The Last Stars - IC

by **Harkback Union** » Thu Mar 19, 2020 11:53 am

G-Tech Corporation wrote:
"The ability to coordinate matter in the manner a society desires is, fundamentally, the difference between savages and the civilized. The extent of that ability, the degree of civilization."

Rotation 5069L - Timestamped 72:17.0:44:670
Coordinates 0270:5408 - Classification Nascency - Subclass Salithan Wastes
Log Relevance: Cho. Dev. Eng.

The central spire of red stone lay undisturbed, the twining network of bronze that coiled about it like some great living thing making a distinct effort not to trouble the beautiful skyscrapers of rock that had been molded by uncounted millenia of erosion and weathering. Or, at least, that was what it looked like to the Third of Ivory as it paced across the pale red desert at this distance. Closer up, even feeble organics might have realized that the network of bronze was in fact no such creature, but an immense matrix of buildings, towers, modules, and entryways.

That was not the interest of the Third though. He turned away from the tableau, back toward the endless wastes, and continued walking. Another few weeks and he might reach the great Sundering Sea that separated the Salithan Wastes from the more verdant regions beyond. Most creatures would be dead of exposure long before then, but the Third cared little. Along behind the scientist an affectionate tendril of flowing bronze followed like a dog, stretching, straining forward, guided by the Voidborn's path. Back into the interminable distance the eye could follow it back toward that tall spire of learning, each meter stretched forward another extension of the neural net that the research collaborative would rely upon for introspection and advancement.

There were a thousand mysteries to be assessed, a galaxy worth of knowledge to be rediscovered. The Age of Night had seen only one in a thousand of the learned men and women of the Architects survive the cataclysm, and they had forgotten more than most other races had ever learned. It was frustrating to many of those who walked Nascency to not even be aware, in truth, of how far they had fallen. In times past the arcane terraforming machines discovered beneath the Rust Mountains might have a simplicity to comprehend, crude even to the explorers who had stumbled across the great edifices.

Not now though. There was much work to be done.

One Explorer (First of Violet) departs Nascency orbit, deep scanning I - R in System Melody, then deep scanning IIIb - R

Additional Forms are revived (+1 Pop)
Nascency produces 6 Food, 6 Credits | -2 Harmony, 4 Food is consumed
Leader Action: First of Silver coordinates Colonial Development (+2 C)
Research Colony established in Desert (Silicon), Leisure Colony established in Eden (Water)
Nascency: 4 | Farm (Eden), Leisure (Eden), Factory (Metal), Factory (Metal, Carbon), Research (Silicon)
+1 Industrial Pollution
0 Credits remains

One Exploration ongoing
Nascency: 5 | Farm (Eden), Leisure (Eden), Factory (Metal), Factory (Metal, Carbon), Research (Silicon)
Leader Action: First of Silver appointed Governor for Melody System on Nascency
Additional Forms are revived (+1 Pop)
Nascency produces 6 Food, 6 Credits, 7 Harmony | 5 Harmony, 5 Food is consumed - 2 Harmony
Renewable Array build in Tundra (Water)
Nascency: 6 | Farm (Eden), Leisure (Eden), Factory (Mountains - Metal), Factory (Mountains - Metal, Carbon), Research (Desert - Silicon), Renewable (Tundra)
+1 Industrial Pollution
1 Credits remains

Reason, Competition | ZeroG Engineering, Gas Synthesis, Underground Colonization (I), Deep Scanning (II)

L-0

A lonely place.

A Single planet orbits its star far too close, its atmosphere long gone.

I - R (Undiscovered)

-

K-1

A system with exclusively rocky planets and an abundance of asteroids.

I - R (Unexplored)

Ia - R (Unexplored)

II - Asteroid Belt (Unprospected)

III - R (Unexplored)

IIIa - Ice Ring (Unprospected)

by **Piscina** » Thu Mar 19, 2020 12:54 pm

Eventually, the Scientific Colony was completed. It would be able to function excellently with an abundance of silicon for lab equipment and a surfeit of energy for experiments. Of all the achievements that the Pinnarum had made since their old home was destroyed, this one captured the spirit of their old civilisation the most. Innovation and discovery were central in the Pinnarum mindset, and now the population of New Lachrima had something to focus their creative energies towards. The mountain laboratories would soon begin rediscovering the knowledge that the Pinnarum civilisation once possessed, and with time might even surpass them.

This was not the only thing that the labs were useful for though, as there were rumours that a mysterious project titled "Project ESPSAI" was underway somewhere in those mountains, and that it was intended to aid in space exploration. Was it a new kind of thruster? A revolutionary navigation system? Some form of scanner? No one apart from the scientists working on it knew for sure, and the scientists weren't telling.

Meanwhile, construction had begun on a spaceport orbiting New Lachrima, which would aid Pinnarum expansion into space, and truly cement their position as a technological species. The spaceport would provide life support, docking berths and a torus-shaped habitation/leisure section that spun to simulate gravity to avoid muscle atrophy for its residents. It was designed to accommodate any number of additional modules that would be added to it in future, and would come with a complement of shuttlecraft that would allow the Federation to project its industrial might throughout the New Lachrima system, and hypothetically to other stars too. In many ways, the Pinnarum had started a new chapter in the story of their existence in the Omega Cluster.

Turn five actions

Lachriman Federation at end of turn five

by **G-Tech Corporation** » Thu Mar 19, 2020 3:39 pm

"The greatest pity of the void is how empty it is. Not full of light, beauty, and order like so many hoped. It is the sacred charge of our Makers to change this state of affairs."

Rotation 5099Q - Timestamped 08:77.3:52:309
Coordinates 2390:6745 - Classification Nascency - Subclass Salithan Wastes
Log Relevance: Nov. Dev. Asc.

The pits reached downward, deep, immense tendrils disappearing into the darkness. The Fabricator, the Second of Steel, stood on the side of the abyss, assessing. Intermittently gusts of the winds that swept the wastes away from the central processing node send small showers of sand down into the inky blackness. As the Second looked up, his eyes of swirling orange and emerald took in a half dozen other pits within range before the horizon of their adopted homeworld obscured his sight again. Here and there vast capillary nodes from the distance wormed their way down into the soil, carrying the energy of a continent to a new home.

