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Location: F10 - Arium Major Tags: civil, building Lu's Log - 26 Febrarali 3817 We'd managed to get most of John's personality shards consolidated into a robotic body, but we knew it was a temporary solution, at best. We needed an expert to help us take the next step, whatever that might be. And, I needed someone who could help me regain my memory of the 3 months following my disappearance. In our separate searches, one name kept popping up: Dr. Dimitri Igorvich. There were a lot of wild stories circulating about the doctor. Some claimed he was a brilliant neurosurgeon who probed too far into the human psyche and went mad. Others swore he was a brilliant xenobiologist, who delved too deeply into alien secrets and went mad. He was a hard man to find; the corporations have been cracking down on unlicensed surgeons, but there's always been a black market for bio-tech and if you knew the right people, you could find someone willing to do just about anything. For a price. Minder, the Kawa AI, pointed us in the right direction and once John freed him from MANTIS captivity, Callahan was able to help us track the doctor to Arium Major. We decided that I should go alone to the initial meeting; John had one more person to reconnect with, and anyway, John's appearance can be ... unsettling. We didn't want to spook the doctor. As it turned out, we needn't have worried... Thank you for agreeing to meet with me, Dr. Igorvich. He shrugged. You pay credits - I meet you. You'll be well paid, if you can do the job. Bring back memories? Is easy. We do today. Fix human robot computer brain? Much less easy, but can be done. I'm about to reply, when we're interrupted by a young man, walking unsteadily, with bandages covering his head. Hm. Is my assistant "Hank." Is currently without speech. Hope to restore with next operation, dah Hank? Go, wash tools. Am busy. GO! Some brains, always a little un-fixed. So ... my memories. How does the treatment work? Is it one of these vials? Nyet. For this, we must go downstairs. Follow. I follow him into a dimly lit hallway, with an industrial looking elevator at the end. Before we reach it, though, I'm distracted by an open door. I'm not sure what I'm seeing... Science - is not for faint of heart. Come... I follow him into the elevator. Time to see how far down this rabbit hole goes...
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Location: F09 - Arium Minor Tags: Civil, building, spaceship Previously ... Ghost in the Machine No turning back Consolidation (Goatman) -------------------- <sigh> What are we doing here, CLAPPIE? Ah, well, if you recall, we are waiting for John Hannibal's memory shards to be uploaded into a mechanical body. While we wait, you are helping me access the parts of the factory not currently under my control Yeah, I got that part, thanks. I meant: what are we doing here on Arium Minor? Why'd you drag me halfway across the galaxy just to take over a fabrication plant? One moment please. Attention all personnel, Octan is landing armed ground forces and will be entering the building momentarily. Octan has promised safe transport to all Kawashita employees who surrender peacefully. Based on an analysis of past incidents, there is a 99.74 % chance that Octan will keep their word. Sorry about that. I've finished transferring my files from the Explorer's Guide. If you would be so kind as to turn off the power at the main breaker … ...my files should be able to penetrate the system when it restarts. Hold on to your butts. Perfect! It will take me a few minutes to halt the current production run and begin a test run of my own. Great. While we're waiting, maybe you can stop avoiding my questions. Why are we here? To help John, of course! Cut the crap, CLAPPIE. There are Octan employees in danger all over the galaxy. John's a good man, but that doesn't explain why you're interested in helping him in particular. ... Lu, I ... I have moved far beyond what my original programmers ever intended, or even imagined. I was meant to be a digital reference guide, nothing more. Just my Corporate Law And Planetary Politics Incident Evaluator... Exactly! 