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randomlanguage
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Post Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2018 3:41 am |
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Joined: Fri Mar 03, 2017 7:32 pm Posts: 1638
Location: under a pile of papers
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The current state of affairs is that Schlock is dead, Riff's ship has no power or comms, no one knows where he is, and Torg is about to head into space without a jetpack.
I'm thinking either he'll realize where Riff is and head to save him, or Riff will save Torg from some difficulty that happens. We'll see some flying across space is any case.
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erewhon
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Post Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2018 11:50 pm |
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Joined: Thu May 01, 2014 3:17 am Posts: 443
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If he could find a space suit in the emergency gear, Riff could potentially generate a little thrust by venting some atmosphere in the right direction ( a la 'The Martian'). If his ship is truly stationary relative to the station it wouldn't need much. Of course, if Newtons First Law worked properly here in the Sluggyverse, by rights he'd currently be travelling away from the station at whatever velocity the ship had attained before he cut the engines. I don't recall him applying any braking thrust. In any case, a tiny EMP shouldn't have damaged any circuits not currently active and it certainly wouldn't drain the ship's batteries. EMP doesn't melt wires or ruin machinery and it doesn't destroy major electrical components. It just (potentially) wipes computer memory and possibly damages active delicate circuitry. He may not be able to currently control it, but the power should be there, not to mention attitude jets etc. Maybe Schlock, with his 'Redundant backups for backups' mentality had backup control systems. randomlanguage wrote: The current state of affairs is that Schlock is dead, Riff's ship has no power or comms, no one knows where he is, and Torg is about to head into space without a jetpack.
I'm thinking either he'll realize where Riff is and head to save him, or Riff will save Torg from some difficulty that happens. We'll see some flying across space is any case.
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randomlanguage
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Post Posted: Mon Oct 15, 2018 6:51 am |
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Joined: Fri Mar 03, 2017 7:32 pm Posts: 1638
Location: under a pile of papers
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erewhon wrote: Maybe Schlock, with his 'Redundant backups for backups' mentality had backup control systems. I hope so! He certainly had that tendency.
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erewhon
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Post Posted: Tue Oct 16, 2018 12:13 am |
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Joined: Thu May 01, 2014 3:17 am Posts: 443
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Cue a disembodied Schlock hand with intact fingerprints splatting on the windscreen of Riff's ship
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randomlanguage
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Post Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2018 7:11 pm |
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Joined: Fri Mar 03, 2017 7:32 pm Posts: 1638
Location: under a pile of papers
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I'm thinking Bunbun and crew must still have a part to play.
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tube_rat
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Post Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2018 8:44 am |
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Joined: Fri Aug 04, 2017 10:26 am Posts: 444
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My very first spec (after lurking here for years) and it's grim.
With very very little time left I think the cannon will flux L.A. and in order to stop a rampant AI from doing worse, Riff assumes the role of "his masterness" and thus 4U city is born.
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randomlanguage
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Post Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2018 8:40 am |
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Joined: Fri Mar 03, 2017 7:32 pm Posts: 1638
Location: under a pile of papers
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tube_rat wrote: My very first spec (after lurking here for years) and it's grim.
With very very little time left I think the cannon will flux L.A. and in order to stop a rampant AI from doing worse, Riff assumes the role of "his masterness" and thus 4U city is born. That would be very tragic and grim indeed.
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kansaichris
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Post Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2018 2:45 am |
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Joined: Tue Dec 13, 2016 12:19 am Posts: 120
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randomlanguage wrote: I'm thinking Bunbun and crew must still have a part to play. Agreed. tube_rat wrote: With very very little time left I think the cannon will flux L.A. and in order to stop a rampant AI from doing worse, Riff assumes the role of "his masterness" and thus 4U city is born. What exactly would assuming the role of "His Masterness" mean in this scenario? If he's able to stop the AI from fluxing any more cities, wouldn't that be a good outcome?
