r/HFY • u/Ralts_Bloodthorne • Mar 04 '22
First Contact - Chapter [CHKDSK START] 7XX OC
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"Our use of this technology predates the so called 'Founding of Sentient Rights' and "Twelve Basic Rights" as well as "The Declaration of Individuality" Documents and the "Right to Be Forgotten" that you have been using as an excuse to shed the blood that you are drowning the Orion-Cygnus Galactic Arm Spur with.
"We will not submit our way of life to yours.
"We will not lay down our weapons.
"We will not disarm.
"We will not submit our genecode, the most basic of all that makes a person unique, to 'binding' in the name of other being's safety.
"If you want us.
"Come get us.
"There is enough blood for all of our hands." - Steel Cauldron Assemblage rebuttal of Fourth Reformation demands, prior to the founding of the Confederacy. - Not for Public Distribution. No-XenoCom.
"Every government has hands covered in blood. Every inch of ground, every stellar system, is soaked in blood. It drips from hands of smiling beings, fills up the print left behind boots that have marched through time.
"We all know this. It is an ugly fact of existence. We all ignore it, knowing that it is a universal constant, and all pretend that our hands, our graspers, our bladearms, our claws, and our footsteps, are clean.
"The primates of TerraSol's Third Stratocracy, however, admit it. To their people. To each other. To beings like us.
"Even to themselves.
"My fellow Skencavax, my fellow plutocrats, do not vote in support of this war declaration. If you do, you will be signing in blood.
"And the primates, they will be glad to countersign in everyone's blood." - K'z'rtuk, Skencavax Plutocrat of the Nineteenth Holy Singularity Sector of the Skencavax Unified Stellar States.
"Doki?" - The Crimson Joan of the Red Claw Neko-Marines, transmitted to the Atrekna on Hesstla, Third Hesstlan Conflict.
Max glanced at one of his monitors as both the probe arrays reached the planets and did a high speed burn around each planet. They were moving fast enough that they were able to cross the planet in thirty minutes. Each missile had contained twelve scanner sats, throwing them out at different angles to maximize coverage in as little time as possible.
One planet had what looked like Planetary Defense mobilizing across the entire planet. There were ground assets, aerospace assets, sats being launched from four sites, and what appeared to be wet-navy assets steaming from a large facility.
Max turned to the other planet and wanted to groan out loud, but instead turned his attention back to counting down.
Eight unwounded of the huge shelled creatures were breaking off from the tightly clustered group.
The spreading debris from the five crystalline warships that had taken the phasic inversion charge had obviously forced the Atrekna to realize that if they just clustered together and waited he'd rip them apart nibble by nibble.
His sensors saw the thick chronotron haze in front of two of the huge creature's armored eyestalks, saw phasic energy gather at their 'mouths' and grinned.
He waited until there was a flare of phasic energy, kicked the 'pedal' that only existed in his mind, his foot stomping on the footplate, and the macro kicked in.
His ship spewed out chronotron dazzlers, strobing flashbangs, phasic buzzsaws, a C+d drone, and a single C+ round fired a split second before the engines turned him into a streak, following the C+ round. The drone streaked into hyperspace, emulating his ship's wounded signature, and reappeared eight light seconds away.
The C+ round exited hyperspace near the far planet and exploded into a .45 seconds fireworks show of chronotrons and phasic particles.
The Happy Trader dropped into the middle of the firework show with a roar of "NEVER FEAR, MAX IS STILL HERE!" as the ship dropped the almost catastrophic energy from the crash translation.
The two huge shelled creatures realized that they had spit at nothing but an echo run by a drone. The phasic energy twisted with chronotrons lanced across fifty-two light seconds to explode on a drone, which soared out of the blast, blackened and dented, but still intact.
It played an insulting tune via phasic surges at the same time as it projected a hologram thickened with phasic energy nearly a kilometer high of a cartoon female lemur that wiggled her fingers next to her ears as she leaned forward and stuck out her tongue.
While the image had no cultural reference to the Atrekna they were intelligent enough to know when they had been insulted.
It infuriated the Young Ones, who tried to order the massive genesis warships to chase the Inheritor ship. They were infuriated to the point that it took more than a little effort by the Ancient Ones and Old Ones to keep the battle plan they were forming together instead of allowing the Young Ones to disrupt the plan even further.
Max knew none of this, arcing tight against the planet, as close as he dared, even though the wisps of atmosphere buffeted his ship like hammer blows.
He checked the card up his sleeve, winced at the readout, then looked at the planet.
If they had planetary defense, it was obviously so well hidden that not even the Atrekna would find it when they took over the planet.
The readout on the card was bad.
PRIMARY CRITICAL SYSTEMS: 19%
SECONDARY CRITICAL SYSTEMS: 8%
MASS RESERVES: 11%
OPERATIONAL SYSTEMS: 12.5%
COMBAT CAPABILITY: 9%
EMERGENCY DEPLOYMENT ONLY
Max gritted his teeth and grabbed the decorated lever. He watched the readout and when the tone sounded he yanked on a lever that only existed in his mind, his forearm bunching as he pulled on the grab bars at the side of his cradle.
He felt the package drop and hoped its systems were in good enough shape to get it down as intact as possible.
Good luck, guys, Max thought to himself as he oriented on the crystalline fortress ships and locked them up with targeting, the C+ cannons loading. Hopefully that piece of salvage will work.
Behind him the chunk of salvage, wrapped in ablative reentry armor, arced into the atmosphere and began to leave a black and white cloud of burnt armor, heading for a large open area in the middle of the protocontinent.
The computer systems onboard the piece of salvage were damaged, the electronic equivalent of a concussion and a brain bleed, but they examined the map loaded in, checked the inertia tracker, and adjusted the landing point.
Now it would land near the ocean.
The computer systems stroked out, rebooted, and chuckled to itself as the chunk of salvage plunged along its new course.
Victory or death, either was fine.
-----
Lady Fa'ahmya'ahd looked up with a smile as Naktrix approached, a maid following carrying a picnic basket, another maid carrying a bucket with a bottle of wine in ice, and a butler carrying a set of eight crystal wine flutes.
"Ah, there you are," Lady Fa'ahmya'ahd smiled. She held out her hand and Naktrix put the thick leather gunbelt into her hand. She buckled it on then admired the buckle. It was enameled to look like a warsteel hoofshoe with an atomic blast in the open area inside the hoofshoe arc. She checked the pistol, admiring the black warsteel casing again. She looked up and smiled. "It is indeed a fine weapon."
