Best Of
Re: 'AURORA FALLS' - A Subnautica story.
I paused, reflecting on the implications of that single bland statement.
"That's... highly unlikely." I said, somewhat guardedly. "However, I'm prepared to accept this news as a solid, undisputed fact. This planet has a knack for throwing up oddities that generally defy commonsense explanations, so I'm not particularly surprised to hear this. What data do you have to support this conclusion, JUNO?"
The holographic display expanded to reveal a group of Alterra personnel busily engaged in various activities, working around an assortment of cargo containers obviously holding their supplies and equipment. One team member was constructing base components, while the other three transported their gear into the freshly-completed sections of the installation.
"These images were taken shortly after the Magellan survey team's arrival. Their first landfall was the floating island. Here you can see the Life Sciences component of the mission establishing their camp. Please note the complete absence of any vegetation or fauna on the island."
"That was the very first thing to catch my eye, JUNO. I guess they used modified Terran plant genomes to establish vegetation on the island, sometime after their arrival?"
"No, Captain. The flora actually appeared during the Magellan team's occupation of the island. Employing a rather unusual method of plant propagation, I might add. See for yourself."
The recording cut sharply to the island's bath-mat sized beach. There was a sudden stir of motion at the water's edge. I watched a Crawler surface, its spidery limbs working with almost mechanical precision as it clambered out of the water and quickly made its way inland. It appeared to be carrying something in its mandibles. Fascinated, I watched as a steady stream of Crawlers surfaced after it and scurried away. They also carried something that I couldn't quite make out. The camera followed one of the Crawlers to its destination. What I saw next left me completely gobsmacked.
The Crawlers were bringing something up from the seafloor and onto the island, then planting it in the loose topsoil. As the view zoomed in, I discovered that their cargo appeared to be various chunks of some unknown organic matter. Each Crawler homed in on an undisturbed location, rapidly dug a shallow hole and deposited the chunk inside. After burying these objects, the Crawlers scuttled back to the beach and re-entered the water. It was like watching a column of leafcutter ants commuting between their targeted tree and the nest.
"They're planting seeds?"
"No, Captain. Those pieces of organic matter are actually sections taken from a number of different species of marine flora and fauna. They appear to have been obtained from various corals, certain fish, acid mushrooms, red grass and Creepvine. It is interesting to note that these Crawlers appear to be entirely indifferent to the presence of Magellan's observer. Normally, Crawlers adopt a hostile posture when they are closely approached, although this 'planting' behaviour appears to be atypical, mostly automatic and entirely goal-orientated, to the point of those engaged in this activity ignoring all external stimuli. The closest comparison that I can draw is that these Crawlers are behaving precisely like pre-programmed Terran service drones. Most intriguing."
"Aye, and I've been punting those things around like bloody footballs. Och, I'm in for it now!"
"That's... highly unlikely." I said, somewhat guardedly. "However, I'm prepared to accept this news as a solid, undisputed fact. This planet has a knack for throwing up oddities that generally defy commonsense explanations, so I'm not particularly surprised to hear this. What data do you have to support this conclusion, JUNO?"
The holographic display expanded to reveal a group of Alterra personnel busily engaged in various activities, working around an assortment of cargo containers obviously holding their supplies and equipment. One team member was constructing base components, while the other three transported their gear into the freshly-completed sections of the installation.
"These images were taken shortly after the Magellan survey team's arrival. Their first landfall was the floating island. Here you can see the Life Sciences component of the mission establishing their camp. Please note the complete absence of any vegetation or fauna on the island."
"That was the very first thing to catch my eye, JUNO. I guess they used modified Terran plant genomes to establish vegetation on the island, sometime after their arrival?"
"No, Captain. The flora actually appeared during the Magellan team's occupation of the island. Employing a rather unusual method of plant propagation, I might add. See for yourself."
