[LP CYOA] Epic

[a cut of domestic sheep prime]

Yeah, that's what I wanted to know.

 

[Kipeci]

Have we done anything with our sudden, vast amounts of cash as of yet? Like, say, upgrading Yua? (I'm assuming that 'half a million' is a decent amount of currency, here)

 

[Baltika9]

Cult path?

Actually, considering that Senya is the Cult's Dark Messiah, I was hoping for something more like this

Now, where the hell is the Spider Temple?

 

[treave]

Not bad, I can't find much reason to complain. Everyone lives, and in the long term we definitely have a path into the ISC echelons.

Nobody made a big deal out of the tentacle-monster Senya once the attack got televised? Or did the journos disperse before that?

Well, in the chaotic melee it was pretty hard to identify him, plus consider that there was a monster attack just moments before AND Erec showed off telekinesis. The first event might be earth-shattering, the second interesting, by the time a third tentacle monster appears the surprise factor is now pretty low.

Then barely two weeks later a war starts up and the Indus are using giant robots. The Dunamis haven't surfaced again after their attempt, neither have any other monsters, so attention is now focused mostly on the war. The media is fickle.

Senya will become somewhat more well-known after his stunt at the ceremony, but not everyone is going to treat him as the biggest thing ever. He's nowhere near important enough for that.

Have we done anything with our sudden, vast amounts of cash as of yet? Like, say, upgrading Yua? (I'm assuming that 'half a million' is a decent amount of currency, here)

There'll be another short time-skip, we start somewhat in media res in the upcoming chapter. Yua will be upgraded to a sufficient level to take over the colony's systems by herself.

 

[Kipeci]

Yua will be upgraded to a sufficient level to take over the colony's systems by herself

but can we have hologram sex?

keep track of the priorities

 

[treave]

You don't have enough Yua points for sex.

 

[a cut of domestic sheep prime]

What about the princess?

 

[Baltika9]

Yua will be upgraded to a sufficient level to take over the colony's systems by herself.

Oh come on. An insanely, jealous and clingy AI is the last fucking thing we need. Wipe her memory and reprogram the behavior, or we will end up with System Shock 2 on our hands, only with screams of "Oops, I just killed Kyrie. Come to me, Hoshi-chan, stick your calibrator into my USB port, I've been a naughty girl! Hihi!"
While fun on the outside, yes, the planet will be screwed unless we figure out a solution to this war ASAP.
Edit: mark my words.

Edit 2:

Well, in the chaotic melee it was pretty hard to identify him, plus consider that there was a monster attack just moments before AND Erec showed off telekinesis. The first event might be earth-shattering, the second interesting, by the time a third tentacle monster appears the surprise factor is now pretty low.

Then barely two weeks later a war starts up and the Indus are using giant robots. The Dunamis haven't surfaced again after their attempt, neither have any other monsters, so attention is now focused mostly on the war. The media is fickle.

That seems like a rather hamfisted attempt to cover up Ean's grandkids and cthulhi. Is Shulgi getting out of shape lately?

 

[treave]

What about the princess?

Hm... well, we'll see.

 

[Baltika9]

You didn't actually take that one seriously, did ya? I probably should start adding emoticons.

Alright, here's one: you said the Madman was the truly codexian choices, back in chapter seven. So, what's his name and, most importantly, how did he speak? Like Prosper or BLOBERT? And what would our choices have been like:
You see Ban demolishing your army.
A. MAXIMUM FUCK!
B. Fuck this shit!
C. You DARE raise your hand against the Emperor's Chosen?

 

[treave]

Rhyming Malkavian. Would've been a bitch to pull off though. Lucky escape for me there.

 

[treave]

Interlude: Space Colonies (4025 A.C.)

165 years after the completion of the first space colony, almost half of the world's 11 billion people now reside in outer space. Close to five billion souls live, work and play in massive O'Neill cylinders, separated from the void of space by only a few metres of wall.

There are many such cylinders bunched around the Earth-Moon Lagrange points. Some of the more notable are as follows:

Moon L1
Peace – the first and oldest space colony built by mankind. Now a tourist spot.
Kawamura – the first colony to be built after the O'Neill cylinder pattern.

