Schlock Mercenary V: You're Missing Something Wonderful

[PhantomFox]

Previously on Schlock Mercenary (http://www.schlockmercenary.com/)...

The Toughs help prevent a civil war! They (and a good chunk of a city) are attacked by a solar powered death laser! Friends are ascending to places of high power! An uplifted polar bear is an incredible badass! Humanity's allies are starting to look a tad shady!

For those not in the know, Schlock Mercenary is a science fiction comic based around a group of mercenaries that continuously get themselves into and out of, and then promptly back into, bad situations. They have engaged in missions ranging from fighting dark matter beasts from the next galaxy over, being mall cops and circus performers, dealing with dirty goverment conspiracies, accidentally creating very powerful AIs more than once, and taking down reality TV! An engaging storyline, a great dose of humor, and enough quotable bits to sink a ship, everything's there for you! Come read!

[Marnath]

I think we all saw that coming, Emm. Never trust your life to a guy like that after throwing him under a bus.

[NEO|Phyte]

Considering the nannies REDHack is based on, I have a vague suspicion that we haven't seen the last of Emm. Of course, I suspect Kowalski would know better than most the capabilities of their nanogoodies, and would thus be able to confidently consider her gone.

[Rockphed]

So this is the wet team kowalski had waiting in the wings? Also, apparently the destination to which Kowalski and Emm were downloading their minds and selves.

And what sort of name for a burrough is "Gherkinopolis-on-thames"?

[Alent]

Am I the only person hoping that Emm redhacked Max Haluska, and Kowalski killed two of the biggest monsters in Schlockdom with one shot?

[Bulldog Psion]

And so Emm reaches the end of her road, eh?

[Godskook]

So this is the wet team kowalski had waiting in the wings? Also, apparently the destination to which Kowalski and Emm were downloading their minds and selves.

I got the impression that Kowalski ended up somewhere that was -not- the capitol or near it. If so, this simply can't be the wetwork team because they were fairly local to the capitol.

Their cover is also almost entirely blown, in all likely hood, due to them being already jacked up for the previous arc(even if they didn't show up to the foxtrot).


Am I the only person hoping that Emm redhacked Max Haluska, and Kowalski killed two of the biggest monsters in Schlockdom with one shot?

Skin is wrong, hair is wrong, height ~seems~ wrong, and these are all things Howard has been very consistent about outside Kathryn and Elf, and even then, it usually required a plot point to change something. Hell, people very very rarely change clothes without the plot being involved.

[factotum]

And what sort of name for a burrough is "Gherkinopolis-on-thames"?

The Gherkin is the nickname for the tower block at 30 St Mary Axe in London--if you see pictures of it, you'll see how it got that name. It looks like the architects of this particular London borough in the future decided to use that architectural style for all the buildings, and it probably started getting called Gherkinopolis as a nickname, same as the original tower.

Anyway, nice to see Kowalski is starting his new life as he means to go on--he could, after all, have sabotaged the selfstream process so that Emm went nowhere, but he preferred the *personal* touch of completing the transfer and then shooting her in the head. Can't help but feel he'll be popping up again at some point, probably working for some other mercenary company.

EDIT: Actually, thinking about it, this was a kind of BOGOF deal for murder, no wonder Kowalski liked it--he gets to kill the young man whose body he downloaded Emm into, and then kill Emm herself! :smallsmile:

[Discus-Spinner]

It also means leaving a dead body in his wake, which is rather amazingly poor tradecraft forensic housekeeping when he could just have set Emm's transfer to /dev/nul. I almost got the impression that the shot was a spur-of-the-moment whim. But no matter.

The Gherkin. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/30_St_Mary_Axe) And the text implies that "London" is actually now a borough - a division of a city called Gherkinopolis-on-Thames, presumably implying ribbon development up to Oxford and down to the sea.

[Marnath]

It also means leaving a dead body in his wake, which is rather amazingly poor tradecraft forensic housekeeping when he could just have set Emm's transfer to /dev/nul. I almost got the impression that the shot was a spur-of-the-moment whim. But no matter.

Right, because people are totally going to care about one random homicide in the face of 20,000 police officers going on a sudden murder rampage before being killed.

[Fjolnir]

I think it's more an implication that "London" isn't a city anymore but the author is using it as a way for the reader to place it globally

[Discus-Spinner]

Right, because people are totally going to care about one random homicide in the face of 20,000 police officers going on a sudden murder rampage before being killed.
That didn't happen in the same place. (Dom Atlantis vs. Gherkinopolis.) And it only takes one local police detective who's feeling dutiful and working on the principle that every damn murder merits some kind of serious treatment, and Kowalski could start needing to run faster and cover his tracks harder.

I'm sure he can handle that. But it still looks sloppy to me.

[HandofShadows]

Well, that was a surprise. :smalleek: Going to see how this all plays out. I wonder if it might be connected to a certain "milk run".

[Radar]

I'm sure he can handle that. But it still looks sloppy to me.
It might have been sloppy, but it might have been gratifying as well.

[Kornaki]

I'm going to take a wild stab in the dark that maybe the software developers created some sort of protection to ensure that people don't randomly self-stream themselves into oblivion, and Kowalski had no choice but to play it this way.

[Godskook]

It also means leaving a dead body in his wake, which is rather amazingly poor tradecraft forensic housekeeping when he could just have set Emm's transfer to /dev/nul. I almost got the impression that the shot was a spur-of-the-moment whim. But no matter.

Option A)Kill Emm onboard the batt leplate, likely have it be known that his Kowalski-self is responsible for that, and burn that bridge entirely.

Option B)Sabotage Emm's stream, which may or may not be doable, and may or may not be traceable. Most likely not any better or any more satisfying than option A.

Option C)Kill Emm's new host, eliminating all evidence of where Emm went except the body(which nobody would really know is her), which Kowalski should be able to clean up reasonably well. Personally, I like C best.

Also, he might not've decided to kill her until after they left, idk.

[NEO|Phyte]

Considering how Kowalski's last superior went out (http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2012-12-21), it's really not particularly surprising that Emm ended similarly, it's just this time he had the option of being a bit more direct about it.

As for why not sabotage the 'jack, it's likely that there are enough safeguards and such in place to prevent squirting and other mishaps that it would be obvious he's up to something, even if Emm isn't particularly knowledgeable about the process.

[Welf]

It's always important to be nice to your employees, especially if they are professional killers who like their job.

[smuchmuch]

Oh good he' still a monster but now he's his own monster, with no supervision. I'm sure that'll end great.

[Discus-Spinner]

He'll only be killing where it's to his direct personal advantage now (and he's even admitted to a stunted vestigial conscience). Given the industrial-scale work that Emm was assigning him, that's actually likely to be a large net improvement in raw numbers terms.

[tonberrian]

I think that Kowalski hasn't been very happy lately. He says that he never gets tired of being called a monster, but I think his face was saying that yeah, he is tired.

[factotum]

OK, so this *is* the milk run that was mentioned before. Guessing these streams are a lot easier to trace than Kowalski thought they might be. (Oh, and this also answers the stuff about leaving a body behind--he's incinerating it).

Also, love Landon's armour--guess he didn't want to end up in a situation where he gets sixty-one penetrating wounds this time around!

[Discus-Spinner]

The trace probably ought to be hard, but with the likes of Ennesby taking an interest, Kowalski was wrong to assume it'd be hard enough. And even with 2015 forensics, merely incinerating the body wouldn't be a fully adequate clean-up after a gunshot to the head. But it'd help delay discovery, possibly indefinitely, and there may be nanotech for the blood spatters.

And I wouldn't call arresting Kowalski and/or Emm a "milk run", even for this team but like the admiral said, sometimes, the milk has gone really bad.

Landon's armour is cool, anyway. I found myself thinking His Dark Materials...

[SlyGuyMcFly]

Also, love Landon's armour--guess he didn't want to end up in a situation where he gets sixty-one penetrating wounds this time around!

Cue Kowalski delivering sixty-two penetrating wounds to Landon. :smalltongue:

[Alent]

The trace probably ought to be hard, but with the likes of Ennesby taking an interest, Kowalski was wrong to assume it'd be hard enough.

I'd lay even odds on the ship AI reporting the selfstream. The feeds in her office may have been cut, but the transmission nodes aren't part of her office.

Also, I love that Landon is running around in Toughs style body armor with the potato option bits.

[toapat]

Cue Kowalski delivering sixty-two penetrating wounds to Landon. :smalltongue:

whats interesting is the design of armor. That looks like the gear Tailor makes, minus Pauldrones which for Landon are clearly unnecessary due to the Assault Potatos orbiting him.

So apparently Landon is now the Tough's Cavalry division?

[memnarch]

whats interesting is the design of armor. That looks like the gear Tailor makes, minus Pauldrones which for Landon are clearly unnecessary due to the Assault Potatos orbiting him.

So apparently Landon is now the Tough's Cavalry division?

Or maybe Tailor based their designs on existing armor and Landon happens to use that type?

[Calemyr]

Or maybe Tailor based their designs on existing armor and Landon happens to use that type?

I figured the armor was the product of the MakoTater. He was complaining about how it was using the cannibalized remains of other taters, this could be one of its projects.

Where is Tailor at the moment, anyway?

[HandofShadows]

I would suppose that Tailor is with the main group of the Toughs. Which brings up the question of what THEY have been up to all this time? :smalleek:

[Discus-Spinner]

I guess that Breya sent this team out on this milk run because they're some of the few people who she (of necessity) trusts with some of the dirty secrets that may get mentioned in the course of ensuing events. Still, it means that she is, so far as one assumes she knows, sending then up against an experienced intelligence officer and a scary-dangerous black ops specialist.

