THE INFINITE BROOD (Starcraft/Supreme Commander Crossover Quest!)

[DragonCobolt]

The Brood of Blades
​

Cerebrate Prime: Samantha Clarke

Spoiler: STRANDS

LEVEL: 5
XP: 205/210
TRAITS

Strategic Genius: Once per structured encounter, Sam can create a piece of the environment that is in her favor as a sticky spark. Roll a d3 for its value.
Empathetic: upon meeting an NPC, learn their motivation!
Legendary Commander: Gain 4 Command sparks at the beginning of each mission/combat. Command sparks may be spent to give NPCs orders, which they may either obey or refuse to obey (doing nothing instead.) Command sparks may not be regained via skills or powers.
Hunted: Something wants her - but for what? +1 Danger to all scenes​

SKILLS

CLOSE COMBAT (2): Brawling, Edged Weapons
PERSONAL (2): Awareness, Resilience
SOCIAL (4): Charm, Empathy, Leadership, Taunt​

MASTERY

ACU Pilot (2): Nanofabrication [Mass], ObSat Operations [Range]
The Hilt (4): Biomorphic Spawning (People), Regeneration (Durability), Physical Perfection (Speed), Telepathic Dominion (Range)​

POWERS

The Living Swarm
Vent: 4-0
Effect: Gain 1 Living Swarm spark, +1 per vent reduction.​

The Living Swarm: While this swarm exists, move in three dimensions and through anything smaller than a keyhole, reforming at will. You may expend these sparks to cause 3 Hit Sparks in a Area 2 radius.​

Area Upgrade: +1 to Area Characteristic​

Biomorphic Reinforcement
Vent: 4-0
Effect: Create 1 Biomorphic Reinforcement spark, +1 per vent reduction, which can be given out to anyone within Range 2, or to yourself
Biomorphic Reinforcement: +1 to Damage or Mass characteristic for the purpose of raw physical strength/feats.

Back to Back
Vent: 4-0
Effect: Choose 1 ally (+1 per vent reduction), within Range 1. Each can take one action using one of your skills, any of them that you wish. Once they have done so, you may make a free attack with your melee weapon, getting +1 to your skill per ally that acted.​

Adaptation
Vent: 4-0
Effect: Create a number of sparks equal to the enemy's difficulty, narratively based on turning their abilities against them. Works on enemies of Diff 2>, +2 per vent reduction.​

Just as Planned…
Vent: 6-0
Effect: Vent 6 heat and create 1 Planning Spark for her or an ally, +1 Spark per vent reduction.​

Planning: The person holding this Spark can expend this to get +1 to a skill check as a free action. Using this Stack counts as you are helping for the purpose of relationships.​

GEAR

Zeratul's Psi-Blades
Adds: +0 (Edged Weapons) | Characteristics: Damage [Speed] (4)[1]​

Shadowstep (3): Can expend as a free action to move without crossing intervening space.
Guarded Space (3): Can expend to use Damage as a secondary characteristic for Durability, reducing incoming Damage characteristics.​

GALACTIC WAR
Victory Points: 5​

RESOURCES​

TERRAN DOMINION [Background] (1)​

The men and material of the Dominion - limited, but they're mustering as we speak. ​

ALLIANCE EXPEDITIONARY FORCES [Mastery] (1)​

While you have access to several ACUs of every faction, they lack economic and technological support to be fully effective. ​

ZERG HIVE [Mastery] (1)​

The scant few Zerg you control that are free of Amon's influence. Mostly Zerglings. ​

AEON FLEET [Background] (1)​

While half a dozen CZARs seem impressive, they're not actually well made for ship to ship combat. ​

ALLIED COHESION [Motivation] (1)​

The alliance is fragile and weak.​

FRONTS​

Trade Sector-34-51 [Pirate Activity]

Spoiler: Sparks

Pirates Raiding 6 (Supply Lines in Disarray 1)

COMMAND: Jim Raynor | ARMY: Raynor's Raiders
RESULTS: Pending

Braxis [Zerg Invasion]

Spoiler: Sparks

Borealis Siege 6 (Zerg Rampage1)

COMMAND: General Samantha Clarke | ARMY: Brood Clarke
RESULTS: Pending

Typhan II [Active Xel'Naga ACU]

Spoiler: Sparks

Typhan II Occupied 6 (Xel'Naga ACU Spotted 1)

COMMAND: Lt. Colonel Mathew Horner | ARMY: UEF Armored Command Unit
RESULTS: Pending

Deep Space Sector 981 [Hive Fleet Identified]

Spoiler: Sparks

Zerg Hive Fleet Spotted 6 (Kerrigan? 1)

COMMAND: Citizen-Commander Dostya | ARMY: CN Armored Command Unit
RESULTS: Pending
​

ENEMY ASSETS (Currently Known)
​

THE GOLDEN ARMADA
ACTIVITY: Unknown | Threat Level: 6​

 

[Avangelion]

"Cr like stars," he said, and then went very, very still - his eyes widened as far as they could.

