1/2 Polo 2014/02/16(Sun)20:39 No. 562990 ID: d470e9
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>Tell Rokoa to lay off Katzati
Surprisingly, she took the hint and isn't bugging her.

"Is there any good reason why you haven't told me about this before?"
>"Nah, I just forgot."
>"You fucking bloat..." Rokann says before I think the same. "Let's go find them and get our asses out of here once we find Marra."
"Where did you hear this news, Rokoa?"
>"Overheard some voklit chatter, that's all."
"I'm agreeing with Rokann. We'll attempt to find them, but we'll need to spend a minute getting our things together. I have to put on armor. Katzati... please help clean Rokoa once you eat, as much as you can. Tell her to shut up if she gives you a hard time."
>"Pack your bags, Lucera." Rokann says. "I'm going to take a jammer real quick and tell Kort to get back here, and sweep our perimeter for any signs of Marra. I will be back in 5 minutes and expect us all ready to go. Gotta walk off that meat anyway."

I still have to get my things back together and put my armor on, so I will let her go alone.

2/2 Polo 2014/02/16(Sun)20:39 No. 562991 ID: d470e9
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About 4 minutes pass, and something larger than Rokann starts coming back while I'm taking inventory on our things.

It's Viln.

Your eyes and smile are getting more like Rokoa's.

Point weaponry at him, demand nonexistent password.

>>562993
That IS Rokoa :P Check the eye color and the outfit.

...Check Viln for bugs?

Make sure he has not been taken over by any number of horrible cave monsters that can crawl into your bones and wear your skin.

Then ask whats up. If we are lucky he found some food or has a idea what might have happened to Marra.

>Surprisingly, she took the hint
Huh. I wonder if she can pick up on it, or if she's just deferring out of respect to you.

>Viln's back
Switch to x-ray, just out of paranoia. Don't point any weapons, but be on alert.

Viln. We were just started to get worried. What happened? (Where's Marra?, if that's not in his explanation).

Assuming nothing goes horribly wrong (trap, clone, bugs, he's being led back at gunpoint, etc), fill him (and Marra) in (you captured a Rokoa, and there's apparently an ultrahive force in the caves above. Incredulous-ness about Rokoa can be met with: she's got something like you did. I beat her, and she'll respect that, for now).

>nonexistent password
We did setup passwords way back when in case of clones, actually. (You know, just in case that's a fufa or something. Although if there were a fufa blocking the only entrance to this small cave we'd kind of be dead already).

>>562991
Viln looks oddly calm
Is it the upper half of his body on a stick being puppeted around?

>>562991
Ask him what gives, where's he been? Get a small-caliber weapon out just in case he's bugged.

Rokoa should be warned he's an ally, if she doesn't know already (she might not). Viln should similarly be warned that Rokoa is one of us now.

1/2 Polo 2014/02/16(Sun)21:49 No. 563021 ID: d470e9
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"Hello, Viln. What is the password?" That should be enough to tell Rokoa he is an ally, and Rokoa is not trying to maim us, which should tell Viln the same.
>"... forgotten. I apologize."

>Use the X-ray
It's always scary to put these on, just in case something does go wrong. I start pulling it out of the bag.

It doesn't look like he has bugs.

"Where have you been?"
>"What was password?"

....

"I already know that." says Rokoa.

...

>"No matter. Other neumono, where are?"

He doesn't have a skeleton, either.

2/2 Polo 2014/02/16(Sun)21:49 No. 563022 ID: d470e9
File 139261617463.png - (25.04KB , 800x800 , 768.png )

"Well, for your information, the password goes something like 'Hey, Katzati, give me the biggest, hugest weapon we have around.' And when you say the password, you have to sound like you fucking mean it."

>>563022
FUCKING FUFA.

Um. Tactical analysis: it's blocking the only exit and our best weapons are all explosives which are likely to cause the roof to fall on our heads. So we're fucked if it becomes hostile. It hasn't become hostile yet which suggests it was ordered not to locate and not kill the neumono the Salikai are looking for. If we can lure it away the others can escape and we may be able to survive long enough to reach the allies above us.

Tell it the other neumono are out right now and you were about to go join them. Ask for Rokoa to toss you over through the entrance. Once you're outside start fucking running.

Shit. It's a fucking fufa.

This is a worst case scenario. That's the only entrance to this cavern, and bullets won't stop it. Fire and explosives might, but we're at very close range, and we risk being caught in the explosion, or bringing the roof down on our heads. There's a good chance we all die if it comes to a fight.

I hope that thing just copied Viln's appearance by sight and it didn't eat him (he deserves better than an offscreen death). We don't have time to worry about that now, though.

...offer to show 'Viln' where the other neumono are. You'll lead him the away. (Signalling your plan to allies while talking to it).

If it buys your trick, you have a narrow window to buy a chance for your allies to escape a deathtrap before you're separated from them and running for your life.

If the trick fails, all we can really do is unload into it with HE rounds and the gel launcher and pray it dies before we do.

Aww man when I said horrible monster that wears your skin I was really hoping it had not got Viln. Rest in piece buddy.

Ok we want to keep it in its disguise mode as long as possible. The longer its pretending to be Viln the more time we have to get weapons that can hurt it or get away. Once it realizes we know it will be all tentacles and nightmares.

Maybe if you lead it back to the Vernaut corpse you can distract it with that for awhile.

Hopefully Viln wasn't eaten. I mean, personally I can't really tell the difference between one Voklit and another... In any case, agreed, tell it you will lead it to the other neumono, and then lead it away from everyone else. If Katzati objects, just tell her to stick with everyone else and find the army up there. Rokoa... can stick with us, maybe. Unless you feel like the others need her help staying there.

