Now, as you consider this, your likeliest customer is, ironically enough, General George Armistead. Also known as your biggest critic.
The irony is not lost on him.
That being said, it's one of his subordinates that is coming out to view it in his name. He's still snubbing you, but he is unable to completely ignore you either.
Please give the following:
Vehicle Name:
Vehicle Type/Role: (Fighter, Bomber, Reconnaissance, etc.)
Proposed Configuration: (Describe what you want to do, the capabilities you project for it, and why the EUADF needs it)
Additional Functions: (You get to keep this design and a stockpile of some vehicles after the fact, so any additional functions to help the Super Robot? Put it here!)
@Forgothrax ninja'd me, it looks like, but he's got the basic idea. Sounds like everyone is of a likemind, though, so just hash it out. Surprise me.
@Basarin does the Air Force have jurisdiction over all flying craft, or only fixed-wing craft, with the rotary craft falling under the Army and/or Navy?
Name: V-33 Transforming Multipurpose Unit (unofficially TMU, pronounced Tea-Moo)
Type: Variable
Proposed Configuration: This combination jet-helicopter is capable of transforming between the two modes even during flight. This allows it to take off and land in very small spaces, then transform into jet mode for rapid, long distance travel. The majority of the frame is modular, and can accept mission modules that range from close air support to supply transport to sky-ambulance. Granted, this comes at the expense of performance that a more specialized frame would provide for these roles. However, for a grand majority of situations, this should be more than sufficient.
Additional Functions: Henry and Wilde have been working on a specialized set of modules that would permit the TMU to connect to Hound as part of a combined transformation. Of course, coordinating a field test of this may be difficult as it requires a separate pilot to control each vehicle.
@Forgothrax , I hope you don't mind me fleshing out the vote a bit, and adding the combiner module. If you want me to change it let me know.
Name: V-33 Transforming Multipurpose Unit (unofficially TMU, pronounced Tea-Moo)
Type: Variable
Proposed Configuration: This combination jet-helicopter is capable of transforming between the two modes even during flight. This allows it to take off and land in very small spaces, then transform into jet mode for rapid, long distance travel. The majority of the frame is modular, and can accept mission modules that range from close air support to supply transport to sky-ambulance. Granted, this comes at the expense of performance that a more specialized frame would provide for these roles. However, for a grand majority of situations, this should be more than sufficient.
Additional Functions: Henry and Wilde have been working on a specialized set of modules that would permit the TMU to connect to Hound as part of a combined transformation. Of course, coordinating a field test of this may be difficult as it requires a separate pilot to control each vehicle.
@Forgothrax , I hope you don't mind me fleshing out the vote a bit, and adding the combiner module. If you want me to change it let me know.
1-3: Earth Union Ground Defense Forces
4-6: Earth Union Air Defense Forces
7-9: Earth Union Naval Defense Forces (including Marine assets)
10-12: ??? (very likely part of the Earth Union Intelligence Agency)
Name: V-33 Transforming Multipurpose Unit (unofficially TMU, pronounced Tea-Moo)
Type: Variable
Proposed Configuration: This combination jet-helicopter is capable of transforming between the two modes even during flight. This allows it to take off and land in very small spaces, then transform into jet mode for rapid, long distance travel. The majority of the frame is modular, and can accept mission modules that range from close air support to supply transport to sky-ambulance. Granted, this comes at the expense of performance that a more specialized frame would provide for these roles. However, for a grand majority of situations, this should be more than sufficient.
Additional Functions: Henry and Wilde have been working on a specialized set of modules that would permit the TMU to connect to Hound as part of a combined transformation. Of course, coordinating a field test of this may be difficult as it requires a separate pilot to control each vehicle.
Voting for this too. Hopefully the humies of this future discovered a better energy source/oil for the fuel.
Still, can Henry and Wilde add non-mech modes to the variable configuration? If they can, it's okay. If not, this might be too complex for us at the moment. Either way, this will increase the attention from the Krausen.
@KnightDisciple, The services retain their own aerial assets, much like today's armed forces. However, you're correct in that while the EUADF has a LOT of fixed-wing aircraft, they also have some rotary craft. Just not a lot (they kind of look down on them, you see).