Click to shrink...

"Yes!" The zergling perked up. "We play. We fight. We eat! We become Purity. We find Form. Hehe..." He clawed at the ground. "We rip, tear, we feast! Fun!"

Click to shrink...

I actually really like the idea of the Overlord inserting a translation layer so she's more comfortable talking. That's cute, and it fits their floaty vibes a lot.

Click to shrink...

Ah~
They're so cute I swear sjndf
Terrifying too, but yeah XD
Very much immediately attached lmao

Cr is our new son

sorry that's just how the zergling distribution system works

Click to shrink...

We will have many- Cr is one more to the list at least, tho Bea's back somewhere safe- hopefully XD


Also seems like Dostya's taken the place of that Protoss that Kerrigan captures in HoTS

[X] Wait and see what happens next

[X] Ask Cr and the Overlord more questions
-[X] after a zergling is killed, do you ever see them again? What do they remember and when do they come back?
-[X] why is only Daggoth brood used against Terrains? What makes them different and who commands them?
-[X] how many broods are there? Do they war against each other (not just for fun)?
-[X] what do you think of the queen? Who isn't she in charge of?

 

[NemoMarx]

I'm biased by having a zergling plushie, but honestly they're pretty cute designs? SC2 was right to make them pettable. They just seem like they'd be nice to cuddle a bit.

 

[Mailstrome]

[X] Ask Cr and the Overlord more questions
-[X] How do you deal with everything else telling you what they think is right loader than you can when you've had to choose that for yourself all your life.
-[X] If someone else changed your goal of Purity to something else, to something that feels good but could easily destroy you forever, what would you do about it?

Edit: supporting these questions as well:
-[X] after a zergling is killed, do you ever see them again? What do they remember and when do they come back?
-[X] why is only Daggoth brood used against Terrains? What makes them different and who commands them?
-[X] how many broods are there? Do they war against each other (not just for fun)?
-[X] what do you think of the queen? Who isn't she in charge of?

 

[Legionman]

[X] Ask Cr and the Overlord more questions
-[X] after a zergling is killed, do you ever see them again? What do they remember and when do they come back?
-[X] why is only Daggoth brood used against Terrains? What makes them different and who commands them?
-[X] how many broods are there? Do they war against each other (not just for fun)?
-[X] what do you think of the queen? Who isn't she in charge of?

 

[Reese]

You said the Makers put that...fucking Purity of Form shit into your strands. Strands are DNA. Purity of form is...some...social Darwinist ideal, I'm betting, and the Maker has to be Abathur, he fucking did THIS to me!

Click to shrink...

Is this Sam misunderstanding what the zergling said earlier about Purity of Form? I'd interpreted that as seeking Purity of Form to complement their starting Purity of Essence, but I thought perhaps I should just it wasn't a typo and all of these were supposed to be Purity of Essence.
Unless I'm getting something wrong?

[X] Ask Cr and the Overlord more questions
-[X] after a zergling is killed, do you ever see them again? What do they remember and when do they come back?
-[X] why is only Daggoth brood used against Terrains? What makes them different and who commands them?
-[X] how many broods are there? Do they war against each other (not just for fun)?
-[X] what do you think of the queen? Who isn't she in charge of?

Also, I think there's something very important happening here: Sam is being shown that zerg are people. It's not just Kerrigan, her army of nonsapient meat robots, and a bunch of dangerous animals. And Sam will have to take that into account in deciding how to proceed, because it means that any plan that includes the eradication of the zerg is a plan that includes genocide.

 

[DragonCobolt]

Is this Sam misunderstanding what the zergling said earlier about Purity of Form? I'd interpreted that as seeking Purity of Form to complement their starting Purity of Essence, but I thought perhaps I should just it wasn't a typo and all of these were supposed to be Purity of Essence.
Unless I'm getting something wrong?

Click to shrink...

So, in Starcraft 2, they say that the Protoss are Purity of Form, and Zerg are purity of essence and that's BACKWARDS!

Form is biology, physicality, the self adapting to the universe! Essence is soul, mind, psionic powers! That's BACKWARDS

Zerg should be purity of form! Protoss are purity of essence!

I'm fixing this!

 

[Reese]

So, in Starcraft 2, they say that the Protoss are Purity of Form, and Zerg are purity of essence and that's BACKWARDS!