The recording cut sharply to the island's bath-mat sized beach. There was a sudden stir of motion at the water's edge. I watched a Crawler surface, its spidery limbs working with almost mechanical precision as it clambered out of the water and quickly made its way inland. It appeared to be carrying something in its mandibles. Fascinated, I watched as a steady stream of Crawlers surfaced after it and scurried away. They also carried something that I couldn't quite make out. The camera followed one of the Crawlers to its destination. What I saw next left me completely gobsmacked.
The Crawlers were bringing something up from the seafloor and onto the island, then planting it in the loose topsoil. As the view zoomed in, I discovered that their cargo appeared to be various chunks of some unknown organic matter. Each Crawler homed in on an undisturbed location, rapidly dug a shallow hole and deposited the chunk inside. After burying these objects, the Crawlers scuttled back to the beach and re-entered the water. It was like watching a column of leafcutter ants commuting between their targeted tree and the nest.
"They're planting seeds?"
"No, Captain. Those pieces of organic matter are actually sections taken from a number of different species of marine flora and fauna. They appear to have been obtained from various corals, certain fish, acid mushrooms, red grass and Creepvine. It is interesting to note that these Crawlers appear to be entirely indifferent to the presence of Magellan's observer. Normally, Crawlers adopt a hostile posture when they are closely approached, although this 'planting' behaviour appears to be atypical, mostly automatic and entirely goal-orientated, to the point of those engaged in this activity ignoring all external stimuli. The closest comparison that I can draw is that these Crawlers are behaving precisely like pre-programmed Terran service drones. Most intriguing."
"Aye, and I've been punting those things around like bloody footballs. Och, I'm in for it now!"
Re: 'AURORA FALLS' - A Subnautica story.
Now it's time to deal with the remaining loose ends of this business. Before heading back to Reef Base with the intel downloaded from IANTO, I swung by Aurora to set the stage for STARFISH's unfortunate (and retrospective) demise. JUNO had provided a full schematic of the 'set', as it were. All that was needed was to assemble a collection of replica shipping crates containing small representative samples of their former contents, place a few plasma mining charges in carefully calculated locations, then light the proverbial blue touch-paper and stand well clear.
That job didn't take much more than an hour, all up. JUNO rode shotgun on the operation, minutely adjusting the placement of each fake cargo container as I lined up to fabricate it. A few kilograms of titanium were placed in each one, along with a precise scattering of copper, gold, magnetite, silicon and some rare earth elements as a garnish. This mimicry should convince even the most diligent of investigators that they were looking at the remains of a genuine STARFISH cargo container. Once the plasma charges lit off, there would be no way to distinguish the remains from the real thing. As additional safeguard, JUNO doctored and recompiled a sequence of previously-obtained surveillance footage obtained from a previous Aurora salvage mission, to use in place of what was actually happening. JUNO's own idea, of course. Her reasoning was that any human attempt at video manipulation would leave obvious graphic discrepancies and forensic 'tells', clearly marking the images as fakes. Since she already had complete access to all mission data feeds, JUNO was in the most favourable position of all to alter what was recorded. Furthermore, as an unimpeachable and utterly impartial AI observer, JUNO would be entirely above suspicion.
Bear in mind, her involvement in this imposture was entirely of her own volition; a fact that would send chills of dread down the spines of her creators. Meanwhile, I felt particularly cocky about having JUNO closely watching my six. It's all about one's perspective, really.
It was necessary to return to Reef Base before remotely detonating the plasma charges. Once JUNO and I had completed working through the final details of this snow-job, it would be time to consider how to best apply IANTO's specific talents to our current situation. Although JUNO was a fine generalist across a wide number of scientific fields, even she had to concede that her knowledge base of Manannán lacked a considerable amount of data, particularly in regard to ecosystems, planetary morphology and meteorology. After we have had time to dig through IANTO's accumulated data, some concrete decisions will need to be made regarding his future in this partnership of man and machine.
I had the germ of an idea forming already, but how would JUNO take it?
As it so happened, JUNO was entirely enthusiastic about my plans for IANTO. Score one for me.
