Where we Left Off [RP TITAN]

[Prototype]

Omega had been unable to find any other trace of the sentience program that ran on almost every NSCD unit. He was having to resort to generating a replacement. Simply copying his own could prove dangerous, having billions of mentally identical clones had been a huge liability in the past. But allowing too much variance and free will had caused the Maverick outbreaks, which may or may not have been responsible for the apparent resurfacing of Virus-X.

Omega could remember how Alpha had originally created the sentience program to be used on the units of the NSCD. It had been achieved by studying the minds of the surviving genesis series, Alpha, Theta, Delta and Omega himself, then applying randomised traits that would allow for a large diversity in roles. What had proved fatal was the lack of any hard-wired instinct or moral beyond that of self preservation. They had been programmed to work with each other with utmost efficiency, but would not necessarily cope with outside interference.

This time Omega had to extend the basic guidelines that would make up the instincts and morals of the units beyond the NSCD, to be able to encompass the rest of the known and unknown galaxy. Another thing to be added was a set of definitions of Maverick behaviour, and appropriate inhibitors.


It took quite some time, but Omega was finally able to build the basic program which every NSCD unit would depend upon. All that was needed was a way of distributing it.


:::ARK-1:::
>_Restarting main reactors in sectors 1-8
>_Preparing shipyards for departure of vessels
>_Preparing defensive systems
>_Preparing sunspace systems for relocation
>_Subspace systems will be suitable for (2) jumps
>_Running relocation algorithm
:::END:::

[ACH0225]

[meta]Strigiforme construction of a jump gate to the colonies of the [species name deleted] has been completed. Some freshly made battlefleets and Ryytils support ships are being sent to establish a beachhead, with only light resistance expected. Fleets from the most recent wars are in their drydocks, being repaired from the heavy toll they incurred. Wartime production roughly matched the ships lost, but those that were damaged are undergoing repairs. The Ringworld is almost fully inhabitable once again. Due to the dust manipulation abilities of the Ringworld, it is able to accumulate mass quickly to repair itself.[/meta]

[Vinyl]

[meta]5 of the 13 manufactorums are fully completed, and are thusly being shifted to fleet production. 3 more are expected to be fully finished in the coming weeks.[/meta]

The cruiser variants have been narrowed to only 4, each suiting the following specifications: Anti-ship combat (incorporates the latest and greatest in weapons tech), troop transport and deployment platform (fully capable of atmospheric flight and landing), electronic warfare (has not only the best the AI program has to offer, but has 2 of them), and command and control (dedicated and highly redundant communications systems as well as heightened sensors).
Work is being shifted to the large classes, details of which are not available at this time.
[meta]Regarding production, the first of the Gen 3 vessels will be active very soon. Also, considering I forgot to mention it, the manufactorum component production in Hexalan is being covered by saying it's to repair them. Which it will be. Eventually. Oh, and when the 13 manufactorums in WLM are done, their existence will no longer be on a need-to-know.[/meta]

[Error]

The Hahnsak and Novus orbital yards have turned out 4 Avenger-class artillery cruisers recently; all fitted with prototype 1440mm mass accelerators, with speed rivalling light cruisers. (Meta) The cruisers also have stealth systems similar to those on Prowlers, but slightly less effective. (Slashmeta)

[Professor Fenway]

//AUF News\\
The military-lockdown on the Garda system has finally been lifted with no explanation from the government whatsoever, but only a short statement; "The incursion has been contained."

Every city, station, ship, everything is empty. Abandoned. There is not one trace of any sentient beings anywhere in the entire system, save for the military patrols and influx of ships from outside.

Every single computer in the system is corrupted and unusable. Every single data-bank has been completely wiped clean.

The government refuses to respond and the citizens are demanding answers.
\\END//

[Meta]Singularity Installation has been towed via Torus portal to Antioch. It is being transferred to a newer, safer system.[/Meta]


-BEGIN REPORT-

Upon the conclusion of the Garda Incursion, the AUF has learned of a cover-up and containment protocol instituted by the NeoRomans. The protocol was extremely strict; not even the Hierarch knew of it.

The NeoRomans built 5 jump-gates, each located in a cleverly concealed and heavily guarded location within NeoRoman space; the Garda nebula was one such location. Using records obtained during the incursion, four have been located. The last is not within AUF space.

