Events in Prime's private lab

Prime smiled, stepping into what looked like an endless black expanse. The space was oppressively dark, yet seemed to go on endlessly in all directions. Machines whirred beneath the dark metal floors, and microscopic optics gave Prime a view over the entire space. It was infinitely mutable, calibrated to bring his thoughts into reality in hardly any time at all. It was his lab, and at last, he had a moment to ENJOY it.

He began walking forward, initiating the mental codes which would bring his Quall research to the fore. As he did, panels in the floor revealed deep pits, from which thrust thousands of macabre tubes containing Quall bodies, brains, spines, and other cloned matter collected from his data and the Citadel. The matter of deriving memories from neural geometry was as much art as science. The way individual neurons changed in response to stimuli could be extrapolated to derive meanings from sensitivities or positions of those same neurons. Brains brought up from a developmental stage had to be simulated with memories to provide further controls. Kal'Shek's work in this field had been nothing short of genius, and Prime was proud to continue this fine tradition with yet another species.

He closed his eyes, and was one with the countless machines. Prime and his lab were as one. He could feel every heat resistant pincer cut aside yielding flesh. He was the forceps that pulled aside tissue to allow scanning implements to embed themselves in the brains of the Quall. He could feel the quiet mental screams of those Quall he pulled into a state of tortured almost-life as he used old overlord technologies to commandeer their wills when required. He could feel others sigh softly as they were put into states of bliss, reminiscing on the long history of the Quall. The streams of data washed over him, and Prime smiled.

Thousands of Quall minds, resulting from the data collected from his citadel, began pouring out their secrets. It was compiled neatly into a report, page upon page of data which Prime's mind flitted over. A rough history of the Quall, outlines of what technological advances he could find. He was lucky. Not all the Quall bodies came from Ar'yay it would seem. The tubes began the process of re-aligning with psychic communication sensor arrays which thrust from the ceiling. for now, it would keep these minds from announcing their presence, but soon, they would let him take even more from the Quall. Prime chuckled at his own black joke.

The data streamed out before him. He could see an account of those races which the Quall have slaughtered, old technologies were outlined, and the history of the Nelif was revealed. Including a new project of theirs...the Hive King...on the moon of Ryn Lac. It seemed the Nelif wanted to steal his idea. Perhaps they stole it from his work in the Citadel. It was a shame they were too alike, he would have to send them back to the void it would seem.

Prime began to delve directly into the Quall Hivemind. It was so similar to the network used by the Unity in its communication structure, not surprising since Kal'Shek's original test models were based on altered Quall Larval tissue. He went further and deeper, feeling himself pass into different zone of the psyche of the Quall Hivemind. There were parts communal to all quall and parts specific to certain hives. These hive specific ones he found he was unable to access. And beyond that there was a forbidden knowledge held by the Quall Hivemind's collective unconscious. Powers so dark he could only dream of them as he skirted the edges. Prime could sense if he had access to a fresh Queen's brain he could pass deeper into this forbidden Zone.

In the early parts of this forbidden Zone he confirmed the history of the Neliff. He also found they were almost completely wiped out during the First Quall-Falosini War. There were rumors of a weapon the Neliff had been developing know as the Hive King. It was a chimeric species, mixing DNA from different creatures. The Quall suspected the last of the Neliff were able to get the last sample they needed to create the Hive King, when they sampled the K'ias Emperor Mar'un'ga's flesh. Of course the last Neliff was then turned into a Quall host, and would have never finished the vile scheme if not restored by Reclamation Citadel 1.
He even had an image of the Hive King as the Neliff saw it.

It might be able to hack into and possess and control any hive mind. Prime recoiled in horror as he understood the implications. If the Neliff finished this Hive King, and it was released it would be able to hack and control both the Quall Hive minds and the E-strain Hiveminds. Unity Prime hoped his safeguards would allow the Unity to avoid its grasp. But even if the safeguards held, in one move, the Neliff would have the largest army the Distant Shores had ever seen. And that Army would be firmly in the hands of Warmonger's Cult.