Landon and Schlock are good choices for the job anyway, and Murtaugh has the skills, notwithstanding that she's supposed to be a bit high up the command structure for small-unit field combat ops these days. But what the heck is Breya doing sending Sorlie with them? That's a brilliant technical specialist and a promising natural intelligence analyst, but someone whose combat experience consists of (a) letting someone else fly her suit while she runs away, and (b) pointing out that the person she's talking to has a very big gun and then running away again. One would think that she was all but a liability in a gunfight.

[HandofShadows]

I think Sorlie ere because she has ALL the dirt while the others have only bits and pieces.

[Lizard Lord]

This looks like the beginning of a beautiful friendship.:smallbiggrin:

[factotum]

That's a brilliant technical specialist and a promising natural intelligence analyst, but someone whose combat experience consists of (a) letting someone else fly her suit while she runs away, and (b) pointing out that the person she's talking to has a very big gun and then running away again. One would think that she was all but a liability in a gunfight.

Whose combat experience *that we've seen*. Sorlie didn't come straight out of officer academy into the first panel of the comic she appeared in--this isn't a Para Ventura situation, where she was still a teenager on her first appearance and thus definitely had no prior combat experience. Also, why do you bring up Sorlie's perceived lack of combat experience but big up Emm as an "experienced intelligence officer"? We've not seen any more personal combat experience on Emm's behalf than we have of Sorlie, and just because she's older wouldn't make her any better in a fight (even assuming she wasn't currently being reduced to ash in a body bag).

[Discus-Spinner]

The UNS hasn't been officially at war recently, and Sorlie's most recent known assignment before her appearance was analysing incoming vessels for Sol System traffic control - the big cool version of running the X-ray scanner at an airport. And after she was assigned to the liaison job, she spent most of her time complaining (understandably) that this wasn't the job she signed up for and it wasn't her style. I'd be extremely surprised if she had any real combat experience at all before that.

And no, I wouldn't consider Emm a significant threat on her own. But she was a veteran intelligence officer with no detectable compunction about getting her hands dirty in any known respect. If she was installed in a healthy young body and watching Kowalski's back with a big gun in her hand, that would be a net increase to the danger to the arrest squad.

[HandofShadows]

As I said before, Sorlie is there for her brains and knowledge. Not for her combat experience. Fighting is what Landon and Schlock are there for.

[Alent]

As I said before, Sorlie is there for her brains and knowledge. Not for her combat experience. Fighting is what Landon and Schlock are there for.

I figured Sorlie was there as she should still have emergency authority (required to dismantle Emm's intelligence agency), which would give authenticity and legal support for Schlock and Landon's milk-run-with-scissors act.

[Discus-Spinner]

Yeah, that's true. She is the only actual state employee on that arrest team (assuming that Landon still counts as, basically, a high-class rent-a-cop). Though Murtaugh really ought to be telling her to stand well back (under cover) about now.

Plus, she gets to play straight-woman in this scene. Very necessary job.

[Cikomyr]

You know, i am wondering about Murtaugh's eventual loyalty. Not that i see her as potential turncoat (she is too much of a straight shooter for that), but she could very well leave Tagon's employment for a more prestigious (albeit less well paid) member of Sol:s military or police force, which probably is in dire need of experienced senior officers.

[Discus-Spinner]

Remember that she left her previous employment under a bit of a cloud, and since then, she's put a fair amount of work in establishing her place with the Toughs. Plus, the Toughs are now working for the Oafa, which is likely to be interesting, profitable, and helpful to the world at large.

She might take a good offer elsewhere, but I don't see a strong reason for her to do so at this point.

[Marcelinari]

It occurs to me that, as members of three separate military and paramilitary operations all holding the same rank, they really should have worked out a chain of command and a naming scheme before they left. Miscommunication in the field of battle is a bad thing, after all.

[Discus-Spinner]

I think that Murtaugh's is classed as a naval captaincy (closer to her old military rank of major), giving her precedence - she almost certainly has seniority - and she does seem to be in charge.

Not settling nomenclature was sloppy, certainly.

[Cikomyr]

This is why you need callsigns.

[tonberrian]

How did Landon get his job?

[Gnoman]

How did Landon get his job?

He was obviously the only candidate that survived the live-fire interview, of course.

[Cikomyr]

Murtaugh...

You know what to say to keep your pet sociopath happy. A true leader.

[tonberrian]

This was all kinds of heartwarming.

[ryuplaneswalker]

This was all kinds of heartwarming.

All kinds of Heartwarming and icky in the context of the bear and his talking gun's relationship.

Not that there is anything wrong with a Fleshy and AI relationship, but I remember when Schlock wanted to have Children with Breya, and we never need a repeat of that scenario.

[tonberrian]

All kinds of Heartwarming and icky in the context of the bear and his talking gun's relationship.

Not that there is anything wrong with a Fleshy and AI relationship, but I remember when Schlock wanted to have Children with Breya, and we never need a repeat of that scenario.

You're just against interspecies romance! And Schlock's method of reproduction is actually pretty tame.

[Marnath]

All kinds of Heartwarming and icky in the context of the bear and his talking gun's relationship.

Not that there is anything wrong with a Fleshy and AI relationship, but I remember when Schlock wanted to have Children with Breya, and we never need a repeat of that scenario.

I thought it was kind of a cute romantic comment. So what if one is a polar bear and the other is a talking gun? They're both intelligent and both into it.

[Grey_Wolf_c]

I thought it was kind of a cute romantic comment. So what if one is a polar bear and the other is a talking gun? They're both intelligent and both into it.

Sure, but you know what they say about relationships started during stressful situations.

Or maybe you don't because using the film Speed as a basis to measure reality is probably a major mistake.

Grey Wolf

[Kane]

Are we really arguing about the relationship between an uplifted animal and his sentient gun?
It appears to be consensual, and more importantly, both appear to have the capability of terminating that 'living' thing I do. Very quickly, and with very little effort. Until that changes, I'll leave them to it.

More pertinent thoughts:

It seems like the current contract may have 'saved' the Toughs from a much vaster payout. They were already saving the UNS for money/contract, and therefore the UNS seems less likely to pay a thank-you bonus to them for saving it.
I feel like Breya/Haban have some serious intel they haven't mentioned yet; sending three captains for milk that has gone 'really bad', as the general says, well. How do they know it's Kowalski? Surely they do, or else they wouldn't be sending so very much firepower his way?
Bets on whether the toughs end up flying the battleplate?It's unlikely, but I could almost see it.


And on a scale of yes to xenocide, are the Schuul going to regret this little escapade?

[Discus-Spinner]

I suspect that someone on the battleplate realised that Kowalski and Emm had bugged out, thought about saying nothing as he was expected to do, then thought about the likely immediate future, thought about their own recent work history, and executed an elegant CYA manoeuvre, tracking Kowalski's departure route and leaking the data to Breya.

[Landis963]

I suspect that someone on the battleplate realised that Kowalski and Emm had bugged out, thought about saying nothing as he was expected to do, then thought about the likely immediate future, thought about their own recent work history, and executed an elegant CYA manoeuvre, tracking Kowalski's departure route and leaking the data to Breya.

Possibly the AI. Popi's a smart guy, and much less pliable than 'Kweng was. (At least, I think they were aboard the Popigai) Which would also explain how Haban got the intel so quickly.

[Godskook]

Possibly the AI. Popi's a smart guy, and much less pliable than 'Kweng was. (At least, I think they were aboard the Popigai) Which would also explain how Haban got the intel so quickly.

The Popigai is in orbit around earth at last sight, and under the control of not-Emm. If Emm wasn't aboard Morokweng mk II, then that's only because they didn't restore Maury from back-up.

[tonberrian]

Looks like Kowalski was expecting Schlock.

Too bad that's not what he got.

[ti'esar]

I'm beginning to worry about Captain Landon's mental health.

[Shadow of the Sun]

I dunno. I mean, even though he's uplifted, he's still a polar bear. That kind of skews our understanding of his mental health.

[factotum]

Well, so much for Kowalski's skill. I'm interested to know what happens to him now--is there a place for a socio-borderline-psycho-path in Bala-Amin's new command, or do they just mindrip and execute him?

[Narkis]

Well, there is a certain mercenary outfit that would probably welcome another skilled psychopath.

[Alent]

Looks like Kowalski was expecting Schlock.

Too bad that's not what he got.

He's having a Maxim 47 moment: Don't expect the enemy to cooperate in the creation of your dream engagement.

[HandofShadows]

Well, there is a certain mercenary outfit that would probably welcome another skilled psychopath.

Doubt it. Killing bad guys is one thing. But the Toughs (even Schlock) have a LONG history of not killing innocent people. Making their life miserable yes, but not killing. Kowalski has done little more than kill innocent people most of the time. Remember all the Gavs?

[Narkis]

And yet, he sent officer Libretti's family to a vacation instead of killing them. He may be a monster, but he does have a (vestigial) conscience.

[ryuplaneswalker]

Looks like Kowalski was expecting Schlock.

Too bad that's not what he got.

it worries me that Kowalski was expecting Schlock, and seemed to have prepared for him, In before we find out that the UNS has kidnapped an Amorph and is performing horrific experiments on it to see what actually harms the darned things.

[tonberrian]

it worries me that Kowalski was expecting Schlock, and seemed to have prepared for him, In before we find out that the UNS has kidnapped an Amorph and is performing horrific experiments on it to see what actually harms the darned things.

Amorphs are fairly rare, but Kowalski did have access to information from their creators, and its actually fairly obvious what conventional weapons actually could kill them (burning and freezing). Lasers, plasma, and large currents could all concievably kill Schlock, and a high pressure water hose could incapacitate him. No horrific experiments needed.

Finding out how to poison an amorph? Kill it without revealing you killed it? You'd need some horrific experiments for that. Though Schlock is the best of the best when it comes to chemical warfare.

[Bulldog Psion]

Doubt it. Killing bad guys is one thing. But the Toughs (even Schlock) have a LONG history of not killing innocent people. Making their life miserable yes, but not killing. Kowalski has done little more than kill innocent people most of the time. Remember all the Gavs?

