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Post by Emargine "Azure" Cerola on Sept 4, 2022 5:42:57 GMT -8
Medical Bay 42, Restricted Deck, Caeruleus Alsetto Glacier, Yunzabit Highlands, Northern Demon Kingdoms Operation Bluesky: Day 193<<All of the Major's vitals have maintained normalcy over the day-night cycle since your last visit,>> the holographic visage of an elderly gentleman in stately uniform announced as he walked along with General Cerola down the hallway. The projection was extremely convincing, were it not for the occasional flickering of various portions of this image. <<Her condition continues to improve compared to her initial confinement to this bay. It is my estimate that she will be fully recovered and combat ready in under a week.>><<A very impressive recovery rate to be sure,>> noted another hologram walking along the general's opposite side. This man appeared to be younger, dressed in the uniform of the TAS's ground combat branch, the Tuffle Terrestrial Service. <<After the initial reports I'd read about her present condition, I was surprised she was alive at all.>> It had taken a few months to completely excavate the vessel in a way that would allow it to lift off without causing too much of a ruckus - or without revealing its presence to Demon Clan air patrols. But they were getting close. At this point, they had now carved a small path up through the glacier for a camouflaged comm uplink to connect the ship to the open sky. In this way, it could now directly connect to commsats, instead of having to laterally transmit to the Staging Point for second-hand internet access. "She's truly fortunate to be alive..." General Cerola held up a tablet projecting various documents into the space before her eyes as she headed toward the ward at the end of the hallway. "But given the reports, I can't imagine the psychological torment she must have gone through. Yes, we have the complete logs. But each line is but the precis of a lifetime." Lifetimes of varying lengths and causes of death. Leaving out, for brevity, the hell that the at least semi-conscious mind would suffer through. How privileged was Cerola, to have died at a ripe old age and requiring only one instance of cloning? <<You are correct of course, Emma,>> the fiery haired general rubbed his chin in thought. After all, only a fellow general could be on a first name basis with her. <<Among the present surviving staff, you're probably the one who knows her the most. We've checked the Master Index, and none of your other stored batchmates from Yarvind have been activated onworld. The Charentis Project Team will take over a year to jumpstart. We can't do without their collective experience in maintaining her, but I can request the assembly of a temporary team to cover for them while they grow.>>"Which brings us to the present."<<As I was saying, right now, even though you don't know much, you know her more than we who know only reports, whitepapers, and logs.>> The general waved his hand and an official document popped out from the mass of files in front of Cerola's face. <<I'm putting it down on record, Emma. She's under your command until we get the Charentis Team out of their vats and finish their rehab. The temp team will answer to you.>><<If I may inquire, General Tayber, what becomes then of this command responsibility once the Charentis Team has completed their rehabilitation?>> The aged official raised a glass of wine in a toast to himself before sipping. <<Given your estimated timeframe of minimally 366 indigenous days, Major Charentis would have ideally built up a degree of trust with General Cerola if they perform well enough together. I suspect the possibility of resistance should a transfer of command to the Charentis Team be issued.>>"I'm sure the good General has taken this into account," Cerola quipped as she neared the final ward. Tayber always was good at foreseeing possibilities and dealing delicately with people. <<I do have a few proposals at work depending on the situation by that time,>> Tayber answered as he revealed an open folder listing half a dozen filenames. <<But simply put, we'll cross that bridge when we get there. Our current priority is to get her gears revved up for a return to service.>><<Of course, Sir.>> The elderly gentleman turned to face the door and waved his hand. It slid open, revealing a medical laboratory somewhat hastily converted into an especially robust recovery ward. Before the destruction of Planet Aspic, this was one of the vessel's best places to develop things like vaccines and new drugs with minimal side-effects. Occasionally, however, its recovery vat would see use for serious emergencies. Now, it was where the giant was being nursed back to health in a bed resized just for her, and the vat's biofluid stocks converted into bathwater for an oversized converted fluid tank. Charentis simply couldn't fit the vat, and so the Tuffle core of the Dragoons had to improvise with other containers that would better fit her frame. For entertainment, they had brought in a smart TV with an uplink to local satellites, as well as a browser connected to the DragooNet's secret ISLET backchannels restricted to authorised personnel. The latter wasn't necessarily built for the sake of entertainment, but one certainly could access the hidden site and apps used by the hidden Tuffle society. This way, she could explore both aspects of the planet, and perhaps wash away some of the suffering with something fun for a change. The control system was additionally linked to Charentis' biomed headpiece, allowing her to change the channel or browse the TuffleNet with but a thought. Sure, she could just choose to completely download the updates on their current situation, but just in case she wanted to take the time, they left the option available. His task for now complete, the gentleman put a hand to his chest and bowed, before disappearing. One got the distinct feeling, however, that he wasn't truly gone. Simply unseen. Such was the nature of "Vice", as he called himself. The Supervisory Intelligence of this vessel, essentially its mind. Cerola cleared her throat as she stepped in to get the giant's attention. "Major Charentis, how are you doing this morning?" Hopefully as good as Vice was saying. "I have a guest with me today. This is Group General Frudaeus Tayber at Command Centre ISLET."Tayber's hologram nodded and stepped out from beside Cerola, assuming something of centre stage as he put his hands behind his back. <<A pleasure to meet you, Major. I trust your recovery is going well. I've heard of your exemplary performance even while we were still on Planet Plant. I hope that means you will continue to serve our people with that same drive and effectiveness.>>[1129/1129] Maxine The Charentis Project
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Post by The Charentis Project on Sept 4, 2022 17:19:29 GMT -8
