Dun dun dunnnnn! 
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Completed Let's Play Alien Legacy.
- Thread starter Cool name
- Start date
Bloodshifter
Educated
Huzzah the ape takeover of the planet has begun!
Dibs on lady liberty's head
Dibs on lady liberty's head
ITZ, coming soon to a planet near you.
Mrowak
Arcane
- Joined
- Sep 26, 2008
- Messages
- 3,947
Agassi
Finally managed to catch up.
Terrific atmosphere, I have to say. This game nicely builds up the sense of mystery, although the means of doing so are less than subtle. I like the feeling of inpending doom your findings seem to spell out. I wonder what the end of the world is going to look like.
Though the previous colonist had it coming for dumbfuckery of wrecking their mothership - the only means of support and escape. Judging from the descriptions of fleet skirmishes - how the fleet of your predecesors was annihilated. I have no idea, however, how can you overcome the technological advantage the aliens have over you
Also excellent narration, through and through. Moar!
Finally managed to catch up.
Terrific atmosphere, I have to say. This game nicely builds up the sense of mystery, although the means of doing so are less than subtle. I like the feeling of inpending doom your findings seem to spell out. I wonder what the end of the world is going to look like.
Though the previous colonist had it coming for dumbfuckery of wrecking their mothership - the only means of support and escape. Judging from the descriptions of fleet skirmishes - how the fleet of your predecesors was annihilated. I have no idea, however, how can you overcome the technological advantage the aliens have over you
Also excellent narration, through and through. Moar!
Numbers on the distance and travel time dont add at all. If Beta Caeli is 55 light years from Earth and Alpha Centauri is 4 years and in 2133 terran battle group entered Alpha Centauri and fought centaurians then this same battle group travelled those 4 light years in mere decades, probably around 20-30 years since we dont know when they started their travel (or 5-7 years per light year of distance). That puts Calypso's journey at most 275-385 years. Even if this battle group was completed way earlier then it still doesnt add even up to one thousand years. Remember that first contact was around 2050 and I guess it took some time to build this space fleet.
Thus I conclude that this 0,4% stuff is just made up or a mistake. Maybe its supposed to be 40%.
Thus I conclude that this 0,4% stuff is just made up or a mistake. Maybe its supposed to be 40%.
Malakal
If war ships have significantly larger portion of their mass dedicated to generate acceleration than colonisator ships with all these people, resources, etc - this can still be consitent - war ships would move much faster.
Also you cannot always scale time of travel linearly with distance. If ships were accelerating half the way, and decelerating the other half, then time of travel is proportional to square root of the distance. But this would make Calypso and Tantalus travel even shorter, so it works the other way than we need for this to make sense...
All in all I agree it was mistake.
If war ships have significantly larger portion of their mass dedicated to generate acceleration than colonisator ships with all these people, resources, etc - this can still be consitent - war ships would move much faster.
Also you cannot always scale time of travel linearly with distance. If ships were accelerating half the way, and decelerating the other half, then time of travel is proportional to square root of the distance. But this would make Calypso and Tantalus travel even shorter, so it works the other way than we need for this to make sense...
All in all I agree it was mistake.
Cool name
Arcane
- Joined
- Oct 14, 2012
- Messages
- 2,147
@ SCO: I am very sorry but I do not. And I hope you have been enjoying the game.
@ Malakal: Thank you very much for the kind words.
@ Whisper: Your opinion honors me. I am grateful.
@ Mrowak: We can always try and pull a Minmei. The Captain's CD collection is truly massive. Moving on I am happy you have been enjoying the Let's Play.
@ Hirato: The soundtrack you have been posting is really nice for this kind of situation. Thank you for the contributions.
@ Malakal: Thank you very much for the kind words.
@ Whisper: Your opinion honors me. I am grateful.
@ Mrowak: We can always try and pull a Minmei. The Captain's CD collection is truly massive. Moving on I am happy you have been enjoying the Let's Play.
@ Hirato: The soundtrack you have been posting is really nice for this kind of situation. Thank you for the contributions.
IX. The reason I do not like C&C that much.
Hausmann takes a ship and leaves for Hyomin, which is the place indicated by the coordinates we had received. A cinematic accompanies him as he takes off.
From Eunjung I send a ship to take 6 robots from Hyomin. Vehicle 4 has finished building the starbase over Cronus and I send it to probe the planet. The station receives Choaya for a name.
I tell the ship to return to the Calypso with the remaining fuel. Then I order Vehicle 12, currently in Hebe's orbit, to descend to the surface and look for a place to establish a colony. It finds but one.
The colony receives the name of Ellin. Construction of a habitat is begun immediately. As you may know The Captain is currently very pissed with the Korean Pop industry and thus when she jumps to Taeyeon to upgrade the local power plant the colony is renamed Geum Mi. Then Sunny is renamed Way, Jessica is renamed Cho A, and Tiffany is renamed So Yul.
Vehicle 12 goes to get 25 ore, 25 energy, 25 life support, and 25 colonists from the Calypso. Vehicle 14 goes to explore Hera's surface.
It is possible the attack on the alien ship made the creatures attack much more brutally and decisively. In this case we would have to ask ourselves why did the ship wait until it was attacked before sending the signal to kill everyone on the planet.
I take some time to tend to miscelaneous administrative tasks. In this screenshot you may notice Hyomin's habitats are now able to be upgraded. While playing I did not notice this until much later.
After a journey of 30 turns Hausmann arrives to Hyomin.
Captain, I've arrived at D-2, Gaea. I request a research lab dedicated to biology research to be built here. I need round the clock analysis of the native lifeforms to try and determine what's causing their recent hostile behavior.
I set one of Hyomin's lab to research Biology. Then I spend several turns taking care of JR and JongMin, turning off installations to try and free enough resources to build more. Vehicle 6, the ship that had explored the Alpha Asteroids for us, is sent to Lizzy with all the resources left in GO. Then I send a ship from Hyomin to scan around the colony for anomalies. I wanted to check if preemptive attacks against the local fauna were possible but no anomalies were shown.
A new habitat is ordered built in Geum Mi. As this is done I am informed a research project has been finished.
Sludge. It does say it right here in the report.
W-We can explain!
Did your hand slip, citizen?
No! B-But...!
Seal the airlock.
Airlock sealed.
Let us go!
Is that an order, Citizen?
O-Of course not!
Please!
We will do anything you want!
That you will indeed.
Sir. The pilots report as ready. The analysts are on standby.
Let us proceed.
At once. Initiating small target tracking test in three... two... one... Launch the objectives.
Pleaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa...!
Objectives launched.
A ship is sent from Geum Mi to get 10 robots from the Calypso. By now I have noticed the habitats can be upgraded both on Hyomin and on The Calypso. I proceed to do so. I have no idea why other colonies can't upgrade their own. I had the theory it was the presence of an official in the colony but later it would be proven false.
Captain, I've finished my research here on Gaea. I'll upload a summary to CALYPSO'S library, but in short, I believe we may be witnessing a new level of consciousness emerging from the primitive lifeforms here!
Captain, no matter what Scientist Hausmann believes, I'm positive that the recent events involving our colonists and the native biota on Gaea are a prelude to an attack.
Therefore, I suggest we begin research into defensive shielding technologies using three labs researching physics at our colonies on Gaea. When, not if, the biota storm our colonies, we will be able to defend ourselves.
The three labs on Hyomin are set up to research Physics. After some micromanagement I manage to start building an Anti Meteor Gun at Geum Mi. The construction of a new factory on JongMin is also started.
I proceed to read Hausmann's report.
The Calypso is running short on ore. I order all ships currently parked on Hyomin, Eunjung, and Raina to take most of the local stockpiles to the mothership. Hyomin sends 300 ore, Eunjung and Raina send 150 each. A ship from Lizzy leaves to get 10 colonists and 10 robots from Raina.
Captain, during our research into defensive screens, our Physics Labs have picked up a broad e-band signal emanating from the planet itself. It's almost as if something is sending an possibly receiving signals from outer space.
The best way to truly determine this is by utilizing space stations around the terrestrial planets. We could build two research labs at a space station around Gaea, and also Rhea! Each lab must be researching electronics.
If I'm correct, we should be able to isolate the origin of these signals.
The hunt for the pylons begins. I made a grave mistake at this time by making the laboratories at Hyomin stop researching Physics. I would later correct it but it did considerably slow down the development of our defenses.
The Calypso sends a ship with 50 colonists to Lizzy. We have obtained enough scientific resources to start the missile project. I do so. I also start construction of an Anti Meteor Gun at Lizzy. Hyomin then sends a ship with 8 robots to Raina. JR sends one with 25 ore, 25 energy, 25 life support, 25 colonists, and 15 robots to Jiyeon. Then I take care of more administrative duties.