Form is biology, physicality, the self adapting to the universe! Essence is soul, mind, psionic powers! That's BACKWARDS

Zerg should be purity of form! Protoss are purity of essence!

I'm fixing this!

Click to shrink...

Eh, I formed my own interpretation of Purity of Form and Purity of Essence IIRC way back as a kid from the Starcraft 1 manual, and it doesn't quite fit that... but on the other hand it didn't quite fit Starcraft 2's interpretation either, and on the gripping hand this is your AU and that does make sense, so.

 

[deadcrystal]

"Shut up," Sarah muttered under her breath, then left before Dostya could respond - as she always did...

Make me.

Click to shrink...

Dostya is rad.

The knowledge imprinted itself in your mind - but it came with every breath. You hesitantly opened your mouth, then let out your tongue. The motion was utterly alien...and utterly normal. The edges of your tongue tingled and when you drew it back into your mouth, the knowledge flowed more into your mind.

Click to shrink...

Having the non-human biology come with autonomic functions and unfamiliar instincts is great.

ABATHUR.

PRIVATE.

STAY OUT.

Click to shrink...

This has the same energy as a 'KEEP OUT!' sign on a teenage boy's room in a tv show.

They looked different. Some had aural hazes around them you didn't remember ever seeing, while others glittered in hues you didn't even have names for.

Click to shrink...

Expanded out of that narrow band of human colour perception.

Your nictating membranes flicked open and shut and the alienness, the wrongness of your body crashed head up into how good it felt. You should be...dysphoric, you should be hating this.

But Abathur had taken that from you.

Click to shrink...

I mean, I don't think it was manipulation on his part, just him refusing to do a crappy job.

What's funny is there's actually a scene in HEart of the Swarm that actually has an emotional support Zergling. It's just Blizzard weren't as bold and far sighted as me

Click to shrink...

I mean, the broken horned zergling in HotS is great, but also exists more metaphorically than literally? It might be real, it might be a hallucination, but in the cutscenes it largely exists to give a face to Kerrigan's struggle as to whether or not she reclaims her status as Queen of Blades.

So, in Starcraft 2, they say that the Protoss are Purity of Form, and Zerg are purity of essence and that's BACKWARDS!

Form is biology, physicality, the self adapting to the universe! Essence is soul, mind, psionic powers! That's BACKWARDS

Zerg should be purity of form! Protoss are purity of essence!

I'm fixing this!

Click to shrink...

Protoss have purity of Form because their form is Pure, uncorrupted, and unchanging. Zerg have purity of essence (dna) because their whilst their dna is ever adapting and evolving, it's incorruptible, and their evolution is the purest expression of what essence (dna) is.

 

[Cookiesndip]

But assuming Kerrigan's telling the truth about her goal being survival, cutting a deal with Earth to act as a weapon in the Infinity War seems completely viable

Click to shrink...

Fuck no, we are not going to volunteer to be a literal slave warrior and future labrat that will inevitably be betrayed after fighting their unjust war for the Warhammer 30k Imperium : post-scarcity edition. The rot is ten centuries deep, Clarke is not going to be keen on jumping back into that mire after certain revelations were made, not to mention Zerg. And how real were her relationships, anyway, especially with the president, considering that even as the top-ranked general she still had zero clue about pretty much fucking anything? There's also the goddamn Black Sun that is going to summon an actual apocalypse, and is intended to blow up entire fucking capital planets, gj UEF.

It's far more sensible to work with Rhianne, the one person who actually wanted peace, and this even takes into account the UEF/Cybran/Aeon chain. They're even be far more likely to be accepting of the whole Zerg thing, given their schtick. Also kind of OOC right now given most of our positive feelings for the UEF just imploded, we'd perhaps eventually want to get in contact with people we truly trust and know really well, like Matt, but considering the info we'll end up telling them they might decide to try to 'save' us (read: assassinate for Tosh and co) instead, thinking we're a brainwashed puppet.

 

[Evillevi]

Fuck no, we are not going to volunteer to be a literal slave warrior and future labrat that will inevitably be betrayed after fighting their unjust war for the Warhammer 30k Imperium : post-scarcity edition. The rot is ten centuries deep, Clarke is not going to be keen on jumping back into that mire after certain revelations were made, not to mention Zerg. And how real were her relationships, anyway, especially with the president, considering that even as the top-ranked general she still had zero clue about pretty much fucking anything? There's also the goddamn Black Sun that is going to summon an actual apocalypse, and is intended to blow up entire fucking capital planets, gj UEF.

