Category Archives: Military

On January 9th 2090, the I-CA encountered another never before seen life form. A group that numbered into the hundreds was found moving through Chezbah territory. They displayed social grouping and used technology. Attempts to communicate were unsuccessful. At first, the creatures ignored the I-CA communications officer but when more vigorous attempts were made to communicate, the creatures killed the officer.

The I-CA platoon followed the creatures for two weeks where the aliens were intercepted by a large Chezbah force consisting of a sea of Hounds, several hundred Warriors, A hundred or more Hunter E-suits and Eleven Demolishers. In the ensuing battle the aliens were defeated but only after heavy losses on the Chezbah side.

After the battle, a broadcast was sent to every functioning terminal on The Artifact. It translates to the following.

“I am Loc. The time that I have had to prepare for the events you will soon witness have come near to their end. I am very close to finishing my work that has spanned three thousand years. An enemy of man is trying to stop this work. I will do everything in my power to protect you but they are powerful and are making their way here. They are the Ken-Telex. It is in the best interest of all that they be stopped or all of man(kind) will die.”

The name “Ken-Telex” Loc has given these creatures is a Chezbah name meaning “Thoughts bound to the master.”

The I-CA has not released any photographs of the creatures and descriptions redacted from the documents made available.

Report by: Major Jacob Kibler

Position: 4th Special Sciences Division Commander

Assigned Objective: Investigate Space Time Warp

Purpose of Mission: Evaluate the connection between Array structures and space time distortions

Progress Report: My team believes we have been successful in our objective. Our investigation of the phenomena we have come to refer colloquially to the warp, is complete.

Our resident expert Dr. Evan Larrs has a working theory on how the warps came to be. We believe that the builders of this planetoid have developed a technology based on the emergent nature of gravity and gravitational waves.

Dr. Larrs feels that the technology in the arrays creates gravitational waves that alters spacial or dimensional fields. This effect is not limited to physical space and time, but also forces like the electromagnetic field which could be described as tightly bound dimensions.

As it is understood that black holes warp space and time, this technology uses constellations of microscopic black holes that orbit each other to create sharp gravitational waves. These waves and their intensity create distortions in space that alters how it behaves.

We have calculated that the black holes are truly microscopic and evaporate almost immediately.

Dr. Larrs has demonstrated that larger black holes can produce more complex patterns since they last longer than comparatively less massive black holes. We assume that the entire mass of the planet was intended to be used as reaction mass to create a large constellation of black holes some of which would evaporate and others that would absorb each other and eventually create a black hole that would exist for approximately ten minutes and then evaporate from zero point Hawkings radiation.

It is assumed that this energy being released is intended to be altered by the dimensional warps the black holes created. We have intended to model the intended end result, but have been unable to produce a model that can predict the behavior of even simple warps.

We are confidant that this information fits the historical record and the facts established in our investigations.

This represents a significant technological achievement as it utilizes a fundamental force in a technology that we are not able to replicate at this time. Furthermore, this planetoid represents a fully mature version of this technology, meaning the builders of The Artifact are as far ahead of our technological advancement as a society that is in the iron age encountering a society that has fully developed electrical technology. Alternatively the technological disparity could be compared to the invention of the nuclear bomb vs. an enemy that had not yet built or even imagined such a device.

“Why are we camped here? I brought this up before! You said you weren’t worried about it. I said that this was not a defensible position and you said you could fortify it! I don’t see any fortifications Andre! All I see is a hole you cut into the wall. A hole that is useless as an escape route because it goes nowhere! We are about to be overrun and you start maintenance on the teleporter! Are you insane?” Jackson lit into the engineer.

“I’m not worried.” Was all that Andre answered.

“That’s it? If I somehow survive this, and I have no idea how, I am going to see you court martialed posthumously! Because I’ll kill you if those hounds don’t.” Jackson was nearly frothing, his face turning three shades of red.

“Calm down, it’s not a problem.” Andre sighed.

“Not a. . .  There are at least ten thousand hounds advancing on our position according to the scouts! Last I heard, that’s at least 500 times as many men as we have. I’d say that’s a problem Andre! We need to teleport out of here in the next fifteen minutes or they’ll be slicing us to ribbons.”