She is our science department's second in command. She takes Hausmann's place when he is not aboard the Calypso.
According to her profile if this were that kind of show she would get herself abducted and in need of manly rescuer every other episode.
In response to the alert the ships on the Ellin and Geum Mi are sent to the Calypso to take 150 colonists each. Since I am there I take the chance to continue developing both colonies' infrastructure. I also order a new habitat built on the mothership. Back in Hyomin I demolish a couple of habitats as the consumption of the new ones is higher. Then I send Hausmann to Eunjung to check on the theory it was the presence of an officer that made the second level of Habitats available. You already know how that went. Then I rebuilt one of the habitats I had demolished on Hyomin having found how much was the colony able to support with its current factories and power plants.
This screenshot is just a fun one I took after the Calypso did receive the ore sent from the main colonies.
From Raina I send 25 ore, 25 energy, and 25 life support to Nana. From Lizzy I send more ore, more energy, and 11 robots. As soon as both ships arrive I order the construction of a habitat there. After taking care of more retooling and construction in Ares and Hermes I send a ship from Lizzy to take 10 robots from JongMin. In Geum Mi I build a third habitat. By then the habitat on Nana has been completed. I send 25 colonist from Lizzy. From Raina I send more resources. We start construction of the first laboratory on Nana.
I am informed a research project has been finished.
Now we can build missiles for our ships to launch. I try to set a factory on each of Hyomin, Eunjung, and Raina to build missiles but the laboratories consume too much for it to be possible without generating a deficit. After a while I cancel the fabrication. I reactivate two of the Calypso's factories and set one to build missiles and the other to build robots. I want to build vehicles too but after the mass exodus the population is too low. We will have to wait until the 250 colonists awake.
The plan is now to develop JR to build robots and JongMin to build missiles. After building a new habitat in JongMin I move to Nana and order the construction of the second laboratory. Then I send 50 ore, 50 energy, and 50 life support from Hyomin to Jiyeon. In Ellin I start the construction of an Anti Meteor Gun. As soon as JR has built enough robots I order the construction of a fourth power plant there. Soon afterwards I do the same on JongMin. Then I activate the laboratories in Jiyeon and Nana. All four are set to Electronics.
On Lizzy I build a second power plant. After receiving the colonists from the Calypso Ellin is able to reactivate all facilities while still constructing the Anti Meteor Gun. I also start constructing a second habitat there. Then I notice Geum Mi is able to upgrade its habitats. Still unable to understand why does this happen I start doing so.
Captain, we've traced the signals that were emanating from Gaea as best we could from orbit. We now need a third research lab devoted to electronics research on Gaea's surface.
If we keep our two labs in orbit running and use our third lab on planetside as a base, we will be able to triangulate the exact source or sources of these signals.
I already have a laboratory researching electronics on Eunjung. Worried about why we have yet to receive the project on the energy shield I check the PDA and notice the mission about setting up three laboratories on Gaea to research physics is still considered incomplete. I set the three laboratories on Hyomin back to physics.
I am taking care of the upgrading of the habitats on Geum Mi when Romanov comes to me. He repeats what he said earlier but about Rhea this time. I try to build a new power plant on Ellin but am 1 ore short. I want to build a fourth factory on JongMin but I am short 1 life support and 1 robot to do so. I am unsure whether should I smile or cry. One way or another I will have to wait until the mines, habitats, and factories produce what we lack.
Sir, with the recent increase in biota hostility, Colonel Romanov's suggestion is valid; we must defend our colonies. To that end, the physics teams on Gaea have come up with a defense screen idea.
This force-generator would provide an electrical perimeter around any colony that had one in place and on-line. There's more info about their proposal in the Tech Manager.
I start the project immediately.
Afterwards I move to Ellin and send the ship there to explore the surface.
How quaint.
The journey to Thetis will take the mothership a very long time.
We did previously find a clue about something on Zeus' moons making people go crazy. This might be related to it.
I return to Ellin and notice I am now able to begin building the power plant I was previously 1 ore short to build. I do so before sending the ship back to the Mercator.
As soon as I leave the sector Patel wants to talk about this find.
The blue quartz material we discovered on Hebe has an interesting chemical structure. I'm going to perform a few experiments with the material; my instinct tells me it's semi-permeable in liquid.
I'll list all my findings in the Tech Manager for your approval.
As she leaves does Romanov come in.
Captain, with our three labs triangulating the origin of the strange signals, we've located two 'sources' of unknown design. They reside at coordinates J-3 and A-6 on Rhea.
The first two pylons have been found. I decide to finish checking Hebe's anomalies before pondering what to do with this information.
Beta Caeli is starting to feel crowded.
Was this really necessary?
There were almost 50 robots on the site. I send the ship back to the colony and check the Technology Interface.
I reconfigure those of our laboratories not tracking the pylons to satisfy the project's requeriments. Romanov then comes to tell me the first two Gaean pylons have been found in sectors A-2 and K-3. I move to Eunjung, give Hausmann a ship, and send him to check those two sites.
Contrary to other sites of interest the pylon does not disappear after we do interact with it. I ponder the situation for a moment and decide not to attack the pylon yet. I leave the sector.
Sir, my 'gut' instinct tells me these things could be dangerous. For the sake of our personnel, I feel we should seek out and destroy whatever these signals are.
No matter what Scientist Patel says, there's no reason to leave these things on the planet. They are connected directly to the biotas' hostility! Destroy them, while we have the chance. It's now, or never!
Captain, I truly believe that these 'pylons' are a communication device from an alien culture. It's not our place to destroy anything alien just because we don't know what it means.
Colonel Romanov is wrong! His suggestion is dangerous and the risks are unwarranted. Leave the pylons be. Let my team and I research their technology, their power source, before the Militia 'brute forces' their way through a puzzle again.
The plan was to destroy the pylons as soon as we found them. Now I am not sure this would be a good idea. Our colonies are still defenseless against anything resembling a serious attack and we have found a lead indicating the creatures may grow in hostility and aggression during an attack to the alien structures. And Patel does raise a good point about how much we could gain from investigating the structures. But Romanov does also raise a good point. We do not know what to expect. Our window of opportunity to destroy the pilons could be very small indeed.
I decide to wait and see. I will make the choice once the research on the defensive energy screen has been finished and the resulting installation built on Hyomin, Eunjung, Raina, and Lizzy. We have only found four of the sixteen pylons. If there is a real choice here the game will not trigger the next step in the plot until we have found them all.
I send Hausmann to check on the second Gaean pylon but there is nothing different about it.
Then I send a ship from Raina to check both Rhean pylons.
We do not learn anything from them. I decide to check on my advisors.
If I were controlling the attacking life forms, I would have set up a decoy to divert our attention. I believe those alien pylons have no effect on the hostile creatures. Whatever is controlling them is hiding from us.
Then why do you want to destroy them?
We have to destroy the alien pylons or the course of that signal, sir. I see no other choice.
We must not destroy the alien obelisks we discovered, sir. We should study them. Who knows what we might learn from these aliens.
Anything else?
We are 99 percent positive that those pylons are controlling the attacking biota. We should find all the pylons and destroy them.
I will be giving her the benefit of doubt and assume this is a bug. Caused by having the main science officer away, maybe? Otherwise she has lost her mind.
Captain, those pylons were built by intelligent aliens. As tempting as it is to destroy them, we should protect them. Who knows what we might learn by studying them?
The alien pylons are highly advanced machines. They must be protected and analyzed.
It does seem most of our advisors want us to study the pylons instead of launching an attack on them. Romanov being clearly in his own minority makes me feel uncomfortable. Seldom does a writer place a character in such a position during a debate if he is not right.
We have had to initiate sterilization of all ships traveling to Gaea or Rhea. Bugs -- real insect-type bugs -- have been infesting our shipboard computers and transferring to our outer colonies, where they are beginning to annoy the people.
I can see where the relentless attacks by the attacking biota would eventually have worn the TANTALUS colonists down to nothing. They show absolutely no mercy.
If Captain Johannson dismantled the TANTALUS, which it appears she did, she cut off her major path of retreat when the life forms turned hostile.
Is there something else I should know about?
I suspect the weak signal we are detecting from the outer system is controlling these alien pylons. Whatever is generating that signal is the real threat.
Our attention returns to Hyomin. I send a ship with 50 ore, 25 energy, and 25 life support to Jiyeon. Then I send a ship with 50 ore and 25 energy from Raina to Nana. Life support resources are short on the Rhea colonies. Instead of sending what little the colonies have I decide to turn on Nana's habitat to produce its own. We will be sending them more ore and energy to compensate for the extra consumption.
We've found a second set of 'origin points' on Rhea. These appear to be at sectors D-14 and H-20.
