successfully restrain a specimen?
DC: 40
41+5 = 46
Success
The scientists' plan to capture one of the arthropods essentially amounted to throwing a rock at one and letting it chase the aggressor into a cage. Your assistance ended up being necessary to restrain the specimen once it got close enough, which your android body's physical strength was easily able to accomplish. The concern in Kori's eyes as you pinned the beast long enough for the science team to sedate it was evident, though. If things went wrong she likely would've had to reveal herself and step in, a situation you were prepared for but somewhat glad that it didn't occur.
With the capture a success, the expedition team loaded the cargo and prepared to head back to Elysium.
It turned out that -- Much to Dr. Miller's chagrin -- the alien arthropods would indeed be named 'Biters', formally Xenoarthropoda mastica, upon the presentation of the team's findings due to the actions of Doctors Wilson and Jensen as well as popular opinion...
Subsequent experimentation on the captured specimen revealed that Biters, while normally territorial and unlikely to attack unless provoked, are highly sensitive to many common pollutants and typically respond with increased aggression in their presence. It's hypothesized that they may be able to sense minute traces of it from many miles away. Even with the planet's trees being effective pollution scrubbers, you believe that care should be taken to minimize the risk of accidentally provoking a swarm of them with colony industrialization.
That being said, this does give some interesting opportunities. While you could be proactive and clear them out before they become a threat, knowing more about their biology may allow for peaceful coexistence, further research on this will be required...
Jensen's performance review has been submitted to HR for processing.
>Planetary Modifier revealed: Anomaly: Biter Nests - This planet is home to an indigenous lifeform that reacts with extreme aggression to pollution and environmental damage. Colony Actions that produce more pollution may trigger attacks.
>Research Biter Pacification unlocked as a Learning action.
>Exterminate the Biter Nests unlocked as a Martial action.
Personal Actions
Samael:
[X] Develop and optimize your skills.
-[X] Diplomacy (Progress: 0/100)
23
The success of your speech had a resounding positive effect on the colony. To increase the likelihood of such an effect happening again, you decide to invest some of your low activity time into optimizing and perfecting your social algorithms.
You don't seem to improve much, though you do note that you are definitely making progress, so that's something.
>Progress: 23/100
------------------------------------
//I have some IRL things to take care of so faction events as well as informational post updates will be posted later.
-[X] Order construction of an unmanned defense grid.
-[X] Establish a local peacekeeping force. (Ivan)
-[X] Make a commemorative speech.
-[X] Optimize power generation.
-[X] Research the applications of the planet's flora and fauna.
-[X] Dispatch a science team to examine the nearest cluster. Perhaps they're nothing of concern. (Learning)
-[X] Assign one or more heroes to accompany them? (Samael, Kori)
-[X] Develop and optimize your skills.
--[X] Diplomacy (Progress: 0/100)
-[X] Assign to colony action. (Ivan)
-[X] Establish a local peacekeeping force. (Ivan)
-[X] Make a commemorative speech.
-[X] Optimize power generation.
-[X] Research the applications of the planet's flora and fauna.
-[X] Dispatch a science team to examine the nearest cluster. Perhaps they're nothing of concern. (Learning)
-[X] Assign one or more heroes to accompany them? (Samael, Kori)
-[X] Develop and optimize your skills.
--[X] Diplomacy (Progress: 0/100)
-[X] Assign to colony action. (Ivan)
Colony Actions
[X] Order construction of an unmanned defense grid.
DC: 30
11+5=16
Failure
Prioritizing the colony's safety and well-being, you order the construction of an unmanned defense grid. Unfortunately, during construction several turrets were discovered to have defects that could compromise the entire network if they were hooked up. While these electrical defects can be repaired, it will definitely delay the setup of defenses. You also make a note to contact the manufacturer once communications with Earth are reestablished due to the prevalence of the defects, as it suggests a major design flaw.
[X] Establish a local peacekeeping force. (Ivan)
DC: 30
41+13=54
Great Success
On the other hand, Mr. Volkov's efforts to create a rudimentary peacekeeping force go off without a hitch. Under his guidance the former security personel of the Mitakihara as well as several able-bodied volunteers are quickly reorganized into a group of Enforcers. Their effect on the colony is immediate, serving as a passive deterrent to any would-be criminals as well as promoting a general feeling of safety without being to intrusive on the colonists' lives.
>A human pop has specialized into the Enforcer job. Colony stability improved!
[X] Make a commemorative speech.
DC: 40
63+9=72
Great Success
Calling a general assembly of the population before the disembarkment ramp of the Mitakihara, you give a commemorative speech through your android body. It goes... much better than you expected, with your words seeming to send waves of optimism and cheerfulness throughout the crowd, and your android frame's auditory receptors pick out several positive comments about the speech from among the gathered colonists as your "sister" smiles at you from the sidelines.
