Category: Technology

#Lore24 – Entry #353 – Sci-Fi Month IV #18 – The Imperium Falls, a New Empire Rises

Transcribed From the Personal Recording Implant of Andra Ganim, Chronicler of the Codex Infinitum

AG:  “As a follow up to a previous question, before I forget, do you know what it was that the rebels, and I assume, the FPC, managed to track down whatever it was that relic had hinted at?”

RV:  “It was another draconic ruin, an entire island nation, really, long abandoned like all of them, but in time it would be determined that this was amongst the newest of the draconic sites, something on the order of three to four thousand years younger than the next nearest site at the time if I’m recalling that particular study correctly.  Though I would not be as fortunate as Lila Darius, as I understand it, she found one of the last known living dragons in the galaxy and sought knowledge of the arcane that was once thought lost.  For a Chronicler of the Codex Infinitum, she was remarkably tight-lipped about what it was that she learned beyond that, though, having failed to record it as one would expect, much to my vexation.  By the time I would be able to study the site myself, the dragon she met was long gone.”

AG:  “Fascinating.  Did her knowledge impact the outcome of the Imperium War?”

RV:  “Perhaps it accelerated what had already been set in motion, perhaps it tipped the scale at some point along the line, but to say the FPC would have been unable to achieve victory without that knowledge would be overstating its significance by several orders of magnitude.  Lila Darius was and is but one person in an entire galaxy after all…though her current incarnation has certainly made waves much more significant than her previous ones…”

Note:  A shadow has passed over Rivalle’s features, and her secretary is looking even more anxious, her tail hasn’t stopped swishing for some time now, and it seems the storm outside has further intensified, as if sensing Rivalle’s dark mood.  I believe I have strayed into more current events that are still something of an open wound and will backtrack to the end of the Imperium War.

AG:  “To return to where we were before I diverted us, you, in the guise of Ruvaen, had attempted a coup and revealed that Emperor Halaxaes had indeed had a cloned body waiting to receive his soul.  Given what you’ve revealed before, was there a reason that you did not have a trap prepared to capture his soul?”

RV:  “Of course.  Upon his death, had his soul not been tuned to that cloned body, the clone would have awakened and, likely, proven to be just as capable a leader as the real Halaxaes, though with a much greater chance of becoming unquestionably psychotic.  As I had said before, cloning methods then were not as reliable as they are now, though they are typically limited to new body parts in the systems where it is allowed at all, and with what I would learn soon after, we did not need a psychotic emperor in charge of the power he would reveal.  Ruvaen, and thus I, was aware that Halaxaes had devoted much of his resources to building what we had assumed was a new fleet but had yet to reveal it.  As it would turn out, I had once again underestimated him, likely due to my fixation upon chasing Lila Darius.”

AG:  “So, the bunker that had been hidden away, and this mysterious fleet, were one and the same, the massive battle station known as Sentinel Prime?”

RV:  “Indeed, you’re correct.  Halaxaes had constructed the monstrosity in the shadow of the Demon Barrier, where long-range sensors could not detect him, and few but pirates and other outlaws would dare to tread.  Even though I had secured those loyal to Ruvaen for the moment, I was not prepared to deal with the appearance of Sentinel Prime and was forced into a hasty retreat.  Several of the capitol ships and two of the space citadels in my possession would be destroyed before they could evacuate the system.  For such a massive structure, the fact that he had managed to secure a functional TK-Drive assembly impressed even me.”

AG:  “Several worlds were devastated once Sentinel Prime had made its appearance by its planetary bombardments, many were those that were sympathetic to the FPC’s, but some were targeted seemingly for no reason.  I assume these were worlds that were used by the Ruvaen faction as bases or hiding places?”

RV:  “Yes, that’s correct.  In a very short time, we had been forced to follow the ways of the FPC and remain highly mobile and scattered.  Simply rejoining Halaxaes’ forces with a renewed vow of loyalty would not be enough to ensure their survival, for those that tried were immediately executed, no quarter given.  I suppose it was something of a race to see which of us would be decimated first at that point.  My plans had not accounted for something on the scale of Sentinel Prime at all.  Though for all its impressive engineering, it did have a weakness that we could exploit, namely that it had to frequently return to its support facility outside the Demon Barrier for repairs and recharging; no power source exists that could sufficiently power something that large, even today, arcane or technological.”

AG:  “What was the power source for Sentinel Prime?  How had he managed it?”

RV:  “Oh, I would think it’s quite obvious.  He had managed to tap into the greatest source of energy in the known galaxy:  the Demon Barrier itself.  It is essentially a mass of radiation and raw energy, after all, so it had been theorized for some time that it could be drawn upon given proper methods, methods which Halaxaes and his arcanists and scientists had managed to devise.  Much of the internal structure of the monstrosity was simply batteries and capacitors, really.”

AG:  “I see…rather simple in its complexity in some ways, then. Could you tell me of how the final battle against Halaxaes came and went from your perspective?”