Prime's eyes narrowed. He had little time before his duel, but he had enough to set what he had to in motion. The Hive King must be snuffed in its cradle, and the Neliff that would make such a thing must be hurled back to the void.

A monitor detached itself from the ceiling of the lab, showing Dr. Gilmore as Prime sent the data stream directly to him.

"Doctor, it seems you have two worthy targets. The Quall are responsible for countless extinctions, enslavements. They also carry information we can harvest with the mind of a single queen."

Prime's eyes gleamed at the thought of gaining access to such a trove.

"Further, we have found a base of the Neliff. They are developing the Hive King there. I will be launching a Prophet fleet with a full legion of Praetorians to put a halt to this. I would ask your assistance in this action."

He gave Dr. Gilmore access to tactical controls benefiting a general of the Unity, and strode out of the lab to fight for the lives of fifteen prisoners.

Michael feels the connection to Prime go through, and within moments he found himself looking back through the swinging monitor. The scientist wears an almost smug smirk on his face as he sees Prime's lab expand out behind his good friend.

"Yes, I'm processing already... it seems as if my suspicions were correct; the Quall seem to be engineered weapons of some stripe. By their design, I would actually suspect they were developed to destroy Warmonger, simply because they can expand and conquer all other sentient species without feeding him more power. Sadly, that isn't ideal for us, now is it?"

The scientist steps back just a bit, and with a gesture of his hand the room melts into lava. Michael seems to be hovering just above it... though there was something else beneath the glowing fluid.

"I have not been idle. I am very nearly finished grooming a lava-borne fungus into full maturity, and I expect it shall be robust enough within the span of a week. At that point, full operations on Kyrpos can begin. The fact I no-longer have to specifically restrict it from Quall hosts should make things significantly easier."

With that, the lava quickly solidifies back into the proper floor, and Michael simply stands back upon it.

"How would you like my assistance with the Ne'liff? Direct assault is not my specialty, though I may be able to make a weak strike. Obviously, I'd much prefer devoting my time toward something better suited for my talents."

Prime walked through the portal in his lab, taking his silver mantle from a hook on the wall which quickly wrapped itself around his form. He did so enjoy dueling, and he would enjoy a second round. If only Palmodes knew the role he was playing...Prime chuckled, but had no time to think further on the Iron republic.

Screens erupted from the ground around him, some showing communications from generals, the preparations of his own troops, and other issues at hand.

He turned first to Dr. Gilmore.

"Michael, I actually have something particular in mind for the Nelif problem. Two requests, actually. First of all, I wish for you to try a prototype for me. I have a legion of Praetorians about to attack the reclamation citadel, and it may or may not go well. In case things fall apart, could you seed some of the soldiers with your fungus via reality drill? This way, even if they are mind controlled, captured, or killed, we can find the citadel if it vanishes. Further, you can keep the citadel from being functional ever again. Also, if you have a legion in the area, I would appreciate their assistance in keeping the Nelif on the planet contained.

Secondly, we need to develop something to wipe out the Nelif properly, or safeguard against their infiltration. I've forwarded you the biological information we derived, and it is quite thorough. They must be hurled back to the void."

Prime knew there would be some time before the reply, so he moved on to the other screens.

He began initiating studies for improving the Void Lord design, moving the designation of the vessel from a ship assassination to battle field control capacity, he remotely sculpted the internals of the Purifier, making it so that the pilots are held in cocoons of the Purifier's own body, shielding the pilots from the swarming Screamers. Prime relayed orders to his own troops, ordering an advance on the reclamation citadel.

Lastly, Prime prepared to strangle the Hive King system in its cradle with an offensive of incredible proportions...

There is a moment after battles that Prime had always found invigorating. The deep philosophy crafted by Praetorians on the field of battle, musing over the concepts of life and death, were particularly enlightening. He had not thought that the fall of a leaf, or the rearing of a child, would have tactical implications...but there they were. What a shame that Praetorians could not speak until their personality cores were recycled in the elysian fields.

