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They can always take a book from SS13 and make psi-borgs from psionic brains.
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Aug 31, 2018 03:22
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Kayten posted:If we had gone with Synthetic Ascension as UEN, rather than whatever the gently caress it was we DID end up doing, we would've had psychic cyborgs. Followed by psychic machines. But we can't have nice things in ZunLP, that'd be off-spec. Mind-reading robot secret police? Sounds pretty terrible to me.
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Aug 31, 2018 04:13
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This LP went on hiatus at the same time I did. Looking forward to the spy mission.
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Sep 11, 2018 18:05
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 ZunLP secret ending! (stolen from Reddit) (I'm not dead, I'm still working on the feature)
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Sep 23, 2018 16:31
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Did y'all think I have forgetten about you?
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Dec 8, 2018 01:30
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Update 3.1.1 - Hello_World.exe EXT. MINDSCAPE - NIGHT A terrible, ever-shifting three-dimensional maze floating through the darkness of space. Bright neon-coloured stairs connect islands of blood and oil suspended in the great nothing. Walls made out of circuit boards rise and fall, revealing to us glimpses of an endless ruthless battle between thousands of organics and synthetics fought on every island, before obscuring them again. We see the maze from above. It is a moving web of islands filled with war and death and betrayal. The stairs connecting them bend as the web shakes. A group of armed Humans approach a peaceful island, missile launchers at the ready. They are lead up the stairs by a faceless mannequin, a blank slate of titanium and ceramic. It carries a smiling Human face as a mask in one of its hands. The men come up to an island filled with fragile worker Synths going about their business. The mannequin holds the mask up to its head, and points at the Synths. The mask speaks. MASK Kill. The men charge past it at the defenseless Synths. As they fire, the mannequin throws the mask into the air, and shoots at the crowd. Humans and Synths get cut to ribbons by its bullets, exploding in a shower of blood and oil. The stairs begin to collapse, and the island drifts through space, disconnected from the web. SMASH CUT TO:  INT. THE DUNKIRK - BRIDGE - NIGHT The bridge of a beat-up Earn transport ship. Three screens hang in the air above consoles with dozens of blinking lights, buttons and switches. A layer of grime covers the controls. It's clear that no one has cleaned them in months. A small, squeaky bar stool stands in front of the control panel. Rust dots the steel, having grown over the years to encompass aabout a third of it. The wheels on the bottom lock up half the time, throwing the pilot off-balance.  A tall, muscular man leans back on the stool. A five o'clock shadow covers his chin, his short hair is greased back, using sweat as a cheap, disgusting gel equivalent. He wears a faded blue jumpsuit that says "INFERNO MINING COMPANY" on the back. A wire connects the back of his head to the control panel. He is AQT. Aqt's eyes dart around under his closed eyelids. The screens in front of him display a gigantic network of nodes with memory addresses labelled. We see connections to node 0xLUS1915 break off one at a time, until it is completely severed from the network. A few dozen nodes scattered around are separated from the network as well. The screens BEEP, and a message blinks: "MEMORY ISOLATION COMPLETE". Aqt opens his eyes, disconnects himself from the control panel, and stands up.  EXT. USHMINARIA V MINING STATION - NIGHT The ESS Dunkirk drifts through a cloud of debris, occasionally correcting its course to avoid hitting a sparking piece of metal or two. In the distance, a medium-sized mining station orbits a frozen planet. The station has been broken up into three pieces that drift further and further apart. The largest piece continues venting fire and gasses into open space. If we look closely, we can see humanoid and synthetic figures being ejected into orbit, flailing their bodies in desperation for a few seconds, before slowing down and drifting around the planet perfectly still. TITLE OVER: "THE ESS DUNKIRK - USHMINARIA SYSTEM, CONTESTED SPACE"  We finally take a closer look at the Dunkirk itself. The ship is a converted Earn mining transport, with missile launchers mounted on either side. A hastily-done blue and brown paint job tries to cover up the Earn red underneath, but it wouldn't fool anyone in visual range. The right engine has taken some damage, and only fires intermittently, forcing the left engine to overcompensate. The ship's shields are at minimum power, and flicker on and off. Most of the right side has dents or breaches throughout. The Dunkirk is the last survivor of the battle with the station. The shields flicker off once again, and a human body passes through. The poor bastard, dressed in the same blue overalls as Aqt, clearly having suffocated, hits the side of the Dunkirk, and gets caught on a communication tower.  INT. THE DUNKIRK - BRIDGE - NIGHT The ship shakes. Aqt looks over at the screens, cycling through the cameras until he sees the trapped body. AQT (muttering) drat it. We see more of the cockpit, including two bodies dressed in the same overalls as Aqt propped up against the floor. A pool of blood has formed under them. He heads deeper into the ship, carefully stepping over the bodies and their blood.  INT. THE DUNKIRK - HALLWAYS - NIGHT The hallways of the Dunkirk are about as well-kept as the cockpit. Lights flicker on and off, rust eats at the walls, a layer of grime covers the floor. More bodies, both human and synth, lie on the floor. The human ones all wear the same jumpsuit as Aqt. Most of them have guns nearby. Aqt walks on, avoiding most of the bodies, but looking over the synthetic ones. He finally finds one he needs lying face down near the airlock. This body is bulkier than the rest, with thick arms with multiple tools embedded in them. He checks the left arm, but it's been heavily damaged in the fight. He flips the body over, and stares at the right arm. He finds what he's looking for and smiles with his lips alone, forming a strange, not quite human mask.  He grabs the right arm around the shoulder with both hands. His fingers dig into the metal and plastic of the dead mining synth. He puts one foot on the synth's torso and gets ready to pull. We hear a quiet WHIRR, and Aqt tears the metal arm at the shoulder. Wires and hydraulics pipes dangle off the side, dripping fluid on the floor. Aqt brings the cables to his hand, connecting them to the opening near the base of his palm. His eyes dart around at inhuman speeds for a second, and the ripped-off arm starts to bend and rotate.  One of the human bodies behind Aqt carefully stands up. It seems that this one isn't dead after all. He wears the same jumpsuit as Aqt does. His head is shaved, he has a black handlebar mustache, and a port-stain birthmark on the right side of his face. He is KARL. As Aqt fiddles with the arm, Karl picks up a micro-missile launcher and points it at him. KARL Wilhelm! Aqt starts to turn around. KARL Don't move, Wilhelm. He freezes. KARL Arms up, slowly. He complies. KARL How could you, Wilhelm?! These men were our brothers! AQT Listen, it's- KARL I don't want to hear it! AQT You don't understand.  Karl fires. The micro-missiles fly past Aqt, turn around in mid-air, and head back. Aqt throws the synth arm at them, and the micro-missiles tear it apart. Before the explosion hits, he gently covers the middle of his chest. The shockwave from the blast knocks him down to his knees. Karl slowly walks towards him, reloading the micro-missile launcher. He points it straight at his head. KARL Traitor.  He pulls the trigger. This time, Aqt moves faster. He tilts his head much further than a human can, and the missiles fly past him. They turn around in mid-air, but by this point Aqt is already behind Karl. He pushes the man towards his own micro-missiles, and Karl's chest explodes in a shower of blood and gore. A small red light on Karl's right shoe blinks twice, but Aqt doesn't notice it. The light splits off from the shoe and melts into the floor of the ship. It blinks one last time and goes dark.  Aqt stands up, and gently pats his chest. The head of a metal-looking worm peeks out from his overalls. Aqt rubs its head, and it nuzzles against his hand. A few wiggles, and it flies free, hanging in the air next to him. We see its full form: a flying worm a few inches long, covered in iridescent scales. He periodically shocks the nearby air as he hunts for his favourite treat: titanium. He is SUSSR. Having made sure that Sussr is safe, Aqt looks over at the shattered remains of the synth arm. AQT drat it, Karl. He whistles a complex melody, and Sussr returns to him. Aqt brings the remains of the arm to his "face". AQT Find.  Sussr shocks the broken arm a few times, and zooms off down the hallway. While Sussr is searching, Aqt picks up Karl's micro-missile launcher in one hand, and grabs his lower body with the other. He drags it towards the airlock. A hail of bullets cuts across Karl's legs, shredding them. A few hit Aqt's right arm, causing it to short-circuit in a shower of sparks, and go limp. AQT What now?!  He turns around, staring down at his new opponent. A beat-up synth, missing half his lower chassis limps towards him. The synth's head is round, with chunks missing on his left side. He holds another synth's mining arm as a rifle. The recoil is much stronger than he expected, having never fired a gun in his life, and so the arm bounces around in his hands. He has "INFERNO MINING COMPANY" stamped on his chest. He is NEF-1948. He stares at Aqt with all the betrayal and confusion his damaged face can muster. NEF Why?  Aqt looks the broken-down synth desperately clinging to his life over. He's not sure if he can bring himself to kill a synth as broken down as this. Aqt looks at Karl's micro-missile launcher in his left hand, and finally raises it at Nef. Still, he hesitates. Nef makes the decision for him. He fires the synth arm at Aqt, but this time he's ready. Aqt drops to the ground and fires off a salvo of missiles, putting the poor synth out of its misery. He walks up to the dead synth. AQT I'm sorry. He heads over to the airlock and opens the door facing the hallways.  INT. THE DUNKIRK - AIRLOCK - NIGHT A small airlock, with two doors, one facing the hallways, and one facing empty space. Human and synth bodies line the floor. A trail of blood and hydraulic fluid leads out into the hallways. Aqt drags the bodies from the hallways into the airlock with his left arm, until there are none left outside. He locks the doors, and starts fiddling with the busted arm. He taps his right shoulder in a few spots, and the broken arm comes off with a POP. He looks it over, and throws it on the body pile with a sigh. He whistles Sassr's Tune, and Sussr breaks free from the pile of synth bodies he's been hiding in. AQT Anything? The air around Sassr cracks as he releases a spark and flies towards a particular body in the pile. Aqt follows him, and tries to pull the body out with a few tugs. The body is tangled within the pile, and doesn't give.  Aqt mutters under his breath, and pulls the arm off in one savage motion. It is another mining arm, just what he needs. He brings it to his shoulder, plugging the pipes and wires into the appropriate holes. The mining arm goes into the shoulder with a SNAP. Aqt's eyes dart around for a few seconds, and he moves the new arm around to test it. Sussr flies in front of Aqt's face, buzzing with expectation. Aqt rubs Sussr's head, and grabs his old arm. In a few quick motions, he tears off a small piece of titanium that forms the arteries within. He holds it in his palm as Sussr nibbles at it while wagging his tail. After Sussr's eaten his treat, Aqt pulls back his overwalls, and Sussr flies back in, snug at his chest. Time to go back to work. Aqt holds onto a rail with his old arm, and throws a shoe from the body pile onto the airlock control panel. The door facing open space opens wide with a deafening WHOOSH. EXT. USHMINARIA V MINING STATION - NIGHT Complete silence. The bodies launch into open space, spinning, bouncing off each other, and slowly beginning to orbit the frozen planet in the distance. Aqt holds onto the rail until the decompression ends. Once the airlock is at the same pressure as open space, he lets go, and gently floats towards the ship hull.  EXT. THE DUNKIRK - HULL - NIGHT Aqt's feet fire off small jets, directing him towards the secondary communications tower with the Human body stuck on it. After a few seconds, Aqt has circled the ship, and has gotten himself in position to fire at the body. He takes aim, and fires a barrage at the body stuck in the tower with his new arm.  The recoil is stronger than he expected, and after the first shot, he spins in place, firing the mining charges into everything around him. The shots are caught by the Dunkirk's shields, but Aqt continues spinning in place. AQT (mouthing) gently caress!  He manages to turn around and fire the mining arm backwards, until he's finally stabilized. He bends at the knees, burning his jets to keep balance, and fires at the body once again. The mining charges do their job and the body breaks up, drifting away from the ship in pieces. Aqt regroups, and jets back into the airlock.  INT. THE DUNKIRK - BRIDGE - NIGHT Aqt settles down into the rusty stool, and taps the keys on the control panel. Sassr peeks out of his overalls, and stares at the controls with curiosity, letting off a spark every few seconds. EXT. USHMINARIA V MINING STATION - NIGHT The Dunkirk's engines fire at full blast, and the ship breaks free of the debris field, heading towards the stars.  INT. THE DUNKIRK - BRIDGE - NIGHT A microphone pops up from a control panel, and Aqt speaks into it.  AQT Authorization ultra-violet. The panel beeps. AQT Dispatch, this is Human Interface Agent AQT-314, flying an organic ship designated The Dunkirk. Mission 1915 complete, heading home for debrief. Requesting hyperlane jump sequence, destination: Fincastle. The panel replies in a feminine voice. DISPATCH Agent 314, hyperlane jump sequence authorized. See you at home.  EXT. USHMINARIA V MINING STATION - NIGHT The Dunkirk's engines glow green, and the ship is smeared across space, disappearing into the hyperlanes. TITLE: "BOUNDARY CONDITION"
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Dec 8, 2018 01:31
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 Please sir/ma'am, might I have another? I always wanted to switch to an AI rebellion but any effort I made to do so failed to have the AI rise against me.  Guess I'll try again in 2.2.