I construct a new habitat in Lizzy. Then I move to JR and JongMin to check the consumption and set more factories to produce robots. JongMin is intended to become our main missile producer yet it will need to fabricate robots instead until its facilities have all been built. Then I send a ship from Geum Mi to take 20 robots from Ellin.
Only 18 turns remain before we will finish the energy screen project. The Captain is riven by the choice before her. Will she act in the manner of a true lady and leave open hostility as a last resort? Will she take the initiative and send her ships to assault the pylons? If so how long should she take to build up her missile stockpile before launching the attack? Is there a third path to take? How much time does she really have to look for one?
Those fabled choices and consequences give me a headache.
From Eunjung I send a ship to take 6 robots from Hyomin. Vehicle 4 has finished building the starbase over Cronus and I send it to probe the planet. The station receives Choaya for a name.
I tell the ship to return to the Calypso with the remaining fuel. Then I order Vehicle 12, currently in Hebe's orbit, to descend to the surface and look for a place to establish a colony. It finds but one.
The colony receives the name of Ellin. Construction of a habitat is begun immediately. As you may know The Captain is currently very pissed with the Korean Pop industry and thus when she jumps to Taeyeon to upgrade the local power plant the colony is renamed Geum Mi. Then Sunny is renamed Way, Jessica is renamed Cho A, and Tiffany is renamed So Yul.
Vehicle 12 goes to get 25 ore, 25 energy, 25 life support, and 25 colonists from the Calypso. Vehicle 14 goes to explore Hera's surface.
It is possible the attack on the alien ship made the creatures attack much more brutally and decisively. In this case we would have to ask ourselves why did the ship wait until it was attacked before sending the signal to kill everyone on the planet.
I take some time to tend to miscelaneous administrative tasks. In this screenshot you may notice Hyomin's habitats are now able to be upgraded. While playing I did not notice this until much later.
After a journey of 30 turns Hausmann arrives to Hyomin.
I set one of Hyomin's lab to research Biology. Then I spend several turns taking care of JR and JongMin, turning off installations to try and free enough resources to build more. Vehicle 6, the ship that had explored the Alpha Asteroids for us, is sent to Lizzy with all the resources left in GO. Then I send a ship from Hyomin to scan around the colony for anomalies. I wanted to check if preemptive attacks against the local fauna were possible but no anomalies were shown.
A new habitat is ordered built in Geum Mi. As this is done I am informed a research project has been finished.
A ship is sent from Geum Mi to get 10 robots from the Calypso. By now I have noticed the habitats can be upgraded both on Hyomin and on The Calypso. I proceed to do so. I have no idea why other colonies can't upgrade their own. I had the theory it was the presence of an official in the colony but later it would be proven false.
Therefore, I suggest we begin research into defensive shielding technologies using three labs researching physics at our colonies on Gaea. When, not if, the biota storm our colonies, we will be able to defend ourselves.
The three labs on Hyomin are set up to research Physics. After some micromanagement I manage to start building an Anti Meteor Gun at Geum Mi. The construction of a new factory on JongMin is also started.
I proceed to read Hausmann's report.
The Calypso is running short on ore. I order all ships currently parked on Hyomin, Eunjung, and Raina to take most of the local stockpiles to the mothership. Hyomin sends 300 ore, Eunjung and Raina send 150 each. A ship from Lizzy leaves to get 10 colonists and 10 robots from Raina.
The best way to truly determine this is by utilizing space stations around the terrestrial planets. We could build two research labs at a space station around Gaea, and also Rhea! Each lab must be researching electronics.
If I'm correct, we should be able to isolate the origin of these signals.
The hunt for the pylons begins. I made a grave mistake at this time by making the laboratories at Hyomin stop researching Physics. I would later correct it but it did considerably slow down the development of our defenses.
The Calypso sends a ship with 50 colonists to Lizzy. We have obtained enough scientific resources to start the missile project. I do so. I also start construction of an Anti Meteor Gun at Lizzy. Hyomin then sends a ship with 8 robots to Raina. JR sends one with 25 ore, 25 energy, 25 life support, 25 colonists, and 15 robots to Jiyeon. Then I take care of more administrative duties.
She is our science department's second in command. She takes Hausmann's place when he is not aboard the Calypso.
According to her profile if this were that kind of show she would get herself abducted and in need of manly rescuer every other episode.
In response to the alert the ships on the Ellin and Geum Mi are sent to the Calypso to take 150 colonists each. Since I am there I take the chance to continue developing both colonies' infrastructure. I also order a new habitat built on the mothership. Back in Hyomin I demolish a couple of habitats as the consumption of the new ones is higher. Then I send Hausmann to Eunjung to check on the theory it was the presence of an officer that made the second level of Habitats available. You already know how that went. Then I rebuilt one of the habitats I had demolished on Hyomin having found how much was the colony able to support with its current factories and power plants.
This screenshot is just a fun one I took after the Calypso did receive the ore sent from the main colonies.
From Raina I send 25 ore, 25 energy, and 25 life support to Nana. From Lizzy I send more ore, more energy, and 11 robots. As soon as both ships arrive I order the construction of a habitat there. After taking care of more retooling and construction in Ares and Hermes I send a ship from Lizzy to take 10 robots from JongMin. In Geum Mi I build a third habitat. By then the habitat on Nana has been completed. I send 25 colonist from Lizzy. From Raina I send more resources. We start construction of the first laboratory on Nana.
I am informed a research project has been finished.
Now we can build missiles for our ships to launch. I try to set a factory on each of Hyomin, Eunjung, and Raina to build missiles but the laboratories consume too much for it to be possible without generating a deficit. After a while I cancel the fabrication. I reactivate two of the Calypso's factories and set one to build missiles and the other to build robots. I want to build vehicles too but after the mass exodus the population is too low. We will have to wait until the 250 colonists awake.
The plan is now to develop JR to build robots and JongMin to build missiles. After building a new habitat in JongMin I move to Nana and order the construction of the second laboratory. Then I send 50 ore, 50 energy, and 50 life support from Hyomin to Jiyeon. In Ellin I start the construction of an Anti Meteor Gun. As soon as JR has built enough robots I order the construction of a fourth power plant there. Soon afterwards I do the same on JongMin. Then I activate the laboratories in Jiyeon and Nana. All four are set to Electronics.
On Lizzy I build a second power plant. After receiving the colonists from the Calypso Ellin is able to reactivate all facilities while still constructing the Anti Meteor Gun. I also start constructing a second habitat there. Then I notice Geum Mi is able to upgrade its habitats. Still unable to understand why does this happen I start doing so.
If we keep our two labs in orbit running and use our third lab on planetside as a base, we will be able to triangulate the exact source or sources of these signals.
I already have a laboratory researching electronics on Eunjung. Worried about why we have yet to receive the project on the energy shield I check the PDA and notice the mission about setting up three laboratories on Gaea to research physics is still considered incomplete. I set the three laboratories on Hyomin back to physics.
I am taking care of the upgrading of the habitats on Geum Mi when Romanov comes to me. He repeats what he said earlier but about Rhea this time. I try to build a new power plant on Ellin but am 1 ore short. I want to build a fourth factory on JongMin but I am short 1 life support and 1 robot to do so. I am unsure whether should I smile or cry. One way or another I will have to wait until the mines, habitats, and factories produce what we lack.
This force-generator would provide an electrical perimeter around any colony that had one in place and on-line. There's more info about their proposal in the Tech Manager.
I start the project immediately.
Afterwards I move to Ellin and send the ship there to explore the surface.
How quaint.
The journey to Thetis will take the mothership a very long time.
We did previously find a clue about something on Zeus' moons making people go crazy. This might be related to it.
I return to Ellin and notice I am now able to begin building the power plant I was previously 1 ore short to build. I do so before sending the ship back to the Mercator.
As soon as I leave the sector Patel wants to talk about this find.
I'll list all my findings in the Tech Manager for your approval.
As she leaves does Romanov come in.
The first two pylons have been found. I decide to finish checking Hebe's anomalies before pondering what to do with this information.
Beta Caeli is starting to feel crowded.
Was this really necessary?
There were almost 50 robots on the site. I send the ship back to the colony and check the Technology Interface.
I reconfigure those of our laboratories not tracking the pylons to satisfy the project's requeriments. Romanov then comes to tell me the first two Gaean pylons have been found in sectors A-2 and K-3. I move to Eunjung, give Hausmann a ship, and send him to check those two sites.
Contrary to other sites of interest the pylon does not disappear after we do interact with it. I ponder the situation for a moment and decide not to attack the pylon yet. I leave the sector.
No matter what Scientist Patel says, there's no reason to leave these things on the planet. They are connected directly to the biotas' hostility! Destroy them, while we have the chance. It's now, or never!