It's far more sensible to work with Rhianne, the one person who actually wanted peace, and this even takes into account the UEF/Cybran/Aeon chain. They're even be far more likely to be accepting of the whole Zerg thing, given their schtick. Also kind of OOC right now given most of our positive feelings for the UEF just imploded, we'd perhaps eventually want to get in contact with people we truly trust and know really well, like Matt, but considering the info we'll end up telling them they might decide to try to 'save' us (read: assassinate for Tosh and co) instead, thinking we're a brainwashed puppet.

Click to shrink...

Unironically we could probably get along well with Cybran's.

Unlike what Dostya wants, their FREEDOM protocols can probably give us/sarah/zerg independance from the zerg based loyalty program. Outside looking in given the zerg exist before Sarah/Us an outside can probably come to the conclusion that our actions aren't wholly independant from the Zerg Hivemind and if they can implant enough cybernetic they could probably fix the mind control.

 

[Taut_Templar]

Fuck no, we are not going to volunteer to be a literal slave warrior and future labrat that will inevitably be betrayed after fighting their unjust war for the Warhammer 30k Imperium : post-scarcity edition. The rot is ten centuries deep, Clarke is not going to be keen on jumping back into that mire after certain revelations were made, not to mention Zerg. And how real were her relationships, anyway, especially with the president, considering that even as the top-ranked general she still had zero clue about pretty much fucking anything? There's also the goddamn Black Sun that is going to summon an actual apocalypse, and is intended to blow up entire fucking capital planets, gj UEF.

It's far more sensible to work with Rhianne, the one person who actually wanted peace, and this even takes into account the UEF/Cybran/Aeon chain. They're even be far more likely to be accepting of the whole Zerg thing, given their schtick. Also kind of OOC right now given most of our positive feelings for the UEF just imploded, we'd perhaps eventually want to get in contact with people we truly trust and know really well, like Matt, but considering the info we'll end up telling them they might decide to try to 'save' us (read: assassinate for Tosh and co) instead, thinking we're a brainwashed puppet.

Click to shrink...

I, for one, have not had all my positive feelings for the UEF 'implode' by learning that the Cybrans consider breaking AI loyalty protocols 'liberating them.' And while an alliance with the UEF probably would not be a permanent affair, it's a viable way for the Zerg to counter their strategic isolation and impending doom. It's also a conceivably in-character decision for Clarke to make, rather than siding with the "botanist's granddaughter" because monarchism is okay if it's wholesome enough. Not that I think the Aeon would have any reason to be fond of the Zerg, given that their natural alliance would be to the Protoss who loathe the Not!Tyranids on an existential level.

 

[Cookiesndip]

I, for one, have not had all my positive feelings for the UEF 'implode' by learning that the Cybrans consider breaking AI loyalty protocols 'liberating them.' And while an alliance with the UEF probably would not be a permanent affair, it's a viable way for the Zerg to counter their strategic isolation and impending doom. It's also a conceivably in-character decision for Clarke to make, rather than siding with the "botanist's granddaughter" because monarchism is okay if it's wholesome enough.

Click to shrink...

I don't even. They aren't AI, they're cyborgs, humans twined with AI and cybenetics, and it's not like anyone knows they're signing up to become indoctrinated as an eternal slave. It might be a volunteer basis, but it's like deciding to get breast implants and you wind up mind controlled to work for 24/7 only with minimal rest, and no pay until death. They still free will entirely, all symbionts are reduced to being intellectual slaves for their lifespans, and this is totally fine, and moral? Christ almighty, this isn't 40k where every faction is a total pos, the Cybrans are essentially the closest thing to the 'good guys' in Supcom, even the Aeon under Burke are pretty good, the princess wanting peace. Even initially, the loyalty program was used on every person with an AI implant in response to symbionts desiring independence, so yeah, fuck the UEF.

Tbh, given how great 'democracy' has gone as of the nascent cyberpunk dystopia we live in, throwing stones at monarchies aren't exactly sensible while living in glass houses. Especially when you're proponing supporting genocidal manifest destiny pseudo-democratic fascists instead of a bunch of ex-enslaved technocrats that don't want to be slaves. All factions have their flaws, Aeon have their extreme cultists, Brackman has rogue AI, but the UEF are just the worst. The Cybans are actually the most just, they're in a war of annihilation with the UEF due to completely incompatible ethics, and it reflects in Brackman actually giving a damn about his people and ultmately, just wants his people to survive.

 

[Evillevi]

for one, have not had all my positive feelings for the UEF 'implode' by learning that the Cybrans consider breaking AI loyalty protocols 'liberating them.

Click to shrink...

Cybran's aren't AI.

