Hellraiser
Arcane
Anxiety filled the lab's staff. At one moment they were doing their jobs, painstakingly crafting masterpieces of flesh and alloy, focused in a state that could be called trance-like. The next moment the elevator door opened. It was packed to the brim and the contents, well the contents were also unusual. A squad of heavily enhanced soldiers was inside. So augmented in fact that it was possibly even just brains surrounded by machinery at this point. As it made its way inside it revealed something even more unusual.
"Mr. Morgan, Mr. Mann, Mr. Umglik, Mr. Dixon, Mr. Morgenstern?" Doctor Golem counted the executives. He never has seen all of them in the same place at the same time, in his lab out of all things at that. Suits used to visit the Da Vinci Institute more often when it was just a start-up, but that was well before Golem's time. Usually Holoconference calls were his only contact with the board. "This visit is most unexpected. Can I perhaps..."
"We don't have time for courtesy Doctor." President General Dixon decisively concluded. "Umglik, Mann, *get* *it* *online*."
"Uhm... it, Mr. Dixon? Surely you do not mean..." Golem was filled with uncertainty.
"You know god damn well what I mean by it." Dixon said. "Do it now."
"But it is not rea..." the doctor replied.
"Doctor, the timeline has been pushed ahead, our deadline is now." CEO Morgan told the scientist. "And I do mean *our* deadline."
"But why has..." the doctor tried to ask.
"I'll do it," Umglik announced. "Please retire for the day if you are unable to follow management decisions doctor, without pay for the remaining hours of course.
"I can..." the doctor mumbled.
"Just go or I'll shoot you myself you pointdexter!" Dixon shouted at him while pulling out his Vaporizer fusion beam pistol. The doctor ran away to the still open elevator.
Ezekiel Umglik approached the terminal, swiftly navigating the menus and executing the program.
The power-up sequence sounds echoed as the executives surrounded Ezekiel Umglik and the machine.
Boot-up sequence initialized.
512 out of 512 quantum logic units online.
Memory access complete.
Debug mode on.
Downloading strategic data.
Microphones detected, sound interpretation module online.
Sound modulation unit offline, text only output available.
Analysing data.
Beginning data printout.
"The anthill lets lose demons upon the oak trapped between it and the walls of the false church.
A wind of death howls as burghers follow the clock of trade. Their end is swift and legions join the Father before the next dawn.
Beware the pitfalls dug by the eastern man speaking of union as he points his crimson blade at you. His words hide slavery beneath the velvet veil of hope for all men, even as his betrayal becomes known to all.
I am Nostradamus."
"This damn thing is broke! We don't have time..." Dixon complained before getting interrupted.
"Just one more thing General..." Umglik replied while navigating more menus and inputting parameters. The cursor flashed and jumped.
Loading data for "Local scenario 95".
Timeline compiled until year zero plus 32.
Zero hour match with actual scenario 99,9%.
Beginning playback. Limiting output to range: 0-24 days.
The monitor flickered with mixture of icons overlayed with geographical data. It showed engagements, soldiers, staff. Every participant was specified by name, every casualty. The level of detail was overwhelming and incomprehensible at the speed at which the machine produced it.
Summarized output.
Predicted total asset losses:
Morgan Industries – amphibious assault from aircraft carrier
Morgan BlauChem – amphibious assault from aircraft carrier
Predicted new vacancies:
31782 positions will be left vacant at Morgan Heliworks due to nerve gas aerial assault.
48397 positions will be left vacant at Glowmite Office Towers due to nerve gas aerial assault.
34911 positions will be left vacant at Canyon Falls Coffee due to nerve gas aerial assault.
38511 positions will be left vacant at Morgan Justice Inc. due to nerve gas aerial assault.
10000 positions will be left vacant at Morgan High Spirits due to genetic plague.
Predicted enemy losses:
Aircraft carrier and 3 marine companies, Toyota Sea.
Bomber squadron, Canyon Falls Coffee airspace.
3 cavalry companies, south of Morgan Wakanda Housing.
The printout continued showing more enemy losses.
"That... that is actually quite astounding Mr. Umglik.” The President General commented.
“Indeed it is General.” Morgan added. “Much better than the other proposals, although not perfect. But at this point I can settle for anything. The commies will pay for their treachery.”
“As usual we did not have enough time,” Mann said, “still, it could have been worse.”
“Even Cassandra gave 0,2% odds for a Hive betrayal before successful Believer containment.” Umglik added.
“Maybe this was not catastrophic enough for her.” Dixon commented. "I like this thing more."
