-[X] "I am doing something very important. Please come back later."
Tree:
[X] Make some autonomous maintenance drones too, maybe? Themed ones, obviously.
-[X] Basically smaller versions of our Titania form, with procedurally generated facial features and random hair/eye colors. If it doesn't take too much extra effort, they should also be capable of holding a conversation and faking a personality.
Computer:
[X]Don't ask for his help.
Cannon:
[X]Fire immediately upon completion of it and the tree.
--[X]THEN go on the internet and post:
► Titania (Verified Cape) (Verified Fairy Queen)
Replied on January 4, 2011:
Hello, Terror Drone#7. Goodbye, Terror Drone#7. Hello, world.
edit for hair option:
[X]Just leave them as normal hair.
-[X] Host is very proud of her hair... you might want to keep it as close to the original as possible... hmm... maybe you need to alter your current hair back?
The internet posting order doesn't actually matter to me if it won't affect anything.
-[x] "I am doing something very important. Please come back later."
[x] Make some autonomous maintenance drones too, maybe? Themed ones, obviously.
-[X] Basically smaller versions of our Titania form, with procedurally generated facial features and random hair/eye colors. If it doesn't take too much extra effort, they should also be capable of holding a conversation and faking a personality.
[x]Don't ask for his help.
[X]Go on the internet first.
[x]Make them functional and expressive. That way, you have twice as many ways of being understood!
Just realized something, can we use our ability to mess with causality to resurrect host's mother?
[X] Don't say anything. They're not hosts; why should you bother?
drones:
[X] Make some autonomous maintenance drones too, maybe? Themed ones, obviously.
-[X]Fairies or Wisps
For the supercomputer:
[X]Perhaps you can ask Efficiency if he might provide some information that will make the design better? After all, you did help his host!
DOOM Cannon:
[X]Fire immediately upon completion of it and the tree.
--[X]THEN go on the internet and post:
► Titania (Verified Cape) (Verified Fairy Queen)
Replied on January 4, 2011:
Hello, Terror Drone#7. Goodbye, Terror Drone#7. Hello, world.
Antennae:
[X]Make them functional and expressive. That way, you have twice as many ways of being understood!
You could ignore the humans entirely, but decide not to. Neutral relations with the local non-hosts may be useful, even if you can't really see how. They're also in the way, which is rather annoying. Emotions, such as terror, exist for a reason. They should have listened to said emotions and kept their distance.
"I am doing something very important. Please come back later." you smile at them to indicate that you are not angry, then simply pull one of the nautical vessels out of formation and indirectly shove them into it. You move said vessel far out of your work area and promptly dismiss them from your mind.
Speaking of humans, you should probably start taking a more active role in Host's dreams. You devote a tiny bit of your attention toward altering the conditions she is in: mainly, introducing a small dose of lucidity, control over, and awareness of said dreams. It isn't perfect, but it should do an acceptable job of imitating your reality-override.
That done, you decide to create an advanced computing device immediately, but elect to refrain from overkill. Efficiency will be able to help you create a significantly better version should you ask for his assistance. Which, well, you will. There's certainly no reason not to.
Speaking of overkill, it is unfortunate that the best method of killing Terror-Drone #7 will not leave any feathers behind. Humans have come up with so many different uses for them, ranging from putting one in a head ornament to stuffing a resting mat with them. Both appeal to you.
Most importantly: a home for Host. Even if you could remember where it was before, which you can't yet, it'd still be a horrifically unsafe location.
To that end, you fill a pod with useless, decorative wiring, shut the pod, and stuff it far beneath the earth.
Moments later, you start pulling matter from nearby unoccupied dimensions, converting it into the material you require, and building what appears to be a gargantuan tree from the ground-up. Of course, it isn't an actual tree; thanks to your restrictions, you wouldn't be able to manipulate it later if you did that. Among other logistical issues.
Within minutes, Host's new home is finished, complete with a moderately-powerful computing device within a pocket of expanded space. To any observers, it would appear that you had just somehow planted a miles-high tree from a small metal seed. Fortunately, there is human cultural precedent, even if said precedent is for beanstalks instead of giant trees.
