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File 168368888672.png - (104.15KB , 500x500 , p0.png )
1063269 No. 1063269 ID: 9ea24b

A short SFW quest about creating a new species.

Neumono, Salikai, Arkots etc. belong to Lagotrope.

Tobak, Sect, Rin-Reida etc. belong to Roaway.
Expand all images
>>
No. 1063270 ID: 9ea24b
File 168368890660.png - (99.33KB , 500x500 , p1.png )
1063270

You are a young Salikai who recently moved to a lush resort planet with your two siblings, doting father, and a small army of servant Arkots. With the fortune made from creating the most exploitative gacha game in the galaxy, your dear papa commissioned an expansive estate, complete with an underground research facility, where you all could live in peace.

You’re currently standing in your bedroom. Your father is about to bring you a gift to celebrate your budding interest in bioengineering.

What is your name? What is your gender?
>>
No. 1063272 ID: 38349b

Your name is John Homestuck
Your gender is tentacle-dick
>>
No. 1063274 ID: b7e398

Salli, female. Sadly, your family is very bland.
>>
No. 1063275 ID: e51896

Your name is Salad, male.
>>
No. 1063277 ID: f0bf00

you are khat, a male Salikai with dreams of creating the bestest friend!
>>
No. 1063279 ID: a7a180

Siklikal, male.
>>
No. 1063281 ID: 8f9bc4

Salad, female.

"Sallie"
>>
No. 1063282 ID: e13b1d

>>1063279
Seconded
>>
No. 1063288 ID: 99ca7b

Salad

Gender is irrelevant!
>>
No. 1063290 ID: f914a5

Salad, male!
>>
No. 1063292 ID: 90c451

Saladin the Paladin.
Female.
>>
No. 1063293 ID: 609873

Salliad, Female
>>
No. 1063296 ID: e8a23e

>Budding interest in bioengineering
>Has siblings
...
Well, I guess I have to make the joke. Kitsiksu Iarem, male.
>>
No. 1063310 ID: 85b96f

Salad, the only they/them/it mystery-gender crawling around.
>>
No. 1063314 ID: 5d9787

>>1063277
I don't know about the name but I like the goal.
>>
No. 1063315 ID: 9285e5

>>1063292
seconding this.
>>
No. 1063322 ID: 34713f

Imma hop on the Salad bandwagon - don't care about the gender.

What year is this? Are Salikai still officially in hiding due to the whole "death-grudge with the Neumono" thing, or is this late enough in the timeline that the casual "this species is illegal" mandate has since been relaxed? (I mean, I assume it's not early in the timeline if tobaks 'n' pals are in play.)
>>
No. 1063323 ID: f2320a

>>1063274
>>1063281
yep both good names and female
>>
No. 1063329 ID: 170ea0

Your name is Dalas Salad. Best boy.
>>
No. 1063339 ID: b01382

>>1063270
Salad, male

How soon can we possibly get some test subject? The regenerative abilities of the Neumono would be interesting to adapt around or with -examples being the few Neumono cyborgs that don't immediately reject their implants, and the Tobak which have the exact opposite problem, with their bodies being highly adaptable with implants of the mechanical variant. Tobak's would probably be the easiest of the two aliens to satisfy due to how disparagingly large male population, and their desires to eat tasty foods.

We could probably get away with experimenting with some Arkots too if we wanted to, maybe make them a little tougher? I'm excited! Image the possibilities! SCIENCE!

>Asteroid Quest poster in the background
In Kabot Quest, is Asteroid Quest a work of fiction, or actual events that happened in universe that people have been spectating due to how shenanigan's intense the Asteroid is? If the former, will we ever get a chance to get some autographs from the actors? if the latter, would it be possible to get into descrete, untraceable contact with any or the peoples/factions?
>>
No. 1063386 ID: d12415

Fuck, idk what our gender is, but our name HAS to be Salad.
>>
No. 1063387 ID: 9ea24b
File 168376890679.png - (140.25KB , 500x500 , p2.png )
1063387

>Salad the male Salikai
You have two older sisters who were from the same clutch, while you came a bit later. Your sisters say you’re super annoying, which is mean and not true.

>Is that an Asteroid Quest poster?
Yeah! That’s the gacha game your dad got super rich for making. It’s based on real historical events and it’s really popular with Neumono.

>Speaking of, how are Neumono Salikai race relations?
Oh…well your neighbors in the Tourism hive are convinced your dad is plotting to kill them all, but a few Neumono work at the estate as servants and they’ve been polite to you.
>>
No. 1063390 ID: 9ea24b
File 168376900851.png - (101.97KB , 500x500 , p3.png )
1063390

You hear a knock at your door and you tell your dad he can come in. He’s dressed in his dapper hat and stylish pipe and is much larger than you due to his age.

You spot a neatly wrapped box in his pincers, which he hands to you. It’s making a strange sound, like a muffled laser pistol.

“This is a great day son. Your first test subject! Now they’re keeping a close eye on us so I had to find an unprotected native species and do some of my own fiddling.” he says, as you eagerly tear through the wrapping paper.

You open the box to find a rotund, spindly limbed lizard. It goes wild when it spots you, cheeping and scuttling around its cardboard prison.
>>
No. 1063391 ID: 9ea24b
File 168376901416.png - (128.91KB , 500x500 , p4.png )
1063391

“I’d say A1 here is about as smart as a baby Arkot. I decided to call the species Kabots, since it sounds similar. I left a few mutation genes for you to play around with and the help installed a nice big terrarium where he can live in the basement. Little things love heat and light.”

Stunned, you gently pick up the Kabot and test its weight in your claw. It looks up at you with its enormous eyes.

“And every few days I’ll give you a test to see how the research is coming along. How’s that sound sport? Any questions for your old man?”
>>
No. 1063400 ID: 6dbd99

What kind of teeeest?
>>
No. 1063401 ID: b01382

>>1063391
Cool beans! We have a lot of testing to do:

-ask dad if he's able to get more kabots if we fudge some SCIENCE badly

-Test levels of sentience, sapience, consciousness and self awareness. We know dad said it's as smart as a baby arkot (pretty dumb as arkots go), but it's good check again.

-Review all current intel we have available of this species (what dad knows)

-Ask dad which planet he got the little thing from so we can do some extranet research to determine it's native biome, it's habits, how & why it evolved the way it did

-before any modifications can be done, some blood needs to be drawn and studied for any perceived irregularities, or what we might find weird things that are perfectly normal for it's species.

-make thorough records of it before and after every modifications

-a thoroughly examination of it's body for known and unknown viruses, diseases, parasite, symbiotes, and other foreign entities

-review gene modding materials and determine what they're "expected" to do to the test subject, their parameters, limitations, and if they can be passed down from generation to generation. What can be expected can vastly differ from what might happen, after all.
>>
No. 1063402 ID: b01382

>>1063391
I feel real dumb about my post. I should had included:

-asking about it's dietary habits, what has it already consumed / what had dad been feeding it

-anything of note father has noticed from the creature

-the age, or an idea of how old the kabot is. Are they naturally this small as adults, or is this one still young? If young, then how young?

-do they lay eggs, live births, or other?

-what is the scientific fancy name for the kabot?

-is it social? reclusive?
>>
No. 1063405 ID: e13b1d

>>1063391
Monster Rancher time.

Ask for your allowance. We'll need funds to fund our fun.
>>
No. 1063406 ID: f75fc9

>>1063405
Yes! Allowance are important!
>>
No. 1063409 ID: 8f9bc4

Are you plotting to kill all the neumono in the Tourism hive, dad?
>>
No. 1063411 ID: 5d9787

If there will be tests that mean there are parameters to be judged. What skills do you want me to modify Mr. Jellybean with?
>>
No. 1063420 ID: a7a180

Can I have a cute little bed for his terrarium?
>>
No. 1063449 ID: e13b1d

>>1063411
I vote Crouton for his(?) name. He's crunchy.
>>
No. 1063450 ID: 2aa5f0

besides the basic what do you need to take care of them (like what do they eat, how much exercise do they need, ect) is their a specific end goal I should be aiming for or is this more of a "go wild and see what happens" kind of thing?
>>
No. 1063455 ID: b01382

>>1063449
Think it already has a name. A1.
>>
No. 1063465 ID: f2320a

>>1063391
Perhaps we can get a female also to make more on our own
>>
No. 1063506 ID: 9ea24b
File 168384917080.png - (71.22KB , 500x500 , p5.png )
1063506

>What’s the test?
“Ohoho, I’d hate to ruin the surprise. I promise no physical harm will come to the participants.” Your dad is wearing a wicked grin and you know he’s scheming something dreadful.

>How old is A1?
Just a wee babe. You’ll have to see how fast it develops.

>What does A1 eat?
“I’ve been feeding him crude protein and carbohydrates in dehydrated nugget form. There should be plenty of food supplies by its terrarium.” He refuses to elaborate on any of A1’s other characteristics or whether he has a spare.

>Ask for an allowance
You have plenty of spending zeny already and your dad is providing all the expensive equipment.

>Can A1 reproduce?
You do a cursory check for genitalia. You don’t see anything.
>>
No. 1063507 ID: 9ea24b
File 168384917740.png - (96.14KB , 500x500 , p6.png )
1063507

You finally get to the question that’s been bothering you a bit. “Dad, you’re not planning to get me to bioengineer a Neumono killing species to destroy the Tourism hive, right?”

He sighs and crouches down so he’s eye level with you. “Salad, you remember the family motto, don’t you?”

“They can’t pay you if they’re dead.” you recite obediently.

“Exactly! Neumono are great consumers of software meant to manipulate their mental reward systems, son. Why would I want to hurt a potential customer? The grudge between our species is bad for business and I’m not trying to make it any worse.”

With that, he wishes you good luck and tells you to call for help if you create an unstoppable murder beast.
>>
No. 1063508 ID: 9ea24b
File 168384919647.png - (79.02KB , 500x500 , p7.png )
1063508

You carry A1 down to its new home and take stock of your options.

RESEARCH:
There’s a fixed list of 25 unique mutations Kabots can undergo. When you do research, you’ll learn which genes are linked to three randomly selected mutations.

MUTATE and/or CLONE:
You can randomly select a gene to activate or activate one based on your research. It’ll take until after the next test for a mutated Kabot to start showing signs of its mutation. To speed up the process, you can also immediately clone the Kabot and the clone will have the mutation. You can also choose to clone a Kabot without mutating it first.

INTERACT:
You can do all sorts of things with the Kabot besides hard science. You can study its behavior, play with it, train it, go into town to buy special items or food for bribes, or anything else you can think of.

You have two actions before the mystery test. What would you like to do first?
>>
No. 1063509 ID: e13b1d

>>1063508
First thing's first, and that's the first rule of science: a control!

Produce a clone of A1 to serve as a baseline control specimen which will not be mutated or significantly trained, to provide important scientific data on the species' normal traits and behaviors.
>>
No. 1063516 ID: 443b73

>>1063509
Good point.
If we want to be methodical each test will require a control clone. Maybe we should't go that far because it's slow and require constant disposal of control subjects after each experiment.

It would be better to begin trying to understand as much as we can from observation of this creature biology and behavior before attempting to change anything. Unfortunately doing that would mean no mutation in time for the first dad test.

Since we were given no specific parameters how about we start with a simple change in pigmentation? We should figure out if doing so will cause any colateral effect, what unrelated mechanisms are controlled by the same genes and what colors are available for this class. (It could be unable to naturally manifest certain pigments like how mammalians can't evolve blue tones for their furs and skins.) If we are lucky it might even be capable of developing expandable pigmentation sacs.
>>
No. 1063526 ID: e51896

INTERACT: gain it's trust before you do anything by feeding or playing with it. Research and experimenting will be much easier if it trusts you
>>
No. 1063527 ID: 273c18

We don't want to ruin the control group, yeah, but we need to act fast to prepare for the mystery test, and mutations won't be ready for the test anyway.

Seems docile enough, let's try Interaction! Second should be training but I don't think we're voting for two actions at once.
>>
No. 1063540 ID: a7a180

Step 1: research! Step 2: Clone a mutant!
>>
No. 1063544 ID: 2f7f6e

With the first test so close, I guess we gotta choose whether to blindly rush ahead or be slow and methodical.
I say we risk taking a hit on the first test and go slow. Interacting with it should help us figure out what a base Kabot is like.
>>
No. 1063606 ID: 407ea6

Hmm, I'm torn between:
A. research then clone mutant
and
B. interact, then...dunno

Do you want to be methodical, or do you want to test out your new toys? Do you want to do science, or do you want to do Mad Science?
>>
No. 1063613 ID: 20cba0

Interact first. Get to know what kabots are like. Test their reflexes by throwing a ball, and pet them to establish dominance.
>>
No. 1063620 ID: 5bb871

Yeah clone the kabot now before anything else. Besides the good sense in having a control and the dilemma of time constraints and disposal of too many subjects, having an extra copy of the baseline kabot would be useful in case we fuck up at some point with our primary subject.
>>
No. 1063625 ID: 34713f

>>1063387
Okay, good; Current Year(TM) seems to be out of the "mutual genocide policies" phase, and that's what we really needed to know.

> WHAT DO
Can we take this one action at a time? If so, start with RESEARCH. If we end up discovering a gene that's obviously beneficial to flip, we'll want to CLONE a Kabot with those mutations. (Remember, guys; CLONING and MUTATING can be done in the same action while letting us retain a control specimen.) And if it doesn't seem like a safe or productive idea to make a Kabot with those mutations, we'll need to come up with a new plan. Really, knowing is half the battle here, so it'd be dumb not to start with gathering intel on our control specimen first and foremost.

Also, if it can be included as a free action within the scope of our RESEARCH, do pour over the local fauna databases to try and figure out which critter your father modded this little guy out of.
>>
No. 1063654 ID: 9ea24b
File 168393927948.png - (71.22KB , 500x500 , p8.png )
1063654

>Tough decision
You’re loath to mutate A1 without prior research and you don’t like the idea of tainting your only control sample even if you knew what the mutation would do. You’d like to clone A1 without any mutations so that you have a spare, but you decide to interact with A1 first to get a baseline understanding of its behavior.

You spend your first few hours observing the creature from outside its terrarium, taking as many notes on your tablet as you can. The main features of the terrarium are the heat lamp, bushes, a jumble of rocks, a sandy area, a mulch area, a pool of water with a constantly running fountain, and a sad looking nut tree.

A1 seems fairly sedentary, preferring to lie near the stifling light of the lamp with its eyes open, occasionally blinking. You see it excrete a brown pellet from its cloaca and leave it unburied in the sand, then stand in the fountain to sip the water.
>>
No. 1063655 ID: 9ea24b
File 168393928819.png - (79.93KB , 500x500 , p9.png )
1063655

When you move, A1 usually becomes alert and even skitters under the cover of the rocks. As the day drags on, it becomes more familiar with your presence and stops hiding. It sniffs out and eats the handful of kibble you toss into the enclosure.