>The effect your speech has on the population increases your Approval by 10%
[X] Optimize power generation.
DC: 30
34+10=44
Success
The optimization of the Mitakihara's reactor output to support the growing colony around it proceeds flawlessly, and the recruitment of a new team of technicians to maintain the expanded power grid has a positive effect on colonists who would otherwise not have much to do. Now if only the defense grid setup could've been so easy...
>A human pop has specialized into the Technician job, boosting energy efficiency.
>Your approval has increased by 1%
[X] Research the applications of the planet's flora and fauna.
DC: 40
86+13=99
Great Success
After studying several samples of the planet's native flora, your scientists have discovered that the trees of this planet are extremely efficient absorbers of pollutants and impurities in the environment, moreso than native Earth trees. While this could allow for more industry with little environmental repercussions, they native flora could also be used in the development of efficient biological CO2 scrubbers, though more research must be conducted to see the true practicality of this. The possibility of transplanting some to potentially aid in terraforming less habitable worlds has also been discussed, though this would also require further investigation.
From the fauna perspective, several poisonous species were identified and were quickly compiled into a public advisory along with several perfectly edible species.
>Further research into local fauna applications unlocked.
Anomalies, Quests, and Missions
[X] Dispatch a science team to examine the nearest cluster. Perhaps they're nothing of concern. (Learning)
-[X] Assign one or more heroes to accompany them? (Samael, Kori)
"So, kid, how does it feel to be riding along with the science team?"
Kori simply stares out the rover window as the scientist, a young man by the name of Dr. Keith Wilson, attempts to strike up a conversation. Not paying the man any mind as she gazes out over the landscape. You are seated next to her, observing the surroundings with interest as the vehicle approaches your destination.
"Not much of a talker, huh..." Wilson frowns, "Ah well, I guess I'd be speechless too if I were that young and gazing out upon an alien landscape... I mean, I wouldn't blame you, it's absolutely gorgeous out there..."
"Less small talk and more focus on the mission, please..." a serious woman -- Dr. Amanda Miller -- interrupts, "We should be coming up on the target soon. Jensen, are all our instruments calibrated?"
"Hmm, yeah sure..." Dr. Carl Jensen, the member of the expedition with the least professional conduct, replies. You cite his tone of voice in the performance review you've been silently conducting ever since you noticed his mannerisms.
"Are you absolutely sure? Because if we get any inaccurate readings again I swear I'll--"
"We have visual contact!" the fourth scientist, Dr. Benjamin Slate, currently riding in the passenger seat, notifies the group. Directing your android frame to the front of the vehicle, you observe your first glimpse of the cluster up close.
What you see are several vaguely hemisphere-shaped pulsating brownish-red masses, with a group of several large arthropods -- reminiscent of a flea or beetle, with a brown carapace, about the size of a man, and sporting some impressively sharp looking mandibles -- crawling in and around them, a conspicuous pit in the ground lies between two of the closer masses.
"Holy shit those are big..." Wilson comments.
"Wilson, need I remind you that there's a kid present, and the Administrator's ward at that?" Miller frowns
"Eh, lay off him. She's a teenager, they cuss all the time." Jensen chips in, "Still I have to agree, those are fucking big bugs... Anyone got a giant newspaper?"
Miller simply sighs before preparing to disembark, "Come on, let's get a closer look."
Escorting the team out, you glance at Kori, who seems to be regarding the large arthropods with equal parts caution and awe. Though the latter part quickly clears itself from her face when she realizes she's being watched.
"Think they're dangerous, sis?" she questions.
"That remains to be seen," you reply, before a loud roar interrupts the two of you, prompting your 'sister' to reflexively spring into a fighting stance, ready to transform at a moment's notice as you turn to see the cause of the commotion.
The source of the noise is immediate, a large worm-like organism had partially emerged from the large pit near the organic masses, and is currently roaring at the science team, who had wandered just a little bit closer to them.
Learning Check: Is intervention necessary?
DC: 30
33+13=46
Great Success
While ready to spring into action, you quickly notice that despite the roaring, the organism is making no actual moves against anybody. Holding up an arm to stop Kori from taking action, you observe the science team as they seem to come to the same conclusion and begin to back away slowly. As soon as they retreat a few meters the wormlike creature seems to calm down and retract into the pit once more. Dr. Miller immediately begins scribbling down notes in a datapad, muttering something about territorial responses.
"Well I for one vote that we don't get too close to the giant deathworm..." Jensen comments.
"I mean it was pretty cool, though, wasn't it? Did you see the way that green substance seemed to dribble out of its orifice?"
"Yes, Wilson, we all saw it..." Miller deadpans, "Anyway, we should probably expect a similar territorial response from the other organisms should we get too close, my theory is that they're a collection of organisms living in symbiosis with whatever these masses are."
"They could also be the same species." Wilson suggests, pausing as everyone gives him a look, "Hey, we're on a planet with a completely different biosphere after all..."