Agreed, I really, really really doubt the Toughs would be even remotely interested in hiring Kowalski.

[NEO|Phyte]

If Kowalski wasn't UNS, they might, he's exactly the kind of person they employ, more or less. As it is, he is both part of a faction that generally dislikes (disliked? I suspect their reputation with the UNS is improved after helping stop a civil war) them, and has also personally opposed them.

[Discus-Spinner]

The Toughs' reputation for employing sociopaths is much exaggerated, mostly being there to justify jokes about Schlock. Frankly, they're a bunch of pussycats, really, albeit pussycats with teeth. Kowalski is a sociopath, they way the Toughs aren't.

[Welf]

If Kowalski wasn't UNS, they might, he's exactly the kind of person they employ, more or less. As it is, he is both part of a faction that generally dislikes (disliked? I suspect their reputation with the UNS is improved after helping stop a civil war) them, and has also personally opposed them.

They employed Doyt, and they had some trouble with him, too. The first thing Doyt did was to kidnap their new doctor.
I don't feel Kowalski would fit into the company, but I can't actually think of an actual reason for that. Kowalski does enjoy killing people, but so far he only acted under orders if he killed innocents, or he was up against professional mercenaries who don't count as "innocents". I'm not sure if Kowalski is actually much worse than Schlock, they both like to fight and look for something to fight. Only Kowalski is less childlike and thus less likeable.

[Bulldog Psion]

Leaving aside the moral question for the moment, he sure would come with a lot of baggage, though. I mean, he's worked for many years for the Toughs' enemies. He's just been closely involved in two attempts to exterminate them. I kind of doubt they'd ever trust him -- or ever be able to trust him -- enough to have him in their presence with weapons in hand, or running loose on their ship.

[The Glyphstone]

Plus, he knows way too much about the dark-and-dirty activities of the UNS, and Emm's faction in particular. I cannot see UNS counter-intelligence letting him go for a very, very long time if he is taken alive.

[Alent]

Plus, he knows way too much about the dark-and-dirty activities of the UNS, and Emm's faction in particular. I cannot see UNS counter-intelligence letting him go for a very, very long time if he is taken alive.

Petey might want him, tho'.

[The Glyphstone]

Petey might want him, tho'.

All the more reason for the UNS to keep hold of him - if nothing else, to ensure their opponents/rivals/allies, Petey first among the list, don't get their hands on him and his juicy secrets.

[Godskook]

They employed Doyt, and they had some trouble with him, too. The first thing Doyt did was to kidnap their new doctor.

He did it without a single casualty and minimal injury, by any account. Hell, the Toughs did more damage stopping him than he did abducting.



I don't feel Kowalski would fit into the company, but I can't actually think of an actual reason for that. Kowalski does enjoy killing people, but so far he only acted under orders if he killed innocents, or he was up against professional mercenaries who don't count as "innocents". I'm not sure if Kowalski is actually much worse than Schlock, they both like to fight and look for something to fight. Only Kowalski is less childlike and thus less likeable.

Kowalski has zero loyalty, a trait well-established, and prominently displayed via the body of Admiral Emm's 'clone'.

[Gnoman]

Apart from the time when they were shackled to Xinchub, how many times were the Toughs even in "morally grey" territory? After my recent reread, it seemed that for mercenaries -especially broke mercs, as they tend to be a lot- they've spent an unexpectedly large percentage of their time "on the side of the angles", and very little of the "kill people and break things only because we're paid to". A mad dog, even a controllable mad dog like Kowalski, just doesn't fit.

[Kane]

Having read friday's, I wonder if he's trying to bait them into killing him?

[factotum]

Why would he want them to kill him, though? Unless he thinks his fate if he's captured is even worse...

[SlyGuyMcFly]

Having read Friday's, I wonder if he's trying to bait them into killing him?

I'm not sure. Kowalski seems the sort to go "They got me alive, so I know they don't want to kill me, so saying "c'mon, kill me!" isn't going to get me dead". So the only reason to say that would be to annoy them into letting their guard down and/or stall until Sunday when he can make his great escape.

[lord_khaine]

Kowalski has zero loyalty, a trait well-established, and prominently displayed via the body of Admiral Emm's 'clone'.

And this is the deal breaker in regard to the toughs hirering him as far as i can see. They dont mind if your a killer, but everyone in the company needs to be able to trust each other.


I'm not sure. Kowalski seems the sort to go "They got me alive, so I know they don't want to kill me, so saying "c'mon, kill me!" isn't going to get me dead". So the only reason to say that would be to annoy them into letting their guard down and/or stall until Sunday when he can make his great escape.

Alternatively, we know that you can be downloaded into more than a single body at once.. i wonder if this is the decoy bodies thats meant to be killed while Em and Kowalski makes their escape?

[Kane]

I'm not sure. Kowalski seems the sort to go "They got me alive, so I know they don't want to kill me, so saying "c'mon, kill me!" isn't going to get me dead". So the only reason to say that would be to annoy them into letting their guard down and/or stall until Sunday when he can make his great escape.
That does seem more likely, and more in tune with his character of competence. I might have been ascribing a little too much vestigial conscience/standards to him.


Alternatively, we know that you can be downloaded into more than a single body at once.. i wonder if this is the decoy bodies thats meant to be killed while Em and Kowalski makes their escape?
At first impression, that seems alarmingly likely, but I think there would have been more indication if it was the case.
I think hope want to believe.

[ti'esar]

Huh. So maybe he actually really does want them to kill him?

Landon may have issues, but Kowalski's got the collected volume and then some.

[Cikomyr]

Well.. I..

I dont know what to say. Can Kowalski have the potential of being more.. Conscious, somehow?

Mako did...

[Landis963]

Say what you will about Mako, she knows how to play a curtain call. Surprising that Kowalski is playing his curtain call this way.

[ChowGuy]

Frankly, they're a bunch of pussycats, really, albeit pussycats with teeth.
And claws. Don't ever forget the claws. They]re fully "weapons grade" pussycats suitable for soaking in gasoline an launching from a trebuchet (http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2001-12-12).


they've spent an unexpectedly large percentage of their time "on the side of the angles"
*snerk* Sure, especially when Tagon's around, you can expect them to work all the angles.

[Wayson]

Say what you will about Mako, she knows how to play a curtain call. Surprising that Kowalski is playing his curtain call this way.

This concerns me. For Mako, it WAS a curtain call. For Kowalski... is it? I feel like we're missing something.

[Discus-Spinner]

I get the impression that Kowalski's idea was to play the game as hard as possible, with a hope of always winning each hand. Now, well, he's run out of luck, that's the way it goes, and he'd like a clean endgame without all this talking. Not that he minds talking, but he has to be in charge of the conversation.

[Bulldog Psion]

He seems mighty interested in being eaten. Not shot, not vaporized, but eaten.

Does he have a way to infect the devourer post-ingestion and turn them into another gestalt of himself?

[Discus-Spinner]

That's just what the two goons standing behind him happen to be thinking about, so he goes with it. Plus, it has the bonus of squicking a tight-ass like Sorlie out a bit.

[smuchmuch]

I'm starting to think the body you gestalt in may have an influence (which would make sense to a point, depending how uch of th orogonal wiring and hormonal baance the nanites leave in). Kowalski may have been a cocky and unafraid of death psychopath but he didn't seem so.. petulant before his latest transfer. Or maybe it was Em presence and the fact he was part of a chain of comand.

[Godskook]

He seems mighty interested in being eaten. Not shot, not vaporized, but eaten.

Does he have a way to infect the devourer post-ingestion and turn them into another gestalt of himself?

Yeah.....good luck doing that to -Schlock-.

[Douglas]

Yeah.....good luck doing that to -Schlock-.
They got a memory rewrite to work on him, so maybe. On the other hand, he may have intentionally not resisted that one, due to the consequences for successful resistance, so that's not especially strong evidence.

[tonberrian]

Seeing as how Schlock was able to take out full-on supersoldier nannies with a minimum of fuss, I'm not terribly concerned.

[Godskook]

They got a memory rewrite to work on him, so maybe. On the other hand, he may have intentionally not resisted that one, due to the consequences for successful resistance, so that's not especially strong evidence.

What you can do in a lab, on a battleplate, is not what you can do in the field with zero resources except nannies that -weren't- purposed for this.

[Lizard Lord]

They got a memory rewrite to work on him, so maybe. On the other hand, he may have intentionally not resisted that one, due to the consequences for successful resistance, so that's not especially strong evidence.

Sorta work at least. Schlock did find a way to save those memories even if it was more like reading a book to him.

Worst case scenario Kowalski costs Schlock an eye. and he has a tree for those now.


Granted, that's not even possible now.

[Cikomyr]

Awwwwwww

They are so cute together.

[Landis963]

And now Murtaugh's figured out the OvalKarrot, and all is well with the Schlockverse.

[factotum]

You'd think Murtaugh ought to be able to get another Neosynchronicity-class corvette from the Oafans--it wasn't like there was a shortage of those ships back in the can full of sky!

[Discus-Spinner]

Note also: Kowalski has been transferred to Petey, presumably on Breya's authority. Logical, in that Petey is one authority figure who won't be tempted to exploit having this highly competent sociopath on hand - having a good stock of less unpredictable, more borderline sociopaths already.

[Bulldog Psion]

Note also: Kowalski has been transferred to Petey, presumably on Breya's authority. Logical, in that Petey is one authority figure who won't be tempted to exploit having this highly competent sociopath on hand - having a good stock of less unpredictable, more borderline sociopaths already.

Am I missing something? :smallconfused: I don't see anywhere that it indicates Kowalski has been transferred to Petey. He's aboard a UNS battleplate in the custody of a UNS officer, as far as I can see.