Each jump gate lead to an extremely dangerous and hazardous region of sub-space, completely devoid of light. These subspace locations are in extremely close proximity to an extremely large, dense singularity; as a result, the entire 'pocket' loops in on itself, creating a sphere-like 'room', like a planet's atmosphere. This sphere cannot be exited; one merely moves along the surface to the other side of the sphere, and back the other way. This singularity lies in the center. This pocket interferes with the very fabric holding together matter; no ship has survived longer that a few minutes unshielded, and even shielded ships are reduced to absolutely nothing within days. It is theorized that the close-proximity to the singularity, estimated to be only a thousand or so kilometers, creates a highly unstable rip-field, which tears apart matter and energy at the quantum level to nothing. Everything down to individual quarks is torn apart; matter is reduced to absolutely nothing.

((As for how it looks, picture this: Black. Absolute blackness. No light whatsoever. Any light not inside shielding doesn't exist; it's torn apart too quickly. Only two features exist; below (at least, in orientation to the jump-gate) is a roiling, black mass. It doesn't move at all, yet people swear they see it changing, moving, writhing. The only visual clue of it's existence is a vast red 'aura' of sorts, that roils, yet it is very faint. It stretches across the space like a horizon, almost as if the pocket was on the surface of the singularity. The only other feature is the 'crackle' of energy in spaces through the blackness, randomly, a faint red lightning bolt. It is theorized to be dimensional energy.))

The singularity itself, imperceptibly in the pocket, cannot be approached or escaped from. Any ship approaching it 'redshifts' out of existence. Any ship moving away from it 'blueshifts' out of existence. Only a very narrow region of space in the Y axis remains viable for transport, a few kilometers. The jump-gate lies within this zone. The only other structure in the entire pocket is a massive station, of sorts. It appears to draw energy from the singularity; a deep red beam connects between it and the singularity, in the center of the station. On the opposite side, a blue beam, almost the opposite, stretches between the station and the space opposite the singularity. A massive square 'window' lies in the center of this station. The rest of the station, extremely angular in the usual NeoRoman style, connects on either side of it, not connected to the twin beams. This window is referred to as the Portcullis. An opaque, purple screen normally covers the window.

The station can only be interfaced with extremely primitive analog computation, with no electricity of any kind; this explains the massive nature of the structure. Interfacing is accomplished through two control rooms on each side of the station; both must be manipulated at the same time. Oddly, no code or combination has ever been known by the AUF; every attempt to crack the code has resulted in the complete ripping (via rip-field) of the AI's attempting to input the code. Scouts also report that, upon nearing the station, they feel an 'overwhelming' need to leave immediately; our AI's have reported the same thing. Only AI's have reached the control rooms; individuals refuse all orders and turn around.

Whatever we fought in the Garda system, these portcullis' keep them out. They keep them locked away, somewhere. Somewhere not here. Their power is truly terrible; they consume organic and synthetic life, subverting the will of organics and overpowering computers. The beams serve to keep the gate locked. The Garda gate was partially non-functional; the red beam was missing. And that is how it got out. The red beam destroys machines attempting to pass through. The blue beam destroys organics. Together, nothing can get through. But if both are off...

Once we pushed back this... monster beyond the gate, and neared the station, the same thoughts that turned us away instead beckoned us towards the station, specifically, the left side. The right side remained against us. One of the scouts, as we neared, broke off from the group. Against all orders, he connected to the station and did something, entered some code. We don't know what. But when he disconnected, the red beam crackled into life and the portal, which was blue before, returned to it's purple screen.

This technology is beyond anything the NeoRomans, the AUF, even the Strigiforme could ever hope to accomplish in any amount of time. I doubt even the ARK stations have this kind of power.

Four gates are secure. We don't know the status of the fifth. The highest priority is finding it.

This incident will be expunged from all records and the memories of every individual involved, once the fifth gate is secured. All records will be deleted. The gates will be secured, and nobody will ever dare to open them, if they even can. The Portcullis obviously turns away humanity. Who knows if it turns away the Strigiforme, or even the Taln? And robotics; they can overpower it.

We don't know.
-END-

[Shadowcatbot]

Tldr:
It's the fucking kraken gate.