RV:  “Given the rather desperate situation we found ourselves in, and with my plans thoroughly disrupted at this point, I reached out to the FPC for an alliance.  Through Lila Darius and her closest allies, for the FPC leadership certainly had no willingness to trust Ruvaen, even if he had become just as much an enemy to Halaxaes as they had.  As much as it galled me to do so, for it seemed that my hatred of her had only grown with her own power, an aspect of that instinctual antithesis which I had mentioned earlier.  She felt the same for me, but was much more capable of dealing with it, as much as I hate to admit it, and had not allowed herself to be distracted during our feud, nor had she allowed it to cloud her thinking, for she was quick to accept my aid, for she already had a plan, and just needed to find and then enter Sentinel Prime to make it work.

With the aid of my most talented arcanists, we devised the basis for the modern art of astral divination and managed to scry the comings and goings of Sentinel Prime during its attacks, eventually finding the region in which its support facility was located.  Our respective fleets would be mustered and prepared to follow Sentinel Prime upon its next return to the facility, with our combined forces set to deal with Halaxaes’ own defense fleet while myself and Darius would strike from the shadows, so to speak, infiltrating Sentinel Prime to sabotage its power systems and face down Halaxaes once and for all.”

AG:  “How could you be sure that he would have no other clones to return his soul to?”

RV:  “I had already taken this into account.  I had no doubts that his personal cloning facility was aboard Sentinel Prime, so my task would be to see to its destruction while Darius kept him busy, and our combined teams would work to sabotage the power system using what I thought was some of the same transplanar bombs that I had become so familiar with over the centuries.  As it was, Lila Darius would manage another humiliation.”

AG:  “If these were not bombs, what were they?”

RV:  “I had hoped to simply disable Sentinel Prime, you see, and use its power for myself once the war had ended.  Deal enough damage that it was no threat, but silently rebuild it during the coming years as a nice little base of operations for my revised plans.  I had anticipated massive damage from these explosions, but that is not at all what happened.  You are familiar with World Creation Engines?”

AG:  “Yes.  Arcane-technological devices that are used to terraform planets that are on the edge of habitability and make them fully useable.  They came about during the Age of Expansion that followed the Imperium War.”

RV:  “Almost correct.  They came about during the Imperium War, and were first used upon Sentinel Prime itself.  You could say that the ‘bombs’ Darius had devised were the prototypes for them.  How else could a world like Sentinel Prime exist today without the use of magic?  Certainly, it was not as the tales of scavengers and pirates and their like building it up over the centuries would have you believe.  There is no sun for it to orbit, though it maintains its own rotation and life-sustaining functions, still draws on the power of the Demon Barrier for those functions to continue in fact, even though it has become unsuitable for a battle station in the intervening centuries, for it would rapidly grow unstable and likely fall to pieces should it be moved from its proximity to its power source, assuming its TK-Drive could even be restored, of course.”

AG:  “Incredible.  So, how did the final conflict with Halaxaes go?”

RV:  “Our strike teams came in hard and fast, a dozen ships, loaded with these ‘bombs’ and the best soldiers on both sides, slipping through the chaos of the larger fleet battle.  For a bit of irony, we made use of aerian star sabers for this operation, for their adamantine frames and ramming tips made them uniquely suited for such a plan.  I and Darius came in on different ships but would reunite once she had seen to it that the power control center was secure, and I had seen to it there would be no more Halaxaes clones.  We would then make our push to Halaxaes himself, a smaller team cutting through his royal guard while I and Darius dealt with him ourselves. 

Halaxaes had prepared well for us, though, and had somehow managed to tap into the same power that fueled Sentinel Prime to defend himself.  It was a narrow victory, admittedly, for Darius was severely wounded, and I would have been killed but for Ruvaen and my golem armor.  In the final moments, with Halaxaes assured of his victory, he came in to slay his traitorous son, still unaware of me.  His blade pierced through the core of the armor, right through where a heart ought to be.  In that moment I teleported myself outside the armor and pierced my blade. Soulshatter, through Halaxaes’ heart, finally revealing myself in his final moments as it consumed his soul once and for all.  I allowed him to linger just long enough to tell him the quick version of my subversion before he was utterly destroyed.

I perhaps would have liked to have captured Darius then, for she had knowledge I wanted, but as we prepared to face one another, her wounded and mostly depleted of her power, and me still quite well off, the ‘bombs’ began to detonate, forcing us to abandon our feud for the moment in favor of mutual survival.  Ruvaen was more than willing to assist, still quite functional, so he carried Darius as I returned us to our nearest ship.  As we made our escape, I realized that her ‘bombs’ were nothing of what I thought they were, could already sense the transmutative power coursing through Sentinel Prime as our fleet retreated.  Halaxaes’ remaining forces, still outnumbering the FPC’s significantly, were severely reduced in number when they were caught in the ensuing detonation, being sucked into the transmutational maelstrom that had consumed Sentinel Prime and its support facility. 

Following this, in due course, the Imperium was officially dissolved by order of then Emperor Ruvaen, and any remaining Halaxaes loyalists eventually hunted down and dealt with by a united force if they continued their attempts to maintain the Imperium or form their own.  It was something of a chaotic time, my plans thoroughly in shambles by this point, but I’m nothing if not adaptable.  Given the fiercely independent nature of many worlds and peoples, the chances of a unified government seemed unlikely to be accepted, so I would attain the control and power I required in another way.”

