The Unaligned Player
Agony that desires to meet Extinction
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2019
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The urge to analyze is strong. Thank goodness for internal programming.
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Ascendant: Rhea's descendants. Who can use New God technology. Makes sense.
"Kill me. It will change-."
I stomp forward, grab her helmeted head and activate the crumbler gauntlet. Her head is vaporised, her body collapsing to
Sounds like some very good thermal shielding then. Though not quite good enough to shrug off streams of rather excitable sub-atomic particles going off nearby... Still, nobody's ferpect.11th September 2012
20:07 GMT
"yARGH!"
While the positron ray reliably annihilates anyone it hits, close detonations just cause agonising burns as the armour and personal shields fail. Respect to whoever designed the Karrakanians' armour, though: it isn't melting into their flesh or otherwise exacerbating their wounds.
And at least he's being polite to his mission-kills. Just because you're fighting for your life doesn't mean you can let standards slip, after all."Sorry."
I fly closer to what appears to be an internal strongpoint, designed to allow marines to defend against boarding actions.
Eh, any other group, that might get a positive result..."Nugh nuh nuh…"
"Would you be prepared to exchange information for healing?"
But these guys are just a bit too fanatical. I wonder why? Do they expect to be reborn in some wonderful afterlife, contingent of a heroic death in battle? ...I can see that fitting with Sparta's character, honestly.He beckons me forward with his more intact arm, but I've already seen the grenade he's preparing in his other hand.
"Good effort. You gave it your all."
Now, don't go forgetting why you're here, OL, while immersed in all that sweet data...I shoot him in the head, then extend strands of orange light into what I hope is an internal communications node of some kind. Accessing…
Partial access available.
Insightful. I suspect if Apokaliptians were involved in this little fleet, the systems would be much better integrated. Suggesting that they've taken the remnants of something else and kludged it into place...Yes, that. It looks like someone has partially integrated a New God system with both an earlier, more primitive system and something that's mundane but sophisticated. Not using a central computer is something that civilisations that are just getting into space don't do, due to either not having computers or the great efficiencies and improvements in command and control a unified data network provides. Deliberately not doing that because it improves security and is no longer necessary… Apokoliptian ships don't have central computers because the New God in charge can manage things perfectly well without one. Other species… The Reach have a decentralised sys-.
Do we need to get a spritz bottle, OL? Let your ring spray you if you get too thoughtful?I'm doing it again.
I wonder how the attacking soldiers manage to-?
At least the classic dungeon bypass is an option here. Nothing says 'open, portal' like a molecular-bond-disrupting field.No.
I push forward, crumbler gauntlet smashing into the security door and crumbling a two metre hold in it before I fly onward towards the bridge.
Okay, definitely kludged New God tech into their ship's systems, then. And it's practically demanding the presence of divinity before operating at full function.The only thing I learned from that computer was the local patrol shifts, which might be useful if I was a stealth infiltrator but is fairly useless for me. Copies of personnel files -oh, that was his name- and local maintenance logs… Complaints from the engineering team about the systems not working together properly unless one of 'The Ascendant' were in the area…
Ascendant: Rhea's descendants. Who can use New God technology. Makes sense. Have to see what we can harvest from these ships for the local gods, because learning more about their technology could be very useful in our future dealings with Grayven.
To quote Steve Rogers: "Son, just... Don't."Though the term 'Ascendant' implies that they're moving towards some state-.
Two Karrakanians with belts of engineering tools walk through a side door and then freeze as they spot me. One goes for-
Well, at least they're smarter than most of the guards. Or less dedicated to their cause..."Don't."
-something on his belt, then makes a point of moving his hand away.
Which also lets them grab the ship's comms and scream to whoever can hear about some 'crazy orange alien freak!'So. Prisoners. I don't have anywhere to put them and my usual methods for rendering them compliant aren't working. As a military obstacle they're irrelevant and they have potentially useful knowledge.
"Go back inside, shut the door and don't come out until you hear an all clear or I come for you. Understand?"