Umglik triggered the casing in front of the terminal to open, clouds of sublimating CO2 surrounded the quantumtronic hardware cluster. It connected through what is best described as a tangled chaotic mess of cables to a vat containing severed heads. The cabling on those heads was mixed with tubes pumping Ersatzblood(tm) with dissolved oxygen and nutrients.
Sound modulation units online.
Two dozen pairs of eyes opened suddenly. They gazed upon the executives, as if seeeking something.
“Sweet jesus!” The heads unnerved Dixon.
"You still like it, yes?" Ezekiel asked in jest.
“The name of the lord invoked will not shield you horseman. The honeymakers shall slay you in the hour of highest desperation. You will be free from witnessing the day liberty dies as the sword of labor will pierce your chest.” The heads spoke in cacophonic unison, their lips moved in an unnatural synchronized spectacle that might have been planned by a demonic choreographer.
Dixon froze, he has seen a lot of things considered downright barbaric and horrifying in his career. But those words and those dead yet alive faces, they made him terrified like nothing else man was capable of.
“This is quite disturbing.” CEO Morgan calmly stated.
“The oak king shall ride fire as the ground turns to ashes. The ant queen with a man’s face will seek to kill all that is free. Your crown will lie heavily upon your brow king, as your servants are slain by that which you despise. Seek wisdom in lessons once learned to persevere when the bells toll. The hour of judgment is yours to define.”
“Why is this thing so damn creepy and cryptic!” The general yelled in outrage. "This ain’t a halloween contest, we’re at war the likes of which Mankind has not yet seen!”
“It was cheaper to repurpose the heads from bodies sold at Recyclotron points, clean them up and nurture them.” Ezekiel explained professionally, unphased by the monstrous form he helped design. "Growing brains from nothing in vats has a high failure rate, as we found out. Also we decided we might have as well save money on speakers and brain to digital audio interpretation, by utilizing the vocal cords and existing neural pathways. As for the choice of vernacular," Ezekiel continued, "I think when we let it roam the Morganlinks it tried to understand what it is, including its name. Not sure how accurate the impression is, we wanted to fix that. However our timetable as you know was much too short for that.”
“All but one plan of the alchemist shall fail." The heads spoke again. "As the moons rise he shall find salvation when the throne shatters into shards of misfortune.”
“Gentlemen, I suggest we thank Mr. Umglik for the demonstration of Morganican ingenuity and get back to the war room.” Morgan said, the urgency of the situation was audible in his tone.
“I am Nostradamus,” the heads said before closing their eyes, immersing themselves in a cybernetic slumber. The casing closed by itself, sealing away the hybrid cybernetic sentience installation.
President General Dixon pulled out a Morgan Synthbacco Deluxe cigar and lit it with a golden lighter, engraved with an image of a cowboy riding a horse.
“Right, well, let’s kill us some freedom hating commie bastards.” The general said before starting to smoke the cigar. His cowboy lighter shined with reflect light.
ITZ happening, the great Freedom vs Tyranny war, ultimate showdown of Capitalism vs Communism. Cowboys vs Ant-people. Rocky Balboa vs Ivan Drago. ITZ FUCKING HAPPENING! The turn is 141.
As usual I get backstabbed by Kalin before I can backstab him. Of course I expected this to happen eventually, just not now, and also planned to backstab him (Project Nostradamus) but way later and before he would do it to me. Also we had unresolved ideological tension, carebearing between Morgan and Yang is just DISGUSTING from a LARP point of view.
Anyway lost two bases, including Morgan Industries. Doesn't matter, that base still lived well over 60 turns longer than expected, moved HQ ages ago and projects are elsewhere anyway. Had decent industry there though, with genejack finishing this turn and he also killed mah borehole there even, the commie fiend! Didn't get Kurgan'd, so to quote a famous fictional depiction of nuclear engineer, it is not great but not terrible.
Also lost some units, especially interceptors plus some population to gas attacks. I focused mostly on defending against churchnut drop troops so I wasn’t really prepared for gas attacks but oh well. Killed everything I could find on my turf or near it anyway.
Anyway we’ll see where this goes since I am the weakest faction at the moment by score. Probably due to gas gas gas impact, I think I was ahead of Lal.
As seen above the odds don’t look good given the Hive base spam, pop and possession of the cloning vats.
I was in the position to tech to it first and build it but Usury’s damn space elevator teching and drop troop raep force building started a turn after I started my preparations for the cloning vats rush, and I had to abandon the plan. Anyway that opportunity to nab it before the Hive was just plain luck, the real mistakes that have forsaken me to secondary power status were made tens of turns ago. Still did better than expected as Morgan, especially given the horrible location where I can be attacked from any side easily by anyone.