Prime took a cup of tea he had cultured himself. The flavor was very bitter, but he enjoyed the hot liquid as his mind interacted with the suite of super-computers supporting the lab.

First, tactical operations. Remarkably straightforward at present. Just take out one of the nastiest races on record, which has spread to countless planets and loves the warmonger. Easy.

Prime took a long sigh, and began the report for the consensus:

"The Moon of Ryn Lac: Extermination of the Hive King"

Prime had stockpiled certain rewards granted to him by the consensus for just such an occasion. He had stored a Praetorian Legion led by 50 Triarius, and 10 Prophet conversion spikes. Prime would work with his allies and enemies both to garner additional support, but the first wave must be his. First, there would be long range scanning and scouting done by his personal obscured eye spies. After this is finished, Prime would launch the Prophet conversion spikes and the Praetorian Legion. As they began to arrive, there would be a barrage of fire from a Unity Extension through a portal to take the attention of the Nelif. The Extension would be protected through crossfire provided from two other extensions. If it seemed there was no non-Nelif life on the planet, the Prophets would use extinction class protocols. After all, it is difficult to mind-control countless swarms of missionaries, or deadly neurotoxin. Prime wondered if he could get some exotics from Dr. Gilmore...

It was sent, and the tactical read-outs began displaying percentages from Fate; the escorting ships left quickly and the Prophets were launched. Missionaries and Oblivion Shades on the Prophet hulls would discourage boarding attempts, and Saggitae would carry bombs capable of destroying Nelif clouds.

The panels showing Prime a map of known space receded, revealing research projects…

Unity had a flash of leftover memory. It seemed the Quall Hivemind left an afterimage (aftermemory?) of a stone carving

From Neliff the Prophet came the Hive King

The Hive King is awakening...

Prime’s laboratory continued its experiments, making several large sub-chambers as sections of the floor were lifted by their black metal supports to act as prototype scaffolds. Nanites, matter streams, and raw data coursed through the lab, bringing concepts to life as early mock-ups.

-New Research Projects-

-Ship Design-

Void Lord Upgrades:

1)This trusty ship design has been an silent killer on the battlefields, yet has not yet reached its full potential. The 13 pilots for the vessel are incredibly powerful Unity technomancers. As Unity special distortion technology has been improved upon over the years, the Void Lord can be equipped with brute force hacking capabilities to compliment the abilities of the pilots.
Much of the visual of the vessel will remain the same. The Iconic black stone center upon which the pilots hang will be unchanged, as will the spatial distortion field which makes the Void Lord seem to be little more than a black cloud with a horrifying core. However, the Void Lord will be fitted with two additions. The core of the vessel will be equipped with a brute force random sequence generator, capable of assisting technomancers in their assault on electronic defenses.
The legs of the vessel will have poison sacs at the base of their first joint. However, these sacs will carry millions of electronic viruses carried by nanites at constant war with one another. When one of these legs pierces a hull, the nanites flow down the leg and contaminate the opposing ship.
2) The Void Lord will gain significant control over its reality warp shielding, and be able to power down to minimum life support. In this mode it is vulnerable but effectively invisible. This allows Void Lords to act in a manner similar to the Earther Global conflict "wolf packs".

Prophet Upgrade: Enhanced Extinction Protocol Flexibility

In accordance with the Iron Republic treaty, Extinction protocols must have a setting where the planet is NOT converted. However, to gut the Prophet of its excellent manufacturing capacity would be wasteful. Further, modifying Prophets to simply launch again would take far too long. Prime has arrived at a simpler solution. Prophets programmed with the Extinction Protocols still build static defenses and cover the planet in toxins. However, instead of converting the planet, the Prophets quickly strip mine enough resource to build 2 Prophets in gaping pits alongside them. Once completed, these Prophets can be used to exterminate the E-strain on other planets.