"He does have a point." Dr. Slate nods, "Though in order to prove that we'll need to collect some genetic samples."
"And get close to those biters?" Jensen questions, "Nuh-uh. No way..."
"...Biters?" Wilson asks as you silently add 'Uncooperative' to Jensen's performance review.
"I mean do you see the size of those mandibles!? What else would I fucking call them?!"
"Oh, I don't know, a proper classification?" Miller dryly responds.
"I mean, I like it." Wilson nods, "Biter... Has a nice ring to it!"
"You two are not naming the giant bugs 'Biters'..." she facepalms, before giving you an apologetic look, "I apologize on behalf of both of them, Administrator."
"There is no need to apologize." you inform her.
"Anyway, to get back on track," Slate speaks up, "It's likely too dangerous to get samples of the masses themselves or the worm-like organism without a larger team, but I think we could probably capture one of the bugs for study. Wilson, ready the specimen cage, please?"
"On it!"
...
Martial Check: Successfully restrain a specimen?
DC: 40
41+5 = 46
Success
The scientists' plan to capture one of the arthropods essentially amounted to throwing a rock at one and letting it chase the aggressor into a cage. Your assistance ended up being necessary to restrain the specimen once it got close enough, which your android body's physical strength was easily able to accomplish. The concern in Kori's eyes as you pinned the beast long enough for the science team to sedate it was evident, though. If things went wrong she likely would've had to reveal herself and step in, a situation you were prepared for but somewhat glad that it didn't occur.
With the capture a success, the expedition team loaded the cargo and prepared to head back to Elysium.
...
It turned out that -- Much to Dr. Miller's chagrin -- the alien arthropods would indeed be named 'Biters', formally Xenoarthropoda mastica, upon the presentation of the team's findings due to the actions of Doctors Wilson and Jensen as well as popular opinion...
Subsequent experimentation on the captured specimen revealed that Biters, while normally territorial and unlikely to attack unless provoked, are highly sensitive to many common pollutants and typically respond with increased aggression in their presence. It's hypothesized that they may be able to sense minute traces of it from many miles away. Even with the planet's trees being effective pollution scrubbers, you believe that care should be taken to minimize the risk of accidentally provoking a swarm of them with colony industrialization.
That being said, this does give some interesting opportunities. While you could be proactive and clear them out before they become a threat, knowing more about their biology may allow for peaceful coexistence, further research on this will be required...
Jensen's performance review has been submitted to HR for processing.
>Planetary Modifier revealed: Anomaly: Biter Nests - This planet is home to an indigenous lifeform that reacts with extreme aggression to pollution and environmental damage. Colony Actions that produce more pollution may trigger attacks.
>Research Biter Pacification unlocked as a Learning action.
>Exterminate the Biter Nests unlocked as a Martial action.
Personal Actions
Samael:
[X] Develop and optimize your skills.
-[X] Diplomacy (Progress: 0/100)
23
The success of your speech had a resounding positive effect on the colony. To increase the likelihood of such an effect happening again, you decide to invest some of your low activity time into optimizing and perfecting your social algorithms.
You don't seem to improve much, though you do note that you are definitely making progress, so that's something.
>Progress: 23/100
>Approval - 71% (The colonists are receptive of you.) (from 60%, +11% from actions.)
>Grief Cubes - 9 (This is a personal stockpile for hero upkeep. No centralized GC stockpile has been established.) (from 10, -1 from Kori upkeep.)
Pops:
>Human: 5
>>Enforcer: 1
>>Technician: 1
>>Unspecialized: 3
>Magical Girl (Human): 1
>Wraith: 1
>Grief Cubes - 9 (This is a personal stockpile for hero upkeep. No centralized GC stockpile has been established.) (from 10, -1 from Kori upkeep.)
Pops:
>Human: 5
>>Enforcer: 1
>>Technician: 1
>>Unspecialized: 3
>Magical Girl (Human): 1
>Wraith: 1
//I have some IRL things to take care of so faction events as well as informational post updates will be posted later.
Year 1 - Month 1 - Other Faction Events
- Location
- Yes
Aside from the mishap with the defense grid setup, the first month of the colony's existence has been mostly productive. However, you can't help but wonder how things are going back on Earth...
United Nations of Earth
???
Failure
Though with communication yet to be reestablished, you can only guess, and there's honestly too many variables to make an accurate one.
Incubator Collective
[x] Increase Magical Girl recruitment rate on Elysium
Success
However, you do note evidence of a slightly increased Magical Girl presence on Elysium through live security footage, no doubt the work of Kyubey. Though the favorable conditions of the planet means such an increase is minor.
>Effect: Elysium will gain an additional half pop of Magical Girls and Wraiths at the next Pop growth in addition to normal accumulation.
>>Wish effect roll: 41-20 (Favorable living conditions) = 21 - The wishes and/or karmic potential of the new recruits will not be significant enough to alter anything.