[Ivan2006]

[meta]Strigiforme construction of a jump gate to the colonies of the [species name deleted] has been completed. Some freshly made battlefleets and Ryytils support ships are being sent to establish a beachhead, with only light resistance expected. Fleets from the most recent wars are in their drydocks, being repaired from the heavy toll they incurred. Wartime production roughly matched the ships lost, but those that were damaged are undergoing repairs. The Ringworld is almost fully inhabitable once again. Due to the dust manipulation abilities of the Ringworld, it is able to accumulate mass quickly to repair itself.[/meta]

OOC: Seriously? You're invading Pegasus ALREADY?

BIC:
As they are now a full member of the UGC, the MR has offered helping in the construction effort of the UGC titan, including the installation of psionic equipment, under the condition that the titan is made an actual joint-effort program with no "project leader", as the Tajer are now.

[Error]

[Semi-Meta] Over the Equestrian colonies in Pegasus, a fleet of Novan and mixed ships would be found; most either Novan with an unknown marking, but the majority mercenary, or privateer. They are unusually well-organized and skilled for mercs.[/semi-meta]

[ACH0225]

[meta]Resistance in Pegasus has prompted the deployment of several newly repaired fleets. One planet has been taken at the exit of the gate, with Strigiforme Army assets on the ground eliminating or capturing targets. [/meta]

[Ivan2006]

[meta]The Draco colonies are now self-sustaining and an increased ammount of clones has been produced. Hydroponic facilities have been constructed and the shipyard is operational. In the system with neither the robot factory nor the shipyard, a command and control facility is being constructed. (OOC: please note that the planets have no atmosphere, which is not really necessary, since most construction is underground. This feature is intended to hinder the deployment of chemical or biological weapons against the planet)

Construction of the replacement ships is halfway through, with the fighting power of the MR fleet already having passed the old state simply due to use of superior technology.[/meta]
With the recent war over and the GSI disbanded, the MR has returned to DEFCON 4.

[Error]

CSN vessels have started arriving over the Pegasus colonies, and Commonwealth Marines already present in some have begun to resist effectively. The Novans have indicated the Strigiforme should back off before their recent war "resumes" in Pegasus.

[Julo]

OOC: Excuse me guys, I know it's pretty late, but it would be nice, if you allow me to join this RP. I'll use a nomadic faction which "crash-landed" in the galaxy. I can give more faction information, if needed, but a fast decision would be nice. Thanks.

[Crash Override]

OOC: Excuse me guys, I know it's pretty late, but it would be nice, if you allow me to join this RP. I'll use a nomadic faction which "crash-landed" in the galaxy. I can give more faction information, if needed, but a fast decision would be nice. Thanks.

OOC: JOIN THE UGC

[ACH0225]

[meta] Special Services operators are drawing up plans to stage a crash into the Novan jump gate to Pegasus. This is a longer term project, but will be done carefully and diligently.[/meta]

The Strigiforme feel that the Novans should stop involving themselves in the affairs of the Strigiforme. The [species name redacted]'s colonies represent a real and present danger to the Strigiforme, and any actions undertaken by the Novan government towards the Strigiforme will be taken as an act of war.

[Professor Fenway]

OOC: You can take over as a new-empire that just entered space or something.

//AUF News\\
Riots have broken out on several planets after the government refused to offer any explanation as to what happened in the Garda System. This has prompted the following response from the government;

"The Garda system was invaded by a force from beyond the galaxy. This force abducted every sentient and every computer, and we contained the incursion. There is nothing more we can do."
\\END//

-HYPERPULSE TRANSMISSION DETECTED-
-Triangulating...
//SOURCE: AUF TORUS

//DESTINATION: NGC 1300

-HIGHLY ENCRYPTED-

[Meta]Newly-decrypted NeoRoman records on an extremely well-hidden NeoRoman research facility have pointed towards the fifth gate's location. The report indicates that the fifth gate is locked away inside a massive Yttrium asteroid, 765.24 arc-seconds from Antioch and 8816.45 Inclination from the Varla system.

This point in space does not correspond with any system, but does not lie within AUF space. It lies within Strigiforme space, 10 systems from Antioch. ((OOC: One of the systems the Strigiforme took when NeoRome left). It is theorized that, due to star movement and planetary movement, the direction is likely inaccurate up to 45%. [/Meta]


[EXTRA META]One of the ARK scout forces, very small, has jumped to the border of Novan space.[/EXTRA META]