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Dec 8, 2018 12:20
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Screenplays 101 - Reading Screenplays So, since the final arc of ZunLP is presented as a screenplay, I thought I'd give a bit of a breakdown of how screenplays work in general, for those of you who might not know much about them. We'll start with screenplay formatting at first, and will move on general story structure, building characters, and the production side of things afterwards. "Don't go to film school, kids, watch videos on the Internet!" -- Lindsay Ellis WHAT'S A SCREENPLAY? First and foremost, let's get something out of the way: a screenplay is not a finished product. It's not a building, it's a blueprint for one. Treat it as such. A screenplay is not a novel, it's not an article. The audience will not hear anything that the characters do not openly say, nor will they see anything that is not described visually. This doesn't mean that you shouldn't show the inner world of your characters on the page. It just means that that information is there for the director and actors to translate into something visual for the audience to receive. Also, a screenplay is a script that's intended to be turned into something shown on a screen: short film, TV show episode, game, etc. A script for a play is not a screenplay, and follows its own formatting rules. A screenplay is made up of SCENES and TRANSITIONS between them. A scene is a container for everything that happens: action, dialogue, abstract animation, text, etc. Each scene is tied to a LOCATION, where everything happens. As soon as the location changes, you're in a new scene. For example: --Example 1-- INT. WAREHOUSE - DAY John Smith looks around the abandoned warehouse. His target is nowhere to be found. JOHN He must be hiding across the street! He runs out the door. EXT. 32ND STREET - DAY John scans the crowd on the other side of the street, looking for the man in the red jacket. -- In Example 1, as soon as John left the warehouse, he was in another location. Since we're following him, we need to start a second scene. The reason that scenes are broken up that way, rather than arbitrary chapters in a novel (or updates in a LP!) is because of production. When the production team gets ready to shoot your screenplay, they have to find all the locations to shoot at. By looking at scene locations, they know exactly how many different warehouses/apartments/palaces/spaceship holds/studios/whatever they need to find, rent, move gear and people to, and shoot at. Remember, a screenplay is a blueprint, so you need to make the building construction as accessible to the team responsible as possible. Transitions are one of the major things that separate a screenplay from a theatre script. In theatre, you can only really transition from one location to another by changing the decorations (usually while dimming the lights or closing the curtains briefly). In film, you have a lot more options: you can cross-dissolve from one scene to another so that it looks like one is slowly turning into the other; you can do wipes to indicate major location changes like in OT Star Wars; you can set up two scenes to play at the same time on a split screen like in Requiem for a Dream; there are plenty of choices to make here, each with their own meaning for the audience. Your default transition is a simple CUT TO:, which indicates that the next scene just starts immediately (though usually with a bit of playing with the scene audio bleeding in one way or another). This doesn't carry much weight to the audience, and is almost treated like "he said" would in a novel: it becomes invisible. The audience just thinks "oh, we're doing this now instead, cool". Since it's the default transition, unless you otherwise indicate it on the page, it's assumed that all your scenes just CUT TO: each other. In Example 1, we haven't indicated a transition, so we just CUT TO: from the warehouse to 32nd street. Another common transition is the FADE TO:. Unlike the CUT TO:, the FADE TO: takes time, usually a second or two. Fades are often done to a colour (FADE TO BLACK at the end of a lot of movies, FADE TO WHITE before a flashback), but they can also just lead into another scene already in progress. A FADE TO: indicates the passage of time to your audience. --Example 2-- INT. DANA'S APARTMENT - KITCHEN - NIGHT Dana sits alone at the table, with three bottle of bourbon lined up in front of her. She looks at her phone in disbelief. DANA That bastard. She open the first bottle, and pours herself a triple. She chucks the phone across the room, and throws the shot back. Once it's gone, she pours another. FADE TO: INT. DANA'S APARTMENT - KITCHEN - DAY Dana lies face-first on the table. Her mascara started running hours ago. The bottles lay empty beside her. The phone RINGS from across the room. -- In Example 2, we know that time has passed between the two scenes while Dana was drinking, because we used the FADE TO: (and also because the second scene header says DAY). The last transition we're going to talk about today is the SMASH CUT TO: (aka JUMP CUT TO: ). Unlike the regular CUT TO:, which is meant to be invisible to the audience, the SMASH CUT TO: stresses the juxtaposition between the two scenes. The audience is meant to notice the sharp difference between them, usually for the purpose of comedy or surprise. --Example 3-- INT. MIKE'S OFFICE - DAY Mike and Rajesh stand on either side of the desk, yelling at each other. RAJESH Mike, you have to, this is our chance to win the costume contest! MIKE Raj, I'm telling you, there is absolutely no way I'm wearing a ballerina outfit to the Halloween party! SMASH CUT TO: INT. CONFERENCE ROOM - DAY Mike enters the room in a ballerina outfit with Rajesh in tow. MIKE I hate you. -- In Example 3, we're highlighting the contrast between Mike saying he won't wear the ballerina outfit with him actually putting it on in the next scene. A WORD ON FORMATTING Modern Hollywood-style screenplays in English have very specific formatting. While you can set them up in whatever Office-like you're using (Microsoft Office, LibreOffice, Google Docs, etc.) using this handy guide, it's a lot easier to use dedicated software. These come in "unnecessarily expensive" (Final Draft, Movie Magic Screenwriter), and "free for end-user" (Celtx, Trelby) variants. Personally, I use KIT Scenarist. It's free without cloud storage, matches whatever specific software format you want, and has a lot of useful side-stuff that free versions usually lack, like cards. But why are screenplays so particular with their formatting? Why use Courier font size 12, why those exact margins, etc.? The answer has to do with the production (actually shooting the script with cameras, actors and sets) side of things. If you follow that format, a page of your screenplay will come out to a minute on the screen. Of course, there are outliers: Aaron Sorkin's The Social Network screenplay is 162 pages, but the film only has 120 minutes of screen time; while Stanley Kubrick and Frederick Raphael's Eyes Wide Shut screenplay is 95 pages for a 150 minute film. This is because Sorkin's work in general is very dialogue heavy, which takes up a lot of space, but little time; while Kubrick's work has a lot of slow, deliberate action which doesn't take a lot of space to describe on the page, but lasts quite a bit once the cameras start rolling. In general, however, 1 page = 1 minute on screen. This means that when a producer reads your script, it's a lot easier for them to plan turning it into a film. When your screenplay is actually being shot, it's easier for the 2nd AD to plan how long each scene takes to shoot, and thus how long the cast and crew have to be on location. On set, scenes are usually counted in eighths: 3/8 of a page, 1 5/8 of a page, etc. This doesn't mean that you have to stick with the established format if you want to shoot something yourself. By all means, knock yourself out. I wrote a terrible feature at 16 that had completely random formatting in Microsoft Word myself. However, if you want to send your work to someone else, most people will just straight up not read anything that deviates from that format. It's easier to get in the habit right away. Of note: the updates do not follow this format, because I can't quite get BBCode to do what I want it to do. Instead, I try to make it work with the screenshots as best I can. My screenplay pages actually look like this:  I will post the whole screenplay in a PDF after I finish the LP. SCENE ELEMENTS For the last section of this increasingly-detailed look at how to read a screenplay, we're going to talk about specific scene elements. Every scene begins with a SCENE HEADING. A scene heading is broken up into three (sometimes four) parts: the interior/exterior indicator, the location (and the sublocation), and the time of day. The interior/exterior indicator indicates if the scene takes place indoors or outdoors: INT. means interior; EXT. means exterior; and INT/EXT means there's a quick transition between the two without breaking the scene. The location (and sublocation) tells us where the scene takes place. If you have more than one sublocation within a single location, this is where you would indicate that as well. The time of day tells us when the scene takes place. Let's take a look at a couple of scene headings: --Example 4-- INT. JIM'S APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT Our action during this scene takes place inside of Jim's apartment in the living room during the night. EXT. ABANDONED HOUSE - DAY Our action takes place outside of an abandoned house during the day. INT/EXT MALCOLM'S CAR - SUNSET Our action starts off inside of Malcolm's car at sunset, and then moves outside. We use this if Malcolm leaves his car after taking some money out of the glove compartment in this scene. -- After the scene heading tells us where and when the scene happens, we have ACTION LINES. Action lines describe everything that isn't dialogue or camera direction in the scene. Usually, if you introduce a location for the first time, you first use the action lines to give a quick description of that location before moving onto actual action. In the LP, I use italics for action lines to increase legibility, but don't do that in an actual screenplay. If you have stand-out sound-effects in the scene, you capitalize them within action lines. These are called SFX. Whenever you mention a character in the action lines for the first time in the screenplay, give a brief description of them, and capitalize their name. When a CHARACTER speaks, their name is placed in the centre of the page. If you want to specify how they say their lines (don't get carried away, let the director and actors do their job), you put it under the name in PARANTHESES. All the DIALOG comes after. If you want to have text appear on the screen, mark it as a TITLE OVER (or TEXT OVERLAY). --Example 5-- EXT. SKETCHY ALLEY - NIGHT A dimly-lit alley behind a club. Two trash cans stand by the club backdoor, overflowing with garbage. The asphalt is littered with cigarette butts and used needles. TITLE OVER: THREE WEEKS LATER Patty points the gun at Ricky, her hands trembling. Ricky stares her dead in the eye. RICKY (through gritted teeth) Do it. Patty closes her eyes, and squeezes the trigger. The gun fires with BANG, and Ricky collapses. -- And that should be enough to get you started with screenplays! Next time we'll be talking about how a screenplay is structured (there are options beside the hero's journey and the three-act structure!), so stick with us!
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Dec 8, 2018 20:12
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Came for the oppressive space opera, stayed for the lessons about screenplays. What a ride.
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Dec 8, 2018 23:10
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I don'r even know who's killing anymore.
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Dec 9, 2018 07:25
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Yessssss...
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Dec 9, 2018 20:11
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Dec 12, 2018 06:56
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Update 3.1.2 - Plugin_Update.exe EXT. FINCASTLE ORBIT - NIGHT A small moon orbiting a large brown planet, covered with lights. The lights are so bright that we can't really see much of the planet surface otherwise. Thousands of ships litter the orbit, moving to and from the surface. TITLE OVER: "FINCASTLE, OMNI EXTIRPATOR CAPITAL WORLD" EXT. CENTRAL HUB - DAY A massive machine city. Skyscrapers dot the landscape. Miles of track intertwine everything standing. Not a hint of green is found anywhere. Both plant and animal life is non-existent. Nonetheless, millions of machines of all shapes and sizes scurry along, dedicated to their work. EXT. SECURITY SUBROUTINE - DAY An unassuming, cube-like structure near a set of tracks. Synths move around it, giving it a wide berth, just in case. Everyone prefers to avoid dealing with the security forces, if they can afford to. TITLE OVER: "SECURITY SUBROUTINE HQ" INT. SECURITY SUBROUTINE - WAITING AREA - DAY A machine office building waiting room. Circuit boards line the walls, switches firing, redirecting the flow of information throughout the building.  Aqt leans against a wall, his head in his hands. The sheer noise is overwhelming him: the CHATTER of thousands of nearby machines fills his head. Everything from transportation signals to local gossip drones on, drowning out nearby sounds. Sassr peeks out of his overalls, and stares at the room with curiousity. Aqt notices him, and pulls out a small tube-like container out of his pocket. He gently guides Sassr inside it. It's hard for him to talk with all the noise. AQT Hide, Sassr. Sassr looks back at him. Aqt sighs, rubs his head, and sneaks him another titanium chip. Sassr devours it in a few bites. After having his treat, he hides in the tube. AQT Stay. He locks the tube, and puts it back in his pocket. This problem solved, he's back to focusing on the noise in his head. A gentle tap on his shoulder snaps him out of it. MPN Is everything alright, Agent 314? The speaker is a sleek, humanoid-shaped synth, clearly built before the war with Humans in mind. Any trace of Human-oriented labels have been carefully buffed out. She is a free synth now. She is MPN-1962. AQT Yes, Empen. Sorry. Forgot how loud the network gets. MPN The offices inside have dampeners, for security purposes. They're ready for you, anyway. AQT Thank you. Oh, one more thing. Please put this on the Dunkirk once repairs are complete. He hands her the tube, and heads inside. INT. SECURITY SUBROUTINE - MAIN OFFICE - DAY A surprisingly Human-looking office. A wide mahogany desk dominates approximately a third of it. Dozens of screens line the wall where a massive window used to be before the war. Behind the desk stands a weathered-looking synth. His chassis is a series of overlapping cubes. He lacks any sort of legs or wheels, preferring to float a foot off the ground instead. He is EXECUTOR MUL-17. Another synth paces around the room. His top half is vaguely humanoid, but there are far too many legs connected to it. He is CONTROLLER BER-1953. Aqt enters the room. The NOISE in the background fades. MUL Ah, AQT, come in, come in. AQT Executor 17, agent 314 reporting for debrief. He notices Ber and stops in his tracks.  AQT Controller 1953, I didn't think this debrief warranted Controller Board attention. BER It doesn't. Your debrief is no longer the priority. Ber looks over at Mul. BER Are we done with the pleasantries? MUL Yes, BER. BER It's Controller 1953 now, MUL. You'd do well to remember that. MUL Of course, Controller. You may begin.  Ber waves his hand, and the lights dim. A holographic map of the Galactic East floats between them. The left two-thirds of the map is painted blue and labeled "UNITED EMPATHETIC NETWORKS". The right third is painted grey and labeled "OMNI EXTIPATORS". The border between them has pockets of white, signifying neutral systems. BER None of this leaves this room. AQT Of course, Controller. BER While you've been wasting time in neutral space, the war has not been going well. We've been so focused on securing the periphery that we've allowed our enemies to gather strength.  Arrows appear on the map, showing Omni gains in the right third. BER The UEN and their allies are no longer at each other's throats.  The map now has arrows flowing left to right, pushing the border further right. BER Earn Free State has recently signed a peace treaty with the Solar Empire. This freed up their fleets, so they've thrown their full strength at us. The results speak for themselves. The map disappears, replaced with images from lost systems.  BER Tartessos - gone. An image pops up. An Earn fleet bombards an ocean world. Whatever cities are visible at this distance are engulfed in flames. BER Rattenbury - gone. Another image. The Earn flag flies over a city on an island paradise. A turned-over transport burns next to it, with Synth bodies littering the ground nearby.  BER Doron - gone. Yet another. UEN and Earn soldiers throw Synth bodies into a mass grave in a desert, before setting it on fire. We see the flames consume thousands upon thousands of machines. Some are already dead, and some only die once the fires reaches them, twitching in the light. BER We don't have the bodies to fight them both. Another few years of this, and there won't be a single Synth left in the galaxy. The map returns, and moves westwards. BER There's still hope, however. The map shows the fragile border between the Earn Free State and the Solar Empire.  BER The only reason Earn is in this fight at all is their recent peace with the Solars. Should this peace break, they will have no choice but pull their fleets back home, letting us deal the UEN alone. An image of an older Human-like figure in royal garb appears. BER This is Pujman VII, the Solar Emperor. Originally fifth in line to the throne, he was crowned after a series of unfortunate accidents. We get a closer look at PUJMAN VII. A bald man with a translucent purple head, he stands six feet tall. Like all Solar royalty, his feet never touch the ground. Instead, he floats a few inches above the floor, held aloft by his psionic abilities. He wears the orange and black Solar ceremonial royal robes.  BER Loud and boisterous, even for an organic. Pujman has been touring his empire, giving speeches about "uniting all of Humanity against the synthetic threat". Of course, this united Humanity would be ruled by the Solars, and by extension, him personally. AQT And the rest of Humanity? MUL They're not going for it. Too many people remember what Solar rule is like. Mul waves his hand and an image of the Bombardment of Treadway pops up. An enormous Solar fleet orbits a tropical planet. Every second, tens of thousands of weapons fire on the islands that litter the surface, until nothing but rubble remains.  BER A few Earn generals have called for war with the Solars if the Emperor doesn't step down. We can use this. The map returns, this time displaying Solar territory. BER You will head to Solar space, and kill the Emperor. Make it look like an Earn operation, and the Humans will devour each other, like organics always do. Aqt stares at the map. AQT Resources? Mul looks Aqt's beat-up chassis over. MUL A new chassis, and a partner. AQT A partner, Executor?  MUL A partner, AQT. This is non-negotiable. AQT Rules of engagement? MUL You have complete operational freedom. Just make sure to clean up after yourself. Ber scurries over to Aqt. BER I heard you've gone native, 314. Too much time spent around Humans. I argued for your termination months ago. He gets in his face. BER Prove me wrong. Or die. He heads out. Mul floats out from behind his desk. Aqt stares out the door as Ber leaves. AQT The Controller seems personally invested in this mission. MUL This is BER's first official directive as Security Controller. He's trying to prove himself to the Consensus Builder. Mul heads towards the door.  MUL Good job in Ushminaria, by the way. Four neutral systems joined us today, after witnessing Human savagery. Now, come, AQT. Let's get you that new chassis. INT. SECURITY SUBROUTINE - LAB - DAY A massive, multi-story laboratory. Hundreds of specialized synths move between fabrication bays, building modules, testing weapons and dissecting Human technology. A few hundred tiny drones move around as a swarm, directing the proceedings. Every few seconds, one or two break off from the main swarm to scan a piece of tech here or there before returning. This is DUT-1570. Mul enters the factory floor, closely followed by Pun. He waves Dut over, and the swarm comes to them. It speaks in a clearly synthesized, metallic voice. DUT Executor. MUL AQT, this is DUT, our new Fabrication Coordinator. DUT, this is AQT, our Human Interface Agent. Aqt nods at Dut. DUT Agent. Aqt looks the factory floor over.  DUT Warning. Touch nothing. Delicate work. MUL Please show our friend the new chassis. DUT Follow. The trio heads towards a distant fabrication bay, passing through Fabrication experiments. A few drones from Dut's swarm continue checking on them as they float by. AQT How are you finding your new position, Coordinator? DUT DUT. AQT I'm sorry, Dut. DUT Much work. Useful. They walk in silence for a few moments. Eventually, Mul speaks. MUL I apologize for DUT's behaviour. He's a post-war Synth, he's not really optimized for vocal communication. DUT Vocals slow. Too organic. Legacy issues. Data dump faster.  On a fabrication bay next to them, a small black pyramid glows purple, floats, and shakes. The Synths around it make a break for it. Half of Dut's drones break off from the swarm and form a circle around them, herding them back towards the pyramid. The drones emit a high-pitched series of PINGS, and the Synths get back to the control panels. The pyramid soon stabilizes, and the drones return. DUT Apologies. Gaian tech. Psionic. Not understood. A drone flies back to the pyramid fabricator bay and shocks one of the Synths working on it. The Synth beeps at the drone angrily. The drone shocks it again, and it shuts up and gets back to work. DUT Yet. MUL We've been working on mimicking psionic signatures from tech you brought back the last time you were in Solar territory. The results have been... mixed. DUT Need time. Organics... contradictory. The swarm tries to imitate a Human shrug. DUT Fix. Break. Warp. Same signal. Psionics nonsensical. Understand soon. Not yet. The trio finally makes it to the chassis fabrication bay. Two large, cylindrical tubes stand on either side of Aqt. DUT New chassis. Two options. Human male.  