Colonel Romanov is wrong! His suggestion is dangerous and the risks are unwarranted. Leave the pylons be. Let my team and I research their technology, their power source, before the Militia 'brute forces' their way through a puzzle again.
The plan was to destroy the pylons as soon as we found them. Now I am not sure this would be a good idea. Our colonies are still defenseless against anything resembling a serious attack and we have found a lead indicating the creatures may grow in hostility and aggression during an attack to the alien structures. And Patel does raise a good point about how much we could gain from investigating the structures. But Romanov does also raise a good point. We do not know what to expect. Our window of opportunity to destroy the pilons could be very small indeed.
I decide to wait and see. I will make the choice once the research on the defensive energy screen has been finished and the resulting installation built on Hyomin, Eunjung, Raina, and Lizzy. We have only found four of the sixteen pylons. If there is a real choice here the game will not trigger the next step in the plot until we have found them all.
I send Hausmann to check on the second Gaean pylon but there is nothing different about it.
Then I send a ship from Raina to check both Rhean pylons.
We do not learn anything from them. I decide to check on my advisors.
Then why do you want to destroy them?
Anything else?
I will be giving her the benefit of doubt and assume this is a bug. Caused by having the main science officer away, maybe? Otherwise she has lost her mind.
It does seem most of our advisors want us to study the pylons instead of launching an attack on them. Romanov being clearly in his own minority makes me feel uncomfortable. Seldom does a writer place a character in such a position during a debate if he is not right.
Is there something else I should know about?
Our attention returns to Hyomin. I send a ship with 50 ore, 25 energy, and 25 life support to Jiyeon. Then I send a ship with 50 ore and 25 energy from Raina to Nana. Life support resources are short on the Rhea colonies. Instead of sending what little the colonies have I decide to turn on Nana's habitat to produce its own. We will be sending them more ore and energy to compensate for the extra consumption.
I construct a new habitat in Lizzy. Then I move to JR and JongMin to check the consumption and set more factories to produce robots. JongMin is intended to become our main missile producer yet it will need to fabricate robots instead until its facilities have all been built. Then I send a ship from Geum Mi to take 20 robots from Ellin.
Only 18 turns remain before we will finish the energy screen project. The Captain is riven by the choice before her. Will she act in the manner of a true lady and leave open hostility as a last resort? Will she take the initiative and send her ships to assault the pylons? If so how long should she take to build up her missile stockpile before launching the attack? Is there a third path to take? How much time does she really have to look for one?
Those fabled choices and consequences give me a headache.
Regular updates of the best LP I've read here in long time. Thank you sir.
Regarding the choice - I suppose we cannot move all the pylons to some uninhabited planet? Then I agree with the minority - burn them to the ground. Only way to be sure.
Regarding the choice - I suppose we cannot move all the pylons to some uninhabited planet? Then I agree with the minority - burn them to the ground. Only way to be sure.
Bloodshifter
Educated
Our forefatheres and fellows showed that poking at things with sticks tends to kill us and attacking the pylons will garner the rage of the native life avoid attacking the pylons unless the attcks become overwhelming in nature
Wait, so our scientists can see the hidden past / unknown future well enough that they know how the aliens' lasers will work / that the aliens will use lasers? Why does nobody tell us these things? :impatient_foot_tapping:
Build up your defenses/stock of missiles a bit if you feel like you need to, and then attack the pylons. Didn't the previous colonists' mistake consist in not destroying them, or am I making things up? In any case, they have to be destroyed if possible.
There's no guarantee that the wildlife will again become docile if the pylons are destroyed and the communique interrupted, I'd wager there'd have to be some sort of counter broadcast to disable it.
I am therefore in favour of researching the pylons, reverse engineering them and trying to use them to our advantage.
If we're lucky, we'll learn how to jam the alien communique, how they control the creatures, how we could make them docile or control them for our purposes, etc.
For the record, I'm just reasoning through the power of SCIENCE!!!
I am therefore in favour of researching the pylons, reverse engineering them and trying to use them to our advantage.
If we're lucky, we'll learn how to jam the alien communique, how they control the creatures, how we could make them docile or control them for our purposes, etc.
For the record, I'm just reasoning through the power of SCIENCE!!!
lightbane
Arcane
- Joined
- Dec 27, 2008
- Messages
- 10,200
Wait, so our scientists can see the hidden past / unknown future well enough that they know how the aliens' lasers will work / that the aliens will use lasers? Why does nobody tell us these things? :impatient_foot_tapping:
That's because they know that aliens are vulnerable to missile spam:
Cool name
Arcane
- Joined
- Oct 14, 2012
- Messages
- 2,147
@ CappenVarra: I am affraid the only answer I can give you is...
Hello, Gorger. I'm Carmen, head of the temporal mechanics deparment. No little green duffer can hide his tricks from my cards, I say.
@ odrzut: You make me blush. I am as grateful for the kind words as I am glad you are enjoying the Let's Play.
@ odrzut: You make me blush. I am as grateful for the kind words as I am glad you are enjoying the Let's Play.
Appendix A. The Captain's choice, an offtopic dramatization.
The Captain did retire to her meditation chambers. Neither food nor drink was brought to her. To sleep was forbidden. In unmoving asana she did kneel for days surrounded by strange glyphs, labyrinthine carvings, and grotesque sculptures of things that should not be. During this time she kept her eyes shut and focused on the voices that came from everywhere and nowhere at the same time. And the voices did seem of a single will.
To the ground must be burnt the filthy xeno and the heretical work. Let the flamethrower be annointed. Let the torchship be launched. Let their lairs drown in napalm. Leave nothing standing. Leave nothing whole. Let this land be pure.
Inquisitor Lightbane did say. As a surprise this came not.
A small insect of gold and black from behind Belzebub's image flew. It did land in the point of her nose. Hard did the captain fight to keep her concentration.
Of the Tantalus' great mistake I am here to buzz. Are already forgotten the many records found? By leaving the pylons standing their death sentence was done. Bzz.
In the meantime did more voices raise to fill the room. Cackling, venomous voices. Voices filled with bloodlust. Nothing could be understood of what they did say. Yet their intent was clear.
Then another voice did come to raise itself from the barbaric chorus. An impish creature not different from those who inhabit the troll-lands. Lazily did it rest on the floor with its back lightly against Belphegor's throne.
Bring the pylons to the ground! Send yer crafts on straffing runs, then bomb the sites from orbit! Break them, roast them, trample on the ashes and shards! Throw all remains on a ship and send it straight for the sun, all speed ahead!
To resist was foolish. What else was there to do but to submit? This she knew, for bloodshed to be inevitable. Raze the pylons. Slaughter the beasts. Hunt their leader. Let a thousand missiles bloat out the sun and cleanse this land. That was all it could be done.
But then there was a small cat in a space suit. And the cat spoke.
Did the past school you not? This I have to mew, that she who lives by the claw dies by the claw too. Also, nya.
With the cat did the cacophony become angry. Snarls, roars, and growls did the room flood. She expects a tendril of inky darkness covered by eyes like a spider's and mouths like a sea lamprey's to lash out from the shadows and snatch the kitty away. Instead a voice did add itself to the mewing fellow. Strange beyond words was its owner.
What guarantee is there to destroy the Pylons would rebeart the wildlife back to a more peaceful state? I dare say, and please bear with me as I do, the signal could well be(ar) but the hand that flicks a switch. To cut the hand afterwards for the switch does nothing. As a gentlebear of science and reason I suggest but to study where others roar for violence and crime.
In this way the heart of the troubled Captain did find a little respite. But a tattered king did soon hover out from the deepest darkness. Soft his voice was. Venomous and tempting. Almost warm. Almost reasonable. Almost understanding.
Choose ye an island, o daughter of Eve! Fortify it! Dung it about with enginery of war! I will give you a war-engine. With it ye shall smite pylons and natives alike; and none shall stand before you. Lurk! Withdraw! Upon them! This is the Law of the Battle of Conquest. Methodical. Cold. Ruthless. Stockpile arms until the heavens themselves tremble at your name's mere mention. All will be for you to claim as your own.
With such an apparition did the black chorus renew its assault. This here voice did claim for slaughter. That voice over there did call for an all out conquest. They did laught and sing and gloat as a horde of vicious goblins does. A few were already fighting over the spoils. Some Redcaps had donned blood stained chef hats and were discussing how to best deal with the natives: On a spit did the one say. For soup did another ask. A barbecue did the third advise.
Few are the voices suggesting nobility and proper ladylike behavior. A call for virtue is drowned in a hundred battle hymns. The Captain does slowly open her eyes. She's tired. She announces.
So blind have I been. So meek in action. So timid in reason. We shall demolish the terrible artifacts. To the sword shall all of those who did let themselves be taken by their song be put. Their cowardly master will have nowhere to hid from us. Beta Caeli shall be purged whole. We will send a message to the universe whole: We are coming. There is no place to hide.