>>563036
Get in physical contact with everyone and use your empathy to indicate it's not Viln then tell the fufa you were just about to go to the neumono yourself. Ask him to be patient and wait about ten meters away outside "like you always do".

Take the gel launcher and Knife Rokoa with you if the Fufa believes the lies. Try to land a gel shot on the torso where you can do the most damage to a decentralised organism. You have to drive it off while you and Rokoa are functional before the regeneration shots kick in.

>>563047
Awesome idea. Send it on whatever order far enough from the entrance, then blast it by surprise.

>Ask him to be patient and wait about ten meters away outside "like you always do".
Rather than just waiting, ask for him to keep watch for you until you are ready to head out towards the others.

Polo 2014/02/18(Tue)20:00 No. 563427 ID: d470e9
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Katzati is already getting the gel launcher for Rokoa, but I intercept it. Rokoa was aware of what was going on, and told it to Katzati with physical contact while she was getting cleaned up.

"The other neumono are out. I will lead you to where I believe they are. Rokoa, help me up and follow me. Katzati, wait here. Viln, wait outside 10 meters like you always do." I do hear him moving backwards.

Rokoa starts pushing me up. This gel launcher is far too big for me, and the sheer act of firing it reliably would be a challenge.

2/2 Polo 2014/02/18(Tue)20:00 No. 563428 ID: d470e9
File 139278244088.png - (25.08KB , 800x800 , 770.png )

That is not 10 meters. He snuck back up to the wall.

>"Viln will help tiny neumono come down. Large neumono is welcome to come. Wide neumono is welcome to come. We may all group together and escape. Viln will help all come over wall. Wide neumono looking terrified. No good. Will help."

Rokoa knows full well that trying to shoot a gel launcher at it is not anywhere close to a guaranteed takedown, but she is preferring something like that over just walking with it.

I think I side with Rokoa on this one. It obviously knows we are trying to trick it into moving away, so I doubt anything we can say at this point will make it do anything other than keep moving closer.

>>563428
How about we tell it "yeah okay, take me first" then run as soon as you're on the other side, to draw it away? You could use the plasma sword to make sure it can't capture you.

The plan shouldn't be to walk out with it. All you need to do is lead / move it far enough away from the entrance that firing something like the gel launcher at it isn't a near suicide play- risking collapsing the cavern's only entrance, catching you in the explosion, or killing the entire group by caving hideout.

All Polo needs to do is lead it down the hall just far enough that the others can safely shoot at it and or run the other direction. Communicate that to Rokoa emphatically, or communicate an abbreviated version in her old tribe language (the fufa shouldn't know that).

>Viln will help tiny neumono come down.
I am quite capable of climbing down on my own. Slave voklit will obey and back up.

If the fufa has eaten any voklit and has even a crude understanding of how voklit honor works, and it thinks it's successfully fooling us, it'll back off and play along.

...if the fufa doesn't play along, all you can do is jump or grapple out of the way while Rokoa or Katzati blasts it (be nice if you ended up on the other side so we could HE it from the other side).

Well I was hoping it had minimal intelligence, but it doesn't seem so. You've somewhat convinced it that the others are somewhere else, but now it probably just wants to eat one of you and absorb your knowledge. Forward seems like a bad idea, backwards is only marginally better. Block it's eyesight for a while, make small talk, ask about Mara, then once you think Rokoa's lined up a shot, do a backflip off the wall. Shoot it, carefully.

You're not gonna outrun it, fufa spiking is a basic ability, you will have to jump back down and have everyone unload on it when it comes in and risk the cave-in. Antagonize it if you have to for a better shot for everyone else if needed but you need to run back to the others.

Welp looks like it knows how to spot bullshit. Tell the fufa you're going to jump down now and you'd like him to get ready to catch you. Unload on it if it gets into position for "catching" you. If it does ANYTHING else just unload on it without hesitation there won't be anymore fooling the fufa with words.

Tell him if he waits at the bottom you will jump down and he can catch you. Tell the others in a loud voice that its OK to climb up and jump off because Viln will catch them. It should listen to you if it thinks it can get all of you to just fall in its mouth.

Then once he is down and ready to "catch" you shoot him a bunch with the gel launcher. Just make sure he does not see you or Rokoa aiming it until the last second.

If that does not work you might just have to dive off the ledge and have Rokoa blast it as best she can. As the only one currently wearing armor you should be somewhat resistant to the explosions and fire if you have to shot it this close.

1/7 Polo 2014/02/21(Fri)21:59 No. 563780 ID: d470e9
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"Please obey and step back like a voklit slave."
>"Slave is not correct."
".... I'll jump down. Get ready to catch."
>"Am ready."

... the damn guy can nearly peer over the ledge anyway, but I still signal to Rokoa to get ready to fire the launcher. I jump off behind me, away from the fufa.

>"Begin thinking neumono are not bright."

2/7 Polo 2014/02/21(Fri)22:01 No. 563781 ID: d470e9
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The fufa starts climbing over. Rokoa shoots. This isn't good, but the fufa won't back off, and I don't see a better alternative.

5/7 Polo 2014/02/21(Fri)22:02 No. 563784 ID: d470e9
File 139304893449.png - (107.04KB , 800x800 , 775.png )

>"Fufa will admit to not being on neumono team."

7/7 Polo 2014/02/21(Fri)22:03 No. 563786 ID: d470e9
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>"Rokoa Polo please climb wall quickly will help up and other neumono unimportant."

>>563780
>".... I'll jump down. Get ready to catch."
Viln is dead
Fuck

Kill that son of a bitch
We need fire

>>563786
Yell at Rokoa to save her. She is close, she can yank the gel off and toss it in an unoccupied area of the cave. Or back at the fufa.

