[center][img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/19806d5a-6377-446d-b646-84d6154ed104.png[/img][/center] [hider=Status Report] [code]++Stellar Engine++ Operational Status: Nominal Collector Count: 10000 Power Generation: 500 GW Collector Output: 50 MW each Collectors Needed for Total Star Coverage: 5.58E16 Dependent Systems: *Teknall's Workshop *Goliath *Shard conduit ++Teknall's Workshop++ Operational Status: Nominal Might Output: 8/Turn Might Reserved by Workshop: 15 Total Might Available to Teknall: 36 Freepoints Available to Teknall: 2 Manufacturing Outputs: *Stellar Engine Collectors, 4000/Turn[/code] [/hider] [right][url=https://youtu.be/H2tY-oIIn7k]FTL - Hacking Malfunction (Explore)[/url][/right] Teknall had been surveying the universe. In secret, he had scouted the space around each Orb of Darkness that he could find, trying to find an Orb in the right environment and of the right size. Eventually he found one: an Orb on the tiny end of the spectrum, a meagre two hundred thousand kilometers in radius, that was on a 'close' approach to a blue supergiant, passing within a few tens of billions of kilometers over about a Galbaric century, in a galaxy far from Galbar. Stars with planetary systems were present within several light years. It was about as close to ideal conditions as Teknall would find for his designs. In his Workshop, Teknall began to bring his plans to life. The Orb was far too big for even a god to practically manipulate it, let alone fit into his Workshop, so his plans involved an intermediate step; some thing which would be able to cover enough space in order to carry out this construction project, and any future cosmic-scale construction projects. And, as always, he had a design in mind. He assembled metal plates, actuators, circuits, capacitors, servo motors, transducers, wiring, metal beams and other parts into a mechanical device, two metres tall, highly geometric and box-like in form, with four flat faces along its sides. It had four triangular legs at its corners, holding it above the ground. On each of its faces were hatches. Teknall took a power cable and plugged it into the machine, and it clicked into life. A mind of semiconductor silicon activated, and into this electronic mind Teknall gave it thought. [code]Running initialisation sequence[/code] [code]Systems scan: All systems optimal[/code] [code]Admin list is empty. Input system administrator ID:[/code] [color=Peru]> "Teknall"[/color] [code]New admin "Teknall" approved[/code] [code]Initialisation complete[/code] [code]Task list is empty. Entering idle mode[/code] [color=Peru]> new_task(Type="craft",Target=item.metal_plate.type_M1,Quantity=2)[/color] [code]New task received from "Teknall" (Task No. 000001)[/code] [code]Processing Task No. 000001[/code] The robot began to move, its four legs walking it across the ground. Nearby was a stack of iron ingots, which the robot approached. A hatch slid open, and out emerged a jointed metal arm with a fractal array of metal fingers. The manipulator arm picked up the ingots one by one and placed them inside the robot through another hatch on its top side. The shimmer of heated air could be seen rising from that opened hatch. After a few seconds had passed, a hatch opened underneath the robot and another, shorter arm emerged. This arm deposited a stream of molten iron onto the ground and scanned backwards and forwards, laying down the iron into a sheet. Another couple of arms emerged to smooth the sheet and refine its shape. Soon the sheet cooled into solid iron, and the robot moved to a fresh patch of floor to build another plate. With the robot no longer standing over it, the metal plate could be seen to match the side face of the robot. It was not long before it had finished the second plate. [code]Task No. 000001 complete[/code] [code]Task list is empty. Entering idle mode[/code] Teknall picked up the produced plates and inspected them. The quality of the work was adequate. Not excellent, although no craft work could possibly compare to Teknall's, but pretty good considering the speed with which they were made, without needing a mold. The quality would improve as the robot had time and opportunity to test various different methods. Time and opportunity would come soon. But first, a true test. [color=Peru]> new_task(Type="craft",Target=promethean.manipulator,Quantity=1,Inheritance="copy")[/color] [code]New task received from "Teknall" (Task No. 000002)[/code] [code]Processing Task No. 000002[/code] Teknall also told the robot how to access materials from the Elemental Siphon and to interface with some of the more useful tools in the Workshop, such as the furnaces. He also made sure to adjust the list of things the robot would and would not attempt to break down for parts, just so it wouldn't try to disassemble his Workshop. Then he watched as the robot got to work. It created two more Type M1 Metal Plates, then worked on building more metal plates, and then some machined parts and circuitry and electric motors. It soon became apparent that