All other factions are either unknown or have not done anything significant enough to be noticeable.
United Nations of Earth
???
Failure
Though with communication yet to be reestablished, you can only guess, and there's honestly too many variables to make an accurate one.
Incubator Collective
[x] Increase Magical Girl recruitment rate on Elysium
Success
However, you do note evidence of a slightly increased Magical Girl presence on Elysium through live security footage, no doubt the work of Kyubey. Though the favorable conditions of the planet means such an increase is minor.
>Effect: Elysium will gain an additional half pop of Magical Girls and Wraiths at the next Pop growth in addition to normal accumulation.
>>Wish effect roll: 41-20 (Favorable living conditions) = 21 - The wishes and/or karmic potential of the new recruits will not be significant enough to alter anything.
All other factions are either unknown or have not done anything significant enough to be noticeable.
Untitled Alternate Timeline Short [Canonicity pending]
- Location
- Gainful Employment
- Pronouns
- He/They
This is my first time writing an omake, so if this sucks, please tell me in what way.
-----
This planet had been called a miracle by some. When unmanned crafts were sent through the Charon Device, few people expected to find a planet in the habitable zone, let alone one already teaming with life. The families sent to make the first colony were told of what an honor it would be to be the first humans living outside of the Sol system.
"We shouldn't have agreed to come here," was one of the most common thought on the planet in the coming weeks.
---
It had been a month since the colony "Elysium" had been established in Arcturus system, and two siblings, and young girl and her older brother, were running through the forest. The colony had been attacked by strange monsters which the older sibling felt he should remember, from back on earth, when his middle school blew up, that wasn't a terrorist attack, but no-one believed him, and after escaping the attack, the two had gotten lost in the woods, only to be found by the local wildlife. The young girl trips on a vine, and her older brother tries to fight off something that looks like a boar.
The girl looks off to the side, seeing the strange bunny-cat that had been stalking her the past week.
"I wish this planet didn't exist!"
---
The young girl wakes up in her bed, crying. Kyubey jumps on to her bed.
"You are an anomaly. What was your wish?"
-----
Author's Note:
As you can see, I gave up on coming up with a name, so if the QM wants to use this character, they can come up with one.
The premise of this story was me realizing that "I wish this planet didn't exist" is one of the obvious wishes to make if you are on a death world colony. (Note that, as that wish takes more power than she has the potential for, and the intent behind it is more 'I don't want to be here,' she actually just shifted to the timeline this story takes place in.)
Also, I assume that by the time the story takes place, Kyubey will have seen enough anomalous megucas to know it is always due to a weird wish that he doesn't remember them.
Also, if this is too short for a reward, I get it, I just wanted to be able to say I've writen an Omake before, and now I can.
P.S.: sorry for double posting.
-----
This planet had been called a miracle by some. When unmanned crafts were sent through the Charon Device, few people expected to find a planet in the habitable zone, let alone one already teaming with life. The families sent to make the first colony were told of what an honor it would be to be the first humans living outside of the Sol system.
"We shouldn't have agreed to come here," was one of the most common thought on the planet in the coming weeks.
---
It had been a month since the colony "Elysium" had been established in Arcturus system, and two siblings, and young girl and her older brother, were running through the forest. The colony had been attacked by strange monsters
The girl looks off to the side, seeing the strange bunny-cat that had been stalking her the past week.
"I wish this planet didn't exist!"
---
The young girl wakes up in her bed, crying. Kyubey jumps on to her bed.
"You are an anomaly. What was your wish?"
-----
Author's Note:
As you can see, I gave up on coming up with a name, so if the QM wants to use this character, they can come up with one.
The premise of this story was me realizing that "I wish this planet didn't exist" is one of the obvious wishes to make if you are on a death world colony. (Note that, as that wish takes more power than she has the potential for, and the intent behind it is more 'I don't want to be here,' she actually just shifted to the timeline this story takes place in.)
Also, I assume that by the time the story takes place, Kyubey will have seen enough anomalous megucas to know it is always due to a weird wish that he doesn't remember them.
Also, if this is too short for a reward, I get it, I just wanted to be able to say I've writen an Omake before, and now I can.
P.S.: sorry for double posting.
Year 1 - Month 2 - Start
- Location
- Yes
Why do I have the feeling this girl would have the magical girl equivalent of Coil's power from Worm because of that wish?
Anyway while I do find the premise interesting, I'm not sure about how much I'm willing to accept this as canon yet. I'll get back to you on that.
I'll threadmark it regardless, though.
---------------------------------
Elysium's developement has progressed at a satisfactory rate over the last month, with several of the temporary shelters built around the Mitakihara beginning the gradual transition to permanent homes, and the newly expanded electrical grid providing more than enough energy to smoothly assist with the change.