“And we will teleport out. Tomorrow. It’s all  taken care of.” Andre mumbled. He turned to Fasal. “Okay, pack it up.”

Fasal, one of the other engineers signaled to have the teleporter dismantled. “Okay, pack it up.”

“What are you doing? You’re disassembling our only escape?” Jackson’s jaw was on the ground.

“Of course, wouldn’t want anything to happen to it. Then we couldn’t teleport out tomorrow.” Andre answered cooly.

“I’m going to find the biggest gun in this camp and then I’m going to kill you with it.” Jackson said.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you. There’s at least ten thousand hounds out there, just climbing in that hole we blasted in the wall isn’t going to be enough to protect yourself.” Andre replied. “Speaking of which, you need to get all the men into the hole or they’re going to get hurt. Or dead. Fasal, spread the word to get up in the tunnel.”

“Yessir!” Fasal answered and went off to get the platoon together.

“That’s it I’m done talking. You have us backed up against the wall of a Reservoir Hex with no avenue of retreat. These men’s lives are on your head Andre.” Jackson threw his hands up in the air.

“It’s okay, really. I’m not worried.” Andre answered, he packed up his tools and joined the men climbing up to the tunnel they had blasted into the wall. The men were nervous but Andre had never let them down before.

“They’ve just come into visual range. Looks like they know exactly where we are because they’re moving straight toward us.” one of the scouts reported.

“Let me know when the main force is within five hundred meters.” Andre replied.

“Should we engage them? You know, send the E-Suits out and launch rockets into them?” they asked.

“Definitely not.” was all he said.

They waited silently for another few minutes. “Five hundred meters!” a scout called out.

“It’s time Fasal. Open the lid and then let the big one go.” he directed.

A moment later the wall they were all sitting inside shook ever so slightly. Then the sound of thunder rumbled above. Then another quake, much stronger than the first. From one of the doorways of the Reservoir Hex came a deafening roar that at first sounded like an explosion but quickly took on a different kind of rumble. Even the hounds knew something was wrong because they stopped and began running.

“One hundred and thirty million tons of water.” Andre whispered to himself.

With a hole in the top of the hex to let in air and one to let it out, the water came. For six hours, a torrent poured from the door next to them with the force of Niagara Falls and scoured the plain in front of them with relentless fury. A Reservoir Hex unleashed. When it was over, there was not a single sign of the hounds. The dirt basins near the mouth of the torrent had been scoured of their soil. Now the basins formed lakes of water that had frothed brown but slowly cleared until from up on the wall, they could see all the way to the bottom of them. The drainage system was overwhelmed and then plugged by mud and sludge. Water filled the water system for the hexes all around and trickled down through cracks between the hexes.

“Ok Fasal, let’s teleport out.” he finally said with a smile.

Report by: Warrant Officer Robert Smith

Position: Field Scientist, Juliet Company

Assigned Objective: Observation of Scimrahn to Kelrath negotiations

Purpose of Mission: Provide documentation and observe Kelrath business and cross cultural relations.

Progress Report: The Raid that we had observed earlier was on a vessel owned by a Kelrath that the tribe had not worked with before.  The vessel’s records say that it is owned by a Kaloord named Hessik Rannil of the city Gethilsichk. Two representatives from the tribe and myself will travel to the city and make contact with Hessik Rannil.

Chiah-boch and Feraw will represent the tribe in the negotiation. They have contacted a Kelrath merchant that they have worked with before. We will remain hidden in cargo containers that the merchant will bring to Gethilsichk to trade.

Update: We were successfully smuggled into the city where we had the opportunity to observe the Rantaa’ addressing the city.

There seems to be a good deal of unrest in the city. Although the Rantaa’ has the confidence of the Kaloord, the Geetin and the Gijorn class are unhappy about treatment they’ve received at the hands of the Kaloord. Apparently the Gijorn generals felt they could put some pressure on the Rantaa’ and get some relief. I was not able to follow the whole speech but Feraw tells me it does not look like the Rantaa’ is going to bow to pressure. The speech was to give the Kelrath new authority to discipline the lower castes.

