Enigmatik

Through the Gateways: Humanity [Closed]

Project Archimedes was what it had been named. It was a challenge, partially. Normally one didn't name projects so... Blatantly. So openly, but this was supposed to be open. An invitation to Hollywodite spies, if such things even existed, to piece together the meaning of a reference to a past they claimed to know.

The Zetans had considered the nature of how, exactly, to penetrate a massive hardpoint like the Aegis. Surely they were not the only ones with the idea. Having dispensed with the idea of military subtleness then, Project Archimedes was a set of designs and concepts, to be implemented with the heavy lifting done by their new compatriots in the Lorne Administration. It was, to be frank, slightly ludicrous. If the Oistos had been overkill, Archimedes was its larger brother. A capital ship shield-smasher, discarding the ability to defend itself with its armaments to instead rend hardpoints asunder.

At the heart of it all was the uncreatively named Maiman Macrocannon. Alas, no Zetan Maimans had participated in its construction, but its name still rang true- the father of LASER would have been proud of this creation, no doubt. The truly prodigious batteries that had been pioneered with the Oistos prototype design thrown up before the ECU's invasion had uses other than giant electromagnets. It turned out that other weapons could be powered with such a design too, and the Maiman was the next one to be realised.

Really, it wasn't quite as fancy as 'macrocannon' implied. Take a LASER gun, and then keep scaling it up. And then up. And then up some more. Up further. Once you had done that several more times, you were left with a weapon that could turn a ship’s armour plating into plasma frighteningly quick. Of course, as previously mentioned, the disadvantage was that the colossi that the macrocannon was mounted on would be basically defenceless. The power required to fire the macrocannon meant that almost nothing else could be spared. Shields? Barely, yes, and engines, those as well, but mounting additional weapons? Almost impossible. It was a battering ram, essentially- good for one thing, and one thing only. Hells, the weapon wasn't even particularly good against planetary targets either: atmospheric dispersion would diffuse a lot of the impact, rendering the weapon merely powerful rather than apocalyptic.

That being said though, there was usage against non-static targets too. The beam was so large and moved as quick as light (obviously, as it was a LASER,) that it was actually theoretically possible to use it against ships. There was some theorising that a new Oistos system could also use this weaponry, but that was not within the remit of Project Archimedes.

Lastly, there was one additional issue. The only even vaguely portable battery that could produce enough energy to power the macrocannon- fission. How bitterly Zeta wished it had managed to realise fusion power. Technically, this would not have been an issue in and of itself, but the fact was that there was no way to mount the batteries (being named the 'wave motion' batteries for the fact that the wave motion of particles could actually become visible within the batteries) and sufficient radiological protection to keep the crew safe.

It was good then that the Zetan population was freshly flush with military-minded individuals capable of ignoring radiation.

---

|@Sep|

A Zetan ship sailed in to dock at the Meeting Place. This was the first Zetan ship since the beginning of the blockade, and it brought with it several new staff for the ambassadors and staff aboard the station. One, though, beelined his way towards the Lorne Administration's offices, carrying a briefcase. He looked deceptively human, but underneath his skin he was much more metal than many of his kind.

Lambada-Röntgen made a simple request. "May we speak with a high-ranking member of your company? We come bearing certain... Unusual and top-secret plans that the Collective would like to discuss with you." He held up the metal briefcase and gave it a little shake to emphasise his point.

---

|@Timemaster|

The crew aboard the small shuttle were not prepared for what they found. Not even remotely. Skin and bone draped about like they had been catapulted back in time, and a gaggle of identical clones greeting them. The Consciousness might have just met the one nation that was more unusual than themselves.

"Greetings," the leading member of the expedition said, blinking rapidly. "I am Tau-Kao, of the Zetan Consciousness. We are... Very... Pleased? To meet more fellow humans." There was a long pause as the crew considered if these newcomers were even humans, or merely looked quite similar to humans. "We must say, you've already managed to surprise us a great deal."

---

Mega-Collab between |@Tortoise| |@Raylah| and |Myself|

Kelsie wriggled her body, trying to get the dress into a more comfortable and less revealing position. When it was just hanging flat on the cloth hanger the split on the side didn’t seem to go that high, but when she was actually wearing it, it felt a bit too revealing for her liking. Along with the moderately-heeled shoes, she didn’t even recognize herself in the mirror. It made her body look hot though.

Worse thing than her naked legs was the fact she was unarmed. Weapons were not allowed at the gala, and even if they were, she had no idea where she would hide one wearing this ridiculous attire. As she watched her people in formal uniforms wiggling uncomfortably, she knew they felt the same. All of them had years of training in hand-to-hand combat, but a gun is a gun, it is always good to have one at hand.

“Alright, guys, it’s almost time.” Trying her best to ignore them staring at her in such unusual clothes, she turned to the Reapers. “You. Don’t you dare to cause some diplomatic incident. You are under strict orders to avoid Zetans. If they approach you for whatever reason, you smile politely and walk away. Do not respond to any provocation. You can drink, but in moderation, don’t you dare get wasted and cause some scene. If you fuck this up, I will personally cut you into little pieces and space each one through a different airlock, is that clear?”

The squad stood at attention. “Yes, ma’am!” six voices sounded in unison.

“Lieutenant Rodriguez, Sergeant Springer,” she turned to Alfonso and Janice, “you two are personally responsible for the squad’s conduct on this mission. Make sure you represent us well. Now go get ready.” The Reapers saluted her and left the room, leaving her alone with David and Julianna. The young scientist was wearing a dull grey outfit, uninteresting and hopefully unnoticeable. David was in the same uniform as the Reapers, plain black jacket and pants, with subtle silver embroidery on his shoulder, showing the Undefeated symbol and his rank. “I hope I don’t have to tell you two not to get drunk.”

Julianna just smiled and shook her head. “I think it’s not us who has had some problems with drinking too much,” David added, smirking.

