Dark Ambition's Story Hub

[Dark Ambition]

(It should be noted that the 'Classified' spoiler tags are only seen from Sylvester's point of view, and not seen by anyone else in-universe.)

Previous Communique

----Data Link Established----

>Transmission Authorized<

>Responding on Channel: N9TT-9G0A-B7FQ-RANC<


Greetings Executor,

This is Chief Intelligence Officer Rachel Somtaaw of the HDF Command Ship Faal-Corum. We have received your... lucrative offer a few moments ago, and after having consulted with Fleet Command, we want to formally accept this task.

We will take a few days to prepare our fleet for the expedition, and then we will proceed to the nearest Progenitor sites to search for these technologies you mentioned.

However, we have but one request: upon completion of our task, the reward should be delivered in Resource Units, since we have little use for your currency.

Faal-Corum, out.


>Transmission End<

----Data Link Destroyed----

[close]

Classified

     To: Sylvester Carper
     From: Heyden Silver
     Subject: RE: Hiigarans?

I've never heard of this 'Somtaaw' Sub-Faction. I didn't even know the HDF had Sub-Factions. Best I can tell, the Somtaaw specialise in mining, but are also Hiigaran SpecOps. Where the Somtaaw pilot Resource Controllers and have a lot of Lathes, which explains why they want resources and not money, they also have highly ranked officers with their own military division called the 'Beast Slayers'. I wonder what the story behind that title is.

They're more than qualified to undertake this operation. It seems that the areas around their Control Zone is abnormally abundant in Seloi Active Zones, so they should be able to find something good.

The Control Zone is on the other end of the Galaxy, we can't directly communicate with them, so the Somtaaw fleet must be close by. I'm sending cloaked probes to search for them so we can keep an eye on them.

[close]

     To: Rachel Somtaaw
     From: Sylvester Carper
     Subject: Seloi Technology

Thank you for responding. I didn't expect more Hiigarans to come here.

There are three Progenitor Archives of note around your location. Here are scan reports:

-     Sector Quincy A2 G13 [Archive Detected]
   -     Sector Farbor C3 S8 [Archive Detected]
   -     Sector Bad Wolf D9 D10 [Archive Detected, Guardian Keeper Detected]

10,000 Scarabs can get roughly 72,582 RU's. That's a lot of resources and will take some time to harvest, but we can do this.

Don't bother trying to unlock the Archives. Only House Abraxis was able to make an decryption key. And even then, that only seems to be because they seem to have had a hand in making these archives to begin with. And they're gone.

Previous Communique

Executor,

Rising Star may be able to assist you, depending on your exact requirements. We have experience with ship AIs. We also have little use for your currency, but are sufficiently interested to participate in development. Should you wish to expedite this, however, we would request a delivery of the attached list of raw materials, delivered care of the SSDI:ADD. We are sure that you will appreciate the reasons for our caution; given the cases of the SchematiCull and the Silicon Nomads. We do, of course, reserve the option to withdraw our assistance should, say, any shipment of materials contain tracing devices.

[close]

Classified

     To: Sylvester Carper
     From: Trevor Hales
     Subject: RE: Rising Star?

There's next to no information on Rising Star. The listener devices we planted were swiftly detected and destroyed, implying higher technology. I don't recommend sending them. Then again,
I don't think we need too. If we can just get some of their A.I technology, we might be able to use it to advance the Excalibur Program.

I'll contact them. Don't worry, i'll use the appropriate encryption methods.

[close]

[- Progenitor Archive Encryption Level Detected -]

[- No Decryption key -]


UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS
SYSTEM : LOCKUP

 Rising Star's Point of View

[- Progenitor Archive Encryption Level Detected -]

[- Applying Abraxis Decryption Key -]

Greetings. I am Trevor Hales, Legislator of GalCorp (A glorified term for Chief Intelligence Officer), i'm sure you've heard of me.

The Hiigarans are already on the job for getting the Seloi tech, although your AI workmanship is exceeded only by the Hydraxil Collective and Particulate. If we can put aside our past...

I'd like to introduce you to the Excalibur Project.

Contact me if you are interested.

[close]

[GoodMorning]

x Rising Star, o Legislator T. Hale

Legislator,

We remain interested, though the secrecy surrounding this project seems ... unusual. To clarify, do you seek an adaptive controller, or a true AI?

