Post reply

Warning: this topic has not been posted in for at least 120 days.
Unless you're sure you want to reply, please consider starting a new topic.

Note: this post will not display until it's been approved by a moderator.

Name:
Email:
Subject:
Message icon:

shortcuts: hit alt+s to submit/post or alt+p to preview

Please read the rules before you post!


Topic Summary

Posted by: Rabid_Cog
« on: November 13, 2018, 11:52:29 PM »

3rd January 2029
Lambda was irritated. Now that the danger seemed to be over, Beta had started making noise about kicking out Alpha from her Hive. Which was bound to happen sooner or later, but the ungrateful bitch wanted Alpha's old territory back as 'payment' for her stay.
"Probably worried that it contains the Vault" she muttered to herself.
"What's that, your Majesty?" her serving drone asked.
"Nothing. Talking to myself. Be quiet" she cut back.
"Yes, your Majesty."
Not that the territorial concerns of two squabbling southern hives overly concerned her, but Alpha had threatened to reveal Lambda's role in the old Beta's coup. Not that she had a role, which pretty much everyone knew, but the details. Communications channels and methods. Negotiation strategies. If it got out it the other hives would significantly sharpen up their counterintelligence security and that would impact Lambda's own information gathering.
Tsk. And now IM insisted on meeting her in person on some 'emergency'. Like she did not have enough problems of her own to worry about.
"Your Majesty, the Governer of Wrixom has arrived. She is ready to be shown in" a drone reported.
Lambda merely gestured to let her in and the drone scurried off to bring in IM-39.
 
"Yes, IM? What can I help you with?" she asked as IM stood in front of her. Lambda couldn't help but notice that IM seemed exceptionally nervous.
"Mother. I'm in trouble. And I need your help."
Lambda was taken aback. 'Mother'. It was a very rarely used word in the Wrix language. It was very similar to 'My Queen' but the connotations were of groveling and loyalty. Usually it was only used by Fertiles that had been caught plotting against their Queen, trying to escape their execution.
Her eyes narrowed. "What did you do?" she asked quietly.
IM took a deep breath. "I'm the one who released the Spiders. By accident."
"Go on..." Lambda said softly.
"There are ancient ruins on Wrixom. A vast complex. It absolutely dwarfs the ruins on First Stop. And my agents found it."
Lambda's head was spinning. She had always considered herself to be one of the most well informed individuals on the planet, but here were no less than 3 earthshattering revelations in a single paragraph.
Wrixom had a vast complex of ruins.
IM had her own loyal agents.
And Lambda herself didn't know either of the above!
"How...?" was all she asked.
"Listen to me, Mother, you cannot have the ruins. Nobody can. If knowledge of them got out, we would have armaggeddon. Forget the cooling sun, the Hives would tear each other apart in an attempt to get at the technology there. And it won't save them."
Lambda shook her head, trying to focus. One thing at a time. Ruins first. "You've analyzed the ruins? What did you find? Where are they?" she demanded.
"What we've found there, it changes everything. But not in a military way. Whatever hive took the ruins would paint a target on their own back. All the others would stop at nothing to destroy you. The entire area would get nuked to slag within a week. You KNOW how Queens think. 'If they cannot have it, nobody can.'"
"Where is it!?" Lambda demanded again, shouting this time.
"Are you listening to me, Mother? If you take that technology YOU WILL DIE! AND WE CANNOT AFFORD TO LOSE IT!"
Silence. Then a low growl starts from the drones around Lambda. Sensing their mother's mood. IM stared up at her, knowing that a single word would have them tear her to pieces.
Then Lambda took a deep breath and gestured at the drones to back off. "So you would withhold it from even your own mother to save the race. How noble of you. You make some valid points, but I will decide how this hive proceeds. Now what was it you needed from me?"
"I'm going to give you the location of the Ruins..." IM began.
"You just said you cannot allow me to have them!" Lambda shouted in exasperation.
"... and then, once you find them, you are going to give them to Swarm Command to exploit for the good of the entire Swarm."
Lambda paused. She tapped her claw against the counter next to her, thinking. Her initial instinct was to have IM torn limb from limb for her impudence.
"Why?"
"Because its the only compromise that will not lead to war" IM replied.
"Why not find it with your own assets? Claim it for Swarm Command?" Lambda asked. "Why not simply skip the middle man?"
"Swarm Command does not have assets. What it has is a ton of dronepower on loan. And I can guarantee that whatever hive's drones first step foot in that ruin will have orders to claim it for their hive at all costs."
"And those 'agents' of yours? Did PC-49-LQN or US-93-OSS manage to start their own little nest in your basement without me noticing?"
IM shook her head. "I can't tell you."
Lambda was silent for a moment, then sat back and smiled. "Taking a page out of US-93's book, I see. Yes, this is how she got the additional research facility accepted by the Swarm. How she broke Kappa's monopoly on research. And in hindsight, a positive move. None of us had the slightest inkling of what it takes to evacuate our homeworld back then. Now even the smaller hives are constructing their own science facilities with the help of Swarm Command, and all hives benefit from the technological gains achieved."
A pause. It stretched on and IM just began to think that Lambda was going to reject her offer after all when she spoke.
"Alright. But I have a few conditions. First, I want a full inventory of everything that you found in the ruins. I want to know what I am giving up."
"Done" IM replied immediately. That one was pretty much a given.
"I want first look at anything new you find. And the opportunity to then revise or cancel this agreement as I see fit, with the ruins turned over to me immediately should I desire it."
"Lambda, that's exactly the kind of thing..." IM began, but Lambda continued without listening to her.
"Thirdly, I want at least half of all drones deployed to investigate and man the ruins to be mine, in order to enforce the previous point."
"One third. Best I can do without the other Queens outright invading" IM replied. Dammit, Lambda drove a hard bargain.
"Very well. Lastly, I want the identities of your agents. I need to know who I am working with" Lambda said.
"I can't do that" IM stated firmly. "I would be betraying their trust and I need them still."
"Then there is no deal" Lambda said gently. "And I would have to kill you to make sure you don't give any of the other Queens the same offer."
"How about if I offer you a secret instead?" IM suggested.
Lambda sighed and got up. She walked over to a counter and poured herself a cup of water. "I know a lot of secrets already. Odds are I already know what you plan on telling me."
"How about if I guarantee you that you do not?" IM said with a smile.
"Really? Alright, you have my curiosity. Not in the secret, mind you, but in how you think you can guarantee that I do not know it. It feels rather like a challenge!" Lambda grinned and swirled the water in her cup as she sat back down on her sofa.
IM took a deep breath...