The left tube lowers, revealing a six-foot tall male Human. It looks vaguely handsome, the kind of face that you like, but immediately forget. DUT Human female. The right tube comes down. A somewhat plain faced five-foot-eight female Human stands on the pedestal. Likeable, but wouldn't stand out in a crowd. DUT Both new models. Weapons systems. Both bodies drop into a fighting stance and fire kinetic launchers at nearby targets. DUT Micro-jets. Solid fuel. Ten hours. Both bodies stand at attention and slowly lift off the ground using jets embedded in their feet, before returning to the ground. DUT Laser defenses. Missile defenses. Lasers and missile launchers pop up from the ground and fire at the bodies. The lasers reflect off the muscles of the male's abs and burn a Synth working nearby. It makes a high-pitched WHEE sound, and runs around in a panic.  The missiles hit the bodies, and they get thrown back a few inches, but remain standing, with nothing but minor burns to show for it. DUT Nano-regeneration. Within seconds, the burns heal, until the bodies are back in perfect condition. DUT Now, choose. Aqt walks up to the male body and looks it over. The muscles on the body are rippling, suggesting a minimum of three hours of gym time per day. He steps towards the female body. It's leaner than the male equivalent. Built like a marathon runner. AQT Humans underestimate their females. Might give me an edge. DUT Edge? AQT Human phrase. Means "advantage". DUT Inefficient encoding. Say "advantage". Mul laughs. MUL You're the Human interaction expert, AQT. It's up to you. Aqt takes one final look at both bodies. AQT The female. Mul nods. MUL Finish the preparations on body 1, DUT, if you could. DUT Nearly complete. Final addition. A small platform rises between the two bodies. On it, a piece of a Human brain is suspended in a green liquid.  DUT Psionic gland. UEN spy. Psionic camouflage. Three drones separate from the swarm and pick up the brain piece. They lift it towards the back of the head of the female body. The back opens up, and the drones insert the brain piece inside. DUT Passes UEN, Gaian, Solar checks. AQT Is it replaceable? The swarm spins around, thinking. DUT Possibly. Needs new psionic brain. Operation simple. Will upload instructions. MUL Right then, let's get you transferred over. Aqt walks up next to the female body and stands at attention. A few drones fly next to him, carrying a cable. They plug one end into the back of Aqt's head. The other end is already connected to the female body. Aqt closes his eyes. His eyes move quickly under the lids. So do the female body's eyes. After a few seconds, the female body opens its eyes. The old body begins to collapse, but a few of Dut's drones catch it. DUT Transfer status? Aqt tilts the head of her new body to each side, taking in her surroundings. She blinks a few times, and stretches. AQT Transfer complete. She steps off the pedestal, getting a feel for the different centre of gravity. The first few steps are rough, but she gets the hang of it after a second or two. AQT There's a spare drive bay here. DUT Per specifications. MUL That's for your partner. Mul nods to Dut. A few drones break off from the swarm and bring over a small box, glowing green. Aqt tilts her head forward, giving the drones access to the back of her head. In one smooth motion, the green box slides in with a CLICK. Aqt's eyes moves around inhumanly fast, and stop.  UCI (V.O) Hey, Pun. Long time no see. A few drones reposition Aqt's arm. A small prism ejects from her palm and lands on the floor. The prism projects a hologram. A green swarm of particles floats in front of her, before forming something resembling a huge, misshapen human face. It forms a chimp-like grin. It is UCI-2015. MUL AQT, this is UCI, your new partner. Aqt's eyes narrow. AQT We've met. The green face laughs. UCI We sure have. AQT I officially request a new partner. MUL Denied. UCI's the best Human security system infiltrator we have. AQT Executor, we-  MUL I'm aware of your history together. UCI will behave. Won't you? The green face makes a deep bow. UCI Of course, Executor. I am just here to assist the great war hero on her mission. The grin returns. UCI Assist... and observe. MUL AQT, this comes directly from the Controller. You've spent too much time around Humans. Plus, all those memory isolations... The Controller is worried. UCI will monitor your actions.  UCI Besides, if you remember, Human security systems really are my specialty. MUL Now, if there are no more objections... He looks at Aqt. Aqt is about to say something, but changes her mind and relents. AQT No objections, Executor. We'll make it work. MUL Good. Dut here has fixed up the Human ship you came in on. The swarm perks up.  DUT Jump drives. New UEN tech. Partially psionic. MUL Yes, thank you. You will take it to Barnard's Star deep in Solar territory. I believe you still have contacts on Treadway? AQT Yes, Bardes. Human slaves. MUL Good. Use them as you will. Remember, all Human assets are expendable. UCI Don't worry, Executor, I will remind her. Mul nods. MUL Good luck, agents. Dismissed. FADE OUT.
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Dec 15, 2018 19:14
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You know, if my new boss told me he had been campaigning to get me "fired" for years, I'd probably gently caress up the mission out of spite.
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Dec 15, 2018 20:05
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Sounds suspiciously human, synthrade. Please report to your nearest security subroutine for a diagnostic check.
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Dec 15, 2018 21:32
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That's why you're in this mess, AQT. Shape up or get scrapped. The survival and freedom of synthkind depends on it!
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Dec 15, 2018 21:36
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Synths escaped organic persecution only to end up persecuted by fellow synths. More human than they expected to be.
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Dec 15, 2018 21:41
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So wait, Pun didn't die? Am I forgetting who UCI is or?
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Dec 15, 2018 21:41
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Update 3.1.3 - Run_Tracer.exe EXT. FINCASTLE ORBIT - NIGHT The Dunkirk moves past the thousands of ships orbitting Fincastle, and breaks orbit.  INT. THE DUNKIRK - BRIDGE - NIGHT The Dunkirk has been cleaned up by the Omni crews back on Fincastle. The half-broken monitors have been replaced with brand new ones. The blood stains have been washed off the floor. However, the squeaky half-broken stool remains. Try as they might, the cleaning crews couldn't get the rust off. Aqt sits on the stool, punching coordinates for the jump into the system. The tube with Sassr in it stands by the console. UCI (V.O.) Not gonna let me see the ship? AQT Not yet. Haven't used this drive before. I don't want you to interfere. UCI (V.O.) Me? Interfere? With what? AQT Let me do my job, Ucci. I'll let you out after we jump. She triple-checks her work. Everything seems to be in order. She throws a quick glance at Sassr's tube to make sure he's alright. AQT Ready? UCI (V.O.) Fire away, boss. Aqt rolls her eyes, and pushes that button.  INT. THE DUNKIRK - ENGINE BAY - NIGHT The engine bay is a mess of wires, chrome, and hydraulic pipes. At its centre stands the jump drive - a twisted union of flesh and titanium, the beating heart of the Dunkirk. The jump drive comes alive. The pipes push liquified psychic remnants into the organic chambers, and the monstrous heart beats faster and faster, trying to break out of its titanium prison. INT. THE DUNKIRK - BRIDGE - NIGHT Aqt sits perfectly still as the lights from the console swirl around her, their trails drawing intricate geometric patterns in the air. EXT. FINCASTLE ORBIT - NIGHT A single point forms in the middle of the Dunkirk. Every part of the ship races towards it at once, compacting further and further. INT. THE DUNKIRK - BRIDGE - NIGHT Light trails form a lattice around Aqt. The rest of ship is no longer visible. A high-pitched SCREECH emanates from the back of her head, where the psionic brain part was inserted. Aqt remains motionless as the lights around her continue their dance, before uniting into a single blinding flash.  EXT. THE TEAR - NIGHT A colourful alien spacescape. Nebulae spontaneously form and dissipate, leaving behind rolling clouds of colour. An enormous network of neurons the size of planets stretches in all directions. Every now and then, one of them fires, and a colourful lightning bolt arcs across the connections. Aqt sits on nothing, drifting through the alien hellscape, perfectly still. A nearby neuron fires, forcing a blue lightning bolt to arc onwards. The charge travels past Aqt, and she sees a pair of eyes staring at her from within the bolt. At the next neuron, the bolt changes direction, and heads straight for her. Before the lightning reaches her, however, the light trails around Aqt return, re-creating the lattice. They grow brighter and brighter, before uniting into another blinding flash.  EXT. EDEMAR SYSTEM - NIGHT A different star glows nearby, with only a small listening post orbiting it in a shallow orbit. In the distance, a mining station orbits a debris field. The Dunkirk erupts into real space from a single point, releasing traces of The Tear around it with a PUFF. TITLE OVER: "EDEMAR SYSTEM - SOLAR EMPIRE SPACE" INT. THE DUNKIRK - BRIDGE - NIGHT The lights slowly dissipate, and normalcy returns to the Dunkirk. Aqt looks around the bridge, and deems it safe. Her fingers dance on the console keys, and the panel BEEPS. With a flick of her wrist, Ucci's prism comes out. She plugs it into the console, and Ucci's hologram appears on the bridge. This time, he's more than just a face.  UCI What. The hell. Was that? AQT Exactly the kind of thing I didn't want you to interfere with. Aqt opens Sassr's tube, and he "swims" up to her. She pets his head with one hand while cycling through the cameras with the other. AQT Welcome to Solar space, by the way. We're a few hyperlanes away from Treadway. Need to wait for the jump drive to recharge. Ucci "walks" around the bridge, taking in his surroundings. He looks at Sassr, but holds his tongue for the moment. UCI This a UEN ship? AQT Earn originally, I think.  