A new home. Yes. A fortuitous coincidence had presented itself in the reshaping of the disordered desert sands of the Salithan Wastes, vast deposits of silicon which might be exploited for a ten thousand reasons, alongside the utility of providing energy to the gargantuan dataspinners and neural nets of the Bronze Keep. The Second stepped forward into the pit, and swiftly daylight faded overhead as it hurtled downward.

Closer to the molten core of the world it nestled, a languid dragon asleep atop a wealth of materials fit to reforge systems. The Sleeper in the Depths, a warren of industry and extraction where uncounted millions labored in near pitch-blackness to feed the furnaces of the crawling skin of Nascency. As the Second raced downward it passed silent halls, gaping chasms where labor-forms moved in unconscious synchrony in the gloom. Here and there the warm glow of forges and smelters disturbed the near mirror-smooth walls of the great pit that descended downward, growing in numbers as the Second fell, each a city in its own right devoted to pulling the mineral wealth of the million layers of stone and invisible years from the bosom of the planet.

Eventually the Second's eyes sighted the depths of the pit, where the great boring machines each as wide as a metroplex slowly ground into the blackness. Pillars of light and soot and fumes raced upward, buffeting the course of the Voidborn overseer, internal gravitics whirring lightly as they compensated for the alterations in trajectory. A small platform in the cavernous breast of the city-machine beckoned, and ere long the Second of Steel alighted on the platform of lustrous milisteel like a leaf born on a summer wind. Other forms knelt and inclined their heads as he paced away from the platform, one striding forward to pay particular homage.

Honored master. Welcome to Dis.

by **Harkback Union** » Thu Mar 19, 2020 4:14 pm

Yuzhou wrote:
Memory of Yuluk

Research Ship Konto
Shambuk System

Yasulai tapped away at the engulfing glow of interfaces from her seat -- she didn't need more than two arms.
"Oh..." She paused, her audible exclamation bringing the attention of her subordinates seated below her.
A loud thunk was heard as one of them slammed a stone-gloved hand onto a bare metal surface, tinting an angry yellow.

She couldn't blame him for his outburst. Any one in their positions would be overwhelming anxious to receive promising results, and her team was no exception. Most of them, junior scientists, knew almost nothing but the darkening vacuum of space. They were young, and they were impatient. Years as a diplomat many ages ago cooled her own temper.
"Nothing that we didn't really expect" she said. "Talmuk, give me your read outs anyways."

"Carbon Dioxide choked atmosphere. Register reading 500 Kelvin ambient surface temperature. Probably trapped heat."

Another scientist, Chamuh, pitched in empathetically "I'm picking up surface water."

Yasulai shook in resignation. The Gazrok were used to some heat, but 500k would vaporize them without protective gear. From her own readings, she knew the sand colored planet swirling out her the ships viewport housed little more than hot, barren hellscape. The distance of the planet from the star Shambuk probably doomed it to be barren rock, but the atmosphere could have provided some protection, so it was worth scanning. In this case, the swirling clouds of thick CO2 made certain they didn't even need to look further than what their aging equipment could portray.

"Well," she began, "command wants us to survey a moon our jump readings registered as rock. It orbits a liquid world, but the positioning is in the best spot for life-conditions in relationship to the star. It's the best and last shot this system has for any luck."

"What about those anomalies registered when we jumped into the system? They went off-radar almost as soon as we arrived." Talmuk asked.

"Unimportant, our goal for now is simply to get a read out of prospective worlds, and then await fleet command." Yasulai brushed him off. The young scientist slunk back into his seat. She knew they were knowledge-hungry, having had little in the way of actual scientific study for most of their lives. They had all be regulated to advanced repair and trouble-shooting, or maintaining the survival systems in the fleet, and they had begun to just taste the purpose they had all trained for. It probably didn't help that she was not a scientist herself, but instead simply an authority that could manage the equipment well enough to command the ship.

"Flight control, set the course."
As the exploration ship slid back into a new path, she looked out to the deepness of the space from where they had come.
She never remembered it so devoid of light.

Actions:

Exploration Vessel - scan planet IIIa - R (1/2 actions)

Turn Leader:
Yasulai - Exploration Vessel

Faith, Liberty

Technology:

Tier I -
Ion Drive
- Required for Colony ships and Destroyers.

Tier II
Magnetic Shielding
- Unlocks Shield Generator Spaceship Part (costs 2 C): 3 Shields (absorbs damage before hull). +1 slot. Max 1 shield generator per ship.
- Fortress colonies are immune to bombardment from orbit.

Ships:

Shambuk System
1 Colony ship
1 Exploration Vessel (Action taken, leader)
3 Destroyers (2P, 3S, 5HP, No Maintenance)

A Moon above an ocean

It does not take a scanner to see life thriving on this world. Clouds, forests, mountains and valleys.

The first orbit around the night side revealed something peculiar. Red dots across an entire continent.

Forest firest? Volcanic activity? No decisive clues.

300K
O₂, N₂
Hydrosphere
Tundra (Water), Great Lakes, Tundra (Carbon), Mountains (Metal), Mountains (Metal), Tundra (Red Dots), Great Lakes, Tundra (Carbon), Tundra (Water)

by **Harkback Union** » Thu Mar 19, 2020 4:39 pm

Theyra wrote:The Remnant

Better, much better then the last swept, Thenkai thought as he gazed upon the water world. This world is far more suited for a colony and then Talos and Thenkai named this world Vahiri. Named after an old Icarran water goddess. Though this world held promise as a new home of the Remnant, Thenkai wanted one last look before he orders the Prodigy (colony ship) to land and set up a colony. Once again in his chair, Thenkai quickly scrolled down to the down the holographic list and selected the world in the system. Perhaps this world will be a better prospect for the Remnant and ordered the Pathfinder to begin the exploration of the world. If this third rock from the sun is not up to par. Then the Remnant will just settle on Vahiri and start anew there.

Explorer Vessel(Pathfinder) - Captained by Captian Thenkai Nakneox - explore planet III in Xiaki(A-0)
[ /spoiler]

[spoiler=Technology]Tech Tier 1 - Atomic Power

Tech Tier 2 - Focusing Crystals

A Scorched Sunflower

Tidal locked with its sun, this planet has a narrow band of habitability. Patches of green thrive there, but despite their efforts, the atmosphere is still not breathable.