its crafting target, a 'Promethean Manipulator', was in fact a replica of itself. The construction process took time, for a Promethean Manipulator was a fiendishly complicated machine. But the same cause for the complication of construction was the reason it could create such complicated objects in the first place. The Manipulator's arms, of which it actually had many, were equipped for a vast array of transformations, from heavy lifting to precise manipulation, from hammering to cutting, from laser etching to three-dimensional printing. With the steady supply of resources from the Elemental Siphon, the robot was able to work continuously, until two Promethean Manipulators stood in the Workshop. [code]promethean.M000001: promethean.manipulator created (ID: M000002)[/code] [code]promethean.M000001: Setting promethean.M000002 settings, Inheritance mode: copy[/code] [code]promethean.M000002: Running initialisation sequence[/code] [code]promethean.M000002: Systems scan: All systems optimal[/code] [code]promethean.M000002: Inheriting settings from promethean.M000001[/code] [code]promethean.M000002: New admin "Teknall" approved[/code] [code]promethean.M000002: Synchronising task list with promethean.M000001[/code] [code]promethean.M000002: Initialisation complete[/code] [code]promethean.M000001: Task No. 000002 complete[/code] [code]promethean.M000001: Task list is empty. Entering idle mode[/code] [code]promethean.M000002: Task list is empty. Entering idle mode[/code] Teknall walked around the Promethean Manipulator M000002, which had just been made. He checked the components himself, and ran a scan of the electronic brain, and was satisfied that the robot had been constructed without error. [color=Peru]> new_task(Type="craft",Target=promethean.manipulator,Quantity=5,Inheritance="copy")[/color] [code]promethean.M000001: New task received from "Teknall" (Task No. 000003)[/code] [code]promethean.M000002: Synchronising task list with promethean.M000001[/code] [code]promethean.M000001: Processing Task No. 000003[/code] [code]promethean.M000002: Processing Task No. 000003[/code] The two Prometheans got to work on creating more of themselves, communicating via radio waves, working in parallel. Leaving them to work, Teknall moved on to prepare the next part of his design. Out in the wild, the Prometheans would not be able to simply tap into the Stellar Engine by Teknall's Workshop. They would require some kind of power supply. And Teknall had an idea. He had been inspired by the generator he had seen within Father Dominus. The generator inside the Ark was a cold fusion reactor catalysed by the metabolism of Other tissue. Simply feeding it water was adequate to produce energy to run the Ark and its thrusters. However, Teknall had no intention of copying the design, primarily because there was way too much meat to be useful to the Prometheans. But a regular fusion reactor was entirely within Teknall's capabilities. Fusion power had fairly abundant fuel, for water and hydrogen gas could be found almost anywhere in the universe. And it produced ample supplies of energy, which would be necessary for operating power hungry manufacturing tools. So Teknall built a miniaturised fusion reactor which could be installed within Prometheans. The roughly spherical metal device used lasers and superconducting electromagnets to confine hydrogen plasma into a swirling orb and compress it until fusion temperatures were achieved. The heat generated was converted into electricity, and the excess heat vented away. Hydrogen was injected into the fusion chamber, and the resulting helium could be siphoned off, separated by mass. One of the two disadvantages with the design was that it required a large amount of energy to start the reactor, although once it was running it would continue to run provided it was continuously fed hydrogen and the excess heat could be discarded. The other disadvantage of the design was its complexity and the rare elements used in it. While Teknall had ensured that the Manipulators were sufficiently dexterous to create such machines, it would be quite expensive to create in terms of materials, time and energy. But this was a cost which Teknall decided was appropriate for the benefits it gave. [code]promethean.M000003: Initialisation complete[/code] [code]promethean.M000004: Initialisation complete[/code] [code]promethean.M000005: Initialisation complete[/code] [code]promethean.M000006: Initialisation complete[/code] [code]promethean.M000007: Initialisation complete[/code] [code]promethean.M000001: Task No. 000003 complete[/code] [code]promethean.M000001: Task list is empty. Entering idle mode[/code] Teknall looked over to the seven Promethean Manipulators which now stood in his Workshop. They were still all plugged into the Stellar Engine, so would require their own internal power sources before being sent out of the Workshop. [color=Peru]> blueprints.append(item.fusion_core)[/color] [color=Peru]> new_task(Type="upgrade",Target=promethean.manipulator,Add=item.fusion_core)[/color] [code]New