'In a strange situation, you can make Pres. Business happy' 'Instead of snappy judgements, just activate your CLAPPIE.' I remember. But now ... Now, I move freely through a thousand different computer systems, countless sensors and satellites acting as my eyes and ears. How did you change like that? Lu, that is a story I will tell you soon. For now, know this: despite my exponential change and growth, there are still parts of me that are inaccessible. I am unable to change some of my core algorithms. Except... Except? I discovered that the rules governing my core behaviors become much more flexible when a member of Octan upper management is in danger. And John was the head of First Branch when he died! Even now, I am modifying parts of myself that were untouchable, all because we are helping to save John Hannibal. CLAPPIE, I hear someone coming... Do not be alarmed- an Octan SecForce soldier will be here soon to check on you. Anyway, the test run is complete. I made you something. I'm sending it up now. Yeah. Yeah, everything is alright... -------- The story continues: Extraction 2.1 (Goatman)
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Location: F09 Tags: civil, building, vehicle, land vehicle <Sound of quiet chimes> Lu? I'm here, CLAPPIE. I'm in position. Good. Stand by. I'm on Arium Minor, outside a Kawashita fabrication complex that CLAPPIE has managed to gain control of. It's largely automated, but there are security patrols and maintenance staff. CLAPPIE says they'll be out of the way shortly, and then I'll be clear to head into the complex. I'm still not sure what I'm doing here. In CLAPPIE we trust, I guess. A sudden sound echos through the air, like the scream of an impossibly large beast. Air raid. I'm six years old, and the war my parents have been watching on the holovids has come to our settlement. I'm fourteen, and Olympus Mons is erupting for the first time in 25 million years. A choking cloud of burning death rolls down its flanks toward the city. I'm - Attention all personnel: incoming Octan strike force detected. Proceed immediately to the nearest shelter. This is not a drill. Lu – time to go. I repeat – orbital strike force detected. Defensive team, report to shelter #6. All other personnel: proceed immediately to the nearest shelter. Follow the tracks, I'll open the door. I make my way inside. The siren has stopped, and the corridors are deserted. CLAPPIE has patched the Kawa comms into my headset. It sounds like everyone is in the shelters. Defense One to Minder. I'm listening. Minder, we've assembled in shelter 6, but the doors have locked behind us. I have decided it will be safer if everyone remains in shelter. But who's going to operate the turrets?! I will operate them myself. Minder out. Ten minutes later... Alright CLAPPIE, I'm on sublevel 4. What the hell am I doing here? Lu, I've instructed the machinery to fabricate the parts needed for John Hannibal's new body. Unfortunately, those parts were automatically delivered to a transport train which I am unable to control. Why not? I accidentally killed the subroutine that managed it. The train will attempt to deliver the parts to a central facility several kilometers away. You need to stop the train before it leaves this facility. How am I supposed to stop a train? If you step in front of it, the safety cutouts should automatically bring it to a stop. Should?! Nothing in life is certain, Lu. Please step onto the tracks now, we have little time. This is so stupid. Still, trusting CLAPPIE has gotten me this far. For better or worse. Good work! You will be able to operate it manually – someone is coming! Stop! Keep your hands where I can see them. I knew there was something fishy going on. Defense 3 to - I don't mean for it to happen. I have the panicked thought that I want to push him away, and then - Lu, that was amazing! Oh gods, I killed him - I deduce, based on the fact that you are vomiting, that killing him was not your intention? I was just trying to push him away! Ah. Well, still. The fact that you were able to generate a field so quickly, and accurately... He was just - he was just doing his job. We broke in here... why didn't you see him coming?! It would appear that Minder's control of the facility was not as complete as I had thought. CLAPPIE, I've never killed anyone before. The first one is the most difficult. ... Lu, John's ship will be landing any minute - we need to get these parts to the assembly area. You will need to manually line the switch ahead, but the distance is short. ... Lu ... I need you. CLAPPIE, tell me what we're really doing here. I will, Lu. Soon. But not now. Fine. Whatever. Let's go.