“Oh, shut up, will you stop reminding me of that?” David threw his hands in the air in the surrendering motion but kept quiet. “Fine. You know what to do. You go in, try to be invisible, and spy on their technology. If they are willing to talk about it, get as much information as you can.” Julianna nodded; they had discussed this earlier. “And your job...” Kelsie turned to David.

“Is to make sure you don’t break a leg in these ridiculous shoes,” he interrupted her, sending a disapproving look down to her feet.

“What, you don’t like my shoes?”

“Oh, I love them, they just don’t seem very… practical,” he shrugged and leaned towards her to whisper directly into her ear. “In fact, I like them so much that I can imagine you wearing them when we get back. Just the shoes and nothing else.”

Kelsie giggled and blushed. Dammit, wasn’t she a bit too old for this? “Let’s focus on the mission now, Major.”

“Yes, ma’am!” His attention position and salute were exactly by the book. The grin that appeared on his face was definitely not in any of the military books.

Even the shuttles from the Meeting Place to the Santa De Angelo had been fancified for the grand gala. Guests stepping aboard either the Marengo or the Palomo would find themselves treated to a cushy trip. Matuvistan Marines and ISOCs stood as silent sentinels, the former in their shiny grey uniforms and perfectly fitted berets, and the latter with their Mesoamerican-style patterns and face paint gave a wonderful contrast and introduction to the differences one could find in Matuvistan society. Both the Marengo and the Palomo also contained a small dispatch of mathetes, should scientists from foreign nations come aboard, as well as a staff of patricians and plebeians both.

With maté, the second most popular (but official) beverage of the Republic, both shuttles contained small cafes dedicated to the drink, including its traditional gourd and with a silver bombilla. For those that wanted something more familiar, or, perhaps more desired, several blends of Matuvistan coffee were also available, along with tasters of wine and rum. For children and those disinclined to drink, a host of juices were also on offer, and canapes were regularly carried around, allowing individuals to unwind before they arrived on the Santa De Angelo.

When they did though... The Matuvistans weren't messing around with their propaganda barrage. Docking aboard the De Angelo, guests were immediately met with a long hallway totally encompassed by a vast mural, showing a sanitised version of Matuvista's history. Plaques on the walls spoke of the greatness of De Angelo, the evils of the Yyassum, and the bravery of the patrician jet-knights, seen at the end of the hallway blasting off, into an unknown future.

At the end of the hallway had been stationed young patricians to hand out programmes and act as tour guides. Ranging from twelve to sixteen, they were all dressed in proper military wear, familiar to those who had met with Alfonso. The programme was vast and all-encompassing. An art gallery, a concert hall, cocktail lounge with jazz band, a euphemistically named 'indulgences room,' a theatre and even a ballroom were all on offer, and a steady train of waiters and waitresses topped up glasses and filled up stomachs.

ECU

“I’ve never really liked art,” was the first thing an ECU diplomat said. But the second was “How could you say that? It’s beautiful!”

The first was from Abadi and the second from Tanaka, walking through the mural-engraved hallway together. Both were still technically Liaisons, sent by their government to meet up with a promising- or, hopeful- new contact. All they had heard about the Matuvistans spoke of a strong, mostly Old Earth culture, seemingly very Hispanic (or Latin?) in inspiration. As Abadi spoke some Spanish, her assignment to greet them was a natural choice.

On the other hand, Tanaka knew nothing of Hispanic anything except what little bit could be gleaned from old Western cowboy stories, and spoke no Spanish or Portuguese whatsoever. But he simply refused not to be brought along. It was common knowledge that he would soon be pushed aside as the main Liaison in favour of Abadi, but the young man seemed determined to ignore that fact until the very instant it was official. He showed up in his old office the day they were scheduled to meet the Matuvistans, all smiles, and nobody had the heart to shake him off.

“It’s gorgeous here,” Tanaka spoke first, to the nearest young patrician tour guide. “We from New Hollywood always appreciate artistic flair,” Abadi finished for him.

“We’re very glad to hear it,” the young woman said, with a beaming smile across her face. “We’ve heard lots of fantastic things about the Cultural Union as well! That your leadership is the most cultured of the nation, just like our Senate!” She held out two of the brochures, then launched into a quick spiel.

“You’ll have a few hours to enjoy the various exhibits, and then we’ll be asking all guests to arrive at the main auditorium for a short speech by Diplomat Alfonso, and then it’s back to a free enjoyment. If you’re looking for specific events to attend, we have several!” She paused for a moment.

“We have a performance by the Desembarco Youth Choir starting in just a few minutes, an official tasting of various Matuvistan liquors starting in fifteen minutes, a book signing by an up-and-coming author in twenty-five minutes… Oh, I’m sure you’ll be able to find something that’ll interest you! If you’d like me to escort you around the Santa De Angelo, I’d be more than happy to! My name is Maria, I’m thirteen cycles, three quarters and five days old, and I’m studying fashion design alongside my military training!”

There were mixed reactions from the ECU two. Both of them had grown up fairly comfortable with the idea of assuming responsibility at a young age- Abadi herself was still a student, only nineteen years, when she first met Sigma-Devi and Kelsie. (She had a birthday and two promotions since, but still felt uncomfortably young among the various old diplomats of the Meeting Place.) But military training? For a child? That was a rare and new idea.

"So, I'm curious," Abadi asked the patrician child, having all this in mind, "your mural had a lot of figures on it that looked, at least to me, like aliens. Is..." she wasn't sure how to phrase the question for someone so young, but Tanaka jumped in on her behalf: "Are these creatures the reason you need military training?"

“Ah yes,” Maria nodded. “The Yyasum. My great-grand-uncle died fighting them.” She paused for a moment, as what could only be described as patriotic fervour swelled her voice. “But he died resisting the xenos invaders, and protecting our people. He might be gone, but we’ll never forget him.” Her back had straightened out a little as she said that. “The Yyassum are our biggest enemy. They’ve been threats to honourable humans for centuries now, and it’s the duty of all patricians to be able to resist their incursions.” She beamed.

“I started on my training jetbike when I turned twelve, although it was my brother’s originally. When I turn sixteen I get my own. I can’t wait!”