[Alent]

Am I missing something? :smallconfused: I don't see anywhere that it indicates Kowalski has been transferred to Petey. He's aboard a UNS battleplate in the custody of a UNS officer, as far as I can see.

"This tastes way better than Petey's newest inmate would have."

Sure, he's a parcel post in mid-shipment, but there's only one person on camera who meets the description of "newest inmate"

[Bulldog Psion]

"This tastes way better than Petey's newest inmate would have."

Sure, he's a parcel post in mid-shipment, but there's only one person on camera who meets the description of "newest inmate"

Yes, I did miss something. My bad. That's what I get for posting first thing after waking up. :smallredface: Thanks! :smallsmile:

Anyway, the note under this comic made me a bit sad: "But you have not yet reached the end of Schlock Mercenary. There's still quite a bit of that left."

Schlock Mercenary is wrapping up. Order of the Stick is wrapping up. Shortpacked! has already been wrapped up and replaced with some useless, drab college webcomic. My three favorites, which I've read for many years, are all going into the dark, or are already there.

Someone needs to sing "Auld Lang Syne..." :smallfrown:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acxnmaVTlZA

[HandofShadows]

I think you need to look closer at the end line "There's still quite a bit of that left." It's just the end of the book, not the comic. :smallsmile:

[Welf]

There is something left, but it does slowly wrap up. I guess next we go to Schuul and get the story of the Schuul war, and the there is the whole affair with the black matter entities, where they came from and how to deal with them. (And Tagon needs to find a girlfriend.) But I doubt any new big story lines will be started.

[factotum]

I think you need to look closer at the end line "There's still quite a bit of that left." It's just the end of the book, not the comic. :smallsmile:

He never said nor implied it was the end of the comic--if he did, he would have said "Schlock Mercenary has wrapped up". "Is wrapping up" is what we know the strip is doing, because Howard has said there's only another 3 or 4 books to go after this one.

[Discus-Spinner]

Heh. I read these posts just as the new Marina and the Diamonds album hits the last track ("Immortal") on my media player.

That's what we do it for
To reserve a space
In history it's just
part of the human race...

I think that most of my favourite Web comics have been stated or implied to be at least past their half-way stage by now. They won't last forever - but I'd rather that they wrapped when it's their time than that they dragged out into mediocrity. There'll be other good things along eventually, I'm sure.

[ti'esar]

New comic (and book) up.

So are those little yellow things on the Broken Wind's hull all Neosynchronicity-type corvettes, then?

[Mando Knight]

It looks like it. It seems that Oafan warships are possibly just carriers for deploying the NUSPI-craft and a large fuel tank to resupply them... though since the NUSPI array fires through a wormhole it can probably also fire the weapons while the daughtercraft are docked and increase the fire rate by continually pumping fuel to the annie plants.

The original intent of Cindercone's super-freighter design is also pretty clear with the NUSPI-craft being part of the Oafan warfleet: if you routinely fire a weapon that drains the entire fuel reserves of your smaller ships with a single shot, you're going to want a fleet tender that can carry a lot of fuel to resupply them.

[factotum]

So are those little yellow things on the Broken Wind's hull all Neosynchronicity-type corvettes, then?

I don't think they are, because they're nowhere near big enough--they're less than a tenth of the length of Broken Wind herself, which makes them less than 50m long; Neosynchronicity was a lot bigger than that. I thought they might be annie plants, but they're the wrong shape and colour for that. Therefore, my guess would be observation blisters? Two of them appear to be "unlit" (e.g. not yellow), which is what makes me think that.

[ti'esar]

I would have thought they were annie plants, but you can see three identical-looking ellipsoids teraporting in besides the Broken Wind. Maybe they're not the same type as the Neosynchronicity, but they do seem to be attached ships.

[Cikomyr]

Does Broken Wind has a NUSP gun too.....?!?

[factotum]

I would have thought they were annie plants, but you can see three identical-looking ellipsoids teraporting in besides the Broken Wind. Maybe they're not the same type as the Neosynchronicity, but they do seem to be attached ships.

Yeah, that makes sense, looking at it again--the "dark" blisters are where two of the additional vessels detached, presumably. (Although why they do that, rather than just teraporting in and *then* detaching the probes or whatever they are, is anyone's guess).

[tonberrian]

Further nail in the coffin for the nodes being Neosyncronicity-class. In this (http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2014-03-15) strip, we can see them together, and the Neosyncronicity is much larger than the nodes. I'm going to agree with them being NUPSI drones, though. And possibly now equipped with Very Dangerous Array tech.

[halfeye]

Further nail in the coffin for the nodes being Neosyncronicity-class. In this (http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2014-03-15) strip, we can see them together, and the Neosyncronicity is much larger than the nodes.
It's also nearer the "camera". We don't see how much nearer. So, while it looks as if it's bigger, it doesn't necessarily follow from that image that it is.

[tonberrian]

It's also nearer the "camera". We don't see how much nearer. So, while it looks as if it's bigger, it doesn't necessarily follow from that image that it is.

Then this (http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2014-03-13) strip, then. For the nodes to be the same size as the Neosyncronicity, it'd have to be right on top of them.

[Marnath]

Then this (http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2014-03-13) strip, then. For the nodes to be the same size as the Neosyncronicity, it'd have to be right on top of them.

And none of the Toughs would ever be so reckless as to drive their ships that close to each other.

[factotum]

I estimated Neosynchronicity at much larger than 50m because of the size of Sorlie's guestroom on the ship, which is a good 4-5m square and around 3m high--that would be a huge chunk of space on a 50m ship, especially when we can see from the various sectional shots we've seen that a good half of the interior space is taken up by the NUSPI and the main annie plant.

There's also a comparison shot here:

http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2014-03-30

The sally port looks to be about 6m across, judging from the size of the people in the lift below it, but my trigonometry isn't sufficient to estimate how big the sally port is compared to the rest of the ship in the first panel.

[halfeye]

I don't think they are, because they're nowhere near big enough--they're less than a tenth of the length of Broken Wind herself, which makes them less than 50m long;
In my case, that's the bit I'm not remembering, where was the length of the Broken Wind mentioned? I agree 50m for Neosyncronicity is is probably a bit short, though a metre is a lot bigger than a foot, 6m is about 20ft for example, and I'n not sure that sally port is more than 12ft.

[ti'esar]

Broken Wind's length was given literally last comic as just over 500 meters.

[andrewas]

From the schlock facebook page:



Neosynchronicity was (IIRC -- I'm pulling this off the top of my head) 100m long, but it might have been bigger. Early in Delegates & Delegation we see her in front of one of Chesapeake's annies.

Broken Wind has a number of, for lack of a better word, "drones" ringing her hull. Those are less than half the size of Neosynchronicity, and while their hull color is the same, they're a different thing.

[halfeye]

Broken Wind's length was given literally last comic as just over 500 meters.
:smallredface: :smallsmile:

That's my memory for you. :smallconfused:

Mind you if it had been in dialog I might have taken more notice, though I couldn't garantee that.

50 metres sounds small, but there have been smaller sea ships, and being a broad shape means you get a lot of volume for that length. I dunno, I think there's still a possibility that those are ships around the Broken Wind, but we'll probably find out soon enough.

<edit>


From the schlock facebook page:

Ah, thanks for that.

[tonberrian]

I wonder where Howard is going with this. It seems like he's doing some sort of serial escalation, and the only thing that I can think of that would fit next would be the Can. Of course, the Can is big enough that it would mess with Sol System's gravitational setup...

Also, Cindercrone is as big a moon. Granted, Daphnis (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daphnis_(moon)) is one of the smallest moons in Sol system, but still. Moon sized.

[Thomar_of_Uointer]

And none of the Toughs would ever be so reckless as to drive their ships that close to each other.

They're made of PTU material. The worst they could do is scratch the paint.

[factotum]

6m is about 20ft for example, and I'n not sure that sally port is more than 12ft.

I measured panel 3 with a ruler: on my screen, Sorlie on the right is about 12mm high, and the sally port visible above her is 44mm. So, unless Sorlie is only 4 feet tall, I think my estimate of 6m for the sally port is actually on the low side. :smallwink:

Mind you, I had no idea Cindercone was as big as 8km across--it was obvious in its previous appearance that it was considerably bigger than Broken Wind, but 16 times as big?

[HandofShadows]

Cindercone is eight km? :smalleek: You could pack battleplates inside of it. :smalleek: What they heck are they going to do with all that ability to haul freight? :smallconfused:

[Feddlefew]

Cindercone is eight km? :smalleek: You could pack battleplates inside of it. :smalleek: What they heck are they going to do with all that ability to haul freight? :smallconfused:

The builders had fabricators that ate planets. I'd imagine they'd need freighters that could ship the products to where they were needed.

Edit: Or did you mean the toughs? They'd probably put other, smaller ships inside it. Like battle plates.

[factotum]

You kind of have to wonder why the Toughs are even bothering being mercenaries anymore when they have such valuable ships--sell one of them and buy a nice little star system somewhere to settle down would be what I'd do if I had one of those! :smallwink:

[Cikomyr]

You kind of have to wonder why the Toughs are even bothering being mercenaries anymore when they have such valuable ships--sell one of them and buy a nice little star system somewhere to settle down would be what I'd do if I had one of those! :smallwink:

They already had their chance to retire and live a comfy life. In Peteytopia.

[HandofShadows]

They already had their chance to retire and live a comfy life. In Peteytopia.

Yeah. The Toughs want to be out there DOING things. And it's good they are. Because without them the everyone would be dead.

[toapat]

The builders had fabricators that ate planets. I'd imagine they'd need freighters that could ship the products to where they were needed.

Edit: Or did you mean the toughs? They'd probably put other, smaller ships inside it. Like battle plates.

cindercone is too small to hide a battleplate. remember that UNS plates are 8km to a side

[Cikomyr]

Do you think Cindercone could be rehauled as a 8km Annie-plant?