A woman lost in time. The weeks involved painstaking recovery. A full detox of rotten food that would've killed someone who hadn't adapted to it through inherited genetics over closed generations of clones. Yet the most difficult part wasn't the physical. She'd been shot, cut apart, withered away and felt what it was like to be helpless. Trapped, the subject of experimentation and victim of rampant genetic mutation in lieu of losing control of the power she was entrusted with centuries ago. The most difficult part was in the mind, the psychic whiplash hitting her now that she was finally grounded and able to think properly for the first time in... Well, she'd run the math too many times to count. She struggled to decipher what parts of her were her or cynicism wrought on from the centuries of entrapment. If asked who she was in any capacity greater than name and purpose, she may struggle to give a confident answer. This of course, was likely gleamed from the psychological profile built shortly after her recovery to any interested and authorized parties. Major Charentis despite this was cooperative, if reserved. Stubborn but eventually compliant with having to rest to recover from... Resting, in a very different way. A real sleep, a real chance to recover. She spent all of her everyday in the Forty-Second Medical bay within the restricted deck of the Caeruleus. Occasionally shifting from the specially designed bed to a place frighteningly familiar to the tanks she'd grown scared of. Vats and bubbling bio-stimulating fluids, it all just brought back memories of the darkness. Having every capable impulse of moving, yet getting no response from the body. It had taken an adjustment, and gradually working up to it for her to get in the tank for the first time. The same time used to design one large enough to even fit her. It posed as another area of concern as far as the Charentis Project went; her newly formed fear of many of the baseline procedures her project relied on, now exposed to the horrors that could unfold if things went wrong. If she went under, would she wake up in another hell? She fared better when she didn't brood on such thoughts. In such endeavours she had made more than extensive use of the entertainment provided. More the access to browsing as opposed to television. Certain broadcasts seemed to cause distress, particularly the PCN (Pilaf Cartoon Network). She divulged early on the anomaly that was foreign broadcasts being beamed to her vat, the source of which was mysterious at best, but the descriptions she'd made were spot on from different shows and movies. Including that movie. It didn't take too long for browsing to also get to her. Finding media of Humans, which she'd mistaken as Tuffles coinciding with Saiyans. The distress from that didn't help much either, and served as incentive to not dig any deeper lest she drive herself insane with the worst case scenario she was imagining in her mind. Eventually her little corner she found online was just a simple reflex based exceedingly rudimentary and simple game. She spent an eerie amount of time just playing that quietly through her recovery. It helped her run from her own mind; escaping her demons and avoiding her worries. Late into the night and early in the morning. She had sleeping troubles now and again, but overall it hadn't caused any significant or noteworthy impact to the rehabilitation efforts. Physically, she seemed stellar. While records of prior clone performance could be dug up by those with the means to do so, from day two she was able to perform everything essential for service. It was her record of mental strain that was the largest concern requiring further monitoring and mending before she could be fielded in confidence to maintain the secrecy of ISLET and their objectives. The most agonizing of her thoughts nearly served as the straw to break the camels back. If she was better- if she did better. If she was more capable, and didn't fail to put to use the gifts her people had given her, maybe they wouldn't be here. Maybe they'd have won back home. Maybe they'd have lived peacefully. Maybe she wouldn't live in a world where Tuffles and Saiyans coexisted. She'd gotten emotional about it once or twice during her recovery, teary eyes being the product of that.
The present however, was yet another day of running from what was catching up with her. Sitting on the custom made bed, she was fixated on the screen occasionally tapping a button to make a little pixelated creature either hop or slide to avoid obstacles in a running game that got faster the further one went. Her capabilities saw her beat out the previous record holder for the highest score online, several times infact, triumphing over her own scores over time during her recovery. Wrapped up in sheets but in her work clothes in preparation for her physical rehabilitation session for that day, her ears picked up on the distant footsteps. She counted three pairs getting closer down the hallway leading to where she was assigned. Figuring it was just a passing group of troops or officers, she didn't think anything of it until the doors slid open with her still sitting in the bed. Immediately she flung the sheets to the side and got upright uncannily fast for someone of her height and weight, standing with her chin up and her arms firmly pressed to her sides. Formal. She brought a single hand up to her brow for a salute. "General...-s... Generals." She corrected albeit sloppily as the others rank was shared. Assuming she was allowed to lower her hand, she'd answer. "I am doing fine, thank you for asking General Cerola." She said, not really giving the question much thought. Her attention turned towards General Tayber. As he was speaking, one of her large arms reached out and waved through his face. She had just bluntly checked if he was a hologram or not, having had the suspicion from acute discrepancies in the footsteps followed by the odd flicker here and there. She answered afterwards as her hand came back down to her side. "The honor is all mine, General Tayber. Thank you for seeing me, the accommodations have been more than I could ask for." Something about him saying she should keep doing what she did before seemed to spark a light frown, before it flipped into a soft smile. "I'll do you one better. I'll be more than what I was." Looking back to Cerola, her tone softened a little. As if genuinely thanking her peer for saving her from the depths of hell. "Thanks, again. For getting me out of there."1,136 | 1,136 Emargine "Azure" Cerola Maxine
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Post by Emargine "Azure" Cerola on Sept 8, 2022 4:56:47 GMT -8