What would you like to do for your second action?
A. Clone without mutation

B. Train A1 with kibble as a bribe
>>
No. 1063656 ID: e13b1d

>>1063655
A.
>>
No. 1063659 ID: 443b73

A
>>
No. 1063660 ID: 7df658

>>1063655
A.
Need baseline clones as soon as possible. Modify the enclosure to keep 1 isolated in case they prefer isolation.
>>
No. 1063661 ID: 273c18

>>1063655
B.
>>
No. 1063672 ID: a7a180

A. What will it do when there are two?
>>
No. 1063685 ID: feadb9

>>1063655
A.
Good science needs control groups
>>
No. 1063687 ID: 7df658

>>1063655
Do you have any Salikai friends little dude, or do gou only know your family?

Did you make any friends with the hired help your family has hired to clean the manor?

Have you made any friends with memebers of the Tourism Hive?

Do you know any rogue Neumono?
>>
No. 1063743 ID: 9ea24b
File 168402955580.png - (105.77KB , 500x500 , p10.png )
1063743

>Clone
You have to enter the terrarium and grab hold of A1 to get a blood sample. The liquid is a proper red color and a bit fishy smelling and A1 wriggles mightily and runs into its hidey hole once you let go.

The cloning machine is a bit tricky to use, and you spend a day practicing with plants to get confident. Once you produce a healthy, intact head of lettuce, you start on creating A2.

>Are there any other Salikai on this planet?
Not that you know of. Your dad has half-joked that you’d have to clone yourself to get a friend your age.

>Are you friends with any of the servants?
No, not really. You’ve known some of them most of your life, but it’s hard to hold a conversation with an Arkot and the Neumono, most of them rogues, keep you at arms length.
>>
No. 1063746 ID: 9ea24b
File 168402964269.png - (84.95KB , 500x500 , p11.png )
1063746

>The production of A2
After an accelerated gestation, A2 emerges from the cloning tank perfectly identical to A1, if a tiny bit smaller. When you place A2 in the terrarium, it coexists peacefully with A1 though the Kabots don’t seem to socialize or have any interest in each other.

>The test
As if pops has been watching you on the security system and waiting for you to finish your second action, you barely have time to rest before he enters the lab with his personal butler Arkot.

“Here’s the first test son. Choose one of your Kabots and I’ll put it in the middle of a narrow corridor. You and Butler1 will stand on opposite ends and offer it identical food. Whoever it walks to first will get to keep it.”

Which Kabot do you volunteer? What’s your winning strategy?
>>
No. 1063747 ID: 7df658

>>1063746
I dunno if there are any penalties for "losing," but its not much of an issue if we can keep cloning them. My suggestion is to volunteer the cloned one, so even if we lose, we'll keep the original one, which we need to use as our base. I dont know if theres a genetic risk of continusly clone clones after clones of clones and so forth, but better safe than sorry.

It doesnt seem like a very social animal as we didnt see the two kabots socializing with each other, and it seems skittish of us. My suggestiong would be to put the food on the ground, lay down, and look away from it. Cuz some animals usually see directly looking at their eyes as either a challenge, or a predator searching for prey. By avoiding looking at it directly it might be less skittish to approach us.
>>
No. 1063748 ID: 7df658

>>1063746
Ask dad if we could clone ourself, and if that'd be a bad idea.
>>
No. 1063750 ID: a7a180

Enter A2. Eat a bit of the food and tell Butler1 it is delicious. Win by default when he eats his share of the food.
>>
No. 1063764 ID: dee951

Does this sort of cloning produce a molecular copy, with like memories and skills and such? Not just a genetic identical twin? Can that parameter be tweaked?
>>
No. 1063766 ID: 8f9bc4

...don't make any sudden moves, and toss the kibble into the corridor? You already researched what it takes to get a kabot to eat.
>>
No. 1063768 ID: e13b1d

A2, A1 is currently upset with us due to the blood sample taking.

>>1063750
Brilliant.
>>
No. 1063776 ID: 273c18

>>1063750
???what??? Don't do that. Salikai aren't complete morons.

>>1063746
Volunteer the original, since you interacted with it more. You know how to feed it, just do that.
>>
No. 1063780 ID: f2320a

>>1063776
But the issue is did we not scare it with the sample taking
>>
No. 1063786 ID: e13b1d

>>1063776
Pretty sure the butler is an Arkot.
>>
No. 1063800 ID: 288652

Choose A2.
Take A1 and some spare food, and feed A1 where A2 can see. The hypothesis is that A2 will pursue the resource that is being consumed safely over the untested resource that will still be there later.
>>1063786
It is "butler Arkot", with the "A" capitalised, like a name. Clearly it is a neumono named Arkot!
>>
No. 1063801 ID: 4dee0c

Heh. Well, we could order the butler to eat the food in its hand. Outside the box enough that Dad may be fine with it once. However a backup plan would be needed, go with >>1063800
>>
No. 1063804 ID: 9ea24b
File 168411407910.png - (85.42KB , 500x500 , p12.png )
1063804

>Does cloning create a perfect molecular copy with the original’s memories and skills?
The machine in your lab isn’t that advanced. Your dad probably has the tech in his personal lab.

>Should you clone yourself?
That’s a choice you’d have to make yourself. You currently don’t have the skill or means to do so.

>Volunteer A2
A1 is still upset that you grabbed and stuck it with a big needle, so you have a better chance of winning with A2.

>Assess your opponent
Butler1 is your dad’s most trusted servant. Oh, this might sound weird but your dad pays all the Arkots. With money. He also designed a whole training program for them so they’re pretty competent as long as they’re given simple orders. You conclude Butler1 won’t fall for the eat the kibble himself trick or disobey your father, and go with your backup plan. You don’t have time to feed A2 or A1 to get them used to the idea that food comes from you.
>>
No. 1063805 ID: 9ea24b
File 168411410064.png - (85.59KB , 500x500 , p13.png )
1063805

>Strategy: Put the kibble down on the floor, avert eye contact, and stay very still
>Chance of success: Base 50% + good strategy 20% = 70%, Success
A2 doesn’t like being placed in a corridor with nowhere to hide. After squishing itself against the wall for a while, it smells the kibble coming from both sides and decides you look the least threatening. It snatches the nugget from the floor and retreats, but that’s good enough for the victory.

Your dad congratulates you and warns you that the next test will take place after three actions. The volunteered Kabot will have to fight an adult Arkot of comparable size and physical injury may occur.

What would you like to do for your first action?
A. Research (learn about 3 possible mutations)
B. Mutate and/or Clone
C. Interact (Kabots can be interacted with separately or together)
>>
No. 1063810 ID: fcccf6

Can't do B without doing A first so that leaves the other two.
Sorta tempting to combat train the kabots, but we should probably do SCIENCE! before we do that type of stuff. Oh, clarify this, do the mutations show following one action or one test given by salikai dad?
>>
No. 1063811 ID: 7df658

>>1063805
>C. Interact (Kabots can be interacted with separately or together)
So we know some, if not almost all of the kabot can be cloned, so lets go with another experiment of sorts, that will prelude to another one -where we will clone A1 or A2 in the future to determine if their positive familiarity with us passes on to their clones, which would save us the time to socialize with a clone every time we make a new one. What we need to do is determine the effectiveness of the given cloning machines, and if instincts, feelings/attachments, and possibly memories can be copied. The controlling factors will rely on the base intelligence of the kabot and the science tools we're using.

First off, try to socialize with the two Kabots. Given that A1 might not like us too much, what we can is try to socialize with A2. If our socialization with A2 is successful, and A1 notices, he might be able see us as less of a threat as before -garanteeing a slight increase of building our rapport with A1. Of course, if we're super lucky with our social attempt, we might even get both of them to like us, which would probably occupy our full attention thus garanteeing a successful use of our action.

So the actual start to socialing with the kabots. We need:
-various types of toys and colors
-food pellets
-mimic their silly pew pew pew noises to see if they recognize us as just a strangely large kabot
-Copies of the research and gene mutation notes to study

we could enter the enclosure with a few toys ranging to simple balls all the way up to laser dots for them to chase, but we'll be primarily focusing on A2 for the moment. Oh, and we should also carry a few food pellets secured in a claw to see if either would be brave enough to try and pry food from us. If they make the attempt, that means they're not afraid of us, which is for the most part a good thing. Failing that, they would at the very least start associating our appearance and smell to "big green food providee snake thing." However, if they appear to still be skittish of us, but seem hungry, give them a pellet each, although i suspect A1 will be more hungry as we've just recently fed A2 and not A1.

If both A1 and A2 are unresponsive to the toys, scent of food, and are still scared of us, what we can do is chill in some unoccupied space in the enclosure so we can kill two birds with one stone by familiarizing ourself with the gene mods, and slowly letting the kabots familiarize themselves with our presense. Also making cute pew pew noises ourself so they at least pay some fraction of their attention to us. Even if they're both currently scared of us, continued exposure with no appearant negative reprocussions to their bodies will make consecutive social attempt that much easier.

Tl;dr
Successful social means 1 successful use of three, now down to two remaining actions until the next test.
Failure to social means "successful" use of two action attempts, as the next consecutive social will be easier, as we read our notes in the encloses.
Super successful success would be both sleeping on us as we research our notes, therefore fulfilling two actions at the cost of one.
>>
No. 1063812 ID: 7df658

>>1063810
Dunno? I dunno about you, but when we do combat tests (i would prefer we do that after we get the kabots ro like us more), we should probably do something relatively basic until after they've been genetially modified. The kabots do not seem to an actively agressive species like most carnivores. More likely, they're used to eating species of fish, mammals, and invertebrate and that are smaller (and slower) than them. To make them not instantly run away in few from a BADASS ARKOT, we would need to mod them with increased agression, but not too much where they wont listen to us. They need to be juuuuust agressive enough where they would consider attacking something their own size.
Now, onto training them to attack on command, or attack in general. What we need is to print out like like paper sized versions of random arkots, glue the cutouts over cardboard, then smear mushed up food pellets over the cardboard cutouts so they associate shape of arkots for food. To make this attempt more successful, we would need to forgo feeding them a while so theyre desperate enough to try and bite cardboard. If their mauling attempts are good enough, we can reeard them with quarters of a pellet for each attempt.

If that does work, we could instead show off the arkot cut out, show them us biting it, then pretend to eat a pellet in front of them before tossing each a fake arkot to see if theyre strong enough to put two and two together. If theyre successfull, we feed them only half a pellet and reward them with affection and a toy. If they fail, repeat again until successful.
>>
No. 1063813 ID: a7a180

Time for research!
>>
No. 1063816 ID: 7df658

>>1063813
Why not both?
>>
No. 1063818 ID: c8bbff

>>1063805
A.
>>
No. 1063849 ID: 9ea24b
File 168419861062.png - (113.51KB , 500x500 , p14.png )
1063849

>From here on mutations will start to show in uncloned Kabots after two actions
>Actions are taken one at a time

>A to start
You discover the genes linked to:

2. Color changing and camouflage
6. Long tongues
25. Powerful hind legs for jumping

Mutating a Kabot will affect their temperament in a way related to the mutation.

What would you like to do next?
A. Socialize A1 and A2 with lots of food and exposure
B. Mutate (pick which gene) and/or Clone
>>
No. 1063851 ID: a7a180

Let's mutate A2 with the strong legs gene. That should mean it shows up before the fight.
>>
No. 1063855 ID: e13b1d

>>1063851
A2 is the control, so let's use it on A1.
>>
No. 1063862 ID: d1a898

>>1063855
Shouldnt A1 be the control, as he is the original one?
>>
No. 1063865 ID: f2320a

>>1063862
Agreed
>>
No. 1063876 ID: 273c18

>>1063851
It will only show up if we clone them as well. Which I suppose we should do.
>>
No. 1063911 ID: 9ea24b
File 168428633588.png - (105.77KB , 500x500 , p15.png )
1063911

>Is A1 or A2 the control?
They’re identical so you pick A1 to be the control.

>Mutate and clone A2
You fetch A2 from the terrarium and gently irradiate it. This does not earn you any good will from A2 and it squeaks with dismay when you take a blood sample for the cloning process.

You produce B1! You can already tell its thighs are meatier than A2 and A1’s. It has a wider spread on its toes, a stubby tail, and is quicker to reach the food when you toss kibble into the enclosure.

What would you like to do with your last action before the Arkot combat test? You think some sort of training for the Kabots would be best. A2 won’t develop strong legs until after the test.
>>
No. 1063912 ID: a7a180

Interaction time, training sounds good. Are there any smaller arkots you can use to build up their antipathy to larger arkots? Otherwise using a long stick to keep their food out of reach will suffice.
>>
No. 1063914 ID: c8cdb1

>>1063911
Force B1 to remain in place until A2 is at the food, then release B1 to compete for the food and train it for aggression. Its attitude already seems more aggressive.
>>
No. 1063928 ID: 273c18

>>1063911
Train B2. Gotta get it to obey orders in the not-pokemon battle. Train it against not-alive targets. You have to maintain some semblance of goodwill with A1 and A2.
>>
No. 1063967 ID: 2c1245

>>1063911
These fools keep making suggestions, yet they don't realize the kabots won't listen to us if they don't like us. Try socializing them, playing with them, and use positive reinforcements to make them listen to better like how people train dogs.
For example. We can hold a need next to their skin (don't stab them), then we can pet them and offer positive affection in addition to more food. If they start associating the needles with pat pats and food then they hold react negatively every time we stab em, and it won't snowball down.
>>
No. 1063975 ID: 9ea24b
File 168437102886.png - (95.01KB , 500x500 , p16.png )
1063975

>Socialize all of the Kabots a bit
At this point, all of the Kabots are fairly used to your presence and understand that you are the source of the best thing in the world, which is food. You start entering their enclosure to feed them so that they’re forced to come to you when they want to eat, and you start patting their backs and talking to them while they work on their kibble.

>Train B1 for aggression
You take B1 out of the terrarium and into a smaller side room to train it. As you’re handling it, it kicks you hard in the chest and you wheeze, but hold firm.
>>
No. 1063976 ID: 9ea24b
File 168437103486.png - (125.52KB , 500x500 , p17.png )
1063976

You have a few lower level servant Arkots come in and eat delectable slices of fresh bread with nut butter spread in the room while you restrain B1. After some repetitions and denying B1 kibble for a whole day, you put B1 down and it leaps at the nearest janitor, bowling her over. You praise B1 and give it treats whenever it attacks an Arkot. It doesn’t really know what to do besides knock them over and steal their food, but that’s good enough for the test.
>>
No. 1063978 ID: 9ea24b
File 168437159665.png - (88.78KB , 500x500 , p18.png )
1063978

With B1 as your Arkot destroying machine, you feel prepared for the battle. The test location is a miniature dirt arena with colosseum style seating. You give B1 an encouraging pat and place it on the ground in front of its opponent, Butler1.

Butler1 is competent, but no match for B1 without any weapons or tech to aid him. The Kabot is solidly twice his weight and stomps on Butler1 until the Arkot clicks a verbal surrender and you call for B1 to come get its treat.

