Silence 2025/01/03(Fri)07:12 No. 1101889 ID: ed041d
File 173591716132.png - (15.85KB , 184x148 , Mech254.png )

>>1101814
>>1101818
You bring up upgrading your Mech with the shield technology.

We could easily get that done, for now, keep that piece of tech under wraps. We aren't quite to getting you your life back, but it'll make good progress.

That's... good to know?

Listen Fox, I know this isn't something either of us want. For now, just keep a close eye on future opportunities, we may be able to even out your fights even further. Speaking of Alien Tech, the ITA reports came in, they finally cracked that Mech you and the Junk Division Stole.

Ah, that's good.
This can help negotiating who gets which pick of alien tech, between this and the shield.

So what did they find? was it worth the effort?

Silence 2025/01/06(Mon)13:06 No. 1102045 ID: ed041d
File 173619760992.png - (17.88KB , 118x227 , Mech255.png )

Completely hollow, beyond some minor internal structure, a cockpit with no standard controls only neurocables, and what they think is an alien power generator to run the damned thing. We have no idea how it works beyond some theories, we've yet to test it, as nobody has been brave enough to risk plugging themselves into it. Too many liabilities.

Figures.

However 637, there may be an opportunity here, a big one. Even if it breaks this can prove a big investment, I've pushed your name forward as a volunteer. The paperwork is processing and will be ready tomorrow. It'll be up to you, it'll be on the work board for certain.

Oh.

The payout would be massive, the ITA even is willing to pay with their latest mass production unit, something still off the market for now. This is a big chance for Kowalski Wayne. I'll leave it up to you, enjoy the rest of the day off, get some rest, and let me know tomorrow. Good luck.

The call cuts, you're left alone with your own thoughts, a mech so alien nobody knows how it moves and with no standard controls only neurocables. You're no stranger to those, most of your augmentation work was built around that. But even then, pure Neuro control schemes are... risky... even more so with an alien machine.

You have some time to think about this.

Silence 2025/01/06(Mon)13:07 No. 1102046 ID: ed041d
File 173619765852.png - (59.54KB , 477x345 , Mech38.png )

You're on the Campus once more, left alone with your thoughts... you can get a drink, maybe go crawl into bed, you have the rest of the day to yourself. What do you do?

That was tough, time to unwind at the bar.

>>1102046
We need a god damn drink after all that.

Silence 2025/01/08(Wed)05:42 No. 1102094 ID: ed041d
File 173634375714.png - (21.81KB , 270x164 , Mech256.png )

You enter the bar, and find the Bartender and Lupin already there. This might be easy, you should probably thank him for the save, but at the same time you've also been asked to get his silence on the alien mech arm.

How do you want to approach this?

>>1102094
First buy him a drink and chat with him in the quietest place in the bar

Yes, it always starts with a free drink.
Thank him for the rescue, speculate a bit about Red Mask and whether coming back for you was in their initial mission parameters, then branch onto your handler asking for a delay in disclosure because your two corpos have a hard time deciding what exactly they want with each other.

I suspect if we can't get his silence, diplomatic intel would be an acceptable alternate prize for your handler.

Silence 2025/01/10(Fri)07:14 No. 1102151 ID: ed041d
File 173652204304.png - (34.38KB , 289x201 , Mech257.png )

You order another drink of whatever Lupin is having, he doesn't respond other than a brief grunt. Seems he's like you in some ways, heavily altered for certain.

How do you want to broach the conversation, what do you say to him?

Praise his sweet moves today. And also his discretion (wink) (oh wait you can't wink, uh, tap the side of your nose.)

>>1102151
Thank him for the "hand"

Silence 2025/01/13(Mon)08:08 No. 1102281 ID: ed041d
File 173678453809.png - (25.87KB , 263x211 , Mech258.png )

You ask the Bartender for some privacy, and thank Lupin for his help, especially with the recovered arm. You ask if he's told anyone yet.

No

That's good to hear. You bring up that your handler has marked it as a very useful negotiating tool.

Won't get you your life back.