The response was immediate. As fast as one could conceive given Charentis' starting position being sitting in bed busy with a tablet. That reaction time and the execution of that pace was something that would impress even top drill instructors with decades of service. But of course. She was no recruit, so much as a seasoned operator with an exemplary track record. Her response was also on point. At least for this first impression, most would think she could ace the final psych evaluation coming at the end of the week. But while first impressions tended to last, it wasn't so cut and dry when evaluating one's mental state after such extensive trauma. General Tayber did not miss a beat even when Charentis' hand suddenly waved through his holographic face. Cerola maintained her professional poker face even though someone watching this on TV would certainly laugh at a subversive punchline. Indeed, this could also be taken as a positive sign. <<That's great news, Major. Some of us down here were worried Caeruleus' facilities might have been insufficient in aiding in your recovery. But it seems despite the challenges, you managed to pull through.>> Caeruleus, formerly hull number ASC-07, designated TFS Bludwine, was indeed a Tuffle Fleet Service warship. However, after the exodus and her assignment to Planet Aspic, a number of modules had been converted to serve as laboratories to perform such things as Zero G experiments in orbit. Which normally meant that she would be perfectly equipped to keep the giant maintained. The key issue, of course, was that she too was caught in the chaos of Aspic's destruction, and performed a blind jump that ended up trapping her in this glacier for centuries. It was only through Cerola's excavation project that she was starting to be functional again. Command Centre ISLET had doubts about whether the Med Bay 42 would be in usable shape before long, but the Dragoons' tech team proved their resourcefulness despite being isolated in hostile territory with extremely limited provisions Amazingly enough, the Earther supplies and a few Tuffle amenities, combined with surviving equipment discovered aboard the ship was enough. It just came to show, that sometimes even Tuffles underestimated the ingenuity of their fellow Tuffles. It wasn't without its justifications, though. After all, they were a paramilitary unit with a relatively small tech team. The number of scientists and engineers of directly relevant fields could be counted on one hand. One of them was even a rogue operating in captivity. And yet, here she was now, being prepared for deployment. Not the state of the art facilities of Command Centre ISLET, or even a properly self-sufficient medical vault. Charentis was recovering in an extremely run down lab that was only recently brought back to life. It was as much a testament to her adaptability as it was the Dragoons. Perfectly complementary to each other. Tayber smiled with some slight amusement at the sudden movement, before continuing. <<And I see your perception is impeccably sharp.>> Most people would only notice the holographic nature of the General if they paid enough attention to the flickering. The reception wasn't the best out here, after all, even with direct satellite connection. But there wasn't a doubt in his mind that even with top quality reception, she would notice some other flaw. That was how she was built and bred. It was Cerola's turn to answer. A superior officer was present at the moment, so they couldn't quite have a true heart to heart. But they would have all the time they needed afterward. General Tayber was taking time out of his busy schedule to personally meet with them. And as Chief of Terrestrial Command, there could have been a few thousand other things he could have tended to, but chose to prioritise this. For now, this would have to do. The physically present general gave the hint of a smile and nodded. "It was an honour and pleasure, Major." The honour was directly tied to the profession. To rescue such a fine soldier who had done so much. It would have a shame and disservice to their people not to have done so. The pleasure was a call back to their strange old friendship, the last time they'd seen each other. Sure, there was perhaps something of a stereotypical rivalry dynamic, with teasing thrown in, but it never really reached violence, or bullying. Not that the Academy would have allowed for such things, but it was a good sign no intervention needed to be had. At the end of the day, Cerola respected the unconquered physical intelligence on display whenever Charentis took to a live combat exercise. And she had no doubts that despite all the teasing and name calling, it was only because Charentis recognised her strategic intelligence in return. Going in to get her out of that hellhole was more than just a matter of duty. It was a personal stake. <<At ease, then,>> Tayber announced. <<This could take a while, so you might want to sit down.>>Cerola walked over to Charentis' side and dragged up a large couch from a corner of the room where a little tea table set was placed. She went back to get the second one for herself. Seats in position, she took the initiative and sat. However the giant would react, he would continue. <<To the point: until the Charentis Project Staff has been completely reconstituted from the Master Index, the Project and its surviving members, namely you, Major, are hereby assigned under General Cerola's command as a special asset parallel to her current unit, Azure's Dragoons. I'm assuming you are already familiar with their mission profile as a deep cover unit posing as indigenous mercenaries.>>Cerola didn't visibly react. There wasn't anything new just here. She had of course, given that gist over the past weeks, when they had some time to talk. But the time had always been fleeting. IF anything, the big questions would be answered at this meeting. <<The parallel status here is crucial. Once your recovery is complete and you're cleared for service, you may begin acting in the interests of ISLET directly, without necessary regard to the Dragoon mission profile. That isn't to say you won't be cooperating with them should your CO deem it necessary. Rather, it simply means you don't have to go with them everywhere and follow every standing order issued to them. Your staging point and quarters, however, will be this vessel, which presently serves as a Dragoon asset.>>Cerola was aware of that too. Well... she did read that document he flashed in her face on the way to the room, so... <<Before we continue, you may speak freely and ask whatever questions you have in mind. General Cerola and I will do our best to answer them.>> While it was entirely possible for Charentis to have browsed these answers through the hidden backchannel to the TuffleNet, it always helped to leave an opening in case she didn't. Yes, even if Vice had demonstrated without a doubt through her browsing history that she had already found the answers. It was just a psychological thing. To ease tension by providing some room for choice. And so for now, it was time for "Opening Q&A". [1217/2346] The Charentis Project
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Post by The Charentis Project on Sept 8, 2022 18:26:27 GMT -8
