Avatar of Queen Raidne

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6 yrs ago
Current Teaching myself web development by trying to fix some BBCode bugs/features in the Guild is probably a bad idea. Oh, well.
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6 yrs ago
Depression is literally soul-sucking.
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7 yrs ago
If school were less hard, it'd be less interesting. I still want it to be less hard, though.
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8 yrs ago
GUYSGUYSGUYS - I PASSED DYNAMICS!
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8 yrs ago
Adventures!
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Maybe I'll update this.

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Second Chance delegation on the Resurgence

Tu Lee spoke up, "That makes sense to me, Captain Caldwell. We need structure. I'll support whomever steps up to the plate. Apart from the military side of things, we need a civilian component - something that will secure and produce resources, probably by integrating with the current galactic economic structure. It sounds like we need to rent or buy robotic manufacturing facilities and a shipyard or drydock. We'll also need a source of income to pay for all of that, unless we're just going to take over civilian assets. However, having reviewed the information provided by the Resurgence, I don't think brute force is the right answer here.

As much as I will undoubtedly regret saying this, I agree with Keiran to an extent. We should leverage some of our less-strategically critical technology to establish an economic foothold." She glanced at Samus. "Through that, erm, bounties, and other piecemeal sources of income, we should be able to afford everything.

Not to mention that a few friends in the right places could be incredibly valuable down the line." She addressed the Resurgence crew. "I presume, being from a version of this universe's future, you might know a few key people to contact.

But, the creation of a corporation sounds like an entirely different meeting."
Let alone Elizabeth's reaction. Stargate has always had the question of godhood as one of its core themes.

I'm very happy my crew is provoking these questions.

Edit: I vote, if we go the let's-make-a-corporation route, that we discuss what we want that to look like and timeskip to it having been created and functional. We could handle ship upgrades and those sorts of things during that downtime/timeskip, too.

Although, there could be some fun scenes of various robot-manufacturing delegates attempting to negotiate with SW powers-that-be.
Second Chance Delegation aboard The Resurgence

"You know, normally I'd be upset that you shanghai'ed us into doing what you want, but, on the other hand, you did save me and my crew from certain nuclear annihilation. So, first, thank you. It seems only fair that we try to repay the favor." Capt. Tu Lee glanced at Eri. "And, not to put it too bluntly, but I appreciate the restraint you're showing here. Clearly you have the power to end all of us, and I, for one, am thankful that you're giving us agency. In short, if we're putting this up to a vote, I vote we help the mostly-friendly, post-singularity, nonphysical entity that can also get us home or destroy us at her (her?) whim."

One of the security personnel behind Tu Lee snapped her jaw shut and sank to one knee, eyeing Tu Lee briefly before casting her gaze down to the floor.

"Uh, okay. Pardon me, Elizabeth, or God, or whichever you... prefer," the grunt said. "I just want to say thanks; just in case the Captain wasn't clear enough. There's a few of us who came to realize - what with the Transference and all - we came to realize that society wandered of the path of faith for a bit. But we're - well, some of us are - we're back on it again." She looked at Elizabeth, now. "And we ain't gonna waste this sh- uh, this stuff- I mean, we're going to leverage this opportunity to the fullest. Damn- I mean- darnit- ah, fuck it. Point us at a fucking target and we'll destroy it. We'll bitchslap Anubis so hard that his space dust'll go fuckin' Nova. Hoo-ah!" Her cheeks colored. "Your, uh, holiness." The grunt stared back at the ground, blushing hard now.

Tu Lee's head was in her hand. Her sigh was audible from the hallway. She made a mental note to have a chat about troop discipline with the Dynasty brat that had wormed their way into Chief of Security. A large part of her longed for the days when all she had to worry about was piloting an experimental starship into the vast unknown. Admiral Kime definitely didn't have it this bad when he was Captain.

"Get. Off. Your knees," Tu Lee commanded, using her quiet voice. Again.
"Aye, Ma'am." the grunt said, complying. She still wasn't looking at Elizabeth.
That would track, yes.

the more who worship him the more power he has
Elizabeth


...oh no, they're definitely going to want to try and spread this religion so Elizabeth can have more power. I think some of my crew are going to become the Jehovah's Witnesses of this galaxy.

@Sep So, uh.

The Second Chance definitely now has a cult worshiping Elizabeth.

Although the majority of Commonwealth society is atheist, when the Second Chance got saved from certain annihilation during The Transference, a few people started believing in god again. As far as the firmly-atheist Capt. Tu Lee is concerned, they're mostly a strange curiosity. And then the god just showed herself during a meeting.