Moon L2
Kamabharata – an Indus colony popular for its sex trade.
Sin's Eye – an ISC military base named after the Mesopotamian moon god.

Moon L3
Flowerbed – an agricultural UNS colony
Horsebed – a research colony headed by a group of equine-loving UNS scientists

Moon L4
Yamamura – the most populated colony, boasting of 120 million inhabitants in one cylinder.

Moon L5
Neo Memphis – an ISC colony known for being a gambling haven. Also the HQ of the ISC's space offices.
Londinium – a major Britannian colony

Construction at Sun-Earth Lagrange points are less frequent. Most of the people living at those points reside in asteroids captured and parked in orbit.

Sun L1
Marduk's Navel – an ISC asteroid base
Neo Ashur – the first colony to be built at a Sun-Earth Lagrange point

Sun L2
Spacebase Tranquility – the furthest manned outpost in the Earth Sphere
The Gate of Ean – a massive asteroid converted into a military base shared by the UNS, ISC and the Higashi, and the gateway through which travel to other planets in the solar system is monitored.

Sun L3
Neo Heliopolis – an experimental research colony that is still under construction at the furthest Lagrange Point from Earth.

Sun L4
Arrowbed – a UNS colony that is rumoured to be performing top secret research.

Sun L5
Apophis – a large asteroid owned by the Atman Foundation. It serves as an orphanage of some sorts.

 

[Storyfag]

The Gate of Ean – a massive asteroid converted into a military base shared by the UNS, ISC and the Higashi, and the gateway through which travel to other planets in the solar system is monitored.

Though I have to wonder how things are shaping up over there, since the UNS and Higashi are now at war.

 

[Bloodshifter]

Treave you really do spoil us man.

 

[Baltika9]

The Gate of Ean – a massive asteroid converted into a military base shared by the UNS, ISC and the Higashi, and the gateway through which travel to other planets in the solar system is monitored.

Hell yeah, this is what I'm talking about! Treave, you are a bro


Now, all that is left is to rename Earth and we're set.

Onto other matters: guys, if this text adventure about Ean really does retrace his steps, then not only Senya will be able to learn the Secrets of Creation, but also the secrets to Anbar'Shi's creation and perhaps even the powers Ean utilized.
You could say it is his...
...Inheritance.
Edit: that is, if we can take him in Ean's footsteps and make him think like Ean did; otherwise I think we'll be shit out of luck.
Edit 2: this is probably a test of character for all of Ean's inheritors. Are they worthy of wielding the true power of the Dark Knight Sparda God-Emperor Ean?

Allow me to propose a name, in case I'm right: Yamato .
Although I still prefer that he was of a Akkad-Space Squid Kraken ethnicity.

 

[treave]

Late Again

“Master, you're going to need to take a shortcut – no, I don't mean that one!” shouts Yua.

“Doesn't matter!”

It's a good thing that the Heliopolis colony has its rotational gravity set to a mere third of Earth's own. I jump over the railing, hanging in the air for a few long seconds. Once I land, from there it should be a short sprint to the port – I can make that in less than thirty two seconds. I can't believe I woke up late today.

It's been three months since I arrived at Neo Heliopolis. It's a colony that is still incomplete – only 35% of the structure is habitable right now. There are about 8000 people living here; most of them researchers and ISC personnel. Out here at Sun Lagrange Point 3, the war that continues to rage across the Earth sphere is a distant affair. Last I heard, the Higashi were in a bad position. The Indus had shared their Vizala technology with the UNS, and the both of them were gradually whittling away at the Higashi defenses. The large amount of Higashi engineers that arrived on the last few flights reinforced that idea. The Higashi were desperate; desperate enough to work with their long-time rivals, the Neo Shinar Empire, on researching a counter-measure to the Vizala combat frames. Though the Empire remained neutral, it knew that if Higashi fell, the ascendant UNS and Indus would turn their eyes towards the ISC next. To that end, it agreed to a secret pact with the Higashi to undertake a joint project. Higashi and ISC engineers have been working long hours, almost without rest, to develop a combat frame of their own. By all accounts, the prototype is almost complete. In fact, a group of dignitaries are visiting today to survey the progress.