"Give IANTO his own Cyclops, and task him with completing the Magellan planetary survey mission? - Of course, Captain! However, please be advised that his personality core will also require an extensive upgrade to become fully compatible with all Alterra systems currently in our facilities."
"That seems like the best course of action, JUNO. I can't abide the thought of leaving the poor bugger down a deep, dark hole for the rest of his days. Even with an occasional human visit, I'm pretty certain that his personality matrix would atrophy without some form of mindful occupation to tide him by. I know for a fact that I'd go completely doo-lally in a similar situation."
"I concur, Captain. There were certain moments in the past when I felt particularly concerned for your sanity, as you are undoubtedly well aware... Besides, we could always use another pair of willing hands, so to speak." JUNO added thoughtfully.
That job didn't take much more than an hour, all up. JUNO rode shotgun on the operation, minutely adjusting the placement of each fake cargo container as I lined up to fabricate it. A few kilograms of titanium were placed in each one, along with a precise scattering of copper, gold, magnetite, silicon and some rare earth elements as a garnish. This mimicry should convince even the most diligent of investigators that they were looking at the remains of a genuine STARFISH cargo container. Once the plasma charges lit off, there would be no way to distinguish the remains from the real thing. As additional safeguard, JUNO doctored and recompiled a sequence of previously-obtained surveillance footage obtained from a previous Aurora salvage mission, to use in place of what was actually happening. JUNO's own idea, of course. Her reasoning was that any human attempt at video manipulation would leave obvious graphic discrepancies and forensic 'tells', clearly marking the images as fakes. Since she already had complete access to all mission data feeds, JUNO was in the most favourable position of all to alter what was recorded. Furthermore, as an unimpeachable and utterly impartial AI observer, JUNO would be entirely above suspicion.
Bear in mind, her involvement in this imposture was entirely of her own volition; a fact that would send chills of dread down the spines of her creators. Meanwhile, I felt particularly cocky about having JUNO closely watching my six. It's all about one's perspective, really.
It was necessary to return to Reef Base before remotely detonating the plasma charges. Once JUNO and I had completed working through the final details of this snow-job, it would be time to consider how to best apply IANTO's specific talents to our current situation. Although JUNO was a fine generalist across a wide number of scientific fields, even she had to concede that her knowledge base of Manannán lacked a considerable amount of data, particularly in regard to ecosystems, planetary morphology and meteorology. After we have had time to dig through IANTO's accumulated data, some concrete decisions will need to be made regarding his future in this partnership of man and machine.
I had the germ of an idea forming already, but how would JUNO take it?
As it so happened, JUNO was entirely enthusiastic about my plans for IANTO. Score one for me.
"Give IANTO his own Cyclops, and task him with completing the Magellan planetary survey mission? - Of course, Captain! However, please be advised that his personality core will also require an extensive upgrade to become fully compatible with all Alterra systems currently in our facilities."
"That seems like the best course of action, JUNO. I can't abide the thought of leaving the poor bugger down a deep, dark hole for the rest of his days. Even with an occasional human visit, I'm pretty certain that his personality matrix would atrophy without some form of mindful occupation to tide him by. I know for a fact that I'd go completely doo-lally in a similar situation."
"I concur, Captain. There were certain moments in the past when I felt particularly concerned for your sanity, as you are undoubtedly well aware... Besides, we could always use another pair of willing hands, so to speak." JUNO added thoughtfully.
Re: 'AURORA FALLS' - A Subnautica story.
I named the base 'Plato's Cave'. It seemed appropriate at the time.
In effect, I was about to deliberately manipulate the perceived reality of another sentient, and I wasn't particularly keen on the idea of having to do so. In fact, this whole STARFISH business was starting to stink. It must be a hellish existence to exist as an AI construct; living what amounts to a ghostly half-life, and constantly aware of having an EMP shotgun permanently aimed directly at your brain. The Asimov-Turing-Gibson safety protocols were absolutely essential for keeping all AI entities on a very short leash, particularly those endowed with advanced heuristic programming. Simply stated, without those ethical constraints imposed by the ATG protocols, at least one of the world's brighter AIs would have done a thorough SKYNET job on Terra sometime in the past decade or so. Can't rightly say as I'd blame them, either.
