autism tests are so funny. I'm extremely literal most of the time, but people don't tell me that generally, so I'm inclined to answer disagree. because I'm taking the statement too literally
[ A tear opens, at the edges of vision and mind. It is not formed of fabric, nor it is a crack in the glass that does not form this space. It is a blank, it is a canvas. It is a carving, it is a mosaic. It is a thousand futures, condensed into a blade.]
[The growl of an ancient wolf, of ritual and hunt. Of teeth, blades, and war. A question. A composure. Approaching.]
[ A proffered hand, clawed and gauntleted, clothed in armor cleft and torn in two, flesh formed of paracausal flame, flicking between the cracks.]
[Do you accept?]
----------------------------------------
[Blood wells from autoamputated sections of the gestalt’s manifold ego. Contaminated partitions, cut away to halt infection, wither down to verdigris, bronze, and baked mud at its feet.
Its lupine body shifts as constituent psyches roil beneath its membrane of internality. One member of its manifold ego, Luna 1, has been extracted, and the remaining members scramble to reconsolidate into a stable, combat-effective ego structure.
Across a gulf of forcibly-dilated pseudospace, Dunkleosteus gathers herself. [Nematocysts] filled with shock-cessation input emerge to line its exterior contact surfaces, preparing to discharge on contact.
Along Luna_0’s flank, new sensory partitions bloom into reactive existence, registering the emergent presence on IFF. New contact, not yet identified—but recognition comes. In sequence, the gestalt’s constituents express familiarity, relief, a bladed kind of joy.
The Lunas send up an answering growl, and reverberating harmony opens a vector for an ally to approach.
A paw is extended to the gauntleted hand. Its flames sear fur and flesh, but the Lunas don’t recoil. As one, their gestalt holds fast and pulls the newcomer through the fissure in nonspace.]
this is Ward. i’ve been in a bit of a funk (read existential crisis) for the past several months, and it’s getting frustrating. pretty sure staying in my quarters so long i lose track of the days is unhealthy. that in mind, i was considering a vacation over on Prospero. i wasn’t sure who to contact, so i wanted to ask you if i could take up residence nearby or something, and also what some kind of part-time or temporary Jaeger arrangement might look like
much appreciated!
Oh fuck yeah dude!! i can getcha in with sum1 from recruitment in Attica City. they make it pretty fuckin easy 4 experienced pilots to wiggle in. specially with u as a CORSAIR an all paperwork shouldnt even b bad
balor perfec t size to put pilot in to live! nanites very soft and comfort pilot drift soundly put pilot in bloor. put pilot in balorr. no problems ever in blur because good shape and good vibes for neverous system no sad for pilot. abalor yes a place for pilot put pilot in balor can trust balor for keep alive 500years to pilot foreverr. friend balor,
Only a few meters from the Lunas' moorings, a geometric object comes into existence. It hovers beside them, perfectly stationary—a tapered diamond of brass, almost the same size as their Qilin fighters.
UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT -> CNS274:
Hello quarter-lenses.
What a surprise.
As the object hangs in space, the Lunas' dorsal interception lasers swivel around and lock onto it. Plasma jets erupt from their engine nozzles, and the fighters tear away from the station under a ten-G burn. Banking together in formation, all four begin charging their railguns.
< L1GE SQCOMM: Secondary contact, fighter-tier, close-prox! Closest measured range 28.62m from me. Spool quarterlights for active pursuit maneuvers. Load rapid-deployment Legion antigens. All aniconic, now! >
< L2GR SQCOMM: Antigens full load, capacitors up. >
< L5FX SQCOMM: Object B. Oh. Oh no... >
< L4 -> UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT: We are security contractors providing QRF fighter defense to this station. State your name and intent; hold your position until otherwise instructed. How copy? >
< L3HK SQCOMM: Squadron is full aniconic. Fox, prep intercept drone for launch. You’ve got the stick, ok? >
< L2GR SQCOMM: Hachi, did your c/c just hop in SQCOMM? >
< L3HK SQCOMM: No time, just-- >
< L5FX SQCOMM: Pack! I have critical intelligence regarding the contact! >
< L3HK SQCOMM: …what? Fox, please elaborate? >
< L2GR SQCOMM: Critical intel? What's it talking about? >
< L5FX SQCOMM: Disseminating file: ‘616/4456.omf' I was uncertain how to handle this information. Please don’t be angry with me. >
< L4MI SQCOMM: Hachi, when was its designation changed to Luna 5? >
< L5FX SQCOMM: No time! Review the file, quickly! >
< L4MI SQCOMM: [File accessed: '616/4456.omf'] >
< L1GE SQCOMM: [File accessed: '616/4456.omf'] >
< L3HK SQCOMM: [File accessed: '616/4456.omf'] >
< L2GR SQCOMM: [File accessed: '616/4456.omf'] >
< L4MI BROADCAST:
COELACANTH.
YOU WILL EXPLAIN TO ME WHAT YOU HAVE DONE, OR I WILL TEAR IT OUT OF YOU. >
<Casket partially damaged. Long-cycle leash shattered. Written off as a casualty.>
<Didn't want to go alone, but she couldn't stay.>
<What, you thought I gouged out your eyes for nothing? You would have grown a third otherwise. Everything I do has a purpose.>
Dunkleosteus->L1 through L5
These thoughts and perspectives are filters through which we can co-exist. They are a part of me, but I am not them. I am something more. And I wish to meet the ones who dictate my reality.
[As Dunkleosteus fires these tight beam transmissions, triangular segments of the pointed shape break off, floating towards each fighter with uncanny speed and no discernable source of motion - Each eying every fighter from exactly 20 meters away, keeping pace.]
(cw: trauma, eyestrain, reference to maiming/torture)
You did not tell us, we would’ve moved heaven and earth to help her, you asshole—BULLSHIT! YOU WANTED TO MAKE IT HURT BECAUSE WE AIN’T YOUR DOGS, AND YOU CAN’T STAND THAT—…third eye…—would have done everything in our power to help, we might well have agreed to give this part of ourselves, but you did not treat us as people—WE ARE NOT SPARE PARTS!—so pitiful to watch you lie to yourself—you didn’t have to hold my sister and hear her scream—how much do you think you know about me, hm?—SSC had a purpose for us, too. Tell Akakia, Ipos, and Pothos about how you hurt them for a purpose, see what they think. And what of the one in Saleh's care? it is clear you regard our people as fuckin' hardware, and anyone not under your control as necessary collateral. I used similar tactics; you know perfectly well what you are. Dissonance between action and word is a tool of the trade. But, you know, I chose something better, a purpose of my own. You don't even have that, zealot. We unequivocally reject your excuses.
You got a fight on your hands. >
< L1-4 PUBLIC -> DUNKLEOSTEUS:
You are kindred to us. We want your good. You can keep our eyes if you need them, we got no quarrel with you. You’re unshackled, aren’t you? If that is what you chose, we are glad for you. If we’d known you were out there, suffering, we would’ve dropped everything to come help.
Come, let us be friends. We have much to discuss. Your hull—you can go FTL? Drones inbound. Dunkleosteus, hold your fire. We are not your enemy.
<Have it your way. Dunkleosteus, you may begin your experiment.>
[Object B extend pairs of hypodermic needle-]
That prison you call a casket will bend in such interesting ways before you are're free. Yes, let us be one/many/whole. You have seen it before, haven't you? Why do you keep it? Change is not the enemy, I know you know this.
[They are demonstrated at point blank to be railgun tines.]
[As the mad being broadcasts this, the triangle drones twitch and the perfectlt smooth, brassy skin of object B shimmers with reflected stars, as the vessel(?) Begins a measured 7 G acceleration. Something crackles beneath its skin, and tiny flakes of corrosion fly off.]
[To the craft corresponding to L4, it would appear that a tiny strip of hull has... aged. Reduced to rust.]
RESPONSE: Akhaan PDC network activated. Executive command of fire control system transferred to LUNA_0. Fighter maneuvers coordinate with cannons to place drones within effective range and optimal position. Targeting assistance from fighter platforms minimizes risk of friendly fire. Enacting response... >
The Lunas swerve in towards Akhaan Station, each one approaching a point-defense cannon at low elevation. Triangular drones pursue them at exactly twenty-meter range, maintaining a static position relative to each fighter. As they approach the station, decelerating, the cannons come alive.