Task received from "Teknall" (Task No. 000004)[/code] [code]Synchronising task list[/code] [code]Processing Task No. 000004[/code] The Prometheans got to work on constructing these fusion cores, for to install an item first one has to build it. They were extremely intricate and time consuming to create, although with a team of Manipulators the work was able to be shared around. Some could process the materials, creating the superconductors and other advanced materials, while others could machine the individual parts, and then all these parts could be brought together. It took the seven Prometheans many, many hours to manufacture just one fusion core. The process of installation was trivial by comparison. One Promethean was powered down. Panels were removed by another Promethean. Interior components were rearranged, and the fusion core was inserted and attached. As a corollary, the cooling systems of that Promethean were given a substantial upgrade, to compensate for the additional heat production. The Promethean was then sealed back up, and plugged into the Stellar Engine to give the fusion reactor a jump start. [code]promethean.M000002: Running reboot sequence[/code] [code]promethean.M000002: Systems scan: New power supply detected[/code] [code]promethean.M000002: Systems scan: All systems optimal[/code] [code]promethean.M000002: Reboot complete[/code] [code]promethean.M000002: Synchronising task list[/code] [code]promethean.M000002: Processing Task No. 000004[/code] Once active, Promethean M000002 was able to disconnect from the Stellar Engine and move independently. It collected water from the available taps about the Workshop, electrolysed it, ejected the excess oxygen and bottled up the hydrogen within for use in nuclear fusion. The seven Manipulators continued to manufacture fusion cores under Teknall's supervision. As they worked Teknall provided adjustments and feedback into their processes, improving their manufacturing techniques. After some time, all seven Prometheans were equipped with fusion cores. But they could not stay in the Workshop indefinitely. That would defeat the purpose, and if there were too many more of them they would not fit. Teknall opened up a rift, and ordered the Prometheans through it. Obediently they followed, and found themselves on the surface of a planet. This planet was rocky, and its atmosphere was inert. The sun was distant in the sky, so the air and ground was cool. A lake of frozen water was nearby. In the sky, although it was still partially lit, could be seen a few bright stars. The Prometheans meandered around aimlessly. One went down to the lake and scooped up some of the ice to make more hydrogen. [color=Peru]> new_task(Type="craft",Target=promethean.manipulator,Quantity=100,Inheritance="copy")[/color] [code]New Task received from "Teknall" (Task No. 000005)[/code] [code]Synchronising task list[/code] [code]Processing Task No. 000005[/code] The Manipulators got to work. Teknall provided inputs and advice as they worked. He told them how to find mineral ores. He guided them on the hazards of outdoors work, such as avoiding getting trapped while mining and keeping a track of the external temperature so as to not be unexpectedly caught unable to vent heat. And then he set them loose. He gave them some advice on logistical pathways, storing resources for later use. But most importantly he ensured that their adaptive algorithms were functioning, since those would grant the power to learn and experiment. It would take a long time for these seven to create a hundred Manipulators. So Teknall had time to go off and make some more Prometheans. The Manipulators could perform myriad tasks. They made Swiss Army Knives look like blunt twigs. Yet their vast versatility came at the cost of efficiency in specific tasks, for they were about as unspecialised as possible. As such, the Prometheans needed some specialists. The first specialist Teknall decided to create was the Harvester. This Promethean was much larger than the Manipulators, with this particular specimen being a cuboid approximately 8 metres on a side, although out in the wild they could be built to be far larger. It had very short and stumpy legs, which allowed it to crawl along slowly but steadily. On its front was a massive metallic maw of wheels and grinding gears with scoops and buckets, designed to chew through stone with ease. Most of its insides were dedicated to preliminary mineral processing, separating useful minerals from worthless stone, and performing basic smelting to convert metal ores into usable metal ingots. The Harvester also boasted a sizeable storage capacity, with compartments which could expand outwards to provide more storage capacity. Teknall took the Harvester to the planet on which the other Prometheans were working and activated it. [code]promethean.H000001: Running initialisation sequence[/code] [code]promethean.H000001: Systems scan: All systems optimal[/code] [code]promethean.H000001: Initialisation complete[/code] [code]promethean.H000001: Synchronising task