24 Into the Black (Into The Black), page 1
(NERV Game Site – Official DAtS Offline Forums)
Number5Alive, Golddigger, BurtBacharach, CrazyCelt, Blaze, DoYouEvenLyft?, MarcoPolo, MightMakesRight, l33tpally, Bennie, SEA-TAC_Sweetie, Requiesce-in-Pace, MacD, HaveGunsWillTravel, TheDespoiler, Guardian, GunKitty, Chummer, Inquisitor, Lizard, RedFox, SemiSolidSnake, ElfMama, Not_the_Face!, Anonymous3, Anonymous4, Anonymous7, Anonymous9, AggregatorOfSorrows, M.Mollen, WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot, DigDug, BigGunn, Dolcett, Starwatcher, Backlog, DarkAvariel, Knocker, Hullu_Kapteeni, GrimDark, BloodForTheBloodGod, Queen’s_Bitch, BackDat@55Up, DoYouEvenDPS?, MajorTom, Parca, and DarkAngel are in the chat.
CrazyCelt: Oh, god, what the hell was that?
DoYouEvenLyft?: What are you talking about?
CrazyCelt: I can hear purple now! Why can I hear purple?
Backlog: Sounds like someone just turned on their Psy powers for the first time.
Inquisitor: Ugh, my head!
Hullu_Kapteeni: I haven’t felt like this since the last time I tried to outdrink the fighter pilots.
Parca: Just be glad you didn’t try to outdrink the Marines.
Lizard: Did something happen?
SEA-TAC_Sweetie: Well, if you call ‘oh god, the universe bitch-slapped me like an angry pimp’ as something happening, then yes.
BackDat@55Up: Thank you for a wonderful image I’ll never be able to get out of my head. The universe is a pimp, and we’re all its hoes. Lovely.
DigDug: So, anyways, what happened?
GrimDark: I don’t know. I was training with my regiment on Luna, but then everything went strange.
DarkAngel: Regiment? You join the military, Grim?
GrimDark: Yeah, Civil War is long over, and people have noticed what Nomads can do, so I was able to get in the Imperial Marines. Currently a Sergeant.
WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot: Update from Coldana. Big time craziness went down, here. Consortium forces and some Black Stars were doing training exercises, while people try and rebuild the system, and suddenly the damn sky rips open! Even crazier, it throws up some kind of interference that makes going FTL damn near suicide!
BloodForTheBloodGod: A rift? What came out of it?
WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot: Don’t know. Never seen ships like them before. They had something that looked like sails on them, and they were lightning fast, according to the sensors.
TheDespoiler: Hmph. A pity, that.
WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot: Anyways, the Navy ships fought off the first wave, mostly, but there was something really freaking huge coming behind them. Whoever was in charge of the Black Stars decided to nope on that, and launched a shit-ton of those FTL torpedoes they have at the ship. Big boom, and pretty much every ship in the system is damaged, but the rift, or whatever it was went away.
M.Mollen: Ah, that explains what happened, then.
TheDespoiler: What do you know?
Inquisitor: There was another rift, in Sol. I saw the Imperial Navy fighting with the assistance of the Black Stars, facing off against a veritable horde of ships, all of which were ramshackle, scrap-built pieces of wreckage with more guns and engines than sense put into them. It was great and terrible to behold.
CrazyCelt: You don’t know the half of it, Inquisitor. I’m on Pluto right now. We got invaded by some kind of demon things.
GrimDark: You were there? What did they look like?
CrazyCelt: Big, red, hoof feet like you see in pictures of demons, huge horns, nasty sharp teeth, and a fucking sword that could cut a fully armored battle drone in half. On one swing! And that was the smaller ones! I saw a couple really big ones, too!
BloodForTheBloodGod: BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD! SKULLS FOR THE SKULL THRONE!
M.Mollen: How are things now? I know the Navy sent their Marine detachment to help, if they could.