At this point, Tanaka started thinking about how heroic it all sounds, and how cool jetbikes must be, and so simply nodded along. “I am glad for you people, then,” he said, “that they have not fallen to alien influence. It’s vital that humanity remains who we are. Some forget that.”

Abadi didn’t add anything, this time; she felt disturbed by the whole idea. And the last time she was disturbed by a foreign culture, it started an intergalactic war. She smiled curtly.

Besides, another part of her was still busy thinking about their outfits. After her conversation with Kelsie, Abadi had thought more about clothes than she usually would, and realized how odd most ECU dress habits must seem to other cultures. Like, what was the word one foreigner used- like ‘costumes.’ She’d given that advice to Tanaka, and they both agreed to wear something more expected.

The only issue was, of course, that they had no idea what was expected. There was no point-of-reference, no intergalactic standard for formal dress. After an hour of arguing and debating and some fairly disastrous try-ons, they landed on Abadi in a somewhat decorated abaya, and Tanaka in a montsuki. It was the only time anyone had seen him wear something stereotypically Japanese, and it took the combined persuasion of seven people to convince him not to bring the cowboy hat.

Luckily for the ECU, there were plenty of oddly-dressed people walking about the Santa De Angelo. Of particular note, of course, was Sigma-Devi, who was also currently immersed in talking to one of the young patricians, wearing her now-iconic sari. For their part though, the Matuvistans were united in military uniforms.

The young patricians all wore junior infantry fatigues- a lighter, more jungle-y green than the typical khaki, combined with a black beret, a single golden star pinned to it. The marines on guard contrasted with them slightly: their uniforms were blue, and their berets silver, but the overall appearances were the same. It was only the ISOCs that looked demonstrably different thanks to their usage of their full-dress uniform, including all the patterning. It helped draw attention away from their firepower.

“We’ve made sure of that!” She said with a smile. “We also have problems with the moons sometimes. My dad says that the criminal elements there keep undermining faith in our government, which is why we need to enforce law and order there properly. My brother’s been deployed there, actually.”

At the mention of criminal elements- and ones that undermine faith in a good government, at that- Abadi and Tanaka both had to glance at each other. The parallels here were strong. The anti-protector movements back on New Hollywood were very quickly becoming anti-Oligarch as well, and the government had yet to scramble together a real response to this wildfire of a cultural shift. With the protectors momentarily gone, all the pent-up rage and mistrust the non-Oligarchs had built up over centuries of abuse was pouring, flooding out. And it was too late to put the cap back on the bottle.

Maria paused for a moment, cocking her head.

“But we should go and see some of the exhibits! Which would you like to visit first?”

Whichever one Sigma-Devi isn’t at, Abadi thinks, while Tanaka decides “I daresay, ‘various Matuvistan liquors’ won’t compare to what we can grow on New Hollywood. But we may as well check out our competition.” He smirked.

“Alright! To our distillery it is!” She beamed, then began walking, rattling off facts as she did so. “The first distillery on Matuvista was founded just three weeks after initial landfall from colonisation. After we discovered that we could grow sugarcane on Matuvista, the Zamorano brothers established their ‘New World Distillery,’ and began to produce rum. Apparently at first it was so strong that it could be used to power trucks!” She giggled.

“With the Zamorano brothers opening the doors, lots of other distilleries and breweries opened up too, although they had plenty of competition from other substances.” She continued to lead the duo through the Gala, past guests milling about and soldiers politely nodding. Every now and again a trickle of music or poetry or a film could be heard from one of the rooms, until at last they arrived by a large, open-plan bar area. Barrels were artisanally stacked so that their various labels were prominently displayed, and a tremendous bar area constructed out of heavy, dark hardwood dominated most of the space. Behind it stood bottles, casks, flasks, flagons, jugs and mugs of all shapes and sizes.

“If you need any more assistance, feel free to ask one of the soldiers, or one of the greeters located conveniently about the ship! Thank you very much for attending our gala!” With that, Maria was off, and the duo had quite the choice of drinks.

Obviously, the Matuvistans were proud of their rum. It was easily the most varied type of drink on display, from golden to white, spiced to dark, of every possible flavour and combination. Nuevo Porto was also prominently displayed, with plenty of varieties on offer. For those of a less discerning taste, beers and ales of all kinds could be found, with plenty of exotic names for them, and the selection was rounded out by tequila, schnapps, vodka, whisky and more.

“Got any Ellaryian whiskey?” Abadi asked.

They did not.

So she settled for one of infinite rums, this bottle of a golden hue. Picked purely for its colour. She didn’t drink as often as a more stereotypical New Hollywoodite, but loved gold as much as they’re meant to. (A lot.)

She noticed her colleague drinking his own choice of rum- one so dark it almost looks black. Pitch black. Tanaka has been drinking like that often lately, always going for the darker end of the spectrum, and his other habits are starting to match. Ever since he was released from the Zetans; it’s getting worrying.

But then he turns to glance at her, and a familiar glint in his eye makes Abadi feel completely relieved. He’s just drinking that to feel like a pirate.

Eventually, the pair decide it would be a poor idea to get drunk at a fancy gala, and twist each other’s arms into going to one of the other rooms. He wanted music, she wanted theatre, neither could agree, neither wanted to make a scene, and their subtle tug-of-war ended them up- somehow- at a poetry reading. This turned out not to be so bad for Abadi, who recognized the words as William Shakespeare’s. But then she recognized them a little too well, and-

A woman’s face with nature’s own hand painted
Hast thou, the master-mistress of my passion;
A woman’s gentle heart, but not acquainted
With shifting change as is false women’s fashion;

“Oh, by Earth,” she groans aloud, “they’re reading from his Fair Youth poems. Of course. Sonnet Twenty.”

Undefeated

The Matuvistans were show-offs, that was for sure. The beauty and wealth they put on display for everyone at the Meeting Place to see were astonishing, especially to the practical Undefeated used to plain and simple things. The extravagant luxury was almost intimidating - how can you just sit on a sofa that probably took months to make and cost a fortune?