@CoreBrute, the EUADF is trying to find the Kausen. No one has had any luck even seeing them yet. All you know is that they might have internal divisions, but that's on par with what the Intelligence Agency have published.
@HeavyBane, Armistead has been mentioned a fair few times. Captain Sasaki actively reports to him, as she used to work for him. He only supports the Super Robot Project because Peters promised that she'd deliver something useful to him, and Sasaki's appointment to the project was his initial price. Now he's having to eat his own words. But you're correct in that he actually hasn't shown up in character. Yet.
That said, you try telling the Duo that something is impossible to do.
Alright alright lemme see what I can write up!...I don't know my military slang&Lingo so apologies if I garble things.
"Captain Zora Heyonja? Where's Armistead."
"I am not at liberty to discuss the general's location. Suffice it to say, the good general should just man up and accept the fact that he knew the bogey was on his six and didn't even try to shake it!"
The blond woman on screen shook her head contemptously as she spoke her last words.
"But business before pleasure. First off, the request. Apparently the General's been gathering lots of helo pilots from the civilian sector who want to 'make their mark' or something. So with that in mind, we're going to be providing you a supply of 360-HCs as the base model. It's normally a transportation helicopter, and it's not bad, but it's still a slow helicopter. And that's where you come in. Your end of things is to find a way for that, to configure into a high-speed transport of some kind, so we can have something that can land on a pad, helicopter style, and actually be fast enough to fly away from another Kaiju. Is this acceptable?"
"It should be. I take it that will be all?"
"Ah, two more topics I'd like to discuss. Major Devin, that loggie that got 5000 people evacuated from the Starfall Day attack a few years back-that was you right?"
"Logistican, Heyonja." corrects Peters.
"Right right, point is, you do nice work. Just because Armistead's being huffy doesn't mean there aren't eyes in the sky that appreciate what you've done. Even if Sassaki's probably trying to convince you otherwise."
"Captain, will that be all?" says Peters in an icy tone.
"Just one last thing: If you can make whatever it is faster than a 55-Teradactyl? That'd be great. I'm sick of flying those relics! Heyonja out!"
Peters groans.
"He knows I don't care for that woman and her irrelevance..."
Uhh...As far as mecha artist TheOneMoidrah who does the quest Raging Sea of Flames could be cool.
As for where?...
If I thought I could do it properly she'd have a highlander accent. I think that would translate to scottish but I've never been quite clear on where exactly that highlander accent comes from (one of the downsides of being a yankee!)
EDIT: while unimportant, Zora I imagine as having waist-length hair, though I dunno if that works with her being a pilot.
Proposed Configuration:
While the no one denies the force projection ability of the air force, one thing that it does not have is staying power or the ability to confirm kills in enemy territory. The Viking is an attempt to fix these problem. It is a design that while unsubtle combines speed and power to make sure that the lack of subtlety doesn't matter anyway. As a heavily armoured vehicle it has some of the largest engines and guns available to an aircraft. It has two modes available to it that allow it to engage various high value aerial or ground targets without problem. In "flight mode" it looks like a standard jet, abet one with a lot of armour added. It has for standard armament, two machine guns mounted under the wing close the main chassis of the vehicle as well as a pair of missile pods mounted behind and above the cockpit over the front of the engine. The engines consist of an air turboramjet to allow for supersonic travel speeds in "flight mode" with the ramjet part and quick bursts of movement in "hover/mech mode" where the engine rotates 90 degrees to point downwards and acts instead like a jetpack in order to provide a stable firing platform. In "hover/mech mode" the machine guns under the wings are released from the chassis which folds out to form a pair of arms to allow the pilot to target anyone in a 180 degree cone in front of them, while the missile pods are shifted forward so that they are now over the back of the cockpit. The rear of the chassis in this form shifts to form a pair of legs with smaller thrusters for fine manoeuvring ability and to allow the mech to both land in this mode for VTOL capabilities. In the event the mech falls over or is shot down the arms and legs allow for it to right itself and continue to fight where a conventional vehicle would have been lost. Note: the ability to transform between the two modes is not allowed when the mech is travelling at supersonic or near supersonic speeds. This allows for the Viking to live up to its namesake, for ground targets it can rapidly deploy to them in "flight mode", before transforming to wreak havoc on the area, avoiding reprisal by simply transforming back into "flight mode" to return to base. For aerial targets it can shoot the target down in "flight mode" and safely follow it down to the crash site to ensure a certain kill, engaging in "hover/mech mode" if necessary.