A very good question. And if she's not using Phoebe's seed, then where is it? I mean, you're still operating on Occam's Razor here, avoiding the possibility that two separate parties are at play...They don't say anything, but they do back up and press the button to shut the door behind them. I use a crumbler gauntlet to fuse the door shut and then continue on my journey.
How close to a divine being does a demigod have to be to still be able to use Apokoliptian technology? They called Sparta a granddaughter, but if she's got Phoebe's seed then she might be running off that. Is that why they only boom tubed in after she returned? Was the delay because they needed to integrate it into their systems?
Though said bridge is probably instead very heavily defended.No, I don't know it was a delay at-. Doing it again.
Apokoliptian ships sometimes have the bridge entirely inaccessible from the rest of the ship, on the grounds that anyone important enough to go there has a boom tube with access permissions, but the general design of these ships is Karrakanian so it probably won't-.
Well, shit, another one.Al-
I yank myself sideways as the spear meets the corridor wall.
Focus, OL. Worry about the silliness when she isn't trying to put eight feet of pointy Apokaliptian metal through you.-ert!
This one's female, though the armour and equipment are otherwise identical. Spears are good weapons for formations or single warriors on the open ground, but on a ship with narrow corridors and guns, they're-.
Until you can stop whatever's causing it, almost certainly...
Ah, warrior versus wizard. The only time that's a fair fight is at lower levels, when the wizard can't just cheat.Al-
From behind, and I lunge forward in the direction of the bridge while laying a cold field down behind me.
...She's a quick one, isn't she? Channelling a bit of divine speed, perhaps.
...And doing almost nothing because of divine reinforcement. As usual.Al-
From in front, my construct armoured gauntlet coming up faster than thought to parry the haft and direct the point away from my chest.
Ah, for predictable enemies. You can only pull off a teleporting backstab so many times before they wise up.-ert.
She vanishes as I reach for her with my right hand. Cold field in front then, and take a step forward to make it look like I'm-
Looks like she's just about on ice...Al-
I raise the sword, linking it to my metaphysique as I parry high, the spear coming down from the ceiling. And I smile as I see hoarfrost appear on my assailant's armour, her body tumbling to the deck before me as her spear falls from her grip. I kick, but rather than shatter she goes flying into the wall at the end of the corridor. Resistant but not immune. And I get a spear that-.
I'm guessing she isn't as strong, or didn't have as much time to build up the momentum he did.That I can't send into subspace. Bound to its owner? She's trying to get up, but I can't feel any of the motion from it that the last demigod managed to make in his sword.
"Surrender or die."
Because who knows what's happening over on New Cronus as he plays pattycake with these twits?I try attaching a tether to the spear, but it isn't taking. One owner at a time?
"Need a quick answer."
And if Sparta is listening, which she almost certainly is, that might come as an actual surprise for her."I would sooner die than surrender to a false god."
"Reasonable, except I'm not a god, don't claim to be, and am not formally allied to them so you'd be surrendering to me as a representative of an independent power. You would be held until the end of hostilities and then released on parole. Though if that doesn't change your answer, I will understand."
Well, at least it was quick and presumably painless... Beware the Good Man, after all."Kill me. It will change-."
I stomp forward, grab her helmeted head and activate the crumbler gauntlet. Her head is vaporised, her body collapsing to the deck.
Better to focus on taking your anger at this stupidity out on whoever's in charge up there.
But these guys are just a bit too fanatical. I wonder why? Do they expect to be reborn in some wonderful afterlife, contingent of a heroic death in battle? ...I can see that fitting with Sparta's character, honestly.
hold -> hole
I thought he'd try to subspace the spear now it's got no owner.
Thank you, corrected.
Sungate, (part 1)
Sungate, (part 2)
About 50000 Years Ago
The Ancestor
11th September
Sungate, (part 3)
Sungate, (part 4)
Sungate, (part 5)
Sungate, (part 6)
Sungate, (part 7)
13th February 2019
When If?