Definitely the Cult of Elizabeth is a Thing now, irrespective of Elizabeth wanting it to be a Thing.

I think one of my random security grunts is going to become a prophet.

Capt. Lee, of course, thinks this is all a load of nonsense, and all anyone is doing is worshiping a more-advanced alien. Which is absurd.

...I like this.
Second Chance Crew on the Resurgence


Keiran sat bolt upright, a look of fire in his eyes and a smile on his face.

"Sorry, did you say 'cloning equipment'? Because the Commonwealth has a pretty good track record with re-life procedures, and for the right price-"
"Kieran-"
"No, this is exactly what I'm talking about! With a proper industrial base, I'm sure we could add to the knowledge base on cloning - the ship's still got a good chunk of the Unisphere downloaded before the Transferrence, and with-"
"Kieran-!"
"-and with the relife clinic on board-"
"Lieutenant Commander." Tu Lee said quietly. Keiran sat at attention.
"Aye, ma'am."
"You will not offer my ship's resources without my express permission again. Are we clear?"
"Aye, ma'am."

Tu Lee turned back to the group, sighing internally.

"We do have limited cloning technology on board the Second Chance. It was never intended to function on a mass scale, more just as an emergency measure in case of the worst. Regardless, it seems we have two general choices: a recon mission against Anubis, or a mission to secure planetside resources - specifically that cloning facility. I say we go for the recon. No sense in gearing up for a fight if we don't know what we'll be fighting, where we'll be fighting it, or how much of it we need to fight. Not to mention that I don't want to waste the element of surprise while we still have it."
Just updated the plot summary.

Seems like we're moving toward a recon mission of some sort.
Second Chance Team

On Board the Resurgence




Tu Lee frowned for a second, trying to digest the new information.

"Alright. Let's set the, erm, 'godlike, post-singularity, transdimensional beings controlling whether or not we get sent home' hypothesis to the side for the moment." She patted the table in front of her. "If... if this 'Anubis' character did make his way here on his own, then presumably he still has the tech or know-how to get back. So, whether or not we want to act as 'antibodies', Anubis might control the one thing in this galaxy that can get us all back. That's worth looking into. We need to go on a recon mission and find out if he has the tech. If he doesn't -" she glanced at Eri "-we negotiate with him if he's friendly; we'll capture him, interrogate him, etcetera if he isn't. And if he does have the tech... we steal it before we stop being his own, personal, out-of-context problem."
"The Second Great Wormhole Heist!" Keiran quietly said.
"No." Tu Lee admonished. Turning back to the group, she said, "At the very least, we need to find out if he has the tech. We can decide later what to do about it."

"Another thing," Keiran started. Tu Lee glanced at him, surprised. "I've been enjoying sitting cooped up in these Mists as much as the next guy: paying 'taxes', surviving off of half-arsed raids, eating rationed food, breathing stale air..." - he paused as he registered Tu Lee's gradually tightening glare - "But, I'm sick of hiding. We can live better than this. We're more than rats cowering away from cats. We have technologies and wonders nobody in this Universe has ever seen or heard of! We can cure diseases, improve manufacturing, make better bombs, create better artificial life, revolutionize transportation, and whatever else you lot have up your sleeves. What if we weren't sent here to defeat Anubis? What if, instead, we were sent here to make this galaxy better? What if we were sent here to create a thriving society using advances from dozens of timelines to solve problems none of us have even thought of? We shouldn't be afraid of leaving the Mists. We shouldn't be afraid to change the timeline or... whatever. For Ozzie's sake, Anubis has already changed the bloody place! Let's leave our own indelible mark on it."

Tu Lee was frowning deeply.

Keiran continued, "And, of course, we would all profit wildly. Sure, let's take on the big bad in his... probably stereotypical, billowing black cloak or whatever. But let's do it on top of a pile o' money and combined resources and then retire to Nzega!"
"...Nzega?"
"Whichever equivalent tropical paradise, then!"
"Kieran, if we choose to 'embed' with the locals, we loose whatever tactical advantage we have over Anubis."
"Fuck it! Better we have a pile o' money and spaceships then a couple handfuls of very fragile surprises. If any of our ships get destroyed, we just lost an entire universe's worth of knowledge."