With her mind made she did leave the assana in which she has spent a whole week. Her muscles feel as if made of solid pain. Her articulations crack. She takes but two insecure steps before falling to her knees. Heavily did she breath. Then a poweful voice resounds in the chamber. The impious chorus is broken. Wails and cries overtake it.
Thy hand stay, O Captain! To let thyself be led astray by the counsel of evil spirits, art thou this without shame? Hath thy Lord advise not but to offer the other cheek for thy enemies to slap? Art thou not slaughtering those innocents thou hast come to invade in thy heart already? Sinner, I call thee! Murderer! What have they done against thee but to reject thy burglar intentions? Thou who did descend from the skies to claim this their world as thy own! The heavenly mansions reject thee! The most holy of hosts condemn thee! Stay on thy knees thou who suck from Mammon's manly milk as from the motherly breast! Thou deserve but to crawl!
On her knees still did the Captain try to cover her ears. The words did still find a way through. She did scream to overpower the voice but those were the trumpets of annunciation accusing her. The herald would not be silenced. There was not escaping from the presence before her. And next to the acusser both terrible and beautiful was there now another figure. She did know this figure well.
Captain. Both of you are ready to fight. You have two extremely powerful and destructive arsenals at your command, and your actions will have serious repercussions. You have good reasons to mistrust one another, but you have even better reasons to set your differences aside. Now of course the question is... Who will take the initiative? Who will make the first gesture of trust? The answer is that you will. You must abandon violence. Once you do they will of course have the opportunity to unleash their full might on you. If they do they will destroy not only the Calypso's colonies on the terrestrial worlds but also the ceasefire that the Beta Caelians and the Humans now enjoy. Captain. Abandon your primitive ways.
All but silent the room did soon become. Both sides did wait for an answer. The tension could be felt. To touch it was possible. To taste it was too. It did not taste nice, the Captain's opinion was.
But the Captain's heart was calm. Her mind was made. She did nod a few times.
You are right. We have not travelled more than ninety light years aboard a giant space slug to opress the natives and wage war against their protectors. Let them attack us if they want. We do deserve their anger. We will find another way to deal with this. A proper lady's way.
To us cubs of the renaissance the load is bearable and beary obvious the path.
Capt'n Teddie did say.
Poking things with nyuclear sticks is nyever the answer.
The cat did nod.
And then the room was empty but for the Captain. The wailing of the dark choir being thrown back to the abyss did only persist for an instant. No one who were to enter, if anyone but the Captain herself were to be allowed to do so, would suspect what did transpire here earlier. It was nothing but a vast and weird room of strange carvings of things that should be not, glowing glyphs, and baroque statues. The smell of incense did linger in the air. And for but a blink did a voice linger too.
And let it be know is thy Lord's opinion the way in which the local worlds have been named does reek of pantheism and heresy.
The Captain shrugs on the way out.
Inquisitor Lightbane did say. As a surprise this came not.
A small insect of gold and black from behind Belzebub's image flew. It did land in the point of her nose. Hard did the captain fight to keep her concentration.
In the meantime did more voices raise to fill the room. Cackling, venomous voices. Voices filled with bloodlust. Nothing could be understood of what they did say. Yet their intent was clear.
Then another voice did come to raise itself from the barbaric chorus. An impish creature not different from those who inhabit the troll-lands. Lazily did it rest on the floor with its back lightly against Belphegor's throne.
To resist was foolish. What else was there to do but to submit? This she knew, for bloodshed to be inevitable. Raze the pylons. Slaughter the beasts. Hunt their leader. Let a thousand missiles bloat out the sun and cleanse this land. That was all it could be done.
But then there was a small cat in a space suit. And the cat spoke.
With the cat did the cacophony become angry. Snarls, roars, and growls did the room flood. She expects a tendril of inky darkness covered by eyes like a spider's and mouths like a sea lamprey's to lash out from the shadows and snatch the kitty away. Instead a voice did add itself to the mewing fellow. Strange beyond words was its owner.
In this way the heart of the troubled Captain did find a little respite. But a tattered king did soon hover out from the deepest darkness. Soft his voice was. Venomous and tempting. Almost warm. Almost reasonable. Almost understanding.
With such an apparition did the black chorus renew its assault. This here voice did claim for slaughter. That voice over there did call for an all out conquest. They did laught and sing and gloat as a horde of vicious goblins does. A few were already fighting over the spoils. Some Redcaps had donned blood stained chef hats and were discussing how to best deal with the natives: On a spit did the one say. For soup did another ask. A barbecue did the third advise.
Few are the voices suggesting nobility and proper ladylike behavior. A call for virtue is drowned in a hundred battle hymns. The Captain does slowly open her eyes. She's tired. She announces.
With her mind made she did leave the assana in which she has spent a whole week. Her muscles feel as if made of solid pain. Her articulations crack. She takes but two insecure steps before falling to her knees. Heavily did she breath. Then a poweful voice resounds in the chamber. The impious chorus is broken. Wails and cries overtake it.
On her knees still did the Captain try to cover her ears. The words did still find a way through. She did scream to overpower the voice but those were the trumpets of annunciation accusing her. The herald would not be silenced. There was not escaping from the presence before her. And next to the acusser both terrible and beautiful was there now another figure. She did know this figure well.
All but silent the room did soon become. Both sides did wait for an answer. The tension could be felt. To touch it was possible. To taste it was too. It did not taste nice, the Captain's opinion was.
But the Captain's heart was calm. Her mind was made. She did nod a few times.
Capt'n Teddie did say.
The cat did nod.
And then the room was empty but for the Captain. The wailing of the dark choir being thrown back to the abyss did only persist for an instant. No one who were to enter, if anyone but the Captain herself were to be allowed to do so, would suspect what did transpire here earlier. It was nothing but a vast and weird room of strange carvings of things that should be not, glowing glyphs, and baroque statues. The smell of incense did linger in the air. And for but a blink did a voice linger too.
The Captain shrugs on the way out.
X. The hunt.
This episode begins with me sending Vehicle 8 to bring 6 robots from Nana to Lizzy. I move to Ellin to build a second factory. The same I do on Geum Mi. Colonel Romanov comes to inform me of the progress we have made on tracking the pylons. Patel comes with him.
We've found a second set of 'origin points.' These appear to be at sectors A-10 and J-12. I'm concerned about these structures. Since they are emitting a signal to God knows where off-world. I suggest we destroy them instead of risking exposing our people to them.
Sir, Colonel Romanov isn't thinking clearly. Simply destroying these 'pylons' won't do. I suggest we continue our current task of locating all of the pylons on the planet's surface. That action itself may offer insight as to why they, the pylons, are here.
I move to greenlight the project to research the blue quartz-like material we did find in one of Zeus' moons. As soon as all pipelines and transport missions are over I set a course for the Calypso. The target is Zeus. I am worried about the asteroids. The ship will take 320 turns to reach its destinations. 160 months. Over thirteen years according to windows' calculator.
As I am preparing to take care of administrative duties both Antonelli and Romanov require my attention for different reasons.
Captain, the three large gas giants at the outer rim of the system would make excellent areas for us to siphon gas from for energy. You should start an orbital colony at one or more of them as an energy production facility.
This has been my intention for Zeus all along.
Sir, now that we have the Delstar Force Generator, I emphatically urge you to build one at each colony on Gaea and Rhea as a defensive screen. We will have to 're-balance' our net output at any colony where we build these generators, sir. They will consume enormous amounts of energy to run, but they are only effective if they are on-line.
It seems the energy shield project has been completed. He has more to talk about.
We've found a third set of 'origin points.' These appear to be at sectors C-28 and I-34 on Rhea.
We are half of the way to find all pylons. I go check the research report.
Sooner or later I will have to build one on the Calypso and our main orbital stations. This brings me no joy.
I send Vehicle 5 to get 8 robots from Jiyeon for Hyomin. I have made the decision of leaving he orbital laboratories working. In fact if our adventure finds an untimely end it is my intention to build all laboratories on orbital stations during the next try. I dismantle one of the laboratories on Eunjung to make space for the energy field generator. The colony was already at the maximum number of installations built. On Lizzy I start the construction immediately after some facilities are turned offline. The same I do on Hyomin. On Raina I demolish a laboratory and follow suit.
Then I move to JR. I build a new habitat there, the sixth. The same I do on JongMin. For each of Ellin and Geum Mi I build a third power plant. From Hyomin and Raina I send resources to keep Jiyeon and Nana functioning. Noticing Eunjung is now able to upgrade the habitats to the second level I start doing so.
I am dismantling a laboratory on Hyomin when Patel comes to me.