The way things normally work is that the Kaloord have Geetin on loan from the Rantaa’ and if any die, they have to justify the loss to the Rantaa’. The new disciplinary measures allow the Kelrath to loose up to ten Geetin a year without having to report to the Rantaa’.

Chiah-boch and Feraw have decided to back out of trying to negotiate in this city. We will leave tomorrow. This choice is not made lightly, the Kelrath that brought us here has been paid very well for smuggling us in here.

There is no computer I cannot hack, no network that I cannot infiltrate. That is what I used to tell myself. I had heard of the prime addresses. I thought it was just a story spread by cut rate operators.

I chained every computer in a thousand kilometers in a botnet to pummel the prime addresses into submission. I built an exquisite tool for carving into systems. Any network on Earth would have quickly fell to my tools.

Faster than I could react, my botnet fell. It was cleansed from the ether faster than I could rebuild it. My attack had no effect whatsoever aside from angering someone.

Now they are after me. They found me and they are hunting me down. They don’t care about soldiers or even Scimrahn. They pass them by. They only want me.

I thought for a brief moment that this meant I had done some damage, that I had broken through. No, I am like a mosquito that has caused the slightest of irritation to a man. I merely angered them.

–

I did this picture for the rules section under the description of the Dexterity attribute. I liked the roughness of it. It feels a bit more raw.

Report by: Warrant Officer Robert Smith

Position: Field Scientist, Juliet Company

Assigned Objective: Tactics and cultural observation of a Scimrahn raid

Purpose of Mission: Provide documentation and improve tactical awareness of Kelrath targets.

Progress Report: The raid went well but the tribes involved did sustain relatively heavy losses. I’m assured that this is to be expected. The Scimrahn seem unconcerned about the situation.

Video and sensor telemetry documentation of the raid will be delivered via teleporter.

On January 3rd approximately 18:00, a gathering of four raider tribe enforcers was co-ordinated by local Scimrahn scouts. There was indications that a Kelrath plantation was getting ready to deliver a huge amount of food to a city deep underground. There was no anticipated escort as this was only a food transport and it was being loaded outside of any normal Scimrahn activity.

The raid was risky. It would take four tribes working together to have enough force to overwhelm the freighter. It was so far away that the Deltas would not have the fuel to return home which is probably why the Kelrath did not expect Scimrahn involvement.

The raid commenced on January 18th at 12:56 with 120 Deltas and four Assault Transports. Only four E-suits in the tribes were fast enough to keep up with the Assault Transport and take part in the raid.

Almost immediately the deck lasers of the Kelrath Freighter and the Rall4’s on the freighter caused the loss of a third of the available Deltas in their first pass. Only two of the Rall4s remained after the first attack.

The Assault Transports moved in and targeted the freighter’s bridge and engines. At first this tactic did not seem to have much effect. It is an attempt to disable the vessel with less damage to the vessel and it’s cargo.

On the Delta’s second pass, some of the Freighter’s deck lasers were now tracking the Assault Transports, reducing the losses significantly. Only eighteen of the Deltas were downed and the rear shields of the freighter were down. The pass destroyed the remaining Ralls and one of the pilots was able to take out the control bridge.

The Assault Transports dropped their troops and deltas dropped men on the deck which put more than two hundred and fifty armed men against the freighter’s one hundred and thirty.

Several Delta’s landed on the captured freighter at a time and refueled from the vessel’s immense fuel supply and the tribe engineers got to work rigging a control system for the freighter.

Negotiations with the Kaloord tha owned the vessel will begin tomorrow via a free trader because none of the tribes have ever dealt with this Kelrath before. They will negotiate the return of the freighter in return for a pact of non-hostility. There’s nothing to guarantee the Kelrath will follow the pact but some Kelrath actually agree to it.

If not accepted, the freighter may be used to attack a Chezbah target.

The food taken in the raid is an enormous supply. The matriarchs say that it will be more than enough to resupply the loss of equipment and manpower the tribes lost.

Expedition Report: Baojia Koeh
Entering the territory of Hessik Rantaa’ of Grinchk. Discovered perimeter of banner stones yesterday. The stones have not been cared for in very long time. The Scimrahn say this means Hessik is weak and cannot protect his borders. We are now scouting the area for recent activity.

