One of the Scientist Schismatics on Heinlein Stronghold needs help with a prototype. This promises to be an informative, lucrative, and potentially deadly affair. Interested?
Level: 13
Start: Malleable Dolomite, University, Heinlein Stronghold
Introduction
Greta Thunberg, the planetoid Heinlein Stronghold orbits is currently dancing a complicated circumbinary waltz with Sirius A and B. She takes up two thirds of the station's translucent view surface high above you. It is a quiet segment and you notice most eyes are cast upwards enjoying the aforementioned view. It is this exact fact that brings to your attention the one pair of eyes not currently enjoying the moment of celestial zen. Rather, this pair, framed by wild strands of wavy, neon colored hair, seem to be fixed directly on you.
On noticing your observation of their scrutiny of you, they light up and the lips beneath them grin in your direction. The enigmatic woman dressed in some sort of eccentric lab coat waves at you as her grin widens in enthusiasm. A moment later, though she stands just eight or nine meters away, your CORETECHS informs you that Malleable Dolomite, the name currently orbiting her head on your digital spectrum, is calling.
You have accepted the "Individual Granted Objective Responsibility" mission.
- Do not answer the call.
- "Don't I know you?"
Do not answer:
You decline to answer the call and start to walk away. You look at Dr Malleable Dolomite who shrugs and waves, only slightly losing her smile.
You have failed the "Individual Granted Objective Responsibility" mission. You can retake this mission and try again.
Don't I know you:
Malleable's smile widens even further, rivaling the display of light coming from the view above in the amount it dazzles. On your CORETECHS, she replies:
Malleable Dolomite: I was hoping you recognized me! You were at the water caller during our recent debate on the station problems. Great work by the way! Moss the Maddest, of course, was not the only one to notice you. You certainly have been gettin' around, haven't you, hon?
Dr Dolomite takes a moment to admire the view above before continuing. The colors and sounds of the University of C.O.A.L H.I.L.L around you are muted, thanks to your CORETECHS' call focus function. Nevertheless, there is a kind of thrilling ambiance to the surroundings.
Malleable Dolomite: Just as Moss no doubt reckoned, I too recognize in you a unique opportunity. You're clearly a person of some skill, based on your past exploits, and you are also very clearly NOT a Scientist Schematic. IE, you are purse in your objectivity!
- "Why the CORETECHS call? You're five meters away."
- "You have a fairly…erm, unique name."
- "Scientist Schismatic? Could you remind me…?"
Remind:
Malleable Dolomite: Oh heck, that's no worry, darling. You aren't expected to keep track of our wacky clubs and organizations! That's part of why I think you're perfect for this gig! You don't even know us!
Malleable Dolomite: The Schismatics are a bunch of hothead scientists and inventors, and I'm absotivly including myself in that descriptive, who've found their way over to Heinlein due to the lack of any type of regulatory body within the Apples of Discord. In short, we love the idea of researching, experimenting, and inventing to our hearts content without anyone lookin' over our collective shoulder!
Dr Dolomite's immense shoulders heave slightly as she lets out a small chuckle that may or may not have registered on the station's Richter scale.
Malleable Dolomite: As you can imagine, this of course, leads to all sortsa interesting and high-falootin' shenanigans between us. Lack of regulation, we find, breaks barriers, breeds creativity and ingenuity, and allows us to go so much farther! It also allows emotion to come into play…
Malleable Dolomite: When you take a group of stuffy, mostly socially inept science types and give them a god-complex…weeeell, things can occasionally get violent in all sorts of interesting and inventive ways!
- "Why the CORETECHS call? You're five meters away."
- "Ok, so what do you want?"
- "Apples of Discord?"
- "You have a fairly…erm, unique name."
- "Hold up, what exactly will I be doing?"
Apples of Discord:
Malleable Dolomite: Freebooter nomenclature for the Sirius System. A little joke, with some old Terran mythological themes, pokin' fun at the potential mutually assured destruction that the Freebooter higher ups of this quadrant use to keep the Consortium and Gaule Protectorate at bay. Should be some detailed info on that in your Archive, check under 'The Sirius System.'
- "Why the CORETECHS call? You're five meters away."
- "Ok, so what do you want?"
- "You have a fairly…erm, unique name."
- "Hold up, what exactly will I be doing?"