Kelsie tried to ignore the decorations on the Matuvistan shuttle and focused on the people instead, her eyes naturally drawn towards the soldiers standing guard. Despite all the shiny decor, fancy uniforms, or even ridiculous paint markings some of them had on their faces for some reason, she could tell they were professionals and well-trained fighters, nothing like the ECU protectors. ‘This is not someone we want to go to war with,’ Kelsie made a mental note. Not that the Undefeated wanted to go to war with anyone at this point, it was just an acknowledgment that this would be a tough enemy to beat.

She moved around the ship, tasting some of the offered beverages, avoiding any alcohol for now. Coffee was never her thing; the smell made her nauseous and she couldn’t understand how someone could actually enjoy the horrible taste. But even she had to admit that what they served here seemed way better than the swill the Undefeated cooked in dirty kettles over campfires while on missions. The maté was interesting, finally something worth trading. She would have to talk to someone about sending them a small shipment to try it out.

After a short trip, the delegation moved over to the Santa De Angelo, only to be welcomed by even more wealth and luxury. Kelsie and Julianna took their time to walk by the murals on the walls, carefully studying the depicted historical events. David followed them around like a silent bodyguard. The Reapers were much less interested in displays of wealth and even less in history and headed straight towards the party. Kelsie soon lost sight of them and just prayed they wouldn't make a mess.

The look at the offered program made her swallow a quiet moan. Art, music, theatre, even dancing? Kelsie only knew one dance which included a lot of stomping and clapping and required a sturdy table and some very drunk people. It was definitely not something one should show in a company like this.

She looked around, hoping to see Abadi’s friendly face somewhere. Hopefully she won’t have to visit the theatre to find her.

Luckily for Kelsie, although Abadi was not present, another individual was. Dressed in the Marine uniforms seen elsewhere, this particular individual had a few interesting differences that set him apart from his comrades. A set of silver epaulettes, several medals clipped onto his breast, and no less than three badges pinned to his blue beret. “Officer Kelsie, of the Undefeated?” He inquired, then extended his hand quite formally.

“Wonderful to see you here. Major Luciano de Medivaine, of the Matuvistan Marine Corps. We’ve heard much about your martial nature, and I wish to extend to you an apology that Alfonso has not yet contacted you. As I’m sure you can imagine, things have been busy ever since the portal opened.”

Kelsie turned to the man that addressed her. “Yes, I’m Guardian Kelsie Blackwood, representative of the Undefeated. This is Major David Parker.” David nodded respectfully, still standing silently behind her. Julianna had disappeared somewhere in the crowd earlier. “It’s an honour to be here.” She wondered whether Luciano’s medals were from actual combat situations, or just some honorary commendations. Was this man simply a diplomat and a bureaucrat, or was there a tough soldier hiding under the flashy exterior? From the way he moved, Kelsie would guess the latter.

“I completely understand you haven’t had time to contact us, new arrivals always get swarmed by eager diplomats from all nations. You must have also heard a lot of bad things about us due to the recent events, so it is understandable you would be a bit tentative to establish diplomatic relations.” Alright, enough of the indirect apologizing. “I’m not really an expert on the matter, but it surely seems you know how to throw a party,” she smiled, attempting to lighten the mood a little. “I have only tasted a small selection of the offered beverages so far, but I have to say some of them are very interesting, especially the ‘maté’, am I saying that correctly? I think the people of my nation would appreciate it; we have to talk about some sample shipments later. If you are willing to sell such treasures that is,” she laughed and sipped something bubbly from a tall glass the waitresses were offering to everyone.

“On the contrary.” Luciano shook Kelsie’s hand once, then pressed the back of her hand to his lips before releasing it. “From what we’ve heard about the war, you comported yourself excellently. Summoned to the front by an ally, you gave your assistance with professionalism and grace despite overwhelming resistance. We tip our hats to you.” He reached up and tugged ever-so slightly at the rim of his beret.

“I am so glad to hear that you enjoyed the maté, and we would be more than happy to trade some of it. Hopefully your men enjoy it as much as ours. Now then, would you like me to show you about the Santa De Angelo? I’m sure we’ll have plenty to discuss.”

Kelsie did her best to hide her surprise. Someone was actually commending them for the Zetan war? That was the first time. A bit suspicious if you asked her, but then again, these people were a bit strange. Their obvious endearment of fancy things raised an inevitable comparison with the ECU. But the Matuvistan culture seemed more compact, not a bunch of random things smashed together the way the Hollywoodites did it. The result was way more elegant and incomparably less chaotic.

“Thank you, not many countries share such opinions. I would be happy to see your ship.” She put an empty glass on a tray and acquired a filled one. It was mildly alcoholic, she should probably be careful with it, but for now, it helped her relax and converse, keeping her nervousness to a manageable level. “I have seen the history display in the lobby. It seems like your nation can handle a fight as well. I am sorry that your planet is in constant danger of alien invasion. We have had a lot of dealings with aliens ourselves, it is actually part of the reason our society might seem so militaristic.”

“As ours.” The major spread his arm out to show the hallway again. “War is a part of the tapestry of our history, and we wear it proudly on our chests.” He tugged his shirt, causing his medals to jingle, the effect only adding to his words.

“Where would you like to depart first? Our distillery? A fencing tournament, perhaps?” He bounced on the balls of his feet a little, keeping his back straight and hands behind him.

“Anywhere that’s not a theatre,” Kelsie laughed to make it sound like a joke but was in fact deadly serious. She fully intended to leave this gala just as ignorant about Shakespeare and his plays as she was on arrival. “I would leave the distillery for later, the tournament sounds intriguing.” She had no idea what fencing was, but it must be interesting if they made a tournament in it. Maybe they competed in building fences on time?

“I have to say I am surprised by how highly you value art, music, theatres, and culture in general, I would not expect that from a militaristic nation. Don’t get me wrong,” she added quickly, realizing her words might have sounded a bit rude, “I admire that you still find time and space for it. In my world, everything is strictly practical, and culture hardly has any place there.”