11th September 2011
Sungate, (part 8)
Sungate, (part 9)
Sungate, (part 10)
Sungate, (part 11)
Sungate, (part 12)
Sungate, (part 13)
Sungate, (part 14)
Purpose
Sungate, (part 15)
Sungate, (part 16)
Sungate, (part 17)
Sungate, (part 18)
Sungate, (part 19)
Sungate, (part 20)
Just noticed that the threadmarks/links still have commas on them when they shouldn't.Sungate, (part 21)
Sungate, (part 22)
Sungate, (part 23)
Sungate, (part 24)
Sungate, (part 25)
Sungate, (part 26)
Sungate, (part 27)
THREE TIMES!Just noticed that the threadmarks/links still have commas on them when they shouldn't.
Actually, the threadmarks themselves still have the commas. Like this one: Threadmarks: Sungate, (part 23).THREE TIMES!
Edit: Actually, that one was okay. Just could just find/replace. Just two times.
Renegade!Grayven can and has done so (Artemis being a notable example), so presumably a native Apokoliptian can do the same thing. Whether or not the local Grayven would deign to do so is another question entirely.
Oh. I apologise. It is three times, then.Actually, the threadmarks themselves still have the commas. Like this one: Threadmarks: Sungate, (part 23).
I kinda agree I'm not a huge fan of space stuff but l like Paul, at least I like reading about his stories. For me, this would be perfect if he brought the team or maybe the Justice League to space with him. I would love to see the green lanterns react to Hinon and the Orange Lantern corps.Sigh I'm kinda getting bored of all this space stuff. Paul is honestly one of the characters I am least invested in and the space chapters honestly give us very few other characters to focus on to detract from his character shortcomings. And all the space chapters feel very very samey on top of it.
One last thing, I think. The threadmarks have been fixed but the spoiler boxes on the TOC still have commas.
I want to ram the cruiser into the battleship's launch bay.
That makes no sense. Who is this?
Why would I want to do that? That's completely-. Completely someone else's desire feeding back through the system to me. I saw it coming, but it's… Fascinating to experience. A technological gestalt soul. Someone felt what I wanted but it didn't make sense to them, so I get their feedback.
I want to ram the battleship's launch bay because the false gods are attempting a counter-boarding and collapsing the bay externally-
I Hear And Obey.
My ring detects us starting to change our vector.
Want to defend the bridge. May not be in constant communication. No need to reinforce, current orders are more significant.
The Supplicant Hurries To Obey.
I feel a vague sense of agreement that I… Can't really describe. Probably a New God thing. If I capture something decent intact I'll get Canis to go over it with me. Ah, Canis and Mr. and Mrs. Free.
Are... Are you a complete idiot?Got to see if I can talk Hinon or Kalmin into making a black power ring for Melinoë…
Can't try to communicate with New Cronus, not with other Asc-. New Gods listening in.
Got to see if I can talk Hinon or Kalmin into making a black power ring for Melinoë
If I capture something decent intact I'll get Canis to go over it with me. Ah, Canis and Mr. and Mrs. Free.
Sigh I'm kinda getting bored of all this space stuff. Paul is honestly one of the characters I am least invested in and the space chapters honestly give us very few other characters to focus on to detract from his character shortcomings. And all the space chapters feel very very samey on top of it.
Well, looks like the commanders received orders to cut their losses. As for the lack of sabotage on the kludged New God tech, maybe they didn't realise you're worked out a trick to sort-of use it. At any rate... You now basically own the ship. No what?11th September 2012
20:10 GMT
The bridge is abandoned, the circular doors leading to the escape pods closed and the pods themselves gone. Computers… Non-functional. I could probably dig up something; emergency data wipes are rarely completely reliable at removing all data. But I can learn something from the layout. That command dais is clearly Apokoliptian in design, and it's… It's been cut and shut into place. I can see the welds, and the floor around it isn't quite level with the rest of the room. For the most powerful Ascendant? They don't seem to have sabotaged it, which may well be an error in judgement given that I can interface with the technology well enough.
You really should give some thought to strengthening your knowledge of New God science, OL. Considering you're up against Grayven.This ship is somewhat interesting, but New Cronus takes precedence. I walk over to the command lectern and bind it to me as I did the sword, the orange glow extending into its tron lines oh that's what they do! Or what they're for. I mean, there's something going on there-.