Why CORETECHS:
Malleable Dolomite: Well…because…science! Why do something the plain, old, normal way when you can do it in an easier and tech-savvy fashion! Also…I'm shy.
- "Ok, so what do you want?"
- "You have a fairly…erm, unique name."
- "Hold up, what exactly will I be doing?"
Unique name:
Dr Dolomite kicks at an errant pebble and feigns coyness.
Malleable Dolomite: Aww, shucks! Thanks, sugar! But all us Freebooters do. See, freebootin', as a way of life, tends to very much be about reinventing yourself. And when I say new, we go all in! It's most often either words we like the sound of, or a meaning that we feel informs our person, or the person we aspire to be. But almost always, it's not something you'd ever hear as a name somewhere else!
- "Ok, so what do you want?"
- "Hold up, what exactly will I be doing?"
What do you want:
Malleable Dolomite: I want your objectivity and your prowess! I have a working prototype on a piece I have been tinkering with for almost ten cycles now. She's a beaut! And she has a hefty number of potential uses. All I need is for you to put her through the ringer, so to speak. This'll help me find what her optimal utilization should be.
Malleable Dolomite: You would be my Individual Granted Objective Responsibility! (I know, pretty snazzy!) If you're up for it, just head to the Playground and I'll set you up with a connection subroutine so you can initiate manual control. Oh, and it goes without saying that there'll be a pretty credit in it for you at the end. Unsanctioned science pays well!
Hold up:
Malleable's smile upgrades to a slightly mischievous grin before she answers, her voice sounding playful in your CORETECHS.
Malleable Dolomite: Spoilers, sweetie! I don't want to ruin the surprise (or your valuable objectivity). Suffice to say you should be in no danger and you can, of course, quit any time your heart desires.
Either choice continues:
Head to the ruins, locally known as the Playground, on Heinlein Stronghold to begin Malleable's experiment.
Next area: Ruins, Heinlein Stronghold
- Let Malleable know you're ready to begin.
The Playground, as Heinlein Strongholdians playfully refer to the ruins of the once main metropolis of the station, is a colorful landscape indeed. The broken city, set atop tiered levels, is littered with the detritus of thousands of old experiments and their various results. A multitude of muffled explosions, crackling energy bursts, and different kinds of sizzling occasionally punctuate the fact that this is an ever-present state of affairs.
You inform Dr Dolomite of your readiness and she promptly rejoins you via CORETECHS.
Malleable Dolomite: Long time, sugar-ray! Give me a moment to initialize the connection to your CORETECHS. There! You should have an incoming request now.
As promised, your CORETECHS soon notifies you of an incoming network request from something called, 'GOLEM.'
- Accept the incoming request.
- "Whaaat is a sugar-ray?"
Sugar-ray:
Malleable Dolomite: Well, theoretically it would be a ray that produces something as sweet as sugar! Or perhaps turns its target into sugar? I'm unsure as to the actual application. Needless to say, it is something very sweet, and something that needs to be invented post-haste!
- Accept the incoming request.
You accept the request, possibly wondering what you're about to get yourself into, and a new overlay appears onto your field of view. The background of your line of sight is still visible, but focusing on the overlay itself brings it into focus, allowing you to see from a new point of view!
You switch between the two views for awhile, adjusting to the fact of looking through something else's perception and marvel at the smoothness of the transition. After a moment, you stop and let yourself actually study what you can see from the second point of view.
You note a different angle of the landscape around you, possibly from a higher vantage point. You can see various buildings below you and even a lone figure standing among the debris of the city. On a hunch, you wave your hand.
The little figure in your field of view waves its hand. You seem to be looking at yourself from above!
You switch back to your own view and, after a moment's scrutiny, finally spot what appears to be some kind of robotic being barely visible on an outcropping of a ruined building towering above you.
- "Ok, so what now?"
- "Woah…"
Woah:
You can almost hear the proud grin as Malleable responds…
Malleable Dolomite: I know, right! Ain't she a beaut? I call her my Ganking or Labor Enhancement Mechanism! Or…GOLEM.
- "Ok, so what now?"
Malleable Dolomite: Now we begin the tests! And I want you to try and stay both objective as well as open-minded. See how she feels to maneuver, to manipulate, are the haptics good, too much, etc.