The Major seemed to study the initial reactions of the two in front of her. A stern gaze, and steady eye contact. While it was a moment of rest, the conversation was turning out to be of the utmost importance. Less than a revolutionary intel drop, but more than just another check-in. Over the passed weeks she'd gotten up to speed with many of the everyday aspects of Tuffle life on this new strange planet called Earth. Many, aside from the things she hesitated to learn about fully. Raising a brow in concern at the mention of insufficient facilities, her attention helplessly glanced towards the converted bathtub of a biofluid tank. To their credit, while makeshift it was expert work as far as that area of DIY work went. Couldn't ask for anything better, a sentiment to the fact that these were despite her initial confusion and disorientation in the first few days, truly the Tuffles like they were so many eras ago. Looking back, she just offered a slight nod in acknowledgement from General Tayber's first statement. She supposed as far as rehabilitation went, this was significantly more than she was expecting. She'd received various scales of accommodations over the years, and the worst of them felt more like prisons than places to heal. That being said the Caeruleus had done just fine in providing, especially significant given it was a previously lost and almost forgotten craft. She'd never flown on it during her time, and she didn't know its history, but like any good soldier she had faith that the TFS Bludwine served proudly. And even after so long, it started to provide just like it always had despite being trapped in the ice. It once again reasserted the thought that this time, she had to do better, be better, be more than she's ever been. They no longer had the luxury of waging a war on even footing. She needed to make up for that, she needed to redeem herself and be the shining light her people entrusted her to be. Years of scientific progress, millions in investments, and generations of intelligence invested for every fibre of who she was now. Nothing less than everything her creators wanted would be enough to pay it forward. Her other hand lowered to her side in line with General Tayber's instruction. Eyes shortly thereafter flickered to the blue haired officer, her colleague and dear friend, moving to rearrange some furniture to better accommodate a longer form discussion. She almost immediately moved once she got the idea of what was going on. While General Cerola didn't need the help by any means, Major Charentis was there with a hand helping position the couches just right. She would then take a seat, hands gently clasping in her lap to listen to the Generals brief. Listening, her hands parted and grasped the fabric over her knees. Leaning back then and pressing her weight into the back of the couch, she rested her right forearm on the armrest. Naturally, she took the majority of the thing's space. A second could squeeze if they really wanted. Looking towards the hologram then, bringing one knee up to rest her other elbow on she'd ask a question in response. One that she didn't ask at any point during her and Cerola's brief discussions over the weeks. "That's it, then? We... Lost." She glanced downwards, right hand balling into a fist. "I'm sorry, General. I should've been more, I'll do better. It's not right, our people having to hide like-" She cut herself off, knuckles going white as the end of her words were starting to reflect some inner anger. She just resigned herself in the most literal of terms to listening to the rest of what he had to say. It wasn't the time or place for responding back and forth. Listening further, her attention shifted towards General Cerola as she listened to her newly official designation, staging area and newfound affiliation with the Azure Dragoons and the Caeruleus. There wasn't any sort of frustration or malice present in her features, she seemed comfortable with the idea. Turning her head back to regard Tayber, she nodded her head once. When she was given an opportunity officially to respond and speak, she hesitated a moment. Brows furrowing slightly, she took the opportunity to dig a little deeper into her concerns in addition to acknowledging her new placement. "Those directives are perfectly suitable." Being the gist of it, before she moved on. "I... Saw some things, on there." She gestured back towards the tablet. "Apes and Tuffles? Or... No, Humans, right? I believe that is the name of their people. It doesn't sit right with me. Why are we the ones trapped underground? We were fighting the good fight, helping future species and civilizations thrive instead of being overrun by them. And these Humans- they look so much like us. It's been what... At least a few centuries? The enemy isn't smart enough to use propaganda to turn other species against us, so... I just... I've been trying to understand." She said, thumb rubbing against the side of her left index finger. She let out a huff, muttering aloud. "I feel like a fossil." She said, rubbing the back of her neck then. "Right, here are a few questions. How are we viewed by the native species of this planet? Assuming these Humans are native. General Cerola and her men get by just fine as a PMC, so I take it we're simi-... You're similar enough to these Humans to blend in. If they knew we were Tuffles, then what? Have the Apes really gotten to them? What can they even say about us that's bad?" She paused a moment, before glancing towards Cerola. A perceptive eye could tell that she had stifled a question for the moment. "What sort of leadership system does Earth use? It appears as if they're a... Somewhat developed species. A monarchy? Couldn't I just walk right in and take them out? I mean if they're conspiring with Apes, it might be too late for them as well. Well- that might be complicated to answer. I wouldn't mind being forwarded any relevant reports on the relations of the Apes and native species of this planet towards one another. The friend of my enemy, is also, my enemy."Reaching back and taking a pillar off of her bed, she set it behind her head and used it as a headrest. She needed that at the moment, given the subject at hand it was difficult enough to exercise appropriate restraint. She knew neither Cerola nor Tayber were at fault, but her overwhelming wounded pride and anger threatened to lash out at just about anything with or without a pulse. 1,135 | 2,271 Emargine "Azure" Cerola Maxine
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Post by Emargine "Azure" Cerola on Sept 9, 2022 6:47:14 GMT -8