We are puzzled by your change of communication - Sylvester presumably had the authority required? Your internal politics, however, are not our affair.

We are also curious about your lockout of what we presumed was the equivalent of a GalCorp standard information-gathering probe-system - such as we had earlier received. However, you will understand our reciprocation. To smooth the waters, we append a summary of what would have been in your first report.

Other public conversations (and your standing RFI) lead us to believe that you know little of the Hydraxil Collective. The Collective is an AI collaboration, with a seemingly irrational aversion to organic life and (specifically) intelligence. Rising Star has no such objections. Their dislike of anything organic or even resembling such had led them to develop their intelligences to the limits of such designs. Their technology is otherwise developed along a similar path to your own.

RS is not a recent establishment, although their timestamps seem strange.
However, they are not yet fully established here.
Their communications occur at AI speed between a significant proportion of individuals.
The standard encryption in use seems to be of similar level to the original transmission sent to Sylvester.

[close]

[tornado]

Spoiler

Bad wolf. D9 D10. Really.

[close]

[GoodMorning]

tornado, Farbor was CW3, in Arc Eternal (i.e. story), presumably in system 8.

I don't recognise the other.

[Dark Ambition]

Spoiler

Bad wolf. D9 D10. Really.

[close]

XD

tornado, Farbor was CW3, in Arc Eternal (i.e. story), presumably in system 8.

I don't recognise the other.

I wanted to make them all references, but I could only get the two.

Farbor C3 S8
C3= Creeper World 3
S8= Farbor is in the eighth system

Bad Wolf is a Doctor Who reference.

[GoodMorning]

So the first wasn't a reference? It was the "other" I referred to.

[Keeper Decagon]

----Data Packet Incoming----

>Package Encryption Disengaged<

This is a burst transmission package from Kiith Somtaaw vessel Faal-Corum.

Message reads:

Executor, this is a brief update of our expedition. We have explored the sector designated "Bad Wolf". Unfortunately, everything here is... gone. Some unknown force destroyed not only the Keeper constructs, but also the Archive. Any usable technology had been stripped from the facilities here, leaving us with little other than scrap metal. We are proceeding to sector "Farbor" next, and hopefully it has not suffered the same fate.

Data packet includes telemetry data of sector "Bad Wolf". No further information included.

>Packet Message End<

----Data Packet Received----

[Dark Ambition]

(A single divider means the next section happened soon, or at the same time as the previous event. A double divider marks a separation, a chunk of time has passed.)

Previous Communique

x Rising Star, o Legislator T. Hale

Legislator,

We remain interested, though the secrecy surrounding this project seems ... unusual. To clarify, do you seek an adaptive controller, or a true AI?

We are puzzled by your change of communication - Sylvester presumably had the authority required? Your internal politics, however, are not our affair.

We are also curious about your lockout of what we presumed was the equivalent of a GalCorp standard information-gathering probe-system - such as we had earlier received. However, you will understand our reciprocation. To smooth the waters, we append a summary of what would have been in your first report.

Other public conversations (and your standing RFI) lead us to believe that you know little of the Hydraxil Collective. The Collective is an AI collaboration, with a seemingly irrational aversion to organic life and (specifically) intelligence. Rising Star has no such objections. Their dislike of anything organic or even resembling such had led them to develop their intelligences to the limits of such designs. Their technology is otherwise developed along a similar path to your own.

RS is not a recent establishment, although their timestamps seem strange.
However, they are not yet fully established here.
Their communications occur at AI speed between a significant proportion of individuals.
The standard encryption in use seems to be of similar level to the original transmission sent to Sylvester.

[close]

[close]

[- Progenitor Archive Encryption Level Detected -]

[- Applying Abraxis Decryption Key -]
ACCESS AUTHORIZED
SYSTEM : UPLINK

The secrecy is needed. An EI (Excalibur Intelligence) is a cut above AI. The distinction is needed, because an Excalibur is not of artificial creation. The Seloi made two EI's, though one of them seemed to have went rogue for unknown reasons. The Seloi did not call it an Excalibur, they called it a Progenitor Matrix.