Malleable Dolomite: So, nearby inside the building just to the left of you, actually the Golem, stage-left if you will, is a little obstacle course. I say obstacle, I obviously mean deadly security system with lots of flesh-melting guns and traps! Get my girl through that, preferably with as much machine carnage as you can muster!
Complete Malleable's obtacle course.
- Spend a segment getting used to the Golem.
- Head straight to the 'obstacle course'.
Spend a segment:
You decide to get a grip on Golem's functions before you head into the building Malleable mentioned. You immediately note how responsive and intuitive the controls are, marveling at Dr Dolomite's design.
Golem moves fluidly, stepping from the broken outcropping to another quite nimbly. You spin her and leap to the next balcony easily. Then, on a hunch, you step off the ledge.
Automated boosters suddenly kick in, with smaller jets in Golem's hands and feet kicking in to steady you. You are airborne!
You spend the next segment gliding, dodging, and swooping around. Soon, you feel quite adept at manipulating the Golem, though you suspect a lot of this is down to her design!
After some time of this, you head into the building that Dolomite mentioned, flying through an open arch on the 17th floor. Inside you are met with a deadly looking gauntlet of security devices.
Head straight:
You move Golem towards the building Dr Dolomite described. You are both shocked and impressed to discover she can fly, gliding from her perch to an open arch on the opposite block's 17th floor.
Inside you are met with a deadly looking gauntlet of security devices.
- Utilize Golem's many functions to fight through the gauntlet.
- Weave through the gauntlet without causing any damage. (only if you got used to the Golem)
- Golem SMASH!
Weave:
(Agility check)
With a surge of plasma powered agility, Golem dives towards the gauntlet. At your deft maneuvering, she dodges, dips, dives, ducks, and dodges some more to weave a complex dance of avoidance throughout the deadly course of security systems ahead!
You note, as you air-pirouette through the collection of turrets, energy conduits, and moving walls, each seeking to end Golem in an unceremonious manner, that each avoided obstacle is met with a less than enthusiastic, 'hurumph' on your CORETECHS.
As you reach the end of the area both unscathed and having caused no damage, a sardonic remark from Dr Dolomite seems to confirm this.
Malleable Dolomite: Well now, not too shabby. Considerably less carnage than I was a-hopin' for…
SMASH:
(Strength check)
Failure:
It seems that the complex nature of Golem's Haptic systems require much more strength output coming from the 'driver' than you anticipated. Try harder!
Success:
You brace yourself and move your own limbs, channeling as much strength as you can muster into your movements. You feel a thrilling exhilaration at the feedback of power that you observe through Golem's actions, exponentially increasing the energy you put into each action.
You clumsily move Golem towards into the trap laden gauntlet and proceed to simply smash your way through, crushing turrets, punching apart conduits, and, at one point, even juggernauting right through a descending wall trap! Each pulverized obstacle elicits a cackle of glee on your CORETECHS. At the end, the gauntlet is laid to waste, though Golem has suffered a not insignificant amount of damage as well.
Malleable Dolomite: Well now, that certainly lacked a certain amount of graceful strategy. Can't say it wasn't effective though!
Many functions:
(Intelligence check)
If you got used to the Golem:
Having spent some time aquainting yourself with her, you expertly manage to utilize a number of functionalities that seem to pop up intuitively on Golem's interface whenever you encounter a different obstacle.
If not:
You just barely manage to utilize a number of functionalities that seem to pop up intuitively on Golem's interface whenever you encounter a different obstacle.
Either way continues:
An electricity turret brings up an option to deploy something called a Faraday Grenade. This launches an object that lands between the various turrets and grounds their lethal bursts of electrical discharge!
Beyond that level, the ceiling overhead slams down, attempting to crush Golem. You quickly manage to initiate a new option named Crushing Wall Neutralizer that has Golem drop to one knee and detach what appears to be a heavily reinforced rivet from her back, anchoring it to the floor and allowing you to safely bypass the rapidly descending part of the building!
The next phase includes a number of automated turrets, each deploying various levels of lethal ordnance. A pop-up labeled Not So Decoy, Decoys has Golem discharge a number of flying projectiles that seem to attract the turrets gunfire, wiping many out with the resulting friendly fire, before then buzzing towards the remaining turrets and exploding!