“Fencing it is,” Luciano said with a smile, leading Kelsie through the halls of the Santa De Angelo confidently, then, with a shake of his head, he responded. “It is vital that we find time and space for it. There’s a saying we have, in Matuvista. It takes nothing to be a tyrant, and everything to be a leader. Showing we are more than… Backwater brutes, swinging clubs about to rule over each other is of high priority.” He turned back to smile at her. “Don’t get me wrong though,” he said, clearly referencing her earlier line. “There is art in the pursuit of war.”

They arrived at the fencing tournament mid-match. Matuvistan fencing was a dangerous affair. With sharp swords, competitors wore no shirts and only goggles to protect their eyes, lashing out at each other with practised moves. Just as they entered, both competitors' blades struck true at once, leading one of the judges to declare imperiously. ”Double touch. Point goes to Jessina.” The fighters disengaged for a moment, a drop of blood pattering down, and then began once again.

“Excellent. A fight just in progress.”

Kelsie didn’t comment on Luciano’s passionate proclamation, even though it felt a bit offensive. Surely there were more ways to prove one is a leader than having art exhibitions. Kelsie definitely preferred to be a backwater club-swinging brute.

The sword fighting was impressive, even more so when Kelsie noticed that the weapons are sharp and the fighters bleed from small cuts. “Wow,” she exclaimed when the contestants resumed the fight and exchanged a few fast strikes, the metal ringing loudly as the swords collided. “Isn’t it dangerous? I mean the swords are sharp, and it would just take a tiny mistake…” … to cut that pretty woman’s head off and spray the whole fancy-dressed audience with jugular blood … “... and the fight would result in some serious injuries.”

The woman scored a point again and shook a drop of blood off her sword. Kelsie noticed that she had a small cut on her right breast. Ouch. A competition felt like a silly reason to lose a nipple. Or a life. Fortunately, Jessina wasn’t exactly gifted in the chest area, otherwise she would hardly be able to compete in this strange sport.

“The danger is the point. Medical teams are on hand, but to seriously injure another fencer outside of an accident is tantamount to assault. At this level of competition, you should be able to control your blade better than that.” He paused for a moment. “And, without the blood, without the sharpness, you’re just waving around metal wands.

He turned to face her. “Does it bother you?”

“As long as they aren’t forced to participate...,” Kelsie shrugged. “It just feels like a waste to potentially lose skilled, trained, and experienced fighters just to put on a show.” The swords clanged in a loud parry and the audience cheered and clapped. “Although it is a spectacular show, I will give you that. It’s not like the Undefeated don’t like competitions and tournaments, on the contrary, my people are very competitive. We have yearly Olympics and plenty of smaller events, we compete in pretty much anything. Various versions of shooting and hand-to-hand combat are probably the most popular, but there are also lots of classical athletic and other disciplines involved.” But none of them involves a risk of people accidentally killing each other. Kelsie did not repeat that out loud, not wanting to push the matter any further and potentially causing some diplomatic incident. The Matuvistans, despite all their flashiness, seemed like someone the Undefeated would definitely want to be friends with. Not exactly brothers in arms, but maybe some weird cousins - not the same in every matter, but still a family.

“Of course they aren’t.” He chuckled happily, then indicated towards one of the seats. “It’s a test of courage. Of prowess. Of skill. Of resisting pain, and of pushing through. A good fencer is a good knight, and what higher measure is there?” He paused for a moment. “Or at the least a good soldier. Not many take it up these days”

Kelsie smiled when he mentioned pushing through pain. Every Undefeated would, the memories of relentless drill sergeants with paintball guns shooting anyone whose cover was not good enough, who was too slow or lazy, or whom they just didn’t like, seemed engraved deep into their collective memory. “We might have different ways of showing it, but we definitely share the same values,” she mentioned walking towards the indicated seat. It was soft and incredibly comfortable. As soon as she sat down, a waitress appeared seemingly out of nowhere, offering her a filled glass and a small tray with a wide selection of Matuvistan delicacies.

Kelsie was not the only one smiling. A small one had also appeared at Luciano’s lips, the man glancing at the Undefeated woman next to him. Yes, the Undefeated would be friends to the Republic. They understood each other in ways that the less warlike nations did not.

War Never Changes III: Annals of the East

the status of slavery on the east coast has never been touched

@DX3214

Paradise Falls?

War Never Changes III: Annals of the East

@Jeddaven

A lot of Confederacy troops have that base level of 'living off the land' expectance too- it's a requirement of the Turtle Warriors, and because a lot of the Confederacy's soldiers are drawn from its more rural regions and then trained at Bonfire Base, they come with that rough-living experience. Seems like there could be tons of interesting opportunities here. Also, what's Ronto's navy like? I've mentioned that the Confederacy has one for the Great Lakes (since they view themselves as the rightful owners of it,) does Ronto have an equivalent?

And, yeah, the Confederacy is actually against chattal slavery- they know people aren't animals, but equally speaking, there's an element of entitlement. If you're weak enough to be beaten and captured, you're definitely not deserving of the same standing as the Confederacy's citizens.

War Never Changes III: Annals of the East

@Jeddaven

I wonder if Ronto might have some Confederacy Pathfinders, and vice-versa. Also, what’s Ronto’s opinion on slavery? The Confederacy does practice slavery, but in quite a ‘gentrified’ sense, where slaves are taken into a family whilst being unpaid labour- probably one of the nicer places to be a slave, but still a slave.

War Never Changes III: Annals of the East

A fun question for everyone: What is your faction's elite? Their Brotherhood Paladins, their Institute Coursers, their NCR Veteran Rangers?

The Grand Confederacy doesn't hold to traditional Haudenosaunee beliefs regarding those killed in wartime (although they do believe that those killed in the Great War remain to haunt the world,) mostly because it's impractical to have such a societal taboo when it comes to dying in battle when 80% of the threats out there will kill you violently. Their elites are Turtle Warriors: named partially after the capital, and partly after the fact that they're the only ones permitted to wear Power Armour. Turtle Warriors are trained at Bonfire Base, the former Camp Greyling, and are expected to not only be entirely self-sufficient on the field, but also superlative soldiers, and are outfitted with the best weaponry the Confederacy has access to, most of which was also taken/made from the blueprints they got from Camp Greyling.

