Escavel 2009/07/29(Wed)12:00 No. 17055 ID: 55e935
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>>16704

>>17055
Okay, I'll admit it. SOUL is a very nice acronym to give to the automatons.

[alien] looks like it could have a good overview.

Escavel 2009/08/02(Sun)07:08 No. 20640 ID: 55e935
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The more time I spent reading these articles, the more apparent it became just who wrote them.

Escavel 2009/08/02(Sun)08:16 No. 20649 ID: 55e935
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I took a momentary break from reading the articles to disassemble that taze baton in my locker. Simply unscrewing the hilt and removing the mechanisms inside yielded an insulated handle, a pliable conductive rod, a high-current charge delivery device (lacking a power cell), and a series of wires which can easily be cut and stripped to my needs.

*shrug* either wait it out or back into the information I guess... Heavy Weapons Modules perhaps?

Escavel 2009/08/02(Sun)16:35 No. 20990 ID: 55e935
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Although I had no particular reason to worry about weaponry at the time, this particular facet of technology interested me.

Escavel 2009/08/03(Mon)07:33 No. 21735 ID: 55e935
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>>17581

SOULs had always fascinated me. They each have personalities, minds, *souls*, if you will, yet they are content with subservience. There has never been one that disobeyed, let alone claimed liberation.

Also, I had never known that bit about their serial numbers before reading that article. I'll make a note here to try that on the next one I see if I ever make it out of here alive.

What *is* your name, anyway? The [attempts at diplomacy] with Solnama should be interesting to learn about.

Escavel 2009/08/04(Tue)12:27 No. 22721 ID: 55e935
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The article only listed the first two attempts to communicate with Solnama, the only two declassified. I once heard from a Major that other conversations took place long after that, where the Solnama tried to refine their communication technique, but not with much success.

Escavel 2009/08/04(Tue)12:29 No. 22722 ID: 55e935
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I had been reading those articles for the better part of an hour by the time I realized that the howling coming from outside the cockpit had stopped.

Escavel 2009/08/04(Tue)12:31 No. 22723 ID: 55e935
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I put my helmet back on and fastened it back to the visor before taking a look at the computer to make sure it's actually safe out there.

>>22723
good thing we still have the skin o-0

anyways, setup the distress beacon again and I suppose check out the energy signal 10km out.

Escavel 2009/08/05(Wed)15:39 No. 23388 ID: 55e935
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>>22727
Mustering every bit of courage I could, I stepped back out into that glacial tundra which swallowed my future.

I set the distress beacon back up and considered my options from there. The nearest signs of activity were each around 10 kilometers away and in almost the furthest possible angles apart.

With what little life support I had left, I had to weigh my options carefully. It takes about 2 hours to walk that far, provided I don't run into any geographical problems. If all went well, I would have probably been able to check all three nearest locations in a single day.

But I am a realistic man.

>>23388
Well, you have the choice of chancing the signals, or dying a cold, lonely death in your ship.
I'd say the furthest north one.

>>23390
120km out? you nuts?

Lets go for 2, barring any problems on the way.

how about the 2 close ones to the south

>>23400
Derp, closest ones.

Should we check if the autoforge can make more life support modules?

Disassemble the craft into an awesome shelter first, so you have somewhere to return to.

Maybe you should find out if your chances of survival through another storm are greater if you disassemble the craft before you do that.

And then build those LSMs.

Explore the nearest location. We don't know how difficult it is to travel while we need to understand where we are and if there's anything to scavenge

Escavel 2009/09/06(Sun)23:46 No. 39208 ID: 91d34d
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While the list of locations of probable interest held their own immense intrigue, I found it far more prudent to engage the ship's disassembly mechanism before exploring these prospects. I never saw a fighter transform before, but I assumed remaining inside during the sequence is hazardous. I stepped outside to get a better look and the door snapped shut right behind me.

Escavel 2009/09/06(Sun)23:47 No. 39209 ID: 91d34d
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It was at this point that I realized I had no clue how I was going to dig out the lower half of the ship. As of the time of writing, I still don't know.

Escavel 2009/09/06(Sun)23:47 No. 39210 ID: 91d34d
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To be honest, though, it was still amazing to watch. Each system of the ship exists in its own separate "black box" so that no expertise of any kind is needed to execute this tactic. The power generator becomes a field-ready power plant, the cockpit becomes a living quarters, the magnetic repulsors reattach to the engine to become an autoforge... everything is recycled.

Escavel 2009/09/06(Sun)23:48 No. 39212 ID: 91d34d
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I can't rightly say I understand every step of what goes on in the process, but the ship seems like it wants to divide into quadrants, but the two bottom parts couldn't separate due to their buried status. I wonder if they'll spring apart once I dig them out.

Escavel 2009/09/06(Sun)23:49 No. 39213 ID: 91d34d
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Finally, the individual pieces dispense themselves to the ground.

Escavel 2009/09/06(Sun)23:49 No. 39215 ID: 91d34d
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By the time it was done, I had to ask the computer exactly what I was looking at.

Escavel 2009/09/06(Sun)23:50 No. 39216 ID: 91d34d
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Some assembly required, of course. How could I overlook that? Silly me.

Escavel 2009/09/06(Sun)23:55 No. 39219 ID: 91d34d
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I decided to deal with all that later. Finding life support modules is my top priority. Even if I can forge the casings with the autoforge, I still need a supply of the chemical cocktail that they contain.

>>39216
oh man, when a computer says it's sorry you know it's trouble.

Anyways, let's head out north and get that one over with so we have lots of time to dig out when we get back.

>>39221
Onward!