Which is a problem, but still, you need him to maybe not tell everyone.

Why?

That's a good question, what can you possibly offer him to keep quiet?

>>1102281
perhaps give him some bonus in the future

Because your handler said they were gonna fix it up, and he'd let you test it out! :squee:

Because trade secrets are profitable and we don't want alien technology to proliferate among this already vast war.

Because we're friends?

Or for a favor and a good working relationship.

Hmmm..... well, if he wants compensation maybe we can work something out.

Well it's a start and working as a team will get us both out of this hellhole sooner than if we work alone.

Perhaps you can ask what interests him in a favor economy...

Silence 2025/01/15(Wed)06:52 No. 1102396 ID: ed041d
File 173695274254.png - (24.84KB , 227x206 , Mech259.png )

You point out that trade secrets are profitable, and if you two keep quiet there's a lot that can be gained from the recovered arm.

Not enough, require favor.

A favor, what does he want?

Contact, talk to your handler. Hannibal.

Oh... he wants to talk to Hannibal. Well it's up to you, do you want to try and put him in contact, do you wanna ask why? Or is there anything else you can offer.

Set the wolf up, your handler can handle it.

>>1102396
If Hannibal can handle us, he can handle Lupin well enough.

Of course he can talk to your handler. Why didn't you think of that? Hannibal is the one who knows stuff and it was his idea to keep it secret!

But uh... that's what Lupin wants? Really? He didn't strike you as much of a talker.

Sure thing bud.

Well you can let Hannibal know, but you can't really promise he'll respond

Silence 2025/01/17(Fri)06:09 No. 1102516 ID: ed041d
File 173712299262.png - (15.86KB , 179x195 , Mech260.png )

You think you can handle that, you assure him that Hannibal might not respond.

Contact him.

Okay then. You connect to your Handler.

637, what is it?

You're here with the Junk Division Pilot who helped. He says he wants to talk to you in exchange for his silence on the recovered arm.

Ah, negotiations. I can handle that.

Really? This isn't out of the way?

637, my job does involve negotiations, it's how you get those jobs on the board after all. I can handle this.

You pass Hannibal's contact info on to Lupin, in an instant he turns away from you and you can hear him mumbling as he begins his call with Hannibal.

Do you want to wait this out, get a drink, or anything else?

Just wait it out i suppose. maybe get some fries.

Get a drink, give them some privacy

I hope he's not asking Hannibal for dating tips.

Silence 2025/01/20(Mon)07:06 No. 1102653 ID: ed041d
File 173738557374.png - (14.64KB , 117x185 , Mech261.png )

You order a few drinks and sit back and wait, it's about a good 20 minutes of hearing Lupin mumble.

Silence 2025/01/20(Mon)07:08 No. 1102654 ID: ed041d
File 173738569899.png - (41.91KB , 269x311 , Mech262.png )

You suddenly hear Hannibal again in your head.

It's done 637. We're all clear and Lupin's silence has been assured. It wasn't cheap but it's worth it. Especially with tomorrow coming up.

Oh wow... that's good.

Very much so. I think this is also a good step for alliances as well, Kowalski Wayne and Wilson Scrap have begun negotiating official terms as well. We may have them as permanent allies soon.

Excellent, do you want to ask what Lupin and Hannibal talked about, or leave it?

>>1102654
We can ask about it later. Ask Hannibal if he wants anything from the bar.

Ask when they're going on they're date, as a tease

Silence 2025/01/22(Wed)07:04 No. 1102704 ID: ed041d
File 173755824567.png - (16.24KB , 189x144 , Mech263.png )

You ask if Hannibal wants anything from the bar.

Thank you for the offer Fox, but I'm good. More than that, we're over one hundred and ten kilometers apart, remember I'm in orbit on the Atlas. Enjoy yourself, rest up, and let me know tomorrow if you're up for the job with the Alien Machine.

With that, he cuts out. Now it's just you and Lupin sitting here in the bar.

Want anything else?