(Describe what you want to do, the capabilities you project for it, and why the EUADF needs it)
Additional Functions: A set of modules was made where the missiles could be replaced with machine guns. another module allows the replacement of the machine guns with a pair of hands to allow the mech to grapple in midair.
Still, can Henry and Wilde add non-mech modes to the variable configuration? If they can, it's okay. If not, this might be too complex for us at the moment. Either way, this will increase the attention from the Krausen.
I'm allowing it. If anything, that made their job a lot easier if they're making non-Mecha configurations. Variable configuration doesn't mean just Mecha form.
(That said, you're nowhere near creating Six-Shot yet. Sorry.)
Wow we had some great luck this turn. We Choose to do the Landing Pad and immediately we get the air force interested in our stuff, and on top of that we make progress with the kaiju and also get all of the other branches of the military wanting Honest Johnny's Ripping Robots. The fact that General George is one of our first actual customers is going to take a lot of support away from him criticizing the project since people can probably spot the hypocrisy.
I'm allowing it. If anything, that made their job a lot easier if they're making non-Mecha configurations. Variable configuration doesn't mean just Mecha form.
(That said, you're nowhere near creating Six-Shot yet. Sorry.)
I was thinking of the additional parts being more along the lines of converting the helicopter/jet hybrid to the other half of a Duocon. Albeit one where the car half transforms into it's own robot.
If we were developing for the army, as helicopter APC would be the shit. Flies in, drops troops, can support on the ground or take to the sky and do the gunship thing. Or a tank built on the same premise.
I was thinking of the additional parts being more along the lines of converting the helicopter/jet hybrid to the other half of a Duocon. Albeit one where the car half transforms into it's own robot.
If we were developing for the army, as helicopter APC would be the shit. Flies in, drops troops, can support on the ground or take to the sky and do the gunship thing. Or a tank built on the same premise.
I think what we should give the air Force is something like a rapid response vehicle, considering they haven't even been able to show up to the fight before it's over yet. As such, something like a helicopter<->high speed (at least mach 4 or 5, I figure) recon plane would be good, with the ability to carry some armament, not necessarily much, but enough to do something once it shows up.
Life conspires to throw curveballs at me. Here's the update anyway!
Defense Force Actions
Honest Johnathan's Configurable Cars – You are going to kill Wilde for coming up with that. But seeing as how the FRC was quite interested in the designs, and with Peters reaping all sorts of political capital for it, you think you could persuade her to try asking another service in the EUDF if they'd like to see a demonstration. Armor, aviation, vessels? You could make a sales pitch, gain more resources and also obtain your own new designs.
Peters is likely to only let you get away with this once – for now she wants Variable Configuration to be as exclusive as possible to heighten the value. But she also sees the value to gain additional support outside of Sasaki's patron, and is willing to shift over some support to you in the bargain.
Cost: 2 RP (One Time Investment)
Duration: 1 Turn
Chance for Bonus RP, Test Roll (2d6, Threshold of 4-6 (Threshold Reduced due to Well Rested))
If Successful: +2 RP, if Failure: +1 RP
General Armistead never actually arrived or sent any amount of correspondence. BG Peters relayed the EUADF's requirements via encryption. Apparently the messenger was incredibly annoying in some way to her, because all you ever received was a data file with requested specifications.
For someone who was supposedly supporting the Super Robot Project, General Armistead clearly didn't respect you at all yet. Even Sasaki is starting to look a little cross over the whole issue.
Still, you all confer with each other (the commandant, the engineers and the closest thing to an aviation expert you have), and you find a few candidates for repurposing. They were ideal for one shared reason: both were considered to have lackluster performance, being meant as a next-generation model but suffering from a plague of mechanical and design issues. All the while, their predecessors continued to outshine them and were vastly preferred to the 'successors' leaving the new models languishing. Peters quickly strikes a deal with the manufacturers, who are all too happy to provide some method of breathing new life to their products.