Several more security measures through this lethal gauntlet are each met with equally creative as well as intuitively summoned solutions, each one eliciting whoops of glee from Malleable in your CORETECHS.. After a long segment, you seem to have reached the end of the course and into the heart of the building!
All paths continue:
You note, however, that the interior seems to be some sort of laboratory. This fact is confirmed by a hologram that pops up, presumably triggered by Golem's presence, informing you that you are currently trespassing in one of Professor Panthus Neutrino's many off-site labs.
- ""Soooo that wasn't your security system huh?"
- "Alright, I'm through to somebody else's lab."
Wasn't yours:
Malleable Dolomite: Soooo I never said it was, did I? And yes, in case you were thinking it, I can confirm I am currently wearing a fairly smug grin. Beautifully done by the way! I was watching through Golem's eyes (so to speak).
Malleable stops to allow a pause so pregnant it would be in its third trimester. She holds the silence for a dramatic moment before continuing.
Malleable Dolomite: Sooooo, since you're here…what do you say we trash the place!?
I'm through:
Malleable Dolomite: Well, now since we came all this way…no sense in wasting an opportunity! What say you trash the place?"
Both paths continue:
- "erm…no."
- "Why would you trash someone else's lab?" (only if you said the lab wasn't hers)
- "Sure, sounds like fun!"
Why:
Malleable Dolomite: No particular reason. It's just the nature of scientific discourse here on Heinlein! Us Schismatics tend to be a volatile lot, the competition brings out both a heck of a lot of drive and passion, and just a smidgen of the occasional bit of randomized, good-natured, violence!
Malleable Dolomite: Basically, any time we find ourselves in the position to set each other back a little or knock someone down a peg or three, we take it! Reckon it keeps us on our scientific toes, so to speak.
- "erm…no."
- "Sure, sounds like fun!"
No:
Malleable Dolomite: Not willing to be manipulated into doing other folks dirty work? Well fair enough, guess I can respect that! In that case, no small but potentially satisfying violent interlude. Let's move onto phase two!
Sure:
Malleable Dolomite: Whooey! Atta-go you!
Malleable Dolomite whoops her approval loudly in your CORETECHS as you begin to lay about the lab around you. Golem's combative capabilities really enhance the level of destruction you can produce and you can't help but feel a certain amount of stress relief as you raze the makeshift lab to the ground.
When you finally finish, the lab lies in ruins. The hologram of Phantus Neutrino, now barely functional, sputters and loops its earlier message and, to your eye, gazes at you with reproachful disappointment.
Malleable Dolomite: Whoah! Sugar-Ray you sure do have a hidden talent for destruction and demolition! I mean, smog's clogs that was almost artistry! A real beauty to your madness, so to speak!
Either choice continues:
Malleable Dolomite: With Golem's combat protocols thoroughly tested, I also want to get an idea of her utility capabilities. As luck would have it, I've noticed a tiny inconsistency in the station's atmospheric readings. Not big enough to warrant an emergency, but should serve our purposes as a little mystery to solve!
If you didn't trash the lab:
Malleable Dolomite: So go on, git! Use Golem to scour the station for the atmospheric bogey and see if you can't figure out the cause and a solution!
If you did:
Malleable Dolomite: If you can use Golem to scour the station for the atmospheric bogey, I'll crunch the numbers on Golem's combative performance.
Both paths continue:
Search Heinlein Stronghold for Malleable's atmospheric inconsistency.
Next area: Government Center, Heinlein Stronghold
- Scan for the atmospheric inconsistency.
OR
Next area: Market, Heinlein Stronghold
- Scan for the atmospheric inconsistency.
OR
Next area: Port, Heinlein Stronghold
- Scan for the atmospheric inconsistency.
OR
Next area: University, Heinlein Stronghold
- "Scan the area for the atmospheric inconsistency."
Government Center:
You proceed towards the Science Fair. Golem hovers far above you, unseen and unheard. You are reminded just how impressive her design is, that she can both follow her user as well as remain unobserved with little input from your side.
A quick scan, utilizing some of her highly advanced sensors indicate there is no inconsistency in this area, at least not the type Malleable was looking for.