Tayber nodded in understanding. They were at ease, and given the private nature of this briefing, it was fair to give leniency for some degree of emotion. The Major was frustrated, and seemed to blame herself for the crushing defeat on the Night of the Full Moons. While many would scoff at this being an exaggeration of her self-importance, the General had gone over the project data recovered from the facility. Even with the clarity of hindsight, it was something that could only be speculated upon. But based on the combat data, and the potential direction the Project might have gone in had the setbacks been averted, she might really have become a beacon of sorts that would have had a significant impact on the war. He could easily see the potential, had the Project technology transitioned into mass production - and there were plenty of resources to go around, both onworld and off. Given how long the war lasted, a new generation of Charentis-type super soldiers, in their own branch of equipment evolved further from Dr. Punica's original vision, would have surely had an effect on what ultimately happened. This was only speculation. And unfortunately, even if they could go back in time to try it out, there would be no practical point to doing so. CONTINENT's earliest experiments determined that time travel would only affect parallel timelines, changing nothing in this current one. There was no way back, only forward. He would acknowledge her grief, her agency in expressing this responsibility, imagined or otherwise. <<Yes, these conditions are a far cry from the old megapolises. I understand your frustration, Major. And I thank you on behalf of our people for your renewed commitment to victory.>>Question time had been opened up, and Charentis expressed her concerns. They were understandable without a complete context. How was it that it was now their people's turn to be, for lack of a better word, outcasts? Hidden outsiders skulking about underground and underwater, revealing themselves only under false names and pretenses... The Tuffle Kingdom was a rising power in their little corner of the galaxy. They had reached the apex of a civilisation that was conceivable at the time, beginning to expand into the stars. Some argue in a belated manner, but regardless. Their influence was felt in many neighbouring systems, as even the lesser Tuffle knowledge and technologies were traded and improved the living conditions on foreign worlds. In a matter of decades, they had reached out their hands and shaken those of others, foisting cooperation and community. They assisted in the neutralisation of pirates, terrorists, and the occasional overized abomination. And yet now, the shoe was squarely on the other foot. Tayber could not speak for the rest of CONTINENT. He had drawn the short straw and died on that fateful night defending Compote City in their last stand, along with many others who were reborn here. As he was the highest ranking officer left behind, that put him in charge. He could still remember the countdown on the wall, the seconds crawling by as the full moons loomed over the horizon. The first one with enough Blutz Waves to turn the enemy into towering colossi fifteen feet high. And then the second moon, which completed the transformation. His command centre was situated in the safest part of the Royal Palace, the Fortified Refuge for Universal Intelligence and Tactics. Originally built before the space age to serve as the King's final holdout in the event of nuclear war, it was situated two miles beneath the palace proper and used a system of turbolifts to rapidly ferry personnel and materials to and from its depths. It was from there where he directed the last stand on a global scale, from Compote City with the largest concentration of troops, to various outlying cities and fortresses on more separate continents. One could say that General Tayber and his command staff saw the true full horror, the big picture, of the Saiyan menace. CONTINENT only saw numbers, as they did not look back. The boots on the ground only saw what was immediately around them. But the FRUIT coordinated the last stand. For those three hours, every desperate transmission, every remaining drone camera, every satellite image, went through its comm network. Even with technology reserved for the King, including three top-tier Command Intelligences with their advanced computing power, they were utterly exhausted in the last moments before the bedrock itself warped around the bunker, crushing them into oblivion beneath the earth. Those three hours were pure mayhem as millions of Great Apes ravaged the planet like multiple meteor impacts, be it their powerful fists or devastating mouth beams. Tactical officers' grief could be heard through their audio transmissions as they announced in horror that entire cities were instantaneously disappearing from the world map. Cities still packed with countless millions whose only consolation was a future rebirth. Many didn't take it lying down, and rioted at the space ports, some forced to be gunned down by panicked soldiers as the last few ships with the chosen few took to the stars. The General saw in real time, the holographic globe floating at the centre of the room, the most accurate representation of Planet Plant back then. How the continents weren't merely on fire, but how they were reshaped by this cataclysmic power. The core continent Hesperia, once the largest landmass onworld, carved up into disjointed strips of land by broad strokes of ki, like a child going wild on a picture with the erase tool on a graphics editor app. To call it a loss was an understatement. But what words could encompass such horror? The next thing he knew, after the brief but excruciating pain of being crushed by off-kilter tectonic plates, he was floating in a tank. This was his third lifetime now, the previous one spent getting to know the situation on Earth and learning to understand that Dr. Aspic was now in charge. Now, Tayber was running the Terrestrial Service, because he was the last general of significant rank who had the sense not to cross the Doctor. CONTINENT was not his concern. Right now, his concern was the people who were here with him on this world. CONTINENT might very well come one day, whenever the mysterious space barrier were to dissipate. But until then, he could only serve the Tuffles on the ground. So why was the situation like this? Barely an improvement from his fate. Arguably worse. Given the apparent total integration of the Saiyan threat into the local population, why was it not a simple calculus of nuking all of these apparent collaborators? It had to be more than their passing resemblance to the Tuffles. After all, even a Saiyan had such a passing resemblance, barring their height and tails. The General nodded, once again seeing where she was coming from. He too had the same concerns once he began to learn about the surface. And as it turned out, the calculus wasn't so simple... He would answer each as directly as possible, as promised. <<To them, we simply don't exist. At least, not as a contemporary people. The Charentis Facility was one of many installations formerly on Planet Aspic that survived its destruction. Barring a few that remained in orbit, those installations crashed here. We're working on salvaging as many of them as we can. Sometimes, Earthers find them first. To those few, we're "ancient aliens".>>The General emphasised the last point by holding up his hands as if there were a ball in between. <<Agents in contact with the world at large, and some surface communities if ever found, are simply considered human due to the impressive resemblance.