|
It all started when I was a little kid. I was as normal as they come, when I was born. Learning to move in the orbital stations, learning to speak with the Voca-Roids and the other spacer kids. It didn’t really hit until my hair started to come in. One day, bald as a cue-ball. The next, brightCOLOR posted:A bright colour! DEETS posted:First and Last Name, Gender! ---[TWENTY YEARS LATER]--- TACTICAL CONTROL: “You alright in there? That Man-O-War is a prototype, so we’ve got to put it through its paces. We need to test out its Manoeverability Thrusters, Short Range Weapon Telemetry, Long Range Weapon Telemetry, and Sensory Suite. You’ve got the conn, Lieutenant. Show us what you’re got!” Protagonism can be beaten. I’m a poster child for that. As long as I can avoid… flare-ups, I can pass for normal. Can’t do anything about the hair, though. I won’t let it stop me, though. Can’t ever stop, because I’m going to BE THE KNIFE THAT PARTS THE VEILS OF IGNORance. Sorry, sorry. Right, the MOW. Let’s see, here… I think we’ll test this first. DO THINGS posted:
|
#
?
Jun 14, 2021 20:41
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 26, 2024 01:03 |
|
|
neon blue! Neon, Blue, girl test sensory suite
|
|
#
?
Jun 14, 2021 20:48
|
|
|
Neon Blue Jessie Fighthard, female 4, the Sensor Suite - gotta know what is nearby to shoot at
|
|
#
?
Jun 14, 2021 20:48
|
|
|
Bright Iridescent Hair Neon Powermove, Girl! use SHORT RANGE WEAPON TELEMETRY on TACTICAL CONTROL
|
|
#
?
Jun 14, 2021 20:49
|
|
|
Zebra/White Tiger Stripes Terri Rippen, female 1: Test Mobility
|
|
#
?
Jun 14, 2021 21:03
|
|
|
Neon Purple hair Nova Banks, no gender found test the sensors please
|
|
#
?
Jun 14, 2021 21:37
|
|
|
Neon Purple Star Veil, [gender undefined] Let's test the sensors
|
|
#
?
Jun 14, 2021 21:41
|
|
|
Alternating cyan and bright magenta Maxine Chertov Thrusters go!!
|
|
#
?
Jun 14, 2021 23:18
|
|
|
Gravedust posted:Alternating cyan and bright magenta Agreed
|
|
#
?
Jun 14, 2021 23:19
|
|
|
Eye-searing Lime Nova Star (Agender) Long range weapons go!
|
|
#
?
Jun 15, 2021 01:03
|
|
|
Alright, ready to rock and roll. I brushed a lock of my eye-searingly pink tresses over my ear, nestling the streak in with the equally brilliant blue of the rest of it. You got this, Max. MAXINE FIGHTHARD: “Alright TACCON, testing thrusters, inertial dampeners and verniers. Stand by.” TACTICAL CONTROL: “On our mark, Lieutenant. Take it around the six marked waypoints, nice and easy. Precise, no showboating.” I cut the feed before they hear me groaning in my hardsuit. No showboating. Right. I grip the controls, the MOW syncing to my neural net. Nice. And. Testing!: 1d2o2 5 The Stars spool out before me like the grand Highway of Destiny and I see the waypoints limned in the glow of my bright future. Delicately, balletically, I pull the MOW around the first waypoint. All systems nominal. But this BABY CAN DO BETTER! I CRANK the reactor up past the safety thresholds and thumb off the immediate warning klaxons. TACCON hails me but I'm already flying around the second and third waypoints. My nerves are singing in chorus with the MOW’s systems, and all those words just fade into the neon light of my deeds. I whip around the last three in half the expected time and everything snaps suddenly back to the dull grey of what I guess everyone else feels like most of the time. Dozens of tiny alarms flicker across my vision and I sheepishly turn my comms back on. TACCON is all business, but I can hear murmurs behind the dispatch. TACTICAL CONTROL: “That is precisely what was meant by showboating, Lt. Fighthard. Please refrain from such” “Refrain my rear end! Did you see those numbers!? This is going to revolutionize-” “PLEASE proceed to the next testing feature. The war needs MOWs. The war needs Runners. The war needs dependable soldiers, not heroes.” What can I say to that? I squint my eyes against the neon and try again. DO THINGS posted:
|
|
#
?
Jun 15, 2021 01:34
|
|
|
Test SS[/s]
|
|
#
?
Jun 15, 2021 01:38
|
|
|
Long range weapons telemetry
|
|
#
?
Jun 15, 2021 02:16
|
|
|
4 Return: We can't stand out!
|
|
#
?
Jun 15, 2021 02:28
|
|
|
Test SS.
|
|
#
?