Do you? Do you want to stay here, or do you wanna crawl into your bunk for the day? What do you want to do right now?

'Sleep'

sleepy time

>>1102704

Don't worry, boss. You got a real strong throwing arm! All he has to do is go to the airlock and open his mouth to catch the booze.

Silence 2025/01/24(Fri)06:30 No. 1102762 ID: ed041d
File 173772904341.png - (11.03KB , 156x105 , Mech72.png )

You turn in for the day, ready to rest up for the next day.

Silence 2025/01/24(Fri)06:31 No. 1102763 ID: ed041d
File 173772907468.png - (26.37KB , 800x182 , Mech264.png )

You awake and check your job board, you see only one job on there... nothing is forcing you to take it, so... will you ignore it? Or take it?

Suggestion 2025/01/24(Fri)07:26 No. 1102764 ID: 4a0685
File 173773239473.png - (117.23KB , 584x587 , gigachad.png )

>>1102763
IGNORE

Time for those tests. Take the job.

>>1102763
tiime to play with our new toys

>Only one option on a galactic bounty board
Yeah, you're dreaming. Go to the bar, will it to become a strip club, get laid in your dreams by fantasy creatures.

Go for it

Silence 2025/01/27(Mon)07:42 No. 1102949 ID: ed041d
File 173799252008.png - (41.19KB , 800x182 , Mech265.png )

Today is the day, you're gonna take it, see what it's like to interact with an alien machine.

Silence 2025/01/27(Mon)07:42 No. 1102950 ID: ed041d
File 173799257738.png - (19.89KB , 102x184 , Mech266.png )

It takes a bit, but the lab isn't too far off, you're brought before the machine, the cockpit in the chest is open, different from the hatches you're so familiar with it's... like an open mouth.

You're unsure of this, do you have any questions to ask before you enter this thing?

>>1102950
What to do in am emergency, aka "wheres the 'get me the fuck out of here' button"

"Have you already tested this on a robot dummy wearing slabs of meat?"

is my dead mother haunting this thing?

Silence 2025/01/29(Wed)07:00 No. 1103044 ID: ed041d
File 173816285421.png - (25.87KB , 252x197 , Mech267.png )

>>1102952
You ask what to do in case of emergency.

Nothing too much, your suit has an emergency beacon, just trigger that and we'll tear it open to get you out.

>>1102953
We haven't hooked any autonomous units up to it, the thing is made of alien tech after all. We don't know if it'd work at all.

>>1102969
What?

Old joke. Well with all the questions done, all that's left is to get in, right?

Right

Be the drill that pierces the—! *shot by the reference police*

Silence 2025/02/03(Mon)07:06 No. 1103205 ID: ed041d
File 173859521426.png - (15.03KB , 112x110 , Mech268.png )

You climb in and let the neurocables hook into your systems, you feel the generator turn on, but not much else from this alien machine. You know you should be able to theoretically move this thing, what's first? What do you want to try and do with this machine?

Move the fingers, raise and lower the forearm. Get a feel for its responsiveness.

First thing's first, see if you can do a systems check. Do comms work?
Secondly, move your fingers, then arms, make sure your sense of balance is ok before trying to walk. It's a new interface so start small. If you can get used to moving around then I guess it's time to... uh, do whatever additional tests they wanted. Target practice? Advanced tech activation?

>>1103205
you must do the first thing you can do when given anything with hands.
see if you can do the middle finger. maybe get a laugh out of the techs

1. open the door
2. get on the floor

Yeah, small hand movements first, don't try to walk until you've got enough control to balance.

Silence 2025/02/05(Wed)06:54 No. 1103322 ID: ed041d
File 173876728034.png - (23.21KB , 151x140 , Mech269.png )

You try willing it to move, controlling it like many other mech units, you feel your commands flow through the Neurocables, and slowly the mech begins to move.

The hand lifts, and the fingers flex a bit. It's so weird a feeling, knowing that the structure of this mech is so hollow, you aren't even certain how these limbs are moving.

Annnnnd pose!

Probably forcefields or something. Questions like that are for the egghead engineers to answer. Are comms working?