CrazyCelt: The primary habitation dome would have been overrun, if it weren’t for them. Even so, they were getting mauled. Those demons take a lot of rifle fire to bring down.
GrimDark: Is the fighting ongoing?
CrazyCelt: Let me check… No, looks like the blast wave, or whatever it was, cleared them away like they were never there. Would have thought I dreamt it all, if it weren’t for all the bodies, and the fire.
TheDespoiler: So, the Immaterium has revealed itself. It does not matter that the door is closed. The seal is broken, which means we’ll be able to access it, somehow.
Starwatcher: I can’t help but notice that Black Star ships were present in force at both locations, before the battle even began. None of those ships are based in Sol or Coldana, which means they set out at least a week ago to get there just in time.
DarkAvariel: What do you know, Mollen?
M.Mollen: Suffice to say, that I, as someone who runs the largest in-game company owned by Nomads, have access to information and resources in game that you do not. I also have a bunch of very smart people doing analysis for me, and I listen to them when they start telling me about apocalyptic-level events.
GrimDark: So, you uncovered something, probably on that planet you own, that made you, what, realize that the world was about to go mad?
M.Mollen: Suffice to say I found some… interesting technologies which, while not immediately practical at the time, had some scientific data attached which my analysts used to predict an issue, sometime in the coming months. Unfortunately, things happened too quickly, and we didn’t have more time to prepare.
BigGunn: OK, I can accept that you found some ancient alien super pyramid tech or whatever that let you figure out that stuff was about to go down. But why those two systems?
M.Mollen: Both have been lynchpins in some fairly significant events recently, as you might recall. I won’t say too much more without proof, but my people believe that the energy psy powers come from that allows them to bypass annoying things like the laws of thermodynamics comes from that dimension. The Harvester let off a couple big psychic screams.
Starwatcher: OK, but what about Earth?
GrimDark: Terra.
Starwatcher: Fine, fine. What about Terra?
M.Mollen: Some methods of FTL are less kind to the fabric of time and space than others. Sol System is the place with the highest number of Transition drive uses in the galaxy. If there was anywhere that the fabric would be at its weakest, it is there.
CrazyCelt: So, what did that wave do? And why can I hear colors now, and taste sounds?
M.Mollen: I’ll get back to you on that.
(Infirmary, BSS Ama-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi, Sol System)
System Message
This is an automated message to inform you that a Class 6 event has occurred in game, causing a fluctuation in your vital signs. As an EVA-02 Medical Research Pod user, your current condition is being actively monitored by health professionals, who will intervene remotely if necessary. If you experience any non-game-related health conditions, please contact your medical supervisor immediately.
Thank you for using NERV products.
Galactic Alert
A massive psychic event has occurred in Sol System and Coldana system. Long-term effects of the event are unknown. Short-term effects include synesthesia and other medical symptoms amongst those affected. Similar events may happen in other parts of Known Space.
System Notice
You have encountered a massive psychic event. The long-term effects of this event, which included a massive wave of psychic energy in Sol System are unknown. Short-term local effects are unpredictable.
You have the following changes to your status:
You have gained enough XP to advance to level 60.
You have gained the perk Chaos-Touched.
The skills Mental Psy Mastery, Physical Psy Mastery, Force Psy Mastery, and Energy Psy Mastery have been merged into the new skill: Sorcery.
Sorcery Skill set at 60/100.
You have gained the skill Foresight at 1/100.
You have gained the title The First Sorcerer.
Sorcery
Your exposure to the untamed energies of chaotic space have altered your psychic abilities. You are now able to manipulate the energies of chaotic space directly with your mind. You are still capable of using Psy powers you knew before, but you may also improvise new powers in the heat of battle, though this will cause more of a strain, and may leave you open to corruption by the chaotic energies.
+10 CHA, +10 WIS
Foresight
The warped energies of chaotic space have given you insight into the flows of time. You are able to catch glimpses of possible futures. The strength and accuracy of these glimpses are unknown. Training this skill may improve accuracy of the visions, and how far into the future they may stretch.