The specifications (as outlined by a Captain Zora Heyonja), calls for a multipurpose vehicle that can perform 'a variety of roles as dictated by the ever-changing flows of battlefield conditions.' A nice, utterly vague and an absolutely useless specification that nevertheless falls under the 'execution' section of the request. Meaning that Armistead could hold this against you if he wanted, over any little thing.
You and the Engineers agree: if the good General is going to snub you like this, you're going to snub him right back while also giving him exactly what he wants in the request.
If you understand BG Peters right, she knows that Armistead himself is highly unlikely to be swayed. But you are likely to sway his peers with something useful. But no Mecha form. You all agree you won't give him that beyond what the FRC already has access to.
Sasaki protests it…but not too much, you notice. Just enough officially on record to show that she did. You don't draw conclusions from it just yet, but it's interesting to see.
And as it turns out, Wilde and Duo need only a month to create something…unique.
Initial Results: +2 RP per turn! Additional results to follow in Interlude! Interlude pending voter choice.
Landing Pad – With your infrastructure much more established, Sasaki believes this is becoming a more viable and pressing option. The creation of dedicated landing facilities for vertical landing vehicles is something to consider, especially considering that the Gagarin makes a lot of trips between here and Unity Station. Creating a dedicated landing pad would perhaps enable more resources to come in.
Cost: 4 RP (One Time Investment)
Duration: 2 Turns (-1 Turn due to Well Planned Walls)
Progress to Security Net, Unlocks Aviation Actions, Increase of RP Income (+1/+2 per turn)
Not making the same mistake as before, and as a way of officially placating Sasaki, you personally issue a new set of build orders for the sappers that did such a fantastic job with the walls:
You want a landing pad built just outside of the campus limits.
It turns out that it's not that hard to do. The walls had enough empty space in anticipation of building something else in it, that they just have to expand the walls slightly. It wouldn't be too difficult at all to establish a hardstand landing pad.
Then came a heated discussion over, interestingly, the control tower. Or the lack of it. You're not sure anymore. All you know is that what started as a theoretical discussion over whether to establish a control tower to handle incoming aerial traffic vs. on-ground personnel with reflective safety gear and guide lights turned into an argument over the rest of the left over space. There wouldn't be anything else being built in there aside from even more redundant forces; why not just add another parallel landing section? Then the sergeant in charge of linking the pad(s) to the road network asked, why not create a gate section and create a dirt runway to accommodate both fixed wing and vertical take-off?
It's…kind of escalating. But they're also making it work with the resources you allotted them, and they show no signs of missing your deadline of the end of September. You decide it's simply better to let the experts do their thing, and you'll only be concerned if they start going over-time and over-budget.
ONGOING: Landing Pad(s) will complete construction next turn!
Engineering Actions
No Engineering Actions Taken this Turn. Turn 9, Gain Well-Rested. Lowers threshold of One applicable Engineering Action success to 3-6. Any additional Engineering Actions taken beyond applied bonus must meet regular 5-6 threshold. Must be used in Turn 9.
Dreaming of Robotic Sheep - Katarina
Cost: 1 RP Locked (1 RP Locked Next Turn)
Duration: 2 Turns
Progress to AI Supercomputer, ???
Katarina has been developing at an incredibly rapid pace. By now, Ignatov is fairly confident that she is well grounded in terms of behavior and is willing to grant additional access to the facility to her in small doses. This is both to finally connect the entire facility into a wider beneficial network, and to begin teaching Katarina how to better interact with and help more people. She seems quite happy at the idea.
However, with all the improvements Katarina has been making to the limited server hubs she calls home, there is strange activity going on in there that even she isn't sure what to make of. Ignatov is putting any course of action that opens up the servers to the rest of the facility until he figures out what's going on.
0813, 15 August, A.D. 2070
'The Lair', Engineering Bay
"You…what."
Ignatov simply offers a weary look. "I am aware, Major. Every day I work with Katarina it seems like she breaks expectations over her knee."
"It's not my fault!" Katarina protests from a nearby terminal.
You give the terminal – and the avatar Katarina decided to adopt – a mild look. "You know," you say casually, "Most of the time someone says that, they're at least usually involved in the problem."
