>>371889>Nodding, 'Shiibo' steps aside into a desk platform and reduces her avatar's size by half.'Understood. ...insufficient cultural and cross-species data available to continue refining predictive algorithms, returning to human-interfaction dispute simulations.'
[1d6+3 = (5+3) = 8] <E.Electronic Warfare
[1d6+3 = (4+3) = 7][1d6+3 = (1+3) = 4]>Performing a rapid gunbelt, vest, and pouch check, the woman spins around, tossing a rough grin at you."Just keep acting like one, that'll attract either the cutest super-genius, softest snuggle friend, or the prettiest walking war crime around. Maybe you'll get real lucky and find one that's all three!"
>Glancing up, Katyal shrugs to herself after a few seconds, strolling back towards the hatch and around you as she walks up the ramp.*"Hodch, couple background flickers and distortions here. Can't tell what, or when. Know what it is?"*
*"-ome of these coins ha- what? Yes, ten seconds please. A few of these have seals. Not the sapient and adorable pinniped variety. Dynasty City-State seals, noble and royal both, mint marks, years, and their damned engrammatic language. Rather unusual. Then again there aren't marely examples in Equestria anywhere.
That one is a Coldlands neytarm, not a threat. Scavenger, minor nuisance category, will flee from loud noises.
Veyurms are the original species, most of Tallus had fifty variants or more. Frequent and long distance underground travelers, not so much on land. Large numbers spread on boats, both water and sky, some survived river and ocean traversal on logs, and for the rare Air Elemarental ancestors, the Airstreams. Dusk Strider records state some of the Harpies, native, Extra-Planar, and Otherworld, kept them as companions. A few still do as they are easy to train and not picky.
Their descendants are known as wurms. You know them as having eight, twelve, or sixteen blades, stone or metal, protecting three, six, or nine eyes. The majority are considered degenerate subspecies due to mutation and surviving in suboptimal conditions. Nearly all have an Elemarental alignmarent. Feral and destructive without exception."*
*"Meaning the one around here isn't degenerate?"*
*"Correct. I must advise leaving it be, their numbers are unknown but presumably threatened."*
*"Hey, I'm all for keeping native populations safe, you know that!"*
*"Does that exclude the Bronze Guardians?"*
*"....looooow shot there, spikehead. True, but still. Damn."*
>Trying to match the wurm's position on the underside without an indicating distance showed clustered growths on the dead tree where bark had long since fallen or rotted off.>Sweeping flashlight beam across each one, they looked to be fairly large asymmetrical burls, without holes to indicate pest damage.*"A.. what tablet? Some kind of detection alchemical or drug?"*
*"No, a crystal device in service with biotechnicians, armorers, explorers, surveyors, scavengers, and the Underground's Pathfinders. I did toy with one some time back, has several functions quite similar to what the OT-3 did."*
*"Good, great, or amazing?"*
*"The second since there's a 6CTA undertaking trials right now. Better clarity than the previous model, multiple language translations, and, as always, quite durable. Exorbitant cost however, they were sixty thousand Bits each when introduced. Perhaps the price has dropped by now.
I would suggest keeping it on hand, but now is the best time to travel. Most creatures are either settling in, finding a safe location to sleep, not quite awake, or leaving.
Miss Dul, how did you find these? ...........really? ....Of course, the simplest methods are usually the best to use no matter how complicated a situation is. ....no, I thank you, this is highly interesting.
She patrolled the surface in a clockwise spiral outwards for threats, went around, up, then into the trees. Dul then explored underground, starting with the outer roots and finishing at the taproot. Two of the local.... antilar colonies guarded their nests, the rest did not seem to view her as a threat or take notice.
This tree however grew atop a large rectangle, sinking it deep underground. I know the shape well; heavily built trade containers used from the Early to Late Dynasty Eras. Quite difficult to break those damned locks. Could be any number of materials but it is too deep to excavate and I am not about to initiate a teleport without an absolute necessity.
.....Dul describes the material as hard, able to bend greatly without shattering, and caused a buzzing sensation when she attempted to phase through, but did not cause harm nor hinder her efforts. Two cycles, rather, two hours was spent bringing objects to the surface between further patrols as she is unable to carry more than... four, perhaps five pounds during continuous solid-phasing."*
>Settling her kit bag into the upright locker, Katyal leans over to push the UP button.*"We're in and down navy man."*
*"Just say hatch sealed."*
>Lounging onto the chair next to the ramp as it closes, she snickers as a potent EM field accompanied by peculiar low pitched whines emanate from the Landbarge's subframe.*"Got it. Say, if I paint a bunch of cute seals on this thing will it swim faster?"*
*"...please don't. .....shouldn't need seatbelts this time, if Green Man got his calculations right and tuning to spec. "*
>Finding the revised, actual seat rather comfortable, and highly adjustable, a solid holographic display in the center unfolds, showing the OT-4's current state in exacting detail.>Lofting upwards to remain at 2M off ground for ten seconds, the Landbarge twists around in a smooth 180 turn, pitching back five degrees, then skims up the ramp with barely any sensation of gravity or speed.*"Damn dude, this is smoother than.. words I probably shouldn't say out loud."*
*"Good. Also purrs like a sleepy Moor cat. Can't change the screens back there much, let me know if you want 'em facing a certain direction."*
*"Eh, I'll take the passenger side once we stop."*
[1d6+8 = (3+8) = 11] <M.ExoTech Optronic Particle Scanner
[1d6+8 = (4+8) = 12][1d6+8 = (2+8) = 10]