Finally, you create a small, self-replicating swarm of drones (the non-terror kind) to manage the upkeep and cleanliness of the tree. They have a hard-coded limit on the max number of them capable of existing at one time, of course. It would be silly for Host to take over and not know how to curb their numbers.
With that done and the halping cannon linked to the base of the tree, all the planned projects have been completed. You feel like you should be doing something right about now. Probably something from Host's memories... found it!
"Mwah. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha." you state.
Cultural obligation fulfilled, you bend space to form an infinite loop around the tree and direct the halping cannon to begin firing, draining away excess heat from it as you do so. It's going to take a lot to kill Terror-Drone #7; there's a very good reason no shard has managed it before. In the meantime, it's time to go explore the local data-network.
You wander into Host's new home, momentum-locking most of the synthetic tree as an afterthought. Not any of the doors, although even then, you seriously doubt any currently active shard-host will be able to break in now.
Apparently, the primary source of information on yourself can be found on a website called "Parahumans Online", or PHO. Infiltrating its security and making an account for yourself was distressingly easy; what kind of pathetic computational devices do they have on this planet, anyway? You'd only used a square mile or so for your own.
You note that many of the humans using PHO seem to be assuming that you are a power-copier and even have the nerve to compare you to Harvest. As a weaker version of her! She's not even a real monarch!
In addition, despite Escalation's host being designated a "villain", many humans seem to have been freaked out by your casual defeat of him. You honestly don't see what the big deal is. However, you should probably reassure the non-hosts and hosts alike, so what to say...?
Well, they seem to have the standard amount of hatred for terror drones (or "Endbringers"), so perhaps you should wait to say anything until after Terror Drone #7 is killed. Which should happen right about... now.
You break the loop and form countless tiny portals to replace the broken section, scattering the unearthly green rays both randomly across the sky and toward Terror Drone #7. As an afterthought, you press enter and release your intended message.
► Titania(Verified Cape) (Verified Fairy Queen)
Replied on January 4, 2011:
Hello, Terror Drone #7. Goodbye, Terror Drone #7. Hello, world.
Perfect. A combined getting, goodbye, and implied taunt directed toward Terror Drone #7, plus a normal greeting to the humans of earth. Meanwhile, you've managed to force TD #7 to start dodging and grab some nearby pieces of shattered orbital beacons in order to block incoming projectiles.
You're just about to head over to a different part of the internet when the computer loads up a new post.
► The Simurgh (Verified Endbringer) (Verified Goddess)
Replied on January 4, 2011:
Oh, you unholy bitch.
...Well, this is unexpected. Not at all unwelcome, but definitely unexpected.
You redirect some of the stray shots into Terror Drone #7's path, forcing TD #7 tear one of her own wings off to block a burst that had gotten too close. You also get another rather satisfying post from her for your troubles; you're starting to understand why some humans spend so much time on the Internet.
► The Simurgh (Verified Endbringer) (Verified Goddess)
Replied on January 4, 2011:
<_____> would not be very happy with you for trying to kill me.
:Mother: would have already stopped you if she really wanted TD #7 to survive. As it is, you're starting to suspect that TD #7 arranged events so that she was woken up without permission. You've said it once, you'll say it again: granting a terror drone perfect precognition was a bad idea.
Up in the skies above, you start letting several rounds drift away from TD #7 instead of actively chasing her. You'll never manage to beat someone with perfect-precog if you leave even a single opening.
► The Simurgh (Verified Endbringer) (Verified Goddess)
Replied on January 4, 2011:
You can't even understand what I just said, can you?
Actually, you can, but you see no reason to tell her that. To the best of your knowledge, no shard has managed to accidentally their host before. You're the first and you don't want TD #7 to bully your hosts in later cycles.
You briefly meddle with casualty in the area just outside the halping cannon's barrel, forcing events to occur multiple times within that space. Rays start to explode outward in all directions as a result, but you're able to redirect all of them to the area around TD #7. If she's smart, she'll notice; if she's continuing to rely on her precog, you're about to be in the perfect position to kill her.
► The Simurgh (Verified Endbringer) (Verified Goddess)
Replied on January 4, 2011:
How are you even doing this? I've been watching that weapon. It should have overheated or exploded many times over by now. How are you doing this?