If it gets tossed back at the fufa, shoot the damn gel with an HE round as it gets close to the fufa so that it can't grab it again.

If the explosion goes off and the fufa isn't immediately attacking us, yell at it that Katzati is important to YOU. I think we're going to have to give up, really. Nothing we have can kill the fufa and it is too smart to deceive easily. As soon as you go over that wall it'll grab you and Rokoa and bring you to the Salikai. Best we could do is use the plasma sword to cut free and run.

>>563790
Sticky Gel

Have rokoa throw the gel back at the fufa, shoot it with HE when it gets close to it like the one guy said, you may have to surrender otherwise.

Okay. First lesson: this fufa is smart. Or at least, not stupid. It knew your group well enough to know Viln was no longer a slave, it understood Rokoa's attack, and it knew how to counter a sticky explosive (which shows either planning or very on the spot responses).

First countermeasure: don't use signals or words it knows. When you're communicating with Rokoa, cheat, and use her hive's language rather than English.

>Katzati
Biggest problem is she was just hit by an explosive big enough to kill her (and seriously injure Rokoa) if it goes off. We don't know how much time is left on the chemical fuse (can't be much). It may be sticking to her shirt, or if we're lucky, there's still enough fufa-fragments stuck to it to prevent a good bond.

Rokoa's the only one close enough who can possibly act to save her, if she can throw it far enough away from them (assuming that's even possible without setting it off).

If she can throw it back at the fufa, treating it as skeet and detonating it with a bullet isn't the worst idea. It would play into the fufa's perception of you as apparent inferior intelligences. He'd see you trying the same dumb thing twice, not expecting improvement.

>overall plan
...I can't help but think we're screwed. If we back down, Polo either gets eaten or captured and Katzati explodes. If we fight, we don't have good odds of taking this down quickly, and the fufa could still throw a sonic attack or a do that flesh-spear thing we saw before with Biles. I don't see how the hell we avoid getting half the party killed unless we're very lucky.

>other neumono not important
They are to me.

>>563791
Uh, what? Are you trying to say that it can't be removed from Katzati or that it can't be thrown after it's grabbed because it'd stick to Rokoa's hand?

In the former, Rokoa could use the plasma sword to carve away the gel. In the latter, Rokoa could use a rock or the launcher itself to scoop off the gel and throw it that way.

>>563795
If it's stuck, the simplest solution would be to tear it off with Katzati's shirt. That gets it off of her, and balls it up in something to protect Rokoa's hands (until it burns through the cloth in seconds or less).

Plasma sword anywhere near that sounds like one hell of a bad idea. Too much risk of setting the volatile explosives off.

...actually, come to think of it, if the fufa thinks we have enough time to get over the wall, there might be enough time for Polo to get to the gel and grab it off Katzati. With her armor Polo won't even have to care that the gel sticks to her hands. Then we could be awesome and use the grappling hook to attach ourselves to the fufa. Almost-Kamikaze attack!

Polo 2014/02/22(Sat)00:22 No. 563801 ID: d470e9
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"Save her!"
"Fufa, spike me up!" Rokoa yells over my last word.

Rokoa makes a lunge at Katzati as I hear a crack from the fufa, along with a burp, as a spike launches out from it and impales Rokoa.

"Save Polo!" Rokoa yells, and still manages to take hold of the gel and kicks herself off Katzati, tearing some burning shirt and fur with it while she gets tugged back by the fufa. She won't be able to just wipe it off on a gun and throw it at the fufa, but when Rokoa tells the fufa to impale her and bring her up, I expect she knew this. What I don't like is how she assumes that the fufa is going to reel back a time bomb on itself, but it appears to be doing exactly that. That is more confirmation that it does intend on keeping me alive at high cost.

A plasma sword is also the closest thing I have to accessable, quick fire, and my move may be to make a lunge for that. The gel must be at critical mass by now.

Grab onto Rokoa or the spike. That will force the fufa to take the gel and try to shield both you and Rokoa from its explosion. You can use the plasma sword to detach you and Rokoa from the spike once the threat of the gel is passed, and maybe you can slice up the Fufa a bit too.

Maybe we can get it to say whether or not it killed Viln.

Rokoa seems smart, while the blast from the gel will still be dangerous for her, she might only lose an arm if she's lucky. Follow her cues and play along, don't put yourself in any unnecessary danger. Remind her to stay alive, and get ready to get her out of there when it blows.

>plasma sword
>Gel stuck to Rokoa's hand
If she's going to lose the hand - and probably arm - anyway, may as well send the bomb to the Fufa without the rest of Rokoa attached.

Toss Rokoa the plasma sword. She's crazy enough that chopping her hand off is on the menu.

This has to be one of the Salikai Fufu's. It seems to be after us specifically and seems to have orders to capture you. Also if it is following Rokoa's orders it might be trained to take orders from anyone on there side.

So guessing that they are desperate enough to send it after you even with the chance it might end up eating everyone. So that means they have fed it enough people to get it fairly smart.

Right now Rokoa is trying a suicide ploy. Either we need to let her and then bombard the fufu with the launcher while its weakened. Or use the plasma sword to free her and chop her hand off so we can get the bomb away from everyone.

You could try to plasma sword the fufu directly but that would put you in its reach. You might be able to do some damage but it could probably just engulf you and take the sword away at that point. Unless the plasma sword really messes it up.

I would say get the sword and wait to use it right as the fufu has drug Rokoa close. If we move to fast we will be stuck trying to toss a sticky bomb that's right next to Katzati. How big will the explosion from the gel be?