This will make an excellent location for a colony. We will occupy this territory and force this Rantaa’ to keep up the appearance he is still in power. This will keep other Kelrath out of the area until we have fully established the colony.

Voice recognition – Starting

Sound Database – Starting

Sound – Transport Engine Noise 75 db 72%

Robert Mason 96% – Stupid driver didn’t let us know he lost the convoy while we were sleeping. It’s June 30th, we’re trying to find the rest of the convoy but we’re running out of fuel. I figure we have another two hours of driving before we’re sunk.

We’re running along their last known heading but it isn’t looking good, we can’t find tracks that the convoy should have left. We’re zig zagging a bit to see if we can run across any trail the convoy might have left.

Recording – Paused

Recording – Start

Sound – Transport Engine Noise 75 db 71%

Robert Mason 93% – This is bad, Chuck gave us the wrong heading. We’ve been going in the wrong direction for an hour. We’re going to guess where we think the convoy is and head to that point.  If they noticed we’re missing, they may have stopped and we can overtake them. Otherwise, we can only hope they come back for us.

Recording – Paused

Recording – Start

Robert Mason 98% – Well, that’s it, we’re out of fuel and we still didn’t find any sign of the convoy. All we can do is make as much noise as we can on the radio and wait. Colin piped his headphones into the comm system and is broadcasting.

Recording – Paused

No input 15 minutes – shutting down

Voice recognition – Starting

Sound Database – Starting

Robert Mason 85% – It’s July 2nd and there’s been no sign of the convoy. Up ’till now there’s been more food than we can carry in the transport. We were lucky with that. It doesn’t look like they’re coming for us so we’ve decided to start walking. The temperature is only about five degrees out and there’s a strong wind blowing through the hexes. Chuck says if we follow the wind we’ll run into a warmer. . . ‘er weather, whatever, near a plasma conduit. There’s a chance there could be someone living near a conduit. It’s a long shot though that we’d actually run into anyone.

The other choice is to try and make it to our original destination which is still 800 Km away. With the food we have, I’d guess we can make it 250 Km on the food we have. I’ve talked to the men and this is the option we’ve voted for.

Shutdown command given

Voice recognition – Starting

Sound Database – Starting

Sound – Wind 95 db 54%

Robert Mason 67% – It’s July 11th and we’re out of food. It’s cold. Chuck, Colin and Aiden aren’t keeping up anymore. This wind just does not stop.

There’s not much more to say.

Shutdown command given

Voice recognition – Starting

Sound Database – Starting

Robert Mason 51% – Lost half the men. Only hope, is, get to base, send men back. It’s July um, I think the 20th.

Timestamp Command July 24th 2087

Or the 24th, kind of lost track down here. Can’t walk for more than a hex without having to sleep. Might not make it much further, my feet are numb, it’s bad.

Shutdown command given

Report by: Warrant Officer Jacob Boxer

Position: Field Engineer, Juliet Company

Assigned Objective: Restore mobility to one of the company’s E-Suits

Purpose of Mission: Protection of allied forces near the surface

Progress Report: The Company’s resources are severely depleted while we wait for a new teleporter from a remote ops station. After losing a number of the Company’s assets in action, one of our E-suit’s engines was damaged beyond repair. My orders were to find a way to restore function to the vehicle by any means.

With no other viable options I was able to extract a Chezbah Zero Point Engine with the help of some of the medics and preserve it’s power generation. It has been reported that once the engine goes cold it cannot be reactivated so we needed to take great care to prevent an accidental discharge.

It does appear that the engine is slowly degrading once removed from it’s host but the process may take several weeks to fail. We have speculated that the engine is repaired by the host’s nanotech systems but that it slowly degrades from the extreme charges that build up in it.

Charge in the engine builds exponentially so great care must be taken to keep them level. Early on I was forced to short the engine out because of a run away reaction. This nearly fully discharged the engine which would have rendered it useless.

Once the power is balanced with the vehicle’s power demands, most of this exponential reaction should be manageable but will require the pilot to be mindful of not fully discharging the engine nor letting it build a charge past the level the vehicle can use. We are proposing to have a grounding system automatically trip if this happens and avoid an overload situation.

Testing in the E-Suit begins tomorrow.