III - R
500K, 300K 200K
CO₂
Wasteland (Irradiated), Wasteland (Irradiated), Wasteland (Irradiated)
300K
CO₂
Eden (Water)
200K
CO₂
Ice (Water), Ice (Water), Ice (Water),

by **Harkback Union** » Thu Mar 19, 2020 4:53 pm

Piscina wrote:Over a century since the first colonists had landed, life on New Lachrima had become... routine. Boring, even. There was little strife or discontent, as there were more than enough resources and services for everyone. The Pinnarum and their structures had long since adapted to the local conditions, which by now were second nature to them. Even the fears of food shortage that had loomed in the background of the last few decades had been proven unfounded as population control policies were enacted. Perhaps it was unsurprising then, that they turned to innovation and discovery. There was a general sentiment that building a Scientific Colony was the best way to ensure the progression of the Federation would continue, and the governmental decision to make that the focus of their civilisation until it was done was received with approval.

Of course, the Federation's current food output was insufficient to support the large number of scientists that would be needed for the new colony to actually be of any use, and so it was decided that the remaining untouched Eden continent would be built on. Although developing it in this way would comprimise its ability to absorb pollution, a plan was made to nullify the pollution another way. A system of wind turbines and hydroelectric dams would be built that would provide clean energy for the industrial centres in the mountains, thus removing the need to use fossil fuels, which would remove the need for pollution mitigation anyway. This would take a while to provide power in the necessary quantities though, and in the meantime pollution went unnullified.

The verdant plantlife in the region the Renewable Energy Array was to be built in lent itself handily to the construction of small-scale automated farms alongside it that would feed the Scientific Colony, and the expansion there opened up new opportunities to enjoy the wildlife on the planet, which would offset the increased load on the service infrastructure that the scientists would pose. Construction was swift with the increased production the abundance of silicon for the factories enabled, and work began on the foundations of the new colony soon after.

Turn four actions
No new population is created, as there is no food surplus.
The Chancellor Coordinates Development on New Lachrima, and combined with factory production 6C is available on the planet. 5C of this is spent on a Renewable Energy Array, which will begin operation next turn. The remaining 1C is spent on a Scientific Colony, which will need 4 more C to be completed.
Explorer Vessel Explores New Lachrima II.

Lachriman Federation at end of turn four
New Lachrima: Eden (Service Colony), Eden, (Renewable Energy Array), Mountains (Unfinished Scientific Colony 1C/5C), Mountains (Factory Colony), Desert (Mining Colony), Tundra (Farming Colony), Ocean, Ocean. 0 surplus food, 4 pops, +2 net Harmony, +1 net pollution.
Total: 0 surplus food, 4 pops, +2 net harmony.

This is no gas planet!

Beneath the layer gas that fooled remote sensors, an endless sea of liquid mercury floats endlessly.

This is... not feasible!

II - L
400K
H₂ Hg
Liquid Mercury

Anomaly Discovered
Mercury World

by **Ralnis** » Thu Mar 19, 2020 5:38 pm

Armabad Logistics- Gen 5

It was impossible. The very thing was impossible to understand to Thomas but it happened. He declared the exploration ship and her crew MIA. Such a thing shouldn't have happened but the idea was that its been decades and this just meant that their solar system has been considered very dangerous. The entire planet was considered very dangerous, yet familiar for the people who were being born on Beacon yet new for those coming out of the cryopods.

Thomas didn't have his Commandant as he was trying to handle yet another problem that had troubled the company. He knew that surviving the apocalypse was going to be hard but this was ridiculous. He didn't even know if there were any other survivors from the Hypernova than just Armabad, maybe even another company which would be ironic as Thomas called his own the last one in the universe. Still with a good industrial base and workshops with a sight of an economy that can give the workers their own pay. It was nothing more but a cottage industry on some backwater world but it was nothing but the start of the of a new hope altogether.

There was some good that came in, the research intuitions finally grew up into a good colony base. A part of Thomas' mainframe network that was at the capital that was the colony ship was allowed to be shared by these new institutions. His processing power went up dramatically as more and more of the centers come online. Soon they would be able to conduct research and help restore the digital library that once was devoted to trying to escape the universe.

Now he just have to mark a new exploration ship and a telescope array and an exploration ship on those list of things that need to be built.

by **Harkback Union** » Thu Mar 19, 2020 5:43 pm

Sands of Beacon
Chapter III

Into the Dunes

Trails of dust followed the rickety rovers through the sunset. Even with the rovers, the journey took Days.

Commandant Talkos had taken a dozen of his best man with him. Their weapons and suits looked arcane compared to the rest their equipment, made locally. The industry on Beacon was still in its infancy, and materials were limited.

As they arrived atop a particularly tall dune, Talkos signaled to stop. He climbed atop the jeep and surveyed the landscape.

"There!"

His man looked around in confusion, they saw nothing, but the commandant Insisted.

"A flagpole!" - One of his man finally discovered. It was flying a rather tattered grey sheet with what looked liked a bloody imprint of a hand.

Climbing a slightly better vantage point, Talkos was able to see the whole colony. Several standard issue habitation units, probably stolen from an outlying outpost, surrounding a central core of makeshift buildings. Workshops, water tanks, farm plots and greenhouses, and a community center... Man and woman walking outside, 5? 6? 7?

The count was interrupted by one of his men, reporting recent satellite imagery. Another great dust storm was being stirred up to the west.

Perfect timing.

Now to give orders.
- Follow standard engagement protocols, approach on foot, only engage in self defense.
- Wait for dusk. Take the stealthy approach.
- Calmly walk into the compound, weapons holstered.

by **Theyra** » Thu Mar 19, 2020 6:07 pm

The Remnant

That sealed it, with the tidally locked world being named Eclipse. Vahiri will be the first world that the Remnant will settle and start anew. Thenkai ordered the Prodigy (colony ship) to land and set up a colony on Vahiri. As he watched the Prodigy finally startup its engines make its way to Vahiri. There the Remnant will start anew, back to the days when it was an honor to serve the Icarran Empire. Before corruption and decadence took hold of the promising empire. Still, they have to avoid the mistakes that the Icarran Empire took, less the Remnant takes the same road and begins the cycle again. Hopefully, they will not make the same mistakes that Captian Thenkai is going to do his best to make sure the past does not repeat. Once the Prodigy landed, Thenkai ordered his ship to land on the planet, he will be taking charge of the colony and helping it develop. In the meantime, the Pathfinder will continue to explore the system.

by **Harkback Union** » Thu Mar 19, 2020 6:38 pm

Lunas Legion wrote:Armada of the Forgotten

There were things that could be ignored. Swept under the rug, dismissed or put off to later. Whatever his now deceased crew had found out there was, to put it simply, far too dangerous to be just left kicking around. Some form of spatial anomaly, potentially chronological in nature too... No, it simply couldn't be left uninvestigated. It might endanger the colony. Or indeed the planet as a whole.