I consider my armour for a moment. The tron lines on that are more for aesthetic reasons than anything else. I can't cover myself with solid plates if I want to move, so I reinforce the flex points with orange light. But I get the feeling that this is functional… Somehow.
...Easy come, easy go. Still, that's a pretty big middle finger to Sparta.Right.
I want to ram the cruiser into the battleship's launch bay.
And he sort-of heard that pseudo-Godspeech. If this mission has been good for something, it's upped his skills in New God narrative powers.That makes no sense. Who is this?
Why would I want to do that? That's completely-. Completely someone else's desire feeding back through the system to me. I saw it coming, but it's… Fascinating to experience. A technological gestalt soul. Someone felt what I wanted but it didn't make sense to them, so I get their feedback.
The joy of New God soul-technology having basically no security beyond the strength of the owner's soul. Anyone with the right credentials and the muscle to overcome the basic will can have full access.Did they not hear whatever evacuation alarm sounded? I mean, on a ship like this losing the bridge isn't game over or anything like that, but they should-.
They can't. There's no way to shut off the Apokoliptian devices. They'd have to smash them apart completely, and even that isn't reliable. People-. Ascendants in other parts of the ship might know that the bridge crew aren't transmitting, or that they'd signalled that they were abandoning ship, but the moment someone else starts broadcasting there's no way to know that it's not the same people because this is the system being used.
And full access brings full responsiveness.I want to ram the battleship's launch bay because the false gods are attempting a counter-boarding and collapsing the bay externally-
I Hear And Obey.
My ring detects us starting to change our vector.
Heh. Hierachial command systems at their finest. If you're using the master control station, you have command authority. Even if you aren't legitimately part of the crew...-is the best way to stop them.
I distantly feel other people… Take on my desires as their own. Is that how the system works? How the bridge version works? Do different parts of the ship just have another one of these, or is this some sort of dedicated command unit? Imparting desires like this is allowed but my normal ring-based abilities are blocked? And does their high command feel what I do?
Save that for afterwards, OL. Don't want the whole ship stopping to think deep thoughts.Interesting that I could lie like that. Have to ask Canis whether that's-.
Doing it again.
...No, OL. No Black Rings! Have you forgotten what that means? Maybe you could convince him to develop an Orange ring suitable for use by an Earth Deity, that'd be a good challenge.Can't try to communicate with New Cronus, not with other Asc-. New Gods listening in. Got to see if I can talk Hinon or Kalmin into making a black power ring for Melinoë… Though under current circumstances I suppose that it might still not work as a communication channel.
I reattach myself to the Apokoliptian console.
Boy will he have a surprise coming when he tells them about this.Want to defend the bridge. May not be in constant communication. No need to reinforce, current orders are more significant.
The Supplicant Hurries To Obey.
I feel a vague sense of agreement that I… Can't really describe. Probably a New God thing. If I capture something decent intact I'll get Canis to go over it with me. Ah, Canis and Mr. and Mrs. Free.
Hell, she probably knows you've commandeered this vessel, but is probably too occupied fighting to do much about it.That'll do for this cruiser.
I raise both hands, and… Take a moment to work through my hesitancy to destroy something interesting before unleashing a two-handed eddy pulse as the Apokoliptian technology, tearing it to pieces. With a little luck that will stop Sparta countermanding my directions, though that's really more a faint hope if she can detect when I try assimilating her followers.
Good to see they've not been idle. Though I can't imagine it being too effective against some of the larger targets.Then I fly over to an empty escape pod dock and crumble the door. There's a movement of air as the pressure equalises, but again I note that the air doesn't leave the ship. Through the hole in the hull I see New Cronus wheel past, assault ships from the Karrakanians landing around the main batteries which have finally started shooting. I-. Yes, that's water and ice being used to repel the attackers, so it looks like Oceanus Junior and Tethys are in action. The mortal defenders appear to be using plasma guns as well, though I can also see some light vehicles flanking to destroy assault boats and prevent evacuation as the gods press forward.