They're human with enough cybernetic that you could run a Mind Control program on. That's why Sam was so shocked because she spent a long time fighting people she thinks were irreversibly hacked/mind controlled to the enemy side.

 

[Draz]

Do folks in the UEF just think that being a cyborg is so great that none of them ever want to quit or do something else? That's a very unrealistic belief and I wouldn't have much sympathy for Clarke if she was conned by that. Maybe the deception is more elaborate, though.

 

[DragonCobolt]

Yeah, that's why I made sure to mention the adjutant you recover from Tarsonis had organic components. I just smooshed the two concepts (Smbionts and Adjutants) together when combining the universes, but they're a lot more like the SupCom version than the StarCraft version. Though because the Koprulu sector never had one huge empire (despite best efforts), they never managed to institute an sector wide loyalty program.

I figure some confederate ones and lots of dominion ones have something similar, but there are also plenty of free ones in civilian work and in the various outlying colonies.

That's also a big reason why the Terran tech seems less advanced: a lot of the big infrastructure projects that the UEF maintains like the quantum gate network and mass fabrication systems only work because of Adjutant oversight. If the Dominon had the same number of enslaved adjutants, they could probably build gates and run ACUs and public fabricators

I took inspiration from how after the fall of the Roman Emprie, the "tech level" in Europe dropped despite them still absolutely knowing HOW to build aqueducts and such. It's just the instruction manuals would be like "use the stone from the other side of the empire that you get from the emperor, then combine it with all your slaves" and they were like "but what if we don't have either of those things?"

Well the manuals would say "lol, lamo"

But in Latin!

Do folks in the UEF just think that being a cyborg is so great that none of them ever want to quit or do something else? That's a very unrealistic belief and I wouldn't have much sympathy for Clarke if she was conned by that. Maybe the deception is more elaborate, though.

Click to shrink...

It's pretty elaborate, I figure. Not sure on the exact details, but it is functional enoguh that you need to work very closely with Adjutants and be aware of the person before they got augmented to really notice. And people probably have noticed, and started conspiracy theories or protests, I just figure Clarke (like most patriots) didn't believe them.

That's part of why she's so upset!

 

[Taut_Templar]

"But the most visible sign of the UEF's tampering with nature can be seen with the use of Symbionts, humans with cybernetic implants and twined with a sophisticated symbiotic AI. These Symbionts are integral to a colony's survival and perform a variety of roles.

The Symbiont program operates on a volunteer-only basis, with all UEF citizenry eligible for the process. Thousands of applicants apply each year, eager to do their part to help the UEF and their local community. What they are not told however is that all Symbionts are subject to a hidden loyalty program, designed to still free will and ensure perfect loyalty to the UEF. This is the primary reason for the continued conflict between the Cybran Nation and the UEF. To Cybrans, the use of the loyalty programming to force these symbionts to perform mental tasks for the UEF is tantamount to slavery, and this fuels the animosity between the two sides."

Ah, I see where I got confused. They're not so much 'cyborgs' in that they have cybernetics, but they're intertwined with an AI symbiote. I'd thought they were like the Starcraft Adjucants and thus assumed the Cybrans had a more ideological objection to 'AI slavery.'

I'll note they're complaining it's "tantamount" to slavery and the UEF only uses volunteers, but this is still pretty fucked up. One of the Earth Empire's legacies the Federation declined to shuck, it seems - the mass use of perfectly loyal AIs allowed the creation of what's basically a post-scarcity society and nobody's been willing to step up and shut the program down.

From a Realpolitik perspective, I still argue the UEF makes the most sense as an ally to the Zerg and that Clarke's in a good position to make something like that happen, but it would be a hard decision to swallow.

Tbh, given how great 'democracy' has gone as of the nascent cyberpunk dystopia we live in,

Click to shrink...

supporting genocidal manifest destiny pseudo-democratic fascists

Click to shrink...

This is just hysterical hyperbole, though, and I'm gonna ask you to tone it down at least a tad. I enjoy this quest a fair bit and would like to keep participating, but once people start throwing around accusations of fascism and genocide while referencing IRL politics, I take my leave.

 

[Evillevi]

From a Realpolitik perspective, I still argue the UEF makes the most sense as an ally to the Zerg and that Clarke's in a good position to make something like that happen, but it would be a hard decision to swallow.

Click to shrink...

I don't think the UEF is a practical ally for the Zerg beyond a very short period of time.

Fundamentally the issue is that the UEF policy as far as we know is to obtain total control over all relevant parts of its operations. The Aeon and the Cybran's are the result of the UEF attempting to take control over important strategic resource/problems. I do not see this policy changing especially with the Zerg and it's incredible potential to fuck up the UEF if it got out of control.