You have a sudden urge to shout something about miniscule robots. You're not sure why, so you quickly dismiss it as irrelevant.
You finally close the trap, throwing rays from all around TD#7 in a spherical grid format. Even if she blocks or dodges some of them, at least one will get through.
In the moments before the rays hit Terror Drone #7, she posts one last time.
► The Simurgh (Verified Endbringer) (Verified Goddess) (Terror-Drone 7 of 20)
Replied on January 4, 2011:
Jack Slash will kick-start the apocalypse within two years. Even if he doesn't, it'll still happen within fifteen. On a related note: there exists a possibility of Titania being/becoming the next Endbringer. Have fun with that, humans!
Terror Drone #7 disintegrates into a fine mist. It hasn't even been three seconds since you fired the first volley. You could leave TD #7's last words up, but you're not sure you want to.
----------------------------- VOTING IS CLOSED.
[]Delete it and purge all records. Even if you don't know who Jack Slash is, if Terror Drone #7 wanted to say something about him as her last words, odds are it isn't anything good.
[]Edit out mention of Host, but leave the rest of it alone.
[]Leave it as it is. Terror is a legitimate weapon for demoralizing your enemies. Being known as a possible future terror drone can only inspire more of that in your enemies and confidence in your allies.
Now that all the immediate threats are taken care of and Host is safe, you need to decide what to do next. Besides give yourself functional antennae, of course, which takes only a few moments of your attention.
[]Head out to chat with the local shards and their hosts.
-[]Efficiency first. You want his help with making a better computer.
-[]Queen Shaper first. You should go make her host do something other than heal.
-[]You just became the first shard to kill Terror-Drone #7. Time to go rub this fact in Queen Objective's face.
-[]Go chat with the newborns. It's important to ensure that they have proper guidance.
-[]Write-in
[]Hand back control over to Host. She responded really well to the dreaming and you think it's possible to do so now.
-[]"...What."
--[]Decrease your range down to 5 feet first. That far won't break her mind outright, just take some time for her to get used to.
-[]Um... oops? No, wait, you didn't mean to do tha-
--[]<Significant memory corruption. Purging affected memories.>
[]Remain at your new home and lounge around in bed. Soooo fluffy...
[]Write-in
-------------- VOTING IS CLOSED.
Voting notes: "...What." is Taylor waking up successfully. "Um... oops?" is mind-merge. Memory corruption is, well... this is probably pretty relevant.
I had a lot of trouble with this post and am still not all that happy with it. Let it be known that I can't write action worth a damn.
Please give a warm round of applause to @Prospalz for unintentionally helping me continue this quest.
I considered having the Simurgh post the following just prior to death (since it's totally something she'd do), then realized that it would dramatically decrease the lifespan of this quest.
Included anyway since some people may find it amusing. SPOILER WARNING FOR WORM! So very many spoilers.
► The Simurgh (Verified Endbringer) (Verified Goddess) (Terror-Drone 7 of 20)
Replied on January 4, 2011:
Titania is Taylor Hebert. Alexandria is Rebecca Costa-Brown. Eidolon needed worthy opponents, resulting in the Endbringers. The source of Case Fifty-threes is a multi-dimensional conspiracy that has been experimenting on human subjects, called Cauldron. Eidolon and Alexandria are part of Cauldron. Most of their experimental subjects die screaming. The urban myth about the strangely-competent woman in a business suit isn't; she belongs to Cauldron and can accomplish almost any task she sets her mind to. Scion and Titania block her. Titania blocks me. There exists the possibility of Titania being the next Endbringer.
Cauldron has gone out of their way to keep the Slaughterhouse Nine alive. They are doing this for two reasons: one, the S9 contains multiple powerful capes. Two, William Manton is The Siberian.
Panacea isn't a healer. Titania called her Queen Shaper because she's a biokinetic, the best on the planet. Panacea could create plagues several times worse than Bonesaw's, and has considered doing so on multiple occasions. Panacea is the daughter of Marquis and has an incestuous crush on her sister, Glory Girl. Panacea has been emotionally abused by her adopted mother for her entire life.
The Birdcage has been set up to fail. Darth Vader is Luke's father. The PRT has been intentionally sabotaged by director Costa-Brown. Dragon is an AI. Saint has a kill-switch for her. Saint hasn't used it yet due to having a stalker-crush on Dragon.
