The camera flickers to life, the angle flailing wildly as it is affixed to the tripod. Jasmine smiles as she steps back from the camera, looking around the dark hangar, while she stands in front of a pillar of light, a large optronic construction.
Ah...Bien. Well, this is it, first log on Hex5...Or in proper gallic, Hex-Cinq's progress. We brought the intelligence online earlier today, and at first, everything was alright. But when we linked him to the four-legged body we created specifically for him, we first understood his hunger for information. We must tread carefully it seems.
Ah...when we first gave him control, it took him a moment to quite gather full control of the machine, but once he did, he was easily moving around the facility. Easily enough that he deconstructed half of our power generator before his processing core finally powered down. She rubs the back of her neck, shrugging towards the optronics.
This is Hex5's physical form. It is his brain and his nerve center, the only true way to destroy such a program. If you can access this file, i am -trusting- you with this information. That means that it is not to be spread, and it is not to be used against my creation unless absolutely necessary...anyway.
We've managed to repair the power generator, slowly, until everything was brought back online. It seems we'll need to add more restrictions to Hex5's decision-to-action sequences. Jasmine steps forward, and the camera goes black.
A million dollars isn't cool. You know what is cool? A basilisk.
The camera comes on, this time automatically adjusting and turning to face Jasmine.
There. You've got it? Okay, good.
Uhh...well, Hex-Cinq thinks differently to what we had expected, it is an interesting development. All I told him to do was clean the remains of the hangar. At first, he tried moving the pieces with the original drone, but when this didn't succeed, he tried a different approach...when i woke in the morning, I found the hangar teeming with mechanical quadropeds, all clearing the gigantic metal scrap heaps. It seems...seems that Hex-Cinq has generated all these designs from his own mind, but when i ask him all he tells me is they are based for 'optimisation'...bah! Jasmine quickly steps out of the way of a massive crab-like machine, twice as high as a human and many four times as long as it is high. She glares at whoever is behind the camera, as if it is their fault.
We've had to remove most of the equipment from the hangar, but we were able to find plenty of space. Hex-Cinq has produced many of these machines, big and small, but they seem to explode as quickly as they're made. Whatever makes progress, I guess... The camera flickers and then goes blank.
A million dollars isn't cool. You know what is cool? A basilisk.
Hex5 Data Filing System 1.02 Online.
Uploading Mechanical Physical Interface.
Data Storage Complete, Display Online.
<<DRONE VARIANTS>>
DRK-152 Observation Drone
Purpose:
Observation and Infiltration Size:
25 cm across, 25cm front-to-back, 75cm w/antenna (retractable) Equipment:
Type 3 High-Range Photoreceptor
Micro-Repulsor Base
Type 2 Omni-Sensor Suite
0.2-CM Armor Plating Creator Note:
The eyes and ears of Hex5. These drones are numerous, observing every section of the hangar. Without them Hex5 would not nearly be as strong.
CBW-17 "Crab" Walker
Purpose:
Removal and Relocation of rubble, low-speed high-traction movement over uneven or unable terrain, high durability during scrap removal. Size:
3.2 Metres tall in walking position, main body can be lifted to 6 metres in height at cost to unit stability. 9 Metres from front legs to back in walking position. Equipment:
4x High-tension polymer-cable electromagnetic grappling hooks
4x Diamond-tipped claw legs with a 800 tonne crushing capacity
2x High-spectrum omnivisual sensors
High-Power Sonar Emitter
2x adjustable forward plates for lifting large metal objects onto the back of the Crab walker.
2cm heavy armor plating w/electrical resistors Creator Note:
These were one of the first creations of Hex5. Massive and slow-moving, only seven of them work in the hangar, but they make progress a lot faster in the enclosed space. They even crush the scrap into uniform plates which are now stacked and stored in a corner of the restored space.
OPT-735 "Tripod" walker
Purpose:
Stable movement on unstable terrain, large-scale machine cutting. Size:
5 metres tall, each leg is nearly 8 metres apart at the base. Equipment:
4x long-range plasma welders (modified from Sirian mining turrets gathered from...'damaged' mining craft)Internal low-yield fusion reactor
Internal gyroscopic stability core
4x High-spectrum omnivisual sensors with 360-degree visual scope
No armor plating Creator Note:
These strange, loping machines are a product of Hex5's ingenuity that i don't quite understand. They bear four legs with a strange swivelling function, and by tests, i've confirmed that they can move quite quickly when only bearing three of these legs, and still stand with two. The near-to-no armor plating can make a single bolt fatal to such a creation, but they do their job well in the Hangar's no-fire environment. Only three are operational at any one time.