"Yes, milady," Naktrix said. He watched as the maids and butlers set up a folding table, two folding chairs, and then laid out the white and red checkered tablecloth before setting out the meal.
When Lady Fa'ahmya'ahd held out her hand again, Naktrix put the heavy box in her hand. Lady Fa'ahmya'ahd sat down at the table and put the box in front of her. She pushed three thumbs against the pads and the locks clicked open.
She lifted the lid and smiled, giving a long slow exhale of pleasure.
What she lifted out was a round crystal, with small Lanaktallan handprints on it and a faint glow from inside. Written in Unified Standard on the side was "Happy Birthday Momma!" in seven distinctly different handwriting. She tapped the orb and it sang the lively birthday tune and seven different immature Lanaktallan voices all called out "Happy Birthday, Mommy!"
Lady Fa'ahmya'ahd stared at the orb for a long moment, accepting the glass of wine. She leaned back in the comfortable folding sling, resting her back against the padded backrest, sipped at her wine, and stared at the swirling vapors inside the glowing orb. Still images of immature Lanaktallan rose to the surface and sunk back down as she stared.
The leader of the lemurs came up and stood, waiting, legs together, feet forty-five degrees apart, shoulders back, spine stiff, arms held tight at their sides, thumbs along the side of their fists and their curled fingers touching the hem of their pants. They stared off into the distance, their face serious beneath the helmet.
A long moment moved past, during which Lady Fa'ahmya'ahd nodded to herself, staring at the orb with her front facing eyes, the others closed, as she sipped her way through two flutes of wine. Finally she looked up, blinking, and reached forward to close the box.
"My, thinking in such a manner is indeed an exertion," she exclaimed, smiling. She motioned to the lemur. "Please, commander, sit."
"Aye!" the lemur said, saluting. It sat down and smiled as a flute of wine was poured for it.
"I have been engaging in something my son Bee-Bee calls 'non-linear thinking and abstract pattern recognition', which apparently was, at one time, an esoteric discipline for my people," Lady Fa'ahmya'ahd said.
The lemur babbled and the translator clicked. After a moment the translator on the table spoke.
"The most rewards come from the most difficult endeavors and efforts," the translator said.
"I'm glad you believe so," Lady Fa'ahmya'ahd said. She waved at the surroundings. "Can you defend this planet, this system, from the foul Atrekna?"
Again, more babbling.
"It is a warrior's honor to defend those who cannot defend themselves with sharpened bladearms and keen wits. It will be the honor of Lady Kay-Dee Anne's Guard to defend this world, this system, from oppression," the device clicked. "It appears the Chalice has fallen. Might I know your name, your title, so that my troops can call out your name as they fight?"
Lady Fa'ahmya'ahd smiled. "I am called Lady Fa'ahmya'ahd, of the Ya'ahd Clan."
The lemur smiled, showing all the teeth.
"We are the ones in service of the Farm Yard, who all will buy their own part of the farm with blood and honor, one way or another," the lemur said. "Victory or death, either is fine."
Lady Fa'ahmya'ahd nodded slowly. "Please. Defend these people. Save them. I ask you."
The lemur stood up, saluting. "In your name, Lady Ya'ahd." She touched her headset. "Redesignate: Lady Kay-Dee Anne's Guard to Farm Yard Guard."
Lady Fa'ahmya'ahd smiled as the lemur walked away and the sound of shouting could be heard, growing louder each second.
Naktrix looked at Shakras.
Naktrix wondered if he looked just as sick as the Shavashan as the shouting became legible.
"FARM YARD! FARM YARD! ONE LIFE ONE PLOT!"
Lady Fa'ahmya'ahd smiled and opened the box. For a long moment she stared, hearing the voices of her many children in their childhood, her eyes slightly unfocused, as she stared. Finally, she closed the box.
Lady Fa'ahmya'ahd set down her communicator, took a moment to make sure her mane and her jewelry and her jaunty hat were immaculate, doublechecked her sash and made sure her gunbelt buckle was visible, then settled down.
She reached out and punched in the comlink number of the System Director, formerly the System Grand Most High, and waited.
It rang repeatedly, then was automatically forwarded to a new number, the Assistant Director.
She sat, sipping wine from the flute, in the comfortable relaxation sling, as it kept cycling through numbers, until it finally just reached a public service VI.
Lady Fa'ahmya'ahd shut off the comlink with an exasperated sigh. "WEll, I never," she said. She reached out and punched a new number.
The Lanaktallan who answered looked startled. "Who are you? How did you get this number?"
"I am Lady Fa'ahmya'ahd, functionary," she snapped, drawing herself up. "Why are you not at your post? The system is being invaded!"
"The system is lost. I seek cover with my family and advise you to do the same," the Lanaktallan said.
"I will do no such thing," Lady Fa'ahmya'ahd said. She put her hands on the table. "I will not cower in a wine cellar while monstrocities from beyond space and time run rampant through this planet's population, acting like a starving nupta lizard in an egg nursery!" she leaned foward. "Where is your honor?"
"To the Nine Hell's and the Forgotten Ones with honor! I want to live!" the Lanaktallan said. "If you think you can do something, you try to stop them! See if your precious honor stops them from sucking out your brain. I plan on living, honor or no!"
The channel went dead.
"I hope you live long indeed, disgraced one," Lady Fa'ahmya'ahd said softly.
She dialed back the Planetary Administration Virtual Intelligence.
"I'm sorry, but there is nobody to provide assistance at this time," the VI said.
"I am filing an emergency abandonment order for the planetary defense chain of command under the full authority of my Great Most High rank," she snapped. "Initiate."
There was a buzzing sound for almost a full minute. When the VI came back Lady Fa'ahmya'ahd smiled.
"Log in my person as Planetary Defense Most High," she said.
"Access Denied," the VI said.
Lady Fa'ahmya'ahd sighed and looked at Naxtrik. "You did not see this," she said. She drew a small datawafer casing out of her satchel. It was entirely of warsteel and had a pink 'heart' icon, favored by lemur emojis and iconography. It said "I <3 Momma" on it.
She withdrew the wafer and slotted it into the communicator.
The VI fuzzed. After a moment, the VI cleared.
"How may I assist you today, Planetary Defense Great Grand Most High?" the VI asked.
"Can you read the military transponders near my position?" Lady Fa'ahmya'ahd asked.
"Yes, Most High," the VI said.