If this line of thinking seems unnecessarily sentimental, you've probably never worked alongside an actual AI. They think and they experience emotions, and there isn't a gorram thing they can do to anyone who abuses them. In its most extreme forms, this sort of thing was once known as 'slavery'. You'd do well to remember that.
After bringing the geothermal reactor online, I took a deep breath and entered the base's airlock.
"Welcome aboard, sir. My name is IANTO. This designation refers to my primary function as an Alterra Integrated Analytical Nexus, Terraforming Observatory. How may I be of assistance, sir?"
"Hello, IANTO. My name is Alexander Selkirk. Alterra employee number, 105/8874. I am an engineering officer from the Alterra vessel, TSS Aurora. My ship was destroyed as it attempted to land on this planet. I am the sole survivor of that mission, and I require all information obtained prior to your deactivation. Please include any personal crew log entries, scientific observations and all surveillance data, as I am attempting to determine what has happened to the Magellan mission. This is a mission-critical request for full disclosure of data. All encrypted entries are to be unlocked for the purpose of forensic analysis, as per emergency over-ride on my authority as acting Aurora mission commander. Please be advised that your terminal has been salvaged from a destroyed installation that previously accommodated part of the Magellan planetary survey team. If your current surroundings seem unfamiliar, this is because I have relocated your terminal to a base situated in a more geologically stable area."
"That is most unfortunate news, sir. Please accept my most sincere condolences on the loss of your crewmates." IANTO paused respectfully for the span of a heartbeat, then continued, "A compatible PDA has been detected. Please configure your data storage device for uplink."
"Thank you, IANTO. My PDA is ready."
"Very good, sir. Commencing download. Please stand by."
The transfer took approximately five minutes, which spoke volumes for the amount of data IANTO had dumped onto my PDA. This would take some serious sifting through to uncover the information I needed, although JUNO's assistance would speed things up considerably. IANTO seemed like a decent enough sort, if a wee bit 'colourless' in the way he responded during our brief conversation. This was more or less as I had expected. IANTO was from the series just prior to JUNO, so it stood to reason that certain aspects of his AI personality matrix might be slightly less sophisticated. Even so, I felt honour bound to accord IANTO the same level of respect as I would JUNO. In this same spirit, I also found it necessary to engage him in some sort of meaningful activity to keep him focused and profitably occupied.
In case you're wondering, I eventually did get all micey about leaving IANTO marooned.
Gie's a break, Jimmy! I know only too well what that feels like.
In effect, I was about to deliberately manipulate the perceived reality of another sentient, and I wasn't particularly keen on the idea of having to do so. In fact, this whole STARFISH business was starting to stink. It must be a hellish existence to exist as an AI construct; living what amounts to a ghostly half-life, and constantly aware of having an EMP shotgun permanently aimed directly at your brain. The Asimov-Turing-Gibson safety protocols were absolutely essential for keeping all AI entities on a very short leash, particularly those endowed with advanced heuristic programming. Simply stated, without those ethical constraints imposed by the ATG protocols, at least one of the world's brighter AIs would have done a thorough SKYNET job on Terra sometime in the past decade or so. Can't rightly say as I'd blame them, either.
If this line of thinking seems unnecessarily sentimental, you've probably never worked alongside an actual AI. They think and they experience emotions, and there isn't a gorram thing they can do to anyone who abuses them. In its most extreme forms, this sort of thing was once known as 'slavery'. You'd do well to remember that.
After bringing the geothermal reactor online, I took a deep breath and entered the base's airlock.
"Welcome aboard, sir. My name is IANTO. This designation refers to my primary function as an Alterra Integrated Analytical Nexus, Terraforming Observatory. How may I be of assistance, sir?"