And that was without considering the genetically-bred curiosity of his sub-species of As'kaqa.

So, instead, here he stood, inside a hardened environmental suit, clouds of water vapour forming into condensation against his helmet's visor, looking out over the alien landscape of Zatha. Well, not really alien, not anymore. They'd been here for decades, after all, most of the plants and bigger animals, if not named, they at least had a vague idea of what they were dealing with. He turned back, looking over the survey team he'd assembled. Non-critical personnel only, a mixture of all three types of As'kaqa in case they needed some manual labour or engineers in rovers. A large enough convoy they didn't need to constantly radio back for support, which with the planet's atmosphere was intermittent at best, small enough that its loss would not unduly affect the day to day operations of the planet in the slightest.

Hopefully they didn't blow the planet up or something.

Adral Surveys Zatha
No Progress on Factory Colony on Mountains (Metal) on Tlene (4/5))
+1 Population on Zatha

F-Type Star

I - G Unexplored

II - G Unexplored

IIa - R Unexplored

III - Y Star

IIIa - R - Zatha
300K
O₂, N₂ SO₂ (Chaotic Atmosphere: -1 Food from farms, Radio Telescopes inoperable, +1 Energy from renewable)
Hydrosphere (Toxic)
Eden (Water) -
Deserts (Silicon) -
Deserts (Water) - Renewable Energy Array - AUTOMATED - +2 Energy
Tundra (Water) - Hydroponics Colony -1 Water, -1 Energy, +3 Food
Mountains (Metal) -
Ice (Carbon) -
Ocean (Toxic) -
Wastelands (Toxic)-

Population Consumes -3 Food
3 Population in Slums (1 Starving)
Harmony N/A

IIIb - R Unexplored

Planning - Population in slums may convert 1 surplus resource (must be extracated from mines) to 1 C. (Breakthroughs help Industry).

Obedience - No penalties from negative harmony on your 1st planet. (Breakthroughs help Armies and Leadership).

T1:

Atomic Power
- Unlocks Reactor Colonies, which can convert 1 Rare Elements to 3 Energy.

Hydroponics
- Unlocks Hydroponics Colony- Converts 1 Water and 1 Energy to 3 food, irrelevant of continent type.

Cryostasis
- Required to construct colony ships

T2:

Deep Scanning
- Allows for finding hidden anomalies.
- Allows building archeology outposts on hidden anomalies and excavate artefacts.[/size]

Breakthroughs:

Time Crystals
- Reroll each failed Physics research once.
- Explorers may travel or go on expedition 1 additional time.
- Unlocks A Secret Project.

Many cycles passed, much was scoured. Nothing was found. Without orbital reconnaisance, it seemed almost hopeless to locate an object without description. If only the mysterious visitor was more specific about the locale...

But the search inevitable started rumors. Why is he away from the colonies? What is he looking for? It didn't help that there were already thousands of theories floating around about the ancient inhabitants of the place. Magical, god-like cretures who brought the As'kaqa here. The rest of the story depended on who's telling it.

Then, a thought struck Adral. The spike array in the desert .

They begun to unearth its foundations.

Deep beneath the sand, there existed a network of conduits for collection and distribution of energy. They seemed to be quite often damaged, burned out and severed, which explained why they were able to exploit the array's full power without having noticed of an alternate network. Exploring further, the conduits joined together to a central artery, heading towards the mountain ranges.

Adral could feel it, they were getting close. His survey team grew in numbers as the legends of ancient secrets spread. With more hands helping, they were digging faster and faster. Now they were deep within the mountains. The clouds were close, and suffocating. Oxygen had to be shipped in regularly and visibility was poor, but their progress was steady.

From here on, the artery was not concerned with obstacles. It cut through mountains and bridged over valleys. The direction never changed. There was no more need for dozers. They just had to follow the direction.

Suddenly, the dark clouds gave way. A bright valley, fresh air, trees, lakes, a crash site and... the thing.

by **Harkback Union** » Thu Mar 19, 2020 6:56 pm

Theyra wrote:The Remnant

That sealed it, with the tidally locked world being named Eclipse. Vahiri will be the first world that the Remnant will settle and start anew. Thenkai ordered the Prodigy (colony ship) to land and set up a colony on Vahiri. As he watched the Prodigy finally startup its engines make its way to Vahiri. There the Remnant will start anew, back to the days when it was an honor to serve the Icarran Empire. Before corruption and decadence took hold of the promising empire. Still, they have to avoid the mistakes that the Icarran Empire took, less the Remnant takes the same road and begins the cycle again. Hopefully, they will not make the same mistakes that Captian Thenkai is going to do his best to make sure the past does not repeat. Once the Prodigy landed, Thenkai ordered his ship to land on the planet, he will be taking charge of the colony and helping it develop. In the meantime, the Pathfinder will continue to explore the system.

Explorer Vessel(Pathfinder) - explore planet Va in Xiaki(A-0)

Prodigy(colony ship) lands on Vahiri(IV) and settles on an Eden continent
Coordinate Development by Captian Thenkai Nakneox = 2C

[ /spoiler]

[spoiler=Technology]Tech Tier 1 - Atomic Power

Tech Tier 2 - Focusing Crystals

Ever since landing on the planet, there was much curiosity about the planet's great seas, but those who cam in contact with it for even just a quick swim would return sick, sometimes in critical condition. An investigtion revealed all of the oceans to have extremely high mercury content.

Despite this, sealife was thriving. Millions of aquatic creatures. Beautiful, Exotic, Nutritious. A particular coral reef near the shores was a designated as a valuable site for development.

2 Options, neither comes at any extra cost:
- Turn the coral reef into a cannery. Purify the meat. (+2 Food from now on)
- Establish observation posts. Lets what these creatures are live. (+1 Harmony from now on, +???)

by **Ralnis** » Thu Mar 19, 2020 7:07 pm

Harkback Union wrote:
Sands of Beacon
Chapter III

(Image)

Into the Dunes

Trails of dust followed the rickety rovers through the sunset. Even with the rovers, the journey took Days.