As the engines of her small shuttle craft spun up, IM-39 considered her options. With Lambda on board she could finally openly investigate the ruins. And perhaps reestablish contact with everyone that had been inside when the Spiders erupted.
"Or whatever is left alive of them..." she mused.
Three weeks. Three weeks since the last contact with the Drone Collective operatives stationed in the ruins. Three weeks cut off from the outside, with no food coming in or any information what was going on, surrounded by deadly mechanical Spiders.
Even if they were all dead, at least she could still recover the Jump Engines.

Lambda sat in her chamber, the cup of water still held forgotten in one trembling claw. Her eyes were still transfixed on the door where IM had left, wide with shock.
IM's last words to her kept running through her head.
The Drones. We think they are stupid, mindless and of unwavering loyalty. They are none of those things anymore. They are starting to think. They starting to choose. And they are starting to wonder why they keep choosing to obey us.
Posted by: Rabid_Cog
« on: November 09, 2018, 12:11:46 AM »

*30 December 2028*
The Spiders switch strategy and withdraw a short distance. They bring great behemoths to bear and begin to bombard the great hive structure from a distance, blasting large chunks out of what is essentially a mountain. The hive returns fire, but it is outgunned and one by one its emplacements with sufficient range are silenced.
After the 3rd cave-in inside the hive, all the remaining defenders sally forth to defend their queens. This time the open terrain favour the spiders and terrifying casualties are caused among the Wrix. Even drones armed with pistols join the fight.
Then, as the losses start to mount, a rumble is heard in the distance, steadily growing louder. One of the spider behemoths explodes as one of Swarm Command's tank divisions joins the fight. They had pooled all their fuel and logistics trucks from two other divisions into this one division and had been driving for 3 days straight, stopping only long enough to refuel. Tanks that had broken had been left by the wayside for the remaining divisions trailing behind to pick up.
And thanks to this, they arrived just in time to swing the battle.