Suggestion 2009/09/07(Mon)22:04 No. 39748 ID: ab91ae
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>animated

Escavel 2009/09/13(Sun)13:00 No. 43930 ID: 327223
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>>23484
>>25725
>>39221
>>22727

I constructed a basic map of the immediate area in my computer with the information downloaded from the ship's scanners. My route would be to investigate the closest energy signature, then the seismic activity due south, then return north and perhaps stop off at the ship before finding out what that large topographical feature is and why there's a large energy spike within it.

>>43930
Works for me. letz do it!

Escavel 2009/09/13(Sun)22:15 No. 44272 ID: c4f697
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My departure sent me past the jagged formations I witnessed the first time I exited my cockpit. They appear to be stone of some sort, but completely coated in an astonishingly clear ice.

After fifteen minutes of following the energy spike, I wound up on a gently sloping hill upwards. It is incredibly difficult to maintain a proper sense of scale in this place. More than once, I marched towards a far-off mountain, only to trip over it minutes later. The shadows rarely point in one direction. I haven't seen this system's star since the crash and the light appears to come from every direction in the sky. Some objects do not even have a shadow to cast.

Otherwise, the journey was not at all hostile. However...

Escavel 2009/09/13(Sun)22:20 No. 44279 ID: c4f697
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... My ship has crashed at the top of a glacier. I could see the source of the energy spike from that overlook: another crashed Imperial vessel, that much I could tell from that distance.

I estimated by its relative size that it could be hundreds of feet below.

>>44279

Investigate it. It's another Imperial ship, so I don't think we need to worry about sneaking around this time.

Escavel 2009/09/14(Mon)23:36 No. 44868 ID: c4f697
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>>44489
The urge to commence investigation of the ship down below was broken only by common sense and my dislike for falling from tremendous heights. The thought of climbing down the cliff crossed my mind, but it was a dangerous gamble without proper climbing equipment or the strength-enhancing agents a fully functional suit would have.

However, the alternative meant spending another few hours trying to take an alternate route off this glacier and maybe getting lost.

I was never any good with picking the lesser of two evils.

(Just a heads-up by the way, Chapter 2 is the last chapter in which I'll display the percentile odds off success in any task. Training wheels come off after that.)

>>44869
but mah precious computer datas! how will I make decisions without them?

ah well, I'd say flip a coin but this is life and death... I guess we have to go around or check something else out.

Escavel 2009/09/19(Sat)14:14 No. 47381 ID: 6971c4
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As the odds of surviving the climb could go either way, I considered flipping a coin, but I have not been in possession of physical currency since the last time I was on leave.

Instead, I decided to find a safer route, taking six hours. The first two were spent simply finding a slope off the glacier. The next one involved my trying to figure out where I was. Finally, it was a three hour hike to the ship from my alternate route. (Note to self, I do not advise trying this again.)

My approach was ultimately from the south, so that I could see the very glacier I had considered descending on the horizon. From this angle, the drop looks far more intimidating.

One I was within a hundred yards of the ship, I could see two new details. Firstly: portions of it were encased in ice. This may be attributed to the previous day's storm. Second, the maintenance grid was deployed, but heavily damaged. Several lines were severed, others misshapen- which leads me to believe the storm has some corrosive aspect.

Escavel 2009/09/19(Sat)14:18 No. 47391 ID: 6971c4
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Before I could get any closer, however, I was greeted by a message from someone with absolutely horrendous typing.

>>47391
well at least there's some life here. Might just be adorable kittens though. Approach and look for a door or a panel we can pry off to get in.

Escavel 2009/09/24(Thu)14:32 No. 50333 ID: fc8964
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Most of these ships are opened with touchkeys. This suit carries a Lieutenant rank, so I am authorized to commandeer a simple supply lander such as this with just a press of my palm on the door.

Meanwhile, I kept up communications with the unknown entity.

Escavel 2009/09/24(Thu)14:34 No. 50335 ID: fc8964
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The door was stuck, however. Either jammed from the crash or unable to open due to an electrical failure. The Grus inside continued to plead for assistance.

>>50335
Tell it to calm down while you poke the door into some semblance of openness.
Remind it that critters probably wouldn't be ablr to get through the hull.

Are there any alternate doors? Cargo etc.? Can you pry this one open at all?

Something comes to mind, we need to make sure our little friend doesn't freeze to death or become unable to breathe when we open the door.

Find out what gas it needs to breathe, for one. If it's oxygen like us, then ask if it has its own supply, and if not, then... what gas is on this planet again?

And either way, the fact it says its cold leads me to believe that it may not have very warm clothing, if any at all. Unless that ship its in somehow became a giant freezer.

Escavel 2009/09/25(Fri)22:44 No. 51462 ID: 063ff1
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These ships aren't built with crashes in mind and only have one entrance: the cargo door. Past the cargo door, there should be a small airlock and a cockpit. My attempt to pry it open with my spade bar proved futile.

As I tried to console the creature, my analytical senses started their work of processing the situation. If the Grus was cold, then it was obviously being kept alive by some means other than the life support. The atmosphere of this planet is, as I mentioned before, breathable for humans for a limited time. Grussus breathe similar atmospheres, so his survivability out in the open is uncertain. I decided it was best to ask.

I have never been to the Grussus home planet, but I have heard enough about its monstrous ecosystem to know that a Grus has every right to be as paranoid as it is.

>>51462
well, this aint Grush. but it sure has given us quite a bit of trouble in the short time we've been here.

How's yer knowledge on the wiring? Can you find it and see if that is really the problem?

If not, try and calm yer Grushian buddy down and see what he can do from the inside.

...or even see if his computer can give you more info.