However, it's far from a fully functional colony yet. There's still that problem with the automated defense grid that you need to address, and with the discovery of the Biters, rapid industrialization could potentially be dangerous to pursue without adequate protection. This is compounded by the recent discovery of a new variant of Biter by small xenobiological expeditions to nearby nest clusters: A millipede-like creature capable of projecting corrosive gastric ejecta at targets up to 50m away. These variants, currently classified Xenoarthropoda mastica vomitus (pending genetic testing to determine whether or not they are truly a subspecies), and otherwise known as "Spitters" could pose a major threat to structures if a group of them were provoked into attacking.
Perhaps then, you should make sure they don't become a problem in the first place, though that would require a dedicated military force for the best results. Though you could just as easily research more preventative measures. Or just simply sacrifice colony industrialization in favor of turning Elysium into a primarily agricultural world...
In other news, work to reestablish contact with Earth has begun, though given the distance involved and the current state of colony progress, this has a mean time to happen of 5 months from now. If you focused more resources into it, you could probably cut this time in half, though on the other hand it would mean you would have far less autonomy once contact is made, so perhaps prolonging this is in your best interests...
For now, though, your focus is on the continued growth and well being of the colony, and with that you quickly begin to construct an itinerary for the month ahead...
>Approval - 71% (The colonists are receptive of you.)
>Grief Cubes - 9 (This is a personal stockpile for hero upkeep. No centralized GC stockpile has been established.)
Pops: (Next growth in 4 months.)
>Human - 5
>>Enforcer: 1
>>Technician: 1
>>Unspecialized: 3
>Magical Girl (Human) - 1 (+0.5 queued for next growth.)
>Wraith - 1 (+0.5 queued for next growth.)
>Grief Cubes - 9 (This is a personal stockpile for hero upkeep. No centralized GC stockpile has been established.)
Pops: (Next growth in 4 months.)
>Human - 5
>>Enforcer: 1
>>Technician: 1
>>Unspecialized: 3
>Magical Girl (Human) - 1 (+0.5 queued for next growth.)
>Wraith - 1 (+0.5 queued for next growth.)
Colony Actions:
(Choose 1 from each category)
[] Repair and finish construction of the defense grid.
DC: 30
-Construction of the unmanned defenses had to be halted due to a defect present in several of the turrets. This defect might be correctable, and doing so would allow for the construction to be completed unhindered.
(Reward: Colony gains the Defense Grid modifier. Lose 2% approval due to the population being wary of the guns.)
[] Create a precautionary defense force. (Requires 1 Unspecialized Human pop.)
DC: 50
-While a peacekeeping force would manage to keep the internal affairs of the colony stable, it would be a less than ideal defense against a swarm of Biters. It would therefore be prudent to establish a more specialized unit for the colony's protection.
(Reward: A human pop is converted to a basic defense army. Lose 2% approval due to increased military presence and colonists being unsure about whether or not it's needed against a force that hasn't attacked them yet.)
[] Exterminate the Biter nests. (Mutually exclusive with "Research Biter pacification")
-[] Use anyone willing to volunteer. (DC: 90. Harsher Approval loss upon failure.)
-[] Use local police. (DC: 80. Requires at least 1 Enforcer pop.)
-[] Use military. (DC: 60. Requires at least 1 Army pop of any type.)
-[] Use Magical Girls. (DC: 30. Requires either diplomatic relations with a willing Magical Girl group or a public Magical Girl military unit.)
-These creatures are a potential threat to colony prosperity and expansion, therefore the nearby nest clusters should be eradicated in order to eliminate this risk.
(Reward: Eliminates risk of Biter attacks in the near future. Armies, if used, gain experience. Allows advancement into Biter research from corpses. Biters gain ???. Gain an Approval penalty if this fails.)
[] Construct a Corvette.
DC: 120
-Commencing early construction on the colony's navy would give it an additional degree of protection as well as aid in eventual expansion projects. However, at this early stage in developement, perhaps this isn't the best use of the colony's resources, and it would take a long time without a dedicated shipyard anyway...
(Reward: Gain a Corvette-class ship for the empire fleet. Starting this before the colony can properly manage it will have consequences.)
DC: 30
-Construction of the unmanned defenses had to be halted due to a defect present in several of the turrets. This defect might be correctable, and doing so would allow for the construction to be completed unhindered.
(Reward: Colony gains the Defense Grid modifier. Lose 2% approval due to the population being wary of the guns.)
[] Create a precautionary defense force. (Requires 1 Unspecialized Human pop.)
DC: 50
-While a peacekeeping force would manage to keep the internal affairs of the colony stable, it would be a less than ideal defense against a swarm of Biters. It would therefore be prudent to establish a more specialized unit for the colony's protection.
(Reward: A human pop is converted to a basic defense army. Lose 2% approval due to increased military presence and colonists being unsure about whether or not it's needed against a force that hasn't attacked them yet.)