*31 December 2028*
"Our forces have begun mopping up operations. There are still Spiders out there in the jungle, but they are scattered and isolated. Their main force was broken and annihilated."
Beta looked tired, IM thought. More tired than she had ever seen any other queen before. She could not have slept much during the bombardment.
"That is excellent news, Beta. Your hive has done well to withstand the assault" Gamma congratulated her.
"It was only thanks to Swarm Command's Armoured Division. They truly saved the day back there" Beta replied.
"Indeed. Now the only question is, where did these things come from?" Kappa asked. It was the first time in a while that she had joined one of these conferences. The fact that had happened at a time when IM appeared to have lost control of the situation did not seem to be a coincidence.
"Swarm Command is combing the wilds, looking for the source of these machines. Meanwhile, we have fortified all the nearby hives in case of a second force of Spiders" IM replied.
All the Queens gestured a tentative affirmative to this, but IM could see the greed in their eyes. She could tell what they were all thinking: on First Stop the Spiders erupted from the ruins. If there were Spiders on Wrixom... that meant there were ruins on Wrixom. Ruins filled with delicious technology and resources. It was no coincidence every Queen had 'volunteered' as many military divisions as they could spare to the area.
If only they knew the truth...
Posted by: Rabid_Cog
« on: November 06, 2018, 12:59:56 PM »

26 December 2028
Alpha Hive is evacuated barely in time before its tunnels are swamped with a multitude of crawling metal bodies. Everything alive left behind is killed. Alpha Queen takes shelter at Beta Hive with the remainder of her drones, and for the first time in the living history of the Wrix, two Hive Queens are present inside the same Hive structure. Perhaps because many of the drones had had some experience in working alongside drones of other hives, or perhaps because some of them had been born in Beta Hive in the first place (including Queen Alpha herself), relations remain cordial with Alpha accepting her position of refugee with surprisingly good graces.
Of course, it could also have been the swarm of death machines headed their way that gave both queens a bit of perspective on the matter.

28 December 2028
The Spiders smash into the hastily erected defences at Beta Hive. The initial wave breaks through the outer defences, overrunning several factories before they are stopped at the edge of the great hive structure itself. Casualties are horrendous on both sides in the subsequent assault waves, but a combination of the fixed defences of the great hive mound itself and the cramped tunnels underneath that the Wrix are so adept at navigating allow the defending for
Posted by: Castinar
« on: August 17, 2014, 10:05:38 PM »

Oops. . . a wrench in the works. . . . is "the button" about to be pushed on the tech center???? :)
Posted by: Rabid_Cog
« on: August 16, 2014, 05:11:15 AM »

20 December 2028
For some inscrutable reason, the Spiders limit their movements during the next week to reconnaissance sorties against the neighbouring hives. Local defenders intercept them successfully.
The truth dawned on IM even as she stressed about the fate of the drones at the excavation site. The Spiders were blind. Not the in the literal sense, but they had no satellite imagery or even aerial recon to work with. They had no idea what was going on beyond the range of their sensors and no way to find out beside sending out scouting units.
This had given the defenders time to rally. Thousands of soldiers and hundreds of armored vehicles had been moved down from Swarm Hive-controlled bases from around the globe. Thousands more were scheduled to arrive soon.
The satellite images warned them the moment the Spiders began moving, and by the time they arrived at Sigma Hive, the bulk of the Swarm armed forces were waiting for them.
Between supporting artillery fire and the dug-in positions of the defenders, the Spiders were driven back with terrible casualties.

OOC
Defence only. Robots suffer 30% casualties. No friendly casualties.

25 December 2028
Confident after the defence of Sigma Hive, the Swarm begins the counterattack. Based on satellite photography and a few reconnaissance missions, the Swarm Armed Forces believed they had found the origin of the spiders. An armored thrust is executed to cut off the bulk of the spiders and possibly destroy whatever is controlling them.
It turns out to be a deception.
The Wrix armored columns make rapid progress with minimal resistance, until they reach the perceived origin and find only a dead-ended canyon. Time is wasted searching the area for any underground access points, but, not surprisingly, none are found.
After a few days of this, spiderbots are reported near Alpha Hive. This came as a complete surprise. They had, apparently, undertaken a massive deception operation and fooled the Wrix as to the direction of their movement. Now, the only choice was an emergency evacuation of Alpha Hive and consolidation of whatever forces could reach Beta Hive in time to stop the near solid mass of robotic monsters.

OOC:
It seems Aurora spawns 2 populations when you open a vault, one of them is the military units, the other is empty. I attacked the wrong one.

Posted by: Rabid_Cog
« on: August 14, 2014, 03:27:12 PM »

12 November 2028
A Myrkul freighter is retasked with starting to ship Automated Mines to planet B1 to mine Neutronium.

22 November 2028
 Another Myrkul is launched and immediately assigned to assist in transporting Automated Mining equipment to B1. Construction of another Myrkul freighter is started.

2 December 2028
A breakthrough is made in mining technology. A new type of drill using sonic vibrations is developed that is expected to increase mining yields by 20%.

