cause I'm always ready / i won't let you out of my sight
Three class-3 probes float in the midst of the Kelterre II ocean. They form a rough triangle around the perimeter of a zone in which the origami probes first landed ('oribot' for shorthand in this thread).
This is what they see.
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-- Stardate 95697.3 --
Up until now, the activity of the oribots has not differed from when the original Argo task force completed their on-site investigation. Today, there has been a shift.
About five large containers made up of assembled oribots now sit floating on the surface of the ocean, full of collected seaweed.
Though a dozen or so basic oribots continue to buzz around the containers, the remainder began swimming off in loose formation, almost like a school of fish. Their trajectory, if they continue to head straight, will take them to a nearby collection of rock spires.
5 Likes
-- Stardate 95699.9 --
The five containers of seaweed and their dozen patrollers continue to float on the surface.
The other oribots have been out of sight of the probes for more than six hours now.
The five containers of seaweed and their dozen patrollers continue to float on the surface.
The other oribots have been out of sight of the probes for more than six hours now.
2 Likes
-- Stardate 95716.6 --
The other oribots are back. Only now there are two more containers, roughly the same size of the ones that remained the whole time, being towed back by the rest.
Much seems to happen when the returning group comes in range.
Several of the base oribots come down to investigate each observing class-3 probe. Occasionally the probe's camera view is obstructed as an oribot swims past, or occasionally even staring into the camera eye like it Knows We're Watching.
In the meantime, the probes observe that a number of base oribots have come together to assemble in a complex and tightly integrated formation, which eventually gets enclosed totally by other oribots, leaving only three 'holes' in the roughly cubic structure.
One of the new containers and one of the seaweed containers are somehow attached or docked into the available openings in the structure, leaving only one mouse-sized hole remaining.
Then this new conglomerate machine just seems to sit there, a few feet from the surface of the ocean.
It's about this point that one of the class-3 probes reports that it is being assaulted. Evidently the oribots investigating it have started to drill into its frame with a laser cutter.
The other oribots are back. Only now there are two more containers, roughly the same size of the ones that remained the whole time, being towed back by the rest.
Much seems to happen when the returning group comes in range.
Several of the base oribots come down to investigate each observing class-3 probe. Occasionally the probe's camera view is obstructed as an oribot swims past, or occasionally even staring into the camera eye like it Knows We're Watching.
In the meantime, the probes observe that a number of base oribots have come together to assemble in a complex and tightly integrated formation, which eventually gets enclosed totally by other oribots, leaving only three 'holes' in the roughly cubic structure.
One of the new containers and one of the seaweed containers are somehow attached or docked into the available openings in the structure, leaving only one mouse-sized hole remaining.
Then this new conglomerate machine just seems to sit there, a few feet from the surface of the ocean.
It's about this point that one of the class-3 probes reports that it is being assaulted. Evidently the oribots investigating it have started to drill into its frame with a laser cutter.
7 Likes
-- Stardate 95717.3 --
The class-3 probe that complained about being assaulted has not stopped. By now, the oribots have cut out numerous small squares out of its frame. Each time a square of metal is cut free, the oribot swims away with its prize and deposits it in one of the containers, only to return again to resume its scavenging of the class-3 probe's shell.
The victimized probe's images and feedback are starting to suffer.
Still, it and the other two probes are able to observe the conglomerate machine that was constructed hours before and the new phenomenon that begins to occur: on regular intervals, a base oribot swims out of the last hole in the conglomerate machine. It links with the others that have come out so far in formation a comfortable couple of meters away.
The class-3 probe that complained about being assaulted has not stopped. By now, the oribots have cut out numerous small squares out of its frame. Each time a square of metal is cut free, the oribot swims away with its prize and deposits it in one of the containers, only to return again to resume its scavenging of the class-3 probe's shell.
The victimized probe's images and feedback are starting to suffer.
Still, it and the other two probes are able to observe the conglomerate machine that was constructed hours before and the new phenomenon that begins to occur: on regular intervals, a base oribot swims out of the last hole in the conglomerate machine. It links with the others that have come out so far in formation a comfortable couple of meters away.
4 Likes
-- Stardate 95718.9 --
The class-3 probe that has been under attack has stopped returning feedback.
The remaining two probes keep observing as new oribots continue to regularly stream out of the conglomerate (manufacturing?) machine and assemble in 'sheets', lazily rippling with the ocean's current.
The class-3 probe that has been under attack has stopped returning feedback.
The remaining two probes keep observing as new oribots continue to regularly stream out of the conglomerate (manufacturing?) machine and assemble in 'sheets', lazily rippling with the ocean's current.
2 Likes
-- Stardate 95719.4 --
One of the remaining two class-3 probes is now complaining that it is now being attacked by oribot laser cutters.
One of the remaining two class-3 probes is now complaining that it is now being attacked by oribot laser cutters.
3 Likes
-- Stardate 95721.8 --
The complaining class-3 probe has stopped transmitting.
Before it went down, though, it and the other class-3 probe continued to return images and sensor data regarding the increasing numbers of oribots, which continue to do nothing but assemble in 'sheets'. A few times, the containers that are docked to the manufacturing machine would break down to their base oribots, only to have another container docked in its place. By now there are only three containers remaining, two of them known to contain seaweed.
At last count, the total oribot number seems to have almost doubled, from 542 to 895.
The complaining class-3 probe has stopped transmitting.
Before it went down, though, it and the other class-3 probe continued to return images and sensor data regarding the increasing numbers of oribots, which continue to do nothing but assemble in 'sheets'. A few times, the containers that are docked to the manufacturing machine would break down to their base oribots, only to have another container docked in its place. By now there are only three containers remaining, two of them known to contain seaweed.
At last count, the total oribot number seems to have almost doubled, from 542 to 895.
3 Likes
-- Stardate 95723 --
The final class-3 probe begins to complain of laser-cutter suffering.
The final class-3 probe begins to complain of laser-cutter suffering.
1 Like
-- Stardate 95724.3 --
The final class-3 probe has stopped transmitting.
Its final images were of more of the same, new oribots forming up in sheets, with no undocked containers remaining. The total population count of oribots was up to 992.
The final class-3 probe has stopped transmitting.
Its final images were of more of the same, new oribots forming up in sheets, with no undocked containers remaining. The total population count of oribots was up to 992.
2 Likes