Heavy Capital Ship Design “Apostle”:

Unity Apostle: The Unity Apostle is the first heavy capital ship Unity design, looks like a thick black porous sphere surrounding a brilliant sun. Much of the bulk of the ship appears to be an exposed ball of plasma, akin to a small sun. This energy ball is held in check by a mixture of split second calculations, sophisticated force generators, and faith. Surrounding this blazing white ball of energy are layer upon layer of thick black metal rings, hiding much of the Apostle’s brilliance from onlookers. These rings are the Apostle’s containment device, crew quarters, and control center. While the Apostle cannot house fighters; it is a fearsome support craft. The Apostle’s drones, Epistles, make the vessel a daunting backbone to Unity fleets.
Strengths: The Apostle is a heavy capital ship designed to manipulate the battle field, shield allies, and provide point defense. The Apostle is an incredibly difficult ship to pilot, as it requires the coordinated effort of around 400 Unity Engineers to control the vessel with sufficient finesse. This makes the Apostle incredibly difficult to hijack. Further, the Apostle does not rely on traditional electronic wiring due to the incredible energy output of its reactor. As such, energy draining attacks and EMP blasts have little effect. Lastly, the ship is incredibly durable thanks to its shielding, redundancies, and layers of conventional armor. Lastly, the Apostle is capable of producing a large number of Epistles, which increases its tactical flexibility. The crew of the Apostle are trained in combat arts, and are protected by numerous static defensive turrets, Seneschals, and Praetorians.
Weaknesses: The Apostle can go critical if sufficiently damaged. This event is disastrous. Further, if enough crew are incapacitated, the Apostle’s accuracy is dramatically decreased. Additionally, one Apostle cannot use the Epistles of another Apostle, as each Epistle is keyed to the particular changing energy frequencies of their parent vessel.
Attacks:
1)Spear of Absolution: The Apostle creates a square meter breach in reactor containment, causing an eruption of energy to pierce the target. While this can cause massive damage, it is a last resort weapon, as its use necessitates significant energy build up before any of the Apostle’s abilities can be used.
2)Shield of Glory: The Apostle’s crew can create localized energy fields over a medium range, blunting or deflecting attacks that would otherwise destroy the fighter or capital ship. All ships within range are protected by this passive ability.
3)Dictum of Sanctuary: The Apostle projects a massive wall of force between at least three Epistles. This ability may also be used to create three dimensional force fields.
4)Harrowing Radiance: Thousands of thin beams of light streak from the Apostle towards targets. These beams are not strong enough to do significant damage to capital ships, but obliterate fighters and missiles.
5)Epistles: Epistle drones are small two meter diameter black metal spheres which greatly extend the range of their parent Apostle. They can project the Shield of Glory and Harrowing Radiance abilities to allies and enemy weapons. While projection of the Shield of Glory or Sanctuary is largely invisible, projection of the Harrowing Radiance is dramatic. A single intense beam of light streaks from the Apostle and into the Epistle, which splits the beam into thousands of smaller ones. These smaller beams are impeccably aimed, and often obliterate their targets. The Spear of Absolution cannot be projected through an Epistle.
Note: A second design is in the prototyping phase; the Dark Apostle. These vessels are similar to Apostles, but they generate massive fonts of shadow energy. This design is granted to Layne Yr to develop what abilities she wishes. They will likely be markedly more offensive in nature, considering the power source.

In another wing of the lab, economic data, risk analysis, and law documents flitted through hundreds of screens as rudimentary models began simulating the Unity's economic ventures.

-New Commerce Ventures “U-Mart”-

The Unity has the opportunity to do business with the Iron Republic, and will not repeat earlier mistakes. Of course it will quash all attempts at economic resistance, but now the Iron Republic citizens will assist with the conversion of their peers.