15 December 2028
IM was sleeping when the alarm klaxons began blaring. What exactly they meant, she couldn't say, never having heard of them before now. Grumpily, she got up and headed for the command centre to see what was up.
"What's going on?" IM asked PC, who seemed to be there at the oddest hours.
"Didn't you hear the klaxons?" she asked, just a bit panicked.
"I didn't even know we HAD klaxons. What the hell do they mean, anyway?"
"Spider Bots!"
"Here?" IM asked and glanced behind her nervously.
"No! There!" PC explained, pointing at the blinking red blob on the map screen. It was currently set to view somewhere on the southern continent. "They've overrun Phi  Hive. We have no idea where they came from."
smeg. IM could imagine where they had come from: Phi Hive was close to the Wrixom Ruins.
"Any forces in the area?" she asked, peering intently at the map screen.
"Some. I've told a few units to get ready to begin moving down..."
"A few?" IM asked, incredulous. She was staring at the map and the blinking icons around the edge of the map. Sigma, Upsilon, Iota, Beta, Alpha. None of those hives would be able to defend themselves against the full mass of the bots. "Send the lot! Every single armed drone we have, get them down there! Those hives are in danger!"

OOC:
Oh poop! Vault of robots disturbed on Wrixom.
Posted by: Rabid_Cog
« on: June 07, 2014, 02:20:28 PM »

30 September 2028
Over the past months, several more facilities are recovered from among the ruins on Wrixom by the Drone Collective. At the same time, a small hive named Nero finishes their own research facility. While not exactly commonplace, by now the facilities were accessible to any hive with the willingness to commit the resources to construct them, their plans being freely available and Swarm Hive doing their best to make the necessary resources available.

However, the desire to build more was tempered both by the shortage of Mercassium and the knowledge that any resources committed to their construction would be stuck on Wrixom after the evacuation until the transport capacity became available to move the equipment to their new hives, and they were low priorities.

15 October 2028
"I still don't get why you had this built" PC said.
"I already told you. Utility. Like... rescue missions... and stuff."
IM and PC had taken a trip up to the Gamma Yards to watch the keel of the first Azazel class vessel laid. It was also the first time either of them had visited the shipyard or even went into space.
"Are you sure there isn't something you should be telling me?" PC asked.
"Like what?" IM replied innocently.
"Like that you are trying to sneak something into space that you shouldn't be? Something that fits neatly into that massive bay you had me include in the design. Something like... oh I don't know... some kind of device you have been developing in the utmost secrecy?"
For a moment IM felt a cold chill pass down her spine. Did PC know something?
"What kind of device?" IM asked in a quiet voice.
"Look IM, I'm not stupid. You might have fooled US, but I know you've been sneaking off to one of the research facilities and smuggling them equipment. I've seen a few of the suspicious shipments going out."
"Oh?" IM asked carefully. She still couldn't tell just how much PC knew. Or how.
"Yeah. US thinks you are shipping all that crap to some mine down south but I've had a look at some of the satellite pictures. That place is dead. You aren't fooling me" PC said.
Inwardly, IM breathed a small sigh of relief. PC had it completely backwards.
"Originally I thought it was a big nuclear bomb or something, but it's too big for a single missile and too perfectly shaped for a rack. Those power outlets are also a little exact in their requirements, you know what I mean?"
After a while, when IM didn't respond, PC continued.
"Look, all I'm trying to say is I don't mind. I don't want to know what it is. But I just wish you wouldn't treat me like an imbecile. You could have just given me a few details or something! I'm worried that the moment you plug whatever it is the scientists dreamed up for you in, the whole power grid is going to burn out or something and your precious ship is going to be left dead in space and it is going to be my fault!"
IM grinned to herself. PC was so naive, really, it was cute. Or at least, it would have been if the Wrix had any understanding of the concept beyond 'edible'.
"PC! Relax and trust me, I'm not an imbecile either. I know what I'm doing.  We won't install any 'devices' without making sure the power system can handle it first."
PC visibly relaxed as she leaned against the railing.
"Sorry. I've been a little tense lately. I just like getting things right."
"Don't worry about it. Now come on, I still want to go for a spacewalk before we go back planet-side. "
It was only after IM began walking off that PC called after her.
"Wait a second, who's 'we'?"