Well done, sir. We have adequate living space for all of our colonists. We should put them to work as quickly as possible.
This indicates I did complete the mission to have enough living space for when the batch of 250 colonists being reanimated by a system malfunction did awake. I move back to Eunjung to order the upgrading of another habitat. Romanov comes to inform me of the third set of Gaean pylons having been found on E-16 and K-21.
I send a ship from Raina to get 6 robots from Hyomin. I am waiting for the robots to arrive to Raina when the Colonel returns. Antonelli is with him.
We've found a fourth set of 'origin points.' These appear to be at sectors B-39 and F-42. Sir, these seem to be the last of the 'origin points' located on Rhea.
Captain, we have detected a strange signal being broadcast towards the third and fourth planets in this system. The signal is originating in the Beta Asteroids and is repeating continuously.
Unfortunately, we cannot seem to locate the exact position of the source. It seems that the signal is coming from several places simultaneously. It is my theory that the close proximity of the other surrounding Beta asteroids is causing reverberations and echoes.
We should send some probe ships to the surrounding asteroids to pinpoint the exact location of the signal.
The hunt for the source of the signal is about to begin. I doubt we are prepared to face whatever it is that awaits us at the end of it but we do not have much choice in the matter.
A ship from Lizzy is sent to get 6 robots from Eunjung. On Hyomin I begin construction of a fifth power plant. Then the ships are sents. From Hyomin Vehicle 5 is sent to probe Beta 1. From Eujung Vehicle 3 goes to check Beta 3. Raina and Lizzy send Vehicle 10 and Vehicle 9 to check on Beta 5 and Beta 7. I follow the approach of the ships closely.
We are detecting a medium strength signal near the first Beta asteroid. We should continue searching the belt for a stronger signal source.
Scratch Beta 1 from the list. I send the ship back to Hyomin. Then it does happen.
We've just lost contact with one of our ships in the vicinity of the Beta asteroid belt! There was no sign of trouble whatsoever before they stopped responding! I did, however, receive some protocol error messages from the robotic pilot's guidance system program.
It would seem the problem had to with the robotic pilot and not with an attack as I did first consider. Wu has more to say.
We are detecting a very strong signal near the seventh Beta asteroid but the source is very far away. It must be some kind of echo from other asteroids in the belt. We should this vehicle here for triangulation purposes and send additional vehicles to some of the other asteroids in the belt.
Wu leaves. A call comes in.
Captain, the biota are becoming more intense in their attacks. Reports of several large 'biota groups' massing near D-2 have sent our people into a panic. I really feel that we must create and maintain Delstar Generators at every colony where we can. They may be our only defense against the planet itself!
That has been already taken care of.
I'm greatly concerned for our safety and continued presence Gaea.
I understand. Now if you do not mind...
This is a busy day. Before I could even hang up Romanov and Patel came in.
Captain, the large groups of biota that Governor Alabek was referring to are easily visible from the Mercator map. We must try and save our colonies. I suggest we launch our ships to manually attack the biota on planetside! Our ships are equipped with lasers and plasma bombs. We should be able to destroy groups of the vile creatures with our weapons.
I fail to see what good would that bring to us. We have the energy shields in place. Let them come.
Captain, the new Delstar Force Generator technology is a power hungry installation! We need to increase our power plants' abilities so we can keep up with the constant draw on our resources. The new proposal is in the Tech Manager.
It is true that the generators have left our colonies pressed for energy. I move to check the project she spoke of.
As soon as I greenlight the project Wu drops by.
We are detecting a very weak signal near the fourth Beta asteroid. The signal source seems to be quite some distance from this particular asteroid.
She is actually referring to Beta 5. It must be a typo. I scratch Beta 5 from the list and send the ship back to Raina.
Our biologists have proposed a joint venture with our physicists to study the possibility of creating a monofilament - a thread-like substance only one molecule thick which still has incredible bonding power.
Good heavens. Please allow me a moment to catch my breath.
While the ships sent back from the Beta Asteroids are still enroute to their home bases I order the other ships there to probe the remaining four beta asteroids. The even ones. This time all of the ships will have a human as the pilot. This does increase the travel time and the fuel consumption.
I move to Eunjung and start upgrading another habitat. On Lizzy I start construction of a third power plant. Then I check the monofilament project.
Will all pylons on Rhea found I can reconfigure the labs on Nana and Raina for this new project. I do so. As Hyomin is not taking part of the search for the ones in Gaea I do the same there. A new load of resources is sent from Hyomin and Raina to their respective orbital station.
With little to do while waiting for my orders to be carried out I decide to check on my advisors.
There are too many life forms to kill off, Captain -- much as I'm tempted to. We should find out what caused the flora and fauna to begin attacking us. Find the root cause, that's what I recommend.
This we are currently doing.
These recent attacks by the alien life forms are most disconcerting, sir. I wonder -- have we made the correct decision in trying to colonize these foreign worlds? We should remove our colonists from the terrestrial planets, strip out what resources we can, and try building new colonies at less dangerous sites, sir.
We don't have the spacecraft, living quarters or time to remove our settlers, sir. We should do what we can to help our people fend off the attacks until we destroy enough life forms to remove their threat.
I am sorry to inform you I have no intention of doing so.
Something's happening with the native biota, sir. We may consider evacuating our people from the surface until we can safely establish ourselves there.
Is it not to be safely established there that we did build the energy shields?
We must do whatever we can to protect our colonies, Captain. Send down every ship to blow away the attacking life forms!
It is wrong to blow the pylons but it is acceptable to slaughter the natives. I should have expected this from you.
We should try to obliterate these hostile creatures as soon as possible, sir!
We will not go on the offensive.
I have been thinking about several possibilities for adding mechanical defenses to our colonies, sir. I will send you a report as soon as I have this fully researched.
Very well. Anything else I should be informed of?
I detect an unusual radiation pattern, sir. It's too weak to locate right now, but it seems to originate somewhere beyond Ares. It may simply be another destroyed Tantalus colony.
Before I even have the chance to get to the door Romanov and Wu catch up with me. The former informs me the last two Gaean pylons have been found. The later tells me to scratch Beta 4 from the list. The ship there is sent back to Eunjung. As I wait for the remaining ships to arrive to their destinations I decide to check Gaea's Mercator map. No massive groups are currently marked on the surface.
I am about to leave when the message sent by a desperate Alabek comes in.
Captain, the biota have gone into a fury! Hundreds of native life forms are ambushing our colonists and destroying anything of ours that gets in their path! It's as if they are under some unseen general's control - bent on our destruction! They've just destroyed one of our observation posts! Please send help!
I am checking the surface again when Wu informs me Beta 6 has given us the same result as Beta 7 had done before. We are one step closer to finding the source of the signal. We leave the ship there to help triangulate the position. Two of the Calypso's factories are currently building robots. Another is building vehicles. This one I put to build missiles.
I return to Gaea's Mercator view. This time the a hostile group can be seen advancing towards Hyomin. I decide to let the shield take care of it.
Wu comes back. She informs us we did not learn anything about the signal in Beta 8. But there is more.
We are detecting a very strong signal near the second asteroid in the belt which seems to be rather close to the source but we can't locate the direction due to the massive echoing effect of the neighboring asteroids. We need to get ANOTHER vehicle to a neighboring asteroid to better calculate the direction.
It was in Beta 3 that we lost one of our ships. That must be the place. I tell the ship that did check Beta 8 to return to Lizzy and send two new spacecrafts to the belt. Vehicle 10 goes takes off from Raina to check Beta 3. Just to be sure I send Vehicle 5 from Hyomin to Beta 1. Both are piloted by humans.
Having previously been informed the search for the Gaean pylons was over I visit both Eunjung and Jiyeon to reconfigure the laboratories there. On Eunjung I also dismantle a level one habitat to make space for a new power plant. Then I order a new factory built on both JR and JongMin. While I wait for my orders to be carried out I check on the Calypso's habitats and notice these can now be upgraded to level three. I set one to be upgraded. As I decide to concentrate on discovering the rules governing this I am informed Beta 1 was not the place. I order the ship back. We are so near we can almost touch it.
And then...
We've successfully located the origin of the signals emanating from the Beta asteroid belt! We've discovered another asteroid which had not been previously detected by our long range probes. It is located between the second and third asteroids in the belt and has been added to the Space Map. We will reference the new asteroid as Gamma 1.
Romanov is with her.
Captain, I believe you should send me on an exploration mission over Gamma 1 immediately. I'm a bit suspicious about it since our long range probes should have detected it along with everything else.
We need to investigate immediately to determine if there is anything threatening there. I need a team of at least 3 people to adequately investigate the asteroid and find a way to stop that strong signal.