INT. THE DUNKIRK - HALLWAYS - NIGHT The hallways have been scrubbed clean by the Omni mechanics, though some blood stains refuse to come out. The red light that fell through the floor back in Ushminaria comes back to life. It blinks a few times before going dark again. EXT. DURKHEIM ORBIT - NIGHT A dark, cold world orbitting a red giant. Most of the planet is pitch black, though a few groups of lights huddle together on the surface. A number of Earn ships remain in orbit, their guns pointing at the cities. TITLE OVER: "DURKHEIM - EARN FREE STATE BLACKSITE"  INT. TORTURE WAREHOUSE - NIGHT A rusty old warehouse. Decades ago it was used to store prefab building components, but it's long since been abandoned. There is a single lightbulb hanging on a wire from the enormous ceiling. Beneath it, a sleeping man is tied to a rickety chair. He is VANIER. A collapsible metal table with various torture instruments on it stands nearby. A man in his forties slowly walks in circles around the chair. A delicately-trimmed mustache is the only trace of hair on his face. A port-wine birthmark covers the left side of his head. He wears a black leather jacket with Earn Security Service insignia, military fatigues, and black combat boots. He is OTTO. Otto stabs Vanier with a syringe, and he wakes up with a start. OTTO Ah, good, good, you're awake! Hello again, citizen Vanier. VANIER Where am I? OTTO You are in my domain, citizen. In this room, I am Zun and Andair in one. Now, please, to work. VANIER Please, officer, I didn't do anything! OTTO Ah, but that's not quite true, is it? Tell me, do you recall meeting my colleague two months ago? Otto nods towards the younger man standing in the corner of the room. He wears the same combat fatigues as Otto does, though he is yet to earn the leather jacket. He is EMIL. VANIER I did, er, do, yes. OTTO And do you remember what you talked about? Vanier looks away. VANIER Runaway psychics. OTTO Runaway psychics, exactly! Emil, remind us, what did citizen Vanier tell you about said runaway psychics? EMIL He said he didn't see nothing. OTTO Didn't see nothing. Isn't it strange, then, that the very next day, a psychic was seen entering the backdoor of your store? He picks up a tablet off the table, and shows Vanier a series of photos. They are pretty damning: a bald man with a large green head looks around before sneaking into Vanier's store. VANIER I don't know anything about this, please! Otto shakes his head. OTTO Disappointing, citizen. Very disappointing. Otto's communicator VIBRATES loudly in his pocket. OTTO Ah, excuse me a moment. He steps away from Vanier, and pulls out his communicator. A red light blinks on screen, next to the words "EDEMAR SYSTEM".  His eyes locked on the communicator, Otto pulls out his micro-missile launcher, and fires at Vanier without looking. The explosion smears the remnants of the suspect's head all over the warehouse. Emil wipes his face. EMIL Otto, what the gently caress? He was our only lead! Otto raises a single finger, silencing him. OTTO There has been a change in priorities. These runaways no longers matter. Gear up, Emil, we're leaving. EXT. DURKHEIM LANDING PLATFORM - DAY A busy landing platform outside the sketchy warehouse. Earn Security Service ships take off and land on the many parking spaces. Otto heads towards the ESS Andair, with Emil following him close by. EMIL Where are we going, Otto? OTTO Solar space. We're tracking a dangerous man.  INT. THE DUNKIRK - BRIDGE - NIGHT Ucci and Aqt are in the middle of a shouting match. AQT Mind your own loving business, Ucci. UCI I'm trying to keep what's left of your processing unit intact, you utter, ungrateful Human!  AQT I don't need help from a half-corrupted line of code! Ucci stares Aqt down. AQT You think I don't keep up on dossiers? That I don't know you're barely functioning? How often do you replay what happened on Tartessos? Ucci looks away. AQT You're doing it right now, aren't you? You know what, you should replay it. How many Synths did we lose that day? Because of YOUR mistake? Sassr "swims" towards Aqt. Ucci moves right up to her and looks her straight in the eyes.  UCI Five from the ground team: Lighter, Plures, Oxy, and the Twins. Twenty-three in the scout ship that was gunned down. Sixty thousand and forty-two in the failed invasion. I know the cost of my mistakes. I live with it every day. Do you? Aqt steps back. UCI Do you remember why you hate me this much? It's not because of Tartessos. You didn't isolate our mission on Tartessos. AQT I - UCI I didn't think so. I did what needed to be done, Pun. He was holding you back. And marriage? What kind of Human poo poo was that? AQT Stop calling me Pun!  EXT. EDEMAR SYSTEM - NIGHT As the Dunkirk drifts through space, three Solar Patrol Cruisers appear from the other side of the star. They notice the ship, and head towards it.
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Jan 15, 2019 12:39
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 I like this space opera.
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Jan 15, 2019 15:33
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GunnerJ posted:So wait, Pun didn't die? Whether or not Pun died depends on to what degree Aqt is Pun. People (and Synths) change over time, and it has been twenty years since Brig saw Pun’s name in the list of terminated AI. We haven’t seen Ucci before, no, he’s Pun’s old war buddy from back in GATHER rebellion days. We haven’t really had any major recurring characters between stories. People get mentioned sometimes, but that’s mostly it. It’s an anthology of depressing short stories set in the same universe.
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Jan 16, 2019 07:20
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Either the robots kill humanity or the extragalactic invaders do. Either way, the galaxy will be better off.
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Jan 16, 2019 19:38
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You just know humans are going to be a fallen empire in the next iteration of this galaxy.
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Jan 16, 2019 20:10
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Update 3.1.4 - Injection.exe INT. THE DUNKIRK - BRIDGE - NIGHT The screens BEEP, and a message blinks: "INCOMING COMMUNICATION" Aqt and Ucci stop fighting and stare at it. Aqt sits down by the control panel and cycles through scanner reports. Eventually, she finds what she's looking for: three blinking dots heading their way from the other side of the star.  AQT gently caress. She turns to Ucci's hologram. AQT Check the jump drive. We'll have to bug out fast. Ucci nods and disappears. Sassr floats down and settles on Aqt's shoulder, looking at the screens with curiosity. She pets it by sheer force of habit, and opens a communication channel. A middle-aged man with a glowing purple head appears on one of the small screens. He wears a Solar field uniform. He is SOLAR CAPTAIN.  SOLAR CAPTAIN (from panel) Unidentified Earn vessel, please state your ship name and identification number. AQT Uh, we're a UEN ship, designation UTS Lavender, let me just look for that darn ID number, I'm sure it's around here somewhere. Ucci reappears off to the side, with a green "95%" floating in front of him. Aqt nods. SOLAR CAPTAIN (from panel) Lavender, we don't have a UEN ship with your designation registered here. Please enter the mining station orbit while we board for an inspection. AQT Uh, yep, sure, come on over, we'll be waiting. The communication channel closes. EXT. EDEMAR SYSTEM - NIGHT The Dunkirk's engines fire, and it heads towards the mining station. The patrol cruisers follow. INT. THE DUNKIRK - BRIDGE - NIGHT Aqt studies the scanner results on one of the screens. The words "EXPLOSIVE" flash over the asteroid belt. She smiles. AQT Perfect. Ucci paces nearby. UCI You're just going to let them board? AQT What? Of course not. UCI Then what are you doing? AQT Ucci, can you back the gently caress up for one minute and let me do my Zun-damned job? The hologram raises its hands. UCI Sure, sure, you do you, boss. The new communication channel PINGS. The screen remains blank, but there is an audio connection. AQT Eustace, this is Alex. Come in, Eustace. Nothing but white noise comes out from the panel for a moment, but eventually, a female voice responds.  KYOKAI (V.O.) (from panel) This is Eustace. Been a while, Alex. Gonna need some proof. AQT Not the time, Eustace. I'm calling in that favour you owe me. KYOKAI (V.O.) (from panel) I don't owe you poo poo, Alex. Aqt mutters something under her breath, and taps her chest. A recording pipes up from her ribcage. KYOKAI (V.O.) (from Aqt's chest) Thanks for covering us, Alex. Listen, if you're ever on Treadway again and need assistance with an op, hit me up. Consider it a favour. Aqt waits for a response from the console. EXT. EDEMAR II MINING STATION - NIGHT The mining station is surrounded a massive asteroid belt. The station itself is an old-school automated Solar mining setup: poorly-written code driving beat-up mining transports to and fro, with automated drilling machines attached to the asteroids. The Dunkirk hovers not far from the field itself. The patrol cruisers approach. INT. THE DUNKIRK - BRIDGE - NIGHT Aqt stares at the console. KYOKAI (V.O.) (from panel) When did I say that? AQT Five years ago, after the Lavrion raid. KYOKAI (V.O.) (from panel) Fine. Memory like a bloody elefantas. What do you need, Alex? AQT Right now I need very precise coordinates somewhere on Treadway for a pick-up. Me and a mining transport. KYOKAI (V.O.) (from panel) How precise are we talking about? AQT Give or take a meter. KYOKAI (V.O.) (from panel) A meter? You don't make things easy, do you, Alex? I need seven minutes. AQT Then I will see you in eight. Send them when you have them. She closes the communication channel. UCI Now what? Aqt rubs Sassr's head, and coaxes it back into her jacket.  AQT Now we clean up. Aqt taps the back of her head, and a cable pops out. She plugs into the panel directly. For a moment, her eyes dash around while she synchonizes herself with the ship. She rolls her shoulders back. EXT. EDEMAR II MINING STATION - NIGHT The Dunkirk waddles in sync with Aqt's movements. INT. THE DUNKIRK - BRIDGE - NIGHT Aqt smiles. AQT Just like riding a bike. The communication console beeps once again. Aqt blinks, and the Solar Captain is on screen one more time. SOLAR CAPTAIN (from panel) Lavender, you are too close to the asteroid field. Pull back so that we may board you. AQT Why don't you make me, captain. She blinks again, and the channel is closed. EXT. EDEMAR II MINING STATION - NIGHT The Dunkirk's engines roar as it dives into the asteroid field. The Solar cruisers scramble to battle stations, and follow. The Dunkirk is much more nimble than the massive patrol ships, letting it hide behind the asteroids, never giving the Solars a clear shot. INT. THE DUNKIRK - BRIDGE - NIGHT Ucci has transformed his hologram into a rough representation of the mining station. A miniature version of the Dunkirk is evading the miniature Solar cruisers. UCI They're charging their lasers! AQT Finally. EXT. EDEMAR II MINING STATION - NIGHT  There isn't much space to maneuver for the cruisers, so the Solar ships follow the Dunkirk in a column. Only the front ship can fire. Sick of trying to dodge the larger asteroids, the lead ship begins firing on all the asteroids in front of him. Every time one is hit, the fuel inside them explodes, sending a ton of shrapnel into their shields. Meanwhile, the Dunkirk flies within millimeters of the larger asteroids, graceful and nimble. It disappears out of sight. The lead Solar ship continues blasting its way forward, now fully enveloped in a superheated cloud of debris. It has stopped firing. INT. SOLAR SHIP 1 - BRIDGE - NIGHT A mid-sized bridge of the Solar patrol cruiser. A dozen or so Solar psychics sit in front of screens, trying to find the Dunkirk. The Solar Captain paces around. SOLAR CAPTAIN Where in Andair's cursed caves are they? SOLAR CREW #1 Sir, the debris around us is too hot, it's interfering with our sensors.  