Jun 15, 2021 02:30
|
|
|
Dog Kisser posted:
What kind dice roll is this? I don't know what the o2 means Test SRWT
|
|
#
?
Jun 15, 2021 02:33
|
|
|
Scrree posted:What kind dice roll is this? I don't know what the o2 means o2 means it explodes (reroll and add) on 2, and then explodes again if THAT'S a 2
|
|
#
?
Jun 15, 2021 03:15
|
|
|
Test LRWT
|
|
#
?
Jun 15, 2021 03:16
|
|
|
Test sensors tempting to be a diva and take a break but later.
|
|
#
?
Jun 15, 2021 03:56
|
|
|
Long range weapons telemetry Our lasers will blot out the sun!!!
|
|
#
?
Jun 15, 2021 07:19
|
|
|
Destiny posted:Test LRWT I would like to believe Lt. Fighthard last name is french on origin, and so it is technically pronounced something like 'Fee-thar'"
|
|
#
?
Jun 15, 2021 08:09
|
|
|
Sensor test.
|
|
#
?
Jun 15, 2021 09:40
|
|
|
Dependable soldiers. I drummed my fingers against the console until my heart settled then flicked on communications. MAXINE FIGHTHARD: “Alright TACCON, testing long range weapon telemetry and combat sensors.” The MOW's gangly arms split down the middle, revealing my two Lances. For testing purposes, these were dummies, but out in the field the Lances were PEW PEW posted:Some kind of future ranged weapon! A dozen target drones soar out from the testing shuttle and take position. Dependable. I take aim. Testing 2!: 1d2o2 1 Between the MOW's targeting systems and my own instincts, I'm able to sight and track the targets like humans evolved to fire advanced weaponry into hollow aluminium spheres instead of throwing rocks at birds or some poo poo. I aim, fire, score a hit, aim, fire, hit. My last shot is a narrow miss, and I seethe. TACTICAL CONTROL: “More than sufficient, Lieutenant. 92% accuracy is the best we could reasonably expect - though don't forget the enemy will be trying to avoid being hit.” Chuckles in the control room. I chuckled along with them, through gritted teeth. Well, they weren't wrong. Besides, it was an honor even to have been chosen for this test flight. I just always want to do my very best, you know? A pinging distracted me from my self-recrimination. TACTICAL CONTROL: “Alright Lieutenant, we've got some good data. The MOW frame is holding up, but you can bring it in now if you're satisfied with the handling. We can also keep on putting it through its paces, or test the Claddenfield Device. Pilot's choice.” I considered the Device, an ominous button set into the dash in a conspicuous-but-not-likely-to-be-inadvertantly-activated position. The bleeding edge of White Star technology, the Device was an uncanny piece of work. I wasn't at all sure I wanted to be the first manned test of it. BIG RED BUTTON posted:What is the Claddenfield Device supposed to do?! DO THINGS posted:
|
|
#
?
Jun 15, 2021 13:03
|
|
|
Test the Claddenfield
|
|
#
?
Jun 15, 2021 13:19
|
|
|
Pew Pew: Relativistic acceleration coilguns. Big Red Button: A 'Death Blossom' attack, all weapons at all ranges, maximum destruction in a sphere around the ship. Hit the big red button.
|
|
#
?
Jun 15, 2021 13:42
|
|
|
2 - SENSUAL SWEET
|
|
#
?
Jun 15, 2021 14:50
|
|
|
SRWT is a go
|
|
#
?
Jun 15, 2021 14:56
|
|
|
LANCES are Light Accelerating Neodymium Controlled Energy Systems, as opposed to the ground-based HANCES (Heavy Accelerating Neodymium Controlled Energy Systems), the light version was produced with portability in mind, letting the highly mobile MOW suits carry a very potent force-multiplier with them wherever they go! They work by manipulating electromagnetic fields quickly and precisely to capture packets of energy or matter for whatever purpose the user has in mind; either by them away (as the more traditional railguns or coil-guns) or by setting up a static barrier to stop incoming projectiles (the shield variant) - though a creative operator may figure out other uses with time. The Claddenfield Device not only doubles the reach of the fine control normal LANCES are capable off, but also allows a skilled operator to put hiertoo-thought-impossible metavectors onto packets already in flight; allowing for a form of 'homing' attacks only previously seen on guided missiles to be applied to anything the fields are able to fling, be it charged particle beams, asteroids or miniature black holes. Now, test the Test SRWT
|
|
#
?
Jun 15, 2021 15:22
|
|
|
Swedish Thaumocracy posted:LANCES are Light Accelerating Neodymium Controlled Energy Systems, as opposed to the ground-based HANCES (Heavy Accelerating Neodymium Controlled Energy Systems) Seconded!
|
|
#
?
Jun 15, 2021 18:37
|
|
|
Lux Animus posted:2 - SENSUAL SWEET AWYAH
|
|
#
?