Your father congratulates you and warns that Butler1 will be armed with an Arkot sized gun, for the fight in three more actions.

What would you like to do for your first action? A2 will be renamed to B2 at the end of this action as the mutation takes effect.
A. Research (learn about 3 possible mutations)
B. Mutate and/or Clone
C. Interact (Kabots can be interacted with separately or together)
>>
No. 1063979 ID: c0e1b3

Attempt to splice long tongue gene with strong leg gene to create punch tongue gene, and apply it to B1 since B1 is already fight-socialized. While we do other things, B1 should be developing their maybe ranged tongue attack.
>>
No. 1063982 ID: 2c1245

>>1063978
Give butler1 an apologetic shrug. He probably gets played well, but you know, contemplating morality of midget pit fighting. Then again we're Salikai's.

C. try to socialize with the Kabot's all at once, maybe try spicing B1's food with a little bit of drowsy medication and try playing with it. Actually make this a new rule: to no longer get unruley Kabot's spike their foods with knock up drugs so they're not angry.
>>
No. 1063988 ID: a7a180

Hm, do some research to see if something in their genome can counter a gun. Right now, that long tongue might be able to disarm Butler1 at range, but at the same time I'm wary of mutating simply to meet the next test's criteria.
Also, our dad promised no physical harm would come to the participants in the test(s.) Maybe he only meant the first one, but maybe that gun won't be loaded with bullets.
>>
No. 1064003 ID: 273c18

B: Long Tongue on the B line so we have Long Tongue and Big Legs on the clone.

planning: Long Tongue could be enough to ensure victory: train the resultant leg-tongue clone to snatch weapons from opponents. That gives us an extra action, which we should use on research.
>>
No. 1064023 ID: 8f9bc4

Be sure to isolate your control kabot from your experimental kabots. As you make them more powerful and aggressive, they might succeed in killing your control, which would ruin any chance of experimenting with new combinations of mutations. They might succeed in killing you.
>>
No. 1064046 ID: 9ea24b
File 168445145717.png - (96.47KB , 500x500 , p19.png )
1064046

>Free action: Isolate A1
With B1 and B2 growing more aggressive, you take A1 out of the terrarium and keep it in a smaller and unfurnished temporary enclosure. It gets a sad look in its big eyes.

>Growth
You notice the Kabots are elongating and losing some of their baby fat as they mature. All remain quadrupedal and nonverbal.

>No physical harm during tests
That statement only applied to the first test. Physical harm to the volunteered Kabot is very much possible in all future tests.
>>
No. 1064048 ID: 9ea24b
File 168445181407.png - (79.97KB , 500x500 , p20.png )
1064048

>Give B1 another ability and clone
You consider giving B1 the long tongue gene since it’s already socialized to fight Arkots and the gene will show just in time for the test. You decide to do this and clone it, because why not.

>Contemplate ethics of using Arkots as Kabot punching bags
The Arkots are paid extra for extraneous activities. Technically if the Arkots were upset with their compensation they could quit and find work elsewhere.

B1’s tongue will start to grow and it’ll be moved into the BC category at the end of your third action. BC1 is born. Its tongue can stretch as long as its body and it appears to spend more time searching the terrarium for live prey than the B line. The vermin that sneak inside the lab are too small for a meaningful meal, though local insect life would make a perfect sized snack for a creature like BC1.

What would you like to do next?
A. Commission another terrarium
B. Research more mutations
C. Train BC1
>>
No. 1064050 ID: a7a180

Ask Daddy to buy you a second terrarium.
>>
No. 1064054 ID: ee9e59

C. Attach bugs to a mock gun and train it to tongue guns.
>>
No. 1064059 ID: d14a2b

>>1064054
second this
>>
No. 1064062 ID: 708905

>>1064054
Good idea
>>
No. 1064079 ID: 273c18

>>1064054
Yeah
>>
No. 1064112 ID: 9ea24b
File 168452783396.png - (119.44KB , 500x500 , p21.png )
1064112

>C, train BC1 to grab guns with its tongue using bugs
You ask a few groundskeepers to catch you some insects, which requires enough strength and coordination that you recruit one of the rogue Neumonos to the team. She looks permanently exhausted and groans audibly when you tell her about the job.

She asks what you’re working on in the lab so she can sell the information to the Tourism hive and you stammer and excuse yourself. Your dad would be disappointed at your lack of enterprising spirit.

At the end of the day the Neumono delivers a selection of alive and dead pests.
>>
No. 1064113 ID: 9ea24b
File 168452784770.png - (132.42KB , 500x500 , p22.png )
1064113

You feed BC1 a few bits of bug to get its appetite working, then check out an unloaded pistol from the armory and start the training. After some repetition and positive reinforcement, BC1 becomes adept at snatching the gun out of your grasp with its sticky tongue. The BC line seems more patient and less physically active than the B line.

What would you like to do for your last action before the test? BC1 has not been trained to jump on Arkots.
>>
No. 1064127 ID: 05a734

>>1064113
Rip in pepperoni Vibrava.

I suppose we should train BC1 to jump on Arkots. Teach it a game for jumping on top of things using A2. The winner gets a treat and pets if they hold the loser down long enough.
>>
No. 1064130 ID: a7a180

Socialize B1 and BC1 with arkot stomping day.
>>
No. 1064197 ID: 9ea24b
File 168461643889.png - (95.61KB , 500x500 , p23.png )
1064197

>Current Kabots
You have A1 the original, B1 the soon to be BC2 at the end of this action, B2 the formerly A2 who has not been trained in Arkot obliteration, and BC1.

>Train BC1 to be aggressive with B1 as a model
This doesn’t work very well. B1 isn’t as interested in insects as an incentive and BC1 is unwilling to jump unless it needs to. This leads to B1, who’s already a pro Arkot stomper, repeating what it learned while BC1 watches from the sidelines. They don’t show any understanding when you try to explain your intentions. You’re starting to run into the limits of what the Kabots can learn without an intelligence boost.

Which Kabot do you volunteer for the test vs. an armed Butler1? If a Kabot loses Butler1 will adopt it if it’s still alive.
A. BC1
B. BC2
C. B2
>>
No. 1064203 ID: a7a180

Time to test BC1 on what we've taught him.
>>
No. 1064222 ID: 273c18

>>1064197
A. BC1 can at least disarm the arkot. It might figure out that Butler1 is hostile and use its legs during the fight enough to win...
>>
No. 1064233 ID: 7f6520

>>1064197
BC1
>>
No. 1064234 ID: 7f6520

>>1064197
BC1
>>
No. 1064278 ID: 9ea24b
File 168468611330.png - (71.02KB , 500x500 , p24.png )
1064278

>BC1
You take BC1 to the arena where your dad and Butler1 are waiting, and place it in the sand. There’s newly installed clear bulletproof shields in front of the spectator seating.

When Butler1 raises his tiny pistol, BC1 immediately snags the weapon with its tongue. Expecting an attached tasty treat, it hunches over the gun and starts pawing at it.

>Gun safety check: Failure
There’s a sharp pop and BC1 squeaks and thrashes around for a moment before collapsing. Butler1 cautiously approaches the body and retrieves his gun before confirming the kill with a point blank headshot.
>>
No. 1064279 ID: 9ea24b
File 168468611946.png - (82.91KB , 500x500 , p25.png )
1064279

You gape at the poor crumpled corpse of BC1 as your dad pats you on the head.

“How about you give this test another try in three more actions, son? I’ll take care of the cleanup.”

You have three Kabots remaining. How do you feel? What’s your first action?
A. Research (learn about 3 possible mutations)
B. Mutate and/or Clone
C. Interact (Kabots can be interacted with separately or together)
>>
No. 1064284 ID: 8f9bc4

That uh... that... wasn't a failure. Technically not a failure! The arkot was good as defeated without that gun, against those thicc phat thighs. You simply need to adjust the gun capturing behavior so that the kabot doesn't shoot themselves dead pawing at it.

...you may want to use one of your actions to clone a backup of the experimental kabot in case the next trial is also "technically not a failure."
>>
No. 1064287 ID: 273c18

A. We need another plan, which means a different mutation. If we don't get anything good we can just do extra training.
>>
No. 1064288 ID: 2b3343

A. Get more mutations.
>>
No. 1064289 ID: f2320a

>>1064279
>you did not need to shoot it i could just have patched it up
>>
No. 1064292 ID: 36784c

>>1064279
C. Cuddle A1. Since we've got him separate from the others, it seems like we're not training him to fight, so we migjt as well treat him like a pet and cuddle with him!
>>
No. 1064296 ID: e13b1d

>>1064279
A.
>>
No. 1064298 ID: a7a180

A. Let's do some more science. Gun safety is not currently in their repertoire.
As a plan B, you could also teach them to drop the item and come to you on command, preventing them from poking at the gun.
>>
No. 1064333 ID: 9ea24b
File 168472127941.png - (90.03KB , 500x500 , p26.png )
1064333

>You could have healed BC1 after the accidental first gunshot
You’d feel worse about that if BC1 was sentient or irreplaceable.

>Research, you need a new strategy
You discover the following three mutations:

12. Improved digestion (Kabots need less food to survive)
14. Flexible body
24. Friendly/Socialization (you think this could have the side effect of making the Kabots more intelligent!)

Mutation 24 looks very promising. You can also now trigger multiple mutations at the same time, if you’d like.

Which Kabot out of A1, BC2, and B2 do you mutate and clone, and with what?
>>
No. 1064337 ID: a7a180

Give B2 mutations 14 and 24. Let's try an alternate approach of dodging instead of disarming. Hopefully Butler1's a bad shot against moving targets.
>>
No. 1064345 ID: 273c18

>>1064333
Give BC2 mutation 24, start training it (and its clone) to dodge away if someone points a gun at it.
>>
No. 1064364 ID: c344ba

>>1064337
Seconded
>>
No. 1064366 ID: 9ea24b
File 168479867349.png - (99.76KB , 500x500 , p27.png )
1064366

>Mutate and clone B2 with 14 and 24
You name the resulting clone BDE1. It comes out of the biotank long and lanky, even with the strong legs mutation. BDE1 is prone to bursts of rapid movement and is better at running than hopping.

You notice that BDE1 rubs against your legs when you come into the terrarium to give food and pets. It chirps in response when you talk to the assembled B Kabots and you get the sense that it’s picking up simple words.

How would you like to interact with BDE1 for your last action?
>>
No. 1064377 ID: c344ba

>>1064366
Use a dart gun to train BDE 1 to avoid being shot.
>>
No. 1064381 ID: 1d8b11

Well, I was gonna suggest teaching it to zig-zag to a hostile, but the non-lethal gun thing is especially gud. Grab an arkot to fire at it - feed it once the arkot's gun is gone and it's subdued.
>>
No. 1064382 ID: a7a180

Teach him to dodge your shots and to tackle.
>>
No. 1064384 ID: 2a3927

>>1064366
Poor A1 is feeling neglected back there. Go give him some attention!
>>
No. 1064407 ID: 2c1245

>>1064366
If we have to use projectiles to help our new buddy dodge, make sure we use a nerf foam dart gun as a starter, and maybe throw in some incentives to make them dodge more often like snacks and play time.
>>
No. 1064425 ID: 9ea24b
File 168488417344.png - (110.59KB , 500x500 , p28.png )
1064425

>How’s A1 doing?
Still sad and isolated in an unfurnished cell. You haven’t had the time to spend an action on installing a heat lamp or running water.

>Use a foam dart gun to train BDE1 to avoid being shot
BDE1 is thrilled when you take it aside to play–er, train. It loves the Arkots you bring in for practice, often licking their pointy faces and vocalizing to imitate their clicks. You notice it imitating your stance and mannerisms, so you show it how to be evasive by zigzagging across the floor.

The hard part is getting BDE1 to attack the Arkots. You have to disguise it as more play and have the servants make happy clicks when you show BDE1 how to tackle them from behind.
>>
No. 1064426 ID: 9ea24b
File 168488420018.png - (92.00KB , 500x500 , p29.png )
1064426

Finally it’s time to retry the test. BDE1 starts talking in a mix of clicks and your language when it spots Butler1 in the arena. Butler1 seems less willing to shoot at the creature.

>Butler1 shoot check: Failure
Butler1 keeps the gun pointed at the ground as BDE1 wiggles towards him. It licks his cheek and looks up at you. You give the order to tackle and it takes Butler1 down and lays over him.
>>
No. 1064427 ID: 9ea24b
File 168488421551.png - (89.80KB , 500x500 , p30.png )
1064427

Your dad is very pleased with the improvement. The final test against Butler1 and Arkots in general will be a test of wits in the highly intellectual game of Tic-Tac-Toe. You have three more actions.

Honestly BDE1 could learn Tic-Tac-Toe in one action, which means you have two actions to improve your operation.

What would you like to do first? B2 will be renamed to BDE2 at the end of your first action.
>>
No. 1064428 ID: 4ab383

>>1064427
Fix A1's enclosure. Install a heat lamp and running water!
>>
No. 1064434 ID: ffe804

>>1064428
Yup.

And for the second free action, more research.
>>
No. 1064456 ID: a7a180

Upgrade second enclosure. What else could improve our operation? Refinements to the mutation process, or maybe just sitting down and making an org chart to track which specimens have which traits.
>>
No. 1064463 ID: 05851d

UPGRADE 24 FOR ERRYBODY because D'AWWWWWW!
>>
No. 1064501 ID: 9ea24b
File 168497352381.png - (125.35KB , 500x500 , p31.png )
1064501

>Get another nice terrarium for A1
Your dad puts you in touch with the contracting company that does all the construction on the estate. The foreman in charge of the work on the first terrarium comes over to discuss payment and timeframe.

He’s a dingy brown Tobak with a bulky pair of cybernetic goggles fused to his face. Understandable, since it’d be hard to work above ground with only standard issue light protection.
>>
No. 1064502 ID: 9ea24b
File 168497353967.png - (64.57KB , 500x500 , p32.png )
1064502

You let BDE1 out of its cage to scamper after you during all sorts of activities, so it’s out in the open and listening while the foreman speaks. BDE1’s language skills are improving every day, at a rate that makes you worried and just a tiny bit jealous. It doesn’t show any interest in research or computers, so you’ll let it slide for now.

What would you like to do next?
A. Research more mutations
B. Mutate and clone BC2 with the friendly gene
>>
No. 1064510 ID: a7a180

B, social creatures need friends after all.
>>
No. 1064511 ID: 273c18

>>1064502
B. It'll be good to have some spares.
>>
No. 1064514 ID: e13b1d

>>1064502
A.
>>
No. 1064515 ID: 8f9bc4

>>1064502

Do you remember when you were improving your language skills? How do you know you didn't improve them even faster? No jealousy allowed, only science!

Pay the tobak in all the ice cream and steak he wants. (Don't tell him the steak came from BC1.)
>>
No. 1064519 ID: 2c1245

>>1064501
>in regards to payment
Tobak's are really food oriented. Hook him up with some of the planet side fooderies you know of within his price range, and usual pay.