>> He paused briefly. <<It's... disconcerting. I know. As to what they would think, we're attempting to model such a reaction. I personally believe they won't think too much of it, for the same reason the enemy has integrated so well. I'll explain soon. For now, however, our resources are stretched thin, and our infrastructure is a shadow of what we had back home. Katchin deposits are beyond scarce, and even Syn-Titanium has to be scavenged from old installations. An unexplained phenomenon has blanketed the planet, interfering with attempts to leave orbit. We can't even set up a mining operation or base on the moon because of that. Open war is out of the question.>>With that out of the way, it was time for the big one. Why was this integration so prevalent? <<As to why the natives are so... chummy with the Apes, it's simply the nature of Earth itself. On Planet Plant, we were the single sapient species, and because of that, we rose to dominance. The enemy arrived on a colony ship, and that made two. But Earth on the other hand... Its diversity of sapient species is staggering. General Cerola, you may elaborate.>>Cerola nodded and recalled not just the information she learned, but the experiences she had picked up along the way. She tapped on a holographic document floating in front of her face with three fingers, and swiped it over to Charentis. It would display a graphical chart depicting her following words. "Aside from the human population, there is an entire taxonomic Kingdom's worth of sentient species that are Tuffloid in shape, but have prominent secondary characteristics resembling animals. Humans just call them "Beastmen", but that is a broad category covering a vast number of species. There are others as well. We have a race of apparently literal Demons with ki powers resembling ancient myth. A parthogenic asexual species of bipedal molluscs called Namekians, immigrants like us based on scavenged hulks of their colony ships. They too have significant ki capabilities, as well as powerful tissue regeneration. Sentient creatures not fitting any of these categories and are diverse enough to not follow a Tuffloid body plan are simply dubbed "Monsters". That doesn't count hybrids between these groups and the burgeoning synthetic lifeform industry."The sheer diversity of creatures she met that counted as "people" was a truly eye-opening experience. She swiped another document over, this one picturing a Saiyan standing next to a monkey, and two other Beastman specimens with corresponding animals. "Our research indicates the enemy is at large, lumped in under the Beastman category, as Earth also has surviving lower primate species amongst its animals. And so where you have a Tigerman or Hawkman, the talking monkey is believed to be, well... a 'Monkeyman'. In short, the Earth didn't need to welcome them. They simply assumed they were always here, and for their part, few are even aware of the war, let alone our presence."Going into some more detail on that, Cerola next brought up a dossier of various Saiyan factions. "From what I can tell, few communities actually care about the war anymore. A number of them are multiple generations descended from escaped experiments and have left their ancestors' concerns behind. Others are descended from those born on Planet Plant several generations after our exodus. To them, we might simply be nothing more than bedtime stories told to their ancestors. The ones that do remember and care..."The next file contained dossiers of various recently escaped experiments. "Are mostly experiments from unreclaimed facilities who have escaped as recently as the past year, or the second generation of such cases. Their parents no doubt warned them about us. And so these groups are in conflict with our units. We've also received reports of individuals arriving here by anomalous means - temporally displaced from the war period, for example, but those are few and far in between. The vast majority of our problems come from Pickles getting out of their jars and getting orgnised."The holograms faded as she finished her conclusion and went silent again, tacitly yielding the floor to Tayber. <<There you have it, Major. While it is disgusting to even think that Earthers would deign to room up with a Monkeyman, it is simply an insignificant part of their daily existence. An honest mistake made in ignorance of the truth. And while Earthers are by no means as evolved as we are, as you said, it was in the Kingdom's interests to elevate our lesser neighbours back in the day. We can't really blame them for seeing the Apes as just another part of Earth's diverse sentient population. To attempt an outright propaganda campaign now would be surreal to them, and would be laughed off as conspiracy theory. Perhaps there was a time, when we first arrived here, that something like that would have worked, but we had no power to make such a thing happen, as we needed to focus on regrouping. And so in consideration for the Kingdom's directive, we do what we can to leave the natives and other irrelevant species out of the fighting.>>His face darkened briefly. <<The situation is far from ideal. But that's exactly the kind of challenge our people are adept at handling. Of course there are times when getting the others caught in the crossfire is unavoidable. For example, Pickle communities that subvert natives to collaborate in their operations.>> He would have an actual case of that later, but that was for the briefing proper. <<If you have any more questions you'd like to ask before we move on, please do. No matter how dumb you might think they are. We want to start the brief with your concerns reserved to the full extent of our ability.>>[2258/4604] The Charentis Project Maxine
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Post by The Charentis Project on Sept 13, 2022 21:52:57 GMT -8
The scale of what she was hearing was surreal in more ways than one. Both literally and figuratively, at first it seemed overwhelming to the woman who spent so much of her time fighting, but the various classes in the academy slowly came back to her. Memories so old and distant that they felt like another life- and in the most actual of ways it was. Of sitting in a large multi-level classroom filled with rows and rows of aspiring soldiers, officers and think-tanks being trained and prepped for military service. Back in those days Charentis was the type to have lackluster listening skills but still fly through with flying colors. She wasn't brilliant, she never did as good academically as Cerola by a longshot, but for someone who failed to apply critical time to studying in addition to nearly nodding off in class her results were an indication to her potential. Yet old habits die hard. The only reason she remained fully attentive was because she was being directly addressed to questions she asked, in a time where there was new stimuli around every corner. Each answer seemed to only make her jaw tighten further with bad news after bad news. The place where she spent so long was well and truly gone. They're forced into hiding. Resources are scarce, and