Jun 15, 2021 18:43
|
|
|
Go with Swedish Thaumocracy on LANCEs. The Claddenfield Device uses White Star Technology to open a small portal in space-time, allowing the user to jump back a few seconds in time. This has the practical effect of the user being able to fire up to five salvos at "once", or be in five places at "once", by going through the portal up to a recommended maximum of four times. So for the user, it's press button -> BANG -> portal -> bang -> portal -> bang -> portal -> bang -> portal -> bang -> portal dissipates. For everyone else, it's press button -> BbbbbAaaaaNnnnnGgggg -> portal dissipates. Test the sensors.
|
|
#
?
Jun 15, 2021 20:29
|
|
|
The Claddenfield Device was a marvel of engineering, alright, but today was about putting this thing through its paces, not pushing it to its limits. As I’d been reminded several times now. I pulled a trembling finger away from the Big Red Button and blew a rueful sigh. I disengaged the LANCES, feeling them retract with piston-driven speed and a burst of high-pressure steam. I stretched in my flight harness, the MOW mimicking my movements with more than human grace. MAXINE FIGHTHARD: “Moving to short range weapon telemetry. Engaging PIKE.” Again, these weren’t the real combat rigs, just inert but mass-identical replicas. It was too dangerous to break out CHOP CHOP OR BONK BONK posted:Some kind of future melee weapon or weapons! TACTICAL CONTROL: “Acknowledged. CD-EX1026 is probably better left in the theoretical stages at this point in the discovery process. You are go for SRWT. Releasing drones.” The drones were more complex than the LRWT spheres, but only just. White and black with bright orange armour, they were loosely structured in the starfish shape of the Six Moon Strike MOWs. Just different enough to avoid bad PR, probably. I advanced, PIKE at the ready. Testing 2!: 1d2o2 1 They flew in in lazy, predictable patterns. I struck them away with lazy, predictable ease. Nothing fancy, but these didn’t need anything fancy. The Six Moon workers and mercenaries weren’t going to just fly towards me, I knew, but this was as much about testing my accuracy and servo responses. TACTICAL CONTROL: “Alright, acceptable. Sensory suite seems to be doing fine, too.” I shrugged. I hadn’t really considered them much, but we were getting tight on time anyhow. I collapsed my PIKE and the drones broke off, battered but otherwise functional. I curled in on myself, and the MOW collapsed around me too, shifting to Beta configuration for travel and storage. TACTICAL CONTROL: “Alright, Max. Come on home.” MAXINE FIGHTHARD: “En route, mom.” ---[ONE DOCKING SEQUENCE AND A QUICK BATHROOM BREAK LATER]--- I stretched in the artificial gravity of Cobalt Sliver Station and grabbed a mug of SoyKafe from the dispenser. It was terrible, as usual, but traditions were traditions. I patted the prototype MOW with one gloved hand, marvelling as usual at how pleasantly warm the organic ceramic was. Never too hot or cold, even after a pitched battle. Some sort of technical wizardry. Maggie smacked me away with a prog-wrench, rapping me on the chest for good measure. MAGGIE PIT-025: “Ms. Fighthard, you know you shouldn’t touch that. You know, because I’ve told you. It’s probably radioactive. At least it’s covered in unknown void particulates.” I wiggled my gloves at her, rolling my eyes. MAGGIE: “Yeah, and if there’s a puncture and there’s, I don’t know, bone seeking poison or something? Just don’t die on my watch. Your mom will kick me into space.” Hell, she probably would. I dutifully stripped off my gloves and washed my hands, holding them up for inspection. Maggie laughed and waved me off. She had work to do with her crew and I… well, I didn’t have much to do, really. That was my big thing for the day, and it had gone pretty well. Just the single outburst. Not too bad. I flipped open my terminal to check what else I had on the docket. DO THINGS posted:
|
|
#
?
Jun 15, 2021 21:07
|
|
|
2
|
|
#
?
Jun 15, 2021 21:40
|
|
|
2
|
|
#
?
Jun 15, 2021 21:58
|
|
|
2!
|
|
#
?
Jun 15, 2021 22:07
|
|
|
2
|
|
#
?
Jun 15, 2021 22:15
|
|
|
2.
|
|
#
?
Jun 15, 2021 22:35
|
|
|
The PIKE, or Powered Invasive Kinetic Electrode, is the next generation melee weapon. To wit: using Casimir energy pneumatics, which exerts some 20 tons of force using ambient vacuum energies, an electrode is driven into the target, and the target is electrocuted. 3
|
|
#
?
Jun 15, 2021 22:36
|
|
|
1
|
|
#
?
Jun 15, 2021 23:40
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 26, 2024 01:03 |
|
|
2
|
|
#
?
Jun 16, 2021 01:37
|
|