Silence 2025/02/07(Fri)06:06 No. 1103431 ID: 6d1406
File 173893716536.png - (41.75KB , 459x238 , Mech270.png )

>>1103332
You test the comms system, you suddenly connect to the headsets of the engineers around.

Yes 637? Is something wrong?

No, but it's different for certain.

Fascinating, any notes you have to share? What's it like being connected to an alien machine?

>>1103431
You can't feel as much of the machine's subsystems. Just the generator, really. Ask if they have anything specific they want you to test.

Try moving again, but bigger motions. See if you can increase response time, get used to the connection and try walking.

>>1103431
"Well I can still feel and i'm not dead yet, so good so far."

Its weird, like it might come alive at any moment.

Silence 2025/02/10(Mon)06:39 No. 1103566 ID: 6d1406
File 173919837434.png - (28.42KB , 207x149 , Mech271.png )

You attempt to move more, suddenly feels like the thing is fighting against you. Might just be how the motion works.

Well I can still feel and I'm not dead yet, so good so far. Feels like it might come alive though.

That figures, alien tech is hard to come by but we're adjusting where we can. Think you're ready to try out moving this thing outside?

...maybe? I wonder if the mech has some kind of AI in it we need to talk to and come to an agreement with.

Do dance memes to lighten the mood

Might be, but it's feeling sluggish. Are they able to monitor your connection?

Make your way outside, hugging the wall until you get better footing.

Silence 2025/02/12(Wed)13:32 No. 1103673 ID: 6d1406
File 173939596923.png - (52.79KB , 475x346 , Mech272.png )

>>1103568
Potentially? Every mech has some artificial intelligence to read commands.

>>1103571
You give it a shot and ask if they can monitor your connection.

Easy enough, it's what we've been doing, the chair has a few devices to read your brainwaves and connection to the machine.

>>1103575
You keep close to the wall, taking easy steps, trying to command it every foot of the way, it continues to move slowly, the thing feels so light, but it is fighting you every step of the way.

Any ideas as to what you might be doing wrong?

>>1103673
Maybe you're trying too hard? If the mech is light, try "light" commands.
Or, maybe your basic approach is wrong. You could try imagining that you are the mech? Move it as if you're moving yourself?

Stop trying to command and just let the mech guide you.

Oh maybe that's it. Instead of commanding movements, try sending more general commands. Maybe you can tell it to move to a specific spot somehow, and let the mech do all the fine details?

Silence 2025/02/14(Fri)06:13 No. 1103764 ID: 6d1406
File 173954243813.png - (46.71KB , 635x337 , Mech273.png )

>>1103675
>>1103683
>>1103717

You decide to stop trying to puppet the Mech as you would others, and instead tell it to just go... forward.

You feel a sudden shift as the Mech rights itself and begins speeding forward, you can suddenly feel even more of it now, the hollows of its construction become very familiar sensations.

It's working so far, any other commands?

>>1103764
Neat. Now try getting it to move in a specific path, like a curvy line or strafing. If there are targets set up you can see if it can attack.
Also something like telling it to pick up a rock off the ground.

OK good news: you figured it out!
bad news: this thing seems to be intelligent, to some degree.
Congratulations! You got a new working partner!

Picture something in your mind, like a dance move or fancy pose. See how well it can match. Something that wouldn't be preprogrammed in a military machine.

Silence 2025/02/19(Wed)06:42 No. 1104031 ID: 6d1406
File 173997613509.png - (24.73KB , 336x128 , Mech274.png )

>>1103765
You see that there is a range being set up, as well as weapons to grab. Seems they want to put this thing through the paces. The current weapons selection are
> Bullpup Assault Cannon
> Energy Rifle
> Shotgun

What shall you grab?

>>1103773
It's not whispering at you yet, so you should be fine with this... hopefully.

>>1103783
You try but get errors, seem this thing is a weapon first and foremost.

>>1104031
Can't ask for elaborate movements? Hmm, that could actually be troublesome during a fight. Hopefully you can at least command it to dodge.