Commandant Talkos had taken a dozen of his best man with him. Their weapons and suits looked arcane compared to the rest their equipment, made locally. The industry on Beacon was still in its infancy, and materials were limited.

As they arrived atop a particularly tall dune, Talkos signaled to stop. He climbed atop the jeep and surveyed the landscape.

47

"There!"

His man looked around in confusion, they saw nothing, but the commandant Insisted.

"A flagpole!" - One of his man finally discovered. It was flying a rather tattered grey sheet with what looked liked a bloody imprint of a hand.

Climbing a slightly better vantage point, Talkos was able to see the whole colony. Several standard issue habitation units, probably stolen from an outlying outpost, surrounding a central core of makeshift buildings. Workshops, water tanks, farm plots and greenhouses, and a community center... Man and woman walking outside, 5? 6? 7?

The count was interrupted by one of his men, reporting recent satellite imagery. Another great dust storm was being stirred up to the west.

Perfect timing.

Now to give orders.
- Follow standard engagement protocols, approach on foot, only engage in self defense.
- Wait for dusk. Take the stealthy approach.
- Calmly walk into the compound, weapons holstered.

- Drive straight into the compound, guns blazing. Take no prisoners. Torch the place.
- Drive in circles around the compound, screaming "We are taking the water" through loudspeaker.
- Commit ritualistic suicide using our explosives.
- Lets make dust angels in the sand.
- Wait, just wait. Let me think. What are we even doing here again?

Talkos was sudden, something was happening to him as it was a the same thing that was carrying with the Sandstorm! Still the Sandstorm was coming their way and they had a job to do.

Do Standard Engagement Protocols, Follow on foot and only Engage in Self-defense.

by **Harkback Union** » Thu Mar 19, 2020 7:21 pm

The GAmeTopians wrote:
Harkback Union wrote:
The sourch would be an exhausting one. The asteroids contained traces of useful metals, but nothing more.

Then.

The sleepy eyes of survey crew noticed something peculiar...

A cube shaped asteroid?

And another one?

Over the course of their search, they found about half a dozen U.S.O.s, lying dormant among the space rocks, undisturbed by the Pathfinder.

With the search complete, there was now barely enough fuel for one last destination...

"Nothing, Pathfinder. And we're almost out of fuel."

"Screw it. Land on the eden moon. We'll wait for rescue there."

Land on the eden moon, and use the remaining explore actions to explore the moon and hunker down.

The Landing on the moon was smooth. Descending from the ship, their feets touched the warm sands of a pristine beach.

Was there anything on this world worth investigating? Interesting wildlife? Remains of ancient inhabitants?

As Pathfinder was pondering this, his ship begun sinking into the sand. Rapidly. The crew tried franticly to save what they could, but were barely able to save themselves from the quicksand.

In the end, only the comms array at the very tip of their vessel was visible, the rest being consumed by the beach.

That night, they would sleep in primitive shelters crafted from what the tropics offered. It wasn't so bad. The fruits seemed edible, and noone was poisoned yet.

With the equipment they still had, expeditions were sent out. They already knew much about the moon, now they tried to see if they could find out anything else.

by **Harkback Union** » Thu Mar 19, 2020 7:39 pm

Ralnis wrote:
Harkback Union wrote:
Sands of Beacon
Chapter III

(Image)

Into the Dunes

Trails of dust followed the rickety rovers through the sunset. Even with the rovers, the journey took Days.

Commandant Talkos had taken a dozen of his best man with him. Their weapons and suits looked arcane compared to the rest their equipment, made locally. The industry on Beacon was still in its infancy, and materials were limited.

As they arrived atop a particularly tall dune, Talkos signaled to stop. He climbed atop the jeep and surveyed the landscape.

47

"There!"

His man looked around in confusion, they saw nothing, but the commandant Insisted.

"A flagpole!" - One of his man finally discovered. It was flying a rather tattered grey sheet with what looked liked a bloody imprint of a hand.

Climbing a slightly better vantage point, Talkos was able to see the whole colony. Several standard issue habitation units, probably stolen from an outlying outpost, surrounding a central core of makeshift buildings. Workshops, water tanks, farm plots and greenhouses, and a community center... Man and woman walking outside, 5? 6? 7?

The count was interrupted by one of his men, reporting recent satellite imagery. Another great dust storm was being stirred up to the west.

Perfect timing.

Now to give orders.
- Follow standard engagement protocols, approach on foot, only engage in self defense.
- Wait for dusk. Take the stealthy approach.
- Calmly walk into the compound, weapons holstered.

- Drive straight into the compound, guns blazing. Take no prisoners. Torch the place.
- Drive in circles around the compound, screaming "We are taking the water" through loudspeaker.
- Commit ritualistic suicide using our explosives.
- Lets make dust angels in the sand.
- Wait, just wait. Let me think. What are we even doing here again?

Talkos was sudden, something was happening to him as it was a the same thing that was carrying with the Sandstorm! Still the Sandstorm was coming their way and they had a job to do.

Do Standard Engagement Protocols, Follow on foot and only Engage in Self-defense.

With the sandstorm looming in the distance, Talkos and his men used the cover of the sand dunes to get as close as posible without being noticed. They then stormed the compound from multiple angles.

They quickly rounded up the inhabitants. Mostly woman, and a few frail looking man. Some were wearing lab coats, others cheap rags. Their eyes showed exhaustion, their bodies malnutrition, and they were not in a chatty mood. They seemed frightened at first, but then unconcerned, almost gleeful.

Talkos had time for a quick look around. He couldn't find any traces of food. No weaponry either, only medieval tools and broken electronics. In the central structure what seemed like the community center, there was relatively large room, with benches, and a podium. Suspended from above, a Banner.

"The Harvest is coming."

Talkos couldn't help but feel something was off. But what? For once, noone was whispering ideas into his head...

by **The GAmeTopians** » Thu Mar 19, 2020 7:56 pm

The Directorate
Pathfinder and Crew

"Interesting... We didn't pick this up in the flyover." The Pathfinder and his team stood at the treeline, staring at the ruins that lay before them. they could ignore them - just turn around and pretend they didn't exist. They were, however, stuck on this planet for the foreseeable future - even if they somehow found fuel, they would have to dig out the ship.
"Onward, men. keep your guard up."
And so the intrepid explorers pressed onward, into the unknown, for better or for worse.