OOC:
Retooling of Gamma Yards complete. Construction of Azazel class ship started. I'm going to strap a jump drive this bad boy and send it out to explore the neighbouring systems. Want to start planning my future layouts so long. Of course, Jump Theory research will only become 'available' AFTER I've done my first successful jump. And the resulting information is made public for the Swarm.
Posted by: Rabid_Cog
« on: June 05, 2014, 02:40:58 PM »

10 May 2028
With the help of Epsilon's transport fleet, sufficient life-supporting infrastructure is rapidly ferried over and drones stop dying in droves. The crisis has been averted... for now. Still, the queens each blame the others' greed for the event and relations noticeably sour between the hives. They are too far along to do anything about it, however, stretched across two planets as most of the hives are.

For now, IM has prohibited any of the Queens to move to their secondary hives on New Wrixom, ostensibly because the hives were not properly and securely set up yet (none of them bought this) but mostly to prevent them from going to war with each other the moment they no longer had external threats to worry about (and all of them knew this).

10 June 2028
As another Myrkul III silently detaches itself from the Swarm Yards,  the Drone Collective discover four large prefabricated component... blocks. Honestly, there was no other way to describe them. They consisted of scores of smaller components all fitting together perfectly to form large eight foot by eight foot blocks covered in thick plastic. Closer examination of some of the components reveal them to form a part of some kind of starship damage-mitigation system, with each block most likely being one starship worth of components.

OOC:
4x Damage controls recovered.
Posted by: Rabid_Cog
« on: April 20, 2014, 02:04:38 AM »

27 March 2028
Speaking to the Queens yield no result. While all of them agree that the overpopulation problem on New Wrixom must be addressed, each is of the opinion that the other hives should yield and put their drone transportation on hold. Competition to get settled somewhere away from the rapidly cooling Wrixom is intense, and relatively few drones can be transported each trip.
As an alternative, the Myrkul III 001 is assigned to transport infrastructure to New Wrixom on a permanent basis.

15 April 2028
"My dear IM, I am not 'in bed' with Gamma, as you so succinctly put it" Epsilon said and grinned on the large screen in the command room. "It is simply a matter of Logistics."
IM was not in the mood for clever words. The situation on New Wrixom was steadily worsening and to top things off, she had discovered that part of the reason for that situation was Epsilon prioritizing infrastructure shipments to First Stop, despite a clear lack of crisis there.
"Logistics? I'm not sure I follow" she seethed.
"It's simple," Epsilon replied, "First Stop is closer. Closer means shorter turnaround times for my ships, which means more tonnage transported. I mean, you did say you wanted Wrixom evacuated as quickly as possible, right?"
IM sighed. Epsilon was twisting her words, but what she said made sense. It was also clear what she wanted, though.
"What if we provided a little incentive for you to ship to New Wrixom instead? Just to compensate you for the extra travel time, of course" IM asked.
Epsilon widened her smile, revealing her rows of razor sharp teeth.
"Just tell me when and where you want it delivered."

OOC:
Civilian ships are transporting only to First Stop. Contract for infrastructure to New Wrixom put up.

Additional Note:
Naturally, the phrase "in bed with" someone, meaning to collude in our language, does not exist in the Wrix language, nor would a direct translation make sense in their culture. Only the queens have something resembling 'beds' and getting in to someone else's serves no purpose - the Wrix understand the concept of 'sex' only as it applies to several of the other species on their planet - besides possibly becoming a meal. A more direct English translation of the phrase IM used would be "to let her take the food from your mouth and boss your hive around". It sounds better in the original Wrixian.
Posted by: Rabid_Cog
« on: April 19, 2014, 02:33:57 PM »

25 February 2028
Designs for the new engine arrive at Swarm Command and the Swarm Academy continues its work on improving mining technology. The final schematics for the Azazel Class are drawn up and the Gamma Yards begin retooling to construct the Azazal Class after laying idle for a long time.

OOC
Engine research completed. Retool for the Azazel started.