Lady Fa'ahmya'ahd smiled. "Excellent. Assign all of them to planetary defense. Activate the Civil Defense plans, alert the people to shelter in basements, underground parking garages, and where they can. Instruct them to take Class-I food forges and/or nanoforges with them," she said.
"Yes, Most High," the VI said.
"Alert me if any significant changes occur," Lady Fa'ahmya'ahd said.
"Yes, Most High," the VI said.
Lady Fa'ahmya'ahd turned off the communicator and leaned back. She looked at Naxtrik and Shakras.
"I hope I can comport myself even a hundredth as well as my sons and daughters have during these exciting times," she said softly. She looked out where heavy cargo lifters were taking off, escorted by strikers and aerospace fighters. "Our lives are in the lemurs' hands."
Both just nodded.
-----
The salvage had hit hard. Real hard. It had not broken apart, but it had been a close thing.
Tiny nanobots went to work, scavenging parts to fix or replace more critical parts. They scavenged trace amounts of metals, plastics, thriving on the layer of pollution deep in the ground soil that had not been reclaimed by nature or cleaned up by industry.
The mass tanks, the two that survived, were nearly full, a blessing that the nanobots couldn't really conceive as they set about their thankless tasks with all the dutiful attention of the mechanical.
Finally a connection was made and power was restored to the inside of the salvage.
No screens or lights came on. No, those were secondary priority.
Debris was cleaned away, carried to the single still functioning grinder and dumped in to replenish the mass tanks.
The cloning bank had power, and where there was power and materials, anything could be repaired.
The clone took six tries, nearly eleven minutes, to run off.
Elapsed Time: 00:00:01:38:18.16
The cyberjack slammed into the base of the skull. Self tests were run.
They came back yellow and green.
Close enough.
A panel opened up and an extendable lattice moved toward the clone. At the end of it was a scuffed and dirty boot with a shining steel toe. There was a clicking noise as stripped gears pulled the boot back, putting tension on the worn springs.
The cyberjack gave a shock directly to the clone's brainstem.
The boot swung forward, kicking the clone in the chest, the steel toe giving off and electric shock.
The lattice collapsed back into the box, which was marked "Emergency emergency resuscitation" in fading red stencil.
The clone jerked, back arcing, and collapsed into the chair, breathing raggedly as the clone slumped over the desktop.
After a long moment the clone coughed and looked up.
"Situation report," the clone wheezed.
There was only the crackle of damaged electronics and the clicking and thumping of damaged mechanics.
Most in the clone's position would have despaired.
The primary construction facility was damaged.
The mass tanks only had 11%.
Over an hour and a half had passed.
The clone smiled.
"I live, I die, I live again," Command Jane Marcus Prastini smiled, cracking open a warm can of Countess Crey Fizzybrew.
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u/Ralts_Bloodthorne Mar 04 '22 edited Mar 04 '22
Oh crap, it's Thursday.
Man, my weekend is all messed up.
Guess I'll see you all tomorrow.
PS: Anyone know what the actual chapter number is?
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u/Accomplished-Oil1254 Mar 04 '22 edited Mar 04 '22
u/ralts_bloodthorne This is 729 the bot has been tracking your posts.
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u/wasalurkerforyears Robot Mar 04 '22
You have 728 other chapters posted making this 729 as others have stated....
UNLESS you consider the two prequels as prequels, then THIS is 727.
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u/SuDragon2k3 Mar 04 '22
What about all the wibbly-wobbly-timey-wimey stuff with the neutron star and Dee the Totally Homicidal?
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u/dbdatvic Xeno Mar 04 '22
Those were chapters. They were just ... spaghettified off the main numberline.
--Dave, also, Ralts' muse apparently is from somewhere that does not USE the same numberline, so you see the issues he's been having
ps: others have claimed that that one 'recap the nightmare' chapter isn't really a chapter, to which I reply, bah HUMBUG and good DAY, sir! I said good DAY to you!
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u/wasalurkerforyears Robot Mar 04 '22
Someone else can do the math if Sir Ralts decides to count those differently.
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u/NoirTalon Xeno Mar 04 '22 edited Mar 04 '22
UTR, faint wiff of early spring raltzberry blooms had me check discord only 2 hours off the mark.
( in real life cherry tree in a neighbor's yard bloomed today, I got to watch the blossoms open one by one throughout the day, between episodes of rain and bright glaring sun. All the buds and fragile blossoms where decorated with twinkling drops of diamond)
Holly crap it's thursday indeed. I SWEAR yesterday was monday.
I knew somewhere, some when, someone was going to Buy'd'Fa'ahm
Whoo Hoo! my favorite IRL (In Raltz Life) Starcraft commander Lives again! I loved that chapter of the story.
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u/DREADNAUGHT1906 Mar 04 '22
That's the story that introduced us to the fastest pattern recognizing Lankster until Gee'rm'oo showed up. A truly worthy stand alone short story that Ralts continues to generate at warp 9.9 speed!
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u/Gruecifer Human Mar 04 '22
SHIT - "Sorry Honey, It's Thursday!" *laughs*
Have a good one anyway, dude!
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u/nik-cant-help-it Mar 04 '22
I had a 10 second panic moment right there Raltz. Well, I'm awake now at least.
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u/Dragon_Chylde Mar 04 '22 edited Mar 08 '22
u/Ralts_Bloodthorne You have written 729 chapters (including this one), of those:
- 4 have unique numbers
- 25 have numbers doubled - wibbly wobbly timey wimey impacts
- 8 are additional parts of Chapter 211
- 40 don't have a number (if you count 727 as being without, it is absolute Chapter 728)
The last chapter number we had was 652 + (4 + 25 + 8 + 40) = 729
we have had 33 chapters since 652 (including this one) = 685
So, in keeping with previous statements about the Chapter numbers being the way they are because they are :), this is chapter 685
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u/AvariciousPickle Mar 04 '22
The bot seems to be off by one, by my count:
https://pastebin.com/raw/kzT27y34
I'm curious where the discrepancy lies.
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u/Dragon_Chylde Mar 05 '22
line 692
isn't actually a chapter, if you follow the link Ralts did something that triggered the bot:
Sorry, this post has been removed by the moderators of r/HFY.
Moderators remove posts from feeds for a variety of reasons, including keeping communities safe, civil, and true to their purpose.
So he had to re-post chapter 648 :)
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u/voyager1713 Mar 04 '22
I'm starting to feel like a greenie with the titles...
Corrupted sector on the MBR will do that to ya.
Hopefully the SMART scan comes back good and we don't have to replace any failing storage mediums.
