"It may look like an infinite loop, but actually it terminates quite quickly. Along with the entire stack."
Amusement.
The Sheldon Plan doesn't quite have the same ring to it.
The AI homeworlds were Earth and Terminus. I just had to write a PoV. But I didn't want to copy Foundation to the letter.
We finally found a cure for all four diseases! Unfortunately, the cure is destruction by AI.
Fellow Pandemic fan, I see. I would have gone with a "dispatcher" wordplay.
Big Damn ... Pirates?
[...]Ramming is always an option.
I'm seeing a mercenary uprising, requiring admiral Glau to beat up everyone.
Remarkably perceptive.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
October 24, 164
8:00 AMHigh Lab, Combat Information Center"Advanced metal and crystal extractors online."
"Relic ship online, henceforth the Negotiator. Scans reveal weak wormholes throughout the galaxy: ten in total. One is here. We should expl--"
"Alert: Segfault wormhole has turned orange. We have thirty-six minutes to company."
"Mk I fleet and 2 riot starships online (tractor configuration)."
"Have the Negotiator help fight."
October 24, 164
9:40 AMHigh Lab, CIC"We're mopping up the first wave. One of the riots was destroyed."
"Good. Send the Negotiator through the weak wormhole, and see what happens."
October 24, 164
9:44 AMNegotiator"Jump completed. Transmitting data."
"We read you loud and clear. Journal entry recieved. Equip yourself with laser modules at the large starbase, and engage the gatlings."
"Done. Closing to range... fire. Direct hit, little effect, these things are nasty."
"Work with the spire ships, protect them with projected shields, and retreat to starbase weapon range when necessary."
October 24, 164
11:20 AMNegotiator"The gatlings have stopped coming. Patching the "Grey Spire" to the diplomats."
"Technically we're Xenophilic Accelerated Negotiations and Analysis."
"Whatever. Talk to the rocks."
...
"Okay, in thanks for saving them, they have constructed a sort of starship constructor for us, with three ship designs, as well as a modular fortress blueprint, and a new hull configuration. They also are directing us some energy and materials. Well done."
October 24, 164
11:20 AMNegotiator"New orders from High Command: rendezvous with the fleet, knock out the tachyon guardians and AI fleet presence on the four worlds between here and the next nebula."
"Commencing."
"We've got hybrids on Empircism, 30 of the things, with a couple hundred fleet ships escorting."
"Work with the riot starships to remove the screen, then engage the hybrids with the whole fleet."
October 24, 164
12:40 PMNegotiator"Hybrids destroyed, ready to move on, but Always Go Left has multiple Ion cannon."
"Use raid starships and your own vessel to destroy them, leave the fleetships out of it."
"Done. Tachyon-free path cleared to next weak wormhole. Awaiting cloaker escort."
"Scratch that, we have an orange wormhole by home command. Pull everybody back."
October 24, 164
1:24 PMNegotiator"Wave dispatched. Awaiting orders. Park?"
"Move in formation with the cloaker starships to the Divide by Zero nebula. Remember not to shoot until you enter the nebula or the cloak fails."
"Commencing ... through Always Go Left, entering Failsafe, into the nebula. Transmitting data. Neinzul "Mourners" are under attack."
"Defend them."
October 24, 164
1:34 PMHigh Lab, CIC"We have a Neinzul Enclave hailing us."
"Patch them through."
...
"Apparently some Enclaves wish to ally themselves with us. They want territory of their own should we win."
"Make the deal."
October 24, 164
2:09 PMHigh Lab, CIC"The Negotiator has completed another nebula. Patching the diplomats through."
"New hull type and size, new modular fortress, and a bit of k."
"Excellent. Warp it home, and upgrade it to its new size."
"We're going to try to build a "jumpship." We need at least a grade two asteroid, and the closest is two hops away. Take the Negotiator and our fleet, escorting a mining vessel. It's quite fragile, but it should work."
"Back planets scoured. Deploying mining ship."
"Two Jumpships completed: they're falling apart."
"Get them home, we can try to patch it up."
"They're home. Degradation has ceased, but repairs are impossible."
"Good enough: load up the raid starships, we'll hit the eight data centers in sequence."
October 24, 164
3:12 PMHigh Lab, CIC"Raid 3/4 successful. Raid ships rebuilt, jumpships gone. We're Negotiating with the threat fallout."
"Thank you, ensign."
October 24, 164
5:33 PMHigh Lab, CIC"It's time to take our first planet. Wouldn't you agree, Park?"
"Yes. Taking the other four planets on our spoke gives us a decent economy behind a hard chokepoint."
October 26, 164
7:18 AMHigh Lab, CIC"Status report: We have consolidated control on our new planets. We were able to preserve the only mkIV Ion cannon on Empiricism, our gateway. We have also managed to get into the AI network, and extract some military specifications from each planet. Our material income and energy reserve have also increased. All our turrets and our two modular forts are in place on Empircism."