>>1064502
>just a tiny bit jealous
lmao just clone yourself one day and try to apply an intelligence booster to your clone before considering doing it to yourself. Two heads are better than one, and hey! You'd maybe finally, technically have a brother!

A. Research more mutations
The more the merrier.
>>
No. 1064543 ID: 2c1245

>>1064515
Now, origianlly i thought paying him in only food, or mostly substituting his pay of mostly food was kind of a dick move, but then i more or less remembered that most Tobak's from their homeworld and in some corperations more or less only get payed in corperate currencies, as opposed to universal credits. So, paying him in food might work if his company doesn't have any food (or at least tasty stuff) that he can purchase for a reasonable price.

Wait no that still wouldnt work. Assuming that he does not own the company, then his bosses would still need to be payed in normal munies for the services they and their employees provide, so the better thing to do would be to pay him normally to satisfy his superiors, and then maybe offer to buy him foods stuffs his company cannot provide (ice cream, donuts, steaks, pies). Assuming his company job is as shit as i think it is.
>>
No. 1064556 ID: 9ea24b
File 168506496587.png - (55.76KB , 500x500 , p33.png )
1064556

>How fast did you learn to talk?
Slower than BDE1. Your dad has records on you and your siblings’ development.

>Don’t be jealous, just do science!
That’s right! The Kabots are your test subjects no matter how linguistically adept they are.

>Are you paying the Tobaks in food?
The servant Arkots may be trained, but definitely don’t have the dexterity to make a pie or other dessert. No, you’re paying the contracting company in zeny, with plenty under the table for the foreman so he actually does a good job. He’ll have to go to the restaurants in town if he wants something other than a fruit smoothie or your namesake.
>>
No. 1064557 ID: 9ea24b
File 168506497485.png - (86.59KB , 500x500 , p34.png )
1064557

>Split decision check: B
You now have the following Kabots:
A1, who’s much happier with its new private terrarium

BC2, who’s terribly confused why all of its other Kabot brethren are being so chummy with each other

BDE1, who’s teaching the other friendly Kabot how to talk

BDE2, the freshly minted friendly and long Kabot

And newborn BCE1, who has trouble talking with so much tongue in its mouth
>>
No. 1064558 ID: 9ea24b
File 168506498346.png - (127.65KB , 500x500 , p35.png )
1064558

For your last action you teach BDE1 Tic Tac Toe, which it masters easily and plays Butler1 to a draw in a best of three, chattering the whole time. Butler1 looks sad when he has to leave.

You’re startled when your dad brings in the Tobak foreman and explains that the next test will be against him. The chosen Kabot will have to race the Tobak to a cake on a pedestal and eat the first bite, violence allowed.

You have three actions. What would you like to do first?
A. Research (learn about 3 possible mutations)
B. Mutate and/or Clone
C. Interact (Kabots can be interacted with separately or together, you can also interact with family members and future opponents)
>>
No. 1064559 ID: 5e3b0b

>>1064558
Firstly, mutate and clone BCE 1 into BCDE 1. Legs for speed, tongue for reach, and brains for intelligence will make it a fine cake stealing rapscallion.
>>
No. 1064564 ID: a7a180

C, teach BCE1 to talk around its speech impediment.
Hmm, we'll need to lengthen those legs for a race.
>>
No. 1064573 ID: 8f9bc4

May need research for this. No tobak is going to give up the chance for cake without a fight.
>>
No. 1064574 ID: 273c18

A. Research.

I don't think we really need long tongue for the race. It's interfering with the smart gene too; we should avoid mutation conflicts when reasonable.
>>
No. 1064593 ID: 2c1245

>>1064558
I just wondering if dad is really doing this to advance our capability for problem solving and working around odd research objectives in the future, or just wants to have a hoot of a time while we do research.

You know, dad never explicitly mentioned what this violence might entail. For all we know the Tobak forman might be allowed to use a nailgun to shoot one of the kabots. Maybe we can bribe/feed him a cupcake with laxatives inside so he bails out mid race.
>>
No. 1064612 ID: 288652

I assume that we are as much of a test subject as the kabots are, but maybe I am reading too much into old salikai stereotypes.
>>
No. 1064614 ID: f2320a

>>1064612
Oh its called chores or a test you gice children a managable but challenging task so they learn things like responsibility, work ethic, criticall thinking
>>
No. 1064627 ID: 9ea24b
File 168515179688.png - (90.16KB , 500x500 , p36.png )
1064627

>Wait, is this whole thing some kind of experimental test on you?
Your dad always said fatherhood was the greatest science project of all. He’s probably studying how well you’re practicing responsibility, critical thinking, and work ethic.

>Is the foreman allowed weapons?
For this first test, no, he’ll be empty handed.

>Can you bribe the foreman?
Your father encourages this strategy, though it’ll take an action and become less effective after the first time.
>>
No. 1064628 ID: 9ea24b
File 168515180595.png - (107.63KB , 500x500 , p37.png )
1064628

>Can long tongue Kabots be taught to speak?
No, it seems like they’re physically unable to. They can learn to understand language though.

>A, research
You discover the following mutations:
5. Straight up intelligence boost without physical side effects
10. Sexual reproduction
19. Gills for breathing underwater

You found some super cool mutations this time. What’s your next action? BC2 has become BCE2 so all of the B Kabots are socializing and sharing information now.
>>
No. 1064629 ID: a7a180

Wait, your father gene modded them to be incapable of breeding? ...this is for the best until we get a good baseline minion. Intelligence boosts all around! No clones necessary.
Maybe we can teach our long tongued minion to trip the tobak instead. Save the bribery for a more complex trial.
>>
No. 1064631 ID: 273c18

Train the long-legged kabots to race.
>>
No. 1064632 ID: 8f9bc4

Posit one. Don't have a high enough population for hot kabot sex to be more useful than induced mutation and cloning.
Posit two. You are a horny teenager.
Conclusion: hurr hurr
>>
No. 1064637 ID: 067cf6

>>1064628
Maybe we should put off more intelligence boosts for now.

Mutate and clone BCE1 to have strong legs as well as tongue. Maybe when there are two they'll figure out sign language.
>>
No. 1064639 ID: 9ea24b
File 168515863110.png - (84.15KB , 500x500 , p38.png )
1064639

I can see the letter system for mutations is getting confusing, so everything is now summarized in the new wiki page here: https://questden.org/wiki/Kabot_Quest

Note that all of the B Kabots have the strong leg gene already.
>>
No. 1064661 ID: c10e31

>>1064629 This. Perhaps also place food near a faux-cake, give the food to the first to bite the prop.
>>
No. 1064682 ID: 9ea24b
File 168528944984.png - (102.31KB , 500x500 , p39.png )
1064682

>Train the B Kabots to race
At the moment, you’d say the B Kabots are as intelligent as Neumono children in primary school. Herding all four at once is near impossible, especially with BDE1 distracting you with increasingly difficult to answer questions.

“Salad, are you our papa? Do we have a mama? Is that machine in the room our mama?”

“Salad, can I see Butler1 again? I liked playing with him.”

“Why do we want to take the cake from the nice Tobak man? He seemed like he wanted the cake more than us.”

Training turns into unstructured playtime and exploration despite your best efforts at kibble bribery. The Kabots need better incentives, positive or negative, to do what you want.

What is your last action before the test?
>>
No. 1064686 ID: 91956f

It's time for fatherly encouragement.

Tell your wonderful kabots that you are trying to become a great creator of life, and want your kabots to be the best being they can posibly be.

That's why your father, their grandad, gives you challenges and tests to prove that you are actually making an effort.

If he keeps failing, grandpa will call him a bad creator and give away all the kabots to the workers.
That's why it's important that we train fast, train hard, and get. That. Cake!
>>
No. 1064689 ID: f2320a

>>1064682
Do we still have the original untainted? If so goodm
Culling is always a option or starting a religion
>>
No. 1064690 ID: a7a180

Interact, try to come up with better motivation. Make up medals for them to win, they look good and can be turned in for new toys. You're not taking the cake from the tobak man, you're trying to win a game, and the tobak doesn't want the medals as much as you do, because he can't turn them in to get toys. He can get his cake and toys elsewhere.
>>
No. 1064691 ID: 273c18

Alright if we can't train all of them, just train two.
>>
No. 1064692 ID: 8f9bc4

Yes! No. Yes.

Ask him.

You don't have to take the cake from him; you only have to get it first, to show you are the fastest. You can give it to him after that and make him happy, or eat it in front of him and drink his tears to wash it down. Wait no don't say that last part.

Unstructured playtime is important for intelligence. What do you want them to do, even? Only one can race the tobak, and your father has not hinted at what further challenges await. Ask for their help to escape your father's elaborate prison complex.

If all else fails, an excellent incentive would be to allow them all to watch while the latest version gets ripped in half by a tobak bound and determined to get that cake. That might reduce your standing in the eyes of your father, but it would allow you to train the next ones more effectively.
>>
No. 1064695 ID: 0e1f14

>>1064682
Oh god, is dad training you for fatherhood? Is this his twisted version of 'the talk'?
>>
No. 1064747 ID: 9ea24b
File 168538791052.png - (85.56KB , 500x500 , p40.png )
1064747

>Is your dad training you for fatherhood?
You’re much too young to have your own clutch, not to mention that the only females around are your sisters.

>You still have A1 and A1’s genome sample
If you really needed to, you could do a full purge at any time.

>Is your father keeping you prisoner?
Uh, no? As a side effect of being a child it’s in your best interests to live with your wealthy guardian in the giant awesome mansion, but you’re not forced to stay there or anything.
>>
No. 1064748 ID: 9ea24b
File 168538792377.png - (100.05KB , 500x500 , p41.png )
1064748

>Sit down with the B Kabots and have a serious talk
You speak honestly about your dream of becoming a great bioengineer and how you really want the Kabots to do well in their tests, or else they’ll be taken away.

The Kabots look uneasy at the thought of losing their other friends. You reassure them that they’re strong and smart, and all they have to do is follow your instructions for the tests and they’ll be fine. They can even give the rest of the cake to the Tobak after they take the first bite!

You invite all of the B Kabots to spectate the test. Which Kabot do you use? Within the same set of mutations the Kabots can be considered identical.

A. Use a BDE Kabot (flexible and long)
B. Use a BCE Kabot (tongue)
>>
No. 1064750 ID: 196206

>>1064748
BCE. They only need to take the first bite, and snagging some with their tongue should count.
>>
No. 1064756 ID: a7a180

BCE.
>>
No. 1064775 ID: 273c18

B. Losing one won't be a big loss since they can't talk anyway.
>>
No. 1064788 ID: 2c1245

>>1064748
I dont remember if we've done this or not, but dont forget to retroactively get extra samples to put in cold storage in case the ones we pick die, or we need to start over from square one.
>>
No. 1064809 ID: 9ea24b
File 168548993667.png - (82.95KB , 500x500 , p42.png )
1064809

>Do you have genetic records of the other Kabots?
Yes, you can recreate any strain of mutation you’ve seen before.

>Use a BCE Kabot for the test:
BCE Kabots have a long tongue and are sturdier than the BDE strain. As they age, they seem to grow squat and sedentary. Even if the foreman attacks one, they’ll probably survive.

The foreman and BCE1 are placed side by side about 10 meters from the cake, some dense coffee smelling mass, which rests on a plain table.
>>
No. 1064810 ID: 9ea24b
File 168548994989.png - (120.10KB , 500x500 , p43.png )
1064810

>Tobak attack check: Success
The foreman immediately dives for BCE1, who’s so startled at the aggressive moment it doesn’t leap away. The Tobak gets a good grip around the Kabot’s middle, then starts walking toward the cake.

>BCE1 tongue check: Failure
BCE1 is being held in an awkward position facing backwards, so it can’t steal away a bit of cake despite its desperate wiggling. The foreman reaches his prize and takes a huge bite of the dessert.

You’ve lost! The foreman hands over BCE1 to your father while the other Kabots wail in dismay.

Your dad talks over the crying Kabots, telling you that he’ll take care of BCE1 and that you can try again at the same test in three more actions. What do you do first?
>>
No. 1064814 ID: a7a180

Research. Perhaps there's some Salikai DNA in them somewhere that can teach them to be cunning.
>>
No. 1064853 ID: 273c18

Research.
>>
No. 1064861 ID: cb72dd

>>1064814 We already have that one. See #5.
>>
No. 1064870 ID: a7a180

>>1064861
Clearly there is more than one mutation that affects intelligence.
>>
No. 1064875 ID: c1b400

>>1064870 Well, yeah. Just pointing out we have not applied #5, as opposed to #24, which we have applied.
>>
No. 1064895 ID: 7f6520

Research.
>>
No. 1064899 ID: a7a180

>>1064875
Wait, we haven't? Oh, changing to that then. Don't clone a new one, apply to all but A1.
>>
No. 1064915 ID: 9ea24b
File 168557708747.png - (89.96KB , 500x500 , p44.png )
1064915

It was plain bad luck that you lost, but surely there are more mutations that could give your Kabots an even better chance of winning against a Tobak.

>Research
You discover the following mutations:
1. Hard scales
3. Fins for swimming
8. Poisonous (skin toxins)

The wiki has been updated with your current Kabots, their mutations, and known potential mutations: https://questden.org/wiki/Kabot_Quest

What would you like to do next?
A. Mutate and clone a B Kabot with the intelligence mutation
B. Other (suggest)
>>
No. 1064957 ID: 273c18

Well, poison would mean the Tobak can't touch the Kabot. We can mutate+clone one of the BDEs to have that mutation... meh. I'm more partial to training the two BDEs to race. They're flexible which means they probably can't be restrained.

...okay I just noticed Kabot is Tobak backwards. I'm guessing Kabots are related to Tobaks somehow. A genetic ancestor? A species put together from various inactive genes in Tobak DNA? Eh, maybe it's exactly as was stated and the name is just a joke.
>>
No. 1064958 ID: a7a180

Mutate & clone BDE1 with more intelligence.
>>
No. 1064959 ID: 1d5bb3

>>1064915
Is there a reason we haven't been giving anything to A1? I think if we give it some intelligence boosting mutations, that'll result in us getting a lab assistant that could help us out by offering strategies or something!

>>1064957
I don't think we should do poison. Sure, it's useful for the challenge, but then after the challenge that poor Kabot won't be able to interact with us or the other Kabots because we might get poisoned also!
>>
No. 1064961 ID: 273c18

>>1064959
A1 is our control. We can't undo mutations, so having a Kabot with no traits is an excellent fallback point. I wish we could mutate *only* the clone...

That said it might be a good idea to make an A2 at some point.
>>
No. 1064964 ID: e13b1d

>>1064810
Mutate BCE2 with hard scales. Poison would limit a Kabot's ability to interact with others, but hard scales would provide defense against Tobak grabbing too.

Adding too much intelligence could result in a Kabot revolt, as a budding bioengineer we must always be wary of being overthrown by our own creations.
>>
No. 1064977 ID: 9ea24b
File 168566166329.png - (94.53KB , 500x500 , p45.png )
1064977

>Mutations can’t be undone
True.