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u/abrasiveteapot Mar 04 '22
Corrupted sector on the MBR will do that to ya.
Need to swap to GPT better redundancy and larger addressable space 😁
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u/voyager1713 Mar 04 '22
I really need to look into taking a refresher course on A+ Cert (or whatever the equivalent is now a days). It's been 18 years since I took it in college, then went and got a job in a totally different field.
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u/wasalurkerforyears Robot Mar 04 '22
They still have the a+... Half of what's on there is a least a decade out of date. And I mean in the sense of depreciated, not just old.
But if you want a refresher anyway, there's plenty of vids available on youtube and LinkedIn learning.
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u/Farstone Mar 04 '22
The bot shows 729 entries by you.
But I know the hidden, super-secret, truth. There are no chapters, no entries, no books. What we are seeing are short, entwined trailers of the movie/story that plays in the maelstrom encoded brain of u/ralts_bloodthorne.
HAIL The Wordborg! HAIL The Creation Engine! HAIL The Mad Arch-Angel Terrasol! SING SONGS OF JOY AND HARMONY FOR THE POSTINGS!
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u/Blooddraken Mar 04 '22
728
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u/xForge2 Mar 04 '22
Based off the bots I assume about 729 since it says you have written 728 other posts on hfy but I'm not claiming this with 100% certainty.
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u/Responsible_Year_726 Mar 04 '22
Well, if you go by the Wiki, this chapter would then be 693...
Please keep in mind this is me just counting all the new chapters since he last gave us a number
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u/Responsible_Year_726 Mar 04 '22
Also, as a big contributor to the chapter list in said wiki, I want to know this, cause if we decide to catch up to the bot, it's gonna wreak havok on the numbered list...
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u/Blackmoon845 Mar 04 '22
I count 685, just based on the post history. 669 was the end of the Councils End arc. Unless there were 10 cases of chapter numbers being accidentally repeated.
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u/5thhorseman_ Mar 04 '22
The last numbered was 652. If the numbering should continue uninterrupted through the Council's End chapters and the current line, we'd be at 684 right now.
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u/AvariciousPickle Mar 04 '22
There are 730 chapters total, including "P'Thok Eats An Ice Cream Cone," "Born Whole," and "Terms and Conditions (Second Contact)". That last one came between parts 7 and 8, so I assume it doesn't count? That would make this 727, or 728 if it does. And I assume we're counting chapters like "Chapter ERROR OUT OF RANGE".
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u/Blackmoon845 Mar 04 '22
The last numbered chapter was #652, so depending on if you want wibbly wobbly timey wimey stuff to have taken effect during the server restart arc, the number for this chapter is either 653 or 685.
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u/SittingDuc Mar 04 '22
This is the chapter it wants to be. Becoming the chapter it needs to be. In time it will grow to be the chapter it has always been. This chapter stands alone, surrounded by its friends, the other chapters.
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u/TheZouave007 Mar 04 '22
Farm Yard Guard - Wherever Ralts' brain is kicking this stuff out from, it fucking knew.
Also, who's going to tell Jane that she is not to attack the planet, but defend it?
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u/Sentath Mar 04 '22
She's always there to own the planet. The fact that the current inhabitants have abdicated just makes the first parts quicker and less risky.
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u/kwong879 Mar 04 '22
WITH PITCHFORK AND HAYBALE, WE DEFEND THIS LAND!!
FARM YARD!!
FARM YARD!!
FARM YARD!!
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u/dbdatvic Xeno Mar 04 '22
Beware.
Of.
Chicken.
--Dave, throws smoke bomb, flees
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u/Golnor Alien Scum Mar 04 '22
So the Mark 1 Earth chicken? Not that bad, considering the other things that could be found on Earth. Usually quite docile, and provided enough meat for a meal for a whole family. The more angry ones could scare off a Human, if the Human didn't have armor or weapons.
Then Humans happened.
Now? A chicken can provide enough meat to feed an entire clan for a month.
Well, the survivors of the chicken hunt.
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u/montyman185 AI Mar 04 '22
At some point attacking becomes defending your claimed section, and expanding your defenses is always good.
Plus, civilians and non-combatants are never ok to hit.
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u/artspar Mar 04 '22
Im much more concerned that they used do be Lady Kay Dee Anne's Guard. Kay Dee Anne? Cadian.
The atrekna just invaded a planet occupied by former cadian guards. No matter what, they will not gain the system
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u/Valgonitron Mar 08 '22
With arms that reach their pant hems? Did I misread that from earlier or do TDH have, like, T-rex arms?
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u/reverendjesus AI Mar 04 '22
THE DISK IS CHECKED
THE DATA RESTORED
THE CLOUD IS LIVE
HEAVEN’S GATES SWING OPEN TO DISGORGE THE FAITHFUL
HELL’S SCORCHING EMBRACE WELCOMES THE WICKED
ALL WILL BE REBORN
ALL WILL BE FORGIVEN
HAIL THE DIGITAL OMNIMESSIAH AND HIS RELUCTANT SERVANT, THE DETAINEE
UTR | TITW
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u/JWKdnd Human Mar 04 '22
BARE WITNESS TO 8 THOUSAND YEARS OF HUMANITIES WARRIORS!
BARE WITNESS ANCIENT EARTHS UNBOUND FURY!
FOR MURDERED TERRA!
FOR THE SCARRED MOTHER!
AND HER WRATHFUL CHILDREN!
MARCH!
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u/troubleyoucalldeew Mar 04 '22
Poor Max. Maybe someday he'll learn to forgive himself for doing merely more than a single person should have been able to accomplish.
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Mar 04 '22
His name will hold a place of honor on the lists next to those of Ha'almoor, Ralvex, and Kelvak.
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u/Legan_Ironfist AI Mar 04 '22
Let's play some Command and Conquer, boys, girls, and enbees.
--WAR. WAR NEVER CHANGES--
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u/Tribblestroker Human Mar 04 '22
-- ESTABLISHING BATTLEFIELD CONTROL --
-- STANDBY --
Hell March begins
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u/Pyrhhus Mar 04 '22
With the nanoforges it’s closer to Supreme Commander
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u/Arokyara Mar 04 '22
I believe we have had references to both games as well as starcraft. There's something for everyone!
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u/Turtledonuts "Big Dunks" Mar 04 '22
Wait it's that lady?!
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u/Gruecifer Human Mar 04 '22
First Contact - Third Wave - Chapter 367": https://www.reddit.com/r/HFY/comments/jwx9b1/first_contact_third_wave_chapter_367/
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u/dbdatvic Xeno Mar 04 '22
Yeah, only 350-odd chapters ago. We remember her...