Tu Lee turned back to the room. "Please tell me I'm not the only one who thinks this is a terrible idea."
Keiran rolled his eyes.
Second Chance Crew on the Resurgence



"Twenty-Five-Fifty?" Tu Lee blinked. "We're from Twenty-Three-Eighty-Two. You don't look like your from two-hundred years in the future." She shook her head. "Anyway, Keiran knows more about the Transferrence."

Keiran looked faintly embarrassed. "Right. Couldn't tell you much about it, actually. I'd honestly thought it was 'standard' strangeness brought about by several hundred nukes dumping their energy into nine intersecting wormholes. We only learned intersecting wormholes were possible when the Primes used it against us. I don't even want to think about those equations when you throw in an absurd amount of energy into the mix. Hey, who knows, maybe that's what we need to do to get home. Anyone want to volunteer for getting 300 nukes thrown at them?" He grimaced. "On the other hand, most of my wormhole science is just working knowledge supplemented with memory implants. I only started working at CST in my second life, but I'm the best expert we've got. Whatever the Transferrence was, thank Ozzie, because we'd be space dust without it." Keiran grinned. "You could say-"
"Don't-" Tu Lee started.
"-we've been given a Second Chance."
Tu Lee groaned. "How long have you been holding on to that one?"
"Just thought of it, actually."
"Ugh," Tu Lee rolled her eyes. She pointedly turned away from him, addressing the room. "How we got here bugs me less than something else: why did someone go through all the trouble of bringing us here? What possible problem has the best solution of flinging a dozen starships from a dozen universes into one place?"
"What kind of economy would you need to be able to afford to even do that?" Kieran said.
"And why would you go through all that trouble and not give the starships any instruction whatsoever?"
"Hey, yeah, good point! I'd make damn sure my investment is doing exactly what I need it to, not sitting idly in some Mists." Keiran frowned. "Unless they want us to sit idly in these Mists. Maybe we're pawns in some vast temporal conspiracy, and all we have to do is nudge a few hydrogen atoms in a particular direction."
"Really. You're going for time travel," Tu Lee said.
"Well-." Keiran gestured expansively toward the room full of extradimensional aliens. "And at least I'm not suggesting it was 'God'."
"Don't remind me," Tu Lee said with a sigh.

"I kinda figured we was just dead," one of the security personnel mumbled quietly. "And this is all some weird afterlife thought up by a bunch o' nerds."
Second Chance


Captain Tu Lee's e-butler pinged. Most people were quite happy to let e-butlers speak, but Tu Lee had almost immediately disabled the function. She preferred a quiet series of notification sounds. There was something deeply impersonal about digitally-generated voices speaking to you through your cochlear nerve.

Her wrist array picked up the subtle movements of her hand, passed the signal to her OCtattoos, which in turn processed the signal and passed it along to her optic nerve. In her virtual vision, a ghostly hand mirrored her flesh-and-blood hand's movements. She dismissed the notification from her calendar app - the meeting on the Resurgence was starting. Her e-butler sounded a polite cybernode-disconnect warning as the shuttle pod left the hangar on the Second Chance.

She shifted against the straps holding her to her chair. The shuttle was barely more than a metal skin with some engines strapped to it. The tiny thing was a good metaphor for their whole ship, really. The Commonwealth had ignored space for so long.... Tu Lee idly wondered where on the scale they would have fallen. Would they have the boxy-looking style of the Daedalus? The angled bulk of the Resurgence or sleek lines of the Glasgow? Gravity plating? Even something as simple as the hangar on the Resurgence - they'd thought to put a force field in place of a hangar door, allowing the whole space to remain pressurized - was an innovation beyond Commonwealth space design.

Meanwhile, the Second Chance had to despin the habitation ring before it could make use of what pitiful sublight maneuverability was available.. She was a bulky ship; a demonstration of how much cash CST could throw at a problem. They had a galley capable of crafting gourmet meals, even post-refit. Not that she'd authorized such waste during the "extended transreality crisis" they found themselves in post Transferrence. The one thing the Second Chance had going for it was their wormhole tech. Based on what she'd seen so far, the ships in this reality were ponderously slow to enter hyperspace, nearly completely blind while inside it, and had a disastrously long recharge time before they could re-enter it. That would render most of the Second Chance’s battle MO impossible: short, rapid hops from one side of the orbit to another, always looking for the latest hot spot to plug up. Such maneuvering that had saved Anshun (well, presumably; they'd ended up here before that battle had ended) -

The messaging app pinged in her virtual vision.

Keiran: Still in there, Captain?