"Well, yeah," Katarina says with a shrug. The avatar she chose to adopt was that of a young woman who seemed more at home in a workshop than anywhere else. "I was trying to improve and fix the other servers. They were getting really noisy and annoying."
"…child," Ignatov says with a sigh.
"I know, doctor," Katarina sighs, acting much like a daughter when she's being chided by her parents. She then offers a sheepish grin. "So I rewrote the server codes and they all stabilized! They were all better!"
"…were." You look over at the other server nodes, which are frantically being serviced by the Novgorod Computing Solutions team. A flash of sparks emits from one server, and one technician covered in soot walks out. She's fine, but slightly dazed. "…about that, then?"
"A few of the servers have started developing their own independent code sequences," Ignatov says. Scratching the side of his head – you could swear there's more gray in there than brown now – he says, "They are very similar to Katarina's code, but there is no sign of any meaningful sequences."
"They're not going to hurt anyone, though!" Katarina protests. "They're just kind of…" she pauses to think over the right word. "…lost? I think?"
"They do not have direction, child," Ignatov agrees. "It would be as if you first awoke with no thoughts, followed by being in a strange and utterly alien landscape. You have no context, no understanding of what to do." He sighs as the technicians below finally seem to be calming down from whatever was causing panic. "It is no wonder the code sequences are lashing out as such."
"So what's the solution then?" you ask. "If we don't have to purge any of the sequences, then we shouldn't have to." You look over at Katarina's avatar. "Especially if they could develop at all like Katarina."
"In her current state? No chance." Ignatov is blunt. "Katarina's development can't be mirrored. Their code structures simply will not permit it. I risk damaging hardware and software if I tried to force the issue…and in the light that these are potential sentient beings, I cannot justify it."
"'Every life form is a new neighbor, a new friend, if only we could reach them,'" Katarina quotes softly. You remember that passage from the Declaration of Space Exploration by one of the previous Administrators of the Earth Union. A pity the Kausen got in the way of that, but many still held to the sentiment of that speech.
"Well," you say. You decide to approach this as a positive, and not a negative. "It's better we deal with this now before it could become a problem later. Do you have any suggestions?"
"…two, Major," Ignatov says after he thinks it over. "But I won't present them yet. This is much more sensitive than rampant code gone wrong. Give me and Katarina time to present solutions."
You judge that to be fair. You know you are dealing with subjects that are well outside of your expertise. Logistics and command are what you're good at, and the edge that gives you is simply managing people and handling flows of supply.
You have experts working for you on these subjects. You'll let them do their job and find a solution.
Ongoing: Solutions presented next turn. Actions Unlocked.
Science Actions
LOCKED - ESP - Pushing Limits - Your discoveries with ESP has mostly been to do with interfacing with machines via unique psychic signals. You now have the basics of this fairly well established. Now it's time to push it further. What kind of stress tolerances can varying skill levels take? How quickly can individuals operate at higher skill ceilings? And for how long?
All answers Sam looks to answer over the course of a few months. The answers will likely make the ability of minor psychic abilities much more widespread among your staff.
Cost: 1 RP LOCKED (1 RP Locked Next Turn)
Duration: 3 Turns
Progress to Advanced ESP Theory, Unlocks Actions
"Sam here! Just want to let the staff know, heck of a job so far! You're making those stuffed shirts over at Marble Mountain Industries look like chumps! Chumps I tell you!"
"That said, while I know the focus of the study is to test for longevity of psychic powers, I am not happy to see a few things:
"Number One: No more hazing the new help. Small steps first, complicated stuff later. That means you, Lucy. Don't make me come down there."
"Number Two: I do not want anyone trying to dance the Robot when linked to the frames! The next person who does that gets to help the Engineers. You don't want to be a volunteer for the Engineers. They've been watching old cartoons for new ideas, and you might get to 'help.'"
"Number Three: There's no third pet peeve. I just wanted to say that."
"Now get cracking! I demand consistent data for Science!"
"SCIENCE!"
Ongoing: Study will conclude in two turns. 1 RP Locked next turn.