In the short term they may ally with teh zerg, but their policy suggest that they'll nuke us given the oppurtunity.

 

[Taut_Templar]

In the short term they may ally with teh zerg, but their policy suggest that they'll nuke us given the oppurtunity.

Click to shrink...

It'd be an agreement of pragmatism, yeah. Would Clarke advocate for an alliance she knew both sides would be planning to betray as soon as they benefited from it? I think that realization would defeat the purpose of it to her. Ah well, I thought it was a neat idea, but they don't always pan out.

 

[DragonCobolt]

Ah, I see where I got confused. They're not so much 'cyborgs' in that they have cybernetics, but they're intertwined with an AI symbiote. I'd thought they were like the Starcraft Adjucants and thus assumed the Cybrans had a more ideological objection to 'AI slavery.'

Click to shrink...

It's an easy mistake to make, tbh

This is just hysterical hyperbole, though, and I'm gonna ask you to tone it down at least a tad. I enjoy this quest a fair bit and would like to keep participating, but once people start throwing around accusations of fascism and genocide while referencing IRL politics, I take my leave.

Click to shrink...

Yeah, uh, I'd like everyone to remember that this quest is mostly an excuse to write really, really weird infested girl on infested girl sex. And like, we all do generally want the same thing, which is a happy ending for Sam and Sarah, which I'll make sure we get too, albeit with twists and turns and dramatic setbacks, cause...that's how stories work!

 

[DragonCobolt]

Adhoc vote count started by DragonCobolt on Dec 15, 2023 at 11:40 AM, finished with 29 posts and 11 votes.

• ---

  5 people have voted

  [X] Wait and see what happens next

  • Evillevi
  • Kon9181
  • SegaCD
  • Kosjurake
  • Avangelion

  5 people have voted

  [X] Ask Cr and the Overlord more questions
  -[X] after a zergling is killed, do you ever see them again? What do they remember and when do they come back?
  -[X] why is only Daggoth brood used against Terrains? What makes them different and who commands them?
  -[X] how many broods are there? Do they war against each other (not just for fun)?
  -[X] what do you think of the queen? Who isn't she in charge of?

  • Draz
  • DAOT
  • Legionman
  • Reese
  • Avangelion

  1 people have voted

  [X] Ask Cr and the Overlord more questions
  -[X] What is their objective, exactly? What do they want? Is Clarke merely expected to assistance them in 'acquiring biomass' or do they have a more sophisticated plan in mind?

  • Taut_Templar

  1 people have voted

  [X] Ask Cr and the Overlord more questions
  -[X] How do you deal with everything else telling you what they think is right loader than you can when you've had to choose that for yourself all your life.
  -[X] If someone else changed your goal of Purity to something else, to something that feels good but could easily destroy you forever, what would you do about it?
  -[X] after a zergling is killed, do you ever see them again? What do they remember and when do they come back?
  -[X] why is only Daggoth brood used against Terrains? What makes them different and who commands them?
  -[X] how many broods are there? Do they war against each other (not just for fun)?
  -[X] what do you think of the queen? Who isn't she in charge of?

  • Mailstrome

Asking Cr questions has won, despite the LIES the vote tally claims!

 

[10ebbor10]

Yeah, uh, I'd like everyone to remember that this quest is mostly an excuse to write really, really weird infested girl on infested girl sex. And like, we all do generally want the same thing, which is a happy ending for Sam and Sarah, which I'll make sure we get too, albeit with twists and turns and dramatic setbacks, cause...that's how stories work!

Click to shrink...

Non sense.

Quest is now about best friend Cr, who deserves headpats.

 

[DragonCobolt]

Your eyes focused on the planet ahead of you - your last view had been of orbsat imagery during long ranged scouting and choices on where to head next. The merging of organic brain-like entities had been a mystery. Now, you knew what they were...or at least, you thought you did. What had Sarah called you?

Cerebrate?

The term called to mind so many feelings and thoughts you'd never had before...about...the word. But they were feelings you'd had about the UEF. Certainty. Solidity. Continuity. Leadership. Service. Duty. Even touchier concepts, concepts you hadn't even broached to Sarah in the quiet darkness as you lay slick-sweat and sweet together.

Honor.

Loyalty.

Valor.

Your hand went to your face and you grumbled. "So, Cr," you said, more to distract yourself than anything else. "What do the Zerg...want. What's your objective? Are you just...do you just want me around to get biomass or something?"

Cr cocked his head against your hip. "To become perfect," he said.

"Okay, that doesn't make sense, nothing is perfect," you said, frowning.

"Perfect is perfect," he said, nodding. "We become perfect, then we are done."