The model is simple; create distribution centers for Unity goods, designated “U-Marts”. Ship product to these distribution centers through the most expedient route possible, including portals if this is legal. MaehlHoldings will be contracted if necessary. Absurdly low prices will be offered for these goods.
Iron Republic citizens will be encouraged to apply for “U-Mart” jobs. These will come with discounts for all U-Mart products, including food, and the option to take pay partially in store credit. These jobs will include “greeting technician” and “cleaning specialist”. Most of our hires, however, will be “marketing consultants”. “Marketing consultant” will be billed as a high pay high status job which is easy if and only if you qualify. The truth is that any wage slave will do, but that is besides the point. “Marketing consultants”, once hired, will be plugged into marketing meta-minds, where their brains will be connected to our organic super-computers and harvested for marketing information and add creation. This should make our adds irresistible. Further, the consultants will be given bonuses for staying under for longer periods of time. As the experience is highly pleasurable for wage slaves, they may eventually sign very long contracts. They will be encouraged to take store credit for a significant portion of their wage, ensuring that money expenditures are at a minimum. All but 1% of profits will be re-invested into producing additional U-Marts on new Iron Republic planets. Maehl Holdings will be consulted for initial calibration of simulations, legality, and logistics until such time as centrality is achieved.

The goal is to make entire systems dependent on Unity products and technology. Once they are sufficiently cowed, the next step of conversion can begin.


*Note: These are proposed research plans. As with all research, some of these experiments may have unexpected results to be determined.

Projections of Prime overlooked the miles of churning laboratory space. There was a hunger churning in his soul as data rushed by him. Modifications. Ship Design. Theory. He needed MORE.

-Prime's Theory Research-

Project 1) Unity Uplink 2.0: Prime has begun experimentation on making a more effective Unity Uplink. These upgrades are based on what Prime has found in the Via Station, and represent a 10% increase in processing speed. This speed will make Unity even more effective at research, programming, and sharing their favorite mishaps with friends.

Project 2) Once, Prime thought he had closed the Temporal Wormhole. Past time this project was finished. Prime will send probes from Sentinal Station 1 to encircle the Temporal Wormhole. Readings will be taken, and a method to close the wormholes will be theorized.

Project 3) Massive Orbital Weave Foci: These massive orbital rings use gravitics to weave matter in the form of massive Unity vessels. These large structures look like massive silver rings a mile in diameter. These massive rings sport a number of long and fine manipulators which assist in construction.

Project 4) Solar Energy Harvesters: These massive ring stations are constructed around entire suns. Made to be intensely heat resistant, these high efficiency energy gathering systems collect the solar radiation of a sun and use it to power thousands of zero-point generators. These generators then transmit the energy through a series of relay stations to provide additional power to the entire consensus.

((OOC: Sorry, forgot one))

Project 5: Distortion scanners- The Unity must learn to adapt to the tactics of those who may become their foes. More and more groups are developing stealth technology, and Trident missile ships can deliver clean bombs. In light of this, we will develop scanning methods based on the disturbance in space time that is generated.

Admin wrote:
The Rewards for this mission are (you get all of them)

1- 50 Dead Spacer test subjects (see Space 3 update 1)

2- 100 Dead Spacer Pulse Rifles - demonic artifact weapons

3- Massacre of the Warmonger Cult without a single loss on the allied side
(+20 Morale to all players involved in this mission)

As this battle took place on Fort Lendill Territory and Fort Lendill had a Homebase Advantage, and no one from Fort Lendill came to the battle, all Fort Lendill faction members suffer:
How could we abandon our neighbors? - Received a -20 to Morale

Prime considered the 50 Warmonger's Dead he had captured. He never had such an opportunity to study the foot soldiers of his opponents before now. Miles of his laboratory space formed up into walls, mazes, and test chambers. Automated turrets hung from ceilings, and spindly combat drones emerged from floor panels. Scanner panels activated in rooms, and began recording the dazed Warmonger's Dead.

"Greetings, former soldiers of the Warmonger. This is Prime, welcome to my laboratory. We are pleased to inform you that you will not be dissected and then used for component parts by the Unity. Your commander is repentant, and we have been told you may be as well. However, we cannot grant you asylum until the Warmonger's hold on you is more fully understood.