>That is more confirmation that it does intend on keeping me alive at high cost.
...that means, if the fufa survives what happens next, you may be able to use your life as a bargaining chip. Use an armed grenade, or the plasma sword, to hold yourself hostage. To either force it to back down, or at least to allow the others to escape.

You just have to be holding the grenade in such a way that it thinks it safer to comply than to try disarming you with one of those spike things.

There's also the chance you could force it to save Rokoa instead of just eating her and the bomb by getting closer to her.

>plasma sword
Wait, where is it? Does Rokoa still have it, or did you take it off of her? It's not listed in current inventory. Lunge for it implies it's on the floor somewhere.

With that, Rokoa could cut herself free (slash arm and spike). Or if you had it, you could jump or grapple past, slicing Rokoa free of the bomb and spike leaving the gel to hit the fufa. (Or you could pass to Rokoa).

...would really be best if the fufa didn't eat Rokoa. Last thing we need is it getting information or personality traits from her.

Alright, so if the plasma sword is in the pile of equipment to Polo's side (seen here >>563786 ), that means we probably just barely have time to lunge for it, and throw it up at Rokoa as she passes overhead to the fufa. Assuming she doesn't explode mid-air above us.

Not sure if time is sufficient to just throw it to her (so she catches and cuts herself free) or if things are tight enough that we should throw it at her (use Polo's knife throwing skills and throw an on and spinning plasma sword through hand / spike).

Toss Rokoa the plasma sword then get into the equipment pile and grab a grenade for yourself. Once you've done that load the sniper with HE rounds to follow up on the impending explosion.

While you are bouncing around trying to save everyone yell to Viln that if he is in there somewhere to help out. If he can help stop the fufu his dept will be repaid.

Might not do anything but worth a shot.

1/4 Polo 2014/02/22(Sat)13:57 No. 563881 ID: d470e9
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I dive for the plasma sword in the general pile of inventory, and whip it back to Rokoa. Her trajectory is too unpredictable, along with plasma blade limitations, that prevent me from simply throwing it like a dagger to try to take Rokoa's arm off.

2/4 Polo 2014/02/22(Sat)13:58 No. 563882 ID: d470e9
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She manages to catch it, and slices off the fufa's spike and her hand herself.

3/4 Polo 2014/02/22(Sat)13:58 No. 563883 ID: d470e9
File 139310629517.png - (48.12KB , 800x800 , 781.png )

She flicks off the plasma blade, tosses it to back to me, and throws her hand up over the rim. There is a long pause of silence, or what feels like one, before the gel detonates.

4/4 Polo 2014/02/22(Sat)13:58 No. 563884 ID: d470e9
File 139310630423.png - (149.94KB , 800x800 , 782.png )

My vision goes fuzzy, then dark. It did cause a cavein.

The jammer goes down, and I sense Rokoa, Lucera, and Katzati. Then Rokoa and Katzati. Then Rokoa alone. It only now occurs to me that I haven't seen or sensed Korli since sometime before the Fufa came.

It was not a full cavein, it was mostly the ceiling alone that came down on us, and I expect some of what was once the wall. I get hit by several rocks, and sprain some of my joints, but I don't believe anything is broken. My armor is screwed up again, though. Rokoa is lodged under some rocks. I only know where Katzati and Lucera were before going silent.

Like it or not, first priority should be dig up Rokoa. A one-handed Rokoa is still a powerful enough ally to help you locate Lucera and Katzati.

Listen very carefully for movement before you do anything. Do not want to climb out of the rubble right into the fufu's mouth.

If you can get yourself free first priority will be arming yourself and then rescue.

Dang. Should have suggesting diving below the table. Would have offered a teeny bit of protection.

Can you tell why people blinked out of empathy? Did it feel like they were passing out, or did the jammer kick back in with a smaller radius? Can you tell you badly anyone was hurt?

>Rokoa
...you probably owe her a grudging thank you. That last play was well above and beyond the line of duty.

>armor damaged
Worth it.

>what do
First priority is to try and free yourself. After that, look around at the damage. Lucera might be a priority since he was right next to you. Rokoa too, since she might need medical attention, and is better suited to getting the others out. And helping if the fufa is still active.

Be warned the fufa may not be dead. Keep a grenade handy. If you encounter it, our only play might be to threaten your own life.

Rokann was only the other side of the cavern, wasn't she? (If she and Korli were closest to the jammer, that might be why you never sensed them). She might have escaped the cave-in. If we're lucky and they're still alive, Marra and Viln might show up.

Oh, also: your silence is probably more of a disadvantage than an advantage at the moment. Turn it off so anyone anyone else alive and awake in range can sense where you are.

1/2 Polo 2014/02/22(Sat)16:07 No. 563901 ID: d470e9
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>Can you tell why people blinked out of empathy?
Knocked out. There was a brief flash of pain from each of them before going down.

I stay still for just a moment. It's quiet, so I start wiggling out. It takes me a minute, but with some effort, I'm able to scrape one foot out, but I have to dislodge my right foor from its armor.

I take down my silence to let Rokoa know I'm here, and that I'm digging her out. She was right next to the wall, and is now a few feet under rock, and can't move much at all. Or breathe. She used her bad arm to protect what she could, and only has a broken rib or two, but the amount of pressure being put on her isn't going to leave her that mobile after all. I start pulling off rocks, one by one.

2/2 Polo 2014/02/22(Sat)16:07 No. 563902 ID: d470e9
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I hear noise behind me. The fufa rises with another belch. It seems smaller.

>"Neumono... under rocks? Will assist and bring Rokoa and Polo back."

I still kept my hand on my plasma sword, and I have a grenade. I put the plasma blade over my head.

"I am not coming back with you alive."
>"Fufa priority is to bring tiny neumono back. Salikai wish to see polo. Not dead. Do not despair, fufa will not harm. Polo must come to salikai."