Through the Gateways: Humanity [Closed]

Addressing: Everyone

The Santa De Angelo cruised through the gateway in Matuvista and burst through, into the Sol System. Piloting itself into orbit above Venus, it stabilised itself out, and then began broadcasting a messsage towards the meeting place.

"Representatives of the galactic community, we invite you all to a grand occasion aboard our luxury spaceliner The Santa De Angelo. Food and drink complimentary! Come, enjoy the wonderous experiences of Matuvistan high culture! Music! Paintings! Poetry readings! A peformance of Shakespear's The Tempest! A wonderous occasion not to be missed! Passage and security will be provided to the Santa De Angelo courtesy of the Matuvistan Navy!"

Repeat.

---

A Collab With @Tortoise

The Zetans arrived quickly and with a startling level of professionalism to them. White coats, surgical masks, a stretcher wheeled between them. Three cyborgs and one warform had arrived to where Tanaka currently lay, and one let out a bitter laugh upon seeing him. “That’s all you could do?” The doctor commented. “Fake soldiers. Fake politics. Fake medicine.” The disdain leaked from the woman like, well, blood did from Tanaka’s heart.

“Brief us on the current situation please.”

Abadi answered from Tanaka’s bedside, “Our scanners detect two bullets in the heart, one in the lungs. Every heartbeat reopens the wound, so he can’t heal. There’s-” she paused to remember the term- “severe internal bleeding.”

She looked over to Tanaka, who seemed surprisingly unphased by all of this, and instead was answering the Zetan woman, "Doctor, this station was not intended as a medical facility. To tell the truth, I believe that the fact I’m still alive at all is testament to the fast-action and innovation of the ECU-"

"Everyone,” Abadi interrupted, “I really don't think now is the time for this.” She glanced between him and the Zetans.

“The fact you’re alive at all is because you’re a healthy human who got remarkably lucky. Any sterile location could have kept you alive. Multiple GSWs lodged in vital organs…” She paused for a while, thinking. “Prep for bionic implants. Heart. Lungs. Might as well do both lungs whilst we’re cutting the chest open. Nanite surge to prevent rejection.” At the mention of bionics, Tanaka’s eyes seemed to double in size. Another long pause.

“Fairly typical operation then.” The doctor’s assistants- the two other cyborgs, assisted Tanaka over and onto the stretcher, where one of their arms would break apart to reveal a suite of complicated looking medical technology.

“Will you be joining us?” The doctor turned to look at Abadi, who nodded definitely.

Tanaka inhaled sharply- which was a mistake, as it brought on another agonizing coughing fit, and that brought fresh red blood onto the stretcher. But when it was over, he still managed to ask: "Doctor, are bionics fully... necessary?"

The group began making their way back through the corridors of the Hollywoodite part of the station, the doctor talking as she walked. “You knew what you were going to get when you accepted our offer of assistance. You have one and a half vital organs currently tearing themselves apart against the metal that is lodged inside you. We could try extracting it and using multiple nanite surges to heal the damage, but they’re not designed for that kind of precise, delicate reconstructive work. We could try to suture them together, but this is your heart we’re talking about- one mistake and your blood pressure will bottom and you’ll enter cardiac arrest. Augmentations are the safest and most convenient method to maximise survival chances.”

Tanaka closed his eyes, tried and failed to breathe deeply, and answered simply: “Alright. You can do it.” He never imagined himself as saying yes to bionics, in his daydreams or in the nightmares he’d had of this event, but the sight of the blood and the doctors was making all of it much more real to him. He didn’t want to die.

As he was wheeled through the hallways, one of the assistants reached down to wipe the blood from around his mouth. Abadi tried to reach for the cloth, saying “I’ll do it,” but Tanaka stopped her.

“Excellent. Incidentally, my name is Doctor Epsilon-Sina.” She introduced herself curtly, the small group leaving the Hollywoodite area of the Meeting Place and entering the Zetan section. It was hard to miss the glares that Abadi and Tanaka received from the cyborgs and warforms surrounding them, including at least one warform whose shotgun was pointed directly at Abadi’s chest (although their finger was thankfully off the trigger), the daggers only subsiding when they entered the Zetan medical wing.

As empty as it was, they didn’t stop right away. Instead, Tanaka was taken into an operating theatre- as the group passed through a doorway, a haze of cloudy, chemical-smelling mist was blasted across them, bringing with it a sense of cleanliness.

“We’re going to scrub in now, Tanaka. Doctor Omega-Salk here will monitor your readings until we return. Abadi, come with us- you’ll also need to scrub in for the operation.”

Abadi followed them into the other room, her friend looking like an abandoned child in the intensely foreign atmosphere of the Zetan segment. She never liked him much before, but it’s still hard to watch someone she knows go through all this. Will he still be the same after the implants? They say bad things about them on New Hollywood, but that’s probably just propaganda. She was more worried about his career…

“So, uh, your name,” Abadi chimed in to Doctor Epsilon-Sina, “is it Old Arabic? Mine is as well.” Sudden as the question may have sounded, this was the typical kind of conversation an Oligarch would make to try easing tension. (She did herself the favor of ignoring the ‘Epsilon’ part.)

“It is, yes. You may have realised that many of our names, if not all of them, are drawn from old Earth.” The doctor scrubbed their hands and forearms thoroughly, then took an offered surgical scrub and mask. Their shaved head meant there wasn’t a need for a hair net on top of the rest of the getup, and once she had scrubbed down as well, the same articles would be offered to Abadi.

“I did wonder why you seemed so upset with us when we first made contact. We thought you could help us terraform our planet, you know.” The doctor gave themselves a quick visual check, confirming with the third, as of yet unnamed doctor. “Then you… Well.” Her words were acid and bitter. “You know what you did.”