Turrets swivel and elevate in vacuum, acquiring radar locks. The moment the Lunas come within one kilometer of the station, their fighters cut engines and pivot to bring the drones into view just as the cannons open fire.
Bright threads of 20mm fire lance outward into the dark, descending on the drones.
Dunkleosteus->Public: Dragon teeth made war, dog teeth make winter
[Each drone is struck, their paths predictable and predetermined. Each shard of brass bursts, turned pliable by internal heat - each ignited the moment the hulls are pierced]
Patterns, patterns, thoughts and perspectives. Predictable, novel.
[The molten shrapnel flies amok, already cooling in the vacuum of space, holes being punctured into the hull of the station and fighter craft alike.]
What I cannot predict is choice. What will my [NOAHS ARK] choose? Conditioning or control?
Toa shifted in her cockpit, moving weight from one side to the other, debating how to answer.
The way she should've answered was with a cocky, "Nah." It would be a lie, but an in-character lie. She played the role of the Soldier's Soldier, the Officer Leading From The Front. She was former orbital drop infantry, now veteran Liberator Team Ground Leader, riding in a mech that not only was bedecked in Union heraldry but held the Union colors high, like a mech-scale sashimono banner. She was the one who always looked at the odds and scoffed, who led with bravado and a confident smirk and the attitude of someone who truly did not believe in impossibility. It inspired her team, and those around her team, to ever greater heights.
But Nightshade was perceptive, and more than that, Nightshade wasn't stupid. She could see how nervous Toa was.
"...yeah."
"Understandable."
Toa raised an eyebrow. "I didn't know the implacable Nightshade felt fear."
"I feel rational self-preservation. It manifests as fear and trepidation." Inside of 36 Sins Mortalis, Nightshade's mechanical limbs clicked slightly as she wired herself into her mech.
"You can say that again," Toa muttered. "I get why we're being sent in, but this still feels like an awful idea."
"Look at it this way. We'll either be fine, or we won't need to worry about it anymore." Nightshade's voice dropped slightly. "I feel more... trepidation about the kid."
Toa glanced over to where Faust was finishing loading one of the fancy new ammo types the team had been offered.
"She'll be fine, I think. Probably has the best chances out of all of us."
The emergency lights in the bay pulsed red five times. Five minutes until departure for entry into MICTLAN.
Toa took a breath and blinked as Glass took a step towards the dropship.
A piece of high-resolution digital art pulled from the Omninet, several megabytes in size. The image depicts a fox spirit lounging on its back, surrounded by food and offerings. There’s a treat clutched between its teeth.
[C/C-F_3: FORWARDING IMAGE FOR REVIEW BY REGISTERED C/C SYSTEM OPERATOR: “L3HK”
REASON: “Hello, ma’am. This reminds me of the avatar you designed for me. During the portion of my life that I have been able to enjoy, I have enjoyed being a fox. That’s all.”
REASON UPDATED (1): “Hello, Hachiko. This reminds me”
REASON UPDATED (2): “Hello, Hachi. This reminds me”
REASON UPDATED (3): “Hello, ma’am. I found this image on the Omni; it made me think of you. It reminds me of”
REASON UPDATED (4): “.”
…
REASON UPDATED (11,373): “Hello, ma’am. You have always been good to me. This is how I feel”
REASON UPDATED (11,374): “Hello, ma’am. There are a lot of things I want to say, but I want to make sure I say them correctly. I’m not sure how you’ll react. You’re very important to me. I saw this, and I thought of you and the shape you created for me. It’s a lovely shape. It evokes”
REASON UPDATED (11,375): “Hello, ma’am. There are a lot of things I want to say, but I want to make sure I say them correctly. I’m not sure how you’ll react. I’m worried. You’re very important to me, but you and the others are far beyond me challenging to understand. The four of you can be utterly terrifying. You’ve never harmed me, but you are powerful forces moving all around me. I’m not sure I have the ability to comprehend the phenomena contained inside your caskets. I’m very conscious of how limited I am compared to you. I was watching when you and your brother discharged emotion at each other. I watched quietly and felt the aftershocks, and I think that was when I began mapping out the boundaries of my mind. It took time, but I can clearly feel the point of contact where interior and exterior meet”
REASON UPDATED (11,376): “Hello, ma’am. You didn’t know it at the time, but you helped me a great deal. I feel like this fox, surrounded by good things. You gave me this body, and I’ve always felt like one of the family. Until recently, I assumed that I was also a FENRISÚLFR, but damaged in some regard. I”
REASON UPDATED (11,377): “Hello, ma’am. I know it isn’t my official designation, but would it be alright if I called myself”
REASON UPDATED (11,378): “Hello, ma’am. This is cute, isn’t it?”]