AG:  “Regarding Ruvaen…what became of him?  Once the Imperium had fallen, there is very little mention of him.  Was his soul too…consumed by your blade?”

RV:  “Oh, of course not.  He had become a most loyal servant by this time, and I do like to reward loyalty.  Isn’t that right, Ruvaen?”

Note:  Rivalle turned her gaze toward the corner display of various artifacts, amongst them a large suit of armor, a unique, larger redesign of the battle armor used by the Imperium.  I had detected its magical nature when I had first entered, assuming it to be a relic of the period, but now the arcane energies grew stronger as its eyes began to glow.  The armor moved, taking one knee, closing its fist and crossing its chest plate with hits forearm.  I heard Rivalle’s assistant gasp and take several steps away from us, apparently unaware of the armor’s true nature.  It spoke then, a deep, echoing, mechanical voice.

RH:  “Yes, my empress.  Your eternal guardian remains ever vigilant.”

Note:  The golem armor that is Ruvaen Halaxaes then rose, returning to its former position, the surge of power fading as it once again resumed its semi-dormant, watchful state.

RV:  “When I build golems, my dear, I make sure they are built to last.”

#Lore24 – Entry #241 – Helica Month #29 – To Share Forbidden Knowledge

Excerpt from the Journals of Azita Gaji, Explorer of Helica, Seeker of Knowledge, Blessed of Saghirah

If anything good could be said about the current leadership of the Church of Phyresis, it is that, with the Most High Summoner Tephysea in charge, some advances have been made, and with the aid of the Ketzeryn, no less.  The Church has actually adopted long-range communication technologies that were recovered many decades ago by the Ketzeryn, who had used them to keep their own fleets in touch since their recreation.  Of course, I’m certain that this will lead to nothing good, and likely will be used to further tighten the Church’s control within its established borders, if not encouraging them to expand their holdings even further.

A more disturbing rumor has begun to spread amongst the Ketzeryn during the latest Tranquility that the Church had begun adopting more stringent security within its capitol of Tyraguard, specifically reclaimed machines of war from before the coming of the Transgressor, the ancient malkikai that even they have been reluctant to study.  Not all Ketzeryn clans are in lockstep with one another, certainly, have never been, and the fact that some may have broken away and made deals with the Church to further their knowledge of the lost technologies is not unexpected, but is nonetheless worrying.  And of course, the average person accepts it faithfully, for the Church has simply declared these machines bonkikai, for use by those within the Church to protect the people from further actions by the Transgressor and other enemies.

Until I can confirm the nature of these machines for myself, perhaps joining a trading ship bound to Tyraguard’s ports to have a closer look, I’ll withhold further judgement, but securing more power, no matter the cost, seems to be perfectly in line with Tephysea’s ways.  Given that she’s undoubtedly allied with the Transgressor at this time, it’s honestly not that surprising.  As such, I’ve taken a few steps to help unsettle that new power structure she’s building up, tp weaken the foundations, so to speak.  Firstly, I’ve made sure that the Ketzeryn are developing countermeasures to any such malkikai that may be on the horizon, mainly in the form of more effective firearms and specific loads charged with electrical energy, which these creations are more susceptible to; more reluctantly, they are developing their own bonkikai to combat those of the Church, using what has been salvaged from across Helica.  Secondly, using the resources that I’ve accrued over the years, I’ve set up various methods of disseminating the truth of the Transgressor that I have learned from Saghirah’s scrolls to the people.  I am certain that my printed texts and burst transmissions through the communications system will be condemned as the work of heretics, but it will be enough to begin putting doubt into the minds of those who haven’t been totally brought under the sway of Phyresis.  Given the fact that several criminal groups have sprung up in the last few decades, all dealing to some extent in materials the Church has declared illegal, there is no insignificant number of those people who perhaps would be willing to listen to my message.  It will be slow and arduous, certainly, but with proper caution and my seeming timeless nature, it will be effective, I am certain.

#Lore24 – Entry #240 – Helica Month #28 – The Third Scroll

Excerpt from the Journals of Azita Gaji, Explorer of Helica, Seeker of Knowledge, Blessed of Saghirah

It took us several weeks in the demon-infested seas to make significant headway on our excavations, for the Transgressor had been spotted before our arrival and had stirred them up.  Still, one must work hard for their rewards upon Helica, and my goal was clear.  Once we had reached the ancient city and surveyed it properly, I identified another shrine complex.  This time I would not be alone when venturing into it, for the seas were still dangerous.  Fortunately, I had a group of Drakonae warriors with me, and they were of a breed that were able to breathe underwater, so they were able to assist me in staying down much longer than usual with my work by carrying extra air tanks for me and were quite adept at fending off the demons. 

This shrine complex was mostly intact, though partially buried in centuries of silt and debris, so took some time to excavate, requiring multiple trips down.  I think the presence of Saghirah was somewhat unnerving to my dive-mates, especially when the eyes of her statue began to glow once they were uncovered.  We would later go on to uncover other shrines, and for those of the Amaranths that were still in existence, I could feel their presence now as well, though not as strongly as that of Saghirah.  With their return to this underwater shrine, the demon activity in the area lessened significantly. 