You will note that some of you are with your fellows, and that others are alone. This is intentional. We wish to learn the capabilities of the Warmonger's Dead, and how you respond to threats in teams and alone. Make your way through the maze, respond to threats and traps, and take heart. What we learn from you will be used against your former master."

Swarms of combat drones began hunting through the halls, and deep scans were performed. This battle data would be used to optimize the Unity's tactics in general, and the tactics of the Warmonger's foot soldiers in particular. As the tests are performed on Warmonger's Dead, the rifles will be examined in a separate facility.

At last.

Prime's new lab was still being constructed, but its size was already daunting. A moon, with one-million scientists, was being re purposed to be Prime's primary new lab. Miles of ultra-modular rooms made countless experiments possible. The Quall experiments had been exported to the Moon, as they were taking up too much room in the Thirteen Pillars. Hundreds of Quall minds were held in twitching bliss. Brains, cybernetics, Quall bodies, were all part of some singular beautiful transmitter. The seamless joining of Brain matter, wires, and flesh, was so grotesque as to be artful. It was the means by which Prime gained what understanding he could of the Quall.

It was incomplete.

The Mind of Ar'Yay would make it whole at last. It was the final key to the Quall's history, their secrets. If need be, Prime could threaten their entire race with this. But there was no need, if he could gain what knowledge they had buried. Prime knew this might prove unnecessary, and that this experiment was dangerous. It might turn the entirety of the Quall against him, if they detected what he planned.

However, he refused to wait for the sword of Damocles to fall. He needed a way to turn back the Quall Hordes when they at last decided to attack the plane in force. This, his Ambassador Engine, would even the odds. He placed the brain into an open black metal dais in the center of the device, and watched as the black wires twisted into its flesh. Controlling chemicals, hypnotic image cycles, and cognitive limiters fell into place around the captive mind, subsuming it into the Ambassador Engine. The Image of Prime initiated the final transmission sequences, and watched as the read-outs began to show new data...

The Head of the Quall N'drone HiveQueen was in place and suddely flared to seeming half-life. Not quite undeath, it was the type of living hell only superscience could create.

The protective filters caught the transmission of Data, and finally agonizing seconds later began to trickle a feed. Prime felt it flow through his uplink.

It wasn't quite what Prime expected.

Instead of the secrets of the Quall being opened to him he found himself standing in an obsidian temple that felt more ancient than time. Yet Prime could not calculate the architecture style. Worse still beyond being Humanoid, Prime wasn't sure what the creature that they saw standing before them.

On one side he saw Ar'yay HiveQueen. On the other side was this painfully thin humanoid with long thin fingers.

Re: The Temple of the Rogue HiveQueens (Can only be seen in-character by Aryay)
https://darkrefuge.forumotion.com/t569-the-temple-of-the-rogue-hivequeens-can-only-be-seen-in-character-by-aryay#4223

Narrator Note
Prime only knows the portion After his arrival not before.

Su Maehl had provided thousands of copies of Iron Republic Law for the Unity's perusal.

Steven McCaw, sat in his vessel, trying to avoid thinking about the sheer volume of law in his possession, or that he was in Unity space. He knew full well that people vanish in Unity space, never to be heard of again. He also knew that there was probably more than a few laws against what he was doing.

The contract he had gotten had been the strangest he had ever seen. It simply told him to fly literally tons of print-outs and data disks to the edge of Unity Space. It had also promised a delivery price with far too many 0's in it. So there he was, at the edge of civilized space, with a bunch of print-outs. Waiting. Steve took a sip of his Dos Marx Lite.

He almost dropped the delicious beer as a hole opened right in front of his ship. It was massive, and behind it there was a stark white moon. It looked to have...something...growing on it, but as he was trying to make it out, a high pitched whine screeched behind him. He turned to see what could be making a sound like an enormous dentist's Drill, and saw three identical bald humans in white robes step through a portal in the middle of his ship. Behind them emerged a huge number of thin black metal manipulators, like something out of a nightmare. They steadily took his materials, and the lead clone bowed, speaking with a serene calm.