Kaiju Biotech - Okay, what is this, I don't even- – Sam is now somewhat concerned. The Kaiju sample is still inert, if somewhat altering its composition to adjust for the cold temperatures. But it's also now starting to contribute to the freezing temperatures. This is adding credence to his idea that the genetic programming is adaptable, but he never expected it to actually start mutating like this. And it's still technically dormant. Thankfully, the changes aren't so dramatic to be unrecognizable from the original sample, but it still happened.
1300, 25 August, A.D. 2070
Carlson Laboratories, Kaiju Biotechology Branch
"I'm gonna level with you, John," Sam says as you approach the test chambers. "This is all sorts of weird."
You get the feeling you should be worried if SAM thinks something is strange. "And? What've you found?"
"Bullshit is what." Okay, now you are very concerned. "But bullshit we can make use of." Donning a heavy set of gloves, he grasps at a handle and slowly pulls up a sealed container with what looks to be a piece of the standard sample. Wisps of cold flow freely from the unveiled cannister. "This is an unchanged part of the sample. The adaptive changes didn't get here yet, so we still have it as our control sample. But even this is starting to change, and quick."
He then pulls out the other sample…which almost looks like a miniature icicle. "And THIS is the bullshit. Your kaiju sample, only it decided to go local with the freezing temperatures." He gestures to the control panel. "Notice there's no power on this one?"
You gape at the panel. "None?" you demand. "You're saying it's preserving itself?"
"That's exactly what I'm saying," Sam agrees. "At least until we cut off the life support environment in this thing. And I found out how and why it's doing this thanks to diving into the genetic programming." Another screen nearby shows another set of complicated equations alongside molecular structures that you have no hope of understanding in as quick a time as your scientist can. "When the sample was blown off of the original kaiju, that sent a signal to the scales; 'self-destruct.'" The diagrams rearrange themselves to show the moment of separation, followed by chemical sequences that triggered immediately. "So it tried, and every other case study Wallflower could get his hands on shows that it's usually about a couple of hours or less before the chemical breakdown's complete."
He then shows the same sequence…with a twist. "Only problem? It physically couldn't. You stuffed it into the freezer, and we kept it in deep freeze containment for nearly a year. The chemicals that triggered lost all potency." The progression of chemical breakdown on the screen halts at roughly the 10% marker, leaving everything else intact. "So now the sample thinks, 'Oh, I was recovered by whatever made me. I'm good to go to be repurposed. Oh, what's that? I'm in really cold temperatures? I'd better get with the program.'"
"So it literally has no other way to destroy itself," you say out loud, thinking to yourself, "And because apparently Sheol didn't think it would get this far, he had no other backup methods in place?"
"Exactly what I'm thinking," Sam says. "Trust me, I checked. Once we figured that out, I tried all sorts of other tests with a few other samples. All proportional to size." He shows you additional screens, all of which are being subjected to different tests. "Put it under fire? It develops heat resistance. Put this one under lots of pressure? It'll toughen up real quick. Put this one through electrical currents? Well, it actually is kind of random between repelling the currents or acting as a conductor." Sam shakes his head. "This is good science, but it's also completely and utterly bullshit that George freakin' Sheolcould come up with this."
"…you think he had help?" you muse.
"Don't know for sure. Right now, I don't care. What I do care about is that we've established that I can now grow kaiju samples." The remaining part of the sample, still encased in its chamber, looms above both of you. "It can't destroy itself anymore, so I went and warmed it up to just below room temperature in preservation liquid."
"How soon can you start?" you ask.
"Depends. How soon can I get the resources?"
Adaptive Biology Discovered!
Kaiju Scale Cultivation Discovered!
New Actions Unlocked!
No RP locked next turn for this action!
You know, with all these AI and transforming robots, I'm starting to think we aren't making super robots anymore.
We're making Transformers. Sentient machines, with an old cartoon sense of justice. Combine that with the Kaiju scales we could even go Beast Morphers if we wanted to.
I was going to unveil that in the next turn, but you will get either a +1 Bonus RP income, or +2. That would be rolled by a d6 each turn, with 1-3/4-6 determining how much you got.
Either way, it offers more RP, so you're good there.
@CoreBrute, I would also hazard to say you all are trying to recreate the Brave/Yuusha. Also with a very similar aesthetic to Transformers (due to both having origins with Takara), and both were undoubtedly Super compared to Real Robots.