Logical enough. Bust in, secure a beach-head, having cracked open the walls of the 'city' and begin sweeping through the 'streets'.I exit the ship and pull away from the cruiser as it accelerates towards the battleship. One of the other cruisers is actually attached to the New Cronus launch bay, presumably defending the interior of their landing zone with its guns. The other cruisers are forming a protective semicircle, and I can see that they've already destroyed the primary guns on that part of New Cronus.
Sounds like someone needs to get over there and lend them a hand. Or perhaps a Ring?Decent strategy. Though it does mean that they can't direct anything like as much fire as small objects as they could during the initial attack. And the ship I was on actually got closer to the battleship while I fought my way through. Now, if the cruiser actually hits, it will be knocked that way… Average stabilisation thruster performance for a ship that size at their tech level, add a little for whatever Apokoliptian stuff they've bolted on…
They should just enter the arc of fire of a couple more of New Cronus's guns. But those guns could fall if they're not defended, and they might not score a killing blow if they're not in position.
Anyone else might be struck with a sense of insignificance by the scale...I accelerate towards New Cronus, swapping my positron beam construct for two cold guns. Target fire support ships and fire. Dead, dead, dead and I'm drawing a little more flak. Bubble shield and increase evasiveness. New Cronus coming up-
And again I'm momentarily overwhelmed by the scale of it. No clouds to obscure the view of it getting larger and larger until it fills my vision, micro to macro with no clear point where the switch occurs. It-.
...But OL has shit to get done. Can't let the assault parties get additional cover.Those are mobile shields. The attackers are forming up around them as they muster for a new push. Soon deal with that.
Filaments leap across the intervening space and connect to the upper surface of the dome and connect them to me. I lose one connection immediately to a lucky shot from an unusually alert soldier, but the other connections hold for long enough that I can usurp control and-. Try and crush.
Heh, leaving it on auto-attack while he sends messages, eh? The joy of a Power Ring.No, that didn't work, but I did knock a lot of them off their feet, and now I'm close enough to fight directly. Since I've never really trained in spear combat I leave plotting my swings to the ring's AI while I keep track of my surroundings.
"Oceanus! I have news!"
And by using Cold Guns, he's giving his allies more ammunition against the attackers. Good move.I sweep from a cold gun causes limbs to crystallise and soldiers to fall, alive but overwhelmed by pain.
A wave filled with razor sharp super hard shards of ice slams into them a moment later. Some are torn apart, their armour unable to withstand the extreme force. Others are catapulted off the New Cronus surface, their armour's atmosphere seals failing and losing heat and air.
Impressive that New Cronus has a strong enough thaumic field for him to cut loose like this. Evidently its maker designed it well.Oceanus surfs in just behind it, partially transformed into the element that he commands.
"What news?"
The trick is how fast they can get word. I doubt any internal communications is working, that would have been one of Sparta's first targets."Definitely Apokoliptian technology. I've sent that cruiser to crash into the battleship. If Coeus has-" I create a construct model to demonstrate. "-these guns ready and lined up, we might be able to destroy it. Can you get a message to him?"
He manifests a little more of his human-like form as he considers the model.
Nothing like having a demigod to back up the troops. Yes, I know, he's not technically divine. You think the soldiers manning the turrets will care?"Yes. Yes, I can. I will send a runner. Internal communications are not reliable or safe."
"Good show. I'll head that way now to make sure."
Like, say, his companions? OL's put quite a lot of work into making a good impression on Hades. Getting his little girl killed out here might put a dampener on that.He nods. "Send up a signal once you're clear."
I shake my head. "Don't worry about that. Just shoot them at the first opportunity. I can look after myself. Where's everyone else?"
Yeah, this is not going to be a pleasant day for anyone. Street-fighting like this is challenging with modern tech, never mind the advanced stuff they have, nor the godly powers out there."Hyperion and Athyns are fighting their boarders around the landing bay and Coeus in on the bridge. I've lost track of everyone else."
"Right. I'll go now." I rise up slightly, taking in the dozen patches of fighting between here and the bridge. "Maybe send.. a few runners."