+1 WIS
Chaos-Touched
You bear the mark of chaotic energies upon you, but you have mastered them to a great extent. Forged in the energies of chaotic space, you have gained mastery over Sorcery, a heretofore unknown power, and they have infused your chimeric blood with new power.
All Psy Powers and Sorcery costs reduced by 10%.
The First Sorcerer
You are the first Sorcerer known to the Galaxy. All others who walk the path of the sorcerer know your name, and may seek you out for guidance. All those who are fearful of these new forces in the world may become your enemies. The exact effects of this title are currently unknown.
My eyes swam as I tried to make sense of the notifications I was getting. The last thing I remembered was fighting against the creatures that came out of the rift. There w as an explosion? No. Something else. A wave! That’s right. Some kind of energy wave came out of the rift. I remember bracing for impact, and then… nothing.
I groaned, and tried to sit up, but was rewarded with the sensation of getting hit by a truck, after a night out drinking far too much whiskey and not enough water. Suffice to say I laid back against the bed. Bed? I didn’t want to turn my head too much or too quickly, for fear of the truck coming back, but I was enough to recognize an infirmary room.
“Ah, Admiral, you’re finally awake.”
That voice. I knew that voice. “R-raven? What the hell happened? Where am I?”
The android came into view above me, smiling brightly. “Well, at least you can still speak. That’s good. And to answer your second question first, we’re in the infirmary wing of the Ama-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi. What is the last thing you remember?”
I took a breath. “We were fighting the ships that came out of the rift into chaotic space. Ugly things, that looked like they’d been thrown together in a scrapyard, but lots of weapons on them. The Tiamat had just started boarding actions on the biggest ship, using the new drill design the eggheads had come up with. The battle was going well, once we realized that the various squadrons didn’t behave like military. Once the chain of command was disrupted, they fell apart. And then you said something about a wave.”
“Good, you didn’t lose too much time. There was some worry about that, you know.” She paused, and then said, “The wavefront that moved out of the rift was comprised of pure psychic energy, of a type and intensity that has not been recorded before. Frankly, the amount of energy in that wavefront should have melted the brains of every living creature in the system. The fact that anything survived is damn surprising. However, there were side effects.”
I didn’t say anything as she helped me into a sitting position, to keep my head from making my stomach rebel. I was grateful when she handed me some water. As I sipped it, I looked over myself. I didn’t look any different, for the most part. But I certainly felt different. Like power was running through me unchecked. It felt like I could do anything! No one could deny me! No one could refuse me. All would bow to my will, with just a word from my lips!
I took a breath, trying to center myself. Getting delusions of being unstoppable and invincible was a great way to go down the road to supervillainy, and that never worked out in the comics for long. “I take it not everyone was affected in the same way? What are the most common side effects?”
“Much like the psychic screams emitted by the Harvester in Coldana, all living creatures were stunned temporarily by the psychic wavefront. While a full study is still underway, and data collection on the unshielded portions of Terra is difficult to achieve in a reasonable time frame, the data so far has been intriguing. In 45.83 percent of individuals, this was the extent of the issue, with individuals losing consciousness for anywhere from thirty seconds to two hours. For 23.75 percent of the affected population, the period of unconsciousness lasted anywhere from one to eight hours, at the end of which any latent psychic ability was forcibly activated, resulting in unpredictable talents. In 12.49 percent of individuals, unconsciousness lasted no more than fifteen seconds, following which random mutations spawned over the course of minutes to hours. Of these, roughly two-thirds had some form of beneficial or cosmetic mutation, which would not affect their daily lives. The other third, unfortunately, had more extreme mutations, many of which proved fatal during the course of the change. In 11.87 percent of people, existing psychic potential was amplified in some way, with many individuals gaining new talents in the process. These people were under for eight to twenty-four hours. In 6.05 percent of individuals, the energy overwhelmed their minds, and they experienced total memory loss, with even mental psy users being unable to find any shred of their former identities.”