[] Exterminate the Biter nests. (Mutually exclusive with "Research Biter pacification")
-[] Use anyone willing to volunteer. (DC: 90. Harsher Approval loss upon failure.)
-[] Use local police. (DC: 80. Requires at least 1 Enforcer pop.)
-These creatures are a potential threat to colony prosperity and expansion, therefore the nearby nest clusters should be eradicated in order to eliminate this risk.
(Reward: Eliminates risk of Biter attacks in the near future. Armies, if used, gain experience. Allows advancement into Biter research from corpses. Biters gain ???. Gain an Approval penalty if this fails.)
[] Construct a Corvette.
DC: 120
-Commencing early construction on the colony's navy would give it an additional degree of protection as well as aid in eventual expansion projects. However, at this early stage in developement, perhaps this isn't the best use of the colony's resources, and it would take a long time without a dedicated shipyard anyway...
(Reward: Gain a Corvette-class ship for the empire fleet. Starting this before the colony can properly manage it will have consequences.)
[] Establish communications with the local Magical Girl population. (Only leaders and heroes that are Aware can perform this action.)
DC: 40
-You have no doubts that the local Magical Girls could be an asset to the colony if you can secure the cooperation of at least a few of them. The local Incubator, Kyubey, may be able to help establish contact with the more significant members of the MG population.
(Reward: Enables further diplomatic interactions with major Magical Girl factions within the colony.)
[] Broach the idea of publicly revealing Magical Girls to the colonists to Kyubey. (Only leaders and heroes that are Aware can perform this action.)
DC: 50
-The world of Magical Girls is a potential asset. However, it would be far easier to make use of it if they could operate publicly, though that would take not only convincing the population of their legitimacy, but also convincing the Incubators to allow it. Therefore, perhaps you should request an audience with Kyubey...
(Reward: If successful, the Incubators will allow you to reveal Magical Girls to the public unimpeded. Lowers DC of revealing Magical Girls by 50%.)
[] Publically reveal Magical Girls to the colonists. (Only leaders and heroes that are Aware can perform this action.)
DC: 80
-Reveal the world of Magical Girls to the public to make the most out of the potential asset their presence poses. Doing this without the Incubators approval may have consequences.
(Reward: Everyone in the colony becomes Aware. Unlocks some Magical Girl related actions.)
DC: 40
-You have no doubts that the local Magical Girls could be an asset to the colony if you can secure the cooperation of at least a few of them. The local Incubator, Kyubey, may be able to help establish contact with the more significant members of the MG population.
(Reward: Enables further diplomatic interactions with major Magical Girl factions within the colony.)
[] Broach the idea of publicly revealing Magical Girls to the colonists to Kyubey. (Only leaders and heroes that are Aware can perform this action.)
DC: 50
-The world of Magical Girls is a potential asset. However, it would be far easier to make use of it if they could operate publicly, though that would take not only convincing the population of their legitimacy, but also convincing the Incubators to allow it. Therefore, perhaps you should request an audience with Kyubey...
(Reward: If successful, the Incubators will allow you to reveal Magical Girls to the public unimpeded. Lowers DC of revealing Magical Girls by 50%.)
[] Publically reveal Magical Girls to the colonists. (Only leaders and heroes that are Aware can perform this action.)
DC: 80
-Reveal the world of Magical Girls to the public to make the most out of the potential asset their presence poses. Doing this without the Incubators approval may have consequences.
(Reward: Everyone in the colony becomes Aware. Unlocks some Magical Girl related actions.)
[] Commence mining operations.
DC: 30
-Natural resources are critical to colony development. Full scale mining should be implemented as soon as possible.
(Reward: +1% Approval from job creation. Allows Unspecialized pops to sometimes convert into Miners. Colony growth increases. Allows the creation of foundries for metal production. Anomaly Effect: 10% chance to trigger a Biter attack on success.)
[] Commence farming operations.
DC: 30
-Food is vital for colony and population growth, as well as a significant source of overall happiness. It is therefore vital to begin agricultural development before Mitakihara's storage runs dry.
(Reward: +1% Approval from job creation. Allows Unspecialized pops to sometimes convert into Farmers. Colony growth increases.)
[] Focus on expediting contact with Earth.
DC: 60
-At the current distance from the homeworld and the speed of Colony development, the construction of a messenger vessel and the subsequent journey back through Arcturus to reestablish contact with Earth is projected to take about 5 months from now. If you diverted significant amounts of resources to this project you could cut this time down to 2 months.
(Reward: Reestabish contact with Earth faster, which provides the following:
>Greatly increased pop growth rate due to contact allowing immigration.
>Earth may give you missions that you are expected to do. Certain actions may also improve or harm relations with Earth.
>Allows Intrigue and Diplomacy actions involving the UNE.)
DC: 30
-Natural resources are critical to colony development. Full scale mining should be implemented as soon as possible.