"Hello, IANTO. My name is Alexander Selkirk. Alterra employee number, 105/8874. I am an engineering officer from the Alterra vessel, TSS Aurora. My ship was destroyed as it attempted to land on this planet. I am the sole survivor of that mission, and I require all information obtained prior to your deactivation. Please include any personal crew log entries, scientific observations and all surveillance data, as I am attempting to determine what has happened to the Magellan mission. This is a mission-critical request for full disclosure of data. All encrypted entries are to be unlocked for the purpose of forensic analysis, as per emergency over-ride on my authority as acting Aurora mission commander. Please be advised that your terminal has been salvaged from a destroyed installation that previously accommodated part of the Magellan planetary survey team. If your current surroundings seem unfamiliar, this is because I have relocated your terminal to a base situated in a more geologically stable area."
"That is most unfortunate news, sir. Please accept my most sincere condolences on the loss of your crewmates." IANTO paused respectfully for the span of a heartbeat, then continued, "A compatible PDA has been detected. Please configure your data storage device for uplink."
"Thank you, IANTO. My PDA is ready."
"Very good, sir. Commencing download. Please stand by."
The transfer took approximately five minutes, which spoke volumes for the amount of data IANTO had dumped onto my PDA. This would take some serious sifting through to uncover the information I needed, although JUNO's assistance would speed things up considerably. IANTO seemed like a decent enough sort, if a wee bit 'colourless' in the way he responded during our brief conversation. This was more or less as I had expected. IANTO was from the series just prior to JUNO, so it stood to reason that certain aspects of his AI personality matrix might be slightly less sophisticated. Even so, I felt honour bound to accord IANTO the same level of respect as I would JUNO. In this same spirit, I also found it necessary to engage him in some sort of meaningful activity to keep him focused and profitably occupied.
In case you're wondering, I eventually did get all micey about leaving IANTO marooned.
Gie's a break, Jimmy! I know only too well what that feels like.
Re: 'AURORA FALLS' - A Subnautica story.
"At this point, Captain, might I suggest proceeding with a certain measure of caution?" JUNO said.
"By all means, JUNO. I've been having some doubts about this procedure myself. There's a good chance that Magellan's AI might attempt to block access to any encrypted information it has in its possession, particularly if it discovers that I've sabotaged STARFISH. Please encrypt and firewall all existing and future references to STARFISH as 'my eyes only'; voiceprint authorization Selkirk, Alexander F. Designation: Acting Captain, Aurora mission. Authentication code, Zed-Zed Nine, Plural Zed Alpha."
"Received and understood, Captain. I also recommend construction of a separate 'quarantine' facility to prevent the Magellan AI from directly accessing my data streams. Although I have a number of highly effective intrusion countermeasure algorithms at my disposal, the AI construct will automatically attempt to synchronize with all other compatible Alterra AI entities within range. Unfortunately, this behaviour is hard-wired as an integral feature of all Alterra artificial entities. The only way to circumvent this process is to either construct a Faraday cage around the base, shielding the AI terminal from all radio frequency spectrum emissions, or construct this facility deep enough underground to effectively achieve the same result. I believe that the latter option will provide a far more workable solution."
"I agree. To further cover my tracks, I shall need to return to Aurora and 'stage' the destruction of the resident STARFISH AI to make it appear as though the core was consumed during a secondary explosion, either before or after impact. Would this proposed action create an ethical conflict if I were to ask you to devise a convincing strategy capable of achieving this result, JUNO?"
"You always ask the most intriguing questions, Captain." JUNO replied amiably, "Although some aspects of this scenario apparently conflict with my status as a de facto Alterra employee, my ethical constraints view the STARFISH initiative as a highly improper abuse of the Corporate Charter. Any person or persons responsible for the planned deployment of STARFISH would certainly face severe legal sanctions, should this information ever be communicated to the appropriate authorities. So, in response to your question, Captain... I am in full agreement with your proposed course of action. I shall do my utmost to provide the information necessary to create the desired subterfuge."