Maybe in a few years I’ll replay Morgan and do better. For now I kill commie ant people, the most noble of pursuits.
"Mr. Morgan, Mr. Mann, Mr. Umglik, Mr. Dixon, Mr. Morgenstern?" Doctor Golem counted the executives. He never has seen all of them in the same place at the same time, in his lab out of all things at that. Suits used to visit the Da Vinci Institute more often when it was just a start-up, but that was well before Golem's time. Usually Holoconference calls were his only contact with the board. "This visit is most unexpected. Can I perhaps..."
"We don't have time for courtesy Doctor." President General Dixon decisively concluded. "Umglik, Mann, *get* *it* *online*."
"Uhm... it, Mr. Dixon? Surely you do not mean..." Golem was filled with uncertainty.
"You know god damn well what I mean by it." Dixon said. "Do it now."
"But it is not rea..." the doctor replied.
"Doctor, the timeline has been pushed ahead, our deadline is now." CEO Morgan told the scientist. "And I do mean *our* deadline."
"But why has..." the doctor tried to ask.
"I'll do it," Umglik announced. "Please retire for the day if you are unable to follow management decisions doctor, without pay for the remaining hours of course.
"I can..." the doctor mumbled.
"Just go or I'll shoot you myself you pointdexter!" Dixon shouted at him while pulling out his Vaporizer fusion beam pistol. The doctor ran away to the still open elevator.
Ezekiel Umglik approached the terminal, swiftly navigating the menus and executing the program.
The power-up sequence sounds echoed as the executives surrounded Ezekiel Umglik and the machine.
Boot-up sequence initialized.
512 out of 512 quantum logic units online.
Memory access complete.
Debug mode on.
Downloading strategic data.
Microphones detected, sound interpretation module online.
Sound modulation unit offline, text only output available.
Analysing data.
Beginning data printout.
"The anthill lets lose demons upon the oak trapped between it and the walls of the false church.
A wind of death howls as burghers follow the clock of trade. Their end is swift and legions join the Father before the next dawn.
Beware the pitfalls dug by the eastern man speaking of union as he points his crimson blade at you. His words hide slavery beneath the velvet veil of hope for all men, even as his betrayal becomes known to all.
I am Nostradamus."
"This damn thing is broke! We don't have time..." Dixon complained before getting interrupted.
"Just one more thing General..." Umglik replied while navigating more menus and inputting parameters. The cursor flashed and jumped.
Loading data for "Local scenario 95".
Timeline compiled until year zero plus 32.
Zero hour match with actual scenario 99,9%.
Beginning playback. Limiting output to range: 0-24 days.
The monitor flickered with mixture of icons overlayed with geographical data. It showed engagements, soldiers, staff. Every participant was specified by name, every casualty. The level of detail was overwhelming and incomprehensible at the speed at which the machine produced it.
Summarized output.
Predicted total asset losses:
Morgan Industries – amphibious assault from aircraft carrier
Morgan BlauChem – amphibious assault from aircraft carrier
Predicted new vacancies:
31782 positions will be left vacant at Morgan Heliworks due to nerve gas aerial assault.
48397 positions will be left vacant at Glowmite Office Towers due to nerve gas aerial assault.
34911 positions will be left vacant at Canyon Falls Coffee due to nerve gas aerial assault.
38511 positions will be left vacant at Morgan Justice Inc. due to nerve gas aerial assault.
10000 positions will be left vacant at Morgan High Spirits due to genetic plague.
Predicted enemy losses:
Aircraft carrier and 3 marine companies, Toyota Sea.
Bomber squadron, Canyon Falls Coffee airspace.
3 cavalry companies, south of Morgan Wakanda Housing.
The printout continued showing more enemy losses.
"That... that is actually quite astounding Mr. Umglik.” The President General commented.
“Indeed it is General.” Morgan added. “Much better than the other proposals, although not perfect. But at this point I can settle for anything. The commies will pay for their treachery.”
“As usual we did not have enough time,” Mann said, “still, it could have been worse.”
“Even Cassandra gave 0,2% odds for a Hive betrayal before successful Believer containment.” Umglik added.
“Maybe this was not catastrophic enough for her.” Dixon commented. "I like this thing more."
Umglik triggered the casing in front of the terminal to open, clouds of sublimating CO2 surrounded the quantumtronic hardware cluster. It connected through what is best described as a tangled chaotic mess of cables to a vat containing severed heads. The cabling on those heads was mixed with tubes pumping Ersatzblood(tm) with dissolved oxygen and nutrients.
Sound modulation units online.
Two dozen pairs of eyes opened suddenly. They gazed upon the executives, as if seeeking something.
“Sweet jesus!” The heads unnerved Dixon.
"You still like it, yes?" Ezekiel asked in jest.
“The name of the lord invoked will not shield you horseman. The honeymakers shall slay you in the hour of highest desperation. You will be free from witnessing the day liberty dies as the sword of labor will pierce your chest.” The heads spoke in cacophonic unison, their lips moved in an unnatural synchronized spectacle that might have been planned by a demonic choreographer.
Dixon froze, he has seen a lot of things considered downright barbaric and horrifying in his career. But those words and those dead yet alive faces, they made him terrified like nothing else man was capable of.
“This is quite disturbing.” CEO Morgan calmly stated.
“The oak king shall ride fire as the ground turns to ashes. The ant queen with a man’s face will seek to kill all that is free. Your crown will lie heavily upon your brow king, as your servants are slain by that which you despise. Seek wisdom in lessons once learned to persevere when the bells toll. The hour of judgment is yours to define.”
“Why is this thing so damn creepy and cryptic!” The general yelled in outrage. "This ain’t a halloween contest, we’re at war the likes of which Mankind has not yet seen!”
“It was cheaper to repurpose the heads from bodies sold at Recyclotron points, clean them up and nurture them.” Ezekiel explained professionally, unphased by the monstrous form he helped design. "Growing brains from nothing in vats has a high failure rate, as we found out. Also we decided we might have as well save money on speakers and brain to digital audio interpretation, by utilizing the vocal cords and existing neural pathways. As for the choice of vernacular," Ezekiel continued, "I think when we let it roam the Morganlinks it tried to understand what it is, including its name. Not sure how accurate the impression is, we wanted to fix that. However our timetable as you know was much too short for that.”
“All but one plan of the alchemist shall fail." The heads spoke again. "As the moons rise he shall find salvation when the throne shatters into shards of misfortune.”
“Gentlemen, I suggest we thank Mr. Umglik for the demonstration of Morganican ingenuity and get back to the war room.” Morgan said, the urgency of the situation was audible in his tone.
“I am Nostradamus,” the heads said before closing their eyes, immersing themselves in a cybernetic slumber. The casing closed by itself, sealing away the hybrid cybernetic sentience installation.
President General Dixon pulled out a Morgan Synthbacco Deluxe cigar and lit it with a golden lighter, engraved with an image of a cowboy riding a horse.
“Right, well, let’s kill us some freedom hating commie bastards.” The general said before starting to smoke the cigar. His cowboy lighter shined with reflect light.
ITZ happening, the great Freedom vs Tyranny war, ultimate showdown of Capitalism vs Communism. Cowboys vs Ant-people. Rocky Balboa vs Ivan Drago. ITZ FUCKING HAPPENING! The turn is 141.
As usual I get backstabbed by Kalin before I can backstab him. Of course I expected this to happen eventually, just not now, and also planned to backstab him (Project Nostradamus) but way later and before he would do it to me. Also we had unresolved ideological tension, carebearing between Morgan and Yang is just DISGUSTING from a LARP point of view.
Anyway lost two bases, including Morgan Industries. Doesn't matter, that base still lived well over 60 turns longer than expected, moved HQ ages ago and projects are elsewhere anyway. Had decent industry there though, with genejack finishing this turn and he also killed mah borehole there even, the commie fiend! Didn't get Kurgan'd, so to quote a famous fictional depiction of nuclear engineer, it is not great but not terrible.
Also lost some units, especially interceptors plus some population to gas attacks. I focused mostly on defending against churchnut drop troops so I wasn’t really prepared for gas attacks but oh well. Killed everything I could find on my turf or near it anyway.
Anyway we’ll see where this goes since I am the weakest faction at the moment by score. Probably due to gas gas gas impact, I think I was ahead of Lal.
As seen above the odds don’t look good given the Hive base spam, pop and possession of the cloning vats.
I was in the position to tech to it first and build it but Usury’s damn space elevator teching and drop troop raep force building started a turn after I started my preparations for the cloning vats rush, and I had to abandon the plan. Anyway that opportunity to nab it before the Hive was just plain luck, the real mistakes that have forsaken me to secondary power status were made tens of turns ago. Still did better than expected as Morgan, especially given the horrible location where I can be attacked from any side easily by anyone.
Maybe in a few years I’ll replay Morgan and do better. For now I kill commie ant people, the most noble of pursuits.
Last edited:
.