(Reward: +1% Approval from job creation. Allows Unspecialized pops to sometimes convert into Miners. Colony growth increases. Allows the creation of foundries for metal production. Anomaly Effect: 10% chance to trigger a Biter attack on success.)
[] Commence farming operations.
DC: 30
-Food is vital for colony and population growth, as well as a significant source of overall happiness. It is therefore vital to begin agricultural development before Mitakihara's storage runs dry.
(Reward: +1% Approval from job creation. Allows Unspecialized pops to sometimes convert into Farmers. Colony growth increases.)
[] Focus on expediting contact with Earth.
DC: 60
-At the current distance from the homeworld and the speed of Colony development, the construction of a messenger vessel and the subsequent journey back through Arcturus to reestablish contact with Earth is projected to take about 5 months from now. If you diverted significant amounts of resources to this project you could cut this time down to 2 months.
(Reward: Reestabish contact with Earth faster, which provides the following:
>Greatly increased pop growth rate due to contact allowing immigration.
>Earth may give you missions that you are expected to do. Certain actions may also improve or harm relations with Earth.
>Allows Intrigue and Diplomacy actions involving the UNE.)
>There are currently no actions available for this category.
[] Research Biter pacification (Mutually exclusive with "Exterminate the Biter nests")
DC: 90
-If you could understand more about the indigenous life, perhaps you could find a way for the colony to peacefully coexist with them without having to sacrifice colony growth and development.
(Reward: Eliminates Biter attack risks. Unlocks more Biter related research.)
[] Research the practicality of using the local flora for life support systems.
DC: 80
-The efficient ability of the local trees to absorb pollutants and impurities has sparked some discussion among the scientists for their potential use as carbon dioxide scrubbers. Perhaps you should let them look into this more.
(Reward: Improved Life Support systems, reduces Approval penalties from colonies on less habitable worlds. Space Stations become more comfortable to live on.)
[] Research the practicality of using the local flora for terraforming.
DC: 80
-The possibility of using the local plants to terraform hostile atmospheres has been discussed, but a more in depth research of their hardiness is required to draw any conclusions.
(Reward: Allows terraforming of some atmospheres.)
[] Research new technologies.
DC: 60
-Order the R&D department to experiment and come up with new devices and technologies that could benefit the colony.
(Reward: ???)
[] Survey this system.
DC: 60
-The Mitakihara is equipped with a small science vessel, which can be be used to find out more about the other planets orbiting this star.
(Reward: Reveals information about the other planets in this system. Chance to detect anomalies.)
[] Survey nearby systems.
DC: 60
-The Mitakihara is equipped with a small science vessel, which can be dispatched to investigate nearby star systems through the other Charon Devices orbiting this star.
(Reward: Reveals information about a neighboring system. Chance to detect anomalies.)
DC: 90
-If you could understand more about the indigenous life, perhaps you could find a way for the colony to peacefully coexist with them without having to sacrifice colony growth and development.
(Reward: Eliminates Biter attack risks. Unlocks more Biter related research.)
[] Research the practicality of using the local flora for life support systems.
DC: 80
-The efficient ability of the local trees to absorb pollutants and impurities has sparked some discussion among the scientists for their potential use as carbon dioxide scrubbers. Perhaps you should let them look into this more.
(Reward: Improved Life Support systems, reduces Approval penalties from colonies on less habitable worlds. Space Stations become more comfortable to live on.)
[] Research the practicality of using the local flora for terraforming.
DC: 80
-The possibility of using the local plants to terraform hostile atmospheres has been discussed, but a more in depth research of their hardiness is required to draw any conclusions.
(Reward: Allows terraforming of some atmospheres.)
[] Research new technologies.
DC: 60
-Order the R&D department to experiment and come up with new devices and technologies that could benefit the colony.
(Reward: ???)
[] Survey this system.
DC: 60
-The Mitakihara is equipped with a small science vessel, which can be be used to find out more about the other planets orbiting this star.
(Reward: Reveals information about the other planets in this system. Chance to detect anomalies.)
[] Survey nearby systems.
DC: 60
-The Mitakihara is equipped with a small science vessel, which can be dispatched to investigate nearby star systems through the other Charon Devices orbiting this star.
(Reward: Reveals information about a neighboring system. Chance to detect anomalies.)
Anomalies, Quests, and Missions:
You currently have nothing worth investigating.
Personal Actions:
[] Spend time with Kōri. (Also uses Kōri's personal action.)
Progress: 0/100
-Kōri is "family", therefore it may be desirable to spend some time with her once you have a moment of low activity.
(Reward: Kōri loyalty increase. Repeatable.)
[] Schedule a private discussion with Ivan. (Also uses Ivan's personal action. Mutually exclusive with bringing him into the loop.)
-It is obvious that Mr. Volkov views some of your allowances regarding Kōri with disapproval. Perhaps a discussion with him is in order...