“If my math processor is correct, those numbers don’t add up to 100 percent.”
“Indeed. In 0.01 percent of individuals, the wavefront produced startling effects. All these individuals were under for significantly longer than average, and those that have woken up have reported new and strange abilities. The only linking factors between these individuals is that they were all psychically active and practiced in the use of their abilities, and that they were each in a position of power which caused many individuals to look to them for leadership in some way.”
I took another breath. “All right. I guess since you’ve phrased your description so carefully, that I am in that last group?” Raven nodded. “Fine, in that case, how long have I been out? A day?” Raven shook her head. “Two days?” Another shake. “How long?”
“You’ve been unconscious for four days, thirteen hours, twenty-seven minutes, and fifteen seconds. Congratulations, you are the second slowest in the system to awaken! I expect that you will find yourself even more the center of attention now than you used to be.”
Four and a half days? I’d been asleep for four and a half days? That had to be why the system gave me a medical alert. They probably didn’t pull me from the pod because the pod was already monitoring my vitals, and had life support functions. Fine. I’d have to have a ‘conversation’ with the dev team later, when I had time.
“You said I’m the second slowest to wake up. Who is the slowest, then?”
“Why, the Empress, of course!”
(In-Game Chat, Sol System)
Inquisitor: Death toll is continuing to rise, as individuals succumb to injuries or mutations, but the numbers look to be stabilizing. Fortunately, most vehicles in motion at the time of the incident were civilian models, and had automatic safeguards in place, even if they were being run by manual controls. The worst should be behind us, for now.
Parca: Which is all well and good for people who were on a planet, driving cars, but there was a space battle going on when that shit happened. Lot of good pilots and crew died because they fell unconscious while they were flying, or fighting fires, or any other number of things.
Fansy_the_Famous: Damn, that sucks. I mean, I know plenty of people died in the fighting itself, but dying because you fell unconscious and ran into another ship? That’s brutal. Almost as bad as truck-san sending you off into an Isekai.
M.Mollen has entered the chat.
Grimdark: Speaking of anime protagonists! Welcome back to the land of the living!
Aegis: Hey boss! Glad to see you up. The girls will be glad know this.
Fansy_the_Famous: Give the poor man a chance to get his wits about him, and maybe a good meal in his belly, before you go ravishing him to death! I know he’ll respawn, but still!
Starwatcher: Huh. Guess I lost 100 credits.
M.Mollen: You betting that I would be the last to wake up?
Starwatcher: In my defense, it is totally the kind of thing that would happen to you.
Aegis: He’s got you there, boss.
Parca: Yeah, he’s not wrong.
Grimdark: But you’re forgetting that the people who were asleep longest were the most important types. Mollen may be big news, but in Sol System there is no one more important than the Empress.
Inquisitor: The Empress protects.
Grimdark: The Empress protects.
M.Mollen: Indeed, I’m not surprised the Empress has been out longer than I was. I expect that she’ll have some interesting abilities when she wakes up. To say nothing of her kids when they’re born.
Starwatcher: That’s right, the people who stayed under extra long all got cool powers and abilities! What did you get?
M.Mollen: Well, without giving too much away, I can tell you that I got a new title, The First Sorcerer.
InspectHerGadget: Damn! I knew that there were other sorcerers, but how come you get to be all special and be the ‘First’?
M.Mollen: Well, just taking a wild guess, where were you when the wave hit?
InspectHerGadget: Uh, well, I was in the slave markets on the Choson Ring. I might have gotten in a little bit of trouble due to certain events, and woke up with a collar. But what does that have to do with anything?
M.Mollen: Because I was out by the rift, aboard my flagship. That wave hit me before you. Judging by the description I got on the wave’s effects, I’d say that I was probably the first potential ‘Sorcerer’ to get hit with the wave, which gave me the title.