Thats about twice the diameter of the largest buildable UNS Annieplant...

[factotum]

No, because the size limit for annie plants comes because they get unstable as they get larger, not because they ran out of materials to build the exterior with.

[NEO|Phyte]

Do you think Cindercone could be rehauled as a 8km Annie-plant?

Thats about twice the diameter of the largest buildable UNS Annieplant...

I suspect that PTU purposed as hullmetal isn't quite up to spec for becoming an annieplant unless you melt it down, and at that point the fact that it was a ship ceases to matter

[Spojaz]

No, because the size limit for annie plants comes because they get unstable as they get larger, not because they ran out of materials to build the exterior with.

Little bit of column A little bit of column B.
Making huge annie plants is possible, but it is a feat unaccomplished in the current galactic civilization, because *nobody* has a legit non-doomsday use for that much raw power, as well as no government can afford to waste decades of their systems' trans-uranic alloy production on trial and error.

[BRC]

Little bit of column A little bit of column B.
Making huge annie plants is possible, but it is a feat unaccomplished in the current galactic civilization, because *nobody* has a legit non-doomsday use for that much raw power, as well as no government can afford to waste decades of their systems' trans-uranic alloy production on trial and error.

No, the Obenn built an obscenely huge annie-plant (I'm not archive diving for the page where they talk about it) and it exploded catastrophically.

Annie Plants get more efficient as they get bigger (So building 1 500m Annie plant is a better use of resources than two 250m Annie plants, provided you've got the space for it).

[Cikomyr]

No, the Obenn built an obscenely huge annie-plant (I'm not archive diving for the page where they talk about it) and it exploded catastrophically.

Annie Plants get more efficient as they get bigger (So building 1 500m Annie plant is a better use of resources than two 250m Annie plants, provided you've got the space for it).

It wasnt the O'Benn Tauunisgan(?) But their raptor ennemies, the Hrssk who built the megaannie. It was 302 km of diameter.

Oisiris was 10 times larger, which was almost 1000 bigger than the largest Annie plants the UNS can build.

Also, there is more mass in a 500m plant than 2x 250m ones. I dont remember the sphere volume number tho, but think you need something like 3.5 to 4 spheres of half the diameter to replicate the volume.

What you say about the efficiency is right, tho. Annie plants get exponentially more powerful as they grow in size.

[toapat]

What you say about the efficiency is right, tho. Annie plants get exponentially more powerful as they grow in size.

I went over this in the previous thread, trying to pick apart the facts from the in universe misconceptions or why matter annihilation can generate power on that scale.

Inaccuracies:

Annieplants dont use neutrinos as a reactant: these are the only things with the kind of abundance that would allow a non-diminishing return on something that you can keep scaling upwards, as well as being an abundant source of released energy from fission and fusion reactions. And there are virtually countless neutrino-generators in the milky way alone.

Annieplants scale forever: They dont, they simply get more efficient at collecting neutrinos. and because both cross section and hull thickness increase as the structure scales up, then the output does keep increasing as the thing scales up as opposed to downwards like normal RL reactors.

[Cikomyr]

I went over this in the previous thread, trying to pick apart the facts from the in universe misconceptions or why matter annihilation can generate power on that scale.

Inaccuracies:

Annieplants dont use neutrinos as a reactant: these are the only things with the kind of abundance that would allow a non-diminishing return on something that you can keep scaling upwards, as well as being an abundant source of released energy from fission and fusion reactions. And there are virtually countless neutrino-generators in the milky way alone.

Annieplants scale forever: They dont, they simply get more efficient at collecting neutrinos. and because both cross section and hull thickness increase as the structure scales up, then the output does keep increasing as the thing scales up as opposed to downwards like normal RL reactors.

Look. I am sure you are extremely knowledgeable of the topic in theoretical physics to be able to poke holes in the comic's science.

Me? I go with what the comic says, because the story is.going to follow the comic's own rules, regardless of what realscience might say about it.

The comic say bigger makes exponentially better, thats what I will be running with, period.

[factotum]

Oisiris was 10 times larger, which was almost 1000 bigger than the largest Annie plants the UNS can build.


But it was only a UNS theory that Oisri was an annie plant in the first place (mainly based on its abnormally high density for its size, I think), and I think that theory was pretty comprehensively shot down when a Pa'anuri came out of the thing!

[toapat]

But it was only a UNS theory that Oisri was an annie plant in the first place (mainly based on its abnormally high density for its size, I think), and I think that theory was pretty comprehensively shot down when a Pa'anuri came out of the thing!

it is an annie plant, just one designed for forming dark matter condensate instead of unbound gravitational waves

[HandofShadows]

You know, I don't think I have never seen this question asked. Why would someone build a HUGE device to make Dark Matter entities? :smallconfused:

[Alent]

You know, I don't think I have never seen this question asked. Why would someone build a HUGE device to make Dark Matter entities? :smallconfused:

If Teraporting kills you and you can't use the Zoojack gate because the gatekeepers have the gate closed, sending a cloning machine with the instructions, data, and engraved memories to clone you once it arrives at its destination is probably the best way to sneak into the Milky way unnoticed.

[factotum]

You know, I don't think I have never seen this question asked. Why would someone build a HUGE device to make Dark Matter entities? :smallconfused:

Because Dark Matter entities are huge and you couldn't create one in a small device? :smallsmile:

[Cikomyr]

Now that i think of it...

....the Oisiris Shell is still around, right? Thats an absurd amout of PTU

[Feddlefew]

You know, I don't think I have never seen this question asked. Why would someone build a HUGE device to make Dark Matter entities? :smallconfused:

Because only the shell was built, the rest is the Dark Matter equivalent of an estivating mated queen?

[Bulldog Psion]

So the Schlock RPG is going to be called "Planet Mercenary?"

I have to admit, while I'm excited about the game, I hate the title... :smallyuk:

[Welf]

I have the theory that Panuuri were the by-product of giant annie plants and Oisiris was a modified annie plant with dual use.

[Alent]

I have the theory that Panuuri were the by-product of giant annie plants and Oisiris was a modified annie plant with dual use.

I think they're evolved Oafans, since the surface of Oisri was essentially engraved with the same kind of memory storage that the Oafans use, and then there's that issue where Iafa can't remember what actually happened to the original Oafans.

[NEO|Phyte]

I think they're evolved Oafans, since the surface of Oisri was essentially engraved with the same kind of memory storage that the Oafans use, and then there's that issue where Iafa can't remember what actually happened to the original Oafans.

I am not an expert on such things, but how in the wide wide world of scifi do you evolve from baryonic to nonbaryonic matter?

[HandofShadows]

Going from baryonic to nonbaryonic, not through any natural process that's for sure.

As for the Oisri being Oafan, IIRC Oisri came from outside that galaxy.

[factotum]

I think it more likely that the ancient Oafans fought the Pa'anuri. Why else have that "no annie plants ever" rule on the can full'o'sky? It was because they didn't want to get found by them!

[ti'esar]

In fact, we know the ancient Oafans fought the Pa'anuri. (http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2014-02-28)

[The Glyphstone]

Interesting foreshadowing here, too. (http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2014-03-02) Ennesby is about to describe the weapons of Broken Wind - presumably eight hyperspace cannons - but Tagon cuts him off early.

[Landis963]

I just love that smirk on Karl's face. He knows durn well that taking this liberty was supremely unhelpful to the UNS, while still adhering to the terms of the contract.

[HandofShadows]

I just love that smirk on Karl's face. He knows durn well that taking this liberty was supremely unhelpful to the UNS, while still adhering to the terms of the contract.

Doing that also made the UNS a little less likely to start a war as well. Really, Petey must be very happy about all this.

[ryuplaneswalker]

I just love that smirk on Karl's face. He knows durn well that taking this liberty was supremely unhelpful to the UNS, while still adhering to the terms of the contract.

It somewhat worries me that the toughs are getting all of these really fun things, it means either they are going to fall hard and fast or they are going to go up against something that requires the use of all of those toys.

Neither of those options are remotely good.

[Landis963]

It somewhat worries me that the toughs are getting all of these really fun things, it means either they are going to fall hard and fast or they are going to go up against something that requires the use of all of those toys.

Neither of those options are remotely good.

It's true. Last time their karma was this good, Oisri happened.

[Nourjan]

The Toughs' reputation for employing sociopaths is much exaggerated, mostly being there to justify jokes about Schlock. Frankly, they're a bunch of pussycats, really, albeit pussycats with teeth. Kowalski is a sociopath, they way the Toughs aren't.

Apart from the time when they were shackled to Xinchub, how many times were the Toughs even in "morally grey" territory? After my recent reread, it seemed that for mercenaries -especially broke mercs, as they tend to be a lot- they've spent an unexpectedly large percentage of their time "on the side of the angles", and very little of the "kill people and break things only because we're paid to". A mad dog, even a controllable mad dog like Kowalski, just doesn't fit.

Come to think of it, for a bunch or purported socipaths they seem pretty well adjusted.The worst that I could remember them doing was what their current explosive specialist did with the buranabots.





Worst case scenario Kowalski costs Schlock an eye. and he has a tree for those now.


Granted, that's not even possible now.

What do you mean ? They still have the eye tree.




It wasnt the O'Benn Tauunisgan(?) But their raptor ennemies, the Hrssk who built the megaannie. It was 302 km of diameter.



Didn't the O'Benn have 10,000 km warship(s?) how big were the annie plants on that monstrosity?

[Marnath]

Didn't theO'Benn haave 10,000 km warship(s?) how big were the annie plants on that monstrosity?

Tiny, there were just a lot of them. That was the long ribbon shaped ship wasn't it?

[toapat]

It's true. Last time their karma was this good, Oisri happened.

the last time the toughs have had luck this good was book 1. And they road that gravy train a very long time. Broken Wind isnt nearly as powerful as Petey either (superfortress vs Dreadnought). I think in terms of power the ship is more comparable to the next evolution of Touch and Go, just with discontinuous particle lances as opposed to turreted ones.