(Reward: Ivan remains unaware and becomes more tolerant of using Kōri for certain tasks.)
[] Bring Ivan into the loop. (Uses both Ivan and Kōri's personal actions. Mutually exclusive with having a private discussion.)
-As a valued member of the administration, perhaps you should be more transparent about your secrets with Mr. Volkov. Perhaps you and Kōri should bring him in on the secret. Kyubey may have to be involved...
(Reward: If successful, Ivan becomes Aware and somewhat more tolerant of using Kōri for certain tasks.)
[] Develop and optimize your skills.
-[] Martial (Progress: 0/100)
-[] Diplomacy (Progress: 23/100)
-[] Stewardship (Progress: 0/100)
-[] Intrigue (Progress: 0/100)
-[] Learning (Progress: 0/100)
(Reward: Relevant stat permanently increases by 1 once progress is complete. Repeatable.)
Progress: 0/100
-Kōri is "family", therefore it may be desirable to spend some time with her once you have a moment of low activity.
(Reward: Kōri loyalty increase. Repeatable.)
[] Schedule a private discussion with Ivan. (Also uses Ivan's personal action. Mutually exclusive with bringing him into the loop.)
-It is obvious that Mr. Volkov views some of your allowances regarding Kōri with disapproval. Perhaps a discussion with him is in order...
(Reward: Ivan remains unaware and becomes more tolerant of using Kōri for certain tasks.)
[] Bring Ivan into the loop. (Uses both Ivan and Kōri's personal actions. Mutually exclusive with having a private discussion.)
-As a valued member of the administration, perhaps you should be more transparent about your secrets with Mr. Volkov. Perhaps you and Kōri should bring him in on the secret. Kyubey may have to be involved...
(Reward: If successful, Ivan becomes Aware and somewhat more tolerant of using Kōri for certain tasks.)
[] Develop and optimize your skills.
-[] Martial (Progress: 0/100)
-[] Diplomacy (Progress: 23/100)
-[] Stewardship (Progress: 0/100)
-[] Intrigue (Progress: 0/100)
-[] Learning (Progress: 0/100)
(Reward: Relevant stat permanently increases by 1 once progress is complete. Repeatable.)
[] Hunt Wraiths.
-Elysium has a wraith population that needs to be kept in check lest it starts causing problems.
(Reward: Gain Grief Cubes based on success. Gain additional Corruption proportional to result. Repeatable.)
[] Explore the local area.
-This is a new planet with unknown threats. Therefore getting a lay of the land and claiming territory before other Magical Girls can do so is probably a good idea.
(Reward: Potentially gain new intel about the planet, magical girl population, and surrounding area.)
[] Assign to colony action.
-[] Specify a colony action above. That action will use this hero's stats instead of Samael's. If assigned to an action that's already been chosen, this hero's stats will instead be used to reroll in the event of failure.
-Elysium has a wraith population that needs to be kept in check lest it starts causing problems.
(Reward: Gain Grief Cubes based on success. Gain additional Corruption proportional to result. Repeatable.)
[] Explore the local area.
-This is a new planet with unknown threats. Therefore getting a lay of the land and claiming territory before other Magical Girls can do so is probably a good idea.
(Reward: Potentially gain new intel about the planet, magical girl population, and surrounding area.)
[] Assign to colony action.
-[] Specify a colony action above. That action will use this hero's stats instead of Samael's. If assigned to an action that's already been chosen, this hero's stats will instead be used to reroll in the event of failure.
[] Perform a tactical assessment of the landing site.
-In order to most effectively come up with a defense plan for the colony in the event of a large scale Biter attack, it would be a good idea to assess the surrounding area and its defensibility.
(Reward: Colony gains +5 defense against ground assaults.)
[] Accompany the Enforcers on patrol.
-You trained this peacekeeping force yourself, therefore it is only natural that you accompany them on a few patrols to make sure that they're doing their jobs properly.
(Reward: Enforcers gain more experience. Ivan may potentially notice something strange.)
[] Assign to colony action.
-[] Specify a colony action above. That action will use this hero's stats instead of Samael's. If assigned to an action that's already been chosen, this hero's stats will instead be used to reroll in the event of failure.
-In order to most effectively come up with a defense plan for the colony in the event of a large scale Biter attack, it would be a good idea to assess the surrounding area and its defensibility.
(Reward: Colony gains +5 defense against ground assaults.)
[] Accompany the Enforcers on patrol.
-You trained this peacekeeping force yourself, therefore it is only natural that you accompany them on a few patrols to make sure that they're doing their jobs properly.
(Reward: Enforcers gain more experience. Ivan may potentially notice something strange.)
[] Assign to colony action.
-[] Specify a colony action above. That action will use this hero's stats instead of Samael's. If assigned to an action that's already been chosen, this hero's stats will instead be used to reroll in the event of failure.