Action: This is nothing to be concerned about. We'll go investigate.

by **Theyra** » Thu Mar 19, 2020 9:44 pm

The Remnant

That is unfortunate and rather interesting, Captian Thenkai thought as he watched the waves move forth and retreat from his position on a local bench. Making sure that he was far enough away that the waves can not reach him. Thenkai had seen the report that despite the high level of mercury in the planet's water, life thrives here. Having evolved to somehow resist the toxic element and survive unscathed by it. Truly remarkable and dash the thoughts of perhaps taking a swim in the ocean one of these days. Still, a choice had to be made, it turns out there is a coral reef nearby that could be exploited and turned into a cannery. While this would benefit the colony, Thenkai was not sold on the idea, thinking that perhaps it would be better if these creatures would be better free. They would have plenty of food already based on the projections he was given. So Thenkai chooses to let the creatures live and for science purposes, build observation posts to study the reef. Once he had enough the bench, Thenkai returned to the colony and resumed his work there.

Option B - Establish observation posts. Lets what these creatures are live

by **Lunas Legion** » Fri Mar 20, 2020 4:03 am

Armada of the Forgotten

"Normally I would say standard protocols." Adral barked out the order, his voice as high and scratchy as ever but having weight behind it. "We set up a perimeter, observe." But he had instincts about this. His now-deceased crewman had been only allowed to leave alone, and had come to him and him personally to report this, despite not being aware if he was even alive and suffering under the affects of whatever had eventually killed him.

"But I know what I saw, and I have hypothesis." He continued, turning to look over his research team. "I will go in alone. Set up a perimeter, observe. Allow no one else access. My return may take some considerable amount of time. You will await that and maintain the perimeter. Am I clear?"

A chorus of nods. Some slightly confused, some solemn and accepting this might be the last time they saw him.

"Good." It was a simple last word as he turned towards the monolith, his support train starting to fan out to set up a perimeter. He took one last, brief look at the star, Tlene, and then started forwards once again in resolute silence.

Option C- Suicide Mission

by **Harkback Union** » Fri Mar 20, 2020 5:47 am

The GAmeTopians wrote:The Directorate
Pathfinder and Crew

"Interesting... We didn't pick this up in the flyover." The Pathfinder and his team stood at the treeline, staring at the ruins that lay before them. they could ignore them - just turn around and pretend they didn't exist. They were, however, stuck on this planet for the foreseeable future - even if they somehow found fuel, they would have to dig out the ship.
"Onward, men. keep your guard up."
And so the intrepid explorers pressed onward, into the unknown, for better or for worse.

Action: This is nothing to be concerned about. We'll go investigate.

A semi-circle of stone columns, decorated with disturbing fractal patterns surrounds a central shrine. On its pedestal, standing on one edge, a cube made of pure chromium is on display. Much smaller then the one met earlier. Perhaps a replica.

Options:

- Lets not touch that thing.
- Lets take it back to base

Whilst walking around the shrine, Pathfinder notices a pattern on the paving. Climbing atop a broken column, he can see the patter in its entirety.

He seen this before... from orbit. A Map of the moon, engraved in the stone floor around the pedestal.

by **Harkback Union** » Fri Mar 20, 2020 7:14 am

Lunas Legion wrote:Armada of the Forgotten

"Normally I would say standard protocols." Adral barked out the order, his voice as high and scratchy as ever but having weight behind it. "We set up a perimeter, observe." But he had instincts about this. His now-deceased crewman had been only allowed to leave alone, and had come to him and him personally to report this, despite not being aware if he was even alive and suffering under the affects of whatever had eventually killed him.

"But I know what I saw, and I have hypothesis." He continued, turning to look over his research team. "I will go in alone. Set up a perimeter, observe. Allow no one else access. My return may take some considerable amount of time. You will await that and maintain the perimeter. Am I clear?"

A chorus of nods. Some slightly confused, some solemn and accepting this might be the last time they saw him.

"Good." It was a simple last word as he turned towards the monolith, his support train starting to fan out to set up a perimeter. He took one last, brief look at the star, Tlene, and then started forwards once again in resolute silence.

Option C- Suicide Mission

The valley awaited Adral with deafening silence.
Nothing moved here. No winds, no wildlife, only the smoke gently rising from a crashed pod. The scar it cut through the fields and forests still visible.
The pod was about at the halfway point of his journey. It was deserted. A trail of footsteps, leading to... the thing.

As Adral looked back towards the mountains, he could see rapid movement. Buildings and tall fences rising from the ground, overshadowed by a vortex of clouds surrounding the valley from all sides. And the stars of Tlene... They morphed into a washed out rainbow, coloring the landscape in sepia.

Adral continued his journey, undeterred, unrelenting. The footsteps led to a rather wide path cut through the vegetation. He wasn't in a hurry, but everytime he looked up, the monolith was much closer then he anticipated. Was the thing moving towards him?

Then... he was suddnly in a dark corridor which materialized directly in front of him. Looking back, he could still see the valley.

Adral took a step back. He was outside again. He walked around the entrance, but no matter which direction he looked, the corridor did not change. Always snapping perfectly with the ground below.

by **Ralnis** » Fri Mar 20, 2020 7:17 am

Harkback Union wrote:
With the sandstorm looming in the distance, Talkos and his men used the cover of the sand dunes to get as close as posible without being noticed. They then stormed the compound from multiple angles.

They quickly rounded up the inhabitants. Mostly woman, and a few frail looking man. Some were wearing lab coats, others cheap rags. Their eyes showed exhaustion, their bodies malnutrition, and they were not in a chatty mood. They seemed frightened at first, but then unconcerned, almost gleeful.

Talkos had time for a quick look around. He couldn't find any traces of food. No weaponry either, only medieval tools and broken electronics. In the central structure what seemed like the community center, there was relatively large room, with benches, and a podium. Suspended from above, a Banner.

"The Harvest is coming."

57

Talkos couldn't help but feel something was off. But what? For once, noone was whispering ideas into his head...

Talkos couldn't help but think something was off. However there was nothing that he could find in the general settlement. Already it looks so backwards in comparison to a standard colony and the community center looked like a church than a town hall. However with the various workers and this banner with these words it was already a sign of something worse.

A rebellion,

It had to be, this Harvest seemed to be nothing short of a rebellion and with this idea of a Sand cult with a bacteria or something that would make the people go into coma and go all crazy. The Commandant took photo of everything around the settlement and left back before the Sandstorm picked up. Something was brewing and he needed to get back to his boss and figure out what to do.