Underneath the mask she was now wearing, Abadi’s jaw worked in silence for a while before she could tame her feelings and muster a response. Her worst fear about this evening was coming true. "It wasn't..." she made a sound somewhere between a grunt and a sigh. "Of course I know. And we would have helped you, but-" she is suddenly certain that Tanaka, hidden behind the walls now, would have known exactly what to say. She's always been the one burdened with a tongue that only knows how to start arguments.

"Look," she blurts, "it wasn't about you, okay? I know that's hard to believe, I know, but it wasn't. It wasn't about us, even." She looks down at the floor, not wanting to meet their eyes. "We care about humanity. We care about what people are. It matters more than anything to us. And we, we just don't want to see humanity turn into something else. Can't you understand that?"

“It wasn’t about me? No, you’re right. You have nothing against me, Epsilon-Sina. You have everything against the metal that makes me, me.” She was now outright glaring at Abadi. “Human history is the story of adaptation and change. You cannot desperately fight progress, and then claim that you are the more human for denying something so fundamental to our species. But. Regardless. We have a colleague of yours to save.”

The group returned to the operating room, with Omega-Salk taking the opportunity to scrub up himself. Tanaka was moved from the stretcher to a proper operating theater, and Epsilon-Sina offered him a choice. “We can either put you under, or we can use localised anesthetics to minimise the pain you feel whilst still remaining awake. Note, minimise. We will still be opening your ribcage out, which will inevitably feel rather uncomfortable.”

Tania grimaced, but somewhere along the way it turned into a shy grin, "Well, I'm along for the adventure now, aren't I? Keep me awake, please." He looked between the Zetans and Abadi, oblivious to the argument that was just happening.

“Affirmative. Let’s get your chest numb.” Epsilon-Sina was presented with a series of large needles, the first of which was pressed just above Tanaka’s collar, the second to the left side of his sternum, and the third underneath his sternum. After they had deposited their numbing agents, the Hollywoodite was hooked up to a machine that would keep his body oxygenated with his normal organs removed.

“Firstly,” the doctor explained. “We want to make sure there will be no graft failures. That means that you need a dosage of uplink nanomachines. For a Zetan, this would be simple, and we would merely work off of their preexisting neural implants. Theoretically, we could install those same implants in you, except considering your dislike for even life-saving augmentations, I doubt you’ll find the full Zetan works particularly appealing." (At this, Tanaka managed a laugh. It was only mostly forced.) "That means we need to set up a biomechanical network in your spinal cord.” She looked down at him seriously.

“This will hurt.” That was the only warning Tanaka got. “You know though,” the doctor continued, in an attempt to distract him. “You’re quite lucky. The past little while has given us Zetan doctors quite intimate experience with how to handle gunshot casualties. Comes with the territory, I suppose.” At this, Tanaka did not manage a laugh. As she spoke, the very large nanomachine-releasing needle was produced, and painstakingly eased into Tanaka’s back.

Much like Alpha-Bodi had felt, there was a soft click and a spike of pain as the tiny robots were deployed. “Nanite spike deployed. Activation signal in three… Two… One…” There was a nod from Salk. “Nanites safely deployed. Neural network established. We could have given you dumb implants, but it’s not the twenty-second century anymore, we can do better than that.” She stood up and handed the needle off.

“How are you feeling? We’re about to open up your chest now, so I’d recommend saying any last words you might have just in case something goes catastrophically wrong with the organ changeover.”

Tanaka seemed to think very, very deeply about this. At last, diplomatic posturing now fully set aside, he settled on his favorite term in any Old Earth language:

"Yee-haw."

Saik and Sina shared a look that could best be summed up as ‘what in the goddamn?’ Then, with a shake of her head, Sina stepped back and Saik’s multi-medical-tool arm split open once again, producing a rather grim looking surgical saw. “Three hundred years of medical evolution, and we’ve yet to get a better way of replacing organs than ripping half the chest apart.”

Then, there was a lot of blood.

When it was over, Tanaka looked down at his freshly closed chest. The Zetan doctors had done a good job- he could hardly tell he had ever been cut open. Not from the outward look of it, or from the inward sensations; whatever the cyborgs had put in there, it felt identical to his old heart, his old lungs. His breathing was a little clearer, he noticed, and nothing else.

But he was different.

Abadi approached the bedside, trying to rest a reassuring hand on his arm, and he had to fight the urge to pull away. He took the chance to survive, but now that it was done, his mind was already filled with thoughts of what would follow. The ECU would push him aside, a stranger in his own country...

While he struggled in his mind, Abadi tried to thank the Zetans curtly and officially for their assistance.

All three of the doctors looked notably more haggard than they had when they started. Sina waved a hand dismissively at Abadi’s thanks, only turning towards Tanaka. “We’re going to keep you in for another two days to make sure nothing goes immediately wrong. Thankfully for you, the wards here are very empty, so you should have some privacy and your colleagues will be more than welcome to visit. For now though, rest. We’re good doctors, but we’re not miracle workers: the human body does not like going through major surgery.” At this, Tanaka smiled weakly.

---

Addressing @TimeMaster

The Collective was... Horrified? It was difficult to express the reaction they had upon finding a series of identical clones shot from the ship down towards the surface of the planet with a request to pick up the craft in orbit. It was baffling on multiple levels, but, they would give these newcomers a chance still. A reply was beamed, informing The One that they would have to wait in orbit for a short period of time prior to their craft rendezvousing.

Aboard the craft sent to assist were placed veterans of the ground war. It was too strange a moment to not ensure the safety of the crew.

War Never Changes III: Annals of the East

@Andreyich

The Confederacy has a long memory, and some of their numbers have also made a trek from west to east (specifically some Pacific North-Western tribes have joined the Confederacy) so even if Cockburne's army tried to make amends, they'd find themselves quite rapidly facing the wrong end of Confederacy miniguns. Definitely some common history there though.