BZD-840 "Sphere" micro-engineering drone
Purpose:
Scouting and exploration for structural weakness, quick repair and fabrication of larger drones. Size
10 cm when undeployed (sphere) 15cm across and 13 tall when deployed. Equipment
SWARM-Class short-range tactical location beacon
High-power diamond-tipped drill
2x High-power arc welders
Wide-angle optical camera and GPS location system
Low-power radiological scanning device
Type 2 Cutting torch
No armor Creator note:
I only started to notice these a few hours after Hex5 started his work, however this number quickly spread. They usually work in teams of four or twelve, re-allocating the groups for different tasks all over the hangar. The groups seem incredibly aware of each other's location, probably some technological 'wizardry' from Hex5.
DPD-15 Defence/Protocol Drone
Purpose:
Bodyguard and human interface. Size:
1.5 metres average, height adjustable to seem more or less agressive depending on situation. Equipment:
High-FPS Thermoptic photoreceptor
2x Deployable precision weapon attachments: Grenade Launcher, High-power rifle and submission dart attachments currently available.
1x Deployable plasma gattling cannon
Swivelling central connector, allowing upper body to spin independantly of the leg section.
Additional human interface software: High detail auditory receptors and emitters. Creator Note:
This specific design is an upgraded version of the original drone built for Hex5 to control. He has optimised the drone for our protection, as I specifically asked him to, and he's done a better job than I expected.
Data Storage access terminated, storing files.
A million dollars isn't cool. You know what is cool? A basilisk.
A new type of camera seems to be used, flickering through various spectrums before settling on visible light, Once again fixed on Jasmine.
The workforce in the hangar has increased dramatically. Hex5 has done amazing work, amazing...We have had much time to work on finalising most of the code, and the intelligence seems to...fill in the gaps for us.
Its also a little worrying, that he might not need us to maintain him anymore. Its lucky that he is programmed for absolute loyalty. He cannot run without us, we're tied into his existance too thoroughly. Jasmine walks over to one of the consoles, and the camera follows her, floating through the air.
Cassandra has suggested we use these drones to a further extent. I've restricted them to this level for now, but what extent could I reach? A spire harbouring Hex5's consciousness sent planetside could create an army of unstoppable machines, capable of growing larger with every victory... She seems troubled for a moment, then shakes her head.
I'm not sure if I could do it on a planetary scale, but ship-to-ship is very capable. She smiles at the idea. A whole new breed of piracy, stealing the ships themselves from the pilots? Psh, what do i need with lesser equipment. Though sometimes people are more important than ships...
Maybe. Jasmine makes a small hand signal to the camera, and the feed cuts out.
A million dollars isn't cool. You know what is cool? A basilisk.
The camera comes back on, watching Jasmine from above as she looks around at the workforce, talking with a holographic display of Hex5, directing the machines from ground level. The video clips, the time has changed and the camera is next to Jasmine now. She turns to it as the hologram disappears.
Well. It seems i've run into a problem. Hex-Cinq can't logically clear the rest of the hangar at the same speed as before, and its taking up too much CPU thinking of a high-speed solution. I've had to instruct what parts i want uncovered first. In some aspects, its comforting. Hex-Cinq still needs my guidance for some unsolvable problems. His intelligence isn't all-round, it seems. She smiles a little at the hovering camera
Very soon the automatic cargo loading machinery will be completely unblocked...and I can set to work bringing this hangar back to its former glory... With a wave of her hand she dismisses the camera, and the recording ends
A million dollars isn't cool. You know what is cool? A basilisk.
The camera flickers for a moment, before focusing on Jasmine. The clang of metal echoes in the background.
Progress at last. The first of the storage pods along the far side of the hangar have been cleared. They appear to contain some very minor things- sheet metal, broken parts of ships- but there are a few weapons as well. The cargo storage cranes were highly damaged, but those swarms of drones are doing their job...they can fix and fill anything under Hex5's influence. Hopefully, we'll be able to bring the hangar back to a near-online status in a few days. The signal flickers, then shuts off.
A million dollars isn't cool. You know what is cool? A basilisk.
The hangar appears a lot cleaner and emptier. The crumpled bay doors are now visible, and the lifts that carry cargo from ship to bay and back again are being cleaned and maintained by the smaller "Sphere" drones. One is already operational, moving back and forth within the hangar bay.
The progress is going brilliantly, and the hangar has been cleared out almost entirely. Even now, drones are nibbling and cutting at the outer asteroid layer, splitting it into a usable door for this empty bay...They should be done soon. The inner doors, the metal ones, have been fused back into an airlock, But it'll be a while before we can use these machines effectively outside of the hangar. Hopefully sooner rather than la- Suddenly an alarm rings out. Several machines within the hangar are pulled towards the airlock, a dark hole into space visible through them. The camera tries to resist but is inexorably pulled towards the gap, Jasmine unseen as the drone is pulled through the breach. It slows, giving an almost serene look of the base from the outside before the signal slowly fades to nothing.
A million dollars isn't cool. You know what is cool? A basilisk.
The camera slowly flickers online, a diagnostic screen popping up as the feed switches between its many view ranges. Finally it focuses, revealing the camera is looking up, at the roof, before it begins to hover again, re-aligning itself with the ground. It spins, looking at a smiling Cassandra. She mutters a line in french happily.