>>563902
Tell it to wait. You'll go with it if it waits for you to rescue your friends.

Also ask if it ate Viln.

Move the plasma sword up against your throat, don't want the fufa to screw up your bluff by pulling your arm off. Ask the fufa what the salikai do to keep it under control.

>>563902
Why do you help the Salikai? You are superior, one of the most ultimate predators and clearly the smartest of your species?

Tell it you will come with it if it helps you save your friends. Will give you time to work out a plan and maybe figure out what control they have over it.

Suicide was a good option when we had no backup coming. Now we want to stall and buy as much time as possible. We might be able to take out or trick the fufu. Making sure our team does not die under the Rockwall is first priority.

Keep taking to the fufu. We need as much info about it as possible.

...if you wish to bring me back alive to the salikai, you will dig my allies out from the rocks. You will not harm them. Do you understand?

Being captured in a worse case scenario, but you can save the lives of your allies, and reinforcements are close. There's still a chance you could escape from or kill the fufa now that it has lost mass, but we'll see.

And yeah, you might as well ask what happened to Viln.

Make sure you're not standing near the fufa, so it can't attempt to disarm you.

Did it get hit by the cave-in, too? Is it just ragged from being injured, or is it actually oozing itself up from between the rocks? If it is, or if it looks very damaged... well, it's a fufa, but it must need to build internal structures inside itself to do things, and those structures are damaged.

You could kill it, Polo. Tell it to help you retrieve Rokoa, and when it's half done, use the plasma sword to chop it into pieces. It needs mass to do things, and most likely, the smaller the pieces get, the less they can do. At the least, the burning from the plasma blade should damage it more. Make big slashing sweeps, as large as you can. Test how hard it's been conditioned to not kill you; focus all your defensive attention on not letting it take the plasma sword from you.

Get it to help your allies, when it is done, murder it.

>>563914
>>563916
Wait till we see the situation before we try to backstab it. We need our allies to be safe, and this thing won't die easy. It might be better if we lead it away, first.

Also, if we attack with the plasma sword, we're not holding out life hostage anymore. It can attack and injure Polo. Burn some mass to plasma damage to immobilize her.

Polo 2014/02/22(Sat)19:08 No. 563928 ID: d470e9
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>Kill it
It is standing up well. Attempting to kill it with what I have could go terribly wrong. It has said it wants me alive, not uninjured. I keep my distance from it.

"Why do you help the salikai? You're among the most intelligent of your species."
>"Am intelligent because salikai gave intelligence. Intelligent thoughts lead to salikai loyalty. Fufa does not ask for more."
"Help me recover my friends from the rocks, or I will not be going to the salikai alive."
>"Will."

The fufa shovels the rocks away with little more effort than I would do with dust. It plucks Rokoa out of the pile.

"Did you eat Viln, Fufa?"
>"No, unnecessary to eat people who know same things."
"Same things as... Marra. Did you eat her?"
>"Maybe. Read brain. May live. Will pull next neumono from pile. Stay put so fufa will bring to salikai."
"Fucking hell. I'm not going back to the salikai, fufa."
>"Fufa does not understand why Rokoa says such things."
"Because they'll kill me, you idiot."
>"Salikai did not say anything about killing neumono. No one killed. Fufa will keep safe for moving to salikai home."
"I think you barely understand your own orders. What are they?"
>"Fufa understands perfectly. Salikai want polo. Fufa sent to get polo to get polo enter salikai home alive."
"Please drop Rokoa and get my other friends."
>"Fufa understands neumono concept of friends and understands compulsion to gather friends. Will do."

>Maybe. Read brain. May live.

So... it can read minds without eating them? A neumono mind, anyway. Maybe it absorbed/generated some high-level empathy sense?

>>563928
Oh boy, this might lead to fun times.
See, we might be able to convince him that, since the salikai plan on killing us, bringing us back would defy his orders.
Then we can double loop that confusion into having him bascially escort us into the base, then letting us head free to wreak havoc under the pretense of seeing the salikai safely.
Now the problem is, what phrasing can we use to do this? Because beyond this basic Idea, I have nothing.

>>563928
Ask if it has any friends. Also tell it you're pretty sure the only reason the salikai wants you alive is to kill you in the most painful way. Ask why he didn't mention Rokoa in his orders, but wants to bring her in anyway.

Ask where Viln and Marra are. Also say that you heard a fufa reading a neumono's brain is one of the most painful experiences possible. Does it know if that's true? How does it feel about that fact, if so?

Your orders are to bring me back, not anyone else. You do not require Rokoa or any of the others.

...get Viln and Marra's location from the fufa. The others can go and try to help them, if they can be helped, after you lead the fufa away.

Our options at this point are to lead the fufa away and then either: (1) get away from it, (2) kill it, or (3) trick it into sneaking you into the base. (It's orders are to get you inside. No details on how, why, where, or if it can't be a 'surprise').

>understands compulsion to gather friends

The fufa understands lies and social obligation let's stop condescending to it with any more attempts at cleverness. Give it the short version of your encounters with the salikai, try to explain how the salikai used predators, neumono, and other organisms for their own purposes as they worked against each other. Explain that it is a tool to the salikai just like the Rokoa clone and how they almost killed a lot of people with nukes.

Don't give up mind you, keep the grenade and sword close to your head while you see if the fufa has any response.

Ok best case we might be able to confuse or get this guy on our side. But will be difficult. Right now we need to keep talking while he helps get everyone out of the cave in.