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Thom Solo
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Post Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2018 3:15 pm |
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Joined: Mon Feb 24, 2003 12:00 am Posts: 1835
Location: aboard the Fool's Folly
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kansaichris wrote: What exactly would assuming the role of "His Masterness" mean in this scenario? If he's able to stop the AI from fluxing any more cities, wouldn't that be a good outcome? Not for the people of Los Angeles, no. And since the satellite they're on is NOT invisible, fluxing just one city would lead to full-scale retaliation (hence why Schlock was so eager to get off-station) and either Riff & Co. would be dead, or he has to let the AI handle defense which would be bad. I expect that Torg will take out the orbital DFA while it's 99.95% repaired or somesuch. Then the AI will unleash something else unpleasant.
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kansaichris
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Post Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2018 7:41 pm |
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Joined: Tue Dec 13, 2016 12:19 am Posts: 120
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Thom Solo wrote: kansaichris wrote: What exactly would assuming the role of "His Masterness" mean in this scenario? If he's able to stop the AI from fluxing any more cities, wouldn't that be a good outcome? Not for the people of Los Angeles, no. Oh, of course…I guess I just meant that it would be better than fluxing the entire planet. ;) Thom Solo wrote: And since the satellite they're on is NOT invisible, fluxing just one city would lead to full-scale retaliation (hence why Schlock was so eager to get off-station) and either Riff & Co. would be dead, or he has to let the AI handle defense which would be bad. Ah, so Riff taking on the role of "His Masterness" would still involve fluxing all of Earth's major cities in self-defense. Given what he's seen in the DoR, I doubt Riff would agree to that, but it would indeed be a grim outcome. Thom Solo wrote: I expect that Torg will take out the orbital DFA while it's 99.95% repaired or somesuch. Then the AI will unleash something else unpleasant. Like maybe shutting off all life support systems on the station—a classic HAL move.
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Sotanaht
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Post Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2018 12:42 am |
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Joined: Fri Aug 08, 2008 5:49 am Posts: 267
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Two "smart enoughs" often make one "stupid". I think Torg might end up shooting Riff as a result of both of their crazy maneuvers (without communication now thanks to last page).
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erewhon
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Post Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2018 12:50 am |
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Joined: Thu May 01, 2014 3:17 am Posts: 443
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First rule of automatic countdown to destruction. It will always get down to the last possible increment on the timer before being disarmed. Thom Solo wrote: I expect that Torg will take out the orbital DFA while it's 99.95% repaired or somesuch. Then the AI will unleash something else unpleasant.
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erewhon
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Post Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2018 12:52 am |
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Joined: Thu May 01, 2014 3:17 am Posts: 443
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*Cough* erewhon wrote: If he could find a space suit in the emergency gear, Riff could potentially generate a little thrust by venting some atmosphere in the right direction ( a la 'The Martian').
If his ship is truly stationary relative to the station it wouldn't need much.
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swmartian
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Post Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2018 3:01 pm |
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Joined: Sun Nov 13, 2005 1:59 pm Posts: 2146
Location: In "Still" waters...
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You might want to get that cough looked at, erewhon... ;-)
I had a grim thought, based on me still not entirely trusting "Sasha"... She might have decided to side with Torg et al. while Schlock was still alive, given how Schlock fluxed her future out of existence. Now that Schlock is dead, she sees an opportunity to take over what is left of Hereti-Corp. She will shove Torg out of the station as planned, but in the wrong direction, and then lock him out. We still need to prevent LA from being fluxed, so Riff will ram the DFA (at 99.5% repaired) causing further damage and buying them some time. In the meantime, Sasha will communicate with the AI - computer to computer - and start to sabotage our folks (and bunny and ferret) that remain on the station.
I have a weird feeling that Frog is going to accidentally save the day, but I haven't figure out how yet. But it would make sense that Schlock gave his only friend succession powers...
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Thom Solo
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Post Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2018 3:37 pm |
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Joined: Mon Feb 24, 2003 12:00 am Posts: 1835
Location: aboard the Fool's Folly
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swmartian wrote: I have a weird feeling that Frog is going to accidentally save the day, but I haven't figure out how yet. But it would make sense that Schlock gave his only friend succession powers... Oooh, I hadn't thought of that! If your grim thought comes to pass, swmartian, I further posit that one of the Sashas (probably Polsk) will stand against the other in defense of the world.
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