16 oafan frigates is still a pretty massive amount of firepower compared to most of their ships. There are still threats to the toughs, but not on a level playingfield in space.

[ti'esar]

So speaking of firepower, who the heck are the Toughs procuring a battleplate for? The Neoafa? If so, what do they want it for?

[tonberrian]

the last time the toughs have had luck this good was book 1. And they road that gravy train a very long time. Broken Wind isnt nearly as powerful as Petey either (superfortress vs Dreadnought). I think in terms of power the ship is more comparable to the next evolution of Touch and Go, just with discontinuous particle lances as opposed to turreted ones.

16 oafan frigates is still a pretty massive amount of firepower compared to most of their ships. There are still threats to the toughs, but not on a level playingfield in space.

Lets be entirely fair. The Broken Wind with NUPSI cannons is as much a game changer as teraport-enabled Petey was pre-grand spamming, and nobody's invented kryptonite (http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2001-08-11) yet. The Toughs, if the wanted, could exceedingly easily do massive damage to the infrastructure of anything they put a mind to, including the UNS, all from whatever uncolonized world they find.

The only way to combat them would be to jump them, put up TAD, and have enough ablative fondant diplomats ships that eventually you could wear them down and carve your way into their exceedingly durable hull.

[The Glyphstone]

So speaking of firepower, who the heck are the Toughs procuring a battleplate for? The Neoafa? If so, what do they want it for?

Looking back at the beginning of the last book, yeah. The Neoafans wanted to buy a battleplate, trading a massive quantity of old hulls they didn't need for it. Specifically, the 'manufacturing capacity of a penta-class battleplate'. What they want it for, I have no idea, but I presume it's for the fabbers. They certainly don't need its guns.

[factotum]

You know something? I like Bala-Amin as well, she's fun. :smallwink:

[Radar]

You know something? I like Bala-Amin as well, she's fun. :smallwink:
Plus, she neatly combines sneaky and honest - unusual but a most welcome mix. :smallamused:

[ryuplaneswalker]

You know something? I like Bala-Amin as well, she's fun. :smallwink:

Hmm, I could do the sane thing..or...screw it! might as well get in on the ground floor of the insanity.

Bala-Amin/Tagon(the younger) OTP!

[toapat]

Looking back at the beginning of the last book, yeah. The Neoafans wanted to buy a battleplate, trading a massive quantity of old hulls they didn't need for it. Specifically, the 'manufacturing capacity of a penta-class battleplate'. What they want it for, I have no idea, but I presume it's for the fabbers. They certainly don't need its guns.

Its to fix the can and the fabber array that built the can. The Toughs dont have much use for the power projection of a battleplate when the only counter to them currently are LotA and Providentia Divina Or whatever petey named his own version of the DPAC

They also want Fabber they know is good vs the very ripe oafan ones

[Landis963]

It strikes me that the can, once purged of the myriad, highly lethal creatures that currently inhabit it, would be an excellent refugee camp, for pretty much everyone.

[Nourjan]

It strikes me that the can, once purged of the myriad, highly lethal creatures that currently inhabit it, would be an excellent refugee camp, for pretty much everyone.


Yeah, but I highly doubt The hive Collective ,Chinook or even Broke Wind would be okay with that idea.The Swarm and the can basically have the wildlife population in check so there no need for any extermination exercise. Besides, they can easily build a fortified settlement that is impregnable to the wildlifes.

[factotum]

Also, define *everyone*? The can full of sky is big, true, but we're talking 200 billion people living on Earth alone, and that's just one planet among many. Plus there's the enormous logistical problems entailed with trying to evacuate that many people!

[Landis963]

Also, define *everyone*? The can full of sky is big, true, but we're talking 200 billion people living on Earth alone, and that's just one planet among many. Plus there's the enormous logistical problems entailed with trying to evacuate that many people!

The can of sky is large enough for several battleplates to fly in. At once. And that's only the front door, the rest of the can is much, much larger. Surface area on the inside will not be a problem. I would not be surprised if everyone who made it to the can could be housed inside the can. Food might be a bigger issue, though, and the logistics of getting people there in the first place (Although widespread distribution of teraport coordinates might solve that problem handily).

[Grey_Wolf_c]

I think Karl has determined that if he wants grandchildren, he's gonna have to exemplify to his son both "how to get over those who have died" and "how to get women". I look forward to this dinner - although only because I also don't have to partake of the food.

GW

[ti'esar]

It would appear ryuplaneswalker picked the wrong Tagon.

[The Glyphstone]

I think Karl has determined that if he wants grandchildren, he's gonna have to exemplify to his son both "how to get over those who have died" and "how to get women". I look forward to this dinner - although only because I also don't have to partake of the food.

GW

Or he's decided that Kaff is a dead end on the grandchildren front and is aiming to start up a new family line. He's immortal now, so he's got the time.

[ryuplaneswalker]

It would appear ryuplaneswalker picked the wrong Tagon.

I was 50/50 on which one to go with as I couldn't find any information on Bala's age.

[Rakaydos]

I was 50/50 on which one to go with as I couldn't find any information on Bala's age.

"General" should have given a hint...

[ryuplaneswalker]

"General" should have given a hint...

Didn't Papa Tagon complain that if Kaff stayed in the military he would have had a higher rank thank captain? I would think that in terms of what he should be "General" would be a possibility.

[The Glyphstone]

Wasn't there an actual strip where Karl was scolding Kaff about his lack of accomplishment, listing how he'd gotten X rank by age X, and Tagon retorting that there was a war on when Karl was in the military?

[factotum]

He's immortal now, so he's got the time.

Eh? Where does it say that? :smallconfused:

[The Glyphstone]

Eh? Where does it say that? :smallconfused:

I assumed that the Toughs had gotten the longevity treatment. So maybe not immortal, but long-lived. Also, I could be wrong.

[Marnath]

Eh? Where does it say that? :smallconfused:

It was the end result of the story arc we just spent a year on?

[lord_khaine]

Wasn't there an actual strip where Karl was scolding Kaff about his lack of accomplishment, listing how he'd gotten X rank by age X, and Tagon retorting that there was a war on when Karl was in the military?

There was indeed, it were in one of the first pages where we saw the two Targons argue with each other. And it were directly retorted by Kaff about how there were both a war going on and how the military leadership had gotten nuked, leading to flash promotions for everyone.

[factotum]

It was the end result of the story arc we just spent a year on?

Really? I thought that story arc was all about Dom Atlantis being attacked by an unknown assailant and saved by the Toughs, but if you say it was entirely about longevity nanites (despite them being mentioned in maybe 2 strips over the whole year) I'll take your word for it. :smalltongue:

[Marnath]

Really? I thought that story arc was all about Dom Atlantis being attacked by an unknown assailant and saved by the Toughs, but if you say it was entirely about longevity nanites (despite them being mentioned in maybe 2 strips over the whole year) I'll take your word for it. :smalltongue:

No, it was not in fact all about them. But since I said end result, I'm actually still right, aren't I? :smalltongue:

[Welf]

I assumed that the Toughs had gotten the longevity treatment. So maybe not immortal, but long-lived. Also, I could be wrong.

Huh, that just made me realize that from now on humans aren't really "humans" anymore. So far they have been people like us (more or less), but in the future. But now they won't die unless they have an accident, or choose to get into a dangerous situation. They should have a quite a different approach to life, or will develop one.

[The Glyphstone]

Huh, that just made me realize that from now on humans aren't really "humans" anymore. So far they have been people like us (more or less), but in the future. But now they won't die unless they have an accident, or choose to get into a dangerous situation. They should have a quite a different approach to life, or will develop one.

And how does this change the Tough's existence or daily routine at all?

[Lizard Lord]

What do you mean ? They still have the eye tree.







Because Kowalski is safely captured and being sent to to Petey. So he is in no position to cost Schlock an eye.

[Landis963]

Elf, where exactly did you start your career with the Toughs? Oh, right, aboard the "Kitesfear." I fail to see how "Jumpstar Prime" is any worse than that. It's certainly a country mile better than "Post-Dated Check Loan."

[The Glyphstone]

Better than the Jumpstar Priwe.

[Kane]

I assumed that the Toughs had gotten the longevity treatment. So maybe not immortal, but long-lived. Also, I could be wrong.

Didn't they already have some PD-related knockoff of the Lazarus nannies anyway? Or were those removed at some point?

[Marnath]

Better than the Jumpstar Priwe.

Show of hands, who else around here flinched and said "Schlock, nooo..." when they saw this update? I know I did.:smallsigh:

[lord_khaine]

mmh.. i kinda think all the names are equally good or stupid.


Didn't they already have some PD-related knockoff of the Lazarus nannies anyway? Or were those removed at some point?

They had illegal military class soldier boosts. And Petey used a motified version of the Lazarus nannies to flush out their false memories, but from what i can tell they were newer actually given the nannies as an upgrade.

[toapat]

Better than the Jumpstar Priwe.

considering what the battleplate is definitely doing (and i called it), a bit of hull damage and some fresh paint wont be too big of a cost.

It looks like Schlock's 209 Knockoff currently has Ominous Hum and Practical fueling, which means we will probably see it submerged.

I kinda wish Schlock would either rely on more of his infinitely variable kit or get an all bells and whistles 250 the chainsaw was a neat addition but we havent seen him use the glaive beyond a few oneshot gags and the chainsaw is also never used

[John Campbell]

Elf, where exactly did you start your career with the Toughs? Oh, right, aboard the "Kitesfear." I fail to see how "Jumpstar Prime" is any worse than that. It's certainly a country mile better than "Post-Dated Check Loan."

Kitesfear is a fine name, if you don't think too hard about its actual meaning! Most of the Toughs are pretty good at not thinking too hard about things.