If we start a fight with him in here we risk losing everyone. So keep talking to him while he pulls people out of the rubble. Start getting any weapons that survived in case we need to go with him for awhile. Also see if you can do something with the grenade to make it usable even with your arms pinned. Suicide is stupid but hurting yourself so much it takes days for you to recover would buy time for the rescue team.

Ask him where he left Viln and Marra and tell him we want to rescue them after he helps people out of the rocks. Apologize for not trusting him but say we have only dealt with his non intelligent cousins.

If we are going to make him doubt his loyalty we need to figure out more about him. Need to discover what sort of value system he has so we can make him understand what exactly the Salikai really are. It might not work but right now its our only option that will keep our team alive.

Do everything you can to stall him. If his orders only said to bring you back we might be able to convince him to help for awhile.

He said he understands the compulsion to gather friends so start there. Ask him about that. If we can make him our friend even if the worst happens it could be a valuable ally.

Oh and one last thought. Absolute worst case scenario and you are captured you can pretend that dart Rokoa won. I know it would be hard to pretend to be her but it might save you if you can pull off that there is little or nothing left of old Polo.

1/2 Polo 2014/02/22(Sat)21:16 No. 563952 ID: d470e9
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>So... it can read minds without eating them? A neumono mind, anyway. Maybe it absorbed/generated some high-level empathy sense?
I'm afraid that its actual methods are far more intrusive, given Marra's life status is a 'maybe.'

"Is Rokoa in your order to bring back?" I keep my plasms blade close to my arms, and keep my arms far from the Fufa.
>"No."
"Then why are you bringing her back?"
>"This Rokoa is salikai force and we are here for Polo so Fufa will bring Rokoa back since Rokoa is here for Polo too. Fufa is beginning to wonder why Rokoa did not bring Polo back herself and looked like she was keeping Polo friendship."
"... no."
"Well keep wondering."
>"Is fine. Rokoa can stay."
"I am certain they only want to keep me alive to do terrible experiments on me and then kill me."
>"Fufa with no reason to believe this."
"I do. They have used everything they have for tools. You included. They send you, for instance, who then reads Marra's brain. I hear that that is one of the most painful experiences possible."
>"Fufa believes it is true because neumono nerves highly active throughout and empathy of Marra was wishing to die. Unnecessary pain but Fufa figure better than eating for brain. Unless die anyway in which case Fufa miscalculated."

Lucera looks comparable to when I stopped his bugged actions with an explosion. I do find our xray, which I use to find that Lucera is effectively shattered inside.

2/2 Polo 2014/02/22(Sat)21:16 No. 563953 ID: d470e9
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>Gather weapons
I gather some small things, and have a damage report. My sniper is bent, but everything else on me, besides some dents in my armor, are fine.

"Move to Katzati, now." I want to kill this thing, but I do not have any reliable way kill something like this. "Your orders are to get me into the base. I would like to enter the base alone. On my own terms."
>"Fufa believes agreeable."
"You say you understand what we think is friendship."
>"Yes."
"Do you have any friends?"
>"Fufa cannot think like that. Salikai say Fufa lacks life. Fufa does not understand that, but Salikai say Fufa will when Fufa is alive for first time. Fufa no desire, but understands that others understand what fufa is lacking. Fufa does not want incomplete."

He pulls Katzati out. I still keep my distance from the fufa, but I doubt she looks much better than Lucera. She has about half the broken bones that Lucera has, although the breaks that she does have look awful.

"Rokoa. Thank you. Now, Fufa, I would like to go where Viln and Marra are."
>"Left allies with Salikai path. Most likely Salikai custody now. Other Polo allies are returning now. Heartful reunions must wait because non-salikai organisms approach and should not get in way of polo meeting salikai."

>>563953
Fine. Tell Rokoa to make sure the others survive their injuries, and we'll go with the Fufa. Oh, and that she should meet up with the incoming army, so that she can tell them what happened here and where the salikai base is. Then we could get some reinforcements soon after the infiltration. Maybe you shouldn't say that out loud though. Looks like we're doing the infiltration mission, even if we don't especially need to anymore.

Ask the fufa why it decided putting Marra through that pain was better than killing her. That sounds almost like compassion.

Looks like this is it. From the sounds of things, rescue will be there shortly for the rest. As for you, it looks like you'll be infiltrating alone. Say goodbye to everyone, order Rokoa to stick with and see them out alive. You had best head out soon, before rescue forces meet with the Fufa, another fight would be devastating.

>Lucera is effectively shattered inside
Shit. Just bone, not everything, right? Even still, that leaves him in bad shape.

>My sniper is bent
Enough to affect it's good function, or do you just need to compensate for a now inaccurate sight?

>Now, Fufa, I would like to go where Viln and Marra are.
Geeze, you didn't even wait for him to dig everyone out. Korli and Rokann are still unaccounted for.

>Viln and Marra likely captured or dead
Shit. Nothing you can do about it now.

>Other Polo allies are returning now.
Turn to Rokoa. I'll lead it away, and do what I can. Please make sure the ultrahive recovers my allies. Korli and Rokann are still buried, somewhere.

...give her a call and response password from your ultrahive. Something so when they arrive they don't just shoot her. (And use her hive's language, so the fufa doesn't get the passwords. She can translate into English, but he won't understand).

And thank her, grudgingly.

>things to discus with the Fufa once you're clear
Ask the fufa if it knows what war is. It read Marra's memories, she's fought in them before. Does it undertand that Marra considered our group at war with the salikai? That's a good reason you have to expect that they mean you death and torture.

The fufa understands friends. Does it understand family? The salikai likely blame you for the death of three of theirs. And you know they blame Rokoa. That's another reason.

State that it's clearly alive if it can understand the suffering of others. Ask why it's attempting to spare other neumono.