Two of the ships in the asteroid belt are sent to Geum Mi and Ellin instead of back to their points of origin. Gamma 1 is currently very close to Zeus. It may not stay like this for long. I send Vehicle 1 from the Calypso with the mission to build a space station on it and with enough resources to establish a habitat there once it is done. We will be using this station to store Romanov's fuel and keep alive the crew he did ask for.
On the Calypso the first level three habitat is finished. I do start to upgrade the next one.
From Lizzy a ship is sent to take 10 robots from JongMin. I am then informed a research project has concluded. I go check the report.
I am grateful this is not the only finished project waiting for its report to be reviewed.
With more of our colonies reaching the maximum number of facilities upgrades are becoming extremely important. Each of our colonies begins to upgrade one of its power plants. Having little to do while I wait I decide to check on my officers once again.
How can we fight the beasts and the plants on our habitable worlds? There must be billions upon billions of living creatures in the solar system. Something on Rhea and Gaea is controlling the attacks of the biota, sir. We must find out who or what is leading the life forms and destroy it.
I would expect the decision to destroy it or not to come after we have understood why it is doing this.
We are receiving reports of attacks on our colonists by all kinds of creatures, sir. Even the plants seem to take part in the attacks. I've never heard of such madness!
Madness?!
Nah. That joke's below even my standards.
As much as I hate the idea of destroying the biological diversity in this system, I can see no other choice but continuing to bomb the creatures until they are no longer a threat.
What has made the creatures of these worlds turn against us? What have we done?
Besides invading their worlds, you mean?
Now we know what killed the TANTALUS colonies, sir. With the starship dismantled, there was nowhere for the Rhean and Gaean colonists to retreat. Once the terrestrial colonies were dead, the outer colonies simply faded away.
Our terrestrial colony buildings are taking minor damage from flying creatures hitting them. The foundations are also being undermined by native worms. Until the biota attacks are nullified, we'll have to draw our resources from other parts of the system, sir. We must set up pipelines to the Alpha Asteroids for ore and the gas giants for energy.
Words are unable to convey how grateful I am you did wait until now to tell me about the Alpha Asteroids being rich with ore in an explicit way.
By now the first few level three power plants are done.
I build a new habitat on Lizzy. After balancing each of the central colonies' output and requeriments I start upgrading the next power plant in each of them. As I do not remember if I did post a picture of the planetary version of the second level habitats I will do so now.
The space station on Gamma 1 has been built. I order the habitat I did want constructed to be so and rename the station Dongwan. Then I move to the Calypso. The first level three power plant has been finished and I proceed with the next one.
I send Vehicle 1 to wait for the Calypso in So Yul. I greenlight the monofilament project, reconfigure some of the labs, and send resources to Nana and Jiyeon. A call comes in.
It is not possible for us to leave. All of our laboratories are on Gaea and Rhea.
Patel appears.
We need to do something to slow down the attacks by the hostile life forms against our colonies. Hmm... I just had an idea for a way to counterattack them. Perhaps we can design a plague that will affect only the native life forms.
Make a research lab on Gaea, planetside, devoted to biology. This way we can observe the biota behavior. I'll have one of our teams bring a biota speciment to the lab for further study. I hope we can find a weak point that will allow us to counter-attack them.
We do already have biology labs on Gaea's surface. Feel free to use them. Do keep in mind I am not going to genocide anything on either planet.
She leaves. She comes back.
Dr. Elweena Neusch has been studying the effects of the Spritzer Quartz, and even though the mineral proved to be useless to us, its crystalline structure has turned out to be the most unusual and may be worth investigating.
I check the proposal.
I will be honest with you. I did not knew what a Maser was until I did check wikipedia. I am not even sure I got the explanation right.
I leave the technology interface. Patel comes back. Were this a Japanese game I would suspect my previous choices did get me locked on her route by now.
Our engineers hope to create a method in which exotic metal alloys mirror the self-duplicating process of DNA creation. I have no idea if the process will be useful.
Sir, I recommend another upgrade to our Research Labs. The amount of work that needs to be done prompts my suggestion.
We have yet to make use of the first upgrade. I go check the proposal.
SCIENCE! has left The Captain behind. She limits herself to fulfill the requeriments and click on Invent.
Eunjung sends its ship to collect 10 robots from JongMin. Lizzy sends its ship to collect 10 robots from JR. JR upgrades its first power plant. JongMin does the same. I am informed I have a call. Shocking, I know.
Captain, an onslaught of hostile biota has begun all across the surface of Rhea! Massive groups of the native life forms are stalking our personnel and destroying all of our installations! PLEASE HELP! Evacuate us or send us help to stop these horrible creatures!
Please control yourself. The shields are there to protect you. You are safe in the colonies. Trust me.
I hang up. A different crisis requires my attention. A real one. The Calypso is still far away from Zeus and the resources I did load her up with are almost over. I reduce the deficit by turning off almost everything.
Then I move to the hangars and prepare Romanov's ship.
On Lizzy I order the construction of a new factory. I notice the mission to establish a biology laboratory on Gaea has not been marked complete and switch the labs. Those which were studying biology start studying mathematics, and viceversa. It may be that the game did not recognize the laboratories as established because they were already established before the mission was received.
I have a visitor.
She is our military's second in command who will be taking Romanov's place during his absence from the mothership. She has a very creepy smile.
I order the ship down to the surface without even allowing for a stop at the space station.
The Gamma1 asteroid is truly an amazing discovery. It appears to have many artificial structures on it but it doesn't seem as if anyone has been near it in hundreds if not thousands of years! I have isolated potential sources of interest which can now be viewed using our ship's scanners. A complete report of the makeup of the asteroid can be found in your PDA library.
There are a number of communication pylons on the surface. We might be able to destroy them to stop the signal but we should probably search the suface thoroughly for possible clues first.
I am honestly impressed. After acting just as I would expect a sweaty barbarian to act for almost an entire episode he does start to see things my way.
I check the report.
One needs but a cursory glance to notice that's no asteroid.
Romanov's ship descends to the H'riak sporeship's surface.
During the next episode great discoveries will be made. SCIENCE! will jump forward. The Captain will find the situation is much more complex than she did even suspect. And when Gaea's Colonies' shields are overwhelmed by the rampaging biota it will fall on the last working ship on Gaea and her robotic pilot to save Hyomin and Eunjung from doom. Is this the end of Gaea's colonies?
I move to greenlight the project to research the blue quartz-like material we did find in one of Zeus' moons. As soon as all pipelines and transport missions are over I set a course for the Calypso. The target is Zeus. I am worried about the asteroids. The ship will take 320 turns to reach its destinations. 160 months. Over thirteen years according to windows' calculator.
As I am preparing to take care of administrative duties both Antonelli and Romanov require my attention for different reasons.
This has been my intention for Zeus all along.
It seems the energy shield project has been completed. He has more to talk about.
We are half of the way to find all pylons. I go check the research report.
Sooner or later I will have to build one on the Calypso and our main orbital stations. This brings me no joy.
I send Vehicle 5 to get 8 robots from Jiyeon for Hyomin. I have made the decision of leaving he orbital laboratories working. In fact if our adventure finds an untimely end it is my intention to build all laboratories on orbital stations during the next try. I dismantle one of the laboratories on Eunjung to make space for the energy field generator. The colony was already at the maximum number of installations built. On Lizzy I start the construction immediately after some facilities are turned offline. The same I do on Hyomin. On Raina I demolish a laboratory and follow suit.
Then I move to JR. I build a new habitat there, the sixth. The same I do on JongMin. For each of Ellin and Geum Mi I build a third power plant. From Hyomin and Raina I send resources to keep Jiyeon and Nana functioning. Noticing Eunjung is now able to upgrade the habitats to the second level I start doing so.
I am dismantling a laboratory on Hyomin when Patel comes to me.
This indicates I did complete the mission to have enough living space for when the batch of 250 colonists being reanimated by a system malfunction did awake. I move back to Eunjung to order the upgrading of another habitat. Romanov comes to inform me of the third set of Gaean pylons having been found on E-16 and K-21.
I send a ship from Raina to get 6 robots from Hyomin. I am waiting for the robots to arrive to Raina when the Colonel returns. Antonelli is with him.
Unfortunately, we cannot seem to locate the exact position of the source. It seems that the signal is coming from several places simultaneously. It is my theory that the close proximity of the other surrounding Beta asteroids is causing reverberations and echoes.
We should send some probe ships to the surrounding asteroids to pinpoint the exact location of the signal.
The hunt for the source of the signal is about to begin. I doubt we are prepared to face whatever it is that awaits us at the end of it but we do not have much choice in the matter.
A ship from Lizzy is sent to get 6 robots from Eunjung. On Hyomin I begin construction of a fifth power plant. Then the ships are sents. From Hyomin Vehicle 5 is sent to probe Beta 1. From Eujung Vehicle 3 goes to check Beta 3. Raina and Lizzy send Vehicle 10 and Vehicle 9 to check on Beta 5 and Beta 7. I follow the approach of the ships closely.