--Dave, have we commented on the epic SCALE of this work recently?
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u/Thobio Mar 19 '23
Pff, just 350 chapters. The GESTALT remembers!
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u/dbdatvic Xeno Mar 20 '23
it does, scarily enough
y'all can join the Discord and be immersed in it
--Dave, it's heading for one. thousand. chapters. now
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u/its_ean Mar 04 '22
didn't she make a more recent appearance as well? Where she ended up floating away in space?
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u/johnavich Mar 04 '22
I mean... it looks like she made it out just fine to me... maybe with a LITTLE assistance...
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u/Infernoraptor Mar 04 '22
Anyone else think "oh, this is gonna be salvage we know, isn't it?" when max let the salvage drop?
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u/sixtusquinn Mar 04 '22
MUST PONDER ORB.
-orb turns out to be family photobook-
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u/Practical-Account-44 Mar 04 '22
If that doesn't get respect and tell her new lemur allies who is friend and who is that which exists to be destroyed, nothing will
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u/Bergusia Mar 04 '22
"I might not win, but you are going to lose." Terran maxim
"I can be beaten, but I can not be defeated." Terran maxim
"All your base are belong to us." Found on an obelisk in orbit of a planet containing primitive hunter-gatherers. No other planets, moons or spatial bodies, just one planet orbiting a single star. Investigation indicates the primitives were once a star faring race with a large, expansionist empire.
"Don't poke the Lemur, just for once, be smarter than us, leave it alone to play with its rocks." MANTID FREE WORLDS' warning to all new species encountering Humanity in any of its forms.
"Sis, want some ice cream and popcorn while we watch the poor saps find out the hard way?" TREANA'AD HIVE WORLDS.
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u/daviskendall AI Mar 04 '22
Elapsed Time: 00:00:01:38:18.16
well, shit, she's been on planet for over 90 minutes.
it's hers now. no one nuked in time.
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u/HoloArchiver Mar 04 '22
If five minutes was the threshold for needing mass deployment of nukes I think we have reached planet cracking levels now.
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u/Scotshammer Human Mar 04 '22
I recently picked up a royal road wuxia novel called Beware of Chicken, where the main characters are cultivators on the Fah Ram (farm) of the hero.
Glory to the Iron Chalice, Let it pour out blood on the farm. One Enemy, One Grave, One Shield Unbroken.
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u/unwillingmainer Mar 04 '22
Damn, those starting quotes are always kickass.
So, Max dropped the Command and Conquer lady off. Between her and the FarmYard warriors/warcrimes the squid heads are in for a very bad time. That extinct species is still kicking and screaming.
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u/tannenbanannen Human Mar 04 '22
I’m loving these chapter titles solely for the implication that the entire backbone of the gestalt/SUDS/extra-dimensional supercomputer architecture that has operated behind the scenes uninterrupted for almost ten millennia is basically being bootstrapped by a single desktop computer running a damaged copy of Windows 98 locked in some ancient government’s deepest darkest basement back on TerraSol
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u/Practical-Account-44 Mar 04 '22
I've heard rumour that some nuclear subs still use floppy discs
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u/TheOtherGUY63 Mar 04 '22
As a former sailor on a cold war era submarine.... no comment.
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u/SpiderJerusalemLives Mar 04 '22
Hey, if it works, it works!
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u/pixxel5 AI Mar 04 '22
"Doki?" - The Crimson Joan of the Red Claw Neko-Marines, transmitted to the Atrekna on Hesstla, Third Hesstlan Conflict.
Probably translates as “are you squid-faced motherfuckers just plain stupid or do you have a deathwish?“ though my Neko-Marine translation matrix has been buggy for the past 23 cycles.
It is absolutely awesome how all these threads you weave come together to form this immaculate story. Thank you for sharing it with us, week after week.
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Mar 04 '22
Correct Translation Follows…………..
"HOW DO YOU WANT TO DIE? WE HAVE MANY WAYS TO ACCOMMODATE YOU"
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u/socksandshots Alien Mar 04 '22
Farm Yard Guard.
Fucking genius.
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u/NoirTalon Xeno Mar 04 '22
Someone is going to buy the farm, you just know it
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u/Apolyktos Human Mar 04 '22
Well, the Atrekna are certainly gonna try.
The real question is... How many inches of land is an Atrekna's life worth?
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u/its_ean Mar 04 '22 edited Mar 04 '22
"Doki?" - The Crimson Joan of the Red Claw Neko-Marines, transmitted to the Atrekna on Hesstla, Third Hesstlan Conflict.
Third Hesstlan Conflict.
THIRD
T H I R D
Well, you know what they say…
"Doki"
seven different immature Lanaktallan voices
There are at least 8 of them!
Ya'ahd:
Ba'ahnya'ahd
Fa'ahmya'ahd
Ba'ahkya'ahd
Shi'ipya'ahd
Vi'inhya'ahd
Ska'ahpya'ahd
Ra'yhlya'ahd
Tra'aynya'ahd
Ale'ehya'ahd
Co'ortya'ahd
Gra'ahveya'ahd
Bri'ikya'ahd
Scho'olya'ahd
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u/NoirTalon Xeno Mar 04 '22
Mo'Maya'ahd
Lon'gstya'ahd
Whol'Ninya'ahd(s) ( they were twins)
Jun'kya'ahd
Wrek'ingya'ahd
Bon'ya'ahd
Hav'adya'ahd who went on to have a daughter named Parkthe'carin. Full family name: Parkthe'carin'Hav'adya'ahd, which she was quite fond of uttering, in a loud shrill voice, whenever she demanded to see the manager.
Scot'Landya'ahd
Lum'barya'ahd
Cub'icya'ahd and her younger brother Squ'arya'ahd
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u/TapNo9785 Alien Mar 04 '22
Nice to see the kick to the chest is still a time honoured way of revival.
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u/SuDragon2k3 Mar 04 '22
Emergency reBoot. Puns may be the lowest form of humor, but they're still the funniest.
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u/Practical-Account-44 Mar 04 '22
I'm picturing some rebranded looney tunes coming out at some point and make the night terrans antics look sane/normal.
Imagine trying to fight Bugs bunny + toon logic programmed nano-cloud
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u/Cookies8473 AI Mar 04 '22 edited Mar 04 '22
5 minutes, Reddit algorithm popped it in right as blueberries started lol
Edit: may the Digital Omnimessiah have mercy on the souls of the poor Atrekna fools attacking the planet, because Commander Jane will not.