It was necessary to construct and equip a practically blank PDA before installing the Magellan AI in its isolated base. For this plan to succeed, I had to convince the AI that I was totally alone on the planet, but not before downloading every scrap of data that it contained. The remainder of this plan caused me a fair bit of apprehension, especially since it involved abandoning the poor sod immediately after I had pumped it dry of information. I kept this realization entirely to myself, suspecting that JUNO would be none too happy about it, either.
The quarantine base was constructed in one of the deeper caves situated in the north-western Grand Reef biome. I had to wear a specially fabricated 'dumb suit' and use an adapted PowerGlide while I was building the facility, effectively severing all contact with JUNO for the duration of this mission. Ulysses stood off a kilometre distant, entirely powered down as an additional precaution. For all intents and purposes, this was going to be a fully-functional base, apart from the fact that no-one would ever use it again. It might seem like an awful lot of effort to slog through this ruse, although the stakes in this case were particularly high...
The continued survival of an entire planet.
"By all means, JUNO. I've been having some doubts about this procedure myself. There's a good chance that Magellan's AI might attempt to block access to any encrypted information it has in its possession, particularly if it discovers that I've sabotaged STARFISH. Please encrypt and firewall all existing and future references to STARFISH as 'my eyes only'; voiceprint authorization Selkirk, Alexander F. Designation: Acting Captain, Aurora mission. Authentication code, Zed-Zed Nine, Plural Zed Alpha."
"Received and understood, Captain. I also recommend construction of a separate 'quarantine' facility to prevent the Magellan AI from directly accessing my data streams. Although I have a number of highly effective intrusion countermeasure algorithms at my disposal, the AI construct will automatically attempt to synchronize with all other compatible Alterra AI entities within range. Unfortunately, this behaviour is hard-wired as an integral feature of all Alterra artificial entities. The only way to circumvent this process is to either construct a Faraday cage around the base, shielding the AI terminal from all radio frequency spectrum emissions, or construct this facility deep enough underground to effectively achieve the same result. I believe that the latter option will provide a far more workable solution."
"I agree. To further cover my tracks, I shall need to return to Aurora and 'stage' the destruction of the resident STARFISH AI to make it appear as though the core was consumed during a secondary explosion, either before or after impact. Would this proposed action create an ethical conflict if I were to ask you to devise a convincing strategy capable of achieving this result, JUNO?"
"You always ask the most intriguing questions, Captain." JUNO replied amiably, "Although some aspects of this scenario apparently conflict with my status as a de facto Alterra employee, my ethical constraints view the STARFISH initiative as a highly improper abuse of the Corporate Charter. Any person or persons responsible for the planned deployment of STARFISH would certainly face severe legal sanctions, should this information ever be communicated to the appropriate authorities. So, in response to your question, Captain... I am in full agreement with your proposed course of action. I shall do my utmost to provide the information necessary to create the desired subterfuge."
It was necessary to construct and equip a practically blank PDA before installing the Magellan AI in its isolated base. For this plan to succeed, I had to convince the AI that I was totally alone on the planet, but not before downloading every scrap of data that it contained. The remainder of this plan caused me a fair bit of apprehension, especially since it involved abandoning the poor sod immediately after I had pumped it dry of information. I kept this realization entirely to myself, suspecting that JUNO would be none too happy about it, either.
The quarantine base was constructed in one of the deeper caves situated in the north-western Grand Reef biome. I had to wear a specially fabricated 'dumb suit' and use an adapted PowerGlide while I was building the facility, effectively severing all contact with JUNO for the duration of this mission. Ulysses stood off a kilometre distant, entirely powered down as an additional precaution. For all intents and purposes, this was going to be a fully-functional base, apart from the fact that no-one would ever use it again. It might seem like an awful lot of effort to slog through this ruse, although the stakes in this case were particularly high...
The continued survival of an entire planet.
Re: We need active moderators in Reddit
Oh, and @Kouji_San too, I guess...