Start with the assault rifle. That should be a weapon unfamiliar to the mech, so we should test how it handles it. After that, the energy rifle.

>>1104031
I'd say shotgun. Granted the shotgun never goes out of style no matter how far into the future we go.
Before shooting, see how easily and quickly you can perform sidesteps/

> seems this thing is a weapon first and foremost.
hmm, not very adaptable then.

Load up the assault rifle, since we often go for mid range.

Silence 2025/02/21(Fri)05:45 No. 1104088 ID: 6d1406
File 174014555156.png - (19.03KB , 149x131 , Mech275.png )

The vote is for the Assault Rifle, you command the machine to pick it up, it does so, even seeming to recognize which of the weapons is a rifle.

Damn, you're really picking up quickly on this!

Silence 2025/02/21(Fri)05:47 No. 1104089 ID: 6d1406
File 174014565936.png - (64.74KB , 456x309 , Mech276.png )

We've got some basic automechs set up, ready for practice? Let's see how this handles.

There are 5 mid weight automechs, with dual cannon arms loaded, these things aren't very bright but often more dangerous than Box Walkers just due to unrelenting dedication to finishing their mission. They aren't attacking yet, and you have a new alien machine.

What will be your first command?

Circle strafe them, and if any cover's been set up see if you can get the mech to fire from behind cover.

Circle strafe

Silence 2025/02/24(Mon)06:54 No. 1104188 ID: 6d1406
File 174040886155.png - (42.39KB , 647x361 , Mech277.png )

You begin to strafe, sliding to the side, commanding the machine to keep circling the enemy mechs. The testing units open fire, what will you do next?

Tank a few hits and then return fire. Think about targeting the targets gun arms to see how precise this thing can be.

Targeting specific parts is good. You can also try seeing if the mech reacts to a "dodge" command. Hmm, can it fly? Or jump, at least?

Silence 2025/02/26(Wed)06:20 No. 1104232 ID: 6d1406
File 174057961462.png - (24.71KB , 391x119 , Mech278.png )

>>1104189
You command it to target the weapons of the training units, it focuses fire on one Mech in particular and empties a magazine blowing off one of the arms. You can feel the recoil of the rifle mitigated, and yet this thing only focused on one target.

What next?

Think of a spread of suppressive fire against all targets

Silence 2025/02/28(Fri)06:10 No. 1104291 ID: 6d1406
File 174075183394.png - (27.91KB , 301x306 , Mech279.png )

You command the machine to suppress fire, it does so, spraying wildly to attempt to suppress the Training Units, but seeing as they're automatic machines it isn't working very well.

So it seems like it's more ordering the machine to act rather than directly controlling. Try thinking of one of the targets being destroyed, but not specifically how. See how your mech responds.

Silence 2025/03/03(Mon)06:37 No. 1104439 ID: 6d1406
File 174101262263.png - (29.29KB , 217x189 , Mech280.png )

>>1104295
You think about one of the mechs being destroyed... and the machine tosses the rifle aside, and proceeds to rip the head unit right off of the damn thing. You can hear the scraping of metal as it does so.

So much strength, in so light a package, this machine is... well you don't wanna say monster just yet.

Who's a good boy? Get the head! Come on get the head! Good boy! Good boy!

That's a dangerous amount of unpredictability, especially if it can react to idle thoughts or ideas you're considering.

Silence 2025/04/02(Wed)07:16 No. 1105722 ID: 6d1406
File 174360341267.png - (21.36KB , 172x148 , Mech281.png )

You ponder the power in this machine, so lightweight and yet so strong. You are starting to think it's a good thing you took it from the Monarchy.

Still, you're still in command of this thing, what next?

>>1105722
Think about moonwalking... ok hear me out:
>You think about one of the mechs being destroyed... and the machine tosses the rifle aside, and proceeds to rip the head unit right off of the damn thing.
It seems to function off of your thoughts, and with "specific" thinking, it interprets your thoughts in its own way, and becomes unpredictable.