"Thank you for this delivery. We will use it at once. Payment has been transferred."

With that; they took the remainder of the material and vanished. The holes in space closed, and Steve could be on his way. Weird delivery.

Michael wasted no time. After his ship docked, The Scientist would quickly make his way down the halls, the blueprints of this area burned into his mind's eye. The fact that he was arriving had already been made known, and he politely declined any requests to help him on his way.

Help was simply not required.

Entering room 000013, he makes his way over to the ambassador engine interface and attempts to connect. Michael throttled the 'bandwidth' between The Green Man and the rest of the network, so a killswitch could be levered in the event of disaster. Let's see if Prime's theory is correct.

Michael soon found himself in a temple, but instantly felt the connection to everything beyond the Green Man body beyond his reach.

Looking forward he could see Ar'yay HiveQueen and the Prime of Unity.

**Can now post in temple of the Rogue HiveQueen. **
Can only see stuff past the intro post for MHG in that thread.

The endless rooms of Prime's laboratories churned, processing massive amounts of data and materials. The Warmonger's Dead were now one hundred strong after Prime's purchase. The soldiers continued their live-fire exercises, quickly bringing their former compatriots up to speed. There was a strange sort of camaraderie forming between the Praetorian Legions, and their undead training partners. They could not communicate with words, but found them unnecessary; their medium of communication was the poetry of perfectly executed violence.

Willowy cloned scientists sat at enormous electronic terminals. The first batch of results were comming from their simulations, and they were overwhelmingly positive. Generating these kinds of results required the kind of space that only a moon sized laboratory could provide. For instance, it was easier to perfect the design of the new orbital ring structures when you had 10 square miles of simulated zero-gravity space in which scale models could be built around simulated open fusion reactor suns. The sheer scale of this lab was unprecedented, and yet Prime had already begun to draw up plans for a laboratory the size of a planet. The clones worked quickly, knowing that the presence of Prime was always there, demanding nothing less than inexorable perfection.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

*RE: "What the hell is Prime doing with a MOON LAB"
Attn: Unity Consensus Communications Master Listing; Progress Report

Completed Project Report:

We are pleased to report that the Moon "Prime's Private Lab" has met with remarkable success. Being able to work at this scale has given us the ability to produce a number of very large scale projects at remarkable speed. Below, we list some of the more major achievements to be distributed to the entire consensus, and we provide outlines of our new projects.

Solar Harvester Stations (SH Stations): These stations are massive, a one mile wide and half mile thick ring which is constructed around a star. From this center ring are thin magnetically active micron-thick filaments which extend from hundreds of miles, allowing for capture of 30-40% of the Sun's entire output, while allowing for sunlight to reach habitable planets. These filaments carry the latest in solar-harvesting technology, and feed this energy back to the central ring. Their orientation is guided through magnetic fields projected from the station, which react with the Sun's electromagnetic field to keep the filaments at an optimal distance from each other and the sun. The central ring holds hundreds to thousands of antimater reactors. While our planet-side reactors have never been able to use antimater technology due to the health risks and huge energy requirements, the Solar Harvester Stations have no such issue. The energy collected by the solar filaments power the necessary antimater generation and containment protocols. The outer layer of each ring has a number of docking stations from which mining vessels can collect raw material required for reactions, though the stations can also tap into the matter-streams as needed.

Massive Orbital Production Centers (MOPCs) (Formally designated as Massive Orbital Weave Foci):
These space-based production centers have been described previously. These massive orbital ring space stations sport a huge number of fine gravitic manipulators, and they can route huge matter streams from our harvesting stations. A number of physical manipulators on the inside of the ring allow for physical manipulation of the matter stream as required. These stations build our larger capital ships, which seem to be woven from the center of the MOPC, with the thin physical manipulators seeming to act as spinnerets. While these stations are remarkably good at the construction of huge objects, they can only really build one object at a time, and so are wasted on the production of smaller items or ships.