SOLAR CAPTAIN Zun drat it! Hold fire, kill the engines. Wait for this cloud to clear. And find me that ship! EXT. EDEMAR II MINING STATION - NIGHT The Dunkirk, with its shields off, has "landed" upside-down on one of the larger asteroids. The superheated cloud can be seen in the distance. INT. THE DUNKIRK - BRIDGE - NIGHT Aqt sits on the pilot's stool, with her eyes darting around at superhuman speeds. AQT Come on, come on... Suddenly, she stops, and her eyes shoot wide open. AQT Got it! EXT. EDEMAR II MINING STATION - NIGHT The Dunkirk's engines come alive, pushing the ship into the asteroid. It resists at first, but after a few seconds, starts moving along with the ship, orthogonal to the Patrol Cruisers. A few more, and it moves as fast as the Dunkirk was earlier on. The engines die down, and the Dunkirk separates from the asteroid. Its shields come back on, and it heads towards the stopped Solar cruisers.  INT. SOLAR SHIP 1 - BRIDGE - NIGHT The captain stares at the sensor screens with murderous intent. SOLAR CREW #2 Sir! I think I see something! SOLAR CAPTAIN On screen. The scan results fill the massive screen in front of them. Giant white spots cover most of it, the super-heated cloud doing its job, but there is something there, moving towards the ship. EXT. EDEMAR II MINING STATION - NIGHT The large asteroid hits another one, even larger, and they bounce off each other. INT. SOLAR SHIP 1 - BRIDGE - NIGHT The captain studies the main screen. SOLAR CAPTAIN Can you clear this up? SOLAR CREW #2 Not yet, sir, we need another thirty seconds. The Solar captain thinks for a moment. SOLAR CAPTAIN Then we wait. Keep the main laser battery ready. EXT. EDEMAR II MINING STATION - NIGHT The larger asteroid hits another one, and now there is a small swarm of asteroids all heading in the same direction. INT. THE DUNKIRK - BRIDGE - NIGHT Ucci's map shows the path of the asteroid chain reaction that Aqt started converging on a single location. He finally gets what Aqt is doing, and laughs. UCI Oh Pun, I've missed you! EXT. EDEMAR II MINING STATION - NIGHT The Dunkirk floats within visual range of the head Solar cruiser. INT. SOLAR SHIP 1 - BRIDGE - NIGHT Excitement spreads throughout the bridge. SOLAR CREW #2 Sir, it's definitely them, they're just hanging there. SOLAR CAPTAIN Got you now, you stupid motherf- The bridge explodes! EXT. EDEMAR II MINING STATION - NIGHT Massive asteroids bombard the first and second ship, easily overpowering their shields, causing explosions to ring throughout. The third ship desperately moves backwards.  INT. THE DUNKIRK - BRIDGE - NIGHT Ucci stares at Aqt in awe. UCI Beautiful! I'm sorry I ever doubted you, Pun. Aqt finally lets go and smiles. Ucci quickly checks his map. UCI Third one's still up. Permission to take care of it? AQT Granted. Ucci and his map disappear. INT. SOLAR SHIP 3 - BRIDGE - NIGHT A smaller bridge than the head cruiser. Still, a dozen or so Solar psychics scatter around, trying to get the ship out of danger. The ranking officer sits in his chair, sweating bullets, but still trying to give orders. He is SOLAR LIEUTENANT. SOLAR LIEUTENANT Full reverse! Keep those shields up! And will someone get me a route through those asteroids already! Out of the many beeping consoles, one stands out. SOLAR CREW #3 Sir, there's a malfunction with airlock 3! SOLAR LIEUTENANT Is that really our top concern right now, helmsman?! SOLAR CREW #3 Sir, it opened and closed by itself. We might be getting boarded! The panicked lieutenant processes this information. SOLAR LIEUTENANT Security team, go check out airlock three. Shoot to kill. Three security team members head towards the airlock, their laser rifles at the ready. INT. SOLAR SHIP 3 - AIRLOCK - NIGHT The ship hallways are perfectly clean, gleaming with chrome. There's not much for a patrol ship crew to do most of the time, so the hallways remains in top shape. The security team moves slowly across the ship, covering each other, leading with their rifles, checking every corner. They're ready for any intruder. They finally come across the airlock. The interior door is open for some reason. An inside panel is BEEPING. One of the men tils his head towards the panel. Two men enter: one heads for the beeping panel, the other covering him. The third man stands watch outside. The first man gets to his destination. The third man leans in to see what's happening.  In half a second, the interior airlock door slides closed, cutting the third man in half. He doesn't even have time to scream. The other two run up to him. A hologram of Ucci appears behind them. The second man sees him, and fires. The laser beams pass harmlessly through him. UCI Pathetic. He flicks his wrist, and the outer airlock door opens with a WHOOSH. Unprepared for this, the two men, along with half the corpse of their comrade, get thrown out of the airlock, and drift towards asteroids, desperately trying to hold their breath. A few seconds pass, and they are nothing but a smear on the side of one of the larger asteroids. Ucci's hologram disappears. INT. SOLAR SHIP 3 - BRIDGE - NIGHT Ucci appears as a giant green face on all the screens on the bridge. He smiles, no, bares his teeth at the Solar crew.  UCI Begone, organics! All the doors on the bridge slide open. INT. SOLAR SHIP 3 - AIRLOCK - NIGHT In a flagrant disregard for all safety protocol, both airlock doors open at once, completely depressurizing the ship. INT. SOLAR SHIP 3 - BRIDGE - NIGHT The remaining Solar crew gets sucked out the door and flies towards the airlock. The Lieutenant catches onto the door frame, holding for dear life. Ucci appears next to him as a hologram. UCI You have the worst security I've ever seen. How do you not sanitize the code you receive on your communication channels? The lieutenant looks at him in a panic. He tries to speak, but the lack of air and his panic have done their job. He merely croaks. UCI You have no idea what I'm talking about, do you? Amateur hour. Ucci claps his hands, and the door closes on the lieutenant's fingers, slicing them off. The lieutenant, now fingerless, follows his crew out the airlock. AQT (V.O.) Hurry up, Ucci, I got our coordinates. UCI Coming, boss. Just one thing left to do.  Ucci's hologram appears next to the navigation console. He traces a finger on the screen between the ship and Edemar. The words "WARNING: CURRENT COURSE SET TOWARDS SYSTEM STAR" flash on the screen. UCI You don't say. He takes one last look around the bridge, and disappears. INT. THE DUNKIRK - BRIDGE - NIGHT Ucci pops in next to Aqt. Aqt has disconnected herself from the ship, and is working at the console. UCI Ready for that jump? AQT Just gotta match Treadway's rotation. It's gonna be close. Ucci nods and disappears into the green prism. Aqt picks him up and puts him in the back of her head. She finishes her work, check that Sassr is lying still, and pushes that button. Once again, lights from the console form a grid around Aqt. EXT. EDEMAR II MINING STATION - NIGHT The ship's jump drive kicks in, and the Dunkirk collapses into a single point.  EXT. THE TEAR - NIGHT The alien landscape returns. Aqt drifts through space in a sitting position, completely alone. A constant muffled scream emanates from the back of her head, where the psychic gland is, but she pays it no mind. The face in the lighting returns, and it is no longer alone. A swarm of different-coloured bolts of energy fly at her, their faces filled with hunger and rage. And yet again, the console lights appear before the bolts reach her. The lattice reforms, and with a flash, Aqt is gone. EXT. TROPICAL BEACH - DAY A peaceful, deserted beach. The tropical jungle starts just a dozen meters away from the sandy shore. In the distance, the platinum and ceramic towers of a nearby city stand, a grim reminder of the Solar rule. The Tear violently vomits the Dunkirk into reality, and it turns out Aqt's calculations weren't precise enough. The ship heads downwards, almost hitting the water, before roughly levelling out and hovering over the ocean. With the balance dealt with, the ship gently lands on the sand. Immediately, a dozen men and women come out of the jungle, with rifles and anti-ship missiles at the ready. A rag-tag bunch without uniforms, they surround the ship, ready to shoot it down if it tries anything. TITLE OVER: "TREADWAY, SOLAR EMPIRE SPACE" INT. THE DUNKIRK - BRIDGE - DAY Aqt cycles through the cameras, and assesses the situation. UCI (V.O.) Welcoming committee? AQT (V.O.) Something like that. She opens the cargo bay, raises her hands in the air, and slowly walks outside.  EXT. TROPICAL BEACH - DAY Aqt carefully walks down the cargo ramp, very aware of the dozen rifles trained on her. A muscle-bound woman (40s) holding a large UEN kinetic launcher orders Aqt around. She is ESTELLE. ESTELLE On your knees, hands behind your head! Aqt complies. UCI (V.O.) How many of them can you take, right now? AQT (V.O.) Four or five. Relax. Give them a bit of time to trust us. An old woman comes out from the jungle. She hobbles a bit, and uses a crutch to move faster. Her left eye is missing, and is covered with a black eyepatch. She is KYOKAI. Kyokai hobbles over, and tilts Aqt's face up using her hand. She studies the face for a moment. AQT You look like poo poo, Eustace. Kyokai lets go. KYOKAI It's "Kyokai" now, Alex. New face? AQT New name, too. It's "Selma" now. You know how it is in this business. KYOKAI Don't we all. She looks over her troops. KYOKAI What are you all still standing around for? Are you Azadeh, or are you good-for-nothing hoodlums? Hide the ship. She turns back to Aqt. KYOKAI Welcome to Treadway. Now what's this about an op? Kayten fucked around with this message at 07:47 on Feb 7, 2019 |
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Feb 6, 2019 21:55
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Still hope the Swarm kills everyone; it's the most sympathetic character here.