War Never Changes III: Annals of the East

@FalloutJack

I'm not going to comment one way or another on a Cherokee Nation because that's design space someone else might want to use, but the long and short of it is that if the Enclave is acting in a 'reasonable' manner with the tribals, the Confederacy is going to be highly suspicious of them, but not against making deals. The only thing is that they've got enough historical knowledge to know what happens when natives make deals with the American Government, and so they're always going to have a gun pointed at the Enclave, no matter how cordial relations are.

War Never Changes III: Annals of the East

@Andreyich I believe @Yam I Am has done it. Also, @FalloutJack Something to keep in mind is that the Iroquois Confederacy, where the Grand Confederacy draws a lot from, has a lot of pre-war tribal ties to the Cherokees, who live in the areas your Enclave now inhabit. If you mistreat the local tribals, the Confederacy will be pissed. If you don't, the confederacy will merely be extremley concerned at having the government come back to mistreat them all over again.

War Never Changes III: Annals of the East

The Grand Confederacy were not savages. They had running water and electricity, organised cities and missile launchers, trade routes and alliances. With all that in mind however, sometimes the old ways were important. Here, in what had been Hiawatha National Forest, a young man, face smeared with camouflaging warpaint, prowled. The farms and fisheries around the waterways here had come under attack, and not by the typical young mirelurks or even raiders. No: a far more fearsome threat had been plaguing these people.

There was a reason why deathclaws rarely came up into the Grand Confederacy's territory. Part of it was temperatures: snow fell on the ground here in the winter, and the naked reptiles that they were, deathclaws would avoid the cold temperatures if at all possible, but another part of it was that their niche had already been occupied by a very different species. Dogmen. Wakon Lefebre didn't pretend to know how they had come about, only that they had, and that they were now a very lethal part of life. Bipedal, some eight feet tall when fully grown, and looking exactly like what some pre-war books about 'werewolves' had described, dogmen were the apex predators of the region. Had the suspicion been that a pack had moved in, Wakon would not be here on his own, but all signs pointed to a lone male, having left his pack to try to find new territory for himself.

An excellent proving ground for the young warrior.

He had been stalking the beast for four days now, narrowing the location where it lived down, bit by bit. Every night-time raid, every slaughtered radstag or muffalo had provided him another piece of the puzzle, another clue as to where the beast was living. Today, he struck. It had to be today too: Dogmen were nocturnal creatures, and every night ran the risk of the tables being turned on Wakon. He wasn't sure if the beast had cottoned on to his presence yet, but he didn't intend on giving it a chance. For fighting the creature, some might have considered him underprepared. Across his back set a quiver of javelins, tightly-packed to keep them from rattling about, whilst in his hands was a home-made Brush Gun. Cottage gun making was a tried and tested role within the Confederacy, and although he knew the gun would fire straight and true, he only had one shot of .30-06 before needing to spend around several seconds to reload, a luxury the wounded Dogman would be unlikely to give him.

At last, he approached the beast's probable hide. A small cave, well-concealed by foliage, and close to a stream where the beast could drink and clean its fur after a hunt. There was precious little birdsong and not a hair from anything larger. The time at the moment was just past one in the afternoon, but dogmen were not heavy sleepers. He had to work quickly. Damp wood, piled high and with dry kindling added, would serve to drive the dogman from his cave. Lighting the fire, Wakon leapt across the stream and sighted the entrance of the cave as smoke began to build, then billow out from his quick construction. Within a minute, he could hear the dogman's snarls and growls. Moderating his breathing, he braced his brush gun, finger curling on the trigger.

Then, in a snarling fury of teeth and fur, the dogman burst free from the cave, ripping at the foliage and snapping through the smoke. Wakon forced himself to concentrate- to focus, and squeezed the trigger firmly. There was a faint pop and a small jerk from the gun, but that was hardly what a brush gun firing was supposed to sound or feel like. He squeezed it again, and didn't hear the click of a hammer hitting a primer. A squib. Shit.

He broke the barrel open and drew out the clearing rod in one smooth motion. As he did, the dogman had left the smoke and was now staring at the fire, processing what it saw. Then, furious, it lifted up a dinner-plate sized paw and stomped it down onto the smoking pile. It repeated the process over and over, until the smoke no longer rose from its remains, then looked around suspiciously. Dogmen were smart enough to know fires didn't just happen, and he was hardly well-hidden here, so Wakon needed to move quickly. He had removed the squib already, and now, dropping the ejector rod rather than fumbling about to make it neat, slid in a new round.

The dogman had spotted him. It snarled once more and dropped to all fours, an explosive energy building within its body as it prepared to sprint over and crush this new nuisance. Wakon snapped the rifle shut and rested it once more on the log he had chosen, even as the dogman burst into a sprint, barrelling towards the hunter. As it came to the river it leaped over it, and just as it reached the apex of its height, Wakon fired. There was no misfire now, the gun bucked hard in his arms and the barrel spat smoke, the young man rolling to one side immediately. The dogman crashed down where he had been positioned, blood splattering across the dirt, and turned towards him, howling in pain and anger.

Wakon drew out the first of his javelins, taking a loose standing stance. The dogman pulled itself up to its feet, and as it did so, he hurled the javelin forward. The beast dodged it, shifting out of the way with surprising grace for something so large, then began to approach again, slower and more cautiously. It had taken a wound, but it knew that this was not a fight it could afford to retreat from. Another javelin bounced harmlessly off the creature's thick hide, and now it was too close to throw another. With a bestial scream of his own, Wakon drew his third javelin and hurled himself forward, sliding underneath the dogman's initial swipes and thrusting hard, impaling his spear deep between the creature's ribs and backing off to draw himself another. Three left.

The dogman whimpered in pain, ripping out the javelin with ease, but Wakon had no intention of allowing him time to rest. Moving around the creature, forcing it to turn on its bad side, he jabbed in again and again, keeping clear of its lethal claws whilst nicking it just enough to slow it down each time. At last, the great beast could no longer put up a fight and slumped down. The man could claim his victory.

Surely, Bonfire Base now awaited him.