FROM: @CMDR | TO: @ALL

[byfist]

ATTN: ALL PERSONEL.

We have had recent recruits that have joined our fight. I understand you have been briefed and given training for this mission and our stay in Aranean society. As for the rest: I am your Commanding Officer, Grothia, previously of the Regency. Unfortunately, at present, I am often tied up in diplomacy meetings with the high court. But you can reach me via your BCE, or at certain times during the day in COST's supplied quarters.

Field Officer Young, who is at present wearing of her human appearance, is also present. She can be found at similar through similar means.

If you have any concerns, you may bring them to either of us.

As for your mission here. Our main concern is to secure COST's supply of Ymir, this substance is responsible for powering all forms of time travel in the Galaxy and the dimension shifting required to do so. It is the bones of the fallen God, Ymir and it seems mankind was not made to touch their Gods. Aranean's are a species genetically made to mine such a thing and no human is capable of it. That is why they are absolutely crucial and our alliance with them over the Regency, at all costs, must be assured.

At present, High Queen Thsch is our best bet of this. There is no denying the woman is cruel. A slight is enough to make her snap your limbs, one by one. But the natural Jhashcn bias to those who would eat those who suppress inclines her to us, and we need to foster that fondness.

Her daughter, on the other hand, wishes to overthrow her mother, as is their way. So far in my dealings with her, she has been far more moderate. She favours neither heavy slavery nor absolute forms of punishment. She even has an open, qualitative relationship with her brother as I have observed them. They frequently whisper together at the meetings I have attended. That may be appealing, but she will have no bar with us, as we cannot at present assure what she needs to take the throne.

That is as much as my limited position has allowed me to learn. Sadly neither Officer Young or I can move too freely due to our high profile scrutiny. Remember: if it moves, it is a spy, here. There is nothing you say, or do, that is not being reported to someone unless it is done through the BCE.

As such: COST operatives, I require a debrief of your actions, so they we may assist one another. If you have an idea, a skill, speak up, so that we can use it. This is not a usual type of battle, more's the pity, and awareness of movements is needed more than ever.

Comments

@SSSSSSSSS

[deem]

Oh, so you're the Commander.

[Well, chain of command is comforting in its familiarity, at the least]

I'm aiming to do what's expected of my unit type. In case that's something people don't know, that's gathering data. Regency operatives and the Araneans are both vulnerable to hacking, and I've been doing what I can to take advantage of that. So far I've gone undetected, I guess because I pass as "natural" around here.

My investigation's been pretty broad, up to this point. But if there are specifics, either targets or subject matter, I can better narrow it to what we need. As long as I keep out of sight, at the least it's hard for them to come up with countermeasures.

Other than that, the local humans told me a bit about religious practices around here, and I can speak the language pretty well, not being organic and all. The locals seem to favor that.

@LOUISLAMOUR

[omniavincit]

Religious practices? What sparked that?

I have a (small) statue of the Hunter, if you'd like a look.

I am hype for william despite my lateness here

[deem]

You see, I won this spear at auction, and I guess it's from a religious statue? And then I ended up talking with some servants about it.

If you wouldn't mind, I can always use more data.

no worries dude! /collects all the robots

[omniavincit]

Learn anything interesting? I know a little about the mythos, but I'm curious about how they worship here.

Not at all. I should be back in a few days.

[deem]

Bits and pieces. I could compile my data for you, if you'd like.

What do you mean by "back" though?

[omniavincit]

That'd be a big help, thank you.

I'm on BASE for the time being. Reacclimating.

[deem]

It's no problem, gathering data's what I'm made for.

If you're back at BASE, did something happen to you?

[omniavincit]

Why'd you bid on a spear to begin with?

I died. [ He's not being evasive, he genuinely believed revivification was common knowledge. ]

[deem]

COST didn't exactly bring me with my melee weapons.

[A real shame, that]

You don't seem too bothered, for a species that usually dies just the once.

@TALEOF

[doublejumps]

You can hack them? (☉_☉) How does that work, and what sort of information does it give you?

[deem]

The ones that have cybernetic implants, anyway. A unit like me is designed to be able to force a connection, and override whatever defenses are in place. I don't think they've encountered anything exactly like me before.

Since they don't store data the same way an android does, files and such, I can pick up bits and pieces of information while that connection's there. Thoughts, recollections, things like that.

[Spooky, right...]

[doublejumps]

[ Literally hacking into someone's mind? It is spooky, there's no getting around that, but it also could be quite useful in this situation.

Given that Genji has all kinds of cybernetic implants, he also has to wonder if he should ever be wary of 9S. But... he wouldn't do such a thing to a fellow agent, would he? It seems rude to even ask. ]

That's quite the skill! (ʘᗩʘ’) I can only imagine you've learned all sorts of things, then.

[deem]

[It would be sacrilege to hack a Noble Human Being, it's true]

Bits and pieces, so far. I think discussions here give me more of a direction to focus on though...

Scanners get pretty curious about pretty much anything.

[doublejumps]

So you needed some idea of how to narrow your search? I see. All the same, this seems like it would be a valuable asset to our work here. (　･`ω･´)

[ If bordering on morally unsound. ]

[deem]

It'd be nice to be a little more useful around here, anyway. And it seems like we need more information to work with.

[One gets used to it when both sides of a war use certain methods]

[doublejumps]

Don't sell yourself short, 9S! I'm sure you have plenty to contribute here. ﾟ*｡(･∀･)ﾟ*｡

[deem]

Thanks, I'll do my best.

[byfist]

That I am, a pleasure.

I serve the Watcher and the Hunter, as does half of the Regency's Empire. Perhaps I can answer questions you might have. Though she is different here to the being I was raised too.

[deem]

Nice to meet you, ma'am.

[He can't salute over text, but he is in spirit]

Thank you. I've been thinking understanding their belief system better might be useful in deciding what we should do. And religion's pretty vital, isn't it? So... Are males of a species always subordinate under that belief system, or is that to do with Aranean biology?

[9S can come up with far too many inquiries but this stood out to him, speaking with the human servants]

[byfist]

A quirk of Aranean culture.

The Watcher and the Hunter are halves to a whole, and neither would be placed above the other, so to speak.

[deem]

Do the Araneans still believe that, or did they originally?

Seems pretty strange for an other half to be a silent half.

[byfist]

When they served their makers, I suspect so, yes.

It's... unfortunately common. For much of human history, for instance, the reverse was true. Women were considered weak and forced into purely subservient roles.

[deem]

I've read data about the Old World that referenced that, although my records are far from complete. That division seems pretty disadvantageous, if you ask me, but androids are pretty different there. Especially YoRHa.

Has that social hierarchy always been in place here? For that matter... Do you know if their religious practices have changed much over time.

[byfist]

I would say so. They serve the Watcher and Hunter, as I, the Doine, and the Regency do. But everyone takes what they want out of their Gods, in my experience, what they need to continue. I was taught the Watcher as a stern guardian, and the Hunter as the hands that she worked through, and both to be given equal respect.

As for the social hierarchy, it seems an unfortunate side effect of their sexual dimorphism.

[deem]

[9S can't argue that there isn't a certain truth to that. Units like him were made to perpetuate a lie about the beings that had created their kind, unwitting as it was]

Although I'm familiar with the concept, I find it pretty hard to relate to. Male YoRHa units are always smaller and weaker, but we're needed for maintenance and intelligence gathering, and I can't think of a time when I was treated worse for being a Scanner.

Seems like Araneans still need both, just the same. Like there being two deities and not just the one, how you see them as both having a necessary function.