Sylvester sort of has the authority, but science and information is my jurisdiction. It often goes unsaid, but we operate in much the same way the Seloi did. They had three leaders, an Imperator, an Archivist, and a Caretaker, equivalized with Executor, Legislator, and Judicator respectively.

The lockout? Any system that does not have the decryption key but attempts to access it anyway locks up. It is a Seloi mechanism.

Yes, we know very little of the Collective, aside from their aggression. We have been avoiding them as best we can, as they seem to not be directly attacking us. Though we have noted several staging areas near Protected Space.

We won't be giving you the location of our primary test lab until we know you can help. What sort of AI work do you do? How advanced is it?

Trevor Hales - Legislator

Classified

     To: Sylvester Carper
     From: Heyden Silver

Our listeners have picked up communications. The Somtaaw fleet arrived at an Active Zone and found a fleet of one of their sub-factions, or possibly another, completely destroyed. I've seen the photos. It scares me as to what could have done this so quickly. Is this related to that anomaly the Sak-Tor asked us about? You should ask them when given the chance, but don't give away our listeners.

Everything there was gone. All the technology... considering what we're trying to do, this can't be a coincidence.

You've heard of the Seloi EI that went rogue, right? Records say that an unknown faction quickly busted through their defences and convinced the EI to join them. All of the resources in that system were subsequently harvested as well, possibly by that very same EI. They only seem to appear alongside EI's. We need to be very careful about this. Since we're making an EI, we may have just brought unwanted attention to this galaxy.

[close]

[Merc] Hanz Kleiner: Subjects secured, ready for transport.

[Merc Captain] Lyle Chryser: Good. Get them onboard the Viligance Super-capital.

[Merc] Vivian Cera: Why does Sylvester want these guys? They just seem like random civilians to me.

[Merc Captain] Lyle Chryser: It's not our job to know, or care. Destroy the station. No witnesses.



   -|- GalCorp Newscast -|-

It was reported today that they lost contact with a personnel station with over 500 civilians on-board this morning. An investigation was launched, only to find the station, and all of it's inhabitants, dead. Authorities refuse to comment.

Considering recent activities, it seems most likely that the station, and everyone on board, has fallen victim to yet another act of piracy.

   -|- GalCorp Newscast -|-

Previous Communique

----Data Packet Incoming----

>Package Encryption Disengaged<

This is a burst transmission package from Kiith Somtaaw vessel Faal-Corum.

Message reads:

Executor, this is a brief update of our expedition. We have explored the sector designated "Bad Wolf". Unfortunately, everything here is... gone. Some unknown force destroyed not only the Keeper constructs, but also the Archive. Any usable technology had been stripped from the facilities here, leaving us with little other than scrap metal. We are proceeding to sector "Farbor" next, and hopefully it has not suffered the same fate.

Data packet includes telemetry data of sector "Bad Wolf". No further information included.

>Packet Message End<

----Data Packet Received----

[close]

[- Rift Capsule Sent || Arrival in *30* Minutes -]

That is... alarming...

Would this be related to the anomaly the Sak-Tor spoke of?

It's a shame that the Bad Wolf sector is completely gone, there must have been a lot of technology. Was there anyone else there? Could they have... perhaps... taken some technology before they were attacked?

The other two sectors, Farbor and Quincy, are of less importance. The biggest loss is the shields of the Guardian Keeper, as well as its control unit, I was hoping there would be a way to disable the machine and harvest it.

We can't have this happening again. A Mercenary group of mine has finished a recent contract, and are available. I won't risk the loss of more technology, so i'm sending them to you. The time difference between Rift space and Hyperspace should land them at near the entrance of Farbor sector in nearly a day's time, with your arrival being within relatively two hours, before or after their arrival. They are already on their way. Ask for Eclipse Company Captain Lyle Chryser when you see them.

Regards,
Sylvester Carper - Executor of the Galactic Corporation

[GoodMorning]

Previous

The secrecy is needed. An EI (Excalibur Intelligence) is a cut above AI. The distinction is needed, because an Excalibur is not of artificial creation. The Seloi made two EI's [...]

We won't be giving you the location of our primary test lab until we know you can help. What sort of AI work do you do? How advanced is it?