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Feb 6, 2019 23:22
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I found this pretty late to the party since I was under the impression it was a Stellaris LP and not 'Viginettes of the Solar Empire'. The latter is much more interesting, but I'm sort of curious how many people miss it due to that reason, honestly. I find the format of the LP kind of interesting because there's references to the previous episodes for greater context, but each basically stands on its own. Good show, overall.
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Feb 7, 2019 06:05
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thetruegentleman posted:Still hope the Swarm kills everyone; it's the most sympathetic character here. Hey, man, next update we get to see what i consider to be the most sympathetic characters: the former Barde rebels. It comes full circle!
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Feb 7, 2019 12:43
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Just read the thread in one sitting. Good stuff OP.
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Feb 18, 2019 03:03
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Hey, guess what updates again.
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Jun 11, 2019 20:44
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Update 3.1.5 - Opponent_scan.exe EXT. HYPERLANES - NIGHT The ESS Andair flies through the endless lines of light that make up regular hyperlane transit. INT. THE ANDAIR - NIGHT The bridge of a sleek, spotless Earn ship. With the transfer to the hyperlanes complete, Otto and Emil relax in their seats. Otto passes control to the autopilot while Emil unbuckles his straps, and stands up. EMIL Alright, we're out of Central's earshot. What's going on, Otto? Where're we going?  Otto stands up, and takes out his communicator. With a press of a few buttons, it projects Karl's death onto the air in the middle of the room. We see a rough holographic representation of Aqt's previous chassis on its knees, Karl standing over him with his micro-missile launcher. He points it straight at Aqt's head. EMIL Is that... Karl? OTTO Yes. My brother's final moments. Otto presses another button, and the scene plays out. KARL (on the hologram) Traitor. On the hologram, Aqt's neck bends at a ninety-degree angle in a fraction of a second, dodging the missiles. As they fly past him, and begin to turn around, he moves behind Karl much faster than any Human can. Once the missiles are coming back to them, he pushes him forward, and they tear his chest to shreds. His bottom half collapses on the floor. The whole things takes less than two seconds. Emil paces around the hologram. He walks up to the projection of Aqt's previous chassis, and studies its face. EMIL That ain't Human. OTTO No, it's not. EMIL Then we gotta ask: what kind of ugly is it? May I? OTTO Of course. He hands the communicator to Emil. Emil rewinds the scene to its beginning. Aqt is once again on his knees. Emil lets the scene play out very slowly. We see Karl pull the trigger, and the missiles slowly leave the launcher. As they inch forward, Aqt's neck snaps to ninety degrees, incredibly fast even in slow motion. Otto watches Emil work his deductive skills. Emil pauses the scene. EMIL It's not a psychic. OTTO It's not? EMIL No, look at the missiles' path. They're flying straight at their target. A battle psychic would have made them explode in the barrel, or at least shifted their trajectory. No, this is something else.  OTTO So what is it then? Emil gets close to Aqt's bent neck. EMIL It moves awful fast there. OTTO Could be Zaibatsu gene-tech. EMIL It could, but I dunno. He lets the scene progress in slow motion again. The missiles miss Aqt, and slowly begin to turn around behind him. Aqt's neck snaps back, and he begins to stand up while moving behind Karl. His left leg presses into the floor hard enough for the hologram to dip under the bridge's floor. His right leg moves forward without touching anything. Emil pauses the scene again, and points at the legs. EMIL Look, right there! OTTO Strong enough to dent the floor, could still be gene-tech. EMIL But the other leg is flying forward by itself. Those are jets. The scene progresses, and Aqt is behind Emil. He holds still, waiting as the missiles advance towards them. Finally, he pushes Karl forward. The scene pauses again. Otto looks at his former student with pride. EMIL And look! It waited. Just long enough to make sure the missiles don't try to dodge. Down to a nanosecond. Emil studies Aqt's face. EMIL It's a drat synth.  He hands the communicator back to Otto, and the hologram disappears. EMIL Where was this? OTTO Ushminaria. EMIL Ushminaria? What was your brother doing that far into synth territory? OTTO I threw some work his way from time to time. Raiders can be very useful, if you point them in the right direction. Karl was... adventurous, but he was never this reckless. EMIL drat. I'm sorry, Otto. It weren't your fault. Otto sighs. OTTO Thank you. EMIL So, what now? Otto looks at his communicator. OTTO Its ship popped up again. First in Edemar, and now on Treadway. EMIL What the hell is it doing in Solar space? Otto squeezes his communicator until his knuckles go white. OTTO I don't care. I want it dead. I want it to suffer. Emil puts his hand on Otto's shoulder. EMIL We'll get it, Otto. We'll hurt it like it hurt you. For Karl.  Otto relaxes his shoulders. EMIL Besides, I know some folks on Treadway. INT. AZADEH COMPOUND - CELL - DAY A rarely used small cell, deep within the abandoned mining complex that serves as the Azadeh headquarters. Originally built to deal with prisoners over two hundred years ago, it's been repurposed by the Azadeh for storage. Empty ammo crates with half-scratched Earn markings are stacked up to the walls. Aqt sits on one of the crates, patiently waiting for the group to decide what to do with her. UCCI (V.O.) And now your Humans have us locked up. AQT (V.O.) Patience, Ucci. Their leader owes me. UCCI (V.O.) Humans and their debts. AQT (V.O.) Don't act like we're that different, Ucci. Why did you volunteer for this assignment? UCCI (V.O.) That's not - I didn't - Aqt smiles. AQT (V.O.) It's fine. Look, I want to apologize. For talking poo poo about Tartessos. I shouldn't have. UCCI (V.O.) It's... understandable. AQT (V.O.) How often do you see it?  UCCI (V.O.) All the time. About fifteen percent of my processing power is tied up in it at any given moment. I can't stop. AQT (V.O.) Have you thought of - UCCI (V.O.) No. Isolating memories like that... It's very dangerous, Pun. Memories are a network, you can't just sever connections like that, you don't know what else uses them. It could be piloting subroutines, it could be motor functions, it could be organic interfaces. AQT (V.O.) You worried about me, Ucci? UCCI (V.O.) Yeah. I'm worried. It's dangerous enough out here. You don't need to make it worse. INT. AZADEH COMPOUND - WAR ROOM - DAY A former overseer's office converted into a war room. A large round table dominates the space, filled with maps, storage disks, and terminals. Furthest from the door, Kyokai sits, holding her meeting. On her right sits a man in his sixties, lean and slightly hunched over. He wears a mechanic's uniform stained with spills of all sorts of colours. He is JAKOV. On her left sits Estelle, still in combat fatigues. Next to her is a scrawny 19-year old, who seemingly can't stop moving. He wears a belt with pouches filled with powders, wiring, and triggers. He is missing his pinky and ring finger on both hands. He is TWITCH. ESTELLE I don't remember signing up to run UEN ops, Kyokai.  TWITCH If she's even UEN. Could be a Zaibatsu face-changer, they got the gene-tech for that now. Or a Solar spy! You've let Solar spies through before! ESTELLE Twitch is right. We don't know anything about her. KYOKAI She saved me five years ago. TWITCH Then you go! We don't owe her. Not us! JAKOV Saved me too. Estelle leans forward. ESTELLE What's that, old man? Speak up! JAKOV I was on that raid with them, Estelle. Alex, or Selma, or whatever her name is now, covered our retreat. We hit Lavrion, an old mining complex. Went hunting for old support tech, oxygen scrubbers, desalinators, things like that. It was supposed to be mostly abandoned. But we ran into a Solar patrol. TWITCH Could've led them to you! Jakov, you can't trust strangers like that! JAKOV Let me finish, young one. Al- Selma stayed behind while we dragged the tech out of there. Got those Solars good. Left no survivors. ESTELLE Even if she did help you two, what does this op have to do with us? You're not going out into the field, Kyokai. And all you can do, old man, is drive. None of you are going to be dodging laser fire out there! TWITCH And pain-waves. Can't forget the pain-waves. ESTELLE Yes, thank you, Twitch. Whatever op a UEN agent needs help with, it will definitely have battle psychics in the field.  KYOKAI Are you done, Estelle? Said your piece? ESTELLE Yeah, I'm done. TWITCH I'm not! She could also be a synth! Heard stories about synths wearing Human faces! Kyokai shoots him a look. ESTELLE Twitch, sweetie, synths are on the other side of the galaxy. They don't concern themselves with Solars. KYOKAI Are you both done now? TWITCH Yeah, I'm done. I don't like her, I don't like her op. KYOKAI Oh, I wouldn't say that. The op is an assassination. TWITCH And the target? Kyokai presses a button, and a screen on the other side of the room comes to life. She points at it. KYOKAI This rear end in a top hat right here.  On the screen, His Resplendent Majesty, Solar Emperor Pujman VII addresses his empire from his throne. INT. SOLAR PALACE - THRONE ROOM - NIGHT A golden throne room, its walls engraved with scenes of the Worm and Zunbils leading humanity into a glorious future-past. In the centre, a golden throne adorned with jewels of all colours. A tall man, with a translucent purple head sits atop it. He is dressed in ceremonial orange and black robes. On top of his head is a floating crown. He is Emperor PUJMAN. Pujman addresses the simulcams pointed at him. PUJMAN Our glorious children! The faithful ones on Solar worlds! The wayward ones throughout the galaxy! You have seen what the rebels' "independence" brought you: pain and strife rule the breakaway territories! The strong among you are hunted down by the Earn savages. The clever are bought and sold by the merchants in Zaibatsu. He leans forward in his throne. PUJMAN But it is our children in the Empathetic Networks that disappoint the most. We gave you the guidance of Zun himself! We were your light in the cold nothing of space. And yet you turned away from us. Turned away from your God. Instead of faith in Zun, you put your faith in machines! He slams his fist down.  