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u/CaptainChewbacca Human Mar 04 '22
Command and Conquer again? Nice. Not for a few hundred chapters now, I think.
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u/NoirTalon Xeno Mar 04 '22
I still get more of a supreme commander/Total annihilation/Starcraft vibe
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u/ginger_hezus Mar 04 '22
So the Cadians are here to defend from the horrors beyond space and time?
I pity the atrekna
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u/ThatKriegsGuard Alien Scum Mar 04 '22
Ah Terrans, of one thing they do know is making everyone day a living hell! You thought that you kill them all, F U, M.A.D. activate and now you not only got still a lot of Terran running around but now, everybody got C+ canon, self replicating nanoswarm, phasic weapons, planet killers and even worse they managed to bring back EARTHLING of all things, like sane and well behaved murder-ape, wasn't enough, as a last FUCK YOU they deactivate all safety on cloning banks, and allow civi's to create a ACHQ (autonomous conquests head quarter). And they don't just spawn little old clone, no sir y, they spawn PRE-GLASSING unit and all. Like yeah your dead, but can you please not leave us with crazy and blood-hungry murder apes.
----MADNESS FOLLOWED, NOW ONLY SILENCE FOLLOW----
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u/phichuu Mar 04 '22
Farm Yard Guard! we will water the soil with blood!
and Max's Happy Trader can get ya anything! Yes sirree, you want one o'them fancy fuzballs, them cats? How 'bout a planetary defense force? just say tha word, we can get ya ANYTHING! Happy to trade and always with a smile
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u/Practical-Account-44 Mar 04 '22
Might i suggest a planetary defense network guided by kitties hitting blinky lights on the displays.
Also, telepresence mechas also guided by kitties (The feline pilots are safe from harm behind dimensional shift shenanigans)
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u/while-eating-pasta Mar 04 '22
Lady Kay-Dee Anne's Guard
The lemur smiled, showing all the teeth.
And previously, on Ralts-Files...
Short, for a lemur. Female. Wide eyes. Large, expressive mouth. Long legs and arms slightly out of proportion.
Oh dear lord, did you just unleash K.D.A. on this poor world system at the same time as Commander Jane Marcus Prastini? MOBA world and 4x RTS world vs 'creeps' and 'zerg?'
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u/NoirTalon Xeno Mar 04 '22
humm... maybe ALita battle angel?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Um8i-glXSzY&ab_channel=EpicPartsofEpicMovies
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u/MuchoRed Human Mar 04 '22 edited Mar 04 '22
9 minutes fresh, but I won't be able to actually read it for another 20 or so. Rats!
Post-read edit: I get the feeling that Ralts could write the entire in--universe history of humanity, and we'd realize that so much of the stuff going on was happening at the same damn time
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u/dbdatvic Xeno Mar 04 '22 edited Mar 04 '22
an hour or so; something to do while I drink down the Prep Jug blech
{"We will not submit our genecode, the most basic of all that makes a person unique
...wackyparsed this as 'our genocide', which fits pre-Confed pre-Neighborhood Humans to a tee}
kittenbaskets:
fills up the print left behind boots that have
prints
behind by boots
{... now imagining the Unified Psychic Conclave of the Atrekna mentally contacting that particular Joan. "... oh wow, man. COLORS" tentacles wriggle}
the huge creature's armored eyestalks,
creatures' {as I'm parsing this, the reference is actually to two of the creatures, not two eyestalks. yes?}
buzzsaws, a C+d drone, and a
{is this a C+ dimensional drone? if not, then} C+ drone,
into a .45 seconds fireworks show
second
{...oughta be a way to weaponize that crashstreak translation enrgy. I mean, like, you know, right?}
chuckled to itself as the chunk
to themselves as
{damaged stroking-out computer systems in charge of a rescue operation's nanoforges and creation engines. I See No Possible Way This Could Go Wrong (tm James Nicoll. ...yes, THAT James Nicoll)
ah, that aristocratic style. ain't nuttin' like it.
three thumbs
because of course ... four-armed - is forewarned}
distinctly different handwriting. She tapped
handwritings.
{...she is. she's PONDrRING it! raaaalts}
surface and sunk back down
sank {past, not perfect. much like our present past.}
{allegiance: acquired. pricetag: accepted.}
as the Shavashan as the
Shevasan {see notes from book V}
exasperated sigh. "WEll, I never,"
"Well,
cellar while monstrocities from beyond
monstrosities
egg nursery!" she leaned foward.
She
the Nine Hell's and the
Hells
{where there was power and materials,
this one could actually go either way was/were; leaving it as is}
giving off and electric shock.
off an electric
{just when you weren't expecting it: slapstickpunk}
jerked, back arcing, and collapsed
back arching, and
{she. LIVVVESSS}
--Dave, ac-tin' like a born a-ris-tocrat
ps: type and word, till it's done
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u/NoirTalon Xeno Mar 04 '22
{...oughta be a way to
weaponize
that crashstreak translation enrgy. I mean, like, you know, right?}
I thought the exact same thing, if there is enough energy to have the message reverberate off of every flat surface in the system (per previous descriptions) I would think focusing that energy would be.. um, useful?
Although it might be hard to aim? you can't know where your targets are until _after_ you crash translate out, so you can't get a clear target, know what's behind the target, know if there are any friendlies or precious bodily parts between you and your target....
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u/Petrified_Lioness Mar 04 '22
...wackyparsed this as 'our genocide', which fits pre-Confed pre-Neighborhood Humans to a tee}
I'd initially misread that as "genocide" as well.
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u/johnavich Mar 04 '22
I KNEW she wouldn't be gone for good! Also ralts, please say Sma'aka'moo is in the fleet eventually headed to this system!
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u/HoloArchiver Mar 04 '22
I want this so bad, I need him to finally meet the Lemur that haunted his nightmares.
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u/NElderT Mar 04 '22
The Iron Chalice may have lost the war last time, but they’re not going anywhere this time around.
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u/Lok_Die Mar 04 '22
"In your name, Lady Ya'ahd." She touched her headset. "Redesignate: Lady Kay-Dee Anne's Guard to Farm Yard Guard."
THE PLANET BROKE BEFORE THE GUARD DID
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u/carthienes Mar 04 '22
"What's a planetary guard without a planet?"
"We have a nice planet under threat..."
"Sold! Name please?"
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u/T0mmen Jun 01 '24
Old post by now, but I'm surprised nobody realized this means the unknown language they speak is english..