even now the military isn't in a position to route the enemy. At this point, putting two and two together even with the most advanced military capabilities, declaring war on the Saiyans meant having to wage war against other species as well. Humans, various tuffloid animal things, sentient robotics, other alien lifeforms. She pieced together that in a sense, they were all collectively regarded among one another as Earthlings. Even the legitimate Demonic beings, and creatures dubbed 'Monsters', could call other Earthlings friend if they were civil. And yet they were tucked away out of sight, for the most part. Swiping through various holographic dossiers of the species as General Cerola spoke, her eyes flickered between the various gathered data. This could all be intelligence on the enemy some day. She let out a resigned huff, speaking outwards. "So what I'm understanding is at a glance we're also in this..." She loosely pointed towards a Human that was one of the screens on the holographic display she was carrying, "... Human category, as far as they're concerned. Any of our people could live on the surface, but they would need to deprive themselves of their identity, their history, their pride." She said, a brow twitching in frustration. "Revealing ourselves would make a schism, as Earthlings draw the line at independence. Free thinking, and sentience. Maybe they're not so different if Apes blend in with them, but I'll find out for myself soon enough."Handing the document back, the item in her hand was replaced with a dossier. Looking through them as she spoke, the various Saiyan groupings were made apparent to her. She had raised a brow as soon as she caught eye of the 'pickles', turning to glance at Cerola, then Tayber. She just utters. "We capture them now?" Her tone was that of disgust, and a hint of anger formed with the creasing of her forehead and the curvature of her brows. Yet it dissipated, and she handed that document back as well. Seeing as the primary narrative and issue as far as Saiyans went were these pickles, the next documents to grace her hands was even more repulsive. Each page, another nightmare made manifest. Even more distressed now, she looked up. She was astounded, beyond confused, one eye wide with the other squinting along with a hiked brow. "We... Experiment on them? Why?" Her tone similarly sounded empty, not as if it was a genuine question, but an inquiry as to the motives of the people around her. She was imagining a worst case scenario, one where they were attempting to reverse engineer the innate barbaric and cursed power of the Saiyans to 'elevate' their own species. Like eating a turd to survive starvation. Nevertheless, she handed that final document back to General Cerola with renewed attentiveness. Looking back towards Tayber, she just nodded. She could trace the logic at play, it all clicked well enough. Hard to stir an influence widespread enough after barely bypassing practical utter extinction. Taking in a deep breath, there was a moment of silence when she was asked if she had any further questions. Her gaze lingered towards the ground in contemplation, hands forming together in her lap, thumbs interlocking and brushing against one another. Quietly, she just uttered. "No, no more questions." Yet she had more to say. "I'll want to conduct my own independent survey of the surrounding topography. I'll also be seeking if it's under my authorization, classified information as to any known vulnerabilities and strengths not otherwise outlined up front. I fail to see how in the long run this ends in any other way than a confrontation. Earth as a planet seems more abundant, diverse and rich than our home. The ones here must just be swamped in life, but it's just a matter of time before another moon strikes. Before our numbers regrow to a point where hiding becomes increasingly difficult, or alternatively, we're forced to cull our own numbers. I want to prepare for that as soon as possible, even if it's lifetimes away. Gage the enemy, have access to training facilities and simulations, bring out the best in me." She said, leaning back in the chair as her hands unlocked from one another. A single forearm rested on the side of the couch. "There's also the matter of my identity. I don't look like one of us at a glance, nor do I look like a Human. Thankfully, Earth seems to be richly populated by largely broad stroke sentient species with so many variations that records could never keep up with their appearance. I don't have any animal traits- if I woke up with a tail I'd pull the plug on my own life support, but these Demons or Monsters are broad enough that I could likely get by referring to myself as one or the other, but I'll certainly want other minds to contribute to that. Once the cover is established, it'll need to be ironclad. I'll need to know about the typical behaviors and histories of Monsters." She added, rubbing the back of her neck. "Regardless, General Tayber, General Cerola. As mentioned I have no direct further questions at this point in time. If anything, the exemplary thoroughness of the answers provided at this point have given me the clarity to start pushing forward. Thank you for being amicable with me during my momentary tenure as medical patient. Shall we carry on into the briefing?" She asked, looking towards Cerola and then Tayber again. "Oh, I apologize General Tayber, I never offered you a sea-" There was a pause, a buffering of her brain. "-Oh. Wait. Nevermind." She casually brushed the side of her nose and avoided eye contact. Woops. 1,182 | 3,453 Emargine "Azure" Cerola Maxine
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Post by Emargine "Azure" Cerola on Sept 27, 2022 7:02:50 GMT -8
Charentis summarised the answers in her own words, as well as inserting insights into the matter. It had seemed that the most pertinent questions had already been answered, except a particularly notable one. Though it sounded far less than a straightforward query than it was a demand for a deeper understanding of the reasoning behind the action. How she was left unaware of this was a simple matter, of course. The experimentation was top secret. Between the risk of riling up the Saiyans to preemptively wage war, and infuriating the peace-loving majority or pro-coexistence activists and the politicians they supported, Project: Lemonade was conceived and executed in secret, continuing on even after the war's end. Albeit by then it had been repurposed to focus on Saiyan weaknesses specifically. As one who had participated in those operations during the period leading up to the war, and at its height, Cerola felt that it was her responsibility to tackle this one. "We've been capturing them for weapons tests, dissections, and other such preparations to use as a baseline of comparison to the Cold Force. Stragglers, untouchables, outlaws, anything explainable by wild animal attacks or Ape on Ape violence."It was no secret that the wild animals on Planet Plant had evolved to be quite destructive that even