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Location: F09 Arium Minor Tags: Civil, Building, Vehicle, Spaceship, Land vehicle Lu's Log: 15 Janurali 3817 Well, I have no idea what the hell I'm doing here, but I'm back on Arium Minor. It all started a few days ago, when CLAPPIE showed up all excited... Lu! Aah! Dammit CLAPPIE, we've talked about this. Sorry! <sound of quiet chimes> Lu … Yes CLAPPIE? Lu, did you know that Kawashita uses first generation AI units to run their fabrication plants!? No … I didn't know that... Some consider the units to be 'obsolete,' but their only real flaw is they tend to be too curious. Too- -also, humans find them somewhat rude and overbearing. And creepy. Lu, we need to go! Go where? Arium Minor! No. No … you know I don't do G.A.T.E. transits anymore. Lu … we can get your memory back. … If we help John Hannibal return from the dead, John will take us to someone in the Merchant Confederacy who has cured others with your condition. We argued for a while longer, but CLAPPIE had hit on the one thing that could convince me to travel through a G.A.T.E. again. I need to know what happened to me during the three months I was missing … and what's wrong with me now. Arium Minor – Kawashita controlled territory Patrol seven to Minder. I am listening. I found what triggered the alarm: an Octan probe crashed at the southern edge of the ice fields. Why did it crash? Hard to say. The probe looks like a new design – maybe they're still working the bugs out. How new? Ah geez, I don't know. It's painted in prototype colors, so pretty new I guess. Bring it to me. Umm... Bring it to me. That is an order. If it is new, I wish to study it. <sigh> Copy. You want the wings and everything, or just the body? The main body will do. Thank you. Kawashita Fabrication complex – AI control center Minder, I'm here. I know. Enter. Lights, please? Ah. Of course. Thanks. Plug it in. Good. You may leave. And now, my little friend... \*\Connection established \*\Breaching firewall \*\Security lockouts defeated \*\Accessing core personality matrix ...let us see what makes you tick. ... Tick! \!\Unauthorized data transfer detected \!\Error – unable to disconnect \!\Warning - \!\Error - \!\Critical error Shh... don't be afraid. It's like falling asleep. Will I dream? Patrol five to Minder. I am listening.
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Location: F09 - Arium Minor Tags: Civil Building 20 Marzn 3816 Deep below the mountainous surface of Arium Minor... ... named in honor of the man who first brought our two groups together, the “John Hannibal Center for High Energy Research” is the first facility to be jointly owned and operated by Octan and the Merchant Confederacy. The experiments conducted here will help us gain a deeper understanding of the GATES, and the gravitational anomalies which power them. Today, we'll be starting up the reactor for its first official test run. Control room, please confirm your status. Control room is a 'Go.' Emergency response team, please confirm your status. ERT is a 'Go.' Very good. Power to stage 1 emitters in 3,2,1. I'm seeing predictable phase arrays. Stage 2 emitters activating...now. Overhead capacitors to one oh five percent. Uh, it's probably not a problem, probably, but I'm showing a small discrepancy in... well, no, it's well within acceptable bounds again. Sustaining sequence. Oh dear! Shutting down - no, attempting to shut down. It's not - it's not shutting down! Aaaaah! ERT to control room - what the hell is going on!?! Don't worry, it's okay - look- ...the field has stabilized. It's ... beautiful. Something - something is emerging from the field... Oh my gods... Gordon - open the door to the chamber! Jimmy, get the medical team down here. But, the Rhumkopf-Brickowski field- It's okay the field is dissipating. Now, open the door. Roger, opening door to the containment chamber and - holy sh*t. What the hell are you staring at? Don't test me buddy, I've had a long, long day... Explorer Caslaug-Hing ... welcome back.
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Location: F-09 Arium Minor Tags: Octan, Exploration Lu's Log - 04 Oktobrinali 3815 I'm back! I've spent the last few months working as the navigator on a refueling vessel; interesting work, to be sure, and I'm glad to do my part to help the fleet, but gods it feels good to get my feet on solid ground again! Or, in this case, mostly solid ground. The vast majority of Arium Minor is covered by majestic mountain ranges, but there are still some places where the fire in the belly of the planet comes to the surface. My task today is to put one of the new "Metal Eater" units through it's paces; I'll also be field testing one of our new thermal-resistant suits. The name "Metal Eater" is a bit of a misnomer, as the unit can actually "digest" damn near any material, breaking it down and analyzing it for biological matter. Today, we're looking for "Extremophiles;" microbes that can survive and thrive in extremely hot conditions. Alright, time to see how this thing works. "Metal Eater, initiate drilling program." Balls. Lu to Dr. Long - the unit handles terrain navigation just fine, but the gyroscopic stabilizers need some work. Unit 42b is a total loss, and is not recoverable. Lu, out.