Market:
You proceed towards the Procurement Pavilion with Golem gliding soundlessly in the shadows far above you like some silent gargoyle. You are impressed by the automatic following protocols that allow you to focus on your immediate surroundings while being able to access Golem's feed on the side of your field of view.
A quick scan, utilizing some of her highly advanced sensors indicate there is no inconsistency in this area, at least not the type Malleable was looking for.
Port:
You make your way through the port. A sea of travelers meanders through the area and around you, all seemingly unaware of the gliding Golem so far above. Of course, in a station like this, all manner of drones and bots are always navigating the airways of the station so there is nothing strange about that.
A quick scan, utilizing some of her highly advanced sensors indicate there is no inconsistency in this area, at least not the type Malleable was looking for.
University:
The atmosphere around the bustling university of Coal Hill holds various familiar scents universal to all places of higher learning. The smell of cheap and experimental food mingles with that of anxiety and recreational stimulants in equal measure. This is clearly a place of learning, but also a place of young people, or at least the young minded.
You perform a scan with Golem's sophisticated analytical equipment and are just about to leave when she alerts you to something. It was entirely miss-able, but there is an ever so slight and very gradual but consistent drop in atmospheric pressure. The drop seems to be taking place directly above the University.
You quickly find a safe place to stand and switch to Golem's point of view, flying her towards the inconsistency. It takes a good segment, but eventually you are staring at a tiny pin-prick of a breach in one of the translucent surfaces above the university. You can see a very thin stream of air escaping on the other side.
- Repair the tiny breach.
- Patch up the tiny breach.
Repair:
(Agility test)
A segment seems to turn into an eternity as you painstakingly attempt to repair the breach. Golem comes equipped with a number of search and rescue type of protocols and hardware. Among them, you were happy to find, was a hull breach repair kit! Ever so slowly and carefully, almost molecule by molecule, you melt and weld the tiny section of the hull closed before the situation escalates into something far more serious!
Patch:
(Stamina test)
A segment seems to turn into an eternity as you painstakingly attempt to patch the breach. Golem comes equipped with a number of search and rescue type of protocols and hardware. Among them, you were happy to find, was a hull breach repair kit! Luckily, after you have already lost several, you finally seem to have patched the breach before the situation escalated into something far more serious!
Either choice continues:
Malleable Dolomite's hushed voice chirps in after a moment, preceded by an explosive exhalation of air.
Malleable Dolomite: Phew! Good work, partner! That kind of breach, especially the tiny kind like that, can get real ugly, real fast, at the drop of a hat! It also absolutely shoulda been caught by station systems!
Malleable Dolomite: I used Golem's analytics to patch it into the local mesh while you were workin'. Can you believe some total smog-head of a Schismatic had actually appropriated the quadrants internal sensor array to gather data for one of their experiments?! Reackon Golem is gonna be visiting another lab REAL soon!
Malleable Dolomite: Speakin' of…thanks to you I reckon I have plenty of raw data to study in order to help me decide which direction to take old Golem. Combat or Utility. Now, what do you say? You're the unbiased element of the experiment. Havin' felt her potential, where do you feel she'd be best suited?
- "Destructive as she could be, think of how many lives she could save instead!"
- "Golem is pure destruction! She would be a great asset to Freebooter might!"
- "Develop her for combat, but for government use, not freeboooter!"
How many lives:
You make your case for developing Golem as a search and rescue type device, citing how easily you were able to find and repair the hull breach as well as observing the fact that the galaxy has enough destructive capability as it is. Malleable listens thoughtfully before replying, perhaps a tad sheepishly.
Malleable Dolomite: Weeeell, you ain't totally wrong on that note, truth be told. You make a strong point, Sugar-Ray. Alrighty, Ima ponder this some more and see what I do. Meantime, you go buy yourself something pretty on me. You've earned it! Thanks for being my I.G.O.R!
With that, Malleable unceremoniously ends the call and resumes control of Golem. Looking up, you watch the tiny, shadowy speck of your friendly gargoyle fly away. A moment later, your CORETECHS informs you of an incoming credit transfer.
You have received 250.00 credits.
You have completed the "Individual Granted Objective Responsibility" mission.
Notes
- The acronyms IGOR and GOLEM are homages to Mary Shelley's famous 1818 novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus and its various film adaptations.
- "Spoilers, sweetie!" is a common quote from River Song in the television series Doctor Who.
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