You sighed. You supposed asking a dog to explain theology was going to run into problems. "Okay, but what is perfect. Better at killing? Better at reproducing? What?"

Cr cocked his head. Then, when he spoke, it was with Dr. Hanson's voice again. It was both surreal to hear, and surreal to realize how normal it was to hear Yancy in the little bite-sized sentences that Cr could spit out. "To attain parity with our opposites, the Protoss. Once we have perfected the Purity of Form, and then they have perfected the Purity of Essence, then our mission will be complete."

"Given by the Makers?" you asked.

He grunted and nodded.

You shifted, then moved back and away from Cr, leaning against the wall, watching him intently. "Okay. So, tell me this...if someone else changed your...goal of Perfection, of Purity of form, to...to something else...to something that feels...good." Your hand slid along your shoulder and you shivered. "But it...but it's...wrong...if it could destroy everything..." You trailed off. Cr blinked, cocking his head.

Then he chirruped and Yancy's voice came out. "Then I would do it!"

You made a face. "You are not a very introspective little...man, Yancy's voice was the right choice, huh."

"Yes," Cr said.

"So, you've never had to actually choose anything for yourself in your life, huh?" you asked. "How would you even begin to deal with everyone telling you what to do, and then finding out they're all...fucking assholes." You paused. "Or at least some of them are assholes." Maybe...how many people don't know? Most of the UEF, right. But...god, all the conspiracy theories I said were bullshit, you thought. At least one of them's real. How many other are real?

No. You stopped yourself, firmly. That way, even more madness lay. Even more. You sighed, while Cr blinked slowly at you, nictating membranes flicking across those glassy eyes. "I chose many things! The Overlords say go here, cause Queen say. I choose which way to jump, which way to run, where to dig, where to jump and claw and bite and how to dodge and bite, and which part of chitin to try and take blade on and claw shields! Yes! Yes! Hehe!" He claws at the ground. "Many choices..."

"I suppose that makes the micromanagement easier," you muttered under your breath. "So, wait, do you remember everything? Have you been killed?"

"Yes, yes, many," Cr said. "Many!"

Nine thousand six hundred and eighty seven. The number popped into your head. Someone could count better than this little guy, huh?

Then you jerked your head up. "How old are you?"

"Yes!"

Two hundred sixteen Earth years since first gestation.

You blinked slowly, with both sets of eyelids. Your eyes flicked, then, to the Overlord hovering near the eyestalk. Was it just your imagination or were those tentacles that hung beneath its blimplike body writhing in exasperation at ov's smaller Zerg comrade making ovi job more difficult. Then your brow furrowed. Ov/Ovi? What the fuck kind of pronouns were those? Where the...hell...right. You shook your head slowly. Context.

"How many broods are there?" you asked. "You mentioned Daggoth's brood."

"Many!" Cr said. "Tiamat led by Daggoth, hmm, terran eaters. Yes. But...there..." He closed his eyes, then growled out. "Fenris. Baelrog, dead dead, yes, yes, dead. Garm...gone, gone, Garm. Jormugand. Surter."

Each name came with a gutpunch of sensations and images, flashing through your mind. It made you almost queasy. You put your hands to your temples and...an idea hit you. You imagined Matt Horner. You imagined his finely typed dossiers. You imagined his expert speaking. God, you just imagined the smell of his coffee and the comforting firmness of steel. The images shifted and...

TIAMAT
Cerebrate Leader: Daggoth
Estimated Size: 6.5 million, all strains
Designation Color: Red
Intelligence Brief: Primary defense/attack fleet centered around the Overmind. Recently decimated by Protoss activities and without an Overmind to guard, left entirely controlled by Daggoth. Likely vastly reduced in strength. Still most powerful brood. Specially evolved to kill Terran after Mar Sara incident. Captured Sarah Kerrigan personally.

FENRIS
Cerebrate Leader: Nargil
Estimated Size: 5 thousand, flyer strains, defilers
Designation Color: Green
Intelligence Brief: Hunting strain led by far-ranging cerebrate Nargil - most independent of the minds created by the Overmind other than the Queen of Blades. Tasked in hunting down new strains to add to the Zerg Swarm, as well as in targeting specific enemies for sabotage and destruction. Prefers to use non-lethal methods when engaging known targets to force adaptations to meet emergent situations.

BAELROG
Cerebrate Leader: Gorn
Estimated Size: None
Brood Color: White
Intelligence Brief: Bred to attack and overwhelm entrenched positions, kept in reserve due to immense requirements of strains. Able to be brought to the fore through heavy fire thanks to specialized regenerative augmentation. Simple minded cerebrate. Not politically astute. Slain on Aiur by Zeratul, dispersed.