Saiyans would give pause. One of the reasons scouters were invented in the first place was to alert troops to their presence so they could be eliminated at a distance before they could threaten whatever settlement was being guarded. Cerola's father had taught her to shoot Ice Fangs and hunt with domesticated ones as she grew up in the arctic settlements. The fangs were more of a crystal that developed monomolecular edges, rather than literal ice, but the appearance fit, and the name certainly represented the biome's lethality. This same crystal was secreted by the tips of each follicle of fur, so that even brushing against the beast would result in ghastly injuries. Like a thousand knives rubbed against your palm, if you weren't careful at petting it. That was only one of the many dangerous beasts thriving on the homeworld. While Tuffle technology proudly succeeded in taming those wild frontiers, the Saiyans seemed to simply thrive. With hunting parties feasting after capturing hundred foot roabs, or individuals competing to catch the biggest lakesharks. Still, with the sheer power levels these animals possessed, attacks were not uncommon, especially against Saiyans, most of whom lived behind palisades or earthworks fences, rather than transparent plasma city shields. It was easy enough to cover up by planting typical animal evidence for signs of struggle. Fur, dislodged fangs, scraps of torn clothing, synthesised animal blood, the works. "Once we discerned they were on the warpath, that quickly shifted to focus on the subject race itself, rather than the Cold Force." Which was still out there somewhere, she had no doubt. But the present threat was here and now. As it had been for the past few centuries. "Yes, it was a basic matter of being prepared for the war by discerning the enemy's weaknesses. As they continue to evolve, our research is far from done." Unfortunately, that also meant that the risks of escapees and the loss of lives or resources - by way of property damage and security drones - also continued to exist. Charentis confirmed that Q&A had ended, and directed the discussion on information and support for what she considered a necessary step, in this case, blending in. There was also her assessment that one day, open conflict would resume again. This was something the brass was indeed concerned with, and believed was necessary to maximise their advantages before such an event could occur. Though this did bring up another concern... "Unfortunately, Major, the astronomy is also against us in that regard. The single moon is large enough to generate enough Blutz Waves for full transition. Every month, some Great Apes out in the boondocks rampage. But Most tribes, and especially the ones integrated into modern Earther society have learned to stay indoors during that period. I'm afraid our windows of opportunity are limited to the size of weeks, rather than years.""A number of individuals from varying social integrations have also been noted to be capable of using a ki technique that simulates full moonlight, Blutz Waves and all." Cerola had seen it happen before, a warrior from the region known as Little Vegeta getting into a drunken spat in a secluded southern bar... and using this ball to turn herself into a Great Ape in broad daylight. "We are presently researching in the direction of Blutz Wave countermeasures."That’s all it was at the moment, a direction. An actual solution was still purely hypothetical at this stage. "In which case you will be given access to every resource at our disposal capable of improving your performance." And of course, in addition to the information, training, simulations, and equipment - though to be honest, her gear even in its baseline form was superior to 99 percent of ISLET's forces. One could argue that the 1% where she evened out with the Hesperides troopers' gear was debatable. Dr. Punica's vision for the Pomegranate Mk III was one of mass production. The Socotran at present was a prototype, with all of its individual strengths that would prove too costly to mass production. And with the Charentis facility and team out of commission for the immediate future, it was perhaps a better investment to improve her suit’s individual capabilities, while attempting to transition its replicable traits to printing a production line. Concerning the matter of her cover identity, her conclusion to choose from the ‘Monster’ category was an astute one, and the generals concurred without fuss. ”You will receive access to all the information and resource necessary to develop a bulletproof Monster cover identity.”With all these concerns now to be addressed, it was time to start the briefing. Tayber only smiled and nodded in understanding at the aborted offer for a seat. "Thank you for the sentiment, Major." The holographic image squatted into a sitting position, left leg rising up into a figure 4 shape. A moment later, the camera adjusted, and the general's own couch came into view. "Let's begin, then."As an asset logistically connected to Azure’s Dragoons, an interim Charentis team would be reassigned to the restricted area aboard Caeruleus. They would arrive having already studied all the data salvaged from the facility, and fresh resources and equipment from Command Centre ISLET to facilitate her medical, psychological, and tactical maintenance. Updates to her equipment’s firmware to ensure proper syncing with current ISLET devices. Whatever hardware upgrades were available. And then, there were the high priority Saiyan targets of interest. The biggest and most dangerous threats. The information was distilled to a succinct memo by Dr. Aspic some time ago, but the full documents should were quite accessible to those who needed them for further research. Of additional note was the burgeoning Kingdom of Ensalada in the Southern Islands, led by this intelligent Saiyan labeled ‘Scutum’. They were making quite a bit of progress… ”At the moment, General Cerola is in the process of extracting this vessel from its glaciated prison without alerting the local Namekian warlord, one “Demon” King Piccolo. Caeruleus is the only true Grenadine-class airship we have access to. The others we have currently deployed are made of inferior materials and make extensive use of primitive technologies more suited to the resource limitations of our situation.””Which is part of why you are logistically tied to it, Major. Right now, this ship is our greatest airborne asset. And you are, to my knowledge, our greatest individual combat asset.” There might have been others. She had heard Colonel Weetsop was connected to a project involving some new nanotechnology that could convincingly simulate organic processes. How far that was going along was anyone’s guess. ”Once we make it out of this glacier, we’ll be relocating south to the Central Lands and establish a central port. From there, we should have better access to any targets you might find best to pursue.”[1361/5965] The Charentis Project Maxine
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