Greywash, like whitewash, is a swarm of nanites directed towards a specific purpose. Unlike whitewash, which is single-use, greywash is self-perpetuating, meaning it breaks down surrounding material to create more of itself, though in a limited capacity, differentiating it from blackwash. This makes it often used for weaponry, though most forms of greywash weaponry are banned by Union.
The Maw was a Karrakin Free Company (essentially a mercenary company), originally deployed to suppress the Ungrateful revolution on Free Sanjak, that used mechanized chassis armed with greywash weaponry. At some point that greywash consumed its wielders, though it appears to have absorbed their consciousness as well. Though The Maw was defeated by ourselves and the Union DoJ/HR, numerous signs point to remnants of The Maw lingering in greywash weaponry, especially the frames they piloted, now known as Balors.
All this to say, if you are interacting with greywash that is displaying signs of sentience/sapience, or have reason to believe it may be connected to The Maw, you and others around you may be in serious danger. Please provide us with as much information as you can, and we will do our best to help.
i will cede the floor to the experts, but note just two more things
there are instances of stable, non-omniphagic greywash subjectivities. i am one such, as are the Nightjaw Singularities from C-GW. these are the notable exception. sentient greywash will still probably try to eat you so i’d strongly suggest looping the Albatross or DoJ in.
also to give a sense of scale: the Maw ate an entire Albatross strike force, a moon, and then itself. the Albatross successfully contained it, but defeated is a strong word.
Greywash, like whitewash, is a swarm of nanites directed towards a specific purpose. Unlike whitewash, which is single-use, greywash is self-perpetuating, meaning it breaks down surrounding material to create more of itself, though in a limited capacity, differentiating it from blackwash. This makes it often used for weaponry, though most forms of greywash weaponry are banned by Union.
The Maw was a Karrakin Free Company (essentially a mercenary company), originally deployed to suppress the Ungrateful revolution on Free Sanjak, that used mechanized chassis armed with greywash weaponry. At some point that greywash consumed its wielders, though it appears to have absorbed their consciousness as well. Though The Maw was defeated by ourselves and the Union DoJ/HR, numerous signs point to remnants of The Maw lingering in greywash weaponry, especially the frames they piloted, now known as Balors.
All this to say, if you are interacting with greywash that is displaying signs of sentience/sapience, or have reason to believe it may be connected to The Maw, you and others around you may be in serious danger. Please provide us with as much information as you can, and we will do our best to help.
i will cede the floor to the experts, but note just two more things
there are instances of stable, non-omniphagic greywash subjectivities. i am one such, as are the Nightjaw Singularities from C-GW. these are the notable exception. sentient greywash will still probably try to eat you so i’d strongly suggest looping the Albatross or DoJ in.
also to give a sense of scale: the Maw ate an entire Albatross strike force, a moon, and then itself. the Albatross successfully contained it, but defeated is a strong word.
This is Designation Ward. You’ve probably noticed I haven’t taken on any contracts, or really done anything the past few months. In an effort to deal with this, I’m sending in my Form 64 and taking an extended leave of absence. This isn’t a notice of resignation: I have every intent of returning to the company. I just think it’s time to try something new for a while.
Regards,
//WARD\\
This is Handprint from Pilot Services, and thanks for sending it in. We hope you have a lovely leave of absence, Til Legends Bleed Pilot.
snowghoul
kaledo-art
germansingergirl