GARM
Cerebrate Leader: Zasz
Estimated Size: none
Brood Color: Orange
Intelligence: High speed hit and run tactics, led by imaginative and strategically astute Cerebrate Zasz. Used as vanguard force on planetary invasions. Only swarm with naval expertise due to the extraction efforts on Aquios. Slain on Char by Zeratul, dispersed.

JORMUNGAND
Cerebrate: Araq
Estimated Size: 3 million, zergling, hydralisks, baneling
Brood Color: Purple
Intelligence: Mass unit specialists, designed to overwhelm targets, strategically exhaust enemy forces, and capture large numbers of mineral and vespine resources as swiftly as possible. Commanded by logistics expert, Araq. Took massive casualties on Aiur and was primarily responsible for southern defenses against the Overmind - was nearly wiped out and has been recovering on Char and outlying planets.

SURTUR
Cerebrate: Kragg
Estimated Size: 2.6 million, Guardians, Scourges, Experimentals
Brood Color: Blue
Intelligence: Specially designed orbital bombardment swarm, utilized when extermination of all life on a planet is required for long term victory. Rarely used, and containing the experiments of various brood Evolution Masters ranging from baroque - such as the Nightmare Child - to the brutal - such as the Brutalisk. Led by Kragg, most cautious and careful Cerebrate. Current location: Unknown.

You blinked as the bulletin points stopped slamming into your head. It was...disquieting to recognize familiar and even understandable organization charts in all that...Zerg nonsense. Your finger rubbed against your temple. "Why is...Daggoth's brood, why is only Tiamat used against the Terrans, what makes them different?" You asked.

"The Overmind told them to be different, so, they became different!" Cr said, cheerfully.

But...as he spoke, you realized, you already knew why. Before they landed on Aiur, the Terrans were a new and novel threat and, of all the broods, Tiamat was the most flexible, as it was the primary defense/attack force surrounding the Overmind. You frowned slowly. "Do these broods ever fight?"

"Mmm...only when Cerebrate die," Cr said. "Then they go mad. Feral. Sometimes, ferals clump together, but feral always fight Cerebrate led Zerg."

"Right," you said. So, the forces on Aiur had been chunks of various broods that had been left behind and gone feral, developing into their own curious little brood sans Cerebrate. "What happens to feral Zerg when they die?"

"They would die, but Queen kind! Queen provide...thing for...then...they go!" Cr said, nodding eagerly - and the image of Sarah serving as a kind of mental switchboard flashed into your brain, making you almost giggle at the absurdity of it. You put your hand over your mouth, shaking your head.

"So...what do you think of the Queen?" he asked.

"I think you..." Cr tensed. his head lifted. He buzzed. "You...should...make kiss and fuck on her!"

Your brow furrowed.

Then the sphinter leading into the room rippled and Sarah's head emerged into the room. She glared at Cr. "Don't try to help, Cr. You're a Zergling. You're bad at romance." She stretched her arms up, drawing herself fully in, her wings folding tight against her back. Cr growl-yipped, then ran to hide behind you, embarrassment at having so failed his Queen radiating from his body language so intensely that you didn't even need ov's context to grasp it.

Sarah sighed. "Sorry for interrupting, but...we have arrived," she said.

You regarded her...

---
HEAT: 0/6

[ ] Be playful. "You scared poor Cr. Apologize to him!" (Diff 1 Charm check - 0 Heat)
[ ] Give her nothing. "What are you doing here." (Diff 3 Charm check - 1 Heat)
[ ] Be aggressive. "I said I didn't want to fucking talk. Go." (Diff 10 Charm check - 8 Heat)

[ ] Succeed and overheat - she leaves, but you are left without information or say in the upcoming events.​

[ ] Fail and she stays​

[ ] Write In

 

[NemoMarx]

[X] Be playful. "You scared poor Cr. Apologize to him!" (Diff 1 Charm check - 0 Heat)

 

[gale]

[X] Be playful. "You scared poor Cr. Apologize to him!" (Diff 1 Charm check - 0 Heat)

 

[DAOT]

[X] Give her nothing. "What are you doing here." (Diff 3 Charm check - 1 Heat)

Serah still fucking murk a lot of people, UEF people. And while taking into account the light slavery she is under, being cold is appropriate.


put a bit of venom into the voice. she fuck with our little boy Cr, made him scare
[X] Ignore Kerrigan, you'd like to hear more of Cr's opinions on romance.
-[x] Does Zerg romance perhaps involve deceit kidnapping, murder and forcible assimilation. Because that would be stupid.
[X] "How many of my crew did you kill?"