Oh, and if the weapon pile is nearby: grab more ammunition or grenades if you can. And Niam's time bombs. Your allies won't need it if they're being rescued, and you will. And swap your damaged sniper for the sniper Rokann looted if it's available and undamaged. And/or take the sniper ammunition for that weapon, since she won't need it if she's being carried out of here.

>give her a call and response password from your ultrahive.
If they don't understand or believe that you switched sides, ask for Rakae. She knew the original you.

If the barrel is bent cut it a few inches below the bend with the plasma blade, accuracy and penetration will way be down but it could still work as a grenade launcher with explosive rounds.

>>563969
Er, the heat from the blade is liable to deform the barrel right by the cut, and molten metal might run, too. That's very likely to render the sniper completely unusable.

>Fufa
Also ask that you avoid other salikai forces, in case they wish to harm or kill you. It shouldn't care, so long as you're headed towards the base.

>Korli and Rokann are still buried, somewhere.
And Kort! Geeze, it's been so long since he complained, I almost forgot about him.

Tell it that you will come with it but want a minute to make sure your friends will survive. If you still have some regen boosters use them and if not get them as comfortable as you can.

While you are doing this ask which direction the non Salikai are coming from and if it can "protect" you from them. We want to give the ultrahive the best chance to find you and your allies so leave markings in the tunnels if you can.

Make sure to let Rokoa know to get word to the allied forces as soon as they reach here with what has happened. Tell her you are trusting her with your team and to join the reinforcements when she is able.

You might have to go to the Salikai base but do your best to make sure its on your own terms. We might be able to convince the fufu to protect you from the other Salikai forces if they get aggressive and try to tie you up or take your equipment. It is very young so we still have a chance to win it over to our side if we can prove its masters are not what it thinks.

Ask for the fufu's name. Tell it that you are going to trust it even though you do not trust the Salikai. Ask it to watch closely and if you are mistreated you are counting on it to keep you safe.

Friendly forces are closing in quickly. So delaying as much as possible and letting them know you have been captured is our first priority.

Polo 2014/02/22(Sat)22:30 No. 563976 ID: d470e9
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>Elaborate on sniper rifle status
It's broke. I won't use it unless it gets repaired, so I will get the sniper rifle that Rokann looted awhile ago.

>Elaborate on Lucera/Katzati
As long as they do not get moved around too much and are allowed to rest, they should be fine.

"Why did you put Marra through that pain instead of killing her? That sounds like compassion."
>"Fufa attempting to emulate such things when possible."
"Rokoa, make sure our reinforcements get to Lucera and Katzati. I will take a look for the other three here to make sure they got out of the cavein. Again, thank you." We do not have a general purpose response password for any situation, but as long as she surrenders, she should simply be harmlessly captured and interrogated. "Fufa, you read Marra, so you should know what war is, and what family is, and how that can be parallel to the salikai and us being at war. The salikai will kill us if given the chance."
>"Will see. Fufa will bring Polo."

Rokann comes back and leaps up on the rubble to look at what's going on.

"It's fine, Rokann. The fufa isn't hostile, anymore. Are you alright?"
>"What? Good, I guess? Yeah I got hit with some rocks, but I'm fine. We've got a group of allies! Kort and Korli are going with them while they get reinforcements, because there's been a few shots fired with salikai forces. Fuckall though, what's your ultrahive doi- shit! Are those two okay?!"
"Yes. Not really, but they'll be fine. Did you say my ultrahive?"
>"Polo must go will bring now." the Fufa says.

I could grab some items right now and rush off with the fufa before things escalate here, but it is possible that I could convince the fufa to pretend to be Viln again, the difficult part being trying to convince it to let me have that 'heartfelt reunion' after all. If I wish to risk it, I can explain the situation to my allies before a fight ensues.

Besides getting decent medical attention and better stock of weapons, I can also explain everything I know to them, which could be important information if it is true that my ultrahive is here. That is the most important thing I can think of to do before infiltrating the salikai lair, although everyone else, especially Rokoa, should be able to supply a good deal of information.

>>563976
If it pretends to be Viln it will be discovered immediately, and it will not allow itself to be captured, along with attempting to abduct you. We risk losing an astounding scientific accomplishment- making a fufa almost sapient. Even if it's incredibly immoral how it was done. I really do not want that to happen at this point.

Grab some gear and leave. Tell Rokann to tell the reinforcements that this Fufa is very smart and they should try not to kill it. Along the way, try to convince the Fufa that allowing itself to die protecting the Salikai would be be a disservice to the Salikai, because all that work the Salikai did would be lost. All those people fed to it, died in vain. If it wants to repay him for giving it intelligence, and make up for all the people it ate, then it must survive and allow itself to be studied and further improved in ways that don't cause further deaths. Maybe someone can even figure out how to make it smarter without the mind-reading process being so painful.

>What do?
Almost all your intel comes from Rokoa. She can pass it along to the others as well as you can.

There's enough gear in the communal pile for you to get fully kitted up (replacement sniper, more sniper and pistol ammo, nades, time bombs, x-ray, food). No shotgun ammo, but oh well. And you're already patched up and on regenerations. You can't get much more medical care in the short term than that.

It's not worth putting the lives of your comrades at risk for when things almost inevitably go bad with the fufa.

The only real advantage to convincing it to stay would be if you were committed to trying to get the ultrahive to kill it for you, but I think it's proven intelligent enough to see it coming if people start showing up with lots and lots of heavy weapons.

You'll lead it away. It's only playing nice so long as you head towards the Salikai base. Rokann and Rokoa can protect the others till the reinforcements arrive.