Post-Dated Check Loan... well, at least it was a Stick of Intolerable Insolence in the Ob'enn's collective eye.

[Bulldog Psion]

Considering the size of that battleplate, just how long did Schlock spend out there, anyway? Even for him, that looks like a multi-day task.

[Godskook]

Really? I thought that story arc was all about Dom Atlantis being attacked by an unknown assailant and saved by the Toughs, but if you say it was entirely about longevity nanites (despite them being mentioned in maybe 2 strips over the whole year) I'll take your word for it. :smalltongue:

Y'know, for as snarky as you're being....I gotta ask, how did you miss it?

The last arc had 2-3 major plot threads. 1)Secret plot to start civil war 2)Oafa selling PTUs to the government and 3)Making Breya decide on the longevity treatment. Depending on if you count 2 and 3 as the same or separate, the plot thread he's referencing takes up like.....a quarter to a half of the strips. This includes most-to-all of what Schlock is doing until he delivers Brey to Bunni. A good chunk of what Flinders and Trevor talk about prior to the secret plot coming onlne. Basically everything Breya and Haban2 do is related to it. Plus, plot #1 is basically there to be a counterpoint monster-of-the-week to this longevity treatment. So is Mako, really.

Oh, and also, what he's referencing is one of the oldest plot-lines in the entire comic(The Tough's first doctor had a good chunk of the research for the Lazurus project, which is where basically all the notable soldier nannies have been coming from), and Delegates & Delegation resolved a lot of it.

[tonberrian]

I wish this thread was starting today, so we could name it JUMPSTAR!

[Alent]

I wish this thread was starting today, so we could name it JUMPSTAR!

Clearly, we were missing something wonderful.

Alternatively, the Intel we had was not the intel we wanted.

[Brance_a_Lot]

You know JUMPSTAR will, hopefully, last longer than their other ships, mainly because everyone hates the name! :smallbiggrin:

[The Glyphstone]

Or because it's a genuine capital ship. With the exception of Broken Wind and its haxxor cannons, this is the single biggest and most powerful ship the Toughs have ever even temporarily commanded.

[ti'esar]

I don't know why Elf is so up in arms about JUMPSTAR anyway.

[Godskook]

Or because it's a genuine capital ship. With the exception of Broken Wind and its haxxor cannons, this is the single biggest and most powerful ship the Toughs have ever even temporarily commanded.

PDCL was about a kilometer in size, giving it a primary that's over 500 meters by a conservative estimate. Jumpstar Priwe is 4 kilometers on a side, and 400 meters tall. By best guess, I'd call those 600 meter primaries. Point being, while Jumpstar Priwe is definitely the biggest ship, PDCL was equally something to be called a capital ship.

[factotum]

Something's just occurred to me. The being that the Doctor is so determined to revive--the silhouette in the background of the last panel of Monday's strip definitely looks familiar!

[lord_khaine]

Oh yes, we have been teased several times with this shape now, if the doctor manages it then i certainly suspect we might get a few very interesting tales out of it.

[Marnath]

PDCL was about a kilometer in size, giving it a primary that's over 500 meters by a conservative estimate. Jumpstar Priwe is 4 kilometers on a side, and 400 meters tall. By best guess, I'd call those 600 meter primaries. Point being, while Jumpstar Priwe is definitely the biggest ship, PDCL was equally something to be called a capital ship.

I found a picture (http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2003-09-21) for reference if anyone cares.

[HandofShadows]

Something's just occurred to me. The being that the Doctor is so determined to revive--the silhouette in the background of the last panel of Monday's strip definitely looks familiar!

Yep. I wonder how Broken Wind will feel to meet someone a lot older for the first time. :smallamused:

[The Glyphstone]

PDCL was about a kilometer in size, giving it a primary that's over 500 meters by a conservative estimate. Jumpstar Priwe is 4 kilometers on a side, and 400 meters tall. By best guess, I'd call those 600 meter primaries. Point being, while Jumpstar Priwe is definitely the biggest ship, PDCL was equally something to be called a capital ship.

I feel very dumb now. I have no idea how I forgot about PDCL.

[Gez]

Elf, where exactly did you start your career with the Toughs? Oh, right, aboard the "Kitesfear." I fail to see how "Jumpstar Prime" is any worse than that. It's certainly a country mile better than "Post-Dated Check Loan."

Post-Dated Check Loan, Serial Peacemaker, Touch-and-Go, Jumpstart Primer, all have the same kind of slightly self-deprecative sense of humor behind them. Jumpstar Prime is not humorous, it's just childish.

[ryuplaneswalker]

Yep. I wonder how Broken Wind will feel to meet someone a lot older for the first time. :smallamused:

Are the Vog as old as Broken Wind?

[tonberrian]

Are the Vog as old as Broken Wind?

Older. Rod himself claimed to be over ten million years old personally (http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2002-03-28), and the Bradicor were much older than that. I highly doubt Broken Wind was operating for millions of years before being mothballed.

Edit: Bradicor, not Vog. Vog was the Tough's Bradicor.

[Radar]

Older. Rod himself claimed to be over ten million years old personally (http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2002-03-28), and the Bradicor were much older than that. I highly doubt Broken Wind was operating for millions of years before being mothballed.

Edit: Bradicor, not Vog. Vog was the Tough's Bradicor.
I've read a bit further from that point and look, what I found:
http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2002-04-01
April fools then, reality now, eh?

[NEO|Phyte]

I've read a bit further from that point and look, what I found:
http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2002-04-01
April fools then, reality now, eh?

There's a bit of a difference between extreme longevity and immortality, though I suppose we don't know how much of lazrus's back up your brain bits were tied in with the (removed from the publicly released version) weaponization packages, so maybe that stuff is still in there too.

[Godskook]

I've read a bit further from that point and look, what I found:
http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2002-04-01
April fools then, reality now, eh?

I'm reasonably sure that immortality nannites were already something he was planning for back then. Especially considering that the tech involved is the tech that dead guy designed.

[Grey_Wolf_c]

Is it just me, or does Thurl looks older? Strange, given that the entire human race is now ageless.

GW

[Alent]

Is it just me, or does Thurl looks older? Strange, given that the entire human race is now ageless.

GW

My perception is that there hasn't really been time for anything to happen on that note. Note that on several occasions the point was made that there was an immediate PTU need introduced by the longevity nanite treatment. No small quantity of those hulls is going to go into making the microannies for the nanites for the treatment itself.

We will probably either see a slow shift towards younger ages or the emergence of age as a conscious decision once the longevity treatment begins to filter through society.

[Grey_Wolf_c]

No small quantity of those hulls is going to go into making the microannies for the nanites for the treatment itself.

Did I miss that deatail? My understanding is that the hulls are not to produce the treatment, but to expand the economy enough to soften the blow of lack of death (i.e. the massive population boom that is about to start).

GW

[Godskook]

Did I miss that deatail? My understanding is that the hulls are not to produce the treatment, but to expand the economy enough to soften the blow of lack of death (i.e. the massive population boom that is about to start).

GW

This is, overall, my understanding as well. Well, that and help deal with the shortage of PTUs that Sol was already facing from various other reasons. (http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2014-07-13)

[Alent]

This is, overall, my understanding as well. Well, that and help deal with the shortage of PTUs that Sol was already facing from various other reasons. (http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2014-07-13)

It was my interpretation that the Chester and Bala-Amin show on Neoafan kindness (http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2014-12-05) meant there was an immediate material need introduced by the Neoafan longevity solution.

Edit: although, as an "I shouldn't have hit post yet" grade afterthought, the lack of any specifics on the part of all parties really does leave it up in the air. *rimshot*

[Godskook]

It was my interpretation that the Chester and Bala-Amin show on Neoafan kindness (http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2014-12-05) meant there was an immediate material need introduced by the Neoafan longevity solution.

Edit: although, as an "I shouldn't have hit post yet" grade afterthought, the lack of any specifics on the part of all parties really does leave it up in the air. *rimshot*

Iirc, it was covered back in the previous book, between various people aboard the Bristlecone, that PTUs have a fundamental supply/demand issue in people's infrastructure. You need PTUs to create Annies, but you basically need Annies to create a reasonable amount of PTUs. Thus, your supply of PTUs is directly correlated with the amount of PTUs you already have on hand. I -assumed- that this conversation between Chester and Bala-Amin was referencing the foreshadowed PTU bootstrap problem. Ah, found it. (http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2013-09-13)

Obviously, there had to be another method for constructing PTUs, but I'm going to assume, based on the fact that Annies have supplanted every other form of engine, that whatever previous method existed, it is too inefficient to be practical once you've entered a PTU-based economy.

[factotum]

Is it just me, or does Thurl looks older? Strange, given that the entire human race is now ageless.


Yes, I thought that. In Thurl's case he might simply look older because of what he's been through--I'm sure having your head twisted off your neck by an insane AI isn't the sort of thing that keeps you young and fresh, you know?

Oh, and the "entire human race" is definitely not ageless yet. It's going to take a long time for the Oafan nannie-treatment to spread out into the population at large--I would imagine that it's going to be the powerful and wealthy who get it first.

[Godskook]

Oh, and the "entire human race" is definitely not ageless yet. It's going to take a long time for the Oafan nannie-treatment to spread out into the population at large--I would imagine that it's going to be the powerful and wealthy who get it first.

This is a good point, we don't know how long it is going to take to distribute the longevity treatment, nor do we know how far into that process they've gotten yet.

[halfeye]

Oh, and the "entire human race" is definitely not ageless yet. It's going to take a long time for the Oafan nannie-treatment to spread out into the population at large--I would imagine that it's going to be the powerful and wealthy who get it first.
Are the nannies self generating? Because if they have to be manufactured for everyone, then that will take a very long time, but if they spread like a cold, that would only take a relatively short time.

[Marnath]

Is it just me, or does Thurl looks older? Strange, given that the entire human race is now ageless.