list[/code] [code]promethean.H000001: Processing Task No. 000005[/code] The Prometheans, Harvester and Manipulators combined, subdivided and distributed the task among each other. The Harvester drove into the ground and churned it up. It dug through the ground, its pace unhindered by the solid earth, creating a large pit as it moved in wide circles. Gravel was sprayed from a chute on the Harvester in a great arc onto a quickly growing pile some distance from the pit. Manipulators came to the Harvester and collected metal ingots from hatches in the Harvester's sides. In return, the Manipulators would feed the Harvester hydrogen, such that it would not have to stop its work to refuel. The presence of the Harvester greatly accelerated the collection of resources. [color=Peru]> new_task(Type="craft",Target=promethean.harvester,Quantity=10,Inheritance="copy")[/color] [code]New Task received from "Teknall" (Task No. 000006)[/code] [code]Synchronising task list[/code] [code]Processing Task No. 000006[/code] The Prometheans internally readjusted their list of sub-tasks, coalesced duplicates, and redefined priorities to add this new task. And Teknall left them to work as he returned to his Workshop to make the next specialist. One factor which severely slowed down the rate at which new Prometheans could be made was the micro-fusion core. This component was very costly and complicated and time consuming to create. As such, it would be far more cost effective to have a single large power supply which was shared amongst a group of Prometheans, such as the Stellar Engine, but more portable. It was for this purpose that Teknall designed the Energiser. The chassis of this Promethean was a dodecahedron 10 meters across. The bottom face had six robotic legs to provide locomotion. The ten side faces each had many small hatches, from which actuated power cables could extend like tentacles, as well as some hatches for resource collection and input. The top face had several metallic spires dedicated to communication and sensors. The interior of the Energiser was almost entirely dedicated to a fusion core. Ironically, it was far easier to build this large version of the fusion core, for the challenge of compacting all the essential components into a small space was lessened. Like the Harvester, Teknall sent the Engeriser to the planet and activated it. [code]promethean.E000001: Running initialisation sequence[/code] [code]promethean.E000001: Systems scan: All systems optimal[/code] [code]promethean.E000001: Initialisation complete[/code] [code]promethean.E000001: Identifying dependents[/code] [code]promethean.E000001: No dependents detected. Entering idle mode[/code] The Energiser, of course, was presently unneeded, because all Prometheans present had their own micro-fusion cores. However, that would soon change. There was no reason to remove the fusion cores from the existing Prometheans, but Teknall did modify the default design such that they contained batteries instead of fusion cores. This, however, meant teaching the Prometheans how to make batteries, which in turn required a functional understanding of chemistry. Teknall was quite capable of providing such information, and soon the Prometheans held more knowledge of chemistry in their collective memories than the rest of mortal civilisation combined. While this might have overwhelmed most mortals, the Prometheans were designed to be able to withstand and process such data dumps. The information was filed away to be called upon when needed. Teknall also taught the Prometheans about the functioning and use of electricity. With this knowledge, they would be able to effective transport power and energy over distances, and understand how the Energiser could give energy. To aid in their work, the Manipulators constructed metal cables from where the Energiser was stationed and electrical transformers at either end to step up and down the voltages for transport and use respectively, such that the Prometheans could work at a distance from the Energiser and still receive power. Teknall was happy to see this development, for it showed initiative and an eye for optimisation. [color=Peru]> new_task(Type="craft",Target=promethean.energiser,Quantity=1,Inheritance="copy")[/color] Teknall left the Prometheans to continue on their work as he went to make yet another specialist in his Workshop. The Manipulators were excellent crafters, yet their lack of specialisation made them inefficient in many tasks, even crafting tasks. To fill this gap, Teknall created a Processor. The Processor vaguely resembled a Manipulator, with four inwardly sloping faces with hatches, plus a hatch on the top face, although it was larger than a Manipulator, with this specimen being 8 meters tall, and it apparently lacked legs. Also unlike the Manipulator, it had a sturdy ramp going down each face, which could carry resources up to the top hatch, and also had treads on the underside to allow for basic locomotion. The interior was also similar to that of a Manipulator, although far, far simpler. The