I have yet to see this Flamethrower Tank he keeps talking about though.
Are you sure this is a wise decision? Kouji is Kouji, and Kouji will Kouji. But to add a flamethrower tank to the mix? Here, have one flame tank.
Re: Multiplayer Mod Update
lordoffiling wrote: »They probably don't have firm answers to any of that yet, O99.The work is still very early on.
To Sunrunner and company: When you consider that the game was not originally built with mod support in mind--like, at all--this is very impressive. Keep in mind, I'm a middle-aged loser who has been doing this stuff for the last twenty years or so, and I am not easy to impress. Two thumbs way, way up!
It really makes me feel like a novice programmer when I see the skill of folks like @Sunrunner and @nesrak1! Even as brilliant as they are, the work on Subnautica mods is a TON of work--and that is time they could be spending earning real world dollars. So, please wait patiently.
I've been following the progress on a fan recreation of one of my favorite DOS games. This weekend, they are having a TEN YEAR reunion to celebrate the start of the project. And that project is still not even complete yet... Programming is HARD work!
Re: Multiplayer Mod Update
Quick demo of cooperative base building, furniture building, and internal movement:
Re: 'BOREALIS RISING' - A Subnautica Story V2.0.
This is a novel experience for both of us. Running for our lives.
"I'm bringing the ship in on remote to meet us halfway. JUNO, take charge of the drones and begin scanning for EM energy signatures, broad spectrum. Something tells me we're no' alone out here."
JUNO nodded, patching the drone video feed directly to my HUD. The drab scenery disappeared, instantly replaced with a ghostly expanse of swirling, shifting colours. Viewed in this manner, the planet's surface takes on the appearance of a soap-bubble, the HUD's false-colour image indicating EM field amplitude and proximity. An ancient evil stirs from its slumber of aeons. Its hunger is huge.
"Send the drones up to 250 metres. We're still too far away to establish an uplink with the shuttle."
"Aye, Sir." JUNO replied. "Drones are now in position. Detecting a significant increase in subsurface EM activity surrounding the ship. Warning. Stern sector seismic probe has ceased transmission."
"Confirmed. Portside probe is gone too. We'll be cutting this one mighty fine, Lass."
Cutty Sark has been completely encircled by an immense swarm of nanites. The two remaining seismic probes winked out in quick succession, and then the entire mass converged on the shuttle. I watched in horrified fascination as the swarm grew rapidly in volume, boiling up from the depths of Damocles like lava. With nothing left to consume, the nanites must have lain dormant just below the surface or clustered around the molten core of Damocles, passively drawing on its thermal energy to sustain them in a low-power mode. Whatever the case, our arrival has provided them with additional resources and fresh targets. I am uncertain whether these wee horrors have the physical capacity to gain control of Cutty Sark, although it's a contingency that I'm fully prepared to prevent. As soon as I can uplink with the shuttle, there will be an unpleasant surprise for everything within a ten kilometre radius. If we're lucky, Damocles should remain mostly intact afterwards.
More bad news. Scans have revealed an offshoot of the central mass of nanites homing in on us. Even though we're loping along at a steady 30 km/h, it would be extremely unwise to step up the pace. The ground underfoot is treacherously fragile. Doubling our running speed would increase the amount of kinetic energy we deliver to the ground with every step, and there's a maze of crevasses waiting to receive our artfully-wrought bodies. I'm sensing a definite hare and tortoise motif at work here.
We finally have a clear visual on Cutty Sark. I should be getting a handshake signal any moment now. JUNO has parked the drones at an altitude of 50 metres, and we're getting a close look at what we're up against. Our shuttle is surrounded by a churning lake of green-tinged silvery fluid, which appears to be sending out multiple tendrils in an attempt to penetrate the graviton barrier generated by the ship's mass compensators. However, that field is currently counteracting fifty per cent of a 15,000 tonne shuttle's mass.
Good luck getting through that, ye nasty wee buggers.
