X-COM: Aliens

[RogueZair]

The Quiet One said nothing for a while, keeping its thoughts to itself. It felt responsible for their failure. The scene with the large group of X-COM humans rounding the corner close together replaying again and again in its mind. Quiet had had a chance to throw a grenade neatly in their midst, it was confident that doing so would have turned the tide significantly in the clone's favor, but it had not. It had held the primed grenade and watched as its newly mutated creche mate had waded into their midst with its huge claws, and Quiet had decided not to throw the grenade.

The clones had changed, and their tactics would need to change as well! It approached the other clones, one by one, and quietly discussed how it should signal for tactical actions in combat. The clones were able to telepathically communicate with each other instantly, an ability that should give them a huge advantage on the battlefield! They would only need to agree on the meaning of various signals. And of course to stay together to coordinate based on those signals.

The Quiet One was continuing its practice in stealth, and it offered to move ahead of the group to scout. It would locate and identify enemies, then alert the rest of the clones with a mental signal of **ENEMY LOCATED**.

The humans primarily used guns, so if the clones stayed in cover and lured them into close quarters then the larger clones with their huge claws should have a significant advantage. That would require the melee clones to stay back and wait for the humans to approach, or to flank the enemy by moving around the cover and coming in from the side.

Finally, the Quiet One pointed out to each of its creche mates that the grenades needed to be used to full effect, and suggested that they agree on a mental signal that they were using them. It suggested the simple but forceful **GRENADE**. It also encouraged its Reaper creche mates to agree on a signal that meant they were falling back and wanted another clone to throw a grenade to cover their retreat.

----

As the clones entered the laboratory to continue their research The Quiet One turned to Nimble and Pale. "I will help with what you lead, but we need better weapons soon. The X-Com Humans have strong armor." Quiet returns to its work on an experimental harness for healing equipment, and its attempts to craft an automated healing serum delivery system.

// Craft Mechanical: 8
// We have 16/30 for Medical 2: Clone Field Repair Unit (+5 Med Kit), so it makes sense to finish the remaining 14 points rather than dumping 8 points, but then I suggest we focus on better Weapons for at least 3 ranks. We are already getting out gunned and it's only going to get worse.

[Gulfwulf]

Strong nodded as Quiet conversed with it regarding tactics. "Yes, new tactics are a good idea. I yell throw grenade when I think grenade be useful. That good? I also stay back and wait for hoomans to come to me so I not get shot so much. But you and others need to also stay back and not get shot so much." He made half circle movements with his hands around Quiet. "Flank enemy on both sides and shoot in crossfire; better than charging straight ahead. Wild and I can run up middle* after grenades thrown and take hoomans on while recovering. Sound good, yes?"

---

In the laboratory, he stepped over to Quiet, Nimble, and Pale. "Yes. Need better guns after better medicine. Serum work good, but packs be better so those with skill can heal those without. Lose less clones that way."

//* Topato and I can cast hast once per day, so we can charge an enemy if the situation warrants it.

[Shadani]

The Pale One found the notion of a 'better serum' to be limiting. There were other avenues; other paths to pursue. It tried to convince its siblings of this, assuring them that it would be able to produce something that would be far more efficient than the serum, though it would not necessarily be as easy to use. It reminded them of the plans Nimble had laid out, though afterwards it considered that perhaps the combination of those particular concepts did not necessarily inspire confidence.

((Earth and Life Sciences: 11 for the medical domain))

[Vanya Mia]

"I like guns! I better making guns than gloopy stuff." Nimble poked at the contents of a beaker that was dripping out of a dispensing machine with a screwdriver like tool, then began fiddling with the machine again. "This difficult. I make machine make this so gloopy and heal better and all in one go. Or I make machine make this so not so gloopy so it come from injector properly."

"If I just turn these to right place ..." The clone's features scrunched up, eyes focused on the workings of the machine and its thoughts reading as intense concentration. Though where it learned that kind of expressive behavior from can only be imagined. It used the tool to make fine adjustments backwards and forwards to some internal settings of the "gloop" making machine.

"Want weapons next," it relayed, "but when can will make things on machine that can be turned to make gloopier or less gloopier stuff and not do it this way."


((Same old Craft Mech 9 to help.))

[smartalec]

The Scowling One worked feverishly, keeping its thoughts to itself. It could not deny its own thoughts; that the Elder had seemed... pleased at the sacrifice of the clones, despite failing the primary objective? There had been no punishment, but a reaction the Scowling One had found difficult to describe. Only when paying attention to the Nimble One's jabbering did it click. The Elder felt to us as I feel towards this one, it realised.

To be regarded thus, by any other being? Unthinkable.

"To survive is to learn," it offered to the Nimble One in reply. "To learn is to grow. To grow is to overcome." Overcome what? This last thought went unsaid. Instead, it turned its thought to the idea of implements, and applications... overlaying images of clone physiology with captured implements of human medical science. Perhaps...?

***

((Craft Pharmaceutical 7; also, the Surgery feat!))

[Lazybones]

The dice were all over the place this week.

* * * * *

Week 10

Project: Medical Domain Tier 2: Clone Field Repair Unit (30RP)

Carryover from last week: 16

Research Points (RP) Needed: 14

Project Leader: The Pale One: Knowledge Earth and Life Sciences 11, ROLL 4, Result 15
Project Support (all roll vs. DC20 to add +2, DC25 to add +3,non-core skills subtract 1 from the bonus):
The Fast One: Craft Mechanical 9 (Non-Core Skill), ROLL 8, Result 17
The Strong One: Research 3, ROLL 20*, Result 23 (+2RP, and see below)
The Quiet One: Craft Mechanical 8 (Non-Core Skill), ROLL 1*, Result 9 (see below)
The Nimble One: Craft Mechanical 9 (Non-Core Skill), ROLL 15, Result 24 (+1RP)
The Scowling One: Craft Pharamceutical 7, ROLL 6, Result 13

Research Earned: 10 (base) + 15 (project leader) + 3 (support) = 28 points

Clone Field Repair Unit earned! Grants access to medical kits (equal to a +5 health kit). +200xp for completing a Level 1 research project.

14RP applied to Regenerative Serum 2 project (40RP to complete). Regenerates 2 hp every six seconds for two minutes (up to 40hp). Can only be used on self. Causes minor penalty to dexterity and movement while serum is working. (Alternatively, 7RP applied to Improved Plasma Pistol if the group decides to switch domains.)

* * *

It's a pretty slow week in the lab. The earlier work on the Field Repair Unit pays off, mostly through sheer diligence.

Working alone, looming over a console tiny by comparison, Strong is able to come up with additional improvements to the Stabilization Serum injectors, improving their efficiency (Game Note: All Stabilization Serums are upgraded to Cure Light Wounds).

The Quiet One has some good ideas for an automated delivery system for the healing serums, but is frustrated by the fact that its companions are hogging the laboratory computers. It's hard to shoulder aside a reaper, after all. But it gets a flash of insight, and runs off to the living quarters. There's a computer there as well, after all: the Biogenic Recombinator. It knows that the Learning Units are off-limits, but the Elder never said that the clones couldn't use the Recombinator. Quiet settles in front of the panel, happily pushing buttons to bring up the laboratory subroutines.

However, things don't go as expected. There is a loud click, followed by a familiar whine from one of the clone pods. Quiet starts pressing buttons, trying to undo whatever it started.

Suddenly it gets very warm in the room.

An alarm goes off.

Uh oh.

[Lazybones]

+300xp for Pale, Fast, Strong, Quiet, Nimble, and Scowling for IC posting this week.

+200xp for everyone for research success.

[Vanya Mia]

((Server is up, but I had to reset the router. Checking everything is the same now.))

[Vanya Mia]

((Seems to be but just in case IP is 82.35.89.219))

[Mirgalen]

"Well, now we do weapon? We do more serum 1st? We do both? We do what?"

The last trip was interesting. They had ventured in white covered space. Snow was the human word for the tiny crystals of water substance. They had found a launch bay and entered it after making a hole with one, make that two grenades. There was a ship below with things that looked like weapons or may be missiles. The assault went swiftly for the most part but they did get stuck a few times. A few blocked doors and a few zealous defenders were to blame for that. By the time they found their way into some underground tunnels some humans had escaped using one of our shuttle and via another unknown launch bay. Sure the Masters were displeased. May be the next time the Masters should try and let the Clones watch. Better erase that though...

//

Ready to help the research project(s)

Still Craft Mech: 9 or make it 10 with the lvl up after the mission (Fast - lvl 5 - Floater - Clone)


PS: How do I get that green colour thing?