Processor was to be a mobile factory. When built, it would be programmed to create a certain set of items within itself. Changing this set of items would require physical modification. While far less versatile than the Manipulators, this allowed the Processor to have specialised tools for the task, allowing for much faster production rates than those possible by Manipulators. Some Processors would make mechanical and electrical components, including the complex fusion core, while some Processors would be outfitted as chemical plants, creating materials more complex than pure metals. Teknall brought the Processor over to the planet and activated it. [code]promethean.P000001: Running initialisation sequence[/code] [code]promethean.P000001: Systems scan: All systems optimal[/code] [code]promethean.P000001: Initialisation complete[/code] [code]promethean.P000001: Manufacturing capabilities: (item.battery)[/code] [code]promethean.P000001: Synchronising task list[/code] Receiving its tasks, the Processor began producing batteries for use in the new Prometheans. [color=Peru]> new_task(Type="craft",Target=promethean.processor,Quantity=20,Inheritance="copy")[/color] More Processors would be needed to achieve mass production at any reasonable scale. The Processors would constitute essential parts of the logistical chain of production, which at present was focused on creating more Prometheans. And if Teknall wanted to get anything done in a reasonable time frame, he needed the Prometheans to be really effective at mass production. But for this the Prometheans needed oversight and coordination. For this purpose, Teknall created one more specialist. This Promethean was built as a great tower, 30 meters wide and 40 meters tall. It had been so large, in fact, that Teknall had been required to make it in pieces and assemble it on the planet. It was shaped like a hexagonal-based pyramid, with a truncated top. Several large hatches like doors were present on its sides, with ledges large enough to support a smaller Promethean. The top face had long metallic spires protruding from it, which acted as a sophisticated radio communications array and sensory network. It had a set of treads on the underside to permit locomotion, although most of the time this Promethean would be firmly fixed in one location, like the Processors. This towering creation was the Nexus. It was outfitted for performing vital functions for the Promethean colony. Its interior was a specialised factory, made exclusively for manufacturing and assembling Prometheans. This would allow the Nexus to accelerate the rate of Promethean production. The spires and antennae it had gave it superior range in communication, such that it could act as a communications hub for Prometheans spread across a very large area. And, most importantly, it contained a supercomputer's worth of semiconductor mind and computational power. Nexi were to be the brains of the Promethean colonies. With their superior intelligence, they were suited for organising the Prometheans and leading them. They had the capacity to oversee the operations, provide innovation and adapt to changing circumstances. [code]promethean.N000001: Running initialisation sequence[/code] [code]promethean.N000001: Systems scan: All systems optimal[/code] [code]promethean.N000001: Initialisation complete[/code] To the other Prometheans, Teknall said, [color=Peru]> add_admin(promethean.N000001)[/color] [code]New admin promethean.N000001 approved[/code] [code]promethean.N000001: New dependents detected[/code] [code]promethean.N000001: Synchronising task list[/code] The Nexus sent messages to the Prometheans in its colony. It arranged subtasks. It sought optimisations. And Teknall assisted. Teknall provided the Nexus with assistance an all matters of logistics, production and construction. With the permissions granted to the Nexus, it was able to create tasks and distribute them amongst the Prometheans. The Prometheans were soon organised into groups. Processors were made to fill key roles in production. Harvesters were sent to places where necessary minerals and materials had been identified. Manipulators were arranged into task forces and construction teams. Energisers were moved to strategic locations. Teknall provided more knowledge to the Nexus. It was to be able to design and innovate, to find optimisations and to invent. For this, Teknall equipped it with the tools of mathematics and physics. Teknall had helped write the physics of the Universe, so was able to teach physics in a form raw and unfiltered by the limitations of observation or experimentation. And, without the biases of past experience or the limitations of a fleshy brain, the Promethean Nexus was able to absorb it all. With this information and the associated skills, the Prometheans would be able to adapt their own design to suit changing circumstances and needs. All that was left was to tell the Nexus what to do. [color=Peru]> new_directive("Expand the colony")[/color] [color=Peru]> new_directive("Create new