thewizardguy

HCL 2: Twisted tinkers' triumph

@Teoinsanity
Stein jumps backwards as the tetris zooms past his face, the large metal structure nearly hitting him. However, he had no intention of allowing his prey to escape. As Stein got angered, a wave of insanity could be felt emanating from him. Tendrils of anger, of delusion, of hatred, attempting to drill their way into Teo's mind. Leeching off of his already existing sanity, but attempting to twist it, turn it, bend it into something far darker. Shadows began to flicker, corners began to blur, as Teo could feel voices softly whispering into his ears, tugging at his lab coats, fingernails scratching at the console.

Melody seems to be trembling in her chair, as an old and familiar voice called to her in her mind. The man she had once escaped, the scientist who had kept her locked away, and engaged in inhuman experiments. She could feel his breath on her neck, his eyes on her throat, she could hear his deep voice speaking, although the words could not be made out. Of course, she could tell it wasn't really there - even with the addition of her traumatic memories, the insanity had no previous insanity to hold on to, Melody was fairly sane. Unlike Teo, she was able to ignore the delusions, driving them from her mind.

Brown seemed completely unaffected. As a robotic being he lacked a Soul, and as such Stein's Madness Wavelength didn't affect him. He was as such left to take Teo's place at the controls, lest Stein mess with Teo's vision enough for him to drive them into a star.

Stein caught the harpoon with one hand, using his inhuman strength and speed to hold on as the Tetris sped away. He climbed the rope forward, growing steadily closer as the Tetris attempted to drill it's way through the dimensional blockers placed within the lab. Crashing through wall after wall, bricks striking Stein's body and yet seeming to barely slow him down as he approached the main body of the Tetris, inhuman grin on his face, reflective glasses hiding his eyes.

The english language falls short when it comes to the exquisite tortures he was preparing for them in his mind.

Then, at last, the Tetris teleported, appearing in the middle of the desert village with a loud screeching wail. Stein landed on the ground, smashing into the side of the Tetrisas the rope went slack. He's broken his neck. Standing up, he snapped it back into place, as he observed his surroundings.

"Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaad!" Mia shouts, upon seeing her father emerge alongside the Tetris. "You broke my toy again! We were about to play a game, dad! Why do you always have to ruin everything?" She walks forward, highly annoyed, as a Vector Arrow appears inside the Tetris. The entire crew was launched out of the side of the Tetris, into the sand, as Mia smiles. "Can I have these? This one looks delicious..." Crouching down, Mia slowly moves past Teo's shocked face with a single fingernail, leaving a slight trail of Black Blood. She admired his Soul, which was abnormally large.

"No dear, that one is mine. Furthermore, what do you mean your toy? You should not have been playing, I sent you out to retrieve Darkside for me."

"Well, I was just playing with him a bit...."

Stein glares over at his daughter, who gives a mockingly innocent smile in return. He then sighs. "We can track Darkside down later. For now, let's deal with these fools. I believe I might be able to use the middle one, feel free to take the gem person. She holds no interest to me."

Mia frowns, as claws of Black Blood form on her fingertips, enhancing her already potent demonic visage. She'd wanted to get Teo, but she would have to make do with the spoils. If she disobeyed her dad again, he'd confiscate her toys at home. "Well, honey..." She turns her frown upside down, as she walks towards Melody. "It looks like we're going to be the bestest of friends!"

HCL 2: Twisted tinkers' triumph

@supertinyking
The two Puppets were beaten back under the sudden furious assault, and as they stand they show signs of numerous shattered bones. Their skin is split in many places, although they seem not to bleed whatsoever, the strange black blood flowing where the veins had once been even after the flesh was destroyed. They showed no signs of pain, nor did their wounds seem to hold them back much. Without destroying their brain, it would be nearly impossible to kill these beings. They wouldn't bleed out, they wouldn't die of trauma (a surprisingly common cause of death), and most of their other vital organs seemed to have been removed.

"Now now, there's no need to break my toys. I worked long and hard to get those." The two creatures sink back to Mia's sides, whining softly like dogs. She smiles, as she walks forward, and Saeid already knew that he was facing a dangerous opponent. "Shall we play a game? I love games. You're going to lose this fight, but I want to make a bet. I want to make the bet that you won't be able to hit me, even once. Does that seem fair to you? It really doesn't matter, I don't care about your opinion. If you lose the bet, you get to become my new toy, and I'll dress you up all pretty. If you win.... well, then I'll have to take you to daddy."

The Black Blood is emerging fully now. Leaking from her eyes, from her eyes, from her nose and mouth. Ten little waterfalls rain down from her fingertips, the thick black fluid not unlike syrup. It pooled on the ground, it twisted and writhed, briefly forming blades and ropes, as Mia's anticipation was mirrored in her blood. "There are no other rules to the game. You can run away if you want! There isn't a time limit, and anyone can join in. But I won't be holding back...."

HCL 2: Twisted tinkers' triumph

@Tyki
The drones seem to realize their information is being scrambled, as the information is saved temporarily on the Command Drone. There is only one of these specialized drones for every hundred standard Recon Drones, and unlike it´s compatriots it isn´t equipped with advanced sensory equipment. Instead, it serves as a communcations relay and information storage relay. The data acquired is as such preserved, as the Command Drone then proceeds to leave the jammed zone, and then send the information to Babylon. Should no further obstacle present itself, all information would as such reach Babylon, albeit with considerable delay.

[Sergeant, jamming methods have been detected on the planetary surface. The penalty for obstruction of information gathering is removal from responsibility. Dependent on the severity of the infraction, additional penalties may be added, including but not limited to isolation from society and permanent marking. If you should continue to exhibit such actions, you will be considered guilty of these crimes, and in accordance with Foreign Policy, your sentence will be negotiated with your superiors.] The drone ship sends this message to the Planetary Sergeant, as a response to his attempts to block the acquisition of information.

As the Sergal attempts to communicate with Odin, she finds that any signal she sends is simply blocked from entering the system. The closed system structure of Odin makes it impossible to hack from the outside, as there simply is no access. Furthermore, any attempt at scanning Odin's systems is similarly impossible, as all scans are blockaded by Babylon IV's shields. "I retain the right to investigate any world that borders my empire. It's military systems are included into that. I don't give a shit about your privacy, and I don't give a shit what you do anywhere else. However, any weapon stationed in an adjacent solar system poses a potential risk to my empire, and I will investigate this threat."

The satellite is currently simply held in an armoured area within Babylon, constructed for the purpose of holding foreign artifacts of unknown purpose. Here it would be scanned in detail, the data of which would later be studied by Matt.

HCL 2: Twisted tinkers' triumph

[request to limit scanning points denied] the Command Ship replies. Moments later, the Drone Carrier activates, each of the hatches opening a new portal. Each portal was about 1km in diameter, and capable of transporting large quantities of matter from pre-determined points. The technology utilized was in many ways similar to what the Sergal used in their way gates. It could only link to specific locations, but was significantly more stable and durable than a more general teleportation system.

From the portal emerged large cylinders which dropped down into the atmosphere. After passing the sheilds, these cylinders break apart into hundreds of individual flattened spheres, which spread over the country. Many of these large cylinders are dropped, teleported in from the production/holding facilities placed at some other location within Matt's empire. Around 100 drones fit within a single cylinder, and one cylinder was launched to the location of each city or military gathering. Any location with jamming equipment is targetted with a cylinder as well, 100 drones per location.

Thousands of drones buzz through the streets, through the clouds, through the centres for trade and production. It's a rather surprising sight for the citizen, but interference with their daily lives is kept to a minimum, as are inspections of civilian homes. Every detail is noted, encrypted, transmitted and catalogued. Although the Sergal are able to capture the transmissions if they wish, the language used is completely foreign to them, and they have no method of translating it. Every single civilian was scanned, every lifeform studied, every product catalogued. Those areas containing jammers were invaded and scanned regardless, the jamming overcome by the sheer variety and strength of various specialist drones, as the more important military systems, such as the shield generators on the planet, are scanned in detail. It would be important for Matt to study this technology later.

The weapons were mostly focused around energy projection, which seemed to be a technology mastered by the Sergal. At least the civilian weapons were as expected, laser-based weaponry utilizing the same mana-based energy sources as the ships, if on a smaller scale. However, the details of the schematics give a clearer idea as to how the mana was being manipulated.