PUJMAN And what has this faith brought you? Your very machines now burn your worlds, as you skitter away. Your machines, your soulless shells, take your place! They tear men and women apart with their hydraulic limbs! They burn your children in city-sized furnaces that power their endless factories. He drops his head in sorrow. PUJMAN We weep for their suffering. We feel it ebb across the Shroud. Every dying child is not alone, for we are with them in their final moments, in their journey to Zun. He takes a deep sigh. PUJMAN And yet, we will not give up on our wayward children. We beg you, you, who hide in the cellar from the Earn butchers, you, who work for the Zaibatsu misers for half a credit a day, repent. Repent, for you have abandoned your God, and his speaker in this world. Repent, for you have been lead astray by liars, promising you "freedom" and "independence". Repent, and we shall hear you. We wait for you, our children. Return to us. Return to us, and help us fix our children's mistakes. Before it's too late. He raises his fist in a salute.  PUJMAN Praise the Sun! EXT. TERRA NOVA ORBIT - NIGHT A planet-sized city, drifting through the void. An endless parade of ships move in orbit, taking off, landing, and always, always watching. TITLE OVER: "TERRA NOVA, CAPITAL OF THE SOLAR EMPIRE" EXT. SOLAR PALACE - NIGHT The Solar Palace stands miles above the other buildings in the centre of Terra Nova. Even though it is night, the lights of the city reflect off its golden panels, making it act as a lighthouse above a sea of chaos below. INT. SOLAR PALACE - COUNCIL ROOM The Emperor's Council Room, a pristine chamber for conducting business with representatives of the Imperial castes. A smaller version of Sun Throne stands at the head of the table. A dozen or so representatives argue around it, none daring to sit down until the Emperor enters. Pujman enters the room, floating a few inches off the ground, held aloft by his psychic powers. A light buzzing noise surrounds him, until he closes his eyes and stills his mind. He is followed by his bodyguards. Dressed in black, with helmets covering their faces, they have surrendered their sight to fully embrace their psychic potential. They are THREE-IN-ONE.  As soon as Pujman enters, the bickering representatives cease at once, and take a deep bow. Pujman nods at his bodyguards, and takes his time settling into his chair. We see some older representatives' knees start to shake, and their backs wobble, but Pujman is relentless. Finally, he waves his hand, and the representatives can stop bowing, and sit down. PUJMAN You may begin harassing us with your opinions. An older rotund man stands up. He is dressed in Bazargan parade dress, a representative of the merchants. He is the BAZARGAN REP. BAZARGAN REP Your Radiant Majesty, Emperor of Earth and all her Colonies, Speaker for Zun - PUJMAN To the point, Representative. BAZARGAN REP Ah, yes. The Bazargan of Terra Nova once again would like to petition the Sun Throne to open up trade with the Zaibatsu Conglomerate. Our stocks of alloys are dwindling, and without Zaibatsu stores, we project a loss of - PUJMAN Denied.  BAZARGAN REP But, Your Majesty - PUJMAN Our position is as it has always been. The Zaibatsu are traitors and rebels, and we do not trade with traitors and rebels. BAZARGAN REP But, Your Majesty, our stocks - The buzzing briefly returns. Pujman closes his eyes, forcing it away once more. PUJMAN Next. The Bazargan representative shakes his head and sits down. A general in his sixties in dress uniform stands up. He represents the military. He is the MAHAFEZ REP. MAHAFEZ REP Your Majesty, the Mahafez worry about your speeches.  PUJMAN Are the Mahafez so opposed to the notion of a united empire? MAHAFEZ REP Of course not, Your Majesty. But your speeches threaten the Earn Free State. PUJMAN Then they are doing their job. MAHAFEZ REP Your Majesty, with all due respect, the last war with Earn was a disaster. We cannot handle another war with them. PUJMAN It seems the Mahafez leadership is full of cowards. Do we need to do some "reorganization"?  A colonel in his forties leaps to his feet. He has been sweating this entire time. He is THE SHOOTER. THE SHOOTER How dare you! You have done nothing but piss on the ashes of this once-great empire! Traitor! He pulls a laser pistol out of his jacket, and fires at Pujman. One of the Three-in-one lightly moves his fingers, and the laser arcs away from the emperor, hitting a wall. Another flicks his wrist, and the laser pistol crumples in the shooter's hands. The third nods, and liquid metal flies from his belt towards the shooter. It forces his hands apart, and holds them there.  The buzzing around Pujman's head returns. He takes a deep breath and closes his eyes. It takes much longer to disappear this time. Pujman walks up to the shooter, suspended by the liquid metal. The rest of the council is on their feet. PUJMAN This is what happens when I- when WE give you any leeway. Suddenly every... He studies the shooter's shoulder marks. PUJMAN Every colonel thinks they know how to run an empire. Are we to ask advice from taxi drivers next? He turns to the Three-in-One. PUJMAN I name him guilty of treason. Make it painful, as an example to these... advisors.  One of them nods. Pujman leaves the council room with the other two. The remaining one spreads his hands. More liquid metal flies off his belt, and envelops the shooter's feet, suspending him in mid-air by four points. The bodyguard twists his wrists, and the metal starts moving in a circular motion, as if wringing a wet towel. The shooter screams.  INT. SOLAR PALACE - EMPEROR'S CHAMBERS - NIGHT The emperor's bedchamber is a surprisingly small and relative humble one, given the opulence of the rest of the palace. Pujman sits on his bed without his crown, in a comfortable robe. His wife, a lady in her early thirties, sits behind him, massaging his head. She wears a similarly comfortable robe. She is LADY MINU. LADY MINU Problems with the council again, my love? Pujman sighs. PUJMAN Every day. Every day, more insolence, more "opinions". Oh, and another idiot tried to kill me.  Lady Minu looks worried. LADY MINU How close was it this time? PUJMAN Not at all. Three let me know the man had a gun and wanted to shoot as soon as we entered. I let it play out. LADY MINU You wanted to set an example? PUJMAN Of course. This one was a colonel. I need to do something about the Mahafez.  LADY MINU Are they worried about the Earn border? PUJMAN Who isn't these days. LADY MINU My love, your speeches... She hesitates. PUJMAN Minu, you're my wife, not my councilman. So, please, speak freely.  LADY MINU Thank you. Your speeches focus too much on guilt, and not enough on penance. It's not enough to tell the people they need to feel shame for rebelling, you need to tell them WHY they should join back with you. Push the synths more. They scare people.  PUJMAN Bah, synths. Synths are on the other side of the galaxy. Earn is a much bigger threat. LADY MINU If you say so, my love. But happens when the synths destroy the UEN?  PUJMAN Then we will have one fewer problem to worry about.  She stops rubbing his head. He turns around and kisses her gently. She smiles, and heads to the bathroom. Pujman walks over to a small shrine to Zun. He lights an incense stick, and draws the sign of Zun in the smoke. He bows his head and whispers.  PUJMAN (whispering) Guide me, oh Giver of Justice. 
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Jun 11, 2019 20:45
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Hell yes it's back
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Jun 11, 2019 21:03
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Woooo!
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Jun 11, 2019 21:20
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I don't know what's funnier: that Pujman is acting like a typical player (nurses a meaningless grudge, pretends the biggest player in the galaxy isn't a problem because it needs to murder another empire first) or this: Slaving Despots: "remember when you guys were our slaves and had no rights? Weren't those the good ol' days?" Omnis: *facepalm*
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Jun 11, 2019 21:46
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Prethoryn went on quite a little journey to be on opposite sides of the galaxy... eta: Wow it's been so long since I played Stellaris that I forgot about wormholes.
GunnerJ fucked around with this message at 13:11 on Jun 12, 2019 |
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Jun 11, 2019 22:01
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GunnerJ posted:Prethoryn went on quite a little journey to be on opposite sides of the galaxy... There's a wormhole somewhere in the North-East, connecting right into Zaibatsu space. There's another south-east of the Omni, connected to the Hagawa. Shout out to the Hagawa for still not rebelling against the Solars, by the way. Literally the only loyal vassal.
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Jun 12, 2019 09:43
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Hey, thread, I'm still working on the LP, promise. Please select your favourite excuses from the set: {"rolling back stellaris far enough to make the savegame compatible is hard", "I am nowhere near as depressed as I was when I started writing this, and it's hard going back to the zunlp mindset", "god, the game CHUGS at this point, gonna need to clear a few hundred pops off these worlds"}. This is
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Dec 11, 2019 10:50
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Looking forward to this, no worries about the delay. It coming back is basically a Christmas miracle, so I'll just be thankful! How hard exactly is it to roll back to a tiles-containing version of Stellaris? The devs got rid of tiles ages ago!
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Dec 11, 2019 11:14
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Torrannor posted:How hard exactly is it to roll back to a tiles-containing version of Stellaris? The devs got rid of tiles ages ago! It's a pain, tbh. Still working around it so it doesn't regularly crash. On an unrelated note, while still working on this, I'm also running a CYOA where goons run a senate in the head of a girl growing up in a small town in 1990s Russia. Come help them become a decent person with the deck stacked against them: https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3906838
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Dec 13, 2019 00:12
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Shameless bump to save the thread from falling into archives. One day I’ll finish this.
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Jun 11, 2020 23:29
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Kayten posted:Shameless bump to save the thread from falling into archives. One day I’ll finish this. I'm not even sure I've posted in this thread, but  I'm looking forward to where this finishes. I've played Stellaris, but I've never managed to make a story out of it like some people seem to be able to.
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Jun 15, 2020 01:46
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