Scratch Beta 1 from the list. I send the ship back to Hyomin. Then it does happen.
It would seem the problem had to with the robotic pilot and not with an attack as I did first consider. Wu has more to say.
Wu leaves. A call comes in.
That has been already taken care of.
I understand. Now if you do not mind...
This is a busy day. Before I could even hang up Romanov and Patel came in.
I fail to see what good would that bring to us. We have the energy shields in place. Let them come.
It is true that the generators have left our colonies pressed for energy. I move to check the project she spoke of.
As soon as I greenlight the project Wu drops by.
She is actually referring to Beta 5. It must be a typo. I scratch Beta 5 from the list and send the ship back to Raina.
Good heavens. Please allow me a moment to catch my breath.
While the ships sent back from the Beta Asteroids are still enroute to their home bases I order the other ships there to probe the remaining four beta asteroids. The even ones. This time all of the ships will have a human as the pilot. This does increase the travel time and the fuel consumption.
I move to Eunjung and start upgrading another habitat. On Lizzy I start construction of a third power plant. Then I check the monofilament project.
Will all pylons on Rhea found I can reconfigure the labs on Nana and Raina for this new project. I do so. As Hyomin is not taking part of the search for the ones in Gaea I do the same there. A new load of resources is sent from Hyomin and Raina to their respective orbital station.
With little to do while waiting for my orders to be carried out I decide to check on my advisors.
This we are currently doing.
I am sorry to inform you I have no intention of doing so.
Is it not to be safely established there that we did build the energy shields?
It is wrong to blow the pylons but it is acceptable to slaughter the natives. I should have expected this from you.
We will not go on the offensive.
Very well. Anything else I should be informed of?
Before I even have the chance to get to the door Romanov and Wu catch up with me. The former informs me the last two Gaean pylons have been found. The later tells me to scratch Beta 4 from the list. The ship there is sent back to Eunjung. As I wait for the remaining ships to arrive to their destinations I decide to check Gaea's Mercator map. No massive groups are currently marked on the surface.
I am about to leave when the message sent by a desperate Alabek comes in.
I am checking the surface again when Wu informs me Beta 6 has given us the same result as Beta 7 had done before. We are one step closer to finding the source of the signal. We leave the ship there to help triangulate the position. Two of the Calypso's factories are currently building robots. Another is building vehicles. This one I put to build missiles.
I return to Gaea's Mercator view. This time the a hostile group can be seen advancing towards Hyomin. I decide to let the shield take care of it.
Wu comes back. She informs us we did not learn anything about the signal in Beta 8. But there is more.
It was in Beta 3 that we lost one of our ships. That must be the place. I tell the ship that did check Beta 8 to return to Lizzy and send two new spacecrafts to the belt. Vehicle 10 goes takes off from Raina to check Beta 3. Just to be sure I send Vehicle 5 from Hyomin to Beta 1. Both are piloted by humans.
Having previously been informed the search for the Gaean pylons was over I visit both Eunjung and Jiyeon to reconfigure the laboratories there. On Eunjung I also dismantle a level one habitat to make space for a new power plant. Then I order a new factory built on both JR and JongMin. While I wait for my orders to be carried out I check on the Calypso's habitats and notice these can now be upgraded to level three. I set one to be upgraded. As I decide to concentrate on discovering the rules governing this I am informed Beta 1 was not the place. I order the ship back. We are so near we can almost touch it.
And then...
Romanov is with her.
We need to investigate immediately to determine if there is anything threatening there. I need a team of at least 3 people to adequately investigate the asteroid and find a way to stop that strong signal.
Two of the ships in the asteroid belt are sent to Geum Mi and Ellin instead of back to their points of origin. Gamma 1 is currently very close to Zeus. It may not stay like this for long. I send Vehicle 1 from the Calypso with the mission to build a space station on it and with enough resources to establish a habitat there once it is done. We will be using this station to store Romanov's fuel and keep alive the crew he did ask for.
On the Calypso the first level three habitat is finished. I do start to upgrade the next one.
From Lizzy a ship is sent to take 10 robots from JongMin. I am then informed a research project has concluded. I go check the report.
I am grateful this is not the only finished project waiting for its report to be reviewed.
With more of our colonies reaching the maximum number of facilities upgrades are becoming extremely important. Each of our colonies begins to upgrade one of its power plants. Having little to do while I wait I decide to check on my officers once again.
I would expect the decision to destroy it or not to come after we have understood why it is doing this.
Nah. That joke's below even my standards.
Besides invading their worlds, you mean?
Words are unable to convey how grateful I am you did wait until now to tell me about the Alpha Asteroids being rich with ore in an explicit way.
By now the first few level three power plants are done.
I build a new habitat on Lizzy. After balancing each of the central colonies' output and requeriments I start upgrading the next power plant in each of them. As I do not remember if I did post a picture of the planetary version of the second level habitats I will do so now.
The space station on Gamma 1 has been built. I order the habitat I did want constructed to be so and rename the station Dongwan. Then I move to the Calypso. The first level three power plant has been finished and I proceed with the next one.
I send Vehicle 1 to wait for the Calypso in So Yul. I greenlight the monofilament project, reconfigure some of the labs, and send resources to Nana and Jiyeon. A call comes in.
It is not possible for us to leave. All of our laboratories are on Gaea and Rhea.
Patel appears.
Make a research lab on Gaea, planetside, devoted to biology. This way we can observe the biota behavior. I'll have one of our teams bring a biota speciment to the lab for further study. I hope we can find a weak point that will allow us to counter-attack them.
We do already have biology labs on Gaea's surface. Feel free to use them. Do keep in mind I am not going to genocide anything on either planet.
She leaves. She comes back.
I check the proposal.
I will be honest with you. I did not knew what a Maser was until I did check wikipedia. I am not even sure I got the explanation right.
I leave the technology interface. Patel comes back. Were this a Japanese game I would suspect my previous choices did get me locked on her route by now.
Sir, I recommend another upgrade to our Research Labs. The amount of work that needs to be done prompts my suggestion.
We have yet to make use of the first upgrade. I go check the proposal.
SCIENCE! has left The Captain behind. She limits herself to fulfill the requeriments and click on Invent.
Eunjung sends its ship to collect 10 robots from JongMin. Lizzy sends its ship to collect 10 robots from JR. JR upgrades its first power plant. JongMin does the same. I am informed I have a call. Shocking, I know.
Please control yourself. The shields are there to protect you. You are safe in the colonies. Trust me.
I hang up. A different crisis requires my attention. A real one. The Calypso is still far away from Zeus and the resources I did load her up with are almost over. I reduce the deficit by turning off almost everything.
Then I move to the hangars and prepare Romanov's ship.
On Lizzy I order the construction of a new factory. I notice the mission to establish a biology laboratory on Gaea has not been marked complete and switch the labs. Those which were studying biology start studying mathematics, and viceversa. It may be that the game did not recognize the laboratories as established because they were already established before the mission was received.
I have a visitor.
She is our military's second in command who will be taking Romanov's place during his absence from the mothership. She has a very creepy smile.
I order the ship down to the surface without even allowing for a stop at the space station.
There are a number of communication pylons on the surface. We might be able to destroy them to stop the signal but we should probably search the suface thoroughly for possible clues first.
I am honestly impressed. After acting just as I would expect a sweaty barbarian to act for almost an entire episode he does start to see things my way.
I check the report.
One needs but a cursory glance to notice that's no asteroid.
Romanov's ship descends to the H'riak sporeship's surface.
During the next episode great discoveries will be made. SCIENCE! will jump forward. The Captain will find the situation is much more complex than she did even suspect. And when Gaea's Colonies' shields are overwhelmed by the rampaging biota it will fall on the last working ship on Gaea and her robotic pilot to save Hyomin and Eunjung from doom. Is this the end of Gaea's colonies?
What guarantee is there to destroy the Pylons would rebeart the wildlife back to a more peaceful state? I dare say, and please bear with me as I do, the signal could well be(ar) but the hand that flicks a switch. To cut the hand afterwards for the switch does nothing. As a gentlebear of science and reason I suggest but to study where others roar for violence and crime.
To us cubs of the renaissance the load is bearable and beary obvious the path.
Yep. Confirmed. The poor human colonies are in deep shit. 
Do love the self-replicating metal and plague suggestions your researchers come up with. Marry the two, rewrite the human DNA to incorporate metal plating on the skeleton and you might have your cyborgs.
Do love the self-replicating metal and plague suggestions your researchers come up with. Marry the two, rewrite the human DNA to incorporate metal plating on the skeleton and you might have your cyborgs.
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