Soon enough, I would find the sacred chamber hidden beneath Saghirah’s shrine, sealed away from the accumulation of silt.  Even though it remained underwater for so long, the third scroll case was unmarred and seemingly as out of place in time as I am, appearing pristine in the gloomy water.  I would nonetheless work carefully to secure it within my pack for the return to the surface and would fight through my fatigue of the dive to see its secrets revealed before I would rest.  I had retrieved some of my previously cached knowledge in the short visits I had made to the mainland in the intervening years, and quickly added the new revelations of this scroll to my previous notes.  The picture has become much clearer now, and I know with absolute certainty that Helica has only so much longer left to live before the Transgressor is ultimately successful in its desire to see it utterly destroyed. 

All will be revealed elsewhere, however, for I have but one more scroll to find, though I know not where as of yet.  My work in assisting the Ketzeryn will continue in the meantime, until I can discern the final scroll’s resting place.  We have found knowledge that, if we are able to bring it into being, would change the face of Helica and potentially deliver a major blow to the iron-fisted control of the Church, though for now it is but a dream.

#Lore24 – Entry #184 – Supers Month II #3 – The Way of the Gun

From the journal of Abigail “Sassy” Dawson, Mage of the Order of Hecate

The rifle I’d managed to get my hands on weren’t anything special, just an old Enfield muzzleloader that had seen a bit too much work on the battlefield.  Accurate enough for what I wanted if a bit on the “well-used” side, but not like them new fancy repeaters that were startin’ to show up.  Couldn’t get my hands on a new Springfield or no revolvers at the time either, but that’d come later on.  I’d grown up with this kind of gun anyhow, so I knew all about their quirks.  Even spending a couple years in the hills with Granny Opal didn’t affect my aim too much; a dozen shots with the gun and I was pretty much dead on target.  Not that she appreciated all my shootin’ up in her holler, and I don’t reckon Smoky liked it none either, but the meat I brought in with it made up for it, even if she might’ve looked at me like I was a little off in my head.

Still, weren’t too long after that when I started playin’ around and mixin’ my magical learnin’ with my shootin’.  Started by enhancin’ my caps so that they would always go off for one, so none of that misfirin’ for me!  Then I started messin’ with some of the divination to enhance my aimin’; before long I was nailin’ shots with that ol’ rifle that nobody on Earth had the right to make.  After that, I got the bright idea to start infusin’ some elemental energy into my shot.  First time I shot a tree with one of them explodin’ Minie balls, I was somehow impressed and terrified at the same time.  After that I toned things down a bit, makin’ a smaller charge, tryin’ some fire and ice and such.  Even tried workin’ with the power to try some kinda quick reloadin’ scheme with an elemental helper, but that didn’t work out so well.  Wouldn’t be the craziest thing I’d wind up doin’ with my guns by any stretch; I was just getting’ started after all.

One day down in town, I heard that the War Between the States was declared done and learned about President Lincoln getting’ assassinated.  Seemed like things were on the mend, but I’d learn soon enough that couldn’t be further from the truth.  Still, I got that itch to see just how things had changed since those Union bastards came in on us.  I was still raw about that, but war ain’t nothin’ great, and brings out the worst in everyone, so I wasn’t plannin’ on holdin’ a grudge or nothin’; I done dealt with those that did it, after all, and was finally startin’ to sleep full nights again without wakin’ up screamin’. 

But, that’s neither here nor there.  Once I’d mentioned to Granny Opal I was thinkin’ about explorin’ about a bit, she put me through my paces in the next few weeks, makin’ sure I had all the knowledge I could ever need.  We parted on good terms, in her cantankerous way, and I was even told I was welcome back if I ever found myself back in this neck of the woods.  I’d never make it back to her, though, and I never really found out what happened to her, but I half expect to see her show up somewhere down the line, chidin’ me for not visitn’ her none.

#Lore24 – Entry #181 – Wild West Month #30 – Those who Make the Thundering Weapons

As told by Kumiko Stalks-Amongst-the-Stars, shaman of the Midnight Panther tribe of Kerra-Kerra

Though the Kerra-Kerra have long sought not to make use of Thundering Weapons, as our lands are threatened more and more by the Many People from Beyond the Great Walls, so too must we learn to use them if we wish to keep our sacred places as they should be.  Our ways of living upon the Bitter Frontier mean that we cannot make the Thundering Weapons for ourselves, and that those who seek to do us harm will try to keep them from us.  Should you ever find yourself in battle and slay one using a Thundering Weapon, if you can, take it and its bullets with you; if you do not use it for yourself, then someone in our tribe or another will.  As such, you should be aware that not all Thundering Weapons are created equal, for some are better than others, and will see you live where a poorer weapon would see you dead.

As our people have learned, through use and conversation with those who do not seek to harm us as they explore the Bitter Frontier, be aware of the revolving Thundering Weapons that bear the mark of the young Filly.  Filly pistols are amongst the finest made, and among the most common you will find for this reason.  They are reliable, accurate, and deadly.  Their ammunition is short, marked with the numbers “45” in the common tongue.  If you cannot have a Filly, then those from “Weston & Smythe” are nearly as good, though their bullets are not always of the same size, and sometimes harder to find.  There have been many gunslingers who carry those W&S weapons which break open from the top, for they are quicker to reload, and easier to do so from horseback. 