21 March 2028
"IM, we have a slight problem."
IM sighed and rubbed her eyes before looking up from the latest production figures on her desk. PC was peering around the edge of her doorless doorway with a look of consternation on her face.
"What?" she asked simply.
"There has been a slight mixup with the shipments to New Wrixom. It's a bit of a crisis" PC explained.
"How can a 'slight mixup' result in a crisis? You know what? Nevermind. I'm coming" IM said. "Explain what's going on while we walk."
In the short walk to the command section, PC explained. With the temperatures dropping and the pressure to evacuate increasing, Swarm Command had been under significant pressure from the Hive Queens to transport their drones to New Wrixom so that they could start setting up hives there and PC had been doing her utmost to fulfill their demands as well as she could, but between being harassed by the Hive Queens and having the design IM's new ship, some things slipped through the cracks. Specifically, the infrastructure shipments necessary to support life on New Wrixom. Now supplies were running low and there were too many drones for the oxygen scrubbers to be able to keep up and fights had started to break out.
"... and US is in the command chair trying to sort something out, but it's a big mess!" PC finished as they stepped into the cavernous command area.
"US, what's going on?" IM demanded. "What went wrong?"
US snorted. "This airhead shipped too many drones to New Wrixom, that's what went wrong" she said, pointing at PC. "And now we have about forty Hive Queens exacerbating the situation as best they are able, egging on fights and outright theft between hives."
"For goodness sakes, I'm not in the mood for this!" IM exclaimed. "Can't we just pick them back up and bring them back to Wrixom until there is enough infrastructure in place?"
"That's the problem. The Queens have all ordered their drones not to budge. To make matters worse, the drones still on their way from Wrixom have made it clear that if we tried to make their ships turn back they would take control of the ship and make it drop them off on New Wrixom."
IM threw her claws up in frustration. "Are those drones stupid? If they get dropped off on New Wrixom they would either asphyxiate or starve! How can they follow orders so damn blindly?"
This drew strange looks from both PC and US.
"Uh, IM, they are just drones" PC said. "They do what they are told."
Of course, IM thought. She had gotten so used to the drones from the Drone Collective she had forgotten how fanatically loyal most drones were. She was going to have to sort this out with the Queens directly.

OOC
Some unrest on New Wrixom due to overcrowding. It seems I had been shipping population to New Wrixom faster than I had been shipping infrastructure. I will have to rectify this.
Posted by: Rabid_Cog
« on: December 17, 2013, 06:12:19 AM »

20 January 2028
IM sat in her 'office' and looked at the paper the drone had handed to her without a word before vanishing around a corner, and puzzled over its meaning. It was from DP down in the ruins, that much was certain.

'Further analysis of objects reveal additional requirement for operation. Very specific set of local circumstances required in order to achieve functionality.
Originally thought object created local conditions; hypothesis was revealed to be erroneous. High probability of natural existence of conditions, but location unknown. Methods to determine location unknown. Exact conditions required unknown. More work required.
Note: Key factor is gravity.'

The 'objects' were clearly the jump engines DP were working on, but what was the deal with these 'local conditions'? Why would the aliens build such engines if they couldn't work? And these weren't prototypes, either. This was an established technology. Clearly these conditions had to exist somewhere.
'Location' gave her an idea, though. It reminded her of a sleepy conversation she had had with that biologist, LA, about three years ago.
She tapped a few keys on her computer and brought up the old report on the file that had originally been discovered on First Stop, the one that had lead to the search for the Wrixom Ruins in the first place after LA had cracked its encryption.
There. Besides Wrixom, there were four more locations of note contained in the document which had originally been a navigational chart of some kind. They were all quite far out, however.
Could it be? Could those be the locations of the 'specific set of local conditions'?
Sending a ship wouldn't help. They had no idea what they were looking for. The truth was, the only way she could figure out if her hunch was right was to activate the alien engine at that location.
So basically, she could not know whether the new ship class would be worth it until its construction finished. What a catch-22.

30 January 2028
Due to some last minute design alterations, it is decided to significantly increase the operational range of the new vessel - now named the Azazel class - by increasing the size of its fuel tanks and increasing its fuel efficiency. The 'civilian' engines employed by the Myrkul's are deemed too slow and bulky, while the more compact and powerful engines fitted to the Drake and the Endymion are simply too fuel-hungry and lack the range required. Eventually, the Swarm Academy is tasked with  developing a new generation of engines that take the middle path between power and fuel efficiency.
The other hives make only a minor issue of this. They are mostly busy planning their hive placements on New Wrixom and organizing their logistics for the move. Transport space is still very limited, so prioritization is essential.

OOC
Four research labs are switched to developing a new engine.
Posted by: Rabid_Cog
« on: December 13, 2013, 01:18:25 PM »

24 December 2027   
Epsilon's mining complex on Rube is expanded. Mercassium levels on Wrixom reach critically low levels, threatening to slow production. Luckily, there are significant stockpiles awaiting transport on Rube. One of the Myrkul III's are diverted to do the pickup.

30 December 2027
Following the pipes leading out from the fuel tanks, an underground fuel refinery is discovered among the ruins. It appeared to have been automatically converting its sorium stockpiles to fuel for many, many years, hence the reason both its main and overflow tanks were completely full. It was only then that its emergency systems shut it down to prevent damage to the fuel system. In the years since, its sorium tank had been ruptured and whatever had remained is lost.