Talkos rounds up the people and takes them back with the expedition to the capital before the Sandstorm hits. Tries to.

by **Lunas Legion** » Fri Mar 20, 2020 7:33 am

Armada of the Forgotten

Well, at least it was confirmed that the anomaly was spatial in nature, Adral mused to himself. He patted the pod as he passed it, a silent memorial to those who had gone before him and to the nameless messenger that had brought him to this isolated valley in the first place.

He watched fences rise around him, as if through fog, faster than it should have been. He knew how fast his race could assemble things, and this was beyond even their skilled organisational abilities. The monolith grew closer, as if moving towards him, or as if he had been teleported towards it, growing larger as it loomed over him. The landscape changed, the sky morphing into a washed-out rainbow.

He'd have called it beautiful if he had any eye for aesthetics, but he did not.

And then he was before the monolith. He stepped sideways, and the corridor followed with him, always in front of him, the valley always behind him.

He stepped forwards, following the path of the mysterious messenger. Maybe he should have turned around, reported his findings and returned. Instead, using the heel of his boot, he carved a message into the dirt. His name, the date, and an arrow pointing towards the monolith. He didn't know how long it would last, but if anyone followed him, it should be enough of an indication as to where he went.

He stepped forwards into the dark corridor, alone and silent.

by **Harkback Union** » Fri Mar 20, 2020 8:54 am

G-Tech Corporation wrote:
"The greatest pity of the void is how empty it is. Not full of light, beauty, and order like so many hoped. It is the sacred charge of our Makers to change this state of affairs."

Rotation 5099Q - Timestamped 08:77.3:52:309
Coordinates 2390:6745 - Classification Nascency - Subclass Salithan Wastes
Log Relevance: Nov. Dev. Asc.

The pits reached downward, deep, immense tendrils disappearing into the darkness. The Fabricator, the Second of Steel, stood on the side of the abyss, assessing. Intermittently gusts of the winds that swept the wastes away from the central processing node send small showers of sand down into the inky blackness. As the Second looked up, his eyes of swirling orange and emerald took in a half dozen other pits within range before the horizon of their adopted homeworld obscured his sight again. Here and there vast capillary nodes from the distance wormed their way down into the soil, carrying the energy of a continent to a new home.

A new home. Yes. A fortuitous coincidence had presented itself in the reshaping of the disordered desert sands of the Salithan Wastes, vast deposits of silicon which might be exploited for a ten thousand reasons, alongside the utility of providing energy to the gargantuan dataspinners and neural nets of the Bronze Keep. The Second stepped forward into the pit, and swiftly daylight faded overhead as it hurtled downward.

Closer to the molten core of the world it nestled, a languid dragon asleep atop a wealth of materials fit to reforge systems. The Sleeper in the Depths, a warren of industry and extraction where uncounted millions labored in near pitch-blackness to feed the furnaces of the crawling skin of Nascency. As the Second raced downward it passed silent halls, gaping chasms where labor-forms moved in unconscious synchrony in the gloom. Here and there the warm glow of forges and smelters disturbed the near mirror-smooth walls of the great pit that descended downward, growing in numbers as the Second fell, each a city in its own right devoted to pulling the mineral wealth of the million layers of stone and invisible years from the bosom of the planet.

Eventually the Second's eyes sighted the depths of the pit, where the great boring machines each as wide as a metroplex slowly ground into the blackness. Pillars of light and soot and fumes raced upward, buffeting the course of the Voidborn overseer, internal gravitics whirring lightly as they compensated for the alterations in trajectory. A small platform in the cavernous breast of the city-machine beckoned, and ere long the Second of Steel alighted on the platform of lustrous milisteel like a leaf born on a summer wind. Other forms knelt and inclined their heads as he paced away from the platform, one striding forward to pay particular homage.

Honored master. Welcome to Dis.

One Exploration ongoing - mapping K-1 Ia-R
Nascency: 6 (Governor: First of Silver) | Farm (Eden), Leisure (Eden), Factory (Mountains - Metal), Factory (Mountains - Metal, Carbon), Research (Desert - Silicon), Renewable (Tundra) | 1 Credit
Leader Action: First of Sapphire conducts independent research on Ion Drive
No Additional Forms are revived
Nascency produces 6 Food, 6 Credits, 9 Harmony, 1 Power | 6 Harmony, 6 Food is consumed - 3 Harmony
Research Colony consumes Silicon and 1 Energy for Research Continuance
5 Credits consumed to construct Subterranean Delving below Salithan Wastes
Nascency: 6 | Farm (Eden), Leisure (Eden), Factory (Mountains - Metal), Factory (Mountains - Metal, Carbon), Research/Subterranean (Desert - Silicon), Renewable (Tundra)
+1 Industrial Pollution
2 Credits remains

Reason, Competition | ZeroG Engineering, Gas Synthesis, Underground Colonization (I), Deep Scanning (II)

Above the huddle of the underground construction sites, scientists were working to unravel the secrets of the progenitor artifacts. Fueled by curiosity, they worked day and night, yet their methods were cautious. They would not dare take apart that which they knew not how to put back together.

Progress was slow. The progenitors seemed quite illogical in their design of circuits. Components were welded together for good, disassembly for repairs seemed to be of no concern. Perhaps they never needed to, after all, these devices were still operation after so many rotations. But it would make their jobmuch harder.

But in the end, they had managed to completely disassemble both artifacts, and could now study its components individually.

The holo-display offered an insight higher dimensional imaging. These devices were able to process and visualise any kind of data, but could aslo be useful for means of entertainment. And now, they knew how to make them.
+2% Chance towards next breakthrough.
Service colonies can convert energy to harmony.

Meanwhile, the databanks contained quite a bit more information then thought possible, but reading the disks with current technology causes pernament damage to both sides. Experiments were quickly shut down... but some knowledge was gained.

SIDE A - Seems to be packed with astronomical data. This included the images of their own system seen earlier.
SIDE B - Seems to contain dated records of some kind.