Ah, there we are. Now, begone, Jasmine needs you.
The camera signal skips, showing Jasmine on the main deck. Well, it seems the doors were not as fused as we had hoped. They were burst open by the change in outside pressure, and vented a large quantity of the bay before we could stop it. Most of my drones were recoverable with tractors, but some were damaged by pressure- the Tripod walkers were torn to pieces due to flimsy design. We managed to seal the breach, and we're putting in a safety measure so that it never happens again. Ah! Right on time... Jasmine walks across to the freight elevator, dropping towards the floor. It appears to be carrying a pair of large disks, the size of a freighter shield generation unit.
These will be placed on either side of the hangar, and should cover the door. Even as she speaks, one of the cargo lifts in the top of the hangar slid smoothly across the room, picking up the disks and over the next few minutes, places them into a pair of metallic towers on either side of the bay doors. The lights dim and flicker for a moment, and the shields beam to life, projecting in a wave across the door.
Ah! Perfect. Now we can finally get things moving.
A million dollars isn't cool. You know what is cool? A basilisk.
A courier swept through the blackness of Gallic space, dodging the few asteroids that blocked it's path. To a casual observer, this ship wouldn't seem out of place; but its movements were too smooth, and had no point of error. It seemed to follow a predefined path, as if on a string being pulled from the water. Smoothly, it approached Montbard, and a circle in the lower part of the asteroid split in two, sliding away to reveal a shielded hangar. Within moments, any sign of the ship had disappeared...
The camera recorded as the wall split open, revealing the modified Courier as it floated gently into the hangar, setting down on the fresh steel floors. The whole room seemed done up, the lights were back on, and the cargo bays were being brought back into use. Less drones seemed to be used now, only a single Tripod stood in wait in a corner, and a Crab meandered past the camera lens, doing the minor duties of an obsolete entity. Jasmine stepped from the cargo bay as an airlock door slid open noiselessly in the side, and smiled at her work. The camera feed shuts down, displaying a data file instead.
Hex5 Data Filing System 1.02 Online.
Uploading Mechanical Physical Interface.
Data Storage Complete, Display Online.
<<DRONE VARIANTS-ATTACK DIRECTIVE>>
A-DSD "Spider" Armored Walker
Purpose:
Heavy defence and assault support. Size:
Central node 1 metre in diametre, legspan 3 metres. Equipment:
Modified Arquebus-II Turret
Central Reactor Core
Multi-sensor node with armored protective plate
6cm high-temperature alloy armor plating
2x High-power swivelling foglights
Base-mounted laser motion scanner Creator Note:
Based on the Crab walker, the Spider is simply a base for a swivelling Arquebus, made to be solid and steadfast under the heaviest of fire.
OPT-A 1138 "Tripod II"
Purpose:
Anti-infantry support and stealth operations Size:
2 metres tall, each leg is 1 metre apart at the base. Equipment
4x Tribarrel assault cannons
Internal gyroscopic stability core
4x High-spectrum omnivisual sensors with 360-degree visual scope
2cm high-temerature alloy armor plating
Internal thermal imaging node Creator Note:
Simply a modified Tripod, the welders have been replaced with assault cannons. Armor has been added, and a thermal imaging node is located within, for hunting the more trying prey...
MKI-64 "Brick" Infantry Drone
Purpose:
Infantry replacement and anti-support gunnery, Kamikaze assault Size:
1.4 metres in height Equipment
2x Pulse lasers
1x Rotational grenade launcher
6x High explosive nodes on back
Full-spectrum visual suite
Selective 2cm armor plating Creator Note:
A walker design that seems a bit out of place, the Brick is a last-ditch weapon to take out an entrenched enemy. In the worst situation, one of these drones can simply charge an enemy, detonating itself when in range- Obliterating the opposition, or rupturing vital systems...such as the ship between the enemy and the vacuum of space.
Data Storage access terminated, storing files.
A million dollars isn't cool. You know what is cool? A basilisk.
Jasmine sits down at the main control room of the hangar, with a slight sigh. Looking out over the Courier, being tended to by multiple drones, and loaded with a small assault force, she gives a little smile. She reaches out to the camera mounted on the desk, activating it.
Well, its been a week since Hex-Cinq was first created, and how far we've come. The experience he's gained has been quite extraordinary...Both within and outside Gallia. He raided a transport vessel recently, too...The entire crew of the ship is cryogenically frozen in one room of the hangar. I have big plans for them, oh yes, big plans...
Well. The courier I used to fly now houses Hex-Cinq's consciousness. The spare scrap left over from the hangar's completion, has been nicely stored in the cargo bays adjacent, and otherwise used to rebuild. I have a fully functional hangar bay...all to myself...well, me and my sisters.
On another note...it seems that the people I once called friends have disappeared off the face of Gallia...one person in particular. I must remind myself to track him down.
A million dollars isn't cool. You know what is cool? A basilisk.