[close]

x Rising Star, o Legislator Hale

Legislator,

With all due respect to your researchers, if our understanding of your intent is correct, you do not yet know what you are doing. Does the term "Excession" have an equivalent in your vernacular? We have previously ... encountered ... such an entity as you are attempting to create. We warn you: such entities are liable to rapidly become unstable.

We count among ourselves many and varied AIs, and do not limit development in the same way as the Hydraxil Collective. We are currently in the process of establishing a stable link to your region, hence our request for materials. Anomalies brought to our attention {OOC: http://knucklecracker.com/forums/index.php?topic=22594.0} have caused us to desire a permanent presence in your region.

The short answers to your closing questions are "all" and "very". The longer answers involve technical terms and soft distinctions which you may not share.

OOC

Rising Star has very powerful tech, but is hamstrung by not yet having away to build it in this area. When I finish some script infrastructure and start mapmaking, the other side of the galaxy will get a huge space-twist, and similarly titanic storyline fun will start. There's a good deal of scripting to be done yet, though.

[close]

[close]

[Spaartan]

OOC

Is this the same massive ship we were talking about in the HDF forum? An entire universe intertwined? I would love to play a big part in this, be it good or bad.

[close]

[GoodMorning]

OOC

I'm also enjoying the crossover world-building a lot. I suspect when I get to making maps instead of scriptwriting, they will be filled with crossovers.

[close]

[Keeper Decagon]

Previous Communique

----Data Packet Incoming----

>Package Encryption Disengaged<

This is a burst transmission package from Kiith Somtaaw vessel Faal-Corum.

Message reads:

Executor, this is a brief update of our expedition. We have explored the sector designated "Bad Wolf". Unfortunately, everything here is... gone. Some unknown force destroyed not only the Keeper constructs, but also the Archive. Any usable technology had been stripped from the facilities here, leaving us with little other than scrap metal. We are proceeding to sector "Farbor" next, and hopefully it has not suffered the same fate.

Data packet includes telemetry data of sector "Bad Wolf". No further information included.

>Packet Message End<

----Data Packet Received----

[close]

[- Rift Capsule Sent || Arrival in *30* Minutes -]

That is... alarming...

Would this be related to the anomaly the Sak-Tor spoke of?

It's a shame that the Bad Wolf sector is completely gone, there must have been a lot of technology. Was there anyone else there? Could they have... perhaps... taken some technology before they were attacked?

The other two sectors, Farbor and Quincy, are of less importance. The biggest loss is the shields of the Guardian Keeper, as well as its control unit, I was hoping there would be a way to disable the machine and harvest it.

We can't have this happening again. A Mercenary group of mine has finished a recent contract, and are available. I won't risk the loss of more technology, so i'm sending them to you. The time difference between Rift space and Hyperspace should land them at near the entrance of Farbor sector in nearly a day's time, with your arrival being within relatively two hours, before or after their arrival. They are already on their way. Ask for Eclipse Company Captain Lyle Chryser when you see them.

Regards,
Sylvester Carper - Executor of the Galactic Corporation

----Data Packet Incoming----

>Encryption Disabled<

Message reads:

Executor, this is the Faal-Corum. Whilst we do know that the Sak-Tor left for GalCorp space some days ago, the exact details of their mission were never divulged to us. We are not exactly the first Kiith that Command comes to to discuss fleet movements. Perhaps you would be better off contacting the Sak-Tor directly once they enter your outer sectors. However, if we were to speculate... then yes, whatever this anomaly may be is the same as the one they discovered ravaging a Hydraxil Collective armada near the Control Zone. It is proving to be nigh-impossible to track down, and can wipe out an entire sector relatively easily...

Anyway, that's enough of that. We are approaching Farbor now. We will send another update once we have finished sifting through the technology.

Faal-Corum, out.

Message includes no further data.

>Packet Message End<

----Data Packet Received----




*Somewhere in Deep Space...*

----Listening Device Enabled----

>Voice Tracking Online<

>Location: Bridge<

[Fleet Intelligence] Rachel Somtaaw - "Hrm. I don't know how I feel about having mercenaries working alongside us."

[Fleet Command] Thomas Somtaaw - "I doubt they are going to be a problem. The Executor wouldn't allow anything to happen to us until we have tracked down the technology he needs."