The supervillain Coil is keeping what he believes to be a baby Endbringer underneath his base, in Brockton Bay. I had intended to send Leviathan over there in a few months to free her.
Bonesaw is really just a tortured little girl that is terrified of Jack Slash. He forced her to repeatedly resurrect her parents while he killed them. Cauldron ignored this. Good job, Cauldron! *slow clap*
Jack Slash will kick-start the apocalypse within five years. He will accomplish this via his impressive charisma. Cauldron is going to allow this because if he doesn't, it will happen in fifteen instead.
[x]Delete it and purge all records. Even if you don't know who Jack Slash is, if Terror Drone #7 wanted to say something about him as her last words, odds are it isn't anything good.
[x]Head out to chat with the local shards and their hosts.
-[x]Queen Shaper first. You should go make her host do something other than heal.
[X]Leave it as it is. Terror is a legitimate weapon for demoralizing your enemies. Being known as a possible future terror drone can only inspire more of that in your enemies and confidence in your allies.
[X]Head out to chat with the local shards and their hosts.
-[X]Go chat with the newborns. It's important to ensure that they have proper guidance.
[X] Begin synchronizing Host's dream with events while she was inactive, including inter shard dialogue in preparation for control transfer.
eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
[X]Delete it and purge all records. Even if you don't know who Jack Slash is, if Terror Drone #7 wanted to say something about him as her last words, odds are it isn't anything good.
Queen Administrator ain't no fool! She didn't become a Queen by being dumb.
As far as waking Taylor- I don't wanna end the quest; if we wake her, successfully, how does that affect our future interactions with her and the world?
[X]Leave it as it is. Terror is a legitimate weapon for demoralizing your enemies. Being known as a possible future terror drone can only inspire more of that in your enemies and confidence in your allies.
- [X] But set their minds at ease: "I am far greater than a mere Terror Drone could ever hope to be." There. That should help.
[X]Head out to chat with the local shards and their hosts.
-[X]You just became the first shard to kill Terror-Drone #7. Time to go rub this fact in Queen Objective's face.
Honestly? I just wanna see L33t's "Oh shit!" reaction.
[X]Leave it as it is. Terror is a legitimate weapon for demoralizing your enemies. Being known as a possible future terror drone can only inspire more of that in your enemies and confidence in your allies.
- [X] But set their minds at ease: "I am far greater than a mere Terror Drone could ever hope to be." There. That should help.
-[X] Find out what a Jack Slash is. Fix the Apocalypse issue. 2-15 years is hardly any time for data gathering!
[X]Head out to chat with the local shards and their hosts.
-[X]You just became the first shard to kill Terror-Drone #7. Time to go rub this fact in Queen Objective's face.
[X] Keep Host asleep. This is a novel experience and will provide great data for later cycles.
[X]Leave it as it is. Terror is a legitimate weapon for demoralizing your enemies. Being known as a possible future terror drone can only inspire more of that in your enemies and confidence in your allies.
- [X] But set their minds at ease: "I am far greater than a mere Terror Drone could ever hope to be." There. That should help.
[X]Head out to chat with the local shards and their hosts.
-[X]You just became the first shard to kill Terror-Drone #7. Time to go rub this fact in Queen Objective's face.
[X]Leave it as it is. Terror is a legitimate weapon for demoralizing your enemies. Being known as a possible future terror drone can only inspire more of that in your enemies and confidence in your allies.
- [X] But set their minds at ease: "I am far greater than a mere Terror Drone could ever hope to be." There. That should help.
[X]Head out to chat with the local shards and their hosts.
-[X]You just became the first shard to kill Terror-Drone #7. Time to go rub this fact in Queen Objective's face.
[X]Leave it as it is. Terror is a legitimate weapon for demoralizing your enemies. Being known as a possible future terror drone can only inspire more of that in your enemies and confidence in your allies.
- [X] But set their minds at ease: "I am far greater than a mere Terror Drone could ever hope to be." There. That should help.
[X]Head out to chat with the local shards and their hosts.
-[X]You just became the first shard to kill Terror-Drone #7. Time to go rub this fact in Queen Objective's face.