5 January 2028
The first local construction on New Wrixom is completed, a Construction Factory to assist in future production. Coincidentally, another Myrkul III freighter is also completed. Mostly outdated, it will still help to fill the gap until the construction of the first Beshabas start.

OOC
As soon as the Beshabas start rolling off the production line, we can kick this evacuation into overdrive. Until then, I'm just setting the stage, getting a things in place. Retooling time is really slow, though  :'(
Posted by: Rabid_Cog
« on: November 05, 2013, 12:28:42 PM »

4 November 2027
"Why do you want a new ship?" PC asked. "What's wrong with the Endymion? We can crank out a couple more Balor classes if you want."
IM waved her off. They were sitting in the section of Swarm Hive that PC considered her 'office'. She did all her designing there and sketches and diagrams of wings, engines and hulls littered every available surface. "The Balor class was designed as a test bed for the new TN engines. It's obsolete by now."
PC waved her claws in exasperation. "That's why we stuck a full sensor suite on the Endymion! So that it has some other uses besides 'test bed'. How can you say it is obsolete? It hasn't done anything these past few years besides run a few trials."
"Exactly my point. It isn't suited for anything we might need it for because it lacks utility. That's why I think we should build a new, bigger, better ship."
PC just stared at IM skeptically.
"Here is what I'm thinking. We design the ship with all the same sensors as the Endymion, maybe a few extra, and then we also give it a nice, big, utility bay for whatever else the eggheads might come up with at a later date. You know, give it some modularity" IM explained.
"Uh huh. And how big do you propose we make this 'utility bay'?"
IM handed PC a scrap of paper.
"I was thinking we use these dimensions, and put power couplings here, here, here and here, making sure they can provide at least this amount of sustained power from each" she said, pointing out the values and locations on the sketch.
"Wow. That's... oddly specific" PC remarked. "Is there something specific you want to be able to fit in there?"
"No, no, not at all, you just have to start somewhere, you know?  Once we have this, we can design all the equipment to fit in there.  Once we have some equipment, of course" IM said quickly. "Can you do it?"
"Doesn't seem all that tricky. I will probably just take the Balor's design and move a few things around or something. But what aren't you telling me, IM?"
IM sighed. "PC, in this case, let's just say that it is better that you don't know. But it is important. More important than you can imagine..."

OOC:
I'm starting to set the stage for designing the first jump capable Swarm vessel. I've decided against simply strapping an alien jumpdrive to the Endymion simply due to how massive it is. Simpler to just build a new ship. Easier to fit that rp-wise, as well.

24 November 2027
A second MagmaSieve is recovered intact and in functioning condition. With lessons learnt from the previous one, cleanup is far quicker and it isn't long before it also starts churning the magma, filtering out minerals and gases. On an unrelated note, some additional research labs are completed by one of the smaller hives. These things are going up like toadstools.

OOC
Another automated mine and terraforming facility is recovered. Sounds like a MagmaSieve to me.
Posted by: Rabid_Cog
« on: November 01, 2013, 04:33:00 PM »

19 August 2027
Further exploration of the deep tunnels reveal traces of two more MagmaSieve devices! Unfortunately, it seems that in the many many years since they were last manned, the majority of both had collapsed into the magma sea and were now unrecoverable.

OOC:
Found two quick facilities beyond repair.

9 October 2027
Elsewhere on Wrixom, Swarm-led research efforts make a breakthrough in new TN construction methods. Application is expected to increase production of existing industry by up to 20%. It is believed that vaguely similar processes can be applied to mining to increase output and this is slated to be the next avenue of research. It is important for the Swarm to get maximum use of its existing industry as most of it will need to be transported offworld at some point.

OOC
Research into Con 12 completed.