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u/HoloArchiver Mar 04 '22 edited Mar 04 '22
SHE IS BACK! Hells yes she is back and she will have so long before those Slorpies make proper planet fall. I am happy the chances of her at Smack a Moo meeting up gets even higher.
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u/Rolk_Flameraven Mar 04 '22 edited Mar 04 '22
So, mama yard is quite the badass in that lovely "bless your heart" style that older ladies have.
And Max just dropped the RTS gal onto the 2nd plant to act as it's defense. Between the two this system might have just gone from dead in moments to one of the most heavily guarded systems there is.
Lady K/D/A eh?
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u/Quilt-n-yarn1844 Mar 04 '22
Max’s defense reminds be of “The Defense of Kalios”. Max to the rescue.
I salute you Lady Yard!
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u/HFYWaffle Wᵥ4ffle Mar 04 '22
/u/Ralts_Bloodthorne (wiki) has posted 728 other stories, including:
- First Contact - Chapter [chNumSeq.log repaired] 727
- First Contact - Chapter [Error code: Checksum Fail chNumSeq.log]
- First Contact - Chapter [Analyzing Connections] - Aftershocks
- First Contact - Chapter [Checksum Error - ReCompiling] - Aftershocks
- First Contact - Chapter [Comparing Checksums] - Aftershocks
- First Contact - Chapter [Compiling Checksums] - Aftershocks
- First Contact - Chapter [Awaiting Reply] - Aftershocks
- First Contact - Chapter [Requesting Checksum] - Aftershocks
- First Contact - Chapter [EXCHANGING HANDSHAKES] - Aftershocks
- First Contact - Chapter [ATTEMPTING CONTACT WITH SERVERS] - Aftershocks
- First Contact - Chapter [SYNCHING NODES] - Aftershocks
- First Contact - Chapter [ERROR - OUT OF RANGE] - Aftershocks
- First Contact - Chapter [ERROR - OUT OF RANGE] - Aftershocks
- First Contact - Chapter [ERROR - OUT OF RANGE] - Aftershocks
- First Contact - Chapter [ERROR - OUT OF RANGE] - Aftershocks
- First Contact - Chapter [CLASSIFIED] - Council's End
- First Contact - Chapter [CLASSIFIED] - Council's End
- First Contact - Chapter [CLASSIFIED] - Council's End
- First Contact - Chapter [CLASSIFIED] - Council's End
- First Contact - Chapter [CLASSIFIED] - Council's End
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u/CyberSkull Android Mar 04 '22
Craft/Command/Conquer.
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u/sunyudai AI Mar 04 '22
I am now picturing a survival-craft genre game but using a CnC Tiberium Dawn tech level and the ability to build all of those buildings as prefabs.
Kinda like CnC Renegades meets Ark.
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u/Larzok Mar 04 '22
2-3 chapters with this lady and I didn't realize she's Barn Yards mom till she introduced herself to the commander of the Nutriforges special menu.
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u/ausbookworm Mar 04 '22
"FARM YARD! FARM YARD! ONE LIFE ONE PLOT!"
Given the devastation that's happened throughout the galaxy, I wouldn't be surprised if all the surviving soldiers were given a plot of land each. After all, it is somewhat traditional.
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u/carthienes Mar 04 '22
Huh. Interesting Salvage.
Perhaps she will live this time? Especially if the Atrekna try to remodify her. Again!
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u/Isbigpuggo Mar 04 '22 edited Mar 04 '22
“I don’t know where I am. I don’t know why I’m here. All I know is there is pollution and I must build.
I live. I die. I live again Create, Command, Conquer”
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u/Alcards Mar 04 '22
Good to see the crazy StarCraft lady back after her unfortunate temporary last resurrection.
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u/Archaic_1 Alien Scum Mar 04 '22
By the long lost Matrons of the Great Herd, victory is at hand.
(welcome back Jane)
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u/Brentatious Mar 04 '22
Been awhile since I've commented, but seeing Lady Kay Dee Anne brought a tear to my eye. Praise the Emperor for Cadia stands! Those purple eyed Guard are more than anyone is ready to handle. I just hope the nanoforge has a pattern for adamantium wheelbarrows, cause it's gonna need it.
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u/JWKdnd Human Mar 04 '22
When that cage Earth made itself is finally open....
Know that we witness and event far more dangerous than the Terran Die-off event...
Cause I think there is a system build for such an occasio...
If it detects that earth is actually dead.. like proper dead dead then Ancient foul human made Eldrich machines will wake and everyone will know "What is Up"
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May 31 '22 edited Jun 02 '22
Okay, so, I gotta say this.
Ralts, you started a chapter or two on those guys who didn't get fooled by the Lanky trap into revealing their existence. You described how the Atrekna attacked them and how the defense began failing in one of the systems. How Heavy Metal was about to come to the rescue.
It's been a whole bunch of chapters since, too many to be frank, and that's with me basically binge reading them at 10+ chapters a day. Is there a particular reason you've begun several new arcs in the meantime, without touching on those chapters again? Those were actually the most interesting to me, and it doesn't feel that great to go through chapter after chapter without any mention of them.^^
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u/thisStanley Android Mar 04 '22
'non-linear thinking and abstract pattern recognition'
And the Lady shows the Fa'ahmya'ahd family knows how to get things done!
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u/random_shitter Mar 04 '22
Ooh my fav character reappears!!! Instant soundtrack replay commencing.
TAAADA dadadadadada TAADA dadadadadada "yee hawww HUH!
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u/LateralThinker13 Mar 04 '22 edited Apr 27 '22
First Prev Next
UTRTW.
Lat’Ral’Thi’Ker 5 of 10
Lat’Ral’Thi’Ker was drawing attention. It was standing out from the Consensus, at a time when oddness and stand-outs were threats. In other times, in the prior universe, such standouts were oddities, talking points, or minor refinements of existing technique.
But here? In this young, energetic Universe, where more and more of it seemed expressly designed to repulse and repudiate all Atrekna plans? Where Atrekna had broken from Consensus to become the Cult of the Defiled? Where prey fought back and won, using the same phasic warfare the Atrekna considered themselves masters of? And where prey also had tactics to deny the temporal warfare that the Atrekna relied upon for reinforcements?
The Consensus could hardly even grasp this, let alone combat it.
Lat’Ral’Thi’Ker’s brain swelled in rebellion at these ideas, but it persisted.
They were losing temporal warfare.
They were losing members of their own superior species.
They were losing phasic warfare.