The food was heavily modified for high-speed growth, much like Matt's own creations. However, this use of plants caused the ground to become rapidly devoid of nutrients, ensuring the prediction that within 5 years or less no plantlife would be capable of growing on this planet any longer. It was unknown whether the Sergal were unaware of this, whether they had a system in place to replace the naturally ocurring nutrients, or whether they saw the food production as so expendable. The quality of the food was high, clearly engineered for the purpose of better feeding the inhabitants. The content of the fruits said much about the inhabitants' biology.

The shield generators were completely different from Matt's own systems, which relied on a combination of gravitational fields and false mass to block incoming attacks. While Matt's shields were mainly constructed to block matter-based attacks, their shields were of a magical nature, and seemed to create a powerful physical barrier. This would be resistant to almost all forms of energy, as well as being capable of blockading matter. The only way to break through would be to deal sufficient damage to the shields to outdo the power supply keeping them active.

Several turrets on the planet surface aimed up into space, clearly built to withstand global siege. They were of little interest, as they were a fairly simple yet effective build of EMP, as well as a number of powerful energy projection weapons. It was clear this was not a core world, as the defenses would not be capable of withstanding a dedicated assault, but they remained formidable for a colony. They provided some insight as to the great military strength of the Sergal, if nothing else.

The alloys and metals utilized by the Sergal were inferior to the military grade materials utilized by Matt, but this was simply due to their relative inexperience with the variety of elements found throughout the multiverse. This showed evidence of rapid expansion without customization, whilst their technology was great, it had been acquired in a short period of time. The Sergal were not yet comfortable with the technology, and had not yet refined it.

Meanwhile, the additional sattelites sent by the colonial sergeant reached Allied Space, and were consequently annihilated. The exact cause of their destruction was unknown to the Sergal, although they could wager a guess that it was the 'automatic defense systems' that Matt had described earlier. "If I didn't know better, I'd think you were trying to send objects into orbit around my planet after being reprimanded for doing so. I would recommend that you cease such activities. No object will be allowed to enter orbit around RH-01 until they have been investigated by me personally. No exceptions."

The only spaceport within this dimension under Matt's control is the one currently under construction on RH-01, the first and only planet in this dimension that Matt has laid claim to. The rest of the list includes 5 different locations, all of which are within a certain system not yet visited by the Sergal. If Elecia were to move to any of these location, she would find that no trade occurs at these ports, and the only ones who entered were those from different empires. The people of Matt's empire had no access to space ships, and all interplanetary travel was done through method of portals.

"I have no need for goods from your people, my personal production equals my use at all times. However, I might be interested in an exchange of technology. Your people seems to utilize a method of energy manipulation unfamiliar to me, which I would like to investigate further if possible."

HCL 2: Twisted tinkers' triumph

@Teoinsanity
All right, provided it makes sense within the context of his situation.

I'm mildly surprised nobody came up with a hairbrained scheme to try and save you, especially after you sent a message to all other characters you know. I guess they all just kinda ignored you.

Also, if you don't manage to escape, I have plans in place for your continued safety.

HCL 2: Twisted tinkers' triumph

The sattelite was intercepted en route by a small worker ship, primarily used in the construction and maintenance of space-based structures. A powerful magnetic net captured the sattelite, before it was transported towards Babylon IV, where it would be thoroughly investigated for any possible threats. Only after confirmation of it's harmlessness and a thorough study of it's composition would it be allowed to enter orbit around Matt's worlds.

The ships respond as such. [Recon Drones for extensive scan of weapons and defensive systems. Acquisition of details pertaining to global activities and production facilities. Strictly non-military usage. Request for system scan pending. Request for alteration of orders denied, as it contradicts the primary objective.]

Matt receives the request for a system scan, as he worldlessly issues his commands through neurological link.

[System Scan authorized for Drone Carrier and Recon Drone. Request Denied for other ships.] The Drone Carrier lowers it's shields, allowing the Sergal scans to penetrate it. They find the systems wholly unintelligible, completely foreign from their own grasp on technology. However, they do discover that, unlike previously believed, there were no hollow spaces within the Drone Carrier, and it contained no Drones. Instead, it seemed to house a massive engine of sorts. From the energy it was emitting, the Sergals were able to make out that it functioned as some form of portal generator.