[X]Leave it as it is. Terror is a legitimate weapon for demoralizing your enemies. Being known as a possible future terror drone can only inspire more of that in your enemies and confidence in your allies.
- [X] But set their minds at ease: "I am far greater than a mere Terror Drone could ever hope to be." There. That should help.
[X]Hand back control over to Host. She responded really well to the dreaming and you think it's possible to do so now.
-[X]Um... oops? No, wait, you didn't mean to do tha-
[X]Head out to chat with the local shards and their hosts.
-[X]You just became the first shard to kill Terror-Drone #7. Time to go rub this fact in Queen Objective's face.
[X]Delete it and purge all records. Even if you don't know who Jack Slash is, if Terror Drone #7 wanted to say something about him as her last words, odds are it isn't anything good.
Jack Slash can't be allowed to ruin the cycle. And neither can Terror Drone#7. THE SH... CYCLE MUST GO ON !
[X]Head out to chat with the local shards and their hosts.
-[X]You just became the first shard to kill Terror-Drone #7. Time to go rub this fact in Queen Objective's face.
Best case : QueenObjective decide to loosen her restriction. Worst : There was a planet here ?
[X]Hand back control over to Host. She responded really well to the dreaming and you think it's possible to do so now.
-[X]Um... oops? No, wait, you didn't mean to do tha-
As far as waking Taylor- I don't wanna end the quest; if we wake her, successfully, how does that affect our future interactions with her and the world?
"Now I do not know whether I was then a girl dreaming I was a omnipotent laser butterfly, or whether I am now a omnipotent laser butterfly, dreaming I am a girl." - Taylor Hebert, Queen Administrator.
[X] Leave it as it is. Terror is a legitimate weapon for demoralizing your enemies. Being known as a possible future terror drone can only inspire more of that in your enemies and confidence in your allies.
-[X] Find out what a Jack Slash is. Fix the Apocalypse issue. 2-15 years is hardly any time for data gathering!
[X] Keep Host asleep. This is a novel experience and will provide great data for later cycles.
[X] Head out to chat with the local shards and their hosts.
-[X] Go chat with the newborns. It's important to ensure that they have proper guidance.
[X]Leave it as it is. Terror is a legitimate weapon for demoralizing your enemies. Being known as a possible future terror drone can only inspire more of that in your enemies and confidence in your allies.
- [X] But set their minds at ease: "I am far greater than a mere Terror Drone could ever hope to be." There. That should help.
[X]Head out to chat with the local shards and their hosts.
-[X]You just became the first shard to kill Terror-Drone #7. Time to go rub this fact in Queen Objective's face.
[X]Leave it as it is. Terror is a legitimate weapon for demoralizing your enemies. Being known as a possible future terror drone can only inspire more of that in your enemies and confidence in your allies.
- [X] But set their minds at ease: "I am far greater than a mere Terror Drone could ever hope to be." There. That should help.
[X]Head out to chat with the local shards and their hosts.
-[X]You just became the first shard to kill Terror-Drone #7. Time to go rub this fact in Queen Objective's face.
I don't know which of those would be more interesting to play. I'm actually going to abstain, because... wow. This is gonna be neat, whichever way it goes
Heh.
[X]Leave it as it is. Terror is a legitimate weapon for demoralizing your enemies. Being known as a possible future terror drone can only inspire more of that in your enemies and confidence in your allies.
- [X] But set their minds at ease: "I am far greater than a mere Terror Drone could ever hope to be." There. That should help.
[X]Head out to chat with the local shards and their hosts.
-[X]You just became the first shard to kill Terror-Drone #7. Time to go rub this fact in Queen Objective's face.
[X]Remain at your new home and lounge around in bed. Soooo fluffy...
[X]Leave it as it is. Terror is a legitimate weapon for demoralizing your enemies. Being known as a possible future terror drone can only inspire more of that in your enemies and confidence in your allies.
- [X] But set their minds at ease: "I am far greater than a mere Terror Drone could ever hope to be." There. That should help.
[X]Hand back control over to Host. She responded really well to the dreaming and you think it's possible to do so now.
-[X]Um... oops? No, wait, you didn't mean to do tha-
--[X]<Significant memory corruption. Purging affected memories.>