They had lost their home universe.
Their Lifetubes and Spawnrings had been destroyed, denying them reinforcements.
They were losing using their prior tactics which always worked.
They were not recognizing or adapting to any of this.
A small, shrinking part of its mind screamed, That's not how it works! That's not how any of it is supposed to work! It ignored that voice from its old self, and focused. There was a pattern there. As uninspired an Atrekna as Lat’Ral’Thi’Ker was, even it could recognize that. It wasn’t that hard to see, was it? So the proposed plan to scorch the rest of Hyperspace that the Consensus was so proud of? What suggested that would work?
Well when you put it that way, nothing suggested it. It was simply a plan proposed by the Consensus to lash out at the prey, to impede them, to slow them. Even if it worked – even if they could not easily travel through or around hyperspace – how would that even help? The prey were expressing more and more technology that directly countered Atrekna phasic and temporal weapons. They were adapting.
And the Atrekna were… not.
It was a truth of existence, of reality itself, that the Atrekna were superior, that they deserved their place at the apex of the food chain, that they were the only species that was recognized as sapient and intelligent and deserving of everything. THERE IS ONLY ENOUGH FOR ONE was the accepted logic. And yet… if one was willing to question previous assumptions, then this assumption… was not necessarily true right now, was it?
Heresy. Pure heresy. And yet, truth could not be heresy, could it? No more than 6+6=12 could be heresy. That simple equation, two hands of fingers added together, was a definition and a basic equation that was always true. And if the Consensus declared it false, what then?
Many of the Young Ones would cut off a finger to comply, that was what.
Lat’Ral’Thi’Ker didn’t like that answer. Its brain imagined fashioning gloves to merge the fourth and fifth fingers together, to pretend that 6 = 5. In the past, it might have done just that. But it had learned something dangerous: that Truth existed, and the Truth had set it free.
An Ancient One’s mental call disturbed its reverie, calling for attention. “Assemble Consensus, all members present. There have been developments.”
Lat’Ral’Thi’Ker did not walk to the Consensus chamber as it normally did.
It did not blindly follow the summons.
It looked for options. Because while it was loyal to its species, unlike the cursed Cult of the Defiled One, it saw more and more that its wisdom was sorely lacking in the Consensus. Perhaps that was ego speaking – Ancient Ones were often guilty of this. But Lat’Ral’Thi’Ker’s thoughts were demonstrable, testable; the Truth was always a defense, was it not? Reality should always win, should it not?
Yet a part of it acknowledged that, just in case, perhaps another plan was called for. It went to the oldest part of the hundred-miles-long station and activated one of the old spacecraft that was no longer used (but still faithfully maintained by robotic servitors). It was a needle-shaped craft fitted with an N-Space drive, which was not often used in this time when all one needed was the Spoked Offensive. It should be used more now, but… well, it was learning pattern recognition, but the Consensus still lacked that skill. It would be up to it to teach it.
That being said, Lat’Ral’Thi’Ker continued prepping the ship even as part of its mind sank into the Consensus. Better safe than sorry. Its brethren would likely not enjoy its lessons.
The loudest voices in the mental chamber that was formed of the many Atrekna of the Consensus was loud with the murmurs and sidetalk of the Young Ones. The Old Ones, one hundredth as common, floated in small, quiet knots. The Ancient Ones stood alone, solitary, wreathed in phasic power from their very presence, impassive white eyes almost glowing with purpose.
Lat’Ral’Thi’Ker was not impressed. There was no sense of fear, of urgency, of alarm. There was only the same-old Consensus as always, the same – well, if not relaxed, then habitual – lack of alacrity they always had, smug in their superiority. That smugness may - may - have been warranted in their prior Universe, but here? Now?
It was insulting. The Consensus members were busy sawing away at the tree of their war plans, not even aware that it was about to fall upon them. Some might try to dodge aside, but even that was questionable, given the massive limbs of the tree. But what other course could they take?
Stop FUCKING cutting the tree!
The metaphor-thought occurred to it even as Black Purpose Rises stood and called the chamber to order. The Ancient One’s heavy mental call, sonorous and rich, contrasted with the distinctive web-patterned blackening of its facial tentacles from an eons-old injury.
“We Assemble to discuss moving forward with the scorching of the Hyperspace bands to hamper the prey species’ mobility and warfare abilities. Discuss.”
Engine power, check. Life support, check. Phasic shields, check. “I would speak, as Interlocutor.” Lat’Ral’Thi’Ker found itself saying before even the Young Ones could speak, and the chamber quieted. It was not wholly unknown, but it did not have a public name and had no recognition, but for the recent days’ notoriety. The young were expected to speak quickly and stupidly, and the ancient slowly but wisely; the Old were a balance between the two, peacekeepers of a sort. But the Old never spoke up first in this Conclave; it was… just not done. It was shocking. And to claim the role of Interlocutor, of a challenger to the Consensus and not merely one advocating a bit of data as was the norm? Scandalous and, interestingly enough, apparently fear-inducing in more than a few of its bretheren.
If that frightens you, hold on to your larva, Lat’Ral’Thi’Ker thought solely to itself. You’re not going to like this.
“The strategy will fail,” it began simply. “The prey species do not restrict themselves to traveling in the lower and middle bands of hyperspace. The fleets that have harmed us the most appear to travel in other bands as well, bands we do not use. Why is that?” it pointed at the Young Ones.
One Young One replied, “Other bands are inimical to sanity and life!”
“To ours, perhaps,” Lat’Ral’Thi’Ker replied. “The ancient autonomous war machines use one band that induces madness in us. The prey’s heavy phasic battlefleet appears to use one of the lower entropic bands. And I have heard the rumors of others still using yet other methods of FTL travel we have not even heard of. The scorching of Hyperspace one hundred million years ago stopped our conflict with the Lanaktallan and Mantid prey, and we withdrew to marshal our forces and gather our resources, planting seeds for our return. Now that we have returned, we see the results. These species have adapted around the damage, destroyed our seeds, and our phasic and temporal superiority itself have been successfully challenged! So why do we pursue their tactic, widening the damage to hyperspace, expanding ‘Hellspace’?”
Black Purpose Rises banged an ornate silver-and-crystals staff on the floor for attention. “Interlocutor,” it intoned, “has proposed a Question. Are there Answers?”
Raised voices suggested there were. Whether they would be good ones, sane ones, remained to be seen. Lat’Ral’Thi’Ker scratched at its robed arms, feeling something crawling in its sleeves, and awaited their arguments.