They would be led by the Empress Julia Canaria de Shinar. Kyrie's mother.

That's why I'm running.

The Empress, though also a director on the board, is the head of the space offices of the ISC. She spends most of her time at the Neo Memphis colony nowadays. I've only met her once before, when we boarded the shuttle to Neo Heliopolis. Let's just say we did not leave a good first impression on each other. If the rumours are true, the only thing preventing the Empress from ordering a hit is the fact that her husband has taken a shine to me.

I skid to a halt as I reach the port's entrance at the end of the colony's gigantic cylinder. Kyrie is already there, waiting impatiently with Butterfield. She looks angry. That's weird, I'm sure I'm on time...

Unfortunately, it seems that the Empress is ahead of schedule. Empress Julia is tall, unlike her daughter. Her sharp features evoke the impression of a bird of prey, and her keen eyes do nothing to alleviate that feeling. Those cold eyes fix on me for a brief while before turning to her daughter.

“Kyrie. I have told you this before.” She enunciates her words slowly and carefully. “As the Crown Princess, it is entirely unseemly for you to hire your... friend... to be in a position close to you. It could be seen as an abuse of power. People might think you are favouring a lover.”

“Mother, it is not-”

“Do not interrupt.” snaps the Empress. “It would be at least palatable if he was of any use, or knew the importance of punctuality.” She casts a withering look at me, as if I should have been here an hour early waiting for Her Majesty's arrival. Well, perhaps I should have, but there were some pressing matters that needed my attention last night; that is to say, her daughter. Really, Kyrie could've woken me up this morning before she left. Seeing how fresh she looks, I wonder where she gets her endurance. Who would've thought that the princess was such an avid fan of late night video-gaming?

I give Her Imperial Majesty a perfectly executed bow and step in line behind Kyrie. She doesn't talk to me, but I can tell that there'll be words later. Words and other stuff. I shiver inwardly.

I look around the place – there are some Higashi bigwigs in the entourage, noticeable from their impeccable bearing and manners. One of them looks familiar, though I can't quite place his name in my mind at the moment. After a few more minutes of conversation and small talk, their rides arrive. The group of very important people sweeps off into their stretch limousines – did they ship those in specifically for today, I wonder – Kyrie along with them. I get to sit in the back of a truck along with the security personnel.

They recognize me and raise their hands for a high-five as I clamber into the back. Apparently, my stunt of saving the Emperor has become pretty well known amongst the ISC's security teams. Many of them had friends who were killed by either the monsters or the Dunamis that day. They took their jobs seriously; if the Emperor had been lost too, they felt that their friends would have died in vain.

“Still not getting to sit with your girlfriend, Senya?” grinned a tanned man with a faint rose tattoo on his cheek. His real name is Raul, but he insists that everyone call him Rose.

“Everyone thinking that she's my girlfriend is part of the reason why I'm stuck with you guys.” I reply. “No one ever believes us when we say there's nothing there. We're just friends.”

“Right. Motherfucking Butterfield allows her to stay over at your place, and you're just friends?” chimes in another guy, a blonde haired giant of a man. His mother named him Babylon, but most people just call him Babs.

“It's precisely because he allows her to stay over that you know there's nothing going on.” I am sure that if I ever tried anything improper, Butterfield would shoot me out of the airlock with nothing but my underwear on. He's said something to that effect before, and I'm not eager to see if he won't carry it out after all. Sure, it means that I have to fight temptation every weekend, but at least I'm not breathing vacuum.

“I can assure you that Master is still chaste.” Yua pipes up. “I watch him every night.”

“Hah, say what you want,” snorts Rose. “You gotta stop making out with computers and grow some hair on your balls, buddy. Lemme take you on a trip to Kamabharata when you hit the next school break. Make you into a real man, if you get what I mean.”