>Kind of inconvenient that creating new strains of mutant Kabots from A1 takes two actions
Also true. Let’s say that after this action you’ll be skilled enough to create mutated Kabots without needing to clone a predecessor.

>Making Kabots more intelligent would be bad
Yup, your actions towards them at this point are decidedly unethical since they’re sapient. Any smarter and they’d rebel for sure.

>Poisonous skin would also be bad
Yes, you’d be unable to handle the Kabots and they’d pose a threat depending how strong the toxins were.
>>
No. 1064979 ID: 9ea24b
File 168566351452.png - (70.88KB , 500x500 , p46.png )
1064979

>But for this action…
>B tie between mutating for hard scales and training: Mutate and clone BDE1
BDEF1 has a tough exterior and an almost armored head. It moves methodically and enjoys basking in the light of the heat lamp even more than the other Kabots.

What would you like to do next?
A. Make an entirely new kind of Kabot
B. Work with what you have
>>
No. 1064980 ID: e13b1d

>>1064979
B. Spiky here will need some training and instruction before the test. Maybe the others can help.

>>1064977
So, where on the scale of legality are we at the moment?
>>
No. 1064990 ID: 8f9bc4

>>1064977

Your actions can't be unethical. That would make fatherhood unethical! You're pretty sure this is what fatherhood is, right?

Darn, hard scales didn't make him any more better at achieving the cake. Fins would help if the cake were submerged in water, but it's not! The tobak isn't nearly as violent as anticipated, but the only way to stop him from just grabbing the next kabot is... the dangerous toxic skin.

Perhaps an earlier mutation? Reviewing your list, the camoflage mutation could be good, in an experiment where the kabot gets to hide first, which this is not. Darn it!
>>
No. 1064997 ID: 273c18

B, train the hard-scales kabot and the remaining non-scaled flexible kabot to race. It's possible that scales made the kabot too sedentary to want to race, so we need to hedge our bets.

Also it's much easier to train racing when there's someone to race against, so having two kabots doing it just makes sense.
>>
No. 1065013 ID: 7c0da2

B.
I think the strong legs and flexible body mutations are probably enough to win the race by simply rushing the cake.
Right now we should train all of them to race and pick the one with the best results.

In the future maybe we could create two distinct strains, one sapient and one non-sapient, so we don't end up forced to send friendly sociable kabots to a cage match to the death or something like that. We probably won't be able to optimise one strain for every challenges anyway, so having one smart/sociable strain and one physical/combat strain should be useful.
And trying the more experimental combinations on the non-sapients could help limit the chance of a "turned against their masters" situation.
>>
No. 1065045 ID: 9ea24b
File 168575433664.png - (105.96KB , 500x500 , p47.png )
1065045

>How legal is all this?
Kabots are a new species and have no legal protections. You’re not mistreating the Kabots, but you are kind of keeping them as test subjects aka prisoners and if they were Neumono or something similar you’d be in huge trouble with the Tourism hive.

>B, train the Kabots to race
The scaled Kabot can’t move as fast as the BDE Kabots, who are very eager to practice running with the fear of the foreman in them. You nominate BDE2 for the test.

You bring all the B Kabots to watch again, and are surprised to see a new servant trotting after your dad when he enters the room. It’s BCE1, but bipedal and stuffed into a darling little uniform. The other Kabots rush their old friend and demand to know what happened, but BCE1 still can’t speak and seems overwhelmed.
>>
No. 1065046 ID: 9ea24b
File 168575435092.png - (110.46KB , 500x500 , p48.png )
1065046

Your dad shoos away your Kabots and starts the test.

>Tobak attack check (1/4 chance success): Failure
BDE1 takes off in a sprint the moment it’s given permission, reaching the table with the cake in record time. There’s a tense moment when it’s trying to jump to get a swipe of coffee cake where the Tobak catches up, but it’s able to grab a handful and stuff it in its mouth before it takes any damage.

For the next test, your nominee will have to fight the foreman (neither party will be allowed weapons) until one side gives up. You have four actions. What would you like to do first?

A. Research
B. Create a new Kabot (combine any number of mutations)
C. Interact (with anyone)
>>
No. 1065052 ID: a7a180

Interact with Butler-CE1, perhaps via tea with father. See how taking in your failed test subjects factors into his plans.
Can you discreetly get a DNA sample on the side (tongue swab?) to see if your dad got him bipedal with further modification or just training?
>>
No. 1065056 ID: 76a2a9

Dad must be angling to profit from this somehow. Maybe selling Kabots as servants in a Ponzi scheme until some rights committee shuts it down.

Train BDEF1 for combat by cloning it and training them with each other.
>>
No. 1065061 ID: 273c18

A. We've already got a winning genetic combination with hard scales, legs, and flexibility.
>>
No. 1065066 ID: 2c1245

>>1065046
Contemplate how morality is viewed by your species, then idividually by your family members, and if your father is just being lazy and wants you to do science for him. This is weird but still kinda cool.

Hopefully once you're done with these trials you can do a little more independant experimenting, like maybe cheap growable power armor to sell so you can fund your 40k miniture collection.
>>
No. 1065096 ID: 7c0da2

A. We can always use more mutations.
We do have a winning combination (probably more than one), but we should make sure it's not friendly or the tobak might win by just being more willing to fight and not surrendering. Although if we do go this route we may need a separate terrarium for the unfriendly kabot.

Or we could just bribe the foreman, that's probably still a thing we can do.
>>
No. 1065121 ID: f91a34

>>1065056 Probably cost cutting. He paid butler arkot but does he have to pay butler kabot here? Without legally being sapient he can probably get away with paying in food.
>>
No. 1065137 ID: 9ea24b
File 168584916955.png - (79.42KB , 500x500 , p49.png )
1065137

>Contemplate morality as practiced by your family members
You’d say your dad is all about maximizing profits and his ability to stay alive long enough to enjoy those profits. Sort of a self-serving benevolence? It’s worked so far, since none of the Neumono government agents who have broken into his lair have blown him up.

Your sisters are more Salikai traditionalists when it comes to considering the consequences of their actions. Salli begged your dad to allow a CAI at the estate for her to toy with, and threw a fit when he refused. Your other sister, Salliad, is more interested in weapons systems and armored vehicles. Personally, you’re getting a touch uncomfortable with where the Kabot tests are going, though it’s your first real foray into advanced science.
>>
No. 1065138 ID: 9ea24b
File 168584917723.png - (126.52KB , 500x500 , p50.png )
1065138

>Take two actions
>First interact with your dad
You ask to have tea with your dear old pops to clarify a few things about his intentions with the Kabots. BCE1 serves you both, arms shaking slightly when handling the heavy teapot. You surreptitiously take a blood sample, which makes BCE1 squawk and hurry to your dad’s side of the table.

You voice your concerns to your dad, who praises you for feeling comfortable talking to him.

“Son, the Kabots were a gift. If I wanted a new species to exploit, I could have engineered them myself. I’m paying Butler2 here a very competitive salary and I have Butler1 looking after him, which benefits them both. The tests are to help you hone your skills in a relatively low stress environment.”

Your dad takes a long sip of hot mint tea. “If you want to stop your experiments, you may do so at any time and I’ll take care of the Kabots.”
>>
No. 1065139 ID: 9ea24b
File 168584918657.png - (144.03KB , 500x500 , p51.png )
1065139

>Second action
>Research
You discover the following mutations:
13. Omnivore (Will eat and enjoy all edible foods)
18. Regeneration (Can regrow limbs and recover from moderate injuries, similar to a Neumono)
21. Night Vision (Will be able to see better in the dark)

From BCE1’s blood sample you discover an additional mutation:
22. Bipedalism

What would you like to do next?
A. Make a new kind of Kabot
B. Bribe the foreman
C. Train existing Kabots to fight
>>
No. 1065141 ID: dd4f2c

Create a new Kabot with mutations 5, 10, 12, 13, 14, 18, 21 and 22, then send the strong legs kabot against the foreman's challenge.
>>
No. 1065142 ID: 273c18

>>1065139
C, train the hard scaled kabot to fight.
>>
No. 1065145 ID: 7c0da2

>>1065141
That's a pretty good kabot, but I'd swap Reproduction (10) for Friendly (24) until we have done some tests to understand how mutations are carried over from one generation to the next. Also it's probably going to turn against us quicker than you can say "perfect lifeform", but that's not that big of a deal, we will just need to handle it with care and be nice to it, it will be fiiiine.

Anyway, for the next challenge I'd say make a Strong leg (25) Flexible body (14) and Regeneration (18) kabot. And try adding Omnivore (13), to see if it makes it more aggressive. It's probably going to need more food anyway to sustain the Regeneration and this way we can more easily bribe it with food.
Then train it to fight targets you designate and only those, using food as an incentive.
>>
No. 1065147 ID: 273c18

>>1065145
Friendly and Intelligent is a forbidden combination. Friendly gene also interferes with combat training.
>>
No. 1065148 ID: 273c18

IMO, an optimized "soldier" kabot would be:
1. Hard scales
2. Color/camouflage
5. Intelligence
12. Improved digestion
13. Omnivore
14. Flexible body
18. Regeneration
19. Gills
21. Night Vision
22. Bipedal
25. Strong leg

I left out fins because they'd probably get in the way of on-land action, just like long tongue gets in the way of talking.
>>
No. 1065149 ID: 7c0da2

>>1065147
The first one is not a combat combination, at least it doesn't look like it to me, it's got things like Bipedal, Intelligent and Reproduction. More like an uplifted kabot ?
And it's already a combination that would cause some issues, so I think it's better to make it friendly rather than have a strong regenerating omnivorous nocturnal predator that's individualistic to boot. It's already smart and strong, at least this way you can interact with it more easily and being nice to it can give results.

The real danger I think comes from the Reproduction mutation. Aside from the risk of uncontrolled crossbreeding and the kabots making more kabots in secrets, there also the fact than once you introduce the means to reproduce you also introduce a need to reproduce. Then the uplifted kabot asks for a mate, it ends badly for a whole lot of reasons, the lab is burning, the kabots are escaping toward the nearby hive, pitchforks, torches, neumonos out for blood, and then dad wont let us play with genetic engineering ever again.
>>
No. 1065150 ID: 7c0da2

>>1065148
Yeah, that's probably the best we can do with the mutations we have, maybe add Poisonous too ? It's intelligent, it probably can manage to use its poison only as needed.
But we don't really need a killing machine for now, and with Intelligent + Flexible body + Color/Camouflage, it's going to be a nightmare to keep contained. And it would have no reason to obey us, or see us in a positive light.
>>
No. 1065154 ID: e46c95

Oh there's a whole spiel about how messed up it is that we're building purpose designed lifeforms for specific arbitrary tasks, though I'm pretty this (admittedly fictitious) quote says it all.
"My gift to industry is the genetically engineered worker, or Genejack. Specially designed for labor, the Genejack's muscles and nerves are ideal for his task, and the cerebral cortex has been atrophied so that he can desire nothing except to perform his duties. Tyranny, you say? How can you tyrannize someone who cannot feel pain?"
— Chairman Sheng-ji Yang
Even so, there's a way forward. Just complete the arbitrary tasks, then do what you should when you love something. Set it free. Give them the minds to decide their future for themselves. Give them the mutations they choose to have and let them go.

Oh, and I have to advocate always using 24 over 5 when we have to choose. Why? Simply because without the social framework they may use their minds in less moral ways.
>>
No. 1065168 ID: 196206

>>1065142
+1 vote
>>
No. 1065217 ID: 9ea24b
File 168600562156.png - (109.54KB , 500x500 , p52.png )
1065217

>Make a super Kabot with a bunch of mutations
The unlucky Kabot emerges from the cloning tank stillborn and covered in tumors. Ah, there must be some kind of limit on how many mutations a Kabot can have before it becomes ill. BDEF1 and BDEF2 are still okay, but you’ll have to be careful as you add more mutations.

What would you like to do for your last action before the test?
A. Bribe the foreman
B. Train the BDEFs to fight
C. Other
>>
No. 1065218 ID: a7a180

A. They're just too good natured for a proper fight.
>>
No. 1065227 ID: 273c18

>>1065217
??? but there were two votes for training and only one vote to make a new mutation line... I thought we were just *discussing* making one with a bunch of mutations, not voting for it.

Anyway, B.
>>
No. 1065237 ID: fed721

>>1065217
B.
>>
No. 1065238 ID: fed721

>>1065227
I think it was a convenient moment to inform us of the mutation limit mechanic.
>>
No. 1065240 ID: 273c18

>>1065238
Well, true, but it's a difficult problem to even observe the full ramifications of. how many is too much? It's not clear how many mutations were even chosen there, since there was no consensus on what mutations to pick. Not to mention, calls into question what technology is being used to mutate the clones. Precise DNA manipulation wouldn't cause tumors.
>>
No. 1065247 ID: f2320a

>>1065240
could be regeneration bypassing some replication limit
>>
No. 1065251 ID: 7c0da2

It's a good thing we didn't discover that while trying to mutate some of our current kabots. We urgently need to experiment to learn what the limit is.

Anyway, I vote A, let's just bribe the guy. Promise him another cake. Freshly baked. With extra frosting.
We haven't got much to show for our efforts this time around, no point sending a kabot to a losing battle.
But if we absolutely must train them to fight, teach them to tickle. It's a way to force the foreman to submit without hurting him, and I don't think the kabots would have any problem with it, it's non violent enough. In fact, tell the kabots to do that event if you bribe the foreman, just in case.
>>
No. 1065284 ID: 2c1245

>>1065217
Work on your bed side manners for fucks sake. Having the Kabot'a freak out every time you stab them to withdrawl blood isnt doing you any favors for them, especially the ones that are intelligent.

Also have you considered that, instead of giving the kabot's multiple genes at ones, give them a max of 3 genes, with mutations 10 and 24 being the base so they can keep breeding intelligent babies, then injecting the babies with mutations every off generation to ensure their genetics are stable.
>>
No. 1065307 ID: 9ea24b
File 168617885874.png - (111.46KB , 500x500 , p53.png )
1065307

>A/B tie check: A
You don’t have much to show for your previous three actions, and you want to keep all of your current Kabots safe and healthy. This means you decide to call in the foreman ahead of the test and pay him to throw the fight.

You wish he would bother to put in a little more effort to make it look convincing. When your father summons you to the little dirt arena, the Tobak basically lies down in the sand and lets BDEF1 sit on him.
>>
No. 1065308 ID: 9ea24b
File 168617886858.png - (102.89KB , 500x500 , p54.png )
1065308

Your father dismisses the foreman and congratulates you on learning the wonders of bribery. He gleefully informs you that the next time you try to bribe your opponents, he’ll pay them more to ignore you.

The next test will be a team endeavor, with three of your Kabots trying to complete a 200 piece puzzle before a Sect queen and two of her drones. You have four actions. You know having four mutations on a Kabot is feasible.

What would you like to do first?
A. Research
B. Mutate and/or Clone or create a new kind of Kabot
C. Interact (with anyone)
>>
No. 1065309 ID: a9af05

>>1065308
C

Let's teach all the Kabots how to put together 200 piece puzzles. Because if all of them learn how to do it, then it won't matter who is chosen as part of the team for the test!
>>
No. 1065311 ID: a7a180

The puzzle team needs a third who is limber enough to assemble puzzles dextrously and quickly, which the hard scale kabots are not. Clone a new kabot with bipedal, strong legs, social smarts and a flexible body.
Set aside some of the kabots' treat budget to 'bribe' the sect drones with, possibly causing them to disassociate from their hive and be thrust into a scary new world of sensations alone so that you can win at jigsaw puzzles.
>>
No. 1065321 ID: e13b1d

>>1065308
C. Play puzzles with the kabots as a group. Figure out which ones work well together.

We can use our second action to research. And for our third action we can spray the kabots with stinky cologne that will distract the Sects from their communication pheromones.
>>
No. 1065330 ID: 273c18

C. We have four kabots, let's have them all try the puzzle together. If one of the kabots doesn't perform well then we'll know which one to leave out of the test.
>>
No. 1065340 ID: 7c0da2

Mutate BCE2, BDE1 and BDE2 with the bipedal (22) mutation so they have free limbs to better manipulate things with. Then train them to work as a team.
>>
No. 1065348 ID: 9ea24b
File 168626372320.png - (128.96KB , 500x500 , p55.png )
1065348

>C, teach all the B Kabots how to do a puzzle
They’re surprisingly receptive to the new activity. You show them the basics of finding the corner and edge pieces first and then building in from that, as well as how to work on separate pieces of the puzzle then put them together at the end.

Once you leave them unsupervised, BDE2 gets distracted pretty quickly while BCE2, BDEF1, and BDEF2 stay focused. BCE2 can’t communicate with its fellow Kabots, but putting together a puzzle doesn’t require much talking anyway.

You do notice they have trouble handling the small puzzle pieces. Their three-fingered feet aren’t as dextrous as your pincers or Sect hands, though they can kind of squat and work with their front limbs well enough despite being quadrupedal.

What is your second action?
A. Research
B. Mutate and/or Clone or create a new kind of Kabot
C. Interact (with anyone)
>>
No. 1065350 ID: a7a180

It would really help your team to mutate and clone one of them to gain some bipedal puzzle pioneers. I nominate BCE2 because you can teach them sign language subsequently.
>>
No. 1065360 ID: 273c18

Pipedal mutation doesn't change their hands, so we have no useful mutations here.
Looks like we have our 3 candidates.

Next action:
A, research.
>>
No. 1065425 ID: e13b1d

>>1065348
A Research.
>>
No. 1065445 ID: 7c0da2

B. Mutates BC2 with the bipedal mutation.
I think being bipedal would help, the butler kabot was bipedal and was able to serve tea and act as a butler. At the very least it would help them move around while holding puzzle pieces, even if it doesn't improves their hands.
>>
No. 1065447 ID: f38935

C: interact with our estranged father
>>
No. 1065458 ID: 9ea24b
File 168634302581.png - (76.96KB , 500x500 , p56.png )
1065458

>Think about your mother
She’s dead, you never got to meet her and honestly you don’t feel bad about it. You don’t think she and your dad got along, they had an arrangement for reproductive purposes only.

>B then A for the third action
If you mutate BCE2 with bipedalism now, it’ll be walking by the time of the test, so you decide to do that first. The clone is named BCEG1 and toddles around over the heads of the other Kabot.
>>
No. 1065459 ID: 9ea24b
File 168634303686.png - (72.56KB , 500x500 , p57.png )
1065459

While you’re preparing BCEG1, you notice some quiet footsteps coming from the vents above you. You’re already planning to do research for your next action, but what do you want to do about the potential intruder?

A. Ask your sister Salliad to take care of it
B. Try to talk to them yourself
C. Nothing
>>
No. 1065461 ID: 1ccb00

>>1065459
B. Sis will probably just shoot it and it might be one of the kabots that got lost.
>>
No. 1065468 ID: 273c18

>>1065459
B
>>
No. 1065470 ID: 7c0da2

B.
But make sure your kabots are safe first.
>>
No. 1065474 ID: 19ea25

B: You gotta take responsibility, and if you run to your sisters they're going to lord it over your head.
>>
No. 1065477 ID: a7a180

A. Siiiis, there's a bug in my room!
>>
No. 1065484 ID: 9ea24b
File 168636252989.png - (99.09KB , 500x500 , p58.png )
1065484

>B
Salliad would almost certainly make fun of you for asking for help and then also activate the autonomous turret system she built into the air ducts. The whole estate would smell like rotten meat for weeks. Better for you to take care of this yourself.

You’re a little nervous as you fetch a tall broom and make sure the Kabots are safe inside their terrarium. Having a spy infiltrate your lab is practically a Salikai rite of passage but you’re not sure how they’ll react when you get their attention. They’re not going to shoot you, right? You’re not a fan of being shot.
>>
No. 1065486 ID: 9ea24b
File 168636263038.png - (109.41KB , 500x500 , p59.png )
1065486

You putter around until you hear the footsteps again, then thump the metal vent with the broom handle.

“Hey, I know you’re there! Please come out, I’m not going to hurt you and we can talk about why you were sent here.”

You wait anxiously until the nearest vent pops open and the Rin-Reida crawling around your pipes turns off his cloaking suit.

“I’m being paid to find out what you’re doing with these creatures. Bioengineering tends to make the higher ups pretty nervous.”

A. Tell him everything
B. Smack him with the broom
C. Other (suggest)
>>
No. 1065487 ID: e5709d

C - Harvest him for Genmat Tell him this is your apprenticeship and your dad explicitly told you he gave you this job for the work experience, he doesn't have any plans for 'illegal' bioengineering other than as your student workshop.
>>
No. 1065494 ID: a7a180

B. Says the half-spider rabbit making scary noises in my ducts! Alexa, turn on the ceiling ventilators.
>>
No. 1065495 ID: 233458

Perhaps you could flip this... go on the offensive with questions yourself! ..."Higher ups?" Who are they, the tourism hive? For that matter why am I considered more worth watching than my sis who has a whole arsenal? Like, seriously, you're lucky I didn't get her to deal with you. Seriously though, I'm just starting out - get a bureaucratic regulator down here if you really to keep an eye on my work stuff. Why, I'd almost encourage that so that there's no doubt I'm within ethical bounds. Seriously, does anybody ask nicely before sending spies? Sure, perhaps if I was working on virological gain-of-function I'd get this, but I'm nowhere close to microbial testing! ...Oh wait you're a Rin-Reida? Like with psychic powers? How about a deal, one lab inspection for a blood sampling? (Oh, and if he does let slip who the higher ups are have your dad sue the pants off them for violating private property of his)
>>
No. 1065497 ID: 273c18

>>1065486
C, tell him the minimum. Basically, it's just some kind of test your dad is putting you through. No end goal as far as you know. He's wasting his time snooping around here, not worth risking his life over. Now get out before someone turns on the turrets.
>>
No. 1065500 ID: e847b1

>>1065495 Oh, new idea here. He's getting paid like a mercenary so perhaps that could be used. Like, ask what they pay him to do this. Have your dad offer 3x, 5x, 10x, whateverx, to flip on his employers so he has a witness that he can use to sue the pants off these guys.
>>
No. 1065504 ID: e13b1d

>>1065497
This.
"It's a student project. Please leave, if my sisters hear you you'll die and my room will smell like your ass forever."
>>
No. 1065505 ID: 0fb2b3

I'm learning the basics of bioengineering! I don't know what the ultimate purpose of this is beyond that! And who are these higher ups?
>>
No. 1065518 ID: 58dd24

Teaching them to put together a puzzle? Trying to be a responsible pet owner?
>>
No. 1065523 ID: 2c1245

>>1065486
B.

Maybe we should consider making a non-sapient kobot to use as an attack dog so we dont have to deal with things like this.
>>
No. 1065525 ID: 708905

>>1065486
Tell the truth but without detail

"My dad is testing me and wants me to make them able to play chess"
>>
No. 1065529 ID: 7c0da2

C.
Tell him you will reveal everything if he accepts to face your creations... in a puzzle competition. They need to practice against an opponent. The kabots are harmless, it will be easy to tell if he interacts with them.
Even if he refuses tell him it is a student project, your kabots are friendly and harmless, and you are currently trying to train them to solve puzzles as a team. Reassure him you are trying to be ethical about it.
Don't tell him you could make dangerous kabots with the mutations you have discovered or that they can be trained to fight, that would make him worry.
>>
No. 1065555 ID: 9ea24b
File 168642483646.png - (92.80KB , 500x500 , p60.png )
1065555

>Higher ups?
He clarifies that he’s been hired by the Tourism hive and refuses your obligatory bribe offer.

>Take a blood sample
You’ve heard rumors that Rin-Reida have psychic powers and you’re suddenly dying to get a blood sample. When you inch forward the spy gives you a warning glare and you ruefully stay put.

>C, tell the truth but be vague
You summarize how your dad is helping you improve your bioengineering skills and that the Kabots are harmless and well-treated. You also politely point out that the estate is private property and that everything you’re doing is legal and that your sister is really into putting guns everywhere.
>>
No. 1065556 ID: 9ea24b
File 168642484310.png - (164.54KB , 500x500 , p61.png )
1065556

The spy mulls over the information for a moment. “So this is a sentient species that you’re experimenting on.”

“Er…they weren’t sentient before.”

“Right. I’ll leave you alone now, thanks for talking to me.”

The spy shuts the vent and you listen closely until he’s out of earshot before going back to your workbench.
>>
No. 1065557 ID: 9ea24b
File 168642485060.png - (115.16KB , 500x500 , p62.png )
1065557

>Research
You discover the following three mutations:
4. Frills (purely cosmetic)
16. Slime (layer on the skin)
20. Warm-Blooded (Kabots are default cold-blooded)

You’re a little disappointed by the new mutations, since none seem like they’d help with doing puzzles or fighting a swarm of giant bees.There are six unknown mutations left to study.

What would you like to do for your last action?
A. Research
B. Mutate and/or Clone or create a new kind of Kabot
C. Interact (with anyone)
>>
No. 1065559 ID: a7a180

C: More puzzle lessons.
>>
No. 1065569 ID: b4590d

C. Interact with the kabots
>>
No. 1065571 ID: 273c18

>>1065557
C: ask your father what the mutation limit is caused by. Reproduction is classified as a mutation so if the system is consistent then somehow that's contributing to instability despite it being definitely part of the baseline animal. It's strange, and suggests that maybe it's a limit built-in to the machines you were given for the task.
>>
No. 1065576 ID: e13b1d

>>1065557
C. Put stinky cologne on the puzzle doing kabots to distract the bees.
>>
No. 1065578 ID: 8f9bc4

>>1065576

You monster. I love it.
>>
No. 1065606 ID: 7c0da2

B. Try creating a brand new kabot with 5 mutations, to see if it's the limit.
I suggest Fins, Slime, Gills, Night Vision, Strong leg. A fish-kabot.
>>
No. 1065607 ID: 708905

>>1065557
Consider adding tiny needles to the vents around your room so that you can automatically collect blood samples from future intruders
>>
No. 1065608 ID: 196206

>>1065607
Brilliant. Let's add this to our to do list.
>>
No. 1065613 ID: 9ea24b
File 168649862257.png - (117.69KB , 500x500 , p63.png )
1065613

>C, more puzzle training
Puzzle time is once again an enjoyable and productive experience. You also steal some of Salli’s perfume to spray on the Kabots, who don’t seem to mind the cloying smell.

>Where does the mutation limit come from?
Once you arrive at the test, you ask your dad and he confirms that he put a five mutation limit on A1 and subsequently every Kabot you cloned from it. Butler2 is also there and gazes at your chattering group of Kabots with longing.

>Puzzle test success check (85% success): Success
As you watch the test, you realize Sect are uniquely bad at doing puzzles because of their poor eyesight. It doesn’t help that they’re getting distracted by the sweet perfume you doused the Kabots with. Your team easily finishes the puzzle with plenty of time to spare.
>>
No. 1065614 ID: 9ea24b
File 168649863232.png - (139.52KB , 500x500 , p64.png )
1065614

As expected, the next test will involve unarmed combat against the Sect trio. Your father also warns you that the Tourism hive got word of the Kabots and is currently drafting legislation to make them a protected species. Once that happens, you’ll have to stop your experiments and the remaining Kabots will be turned over to the Neumono. He estimates this will happen sometime after the next test.

You have four actions. What would you like to do first?
A. Research
B. Mutate and/or Clone or create a new kind of Kabot
C. Interact (with anyone, including the Tourism hive)
>>
No. 1065615 ID: a7a180

Could a sufficiently mutated kabot be far enough from the genetic baseline that you could argue it isn't covered by the legislation?
Clone a new kabot: bipedal, strong legs, social smarts and flexible body.
>>
No. 1065616 ID: b4f193

Set up a meeting with the tourism hive. With lawyers. Worst case, we delay them with lawyer bureaucratic requests, while best case we set up a deal positive for both sides.
>>
No. 1065619 ID: a7a180

>>1065615
Oh, and one more mod: chameleon.
>>
No. 1065623 ID: 7c0da2

You know, if they want them that badly you could spend some time making some very annoying combinations, all of them with reproduction, so they would end up with fast reproducing pests that they just prevented themselves from being able to harm because now it's a protected species. Anything with Reproduction, Omnivorous and Warm-Blooded should be able to survive on its own, which leaves two slots to improve survivability or potential to be annoying.
Like Reproduction + Omnivore + Warm-Blooded + Improved digestion + Regeneration. Good luck stopping it from proliferating.
Or Reproduction + Omnivore + Warm-Blooded + Flexible body + Slime. Gross to handle, extra likely to escape, leaves slime everywhere.
And with some luck you could try hiding away your current kabots while you surrender the horde of new kabots to them.

The responsible thing to do would be to start by talking to the hive. Plead your case, you are not causing harm and the experience of being responsible for a new species has made you more responsible and empathetic.
Then once they inevitably refuse, you still have three actions to be as petty as possible, and at least you have tried.
>>
No. 1065630 ID: 273c18

>>1065616
Yeah. We also have some leverage: we can threaten to genetically engineer a few that would be very difficult for the Neumono to deal with humanely.
>>
No. 1065649 ID: 7c0da2

>>1065630
And they are a tourism hive, tourists probably like cute critters, we can offer to create some.
>>
No. 1065650 ID: 9bc49c

>>1065616
Seconded.
>>
No. 1065670 ID: 8f9bc4

If they're going to be a protected species, then you won't need control over the kabots. Be sure to use the mutations you were worried about, that would have made the kabots hard to control. The hive will be grateful you made them so well protected!
>>
No. 1065684 ID: f2320a

>>1065614
Kabot we mutate are technically not a species... they dont fit the definition they cant reproduce and there is not ever really more then 1 member of each group so all of them there own species then and again non viable as a species and as a intelligent species they will just die out in a few years alot of loopholes in that.
And like they only care beacuse they can speak they and we already casually eat things as cattle with the intelligence of toddlers but non social
>>
No. 1065696 ID: 2c1245

>>1065614
I mean, honestly the sollution would be to just toxicly cover a kabot with perfume and deodorant to make them sure nit smell safe.
>>
No. 1065698 ID: 49c34b

get some lawyers involved if you can to get exact wording on the legislation to pull a fast one on the hive, then go hard on mutation and reproduction to create a truly onerous specimen that the tourist hive has to 'protect'

Make sure to save as much data and samples BEFORE the legislation goes into effect
>>
No. 1065703 ID: d96ee3

Interact with a lawyer. It’s a dirty job but someone has to do it.
>>
No. 1065708 ID: 9ea24b
File 168659250495.png - (89.04KB , 500x500 , p65.png )
1065708

>Ponder Kabot
Without the ability to reproduce, the Kabot will quickly die out, and without intelligence they’d be little more than animals. Your E mutated Kabots could probably adapt to life with the Neumono, but they’d be stuck as servants or pets.