Passing it off as Viln is a no go, just look at what happened the last time it tried. Your Ultrahive will have no doubt brough x-ray goggles, and the lack of bones is an obvious giveaway. Do you really want to risk a fight breaking out, and loosing your 'easy' way into the facility? Don't really want to agitate the Fufa anyway, while it seems relatively calm.

You know as dangerous as going alone into there base is its a rare chance to get past there guard. If the ultrahive is right at the door they will be able to follow very shortly and the distraction might let you get in and finish your mission. Also if you back off now brain Rokoa might take it as weakness and get stronger.

I would politely ask the fufu if it would mind pretending to be Viln again for a little while. Explain that you do not want it to be attacked by your friends. Tell it that you have not eaten much in days and need to fix your gear and get some food before you go meet the Salikai.

Also explain that some of the people coming are members of your family and you have not seen any of them for a long time. You would like to talk to them for a moment before you leave. Promise that you will make sure no one tries to attack him and as soon as you get cleaned up you will go with him to the Salikai.

Right now getting him to trust us and not betraying that trust might save your life shortly. It seems to be at a critical juncture in its development. Its not stupid just very very new.

Do your best to convince it to give you some time because getting your plans to the ultrahive is very important. They will know what happened shortly but the info you have gained could save many lives shortly.

The fufa's intelligent existence is now a cornucopia of ethics confusion and I almost feel bad for it. It clearly has wants and desires at this point and understands very little of its existence while still maintaining self awareness.

Okay, gear up, move out, and I guess prepare for the infiltration.
I realize that you could probably interrogate the fufa quite easily, it'd probably answer any question honestly because while it's loyal to the salikai it doesn't understand that you'd immediately use that information to hurt the salikai.

You could say it doesn't really know what the salikai is, it might just be calling the science hive the salikai for all we know. Who does it support when it says salikai, the people who have directly given him intelligence, the science hive who are enslaved by the salikai under fear of it or the actual full green,multi-armed salikai? If the green ones, which one in particular? There are two. If one salkai told you to kill the other, and then the other one told you to kill that one, what would the fufa do? Kill both?

Polo 2014/02/22(Sat)23:42 No. 563984 ID: d470e9
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On second thought, trying to meet with my ultrahive could go as wrong as trying to kill the fufa myself. I will bypass the reinforcements for now. If there is any sense to my ultrahive being here, they will find out about the fufa nearly immediately, and I do not know how the fufa may react. It could work, but the risk outweighs the reward.

"Rokoa, Rokann, please tell the ultrahive I will be going to the salikai base. Fufa, bring me there." I pause before saying that, just to grab the last few items I can before it comes swiping me up. "Goodbye, Rokann, Rokoa, please give the others my temporary goodbyes when you can." I barely manage to say while the Fufa puts me on his shoulder and starts running. "The salikai have been frustrated for not being able to meet me thus far. I would like to surprise them. Please avoid salikai troops, I do not wish to be seen until I am at the salikai's home."
>"Fufa does not understand strange request. No point to hiding."
"There is no point to not hiding, either. I am not fighting against you, so please do this request."
>"Fine. Will put you inside self to bring to salikai home." I start sinking down into it. I do not like this, but at this point, I will just have to trust the fufa to some degree.
"Remember I need to breath. They will ask you if you have me. Please show me to a secret entrance if you know of one."
>"Fufa read Rokoa brain once when told to fight her. Knew of side entrance. Will enter there and close off exit in case Polo untrustworthy. Then Fufa returns to salikai home big entrance."

This happened fast. There is still plenty that can go wrong with my entry, since I do not know where exactly in their base I can handle. However, every plan and idea to enter there base has gone up in flames before even a chance to act would surface. I feel I may as well risk this, since even if I fail, so long as I can sabatoge some systems, I may save multiple lives that are going to assault the base. I have absolutely no idea what the salikai have in store for an army.

>>563984
Ask the fufa if it thinks the salikai will survive an assault from your ultrahive. What would it do if the salikai died? Don't actually ask about the salikai troops or weapons, just ask it general questions like that about its existence and opinions to give us an idea of what's in store for us. Maybe ask what it's like living under the Salikai.

Ask if it wants a name.

>I do not like this, but at this point, I will just have to trust the fufa to some degree
No way around that, unfortunately.

>gear
Drat. Only one time bomb, and no additional grenades. Oh well. Blowing the comm system went out a while ago.

Polo Quest - Thread 5 End Polo 2014/02/23(Sun)00:43 No. 563988 ID: d470e9
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"Do you believe the salikai can withstand an attack against the ultrahive?"
>"Fufa thinks Salikai can put up heavy fight neumono will not like, but too many neumono if Fufa read brains right. Salikai only have few minions up on the surface."
"What would you do if the salikai were killed?"
>"Does not know. Not thinking about such matter."
"Do you want a name?"
>"Is name what defines living true intelligent organism?
"Not alone, but it is a start."
>"Will call self Lassal. First neumono ate."

The fufa runs fast, and I've gotten completely lost. It runs up to a wall, and yanks out a rock to reveal a metallic structure behind it. There is a hole.

>"Leads into base. Sure of it. Will close hole and cover with rocks to prevent neumono tools from escape. Fufa will know if attempts made."
"I understand, and I have no intention of coming back out. Thank you for bringing me."
>"Neumono is expectedly welcome. Fufa also expects Polo to surprise salikai soon. If asked where Polo is then fufa will tell salikai that fufa has brought Polo into base like asked."

It would be nice to see the look on their faces when they get the news like that, but this isn't a mission of indulgence.

Before you go in make sure to tell him that if things get bad to take care of himself and escape into the caves. If he does not hurt anyone in the ultra hive you will offer him a new home if something happens to the Salikai.

You should give him a codeword, like "Coffee Cake" in case we have a fufa mixup and need to identify him.