Further reading either side of the disk would damage both sides. Attempts at trying to extract data from both sides at once were proposed, but may be a risky maneuver.

by **The GAmeTopians** » Fri Mar 20, 2020 9:05 am

Harkback Union wrote:
The GAmeTopians wrote:The Directorate
Pathfinder and Crew

"Interesting... We didn't pick this up in the flyover." The Pathfinder and his team stood at the treeline, staring at the ruins that lay before them. they could ignore them - just turn around and pretend they didn't exist. They were, however, stuck on this planet for the foreseeable future - even if they somehow found fuel, they would have to dig out the ship.
"Onward, men. keep your guard up."
And so the intrepid explorers pressed onward, into the unknown, for better or for worse.

Action: This is nothing to be concerned about. We'll go investigate.

A semi-circle of stone columns, decorated with disturbing fractal patterns surrounds a central shrine. On its pedestal, standing on one edge, a cube made of pure chromium is on display. Much smaller then the one met earlier. Perhaps a replica.

Options:

- Lets not touch that thing.
- Lets take it back to base

15

Whilst walking around the shrine, Pathfinder notices a pattern on the paving. Climbing atop a broken column, he can see the patter in its entirety.

He seen this before... from orbit. A Map of the moon, engraved in the stone floor around the pedestal.

The Pathfinder examined the map for more details, but it was sufficiently crude that nothing else of value was revealed.
"Well. I suppose we don't have much choice."
Walking over to the pedestal, the Pathfinder took the cube in hand and inspected it, before eventually leading the team back towards the base.
"Scientists, run what crude tests you can with our remaining equipment. Don't damage it though. I have a hunch that would end badly."

Action: Lets take it back to base

by **Harkback Union** » Fri Mar 20, 2020 9:18 am

Ralnis wrote:
Harkback Union wrote:
With the sandstorm looming in the distance, Talkos and his men used the cover of the sand dunes to get as close as posible without being noticed. They then stormed the compound from multiple angles.

They quickly rounded up the inhabitants. Mostly woman, and a few frail looking man. Some were wearing lab coats, others cheap rags. Their eyes showed exhaustion, their bodies malnutrition, and they were not in a chatty mood. They seemed frightened at first, but then unconcerned, almost gleeful.

Talkos had time for a quick look around. He couldn't find any traces of food. No weaponry either, only medieval tools and broken electronics. In the central structure what seemed like the community center, there was relatively large room, with benches, and a podium. Suspended from above, a Banner.

"The Harvest is coming."

57

Talkos couldn't help but feel something was off. But what? For once, noone was whispering ideas into his head...

Talkos couldn't help but think something was off. However there was nothing that he could find in the general settlement. Already it looks so backwards in comparison to a standard colony and the community center looked like a church than a town hall. However with the various workers and this banner with these words it was already a sign of something worse.

A rebellion,

It had to be, this Harvest seemed to be nothing short of a rebellion and with this idea of a Sand cult with a bacteria or something that would make the people go into coma and go all crazy. The Commandant took photo of everything around the settlement and left back before the Sandstorm picked up. Something was brewing and he needed to get back to his boss and figure out what to do.

Talkos rounds up the people and takes them back with the expedition to the capital before the Sandstorm hits. Tries to.

Being force to leave their homes, the townfolks begun cursing at the Talkos and his man. They ended up finding a couple more settlers. Teenage children hiding away in some empty water tanks.

"Money-grubbing hounds! You have no idea whats coming!"

Besides the cursing, they seemed to be obedient. Perhaps the promise of food and clean habitats, perhaps the professional conduct of the team. They begun their march up the sand dunes, towards the rovers. There should be room for everyone.

Then, all of the sudden, a teenage girl broke free of her restraints, while some of her friends helped distract the guards. Instead of running, she was rolling down the sand dunes, tipping over the rear guards. The others were cheering loudly. When she reached the bottom, she started running at surprising speed towards the colony...

But not quite in the right direction.

by **Harkback Union** » Fri Mar 20, 2020 9:50 am

Harkback Union wrote:
Piscina wrote:Over a century since the first colonists had landed, life on New Lachrima had become... routine. Boring, even. There was little strife or discontent, as there were more than enough resources and services for everyone. The Pinnarum and their structures had long since adapted to the local conditions, which by now were second nature to them. Even the fears of food shortage that had loomed in the background of the last few decades had been proven unfounded as population control policies were enacted. Perhaps it was unsurprising then, that they turned to innovation and discovery. There was a general sentiment that building a Scientific Colony was the best way to ensure the progression of the Federation would continue, and the governmental decision to make that the focus of their civilisation until it was done was received with approval.

Of course, the Federation's current food output was insufficient to support the large number of scientists that would be needed for the new colony to actually be of any use, and so it was decided that the remaining untouched Eden continent would be built on. Although developing it in this way would comprimise its ability to absorb pollution, a plan was made to nullify the pollution another way. A system of wind turbines and hydroelectric dams would be built that would provide clean energy for the industrial centres in the mountains, thus removing the need to use fossil fuels, which would remove the need for pollution mitigation anyway. This would take a while to provide power in the necessary quantities though, and in the meantime pollution went unnullified.

The verdant plantlife in the region the Renewable Energy Array was to be built in lent itself handily to the construction of small-scale automated farms alongside it that would feed the Scientific Colony, and the expansion there opened up new opportunities to enjoy the wildlife on the planet, which would offset the increased load on the service infrastructure that the scientists would pose. Construction was swift with the increased production the abundance of silicon for the factories enabled, and work began on the foundations of the new colony soon after.

Turn four actions
No new population is created, as there is no food surplus.
The Chancellor Coordinates Development on New Lachrima, and combined with factory production 6C is available on the planet. 5C of this is spent on a Renewable Energy Array, which will begin operation next turn. The remaining 1C is spent on a Scientific Colony, which will need 4 more C to be completed.
Explorer Vessel Explores New Lachrima II.

Lachriman Federation at end of turn four
New Lachrima: Eden (Service Colony), Eden, (Renewable Energy Array), Mountains (Unfinished Scientific Colony 1C/5C), Mountains (Factory Colony), Desert (Mining Colony), Tundra (Farming Colony), Ocean, Ocean. 0 surplus food, 4 pops, +2 net Harmony, +1 net pollution.
Total: 0 surplus food, 4 pops, +2 net harmony.

This is no gas planet!

Beneath the layer gas that fooled remote sensors, an endless sea of liquid mercury floats endlessly.

This is... not feasible!

II - L
400K
H₂ Hg
Liquid Mercury

Anomaly Discovered
Mercury World

This is no gas planet!

The Last Stars - IC

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