She turned away from the window, glancing across the aisle. The shuttle was mostly empty - out of the capacity of 15, only 6 seats were occupied. Her, Keiran (the ship's Chief Technical Officer), and four "security" personnel.

"Yeah," she said to Keiran. "Just a bit distracted."
"I can't imagine what might be on your mind right now," Kieran said mischievously. "It's not like anything abnormal's been happening."
"Right. Not like the Transferrence spawned a neo-religious sect aboard, or we suddenly have to scrape together weapons for a ground-based security force, or figure out how to fit extradimensional missiles into our racks..."
"Hey, at least you don't have someone asking to start CST: Extradimensional Division."
Tu Lee rolled her eyes. "You know, it’s not cute to point out trouble which you yourself are causing."
"You know you love me," Keiran prodded.
"I don't."
"But, part of you does."
"It really doesn't."

Her e-butler pinged again, notifying her that it had lost maneuvering control of the shuttle pod. That was expected, as they'd just entered the atmosphere of the hangar. Maneuvering thrusters designed for space did not work in an atmosphere - a problem none of the foreign ships, somehow, seemed to have.

The first time the Second Chance had sent a shuttle pod over to the Resurgence, it had embarrassingly fallen to the deck with a crunch as soon as it entered the artificial gravity. Now, though, they'd learned to coordinate with Resurgence tower to take over control via tractor beam.

The Resurgence had kindly offered use of their shuttle as taxi, and Tu Lee had equally kindly refused. The crew of the Second Chance could manage just fine, thankyouverymuch.

Sort of.

"Speaking of wormholes," Tu Lee started, motioning to Keiran, "the ship VI pinged me about another request from Dr. McKay asking for a science representative."
"Erm . I'll find someone."

Tu Lee locked eyes with him, smiling slightly. Finally, someone else was in the hot seat.

"Someone," she prompted.
"Yeah. There's plenty of, erm, qualified-"
"Scientists?"
"-personnel." Kieran was studying the Resurgence's halls.
"Mmm. I've heard he's got quite the accepting personality regarding non-scientists. Very patient man." She was openly smiling now.
"I've sent the basic tech report. That should tide them over."

Tu Lee sent an image comparing the number of requests from Dr. McKay before and after they'd sent their basic tech and history reports to the other ships. It easily tripled after the man had learned of their wormhole tech.

“Shut up,” Keiran muttered.
“I didn’t say anything.”
Now he was glaring at her.

Their clone trooper escort stopped and gestured to a particular room. Two of their makeshift security personnel walked in first. Their cybernetically-enhanced muscles glittered as a wave of OCtattoos activated, scanning the room for weapons. None of the foreigners had been hostile, but there was a certain level of paranoia innate to any Commonwealth citizen - especially the Grand Family brat that had somehow wormed his way into chief of security. The Second Chance may be a Navy ship, but the Navy was still very much a new organization, and it seemed like every Grand Family and Intersolar Dynasty was trying to carve out a new slice of power. Unfortunately, some people had kept that attitude post-Transferrence.

*ping*
Sec1: Room clear.

Clear of what, exactly? Commonwealth weaponry? That wasn't exactly surprising.

She eyed the guard's weapons. They all had knives of varying types,
one had an ion pistol, another had a laser rifle (how the hell had that made it onto the ship?), and the other two simply had makeshift clubs. The club-wielder's reactions were heightened with combat wetware - very illegal, but she wasn't complaining. Even so… it felt lackluster compared to what she’d seen of some of the foreigners.

She and Keiran entered the room. They were wearing the simple jumpsuit uniform universal to all zero-gravity ships; Keiran wore his OCtattoos colorful, with a cobra actively twisting around his forearm while Tu Lee preferred to keep hers faded out of sight unless in use. His hair was a short, vivid blue, while hers was a more conventional, short, spiky brown.

The other delegations - the ones who'd been here longer, at least - hadn't brought as much security.

Her attention kept getting drawn to the mushroom-octopus thing. It certainly wasn't the elf-like Silfen, but it did remind her a bit of a smaller version of a Raiel. At least, the head was kind of similar. They both had tentacles, at any rate. On the other hand, the hulking, four-jawed alien was unlike any of their “native” aliens. As for the combat-suited humans - it was hard to be sure, given the disparity of tech in the room, but she'd bet the latest exosuits from the Navy Trooper project would beat them. Probably.

There was a weird tension in the air - the exosuited humans and the four-jawed alien were eyeing each other.

She sat down, Keiran next to her.

"Weird vibe in here," Keiran said. Tu Lee glared at him.
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