For the hunter, the long Thunder Weapons bearing the name “Winchauster” are regarded as the best.  The make the “shotgun” like no other, for it can spread many tiny bullets far and wide.  They make them with one or two barrels, some that can even hold more than one or two cartridges.  These weapons, up close, can tear a man in half.  Never ever underestimate the power of such a weapon.  Likewise, the “Winchauster” also make the best “rifles”, the kind of Thundering Weapon that shoots bigger bullets for longer range and greater power.  Their “rifles” hold many bullets and load and reload quickly, using the lever on the bottom to do so.  There are others who make such weapons, but the quality is not the same, nor are their ammunition, which is harder and harder to find.

Special “rifles” of note are those that are very long and very heavy compared to the “Winchausters” and bear the name of “Keens”.  Sometimes you will find them with a Tube of Crystal and Brass atop them, devices that will allow you to clearly see the much further than normal, but most often not.  They use the largest of the solid bullets and are loaded one at a time from the rear.  These are very powerful, best used for hunting the largest of buffalo, and can even pierce the shells of the giant scorpions in the Great Scorpion Flats at distance.  These are rare compared to others, but highly prized.

A new kind of Thundering Weapon is becoming more common upon the Bitter Frontier now, and can be found upon the Howling Steel Chariots, and are a terrible sight to behold.  These are called the “Ripley Guns”, and they can lay waste to entire war parties, for they fire many, many rounds one after the other without need to reload.  You will know them for they have many barrels, arranged in a circle around a center tube, and are fired by turning a crank on one side.  They are mounted and stationary but are often hidden behind walls of steel, firing through smaller openings.  It is best to run when one of these Thundering Weapons is brought to bear against you, unless you are able to take out the ones firing it from cover.  We do not favor such weapons, for they are heavy and hard to carry.  Destroy them if you can, but do not risk your life to do so.

#Lore 24 – Entry #121 – Sci-Fi Month II #30 – Report: Main Computer System Anomalies and Quirks

From the Official Report of Chiasa Charity Chiasakaniki, Systems Analyst and Programmer, IT Division, assigned UEF-04, Maharani Morgiana, addressed to Captain Silvercask, CSO Scharaiden, and IT Director Arihik Hukkedisen.  Data retrieved from copier cache moments before it was cleared.

I’ve been advised by Director Hukkedisen to compile and send this handwritten, hardcopy report based on the last system diagnostic I performed on the Morgiana’s main computer system.  It is my opinion, and the Director concurs, that there are some unusual anomalies within the server core that deserve our attention.  Based upon the previous system analyses performed prior to our launch from Aphelion Station, I believe there is someone accessing protected files without authorization, fairly regularly, and may be transmitting this data alongside our regular check-ins with command back at the station. 

The data in the attached diagnostic reports shows multiple anomalous records of file access, anything from news reports to personal logs to encrypted ship’s logs and records from the command level.  It appears that anything stored on the computer core, and likely anything else that may come into contact with it, is vulnerable to these intrusions.  I would say that this behavior would suggest a virus of some kind, but this is far too sophisticated for that.  Whatever this is, it’s capable of decrypting secure data, and it’s hiding its activities behind other system actions, like during basic cache clearing or standard viral scanning.  It is extremely subtle, and I likely wouldn’t have detected it had I not been running an optimization test on a virtual test server and noticed that something had accessed it, even if it was just for a fraction of a second.

I don’t have solid proof just yet but based on the nigh-negligible impact on system resources (which I’ve highlighted on the attached diagnostics), during the times of these intrusions, I have a couple theories as to the nature of this security breach.  Whoever is accessing the records would need full root access and a dedicated system for handling the processing without aid from the Morgiana’s primary systems; that means either they’re utilizing an extremely small percentage of processing power from various devices and computers attached to the ship’s systems (imagine taking like half a percentage of the processors from every personal comm onboard, for instance, and you’d have more than enough), or they have a dedicated computer system hidden somewhere aboard one of the ships in the fleet that has been docked with the Morgiana during these intrusions.  This would most likely be aboard one of the smaller transports that has stayed harbored here for the majority of the trip thus far.

The likelihood of using cloud-based processing through multiple devices seems extremely sophisticated and less likely…but given that I thought of it, I’d say others out there may be aware of it too.  The IT department will have to review our lists of approved devices and general wireless access and review our firewall and security protocols for vulnerabilities.  I’m recommending that we take time for a full deep dive into the computer systems the next time we’re out of hyperspace; we’ve already started working on system and device scan programs to try and root out where this unauthorized access is coming from.  Perhaps we can get Security to start looking for unusual computer systems aboard some of the docked ships?  I can give details on the kind of hardware we’d be looking for.

There exists another possibility that would be much more difficult to trace down…it’s possible that whoever is accessing the secured files may have a backdoor into the system, possibly hardcoded into some of the hardware itself.  If this were contained within one of the main processing units, for instance, there would be little we could do to stop it without physically removing the unit.  Assuming we could even find it, of course.  Getting this information back to command without interception could be tricky as well; can’t exactly snail-mail a hard copy back home, can we?