[Fleet Intelligence] Rachel Somtaaw - "Perhaps. If it is the Keeper's internal systems that he wants, maybe we could make an arrangement with HDF Command to transfer some of the relics we have discovered in our galaxy."

[Fleet Command] Thomas Somtaaw - "They won't allow it. The Progenitor technology is far too dangerous in the wrong hands, and we have yet to form a formal alliance with GalCorp. Not to mention, the HDF might just skim a bunch of our resources away this 'favour'... we should just stick to the plan, Intelligence."

[Fleet Intelligence] Rachel Somtaaw - "Of course, Command. We are coming up to Hyperspace coordinates. I'm picking up a significant fleet presence up ahead..."

>Hyperspace Disengaged<

[Fleet Intelligence] Rachel Somtaaw - "Confirmed, we are tracking dozens of Eclipse vessels. Hull configurations and markings match those indicated by the Executor."

[Fleet Command] Thomas Somtaaw - "Roger that. Attention, Eclipse Company fleet! This is Captain Thomas Somtaaw of the HDF command vessel Faal-Corum. May I speak with Captain Lyle Chryser?"

*A few moments pass in silence, and then a response comes.*

[Merc Captain] Lyle Chryser - "Good, you turned up. We have been assigned to assist you during your... exploration of the remaining Active Zones."

[Fleet Command] Thomas Somtaaw - "We appreciate the aid, Eclipse. I'll leave your fleet arrangement and method of protection up to you, just make sure that our core fleet elements are well defended."

[Merc Captain] Lyle Chryser - "Understood."

>Transmission End<

[Fleet Intelligence] Rachel Somtaaw - "Well, aren't they talkative."

[Fleet Command] Thomas Somtaaw - "They're here to do a job, Intelligence, same as us. Set a course for the nearest Progenitor facility and prepare to engage short-jump Hyperdrives."

[Fleet Intelligence] Rachel Somtaaw - "Course, set. Coordinates for short-jump has been transferred to the Eclipse Flagship... they are powering their Rift Engines."

>Short-Jump Engaged<

----Listening Device Interrupted----

[Dark Ambition]

     To: Sylvester Carper
     From: Trevor Hales
     Subject: Seloi Technology

The Hiigarans have met up with Lyle Chryser, and they should acquire the technology soon. The problem is, these are lesser archives. They'll have some tech, but not the big one. We don't have any other records of tech dumps.

We might not be able to follow through with this project if we can't get the proper technology. I'm stumped.

There's another thing. Rising Star stated that they know of an Excalibur. They described it as 'Unstable', but that doesn't sound like the one we know of. Unless there are more than one out there. But where?

Classified

Outside the Excalibur Project Facility...

[close]

This is Executor Sylvester Carper broadcasting on an open channel.

Falcon Renegades, I wish to speak with Captain Spaartan. Perhaps we can come to a small peace agreement if you answer a few of our questions, preferably in person.

OOC

Is this the same massive ship we were talking about in the HDF forum? An entire universe intertwined? I would love to play a big part in this, be it good or bad.

Well, isn't that a thought. I mean, it's not like I was already planning that or anything.

*cough*

[close]

[Spaartan]

Direct Transmission

To: Sylvester Carper

Greetings, this is Captain Spaartan of the Falcon Renegades

Hello old friend, long time no sees. I see you have been promoted to CEO, boss, executor, whatever you call it. I can answer your questions, but not in person. What do you want this time? Make sure it's worth my time.

OOC

Well, isn't that a thought. I mean, it's not like I was already planning that or anything.

*cough*

I'll take that as a yes. I am hyped!

[close]

[Keeper Decagon]

----Transmission Incoming----

>Encryption ERROR<

>Unknown transmission frequency detected!<

>Unidentified transmission source!<

*A few hisses and clicks make it through the haze of background static not yet filtered out by the receiver.*

>Rudimentary alien language detected<

>Attempting translation...<

>Rough translation available<

Message reads:

...star walkers... we feed... on machines... that come... from your land... stop attack... retaliation... cease hostilities... consequences...

Message ERROR. Unknown data streams detected! Quarantine engaged.

>Translation Failure: Transmission Lost<

----Forwarding Recorded Transmission----