GW

Perhaps there's been a slight art-style shift since we last saw him? it has been a few years.

[factotum]

Are the nannies self generating? Because if they have to be manufactured for everyone, then that will take a very long time, but if they spread like a cold, that would only take a relatively short time.

I don't think anyone would design booster nannies that spread outside their original host--would be a bit dangerous!

[SlyGuyMcFly]

I don't think anyone would design booster nannies that spread outside their original host--would be a bit dangerous!

For some people "it would be dangerous" is the best reason to design something. :smallamused:

[Landis963]

For some people "it would be dangerous" is the best reason to design something. :smallamused:

What's the Maxim that bastardizes Clarke's Third Law?

[Calemyr]

What's the Maxim that bastardizes Clarke's Third Law?

"Any gun of sufficient size is absolutely magical." Kidding, of course.

[Landis963]

"Any gun of sufficient size is absolutely magical." Kidding, of course.

:smallwink: I see what you did there.

After a spot of research, It is Maxim 24: "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from a big gun."

[Grey_Wolf_c]

Oh, and the "entire human race" is definitely not ageless yet. It's going to take a long time for the Oafan nannie-treatment to spread out into the population at large--I would imagine that it's going to be the powerful and wealthy who get it first.

Powerful, maybe, but since the treatment is supposed to be free, the wealthy should not necessarily be at the front (I mean, other than wealthy individuals with connections to get themselves to the front of the line; there do tend to be a strong correlation between both).

I'd imagine that oldest people closest to dying would be at the front of the list, though, especially since the human government is currently headed by Breya.

GW

[tonberrian]

Iirc, it was covered back in the previous book, between various people aboard the Bristlecone, that PTUs have a fundamental supply/demand issue in people's infrastructure. You need PTUs to create Annies, but you basically need Annies to create a reasonable amount of PTUs. Thus, your supply of PTUs is directly correlated with the amount of PTUs you already have on hand. I -assumed- that this conversation between Chester and Bala-Amin was referencing the foreshadowed PTU bootstrap problem. Ah, found it. (http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2013-09-13)

Obviously, there had to be another method for constructing PTUs, but I'm going to assume, based on the fact that Annies have supplanted every other form of engine, that whatever previous method existed, it is too inefficient to be practical once you've entered a PTU-based economy.

That's basically what that strip is saying. Presumably, through extensive particle acceleration one could start developing enough ptus to build a micro-annihilator macro-molecule matrix. But making anything through particle acceleration is really slow. And then there's waste from failed experiments when the macro-molecule fails, and finding the right balance of shell, fuel, and precision for your startup annihilator.

So either the Oafans are really really old as a species (like billions of years before falling asleep), or they developed an even easier way to make PTUs than annie plants. Or there's something else more mysterious. Any way you cut it, something's weird with the Oafan abundance of PTUs.

Edit: It occurs to me that Gatekeeper wormhole copy-tech would out-manufacture annie plants with fabbers. I'm putting my bet on something like that.

[factotum]

I'm pretty sure it's already established the Oafans had some easier method of making PTUs, because they couldn't have built the can full of sky in less time than the age of the universe otherwise. That's why the UNS were interested in studying those ships intact, because they hoped to gain some clues as to how they were built!

[SlyGuyMcFly]

I'm pretty sure it's already established the Oafans had some easier method of making PTUs, because they couldn't have built the can full of sky in less time than the age of the universe otherwise. That's why the UNS were interested in studying those ships intact, because they hoped to gain some clues as to how they were built!

All the UNS needs to do is keep a close eye on what the Oafans do with the gigantic fabber they just bought. "Jumpstart Primer"? I'll bet a dozen chupaquesos that the Oafan's have remembered how they bootstrapped their PTU production in the first place and are about to do it again.

[Landis963]

All the UNS needs to do is keep a close eye on what the Oafans do with the gigantic fabber they just bought. "Jumpstart Primer"? I'll bet a dozen chupaquesos that the Oafan's have remembered how they bootstrapped their PTU production in the first place and are about to do it again.

Well, I wish them good luck with that. Spies have infiltrated the Toughs before, but with an outed spy and several former analysts on payroll, they'll have a hard time getting in and staying in nowadays. As for bugs, the "Jumpstar Prime" is being swept for them during the dinner party. (I suspect that's at least a third of the point of the party, the others being "preserving good surface relations with the UNS" and "Flirting with the General.")

[Godskook]

I'm pretty sure it's already established the Oafans had some easier method of making PTUs, because they couldn't have built the can full of sky in less time than the age of the universe otherwise. That's why the UNS were interested in studying those ships intact, because they hoped to gain some clues as to how they were built!

1.I don't recall that being established, but if you can find a source.

2.Afaik, the reason Sol wanted the ships intact was to find more clever blueprints like the NUSPI, maybe a few salvagable for combat.

[tonberrian]

Oh, Schlock. You need to trust your instincts more.

[Wayson]

Oh, Schlock. You need to trust your instincts more.

But the treat! At least that's real! Right? ... Right?!

:smalleek:

[factotum]

1.I don't recall that being established, but if you can find a source.


Here:

http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2013-09-13

[Godskook]

Here:

http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2013-09-13

That doesn't establish that the Oafan's have a faster method. I can see how you thought it might, but it doesn't. First, you and I don't actually know how old the Schlock universe is, and while most Earth-based truths are considered canon, explanations for events outside our solar system can't be treated as fact in-universe, such as how old scientists currently think the universe is. Basically, there's multiple interpretations to why the Oafan's have an absurd amount of PTUs, and "they've been around for a long time" is at least as good a theory as any. Second, the only thing the speaker knows is how much PTUs he's dealing with. He doesn't know how long the Oafa were around, nor even if they were an "early" species, on the universe time-scale. Even if he outright said "there's no way they built this with Annies", he could still be wrong about that.

[Cikomyr]

Somebody has taken Wisdom as their dump stat...

[Grey_Wolf_c]

Here:

http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2013-09-13

I agree with Godskook: that doesn't imply or even suggest to me that the Oafans had an easier method than annie plants, only that they had: 1) more time or 2) more/better annie plants than Sol. I'll grant you that the "better" annie plant could be some other manufacturing process entirely, but we already know that the current size limits on annie construction are due to engineering rather than due to physics.

Grey Wolf

[Alent]

I agree with Godskook: that doesn't imply or even suggest to me that the Oafans had an easier method than annie plants, only that they had: 1) more time or 2) more/better annie plants than Sol. I'll grant you that the "better" annie plant could be some other manufacturing process entirely, but we already know that the current size limits on annie construction are due to engineering rather than due to physics.

Grey Wolf

There's also a Chekov's gun fired when Maia mentions before they enter Eina'Afa that the original Oafan homeworld is "long gone, ever DARK" and later Trevor comments that Earth could possibly make something like Eina'Afa around the same time as the entropic heat death of the sun.

This is kind of why I'm thinking that the Oafans and Paan'uri are related somehow. There's quite a bit to suggest "They aren't from around here" and the original Oafan extinction is a lampshaded mystery.

[ryuplaneswalker]

Somebody has taken Wisdom as their dump stat...

I imagine in DnD terms, the Amorph species as a whole have a racial penalty to Wisdom considering the discussion on Amorph Physiology and the effects it might have on how he processes memory.

[guttering flame]

So what is 'Commissary 14'?

[memnarch]

So what is 'Commissary 14'?

Well, a commissary is "a store that sells food and basic household supplies on a military base or in a prison", so........

[Wayson]

So what is 'Commissary 14'?

A battleplate has A LOT of people on it, normally. Dependents, military personnel, etc. It's only logical that they'd need multiple commissaries to avoid a single one being swarmed nonstop (e.g. Wal Mart on Black Friday, but EVERY DAY). Schlock is being offered the contents of an entire commissary as a bribe. :O If you don't know what a commissary is, it's the military base version of a supermarket.

[CarpeGuitarrem]

So I was binging recently, and Howard's post about his narrative conventions (http://www.schlockmercenary.com/blog/border-between-books-15-16) was pretty neat. I definitely appreciate how he doesn't suddenly pull plot threads out of the distant past, because it's a bear to keep track of years of daily plot.

[ti'esar]

So one thing I don't quite get about this subplot: how exactly did Vog wind up this way anyway? The whole reason he originally wound up with Emm and her group was that she preferred having a willing advisor to vivisecting Schlock. (http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2008-02-11)

[NEO|Phyte]

So one thing I don't quite get about this subplot: how exactly did Vog wind up this way anyway? The whole reason he originally wound up with Emm and her group was that she preferred having a willing advisor to vivisecting Schlock. (http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2008-02-11)

Consider the type of person Emm is, and you'll probably have your answer. Hell, Bunnigus wanted a look at Vog's brain after hearing about it.
:edit: also, if you look closely, she doesn't say a willing advisor, just "willing help with project laz'r'us". I suspect that Vog was always destined for that tank, Emm just pretended otherwise until the Toughs were off on their merry way.

[Marnath]

Why does the doctor say it's surprising how much Vog's brain is like Schlock? His people accidentally created the Amorphs after their spare tubs of brain goo evolved. We already knew it was literally the same substance. :smallconfused:

[memnarch]

Why does the doctor say it's surprising how much Vog's brain is like Schlock? His people accidentally created the Amorphs after their spare tubs of brain goo evolved. We already knew it was literally the same substance. :smallconfused:

Not quite. Amorphs started as self-repairing distributed storage systems for supercomputers (http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2001-12-16). That's a little different than a selectively engineered matrix made of similar material (http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2007-09-02).

[Mando Knight]

Also, when developing a "self-repairing distributed storage system" for a computer, making something that functions like your species' brains is a fairly good place to start.

[guttering flame]

I'm thinking the fleet doctor wanted to get rid of the competition after Vog's little speech. Lesson: don't try to make waves if you don't have the firepower to back it up.