You’re frustrated that the Tourism hive is trying to stop your work. You’re not doing anything dangerous or hurting the Kabots! You were nice to talk to the spy and explain things, and this is how you’re getting repaid.
>>
No. 1065709 ID: 9ea24b
File 168659251751.png - (78.79KB , 500x500 , p66.png )
1065709

>Ponder revenge
You could create a big problem for the Tourism hive if you deliberately produced Kabots with the mutations you’ve been avoiding, like poison or camouflage. It’d also be easy to create a devastating omnivorous invasive species that thrived in the tropics and reproduced like crazy.

You’ll have time to make at least two new Kabot after the next test. You’re still missing six mutations, so you may want to do some more research before you make your ultimate choice.
>>
No. 1065710 ID: 9ea24b
File 168659252956.png - (111.48KB , 500x500 , p67.png )
1065710

>Hire a lawyer and go to the Tourism hive
Your dad can practice law and his company has tons of corporate lawyers, but when you ask to borrow one he bombastically tells you to find your own.

There isn’t enough time for you to pass the bar, so your only choice is to hire a Neumono lawyer in town. It’s been a while since you’ve visited the resort, and you take the gardener rogue and Butler1 with you for moral support.

A. Hire a cheap lawyer (fast, but less effective)
B. Hire an expensive lawyer (it’ll take an extra action)
>>
No. 1065711 ID: cbd1be

Hire an expensive lawyer
>>
No. 1065712 ID: 43dfd4

Hire the cheap one, we have science to do.
>>
No. 1065714 ID: 196206

>>1065710
B. Only the beat for our test subjects.
>>
No. 1065715 ID: 2a82d3

B. A good lawyer can not only handle lobbying, but also public relations. They're likely way ahead of you on thinking up threats your research can bring. That means once legislation is blocked, absent de-escalation, they're going to considering nukes, or at least more annoying agents.
>>
No. 1065716 ID: 7c0da2

B. The hive probably had time to get good lawyers too.
And even if we don't win they are more likely to buy us some time that we will need to plot revenge.
>>
No. 1065739 ID: 34713f

B: Maybe ask if he can take the angle that you're uplifting the species, present-tense. As in, it's very much still a work in progress. You're absolutely fine with kabots being granted rights, but only after you've finalized what kabots are and complete the testing phase with them. (And this can take however long you need to pass all the tests.) Honestly, considering you have to hire a neumono, offering an olive-branch compromise like this makes a betrayal from them (and extra-fervent pushback from the hive) less likely.

If this turns out to fuck with whatever your dad's plans were after the tests were finished, you have the easy retort of "that's what you get for lying to family about the purpose of an experiment." Don't even need to feel ashamed about it.
>>
No. 1065740 ID: 273c18

B
>>
No. 1065763 ID: 2c1245

>>1065710
Go sith B, hash out a plan with you lawyer. Kabots literally cannot reproduce and are more or less an artifical species. We havent done anything immoral, and baring our continued study will ensure their species goes extinct, which is extremely cruel. Ergo they should let us continue to document their health and capacity for creative and long term thinking. Harumph!

Write a strongly wordes letter to the tourism hive and complain about how theyre being super racist.
>>
No. 1065780 ID: 9ea24b
File 168670023535.png - (123.05KB , 500x500 , p68.png )
1065780

>B, get the best
The rogue tells you that there are plenty of personal injury lawyers in the hive, but most are looking to make a quick zeny and won’t give you much respect, especially because you’re a Salikai. You ask her to take you to a serious, experienced lawyer and she leads you to a white building labeled ‘Hive Affairs’.

It takes a while to get past the secretary and convince the security guards that you’re here in good faith and not to assassinate the hive queen, who works in the building.

Eventually you’re seated in front of a short male Neumono in a suit and you launch into a bit of a rant about how you’ve been spied on and mistreated just because you’re a Salikai.
>>
No. 1065781 ID: 9ea24b
File 168670024668.png - (84.54KB , 500x500 , p69.png )
1065781

The lawyer listens respectfully and then lays out the facts of the matter which are that the hive is in charge and can do whatever it wants, as far as passing legislation goes. Since you’ve created sentient Kabot, you don’t have a winning argument for why the creatures shouldn’t have rights. He also suggests finding a hobby other than bioengineering.

You’re very upset at this point, but he does add that he can argue on your behalf for delays or clauses in the law to avoid future restrictions.

Pick two of the three options the lawyer is offering, or double up on A. The deal is contingent on you not purposefully creating inconvenient or ecologically hazardous Kabots.

A. Time to make another Kabot after the last test (You’ll be able to make three varieties instead of two)
B. Ability to continue your bioengineering work on non-Kabot subjects with Neumono supervision
C. Ability to visit your Kabots at the Tourism hive after they’re surrendered
>>
No. 1065782 ID: 58dd24

Can you argue that you are doing an uplift (you know, like the Neumono got within living memory) on these dumb little frogs and ethically need to finish your work to secure a future and viable population for your little friends?

Indicate an intention to add reproduction once the population is semi standardized and healthy.
>>
No. 1065787 ID: e13b1d

>>1065781
B and C.

We can give the kabots we have the ability to reproduce so they don't die out with the time we already have, so we can at least get to continue our work and visit the little froglizards.

With enough visitations showing goodwill maybe the Hive will lift restrictions a bit.
>>
No. 1065789 ID: 708905

>>1065787
Supporting this
>>
No. 1065795 ID: 8f9bc4

One question you might ask is are they completely insane?! They ban bioengineering of sentients, but you can do whatever you want as long as they're nonsentient? They should be completely locking down your operation for fear that you'll make some kind of horrible... *cane toad* or something. And all they care about is if your kabots are aware of their own existence?

(The answer is yes they are completely insane, but it's an important lesson to learn about politics.)
>>
No. 1065809 ID: 273c18

>>1065781
>you don’t have a winning argument for why the creatures shouldn’t have rights
What, aside from the obvious one that Kabots aren't sapient unless you bioengineer them to be? If they just want to protect the sapient ones from further experimentation that's different from banning your experimentations on the non-sapient ones.

They also can't reproduce, and even if they could they're all clones of eachother so they can't make a stable population; it's a genetic bottleneck of 1. If they want a stable population of Kabots they will need your future cooperation, and they are currently giving you no reason to cooperate. In fact, banning bioengineering of kabots will mean it is illegal for you to help with that endeavor.

"They can do what they want" is a feeble excuse-- isn't there an Ultrahive above them? Hell, it's the Tourism Hive, they're not the government, so there'd be others higher up anyway.

Well, whatever, maybe tippler just doesn't want to let us make a decent legal battle, or doesn't want to flesh out the government structure of wherever we are, or just wants to end the quest for some reason.
...maybe if we make a breeding pair of Kabots the future genetic issues will make the Neumono ask for our help.

A, B
>>
No. 1065834 ID: 2a82d3

>>1065781
A, C

>>1065809
Maybe leave the rants to shout into a pillow later. Also, remember those rights include access to public services. We'll be providing "health care" later, not doing more "bioengineering research". If this feels like a stretch, this is why we have the good lawyer.

If I had to guess the QM, our choices for the trials ahead will be to use a new species to mess with, or reuse our old subjects and hope to find more mutations the old-fashioned way.
>>
No. 1065836 ID: e1b31c

So he's saying if we bioengineer out the sentience, there's no legal basis for this? LOOPHOLE! Failing that one, options 2 and 3. Showing empathy will get us further than these silly tests.
>>
No. 1065837 ID: 273c18

>>1065834
>"health care"
Oh, I've got a better idea. Bio mods. We can mutate Kabots, so they can come to us with requests for mutations! The best way to set this up would be of course to minimize their starting mutations, which means cloning A1 as much as we can, giving the new line Reproduction and Social. We can advertise all the other mutations and they can come to us to buy them. Totally legal. We could also offer cloning services for them, in case they want to skip the childhood phase of having a child.
>>
No. 1065839 ID: 708905

Total tangent here but do you think we care about our creations so much because dad modified us for increased empathy and all these tests we've been running is actually his way of studying how it's effecting us?
>>
No. 1065843 ID: 0fb2b3

Surely theres a legal method to uplift a stable breeding population of originally non sapient species into a self determining, self-replacing, liberated new sapient species?? Is there some form to fill out?
>>
No. 1065844 ID: e13b1d

>>1065839
>Salad: Experience minor identity crisis.
>>
No. 1065845 ID: 0fb2b3

So. There's a lot to unpack here. Let's say you wanted to uplift these Kabots into full self-directed personhood as their own species. What would an Uplifted version of the species look like from what you've unlocked so far? Probably something like: Reproduction, Intelligence, Bipedal, Friendly, and maybe one other bonus like Flexible. Then you'd make several thousand, each with random minor genetic differences to prevent genetic bottlenecking, and wave goodbye for them to do their own thing and they go out into the world.

You could play around with the non sapient versions, get the best possible version of those, and then apply the intelligence/personhood 'package' on top of that once you get a good baseline version, perhaps, or play around with the non social/non-intelligent ones separately for the tests.

But there's more to this than just that, isn't there?

Why the five mutation limit? That's quite arbitrary. Is it because the tools provide a soft limit at some higher threshold, like seven or eight, so your father put a hard limit at five? If he did that, what other safeguards did he put in them? Do they have some major longevity issue? Some hidden constraint to reproduction? Some horrible vulnerability to some environmental factor or does he have a previously prepared anti-kabot bioweapon? Would reproduction itself bypass the five mutation limit?

Further, these things don't take, like, years to raise. They should logically take years to raise, whether they're animal intelligence or super-genius. You CAN put data in genes, but they're a poor tool to do the whole 'genetic ancestral memory' thing; mostly you need to sequence them with a reader to read odd hidden data stored in genes. What's the method used to give them knowledge beyond their age, and what the heck is actually put in the data or memory download for them?

Also, the whole setup for your lab and this playpen setup feels... off. The constraints are just too odd. Perhaps the challenge is, specifically, for you to do an end run around the limits placed upon you? If that's the case, than you absolutely need to conduct industrial espionage against your father, to determine the full list of mutations, the failsafes (or faildeadlies for your poor kabots!), how the five mutation limit is enforced and how to remove the limit, how the memory download functions and what's in there and how to change it, and whatever ELSE he's hiding from you!
>>
No. 1065850 ID: 2a82ef

D. Go rogue and continue your work in secret as a mad scientist.
>>
No. 1065851 ID: 7c0da2

B and C.
Not being banned from practicing bioengineering is very important. And you can't leave your kabots at their mercy either.

Anyway, next you should give the Intelligence mutation to your current kabots (A1 excepted). If they are going to join the hive then the best you can do is prepare them for their future life, and that means giving them the means to not be mere pets or servants and to prove to those neumonos that they are not monsters.
Then, research the last mutations so you have more options for your last batch. It'll need to be your best work yet.
>>
No. 1065871 ID: 9ea24b
File 168679469876.png - (88.61KB , 500x500 , p70.png )
1065871

>Engineer Kabots without sentience
Then they won’t be able to pass your dad’s tests.

>Can you make the argument that you’re uplifting the Kabot or that you need to continue to experiment on them for their survival?
Your lawyer sighs and says that won’t work, since Kabot are a new and artificial species with a population under 10, rather than a native species to the planet that was already sentient. He adds that the hive is fully willing to make an excuse to exterminate them if they’re dangerous, so the new law is more about limiting your actions than helping the Kabots.

>The Tourism hive is full of jerks
Your lawyer disagrees, but admits he’s biased. Unfortunately for you they’re the only governing body around.

>Did your dad bioengineer you?
No, you checked your own genome. He did set up the whole Kabot situation, with its associated arbitrary mutation limits and contrived tests.
>>
No. 1065872 ID: 9ea24b
File 168679471207.png - (78.58KB , 500x500 , p71.png )
1065872

>B, C
You want to continue improving your bioengineering skills and be able to make sure the Neumono don’t just kill the Kabot after getting them. You exchange contact info with your lawyer so he can send you the final version of the law once it’s released.

Exhausted and still pretty frustrated, you return home.

You have two actions left before the Sect fight. What would you like to do next?
https://questden.org/wiki/Kabot_Quest

A. Research
B. Mutate and/or Clone or create a new kind of Kabot
C. Interact (with anyone)
>>
No. 1065873 ID: e13b1d

>>1065872
Mutate everyone with Reproduction.
>>
No. 1065875 ID: 8f9bc4

Sulk Research
>>
No. 1065885 ID: 273c18

>>1065872
A
>>
No. 1065889 ID: 273c18

Oh right also:
>>1065871
>admits he’s biased
Isn't it a bad idea to hire a lawyer who's biased against you? There absolutely have to be non-neumono lawyers available.
>>
No. 1065890 ID: f2320a

>>1065871
Well that vile of the hive they would be fine commiting genocide of other races based on conveniance hmmm are they worth it?
>>
No. 1065891 ID: 2a82d3

>>1065872
A, while contemplating/obsessing if that was a waste of time.

>>1065890
Sadly, the line between pet and vermin is more razor-thin than we'd like. Might be helpful to know which traits they'd consider attractive or endearing, but that seems like even more of a distraction from our research...
>>
No. 1065892 ID: 273c18

Oh, and is this possible? >>1065873
I think it isn't, and at best we can mutate+clone a Kabot to produce a pair of newly mutated Kabots. We should probably mutate A1 as our final action.