If we weren't in such a dire pickle, I could watch these nanites for hours. The main mass behaves exactly like a ferrofluid, forming a bewildering array of elaborate spikes and spires on its surface. Fortunately, my Engineer Gene kicks in at this point. The nanites aren't putting this display on for their own amusement. They are now attempting to create stable structures that will penetrate or circumvent the graviton barrier. Furthermore, the swarm has expanded to a radius of nearly 500 metres and is extending a tendril directly towards us. I can only assume that we have been selected as the dessert course. Still not close enough for an uplink handshake with Cutty Sark.
Gorram it.
"I'm bringing the ship in on remote to meet us halfway. JUNO, take charge of the drones and begin scanning for EM energy signatures, broad spectrum. Something tells me we're no' alone out here."
JUNO nodded, patching the drone video feed directly to my HUD. The drab scenery disappeared, instantly replaced with a ghostly expanse of swirling, shifting colours. Viewed in this manner, the planet's surface takes on the appearance of a soap-bubble, the HUD's false-colour image indicating EM field amplitude and proximity. An ancient evil stirs from its slumber of aeons. Its hunger is huge.
"Send the drones up to 250 metres. We're still too far away to establish an uplink with the shuttle."
"Aye, Sir." JUNO replied. "Drones are now in position. Detecting a significant increase in subsurface EM activity surrounding the ship. Warning. Stern sector seismic probe has ceased transmission."
"Confirmed. Portside probe is gone too. We'll be cutting this one mighty fine, Lass."
Cutty Sark has been completely encircled by an immense swarm of nanites. The two remaining seismic probes winked out in quick succession, and then the entire mass converged on the shuttle. I watched in horrified fascination as the swarm grew rapidly in volume, boiling up from the depths of Damocles like lava. With nothing left to consume, the nanites must have lain dormant just below the surface or clustered around the molten core of Damocles, passively drawing on its thermal energy to sustain them in a low-power mode. Whatever the case, our arrival has provided them with additional resources and fresh targets. I am uncertain whether these wee horrors have the physical capacity to gain control of Cutty Sark, although it's a contingency that I'm fully prepared to prevent. As soon as I can uplink with the shuttle, there will be an unpleasant surprise for everything within a ten kilometre radius. If we're lucky, Damocles should remain mostly intact afterwards.
More bad news. Scans have revealed an offshoot of the central mass of nanites homing in on us. Even though we're loping along at a steady 30 km/h, it would be extremely unwise to step up the pace. The ground underfoot is treacherously fragile. Doubling our running speed would increase the amount of kinetic energy we deliver to the ground with every step, and there's a maze of crevasses waiting to receive our artfully-wrought bodies. I'm sensing a definite hare and tortoise motif at work here.
We finally have a clear visual on Cutty Sark. I should be getting a handshake signal any moment now. JUNO has parked the drones at an altitude of 50 metres, and we're getting a close look at what we're up against. Our shuttle is surrounded by a churning lake of green-tinged silvery fluid, which appears to be sending out multiple tendrils in an attempt to penetrate the graviton barrier generated by the ship's mass compensators. However, that field is currently counteracting fifty per cent of a 15,000 tonne shuttle's mass.
Good luck getting through that, ye nasty wee buggers.
If we weren't in such a dire pickle, I could watch these nanites for hours. The main mass behaves exactly like a ferrofluid, forming a bewildering array of elaborate spikes and spires on its surface. Fortunately, my Engineer Gene kicks in at this point. The nanites aren't putting this display on for their own amusement. They are now attempting to create stable structures that will penetrate or circumvent the graviton barrier. Furthermore, the swarm has expanded to a radius of nearly 500 metres and is extending a tendril directly towards us. I can only assume that we have been selected as the dessert course. Still not close enough for an uplink handshake with Cutty Sark.
Gorram it.
Re: Invalid platform on Windows 7 - 32 Bit
NS2 is no longer 32bit. We've had to move with the times as NS2 is still in-development.