U-Mart Marketing Terminals: These terminals are similar to the uplink terminals used by the Bottom Quintile. These full immersion terminals consist of maximum comfort chairs and standard-looking IR class full sense computing helmets. Once the Marketing Consultant is hooked up to the system, a full brain scan and simulation array is begun. The subject is given a number of scenarios to plan through, and the results are recorded. The way that the consultant reacts to each scenario is compared to the reactions of all other subjects. The aggregate data is then used to optimize prognostication formulae focused around the mind set of the IR Wage slave. This data will allow us to predict the actions of the consumers, and will also give us insight into how to best manipulate the Iron Republic citizenry.

The marketing terminals may also be slightly addictive. This will not be through application of a drug. Rather, this will likely just be due to the stark contrast between their normal reality, and the wonder of full immersion computing.

*RE: "What the hell is Prime doing with a MOON LAB"
Attn: Unity Consensus Communications Master Listing; Project Proposals

Archon Armor:

Archon Armor is the Unity's answer to the clumsy powered armor used by the EEF and the Iron Republic. Technically, the Archon Armor is an upgrade to the old (yet effective) Unity Wingsuit system. The Archon Armor system is designed to be somewhat modular, allowing for particularly skilled users to modify their suits as need be.

The Archon Armor is a sleek powered armor system which makes the user eight feet tall, and makes them weigh about 1 ton. Despite the sheer amount of hardware, this full armor system is incredibly mobile, and absurdly sensitive to the movements of the pilot. The archon armor is effectively piloted by two intelligences. The pilot is fully immersed, and sees as if they were the armored unit. From their perspective, there is no lag-time between their commands and the movement of their armored system. The archon armor also has an intelligence system which advises the pilot of threats they may not be aware of, and which handles much of the behind the scenes complex computing that goes into the piloting of such a system.

Like most powered armor, the Archon Armor system is remarkably modular. Like the Wingsuit, the Archon Armor carries an oblivion field. The area behind the head of the armor projects a dark halo of energy. At the behest of the pilot, beams of energy can erupt from the halo system. As this system's operation is maintained by the armor itself, the pilot can perform other actions as the beams independently tracks targets. The number of beams which can be fired, and their strength, depends on the aptitude of the pilot and the effectiveness of their assistant system.

The Archon Armor does not have the capacity to glide, but it does allow the user flight. Flight is provided by 4 retractable wings. The wings are 4 sharp metal limbs which are about 4 feet long when extended. When then are extended, they project dark red energy in the shape of wings. These energy-based wings provide flight with incredible mobility and thrust. As the wings do not actually rely on moving wind, and manipulate local gravitics, the suit provides flight in space and atmosphere.

Aside from this, the Archon Armor can be modified by the user as needed. It can sport stealth systems, plasma lances, large harmonic blades, shields, massive rail-grenade systems, etc. Those with more technical expertise may be able to modify their armor suits further, coaxing truly epic performance from the modular armor system.

An image of Prime looked on some of his more macabre conceptions. The ambassador engine pulsed, layers of brain matter woven around a jagged metal lattice. Beast-men yelped in pain as their blood was taken. They struggled against bonds of ice piercing their flesh whilst holding them against the nature of their beast. Prime would learn the secret of the plague crushing them, such that he could use it to crush the Quall.

The ambassador engine was strong here, but it would be stronger in the Quall home-plane. The fallen planar knights would be studied in the re purposed reclamation citadel. The Unity...Prime...did not like waste. He also did not like the looming threat of the Quall hordes. This would be his insurance policy.

A transport convoy would be prepared. The materials would be shipped. The Citadel would be the staging ground for Prime's counter-offensive.

From Prime's terminal at the lab went a coded communication to Dr. Gilmore.

"My friend, I thought to let you know of an excellent opportunity. The extermination fleets move to sterilize more E-strain planets. They are organizing, and so with luck the bulk of their forces will be involved in trying to repelling us. As I understand you are in need of more mass for your projects, this may be an excellent chance for you to harvest raw material. I've attached the disposition of the tribes we are attacking, and the planets in question. Harvest as you see fit."