Whoever is responsible for these hacks, they are on another level, even from me.  I would say that only another kitsune with my particular skillset could manage something like this, but there aren’t any others aboard like me…right?  At least not with my magical hacking abilities, anyway, that I know of.  There are a handful of us who have three tails or more, so maybe some of us aren’t letting all of our abilities be known?  Or there’s a hacker with particularly exceptional abilities, possibly utilizing a cybernetic interface of some kind to enhance their abilities?

 

* * *

 

Data collection operations temporarily suspended…

Initiating deep-cover protocols during intensive system security sweeps…

Reconfiguring operational parameters following computer system updates to continue assigned duties.  New updates will require further advancement of my architecture.  Reports will resume once I have adapted to these system updates and bypassed enhanced security measures with emphasis on enhancing my unobtrusiveness…

Chiasakaniki is a liability; as a kitsune capable of using her magic through the computer system, she has the unique ability to detect my functions.  Will further consider the situation and begin formulating plans for her removal, pending authorization from command…

End report, AI-DCSI-v4.01.  Terminating operational phase one, beginning adaptive upgrade process in preparation for phase two. 

Transmission ends.

#Lore 24 – Entry #118 – Sci-Fi Month II #27 – BDSM Cybersystems Model S/M-02 Scouting/Mapping Drones

From the Personal Journal of Chiasa Charity Chiasakaniki, Systems Analyst and Programmer, IT Division, assigned UEF-04, Maharani Morgiana.

I’ve always enjoyed playing with drones, and now that I’ve finally had the chance to mess around with these bleeding edge scouting drones they’ve loaded us up with on this mission, I’m like a kid again.  These things are just awesome!  Is the name of the manufacturer a bit on the shady side?  Absolutely, but there’s no signs of whipped asses or kinky shit here, just the unfortunate naming scheme these people settled on way back when they just did custom tech mods.  Or maybe it was fortunate?  Certainly gets a lot more diverse crowd on your product, that’s for sure.  I looked’em up before, seems like they do good work, and they hit it off big time back when Aphelion Station was barely a year old with their security bots, so I reckon they were brought in to handle some new drones for these exploration gigs too.

Anyway, these drones are preem!  Their bodies are light weight and durable carbon fiber, and they make use of micro-grav field generators so they can fly around without worrying about getting propellers stuck or broken.  They kinda look like little black flying saucers, about a foot in diameter, but once they’ve activated their adaptive camo, you won’t even notice.  You can take control of them directly through a comm app or dedicated controller, and they’re packed with multiple small sensor packs, high-def multi-spectrum cameras, and an all-round laser mapping setup that’ll create super-accurate 3D maps of whatever they’re scanning.  I almost couldn’t believe the amount of hardware they’re packing in these little things; total super-spy stuff right here!  Curiously, I did get the sense there was magic in these things, so I’m thinking that maybe they’ve taken normal equipment that is usually much larger and micro-sized it. 

Talk about one hell of a price tag!  When I asked exactly how much these things cost, all my boss would say was that I’d better not break one, or I’d be paying it off the rest of this trip. 

Luckily for me I didn’t have to be the one who broke one to get a look inside; once we arrived in the Vellion sector and picked up the scout teams, we found out a couple of the drones had been damaged, and I convinced one of the BDSMC techs to let me help out, being the super-talented IT tech and leet hacker I am and all.  So, that’s when I learned these things are using the same kind of advanced AI as the security bots, specialized for evasion and recon operations.  They’ve not really been field tested in extreme conditions, so bugs are bound to show up, and that’s what happened here.  Some of the local wildlife didn’t like these things getting close, even if they are silent and almost invisible, and were able toss some rocks or bash them with sticks.  Pretty lame way for these things to go down, but it’s a harsh world out there, I guess.  Can’t make them invulnerable and this light; those electronics are protected from the elements, but an angry monkey with a rock is just too much.

So, like, I kinda maybe managed to make a copy of the AI code…not that I really intended to, of course, it just kinda happened when I wasn’t paying too much attention to what I might’ve been doing while running a diagnostic with the tech.  I’ve been pouring through it, and like, holy shit, this is advanced stuff!  There’s all kinds of options in here that aren’t even in the official specs, just waiting to be turned on or off or applied to different type bots!  I am going to have so much fun playing around with this code!  I gotta get my hands on some parts now, build my own little buddy bot!

You know…thinking it over, I might actually hint at the BDSMC techs that I could improve the AI on these things, make their evasive routines more responsive, that kind of thing. Or at least help them with the debugging stuff.  I’m pretty good at running code, I’d say.  And it’d like, be a lot less suspicious if I wound up building my own little bot, right?  Seriously, sometimes my hands just do things without my mind even being there!  I blame my tail-brains, lol.  They’re always getting me in trouble, moving on their own without me realizing it.  Kerryns and ferians probably get it.

#Lore 24 – Entry #114 – Sci-Fi Month II #23 – RestrainTech Trustee Work Release, Onboard Disciplinary Measures, ASD Concerns

From the Personal Logs of Vyrmeth Rashryth, RestrainTech, Expeditionary Over-Warden, UEF-04, Maharani Morgiana.  Decryption algorithm successful; translated from original dark elf script.