We're going to have an action after the test, right?
>>
No. 1065900 ID: a7a180

Mutate/clone A1 with intelligence, social, bipedal, warm blooded and reproduction. That way, there's a stable breeding pair & someone with a good head on their shoulders to guide the other kabots when they are separated from you. Maybe don't advertise the intelligent mutation, but if noticed then protest that they already had an intelligence mutation and that's not considered dangerous either.
The experiments are going to end one way or another. Our existing batch is physically capable for a sect fight. Handing the kabots some tools for survival and giving them some time to plan ahead is just future-proofing our results.
>>
No. 1065901 ID: 0fb2b3

>>1065900

No! Not the control!!
>>
No. 1065925 ID: a7a180

>>1065901
Why not? The experiments are about to end. We don't need a control anymore. Our little kabots are all grown up and need to stand up on their own two little legs (possibly literally).
>>
No. 1065927 ID: 36784c

Isn’t there a loophole where if the Kabots willingly want to stay with us, the Neuomono can't do anything about it?
>>
No. 1065936 ID: 9ea24b
File 168687896670.png - (110.79KB , 500x500 , p72.png )
1065936

>Your current Kabots are ready to fight the Sect
This is very not true, they currently have low aggression since their one offensive physical trait (strong legs) is drowned out by their peaceful traits. They’re about to be obliterated, which means you’re going to lose at least one from the three you volunteer for the test.

>Your lawyer is biased against you
No, he was saying he disagreed with your statement that all Tourism hive Neumono were jerks. You know, because he’s a Tourism hive Neumono.

>What if the Kabots want to stay with you?
That doesn’t matter to the Neumono, though you’re curious whether the law will apply to Butler2 or any other Kabot you forfeit to your dad.
>>
No. 1065937 ID: 9ea24b
File 168687897938.png - (117.83KB , 500x500 , p73.png )
1065937

>A, research
You discover three more mutations:
7. Claws
15. Increased Size (unmutated fully grown Kabots are about 1 meter tall)
23. Teeth (Vanilla Kabot have none)

You now see where all the physically offensive traits were hiding.

What do you do for your last action? You want to mutate your existing Kabots somehow.
A. Give all the B Kabots the reproduction mutation
B. Mutate and clone A1 with some combination of five mutations
C. Other
>>
No. 1065939 ID: e13b1d

>>1065937
A.
We will send A1 into the test alone. The Sect will only need to hold it in place to win, and dad can keep Control.
>>
No. 1065942 ID: a7a180

Wow, just gonna send our pet in there to get the crap kicked out of him?
B: intelligence, social, bipedal, increased size and reproduction.
>>
No. 1065943 ID: 273c18

Wait a minute
>You’ll have time to make at least two new Kabot after the next test.
I forgot about this. We have two more actions after this one. So we can complete our research and then clone+mutate A1 with a fully informed set of mutations.

A.
>>
No. 1065986 ID: e2007e

C. Mutate all the B kabots with Intelligence. This way they will be able to teach the final batch we will make after the challenge. We won't be there to raise them even if we can visit so they will need the B kabots to help them. The final batch will be the one with reproduction.

A1 will fight the sects alone.
>>
No. 1066004 ID: a9af05

>>1065943
Do this one.

>>1065986
>A1 will fight the sects alone.
Don't do that! A1 will lose if we do that.
>>
No. 1066005 ID: 9ea24b
File 168694957492.png - (107.11KB , 500x500 , p74.png )
1066005

>A
The mutation won’t start to show for another two actions and you don’t know how fast they’ll reproduce, but at least the Kabot will be able to carry on as a species.

>Send A1 alone into the Sect test
This is against the rules, but you decide to do it anyway. You don’t have to always do what your dad says, your sisters break rules all the time.

You take A1 out of its private terrarium and put it in the small arena while the Sect queen gives you the stink eye. Poor A1 tries to run from the scary strangers, but is quickly caught by one of the drones. Without the ability to verbally give up, A1 takes a heavy blow to the head from the queen and quickly dies.
>>
No. 1066006 ID: 9ea24b
File 168694959212.png - (106.98KB , 500x500 , p75.png )
1066006

>Dad check: Success
You dad expresses his disapproval that you disobeyed, but goes easy on you since you just lost your original Kabot. Rather than taking two Kabot as punishment, he decides to only take BCEG2.

Your lawyer calls soon after to inform you that he successfully got your demands added to the law, which will come into effect shortly.

You have time for two final actions. What would you like to do first?
A. Research (you’ll find the final three mutations)
B. Mutate and/or Clone or create a new kind of Kabot
C. Interact (with anyone)
>>
No. 1066007 ID: a7a180

I don't know what you expected...
B. Give the remaining kabots the intelligence mutation needed to be more than servants or pets to the neumono.
>>
No. 1066009 ID: e13b1d

>>1066005
Begin plotting revenge on the Sects for using lethal force.

>>1066007
Seconded.
>>
No. 1066010 ID: 273c18

>>1066005
What the fuck??? The majority did not vote to send A1 in alone. Now we can't create a custom Kabot! This is actually the worst thing I've seen you do tippler.
>>
No. 1066014 ID: 273c18

>skilled enough to create mutated Kabots without needing to clone a predecessor.
Okay, I forgot about this, that explains the "create a new kind of kabot" option. So I guess it wasn't a roadblocking loss, but still absolutely not a reasonable way to read those suggestions.

Unfortunately, we can only produce ONE new mutated kabot, so we have effectively lost one fully custom kabot.

>>1066007
We can't do this. 3/4 of the kabots are at the mutation cap.


A. Research the last mutations, then next turn we can create a fully informed mutated kabot, which will be able to breed those mutations into the remaining population.
>>
No. 1066016 ID: a7a180

>>1066014
It is a five mutation limit.
>>
No. 1066017 ID: 273c18

>>1066016
Yes.
BDE(H)2
BDEF(H)1
BDEF(H)2
BCEG(H)1

H is reproduction, the one we just added. So BDEH is the only one we can mutate further.
>>
No. 1066020 ID: e13b1d

>>1066017
This is true. I forgot Reproduction was added.

Changing vote to mutate+Clone BDE(H)2 with Intelligence, then talk to the all kabots for our second action.
>>
No. 1066021 ID: 7c0da2

>>1066020
Supporting that, make as many clones as possible.

Also, how many kabots with reproduction do we need for the species to sustain itself?
>>
No. 1066052 ID: 466872

I was thinking that we could make A1 the leader of the Kabots so that it could help keep everyone safe. We'd give them Increased Size and some Intelligence so that-

>>1066005
>A1 went into battle, alone, and died!
Oh……

Never mind, forget what I was saying.

>>1066006
Do any of these choices allow us to slap Salad for doing something so incredibly dumb? Because that was a really dumb thing to do.
>>
No. 1066057 ID: 36784c

>>1066010
There actually WAS a majority vote in favor of sending A1 in alone. Out of the 5 suggestors, 2 of them voted in favor of sending A1 in alone, 1 of them voted against sending A1 in alone, and the other 2 didn't specify if they were in favor or against it.

So please don't blame Tippler for this.
>>
No. 1066064 ID: 273c18

>>1066057
That's absurd. You're implying *not mentioning* a thing is somehow a vote towards it. That would mean I could suggest something like "slap yourself in the face" and so long as nobody specifically says not to, then the protagonist should do it.

Let's keep in mind that sending in A1 alone was against the rules. Why would we need a strong opposition against it to keep it from happening?
Also, my suggestion was clearly against it, BECAUSE I NEEDED A1 ALIVE TO DO WHAT I WANTED. So even your weird vote count is straight up wrong.
>>
No. 1066068 ID: 2a82d3

>>1066006
1) A. Might was well complete your research and earn that doctorate.
2) B. Grieve for A1 by recloning him/her with the mutations they should've had.

>>1066067
>Let's keep in mind that sending in A1 alone was against the rules. Why would we need a strong opposition against it to keep it from happening?
Why would our character care about following the rules to begin with? There's certainly incentives to, but that doesn't mean he can't have oversights, rebellions, or other priorities.
>>
No. 1066069 ID: 2c1245

>>1066006
C. Try to play with all the Kabots. Man, sciencing can be annoying with all these laws and restrictions.

Also for fucks sake. Table manners. Be nicer with the kabots when you extract blood.
>>
No. 1066071 ID: 273c18

>>1066068
>Why would our character care about following the rules to begin with?
I can think of several reasons, both in-character and not. The details are irrelevant though. It boils down to it being an unusual thing to do, which means it should've required a clear majority, or at least a formal vote instead of letting a major decision through that wasn't in the list of choices.
>>
No. 1066108 ID: 9ea24b
File 168703001928.png - (98.89KB , 500x500 , p76.png )
1066108

>Mutate and clone BDEH2 with intelligence
All of your Kabots are now at the five mutation cap. You examine BDEHI1 when it comes out of the vat for any indicators of sex and discover reproductive Kabots are hermaphrodites. You’re not sure if they can self-fertilize since you haven’t had long to observe them. BDEHI1 seems to spend a lot of time watching you from the terrarium as you work in the lab, though it also mingles well with its kin.
>>
No. 1066109 ID: 9ea24b
File 168703002945.png - (116.77KB , 500x500 , p77.png )
1066109

>Sending A1 into the fight alone was bad
Agh, it’s true. You were in a rush and deluded yourself into thinking the Sect would spare it, and now you’ve lost the perfect Kabot to mutate and clone.

Time for your last action. At this point you don’t want to research the last three mutations since you won’t have the chance to implement them. Also, after this, the other H Kabots will become fertile.
https://questden.org/wiki/Kabot_Quest

A. Make a new kind of Kabot with five mutations (suggest which mutations)
B. Spend your remaining time playing with the Kabots
>>
No. 1066110 ID: 48ae88

B
>>
No. 1066111 ID: a7a180

B. Hopefully you learned a lot from failing left, right and center.
>>
No. 1066112 ID: e51896

B. show them love
>>
No. 1066113 ID: 76186a

Option 2, and privately talk with BDEHI1 about leadership, express hope that he will succeed where you failed.
>>
No. 1066126 ID: 8f9bc4

One thing is for sure, you'll be much more careful the next time you talk with any spider bunnies in the vents.
>>
No. 1066127 ID: 41f5a1

B.
And take the time to get them some actual names, not just acronyms for their mutations or whatnot.

The one that observed you looks like a 'Dee-Dee' to me.
>>
No. 1066133 ID: e13b1d

>>1066109
B.
Talk to Smarty. Express regrets for our failings, and appraise them of the situation with the neumono. Right now they're taking the kabots out of spite because they hate salikai, but if Smarty plays their cards right the kabots could end up with a better living situation. Maybe it's for the best.
>>
No. 1066134 ID: 273c18

>>1066109
>won’t have the chance to implement them
Depends on if mutating willing subjects is legal. I don't suppose you could use existing blood samples to research the remaining genes after the kabots have been taken?

Since B is in the lead I'd like to influence it in a useful direction. Tell them what's going to happen to them, and that you will be able to visit. Especially make it clear to BDEHI1 that you want them to try to keep the kabots independent, and if they need your help with genetic modification, cloning, or just prevention of genetic disease, then you are the most qualified person to help. For a fee of course.
>>
No. 1066137 ID: 7c0da2

B. Wish them all the best and try to prepare them for what's to come.
Spend some time with BDEHI1 to give them any useful information they might need, and answer any questions they might have, because you're kinda entrusting them with the species until there is more fully intelligent kabots around. Try to reassure them, they have the other kabots, and you're not completely unreachable either.
>>
No. 1066139 ID: e13b1d

>>1066134
I don't think they have money. Keeping an open offer of assistance for free seems fine though.
>>
No. 1066145 ID: 273c18

>>1066139
They can make money!
>>
No. 1066150 ID: 61105b

>>1066134 >>1066145 Did you ever hear the tale of Doctor Eduard Bloch the kind and generous? I thought not. It's not a story most would tell you. It's a legend of kindness. Eduard Bloch was a Doctor so generous and so wise he charged a family reduced prices for breast cancer treatments due to the low economic status they had. He had such a generosity that he occasionally charged no fee at all. Generosity is a pathway to historical events that some consider to be unnatural. He was so kind and generous that one who hated his kind refused to persecute him, even when he decided to leave, which eventually, of course, he did. Unfortunately, this only applied to him and his close family, and the one who hated his kind committed mass persecutions. Ironic. He could save himself from death, but not others. So, be generous to the poor kabots, avoid greed.
>>
No. 1066152 ID: 273c18

>>1066150
Excuse me we are a Salikai
>>
No. 1066156 ID: 196206

>>1066152
We are a Saladkai
>>
No. 1066162 ID: d7dc4e

>>1066152 So you're a member of a group that was persecuted in the past and is still often viewed as suspicious? What uncanny parallels.
>>
No. 1066222 ID: 9ea24b
File 168714367041.png - (116.80KB , 500x500 , p78.png )
1066222

>B, play with the Kabots then talk to BDEHI1 in more detail
You take all the Kabot outside for the first time, in a fenced area of course, and they wonder at the lush plants and swarms of insects. You explain that some Neumono like the nice gardener lady are coming to take them to a new home, and that you’ll visit whenever you can.

While the other Kabots are distracted, you sit with BDEHI1 and tell it everything about its origins and your desire for it to guide the other Kabots into a fully uplifted life.

>Charge the Kabots money for your services
You have no need for money and a high need for the Kabot to like you so they don’t go on a revenge killing spree later (a leading cause of Salikai mortality).

All too soon, a colorful truck drives up to the property and several big Neumono emerge to load the Kabots. Your lawyer is there, and he has you read through some forms and sign in a couple places.
>>
No. 1066223 ID: 9ea24b
File 168714368453.png - (114.44KB , 500x500 , p79.png )
1066223

You sigh as the truck travels out of sight. There’s still a lot to do between setting up the Neumono supervision for bioengineering and getting visitation figured out with your lawyer, but while you have a free moment you want to research the last three mutations.

You discover the following mutations:
9. Climbing
11. Hand Dexterity (this mutation also increases intelligence)
17. Strong arms

This makes you pause. A Kabot with all intelligence boosting mutations would be a force to be reckoned with, but without hand dexterity BDEHI1 won’t be able to manipulate the tools needed to do science. It seems like the Kabots will be relying on you for any future genetic manipulation.
>>
No. 1066224 ID: 9ea24b
File 168714370566.png - (118.22KB , 500x500 , p80.png )
1066224

You’re interrupted from your brooding when Butler2 comes to call you to lunch with your father, who’s his usual cheerful self. You slump in your seat at the square table and pick at your salad.

Your dad clears his throat a few times. “You did very well with your gift, son.”

“I messed up a ton. I wasted two Kabot.”

“But you spared the spy and managed yourself professionally with the Neumono. I’m proud of you. This is just the beginning of your science career.”

You smile a little. Your dad is weird for a Salikai, but you’re glad he’s always there for you.



Happy Father's day. Thanks for reading Kabot Quest!
>>
No. 1066232 ID: 273c18

>>1066224
Yay! A promising future (even if there isn't any extra money in it? Dad must be very rich.)
>>
No. 1066233 ID: 273c18

wait how did Dad get away with keeping Butler2?!
>>
No. 1066239 ID: e13b1d

>>1066224
Here's to it could have gone worse!
>>
No. 1066244 ID: 2c1245

>>1066224
Holy fuck Butler 1 & 2 are so cute. #1 with his stoic glare of fun sized professionalism, and #2 for still being a derpy little guy.
>>
No. 1066247 ID: eb494d

Ah, it was a holiday quest all along!
How sneaky!

Still, 0/10, we didn't invent tozols.
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