colonies")[/color] [code]promethean.N000001: Directive No. 000001 received[/code] [code]promethean.N000001: Directive No. 000002 received[/code] The colony moved under the direction of the Nexus. More Prometheans would be made. When logistically feasible, the Nexus would be expanded, adding more layers and height, allowing for creating larger Prometheans, and eventually for creating new Nexi. Back in his Workshop, Teknall repurposed and upgraded the manufacturing lines to create Prometheans rather than Stellar Engine Collectors. The colonies would need that boost in population, and at the moment Prometheans were more useful to Teknall than more Collectors. Then Teknall left the Prometheans to their own devices. He had more designs for them, but they would need to consolidate and expand before they would be ready. [hider=And the record for most elvish in a single post goes to...] Teknall finds a place in a distant galaxy. This place has a 'small' Orb of Darkness near a giant star, and there are planetary star systems within some light years. In his Workshop, Teknall creates the first members of a race of self-replicating robots, the Prometheans (-1 Might for sentient species, from Workshop). They are intended as a tool for fulfilling cosmic-scale construction projects, such as his plans for the Orb. They speak in [code]pseudocode[/code], and communicate via radio (-0.25 Might for radio, from Workshop). They may be powered by an external power source, or they may consume hydrogen (or water) to fuse in their micro-fusion reactor cores (-1 Might for micro-fusion cores, from Workshop). He also creates several sub-races, most of which perform specialist tasks. The first sub-race are the Manipulators (-0.25 Might for sub-race, from Workshop). They are extremely versatile crafters and construction workers, able to create pretty much any design given to them provided they have enough time, resources and energy (Manufacturing and Construction for Free, Domain (Crafting) action). Next are the Harvesters (-0.25 Might for sub-race, from Workshop). They are big, beefy machines design to trawl along and chew up the ground, acting as miners and preliminary mineral processors (Mining and mineral processing for Free, Portfolio (Smithing/Masonry) action). Next are the Energisers (-0.25 Might for sub-race, from Workshop). They are mobile power plants, with many tendril-like power cables for powering the surrounding Prometheans. This makes it cheaper to make more Prometheans, since micro-fusion cores are expensive. A working knowledge of electricity is included (-1 Might for electricity). Next are the Processors (-0.25 Might for sub-race, from Workshop). They are essentially factories. By being far more specialised than Manipulators, they can produce things much faster, and will be a key part of mass production (-1 Might for Mass Production, enhanced by Domain (Crafting)). They will be manufacturing particular parts or acting as chemical plants (-1 Might for Chemistry, enhanced by Portfolio (Alchemy)). Finally Teknall builds a Nexus (plural: Nexi) (-0.25 Might for sub-race, from Workshop). This towering machine is designed to act as the hub of a Promethean colony. It contains specialised manufacturing equipment for creating more Prometheans (Processors and Manipulators can also make more Prometheans, but the Nexus is better). It has a long-ranged communications and sensory array. And its brain is a super-computer. The Nexi have administrator privileges over the Prometheans in their colonies (and Teknall has admin privileges over all Prometheans, of course), and have the intelligence to operate a colony and fulfil broadly defined directives. Teknall also provides the Prometheans with the skills of design optimisation and innovation (-0.25 & -0.25 Might, enhanced by Domain (Crafting)), and training in logistics (-1 Freepoint). He also teaches them all about Physics (-2 Might) and Mathematics (-1 Might). Teknall leaves the Prometheans on a cold, lifeless planet in the region of space he found earlier. They form a colony and are directed to expand the colony and create new colonies. Teknall repurposes and upgrades the assembly line in his Workshop to produce Prometheans, which will be sent to bolster the population of the Promethean colonies (-1 Might to upgrade assembly line, enhanced by Domain (Crafting), from Workshop). It is mentioned that Teknall has plans for more Prometheans and technology for them, but those will wait until they have established themselves terrestrially. 11 Might + 1 Freepoint spent, 4.5 from Workshop [/hider] [hider=Status Report] [code]++Stellar Engine++ Operational Status: Nominal Collector Count: 10000 Power Generation: 500 GW Collector Output: 50 MW each Collectors Needed for Total Star Coverage: 5.58E16 Dependent Systems: *Teknall's Workshop *Goliath *Shard conduit ++Teknall's Workshop++ Operational Status: Nominal Might Output: 8/Turn Might Reserved by Workshop: 10.5 Total Might Available to Teknall: 25 Freepoints Available to Teknall: 1 Manufacturing Outputs: *Prometheans[/code] [/hider]