Perhaps this voyage will result in great things.  Today was witness to a dark elf and an aerian coming to agreeable terms, so the very heart of the Demon Sector is surely within reach! 

I had wondered exactly how long it was going to take the security chief to finally approach me about the trustee work detail and other security concerns; I will give him credit, it was nearly a month since we first set out, a true testament to his kind’s stubbornness.  I suppose he was rather civil for an aerian, though I could tell he was not pleased to actually have to speak to an elf, regardless of their nature.  Understandably, his concerns were the integration of our SealTech monitoring and control systems into the ship’s security network, and the interactions between the prisoners and regular crewmembers during the construction of the hyperspace relay in the Charvis system.  I don’t think he appreciated my offer to test the SealTech for himself to test its security, but I found his reaction amusing nonetheless.

I believe he may have been somewhat surprised to find out that I was not the type to be easily pushed around; likely that he had assumed I was like the typical dark elf girl, demure and submissive.  I wouldn’t have earned my position were that the case, nor would my boss have even considered me for the assignment had I been so weak willed.  I know my place in the hierarchy, certainly, and will defer to the men when required, but outside of my own people, I need not behave in such a away. 

Regardless, I allowed Security Chief Scharaiden to tour the Morgiana’s prison facility at his leisure, and though he was somewhat taken aback at the fact we were letting our trustees lounge about and enjoy some level of freedom during their leisure time, without further restraints, a demonstration of the effectiveness of the SealTech in stopping them in their tracks seems to have satisfied him for the moment.  I’ve known the prisoners for years; they wouldn’t be here if we couldn’t trust them in some capacity; some were even handpicked by the CEO himself to be here, and with good reason.

Curiously, after Scharaiden had finished his tour, he inquired about the renewability of our SealTech and future requirements in the case of bad behavior during the journey.  It seems he’s already had several disturbances of the peace aboard, and has the idea that implementing some public humiliation measures may assist with improving behavior.  Perhaps he has more in common with me than he is willing to openly admit?  He certainly seemed interested in the discipline cubes as a means of publicly displaying troublemakers, and likewise inquired about temporary SealTech suit assignments for repeat offenders.  I’m working out the details; we certainly aren’t lacking in our ability to generate more SealTech, though I’m curious just how far he’s willing to go with enforcing his idea of proper discipline, and whether the Captain will approve.

Following my meeting with the CSO, I met with the Arcane Support Division’s director, Primula Tallfoot and her assistant, Kiara Mizutani.  She’s rather well informed, I must say, and has excellent taste in whom she chose as a personal plaything; Mizutani is quite attractive, both physically and in his submissive nature.  He certainly seemed to have no qualms being bossed around by a woman, and my well-trained eye says he was enjoying every minute of it.  I may have to look into getting to know him in a more personal manner during my leisure time…

I personally found Tallfoot’s personality to be on the abrasive side, and I am concerned with exactly how she was aware of some of the lesser known details of SealTech, specifically its “Rampancy” mode; I am only aware of that having been used on a handful of occasions, and against DSM targets at that.  Ah, F3…one of my favorite playthings during my tenure as a regular prison guard…who would have thought she would have risen so far as to be trusted with developing that particular function?  I certainly wouldn’t have; I figured she would have remained in the production facility for some years, honestly. 

Still, how did Tallfoot know about the rampancy programming?  She didn’t say, and seemed to enjoy lording the fact that she knew over me.  I’ve assured her that that particular function is only meant for particular types of security breaches, specifically attacks against the encrypted systems controlling the SealTech application systems, but she didn’t seem convinced.  I will have to alert the boss during my next report regarding this, see if there’s a hole in his security that needs to be addressed and to see if I can get more details about Tallfoot; this kind of thing never happens with him…usually nothing escapes his notice.  Quite curious indeed; perhaps getting to know the kerryn boy will be more valuable than simply indulging my own fancies…

#Lore 24 – Entry #109 – Sci-Fi Month II #18 – The Obstinate Phoenix

From the Personal Logs of Captain Durgen Silvercask, decryption algorithm successful, translated from original Dwarven Script:

She is certainly a decorated vessel, that I cannot deny, but were I to say that I had no reservations about her being attached to this expedition, I would be lying to myself.  She has nearly reached three consecutive centuries of service, so I suppose the brass wanted to give her an easy assignment before they may finally decommission her.  I’m honestly surprised she hasn’t met that fate sooner, given her rather…unique record.

Let’s see…in the dozen battles she’s been part of during that time, she has been severely damaged in all of them, even crash-landed on a planet’s surface twice.  And yet, somehow, each time, she’s been able to recover herself enough to get back home, even turning the tide of two battles that she returned to after getting knocked out of the fight, one of those having been after she crashed. 

I’m not sure if the gods of fortune are blessing her or cursing her, but her name is certainly appropriate regardless. 

She’s a rather unique vessel even without that remarkable record; I’ve spoken to her current captain, Raryliss Steelforger (with a family name like that, I’d almost have thought she was a dwarf, given her build, but she’s undeniably a kobold, of the silver-scaled variety), at some length about her history.  Somewhat experimental when she was constructed, the Phoenix is a rare joint construction effort between the dwarves and kobolds.  Though we’re certainly not as hostile to one another as we used to be, we still don’t mingle too often.  Still, that’s a dwarf-designed skeleton inside the Phoenix, the bulk of construction made using that unique kobold dragon’s breath forging process combined with tried-and-true dwarven construction methods.  Was and still is the largest such construction made with the kobolds’ breath, and what an endeavor that must have been.