"I have no intention of performing hostile action, provided your people do not initiate conflict. I have nothing to gain from this war beyond a few measly planets, which would undoubtedly be destroyed during the battle. However, if you continue to prove hostile, then I shall be forced to respond with force. I cannot afford to have another threat on my borders, nor can I afford to allow an enemy of my empire to retain any form of power." Mathew's words, although carefully chosen, were true. Should the Sergal turn out to be an enemy, he would be forced to hunt down every remaining member of their race. Too often had he seen what even a small group of survivors could do, were they allowed to escape. "The final decision rests with you."

HCL 2: Twisted tinkers' triumph

@Tyki
((Forgot to reply to the sattelites))
"I would need to personally investigate any device that would be placed in orbit around my planets. Not just a model, every individual device would need to be checked and scanned thoroughly." Matt had more to say, but he was cut off by the broadcast he received from the planetary sergeant. Sighing, Matt turned it into a three-way call, as the Sergeant informed him of his ship's actions. Of course, such a response had been anticipated, but Matt had no time nor patience to deal with niceties right now. "My ships are not exhibiting hostile intent whatsoever. My ships are scanning your planets for weaponry so that if you turn out to be a threat to my empire, it will take less time to crush you."

Matt stands, as he looks at the two holographic figures before him. "I own more planets than you can imagine. My emperor has lasted since before your race existed. The only reason you continue to exist is because annihilating you would be a waste of resources. If you turn out to pose a threat to me, however, then your annihilation is suddenly well worth my time." Matt holds out his hand, as a robotic arm hands him a cup of an unknown liquid, which he sips. "I will not enter your territory unarmed. Nor will I disarm myself in front of you. I have no wish for war, but if you believe I will show weakness you are incorrect. If you wish for war, then I can only promise that I will make your defeat a swift one."

The ships respond, the on-board AI selecting the best method of response for the situation. [Our current task consists of extensive scans of each planet within this solar system, notification and classification of all structures. No military tasks have been issued. Fully authorized for armed retaliation.] The two drone ships seem to move to the bottom of the formation, moving into a low orbit over the most heavily equipped planet, as several hatches open along the sides. [Permission to launch Recon Drones?]

HCL 2: Twisted tinkers' triumph

[@Teoderpanity]
Nope, only Soular Manipulation counts as Soular Manipulation.

The only kinds of magic that function are Stein's Soular powers and the Force, which have been classified as different aspects of the same art.

HCL 2: Twisted tinkers' triumph

The Colonial Sergeant, assuming he is capable of performing scans, would notice something rather surprising. There were clearly several classes of ships, but the scan results were puzzling at best. First and foremost of which was the fact that while the ships seemed to be battle ships, there were very few identifiable weapons, or energy projection technology whatsoever. Secondly there was the fact that 3 of the ships contained to room for a cockpit, or any room for crew whatsoever.

The Annihilation Barge was heavily shielded and armoured, and carried 8 light energy projection turrets. However, these weapons clearly weren't designed to deal damage to ships above fighter class, and wouldn't even inflict serious damage to an armoured hull. There were two large turrets on the side, but there were no energy readings emitting from them. It's propulsion system seemed to be designed for speed with nearly no maneauverability, but it would be able to outrun most foes.

The Drone Carrier had a heavy shield, stronger even than the Annihilation Barge, but almost no armour plating. It was equipped with no visible weapons, and seemed to serve as a large troop transport. However, much like the other ships, it seemed to lack life support and artificial gravity.

The central ship was equipped with powerful sensory equipment, as well as a variety of miscellaneous gear of unknown purpose. It seemed not to serve any military goal besides regulating the other ships, as well as serving as the fleet's 'eye'. It was heavily shielded, but only bore light armour plating.

In response to the message sent by the Colonial Sergeant, he received an automated return message. "By order of Emperor Matt, stand down. Firing or aiming of weapons systems will be seen as an act of war, and will result in the annihilation of your person, and any and all forces under your command. Should you act on orders of superiors, they will be annihilated, as well as any and all personnel under their command." The ships then proceeded to move through the system, as the Command Ship began scanning the planets. Their mission was to scan each planet present, as well as any space stations they might encounter. If necessary, however, they were fully equipped to perform the extermination they had promised.

HCL 2: Twisted tinkers' triumph

@Teoinsanity
As it's not directly powered by his Soul, it will not function within The Lab.