1 November 2027
"...so basically, it should be possible to travel to other Solar Systems. Probably. Theoretically. Maybe."
It wasn't the first time IM had visited DP-35 in the depths of the Wrixom Ruins, but it was the first time she had had something of substance to report.
"But you don't know how it works?" IM asked. They were wandering through the vast underground city as they spoke.
DP sighed. "It's way more complicated than that. I know the basic... idea about how it works, but the math doesn't work out. It shouldn't work, mathematically, but I suspect that merely means that our current understanding of physics is inadequate, if not plain wrong. Not that that would surprise me, we've already picked up a few things we can't explain."
"Such as?" IM asked, almost dreading the answer. Drones were busy all around them, cataloguing every detail of the place or just shifting rubble or mechanical parts. It was eerie to see them working on such complex and sensitive tasks with no queen oversight. She had gotten so used to the way it worked at Swarm Hive.
"Oh, just a few edge cases. Light, not behaving as it should under certain conditions, gravity not measuring exactly what it is supposed to, a few unexplained phenomena on the subatomic level, that kind of thing. Nothing noticable."
"And having these discrepancies is normal in science?" IM questioned sceptically.
"Pretty much. One can never know everything" DP-35 replied.
They walked in silence for a while.
"Wow, other stars, huh?" IM remarked, gazing up at the buildings vanishing into the darkness above her. "Never even considered leaving our system in my lifetime. Just been focused on getting us past this damned ice age we have coming."
"I know what you mean. I was thinking we could maybe develop and send out a few generation ships at best. After all, we are going to have to do something with all those evacuation ships once Wrixom is left behind" DP mused.
"Yeah. Although now it looks like we might have a new use for them.  Say, could we actually use these things?" IM asked as a sudden idea sprang into her head.
"You mean the alien jump engines? Um... I guess. They appear to still be functional, if that is what you are asking" DP said.
"No, I mean, can we hook them up to a ship and use it to go to other systems? Or do we need something else?"
This elicited a bark of laughter from DP. "Hah! They're almost half the size of the Drake!  What ship do you plan on attaching them too? And no, before you ask, they are not powerful enough to jump a Myrkul."
"What is their capacity?" IM asked.
"Hard to say. Five to six thousand tons if I have to hazard a guess based on what evidence I have" DP answered.
"So it can jump the Endymion pretty easily. Can we strap it to the ship somehow?"
DP shrugged. "You will have to ask a ship designer that. But I suspect it will be difficult, simply due to the size. You can't just chain it to the ship and expect it to work right. There are structural stresses that need to be considered."
"But there is no reason we can't use this on one of our ships, right? The technology is compatible, or whatever" IM said.
"All it needs is electricity and what amounts to a button press. So yeah, I'd say it's rather compatible" DP remarked.
IM grinned. An idea had begun to form in her mind. Something amazing. Now if only she could get PC in on things somehow without having to tell that airhead everything.
Posted by: Rabid_Cog
« on: October 15, 2013, 08:52:22 AM »

9 May 2027
A new tunnel is uncovered leading deeper into the ground, riddled with life-supporting equipment. It seems as if it used to function as a type of bomb-shelter or something, although why a bomb-shelter was needed when the entire city was already deep underground is a mystery. Mapping and recovery efforts commence immediately.

OOC:
240 infrastructure recovered.

19 May 2027
Deep below the ruins of Wrixom, at the end of a long tunnel an amazing find is made. A deep fissure in the crust from the planet's mantle allows magma to push up deep into the crust. In time, it would probably have formed a volcano or other geological event. As it was, someone had 'capped' the fissure many many years ago with a machine of mindboggling complexity and resilience. Constructed almost entirely of nearly pure Duranium, the massive black construct worked to 'sieve' the magma as it flowed through, filtering out useful TN and conventional metals, before transporting the already pseudo-refined lumps of filtered metal to the main complex. Unfortunately, while amazingly there appeared to be no structural faults with the MagmaSieve despite the long contact with molten rock, the inside of the device had completely gummed up as the magma had cooled. It appeared as if it would require plenty of continuous maintenance and cleaning to keep the thing functioning.

OOC:
Mine recovered. But I'm sort of running  with a theme here.

29 July 2027
With the last of the gummed up works cleaned and a few minor repairs, the MagmaSieve slowly starts to churn away, sucking up magma before filtering it for useful compounds and ejecting it some distance away. The seismic disturbances threaten to give away its location, but sneaking a few sympathetic drones into the low priority tasks of monitoring the sensors proves to be a simple solution to the problem.
More interestingly, a secondary function of the MagmaSieve is discovered. As well as extracting metals for production, it also filters out the gasses emitted by the molten rock, including oxygen, nitrogen and numerous other toxic gasses, separating and stockpiling them on an industrial scale. No containment tanks for these gasses are available besides the Sieve's own small tanks, so gas production is turned way down to only supply the air for the underground ruins themselves. This vastly reduces the pressure on external intakes and it is hoped that it would reduce the chances of discovery by the other hives.

OOC
Terraforming Installation recovered. I've fluffed it that even though the MagmaSieve doubles perfectly as a Terraforming Installation, capable of dispersing a wide variety of gasses into the atmosphere, nobody in the Drone Collective considered the option and they have not informed any of the queens.