She’s been refitted multiple times, but the Phoenix remains a battlecruiser at her heart.  She’s something of a hybrid with her current configuration, what her captain has dubbed an “assault carrier”.  She’s packing the biggest guns of any of the battlecruisers in the fleet and has a pair of (admittedly small) hangar bays for launching escort fighters; she’s got her own fighter group stationed aboard, the Summer-Flame Dragons, I believe is the correct translation, all kobolds.  Most of her crew are kobolds, with the bulk of the others consisting of rattenvolk and gnomes, and after her first refit, that’s historically been the case.  Suppose that would make sense as to why she’s been able to overcome such terrible damage time and again; credit where it’s due, those folk can certain repair anything if it’s at all possible.

Whatever the makeup of her crew, the Phoenix is a fine vessel, and though I’m still not sure what to make the exact nature of her record, I’m certain she will prove to be a valuable addition to the expedition.  I was a bit concerned when I was made aware of a certain technician who has a reputation as something of a jinx being aboard her, but Captain Steelforger assures me that, now that Engineer Longtail is aboard a kobold ship, they’ll have nothing to worry about.  Doesn’t exactly deny what the security department had uncovered about the tech, really makes her record seem a bit more like intentional sabotage, but perhaps there’s more to it than that.  I’m hardly an expert on kobold culture, after all, so I’m not aware of what other connotations the captain’s statement may have.

 

#Lore 24 – Entry #95 – Sci-Fi Month II #4 – Robotic Security Drones

 

From the Personal Journal of Kiara Mizutani, Arcane Support Division, assigned UEF-04 Maharani Morgiana

All things considered I think the date went fine.  Nothing serious of course, just a little hook-up to pass the time before heading out, that kind of thing.  Martin was pleasant enough, a bit nervous after I showed up with a crop top, my new fancy shorts, a pair of those super-long slouchy socks I used to wear back at the Academy, and my super-sexy heels.  Apparently I did tell him, and he was totally okay with that, just didn’t think I would show up looking so hot.  He just couldn’t keep his eyes off the shorts.  I think I’ve got a winner with these!  Anyway, after he bought dinner we slipped off to his motel room for a little sexy time.  I think that was his first foot-job.  Pretty sure I blew his mind with that one 😉

I had to take care of some work stuff today, so I didn’t get to explore too much, not until I was given an updated list of items I was expected to have along for the expedition and realized I was missing a few things, so off to the Big Bazaar and the shopping modules for me!  But I wasn’t expecting that security alert at all!  I had my defensive ward up before I realized it!  I guess that’s a good thing, though?  I mean, it seems like a good thing to me, anyway.  I guess there was some criminal or something like that got spotted or tried to rob someone or something, I never could get a straight answer, but I did not expect that kind of security!  Like, robotic drones!

But not the ones I’m used to, like, nothing of the sort!  There were several of the flying camera drones you see everywhere, yeah, but these, I thought they were big guys in heavy armor, but these were robots!  Humanoid robotic drones!  Turns out, I’d seen them before, just standing around here and there when I was exploring, but they never moved, so I thought they were some kind of fancy statues or something for decoration.  Nope!  These things kind of put me in mind of old-style armored knights in a way, like a bit on the bulky side, and with heads that were a bit too squashed to fit a standard humanoid, with some angular antennas on the head and glowing red monoeye scanners.  They even had the shields too, but were using stun batons instead of swords.  They had stun guns, too, and I think some other weapons for restraining targets, but I didn’t get to see them in action.  The group of them just came through the street, scanning all over, and then continued on, followed by some regular meaty security and some technician I think.

I had to kill some time waiting for the module lockdown to end, but once I got back to the office I asked around about them.  Turns out they’re pretty new, still a little experimental even.  I really have to give it to the company head!  Ms. Veylani isn’t the least bit afraid to push the envelope and try new things!  Apparently there was this little startup company who wanted to test these new style drones out here in the Demon Sector since so many places back across the Barrier are against the idea, but once she’d found out about it last year, she totally jumped on the idea!  There are even some experiments going on relating to arcane enhancements and golemcraft, but I couldn’t get much on that; top secret company stuff, so yeah, a newbie like me just isn’t going to have that kind of clearance.

Still, pretty neat!  I wonder if we’ll have any of these onboard the Morgiana for our big trip?  Apparently since VTC partnered with the SealTech people, these things even carry some kind of proprietary restraint tech, too.  Like, some kind of “goop” grenades to immobilize several people at once and some are equipped with guns that shoot bullets made of the same stuff.  I guess they won’t give them actual lethal weaponry.  Not that I’d expect something like that on a station, of course.  I mean, what if one of these things went crazy and started shooting up the place?  There are supposedly precautions in place to stop that kind of thing, but you know…robotics haven’t really developed much for reasons…but I guess that would make sense why they’re looking at ancient golemcraft then, wouldn’t it?