Before I can retort, the truck stops. We're at the hangers. “Alright, let's move out.” mutters Babs, putting on his sunglasses. Rose does the same, together with the rest of the security personnel. As I get down after them, a woman runs up to me.

“I thought you would be in the limos!”

“You're not the first one to say that, Tabitha. Anyway, what've you got there?”

“Take a guess.” She waves her tablet around. I can see that the screen is stained with the same greases that are splattered all over her mechanic's overalls, in her red, short hair, and streaked across her freckled cheeks. I venture the first guess that comes to mind. “Grease?”

“What? Of course not! The head of CF engineering just returned this report that you gave to him about the proposed upgrades.”

So that was it. In between attending school at Neo Heliopolis, I had gotten myself partially involved with the CF development going on here. Even though they appreciated my input, even after all the reports I've submitted, I have yet to be allowed access to the massive laboratories where the prototype CF is being constructed for security reasons. The prototype test today is the first time I'll be able to see the thing.

I take the tablet from Tabitha, wiping off the smudges on the screen as I do so. Wait, had I really sent this in? It bears my electronic signature, but I'm pretty sure I had never written anything like this...

***

In the report, I had written about:

1. My favourite colour on a CF.
A. Black
B. Blue
C. Red
D. White
E. Gold
F. Hot Pink
G. I change my preferred colours on a case-by-case (CBC) basis.

2. In general, I believe the design of a CF should focus on
A. Mobility
B. Armor
C. CBC is the way

3. In combat, a CF would be more effective by optimizing it for
A. Shooting
B. Melee
C. I like to do things CBC

4. I would like to upgrade the ISC's prototype CF with
A. Rocket punches
B. Breast missiles
C. Crotch bombs
D. Eye lasers
E. Drills everywhere.
F. It must be CBC

 

[Storyfag]

ABAB

 

[Baltika9]

B- blue is related to ice and cold, I'll go with that.
C- tactical adaptability.
C- again, tactical adaptability.
C- not only that, they should also be fired with pelvic thrusts. The bigger the thrust, the longer the range.

 

[Smashing Axe]

GCCE

I'm going to approach this from the perspective that Senya will one-day be piloting the thing. I don't know any other way.

G- I don't really care about colour, unless we get camouflage as an option. In which case, fresh paint job camo for each field of engagement.

A- With our perception and reflexes, mobility is the way to go. Let's dance through a field of bullets bros.

C - Shatterpoint makes firepower relatively irrelevant and with our moves we'll be gods of melee. So let's keep our versatility in regards to combat.

D - Hard to say which is the best option here. treave could you possibly define rocket punches? Does that mean we punch really hard, or that our punches shoot rockets? You've me confused. Anyway, I chose eye lasers since lasers are obviously, well, quick. It should go well with shatterpoint and neutralising foes lightning fast.

 

[treave]

Forgot the drills option. It's now E.

 

[TOME]

A
A
C
D - Eye lasers combined with Senya's powers to see lines of destruction? Hell yeah!

 

[treave]

Rocket punch means your forearms will detach and fly off to punch the enemy.

Those last options are unlikely to appear on any mecha for now, being mostly joke homages, but we do have particle weaponry. I'll go more into that in the next update when the shit inevitably hits the fan as is par for the course.

 

[Stygian Lurker]

ACCC

 

[Zwist]

FAB-C
A pink mech destroying the enemy in gentlemanly melee, tea-bagging them with crotch-bombs.

The best answer for general use would of course be "depending on the mission", it is better for an army to be versatile as we do not know any weakness in the enemies as of yet.
And of course having a different, less fabulous colour.

 

[a cut of domestic sheep prime]

Guys, let's put at least a little bit of thought into this choice, eh? I don't want it to bite us in the ass later because we didn't take it seriously.

A - Because a black mech in anime usually makes you either an invincible hero or a badass super-villian.
A - Our powers make us uniquely suited for mobility. Quick, precise strikes vs lumbering around like a jackass.
B - Melee. Since we're talking weeaboo, I'm guessing a fast melee fighter will work. If we have to shoot from a distance...
D - Eye lasers. In the weeaboo world, having them means winning.