ROADBLOCKS IN NORTH DAKOTA LIFTED OVERNIGHT WITHOUT NOTIFICATION OR EXPLANATION FROM STATE OR FEDERAL AUTHORITIES. LOCAL SALVAGE YARD EMPLOYEE TED STEFFENS REPORTS WRECKAGE OF MASSIVE ALIEN CRAFT SPOTTED IN COUNTRYSIDE OUTSIDE CAPITOL: “THING’S BEEN PICKED CLEANER THAN A WALLET ON THE SOUTH SIDE. NOTHING LEFT BUT A SKELETON.”
NORTH DAKOTA GOVERNOR PRESSED FOR ANSWERS BY INCREASINGLY ANGRY PUBLIC AS NO OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT OF CASUALTIES WITHIN THE NATIONAL GUARD IS MADE BUT MULTIPLE FAMILES REPORT RECEIVING NOTIFICATIONS OF FAMILY MEMBERS KILLED IN ACTION.
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WARNING: Access to this file is RESTRICTED to personnel with TOP SECRET clearance or above. Attempts to access this file without authorization will be reviewed and be grounds for TERMINATION AND/OR PROSECUTION. Distribution of this file may only be done with authorization from Cmdr. David Bradford, failure to provide authorization will result in TERMINATION AND/OR PROSECUTION.
PROJECTID: Stardust
PROJECTDIV: Physics
DIVLEAD: Dr. Moira Vahlen
Attached files: Transcript of discussion regarding implants with Twilight Sparkle, images of implants extracted during Project [REDACTED], Blueprints of Elerium ‘circuits’ created by Twilight Sparkle, Schematic of Thaumaturgical Energy Detector (TED), Recorded Data from TED, Personal Notes by DIVLEAD.
NEW RECORD: 08:40, 05/03/2015
After the unexpected communication received from Twilight's homeworld, it is believed that Elerium may in fact be the 'Arcanite' we have sought to locate in an attempt to replicate her abilities. I've secured a sample approximately 1kg in weight with around 85% pure Elerium. The imperfect ratio comes from the nature of recovery of the sample at the crash site of an alien craft. Origins of the sample are believed to be part of the power source of the craft, but such speculation is irrelevant at this point.
Testing will begin shortly.
UPDATE: 9:10, 05/03/2015
Testing is complete but the results were not what we anticipated. Indeed they are far more promising than previously anticipated. We have confirmed Elerium as an analog to the 'Arcanite' described by Twilight, or at least is sufficiently close enough that the effects are similar if not enhanced.
After studying the video footage of the test, I've come up with a hypothesis as to the exact behavior of Elerium in response to Twilight's abilities. Initial hypothesis was that it would simply glow while in the presence of her abilities, so the test was to expose the sample to her telekinesis by raising the sample approximately one foot in the air. Using previous footage as examples, the anticipated velocity of this was going to be 2ft per second.
While my numbers are only rough estimates based on the time stamps and footage from the security cameras on several floors of the XCOM base, what actually occurred was an upward velocity 15 times greater at the minimum. Further comparison of the timestamps shows that Twilight's spell was broken the moment the sample broke through the ceiling of the Stardust lab (illumination on her horn disappearing), but the corresponding illumination of the sample persisted as it exited the top floor of the facility.
The implications of this result are two-fold: At a minimum, Elerium dramatically increases the effect of any spell cast upon it. However, the continuation of the effect beyond its channeled duration was not anticipated either. Perhaps the effect isn't the only trait that's enhanced but also the duration of the ability, or perhaps the spell itself becomes self-sustaining when cast directly upon Elerium? This will require further testing to confirm. I foresee no problems convincing Twilight to participate in testing with her illumination ability in a more secure environment that won't risk the safety of the rest of the facility.
The second fact this brings up is that Twilight's magic can be used to hurl a projectile through reinforced solid surfaces without spalling so long as the effect is maintained on the projectile itself. By all rights the Elerium should have shattered into a thousand pieces after passing through the first level of the base, but it remained intact through several floors and the report from the situation room seems to imply it stayed intact as it left Earth's orbit. If we can find a way to recreate the spellcasting process, we may be able to create a weapon system that renders all conventional armor systems moot with projectiles as mundane as pencils.
On a personal note, I hope Commander Bradford is right. It would be quite pleasant to hear that our little experiment knocked an invader out of the sky purely by accident.
This testing also brings up a -very- important point for XCOM and any future relations with Twilight's people. With the confirmation that Elerium is Arcanite or at least closely related to it, it also confirms that her homeworld is (or was) rich in the mineral. If contact is established formally, I strongly recommend an agreement be reached to secure a steady source of Elerium from them rather than having to rely upon imperfect and often damaged salvage from alien craft.
I'll have to remember to send a message to Commander Bradford asking for clarification on the potential first contact scenarios that don't involve the invaders. As unlikely as that sounded a month ago, we cannot dismiss the likelihood of it happening now, especially when an extremely valuable resource could be gained by establishing good relations early on.
It might also be good to reiterate that if such relations were spoiled due to hostility, we might face an entirely new invasion force using Elerium in a manner that puts the current invaders to shame.
On that note, it suddenly seems a bit more believable if not plausible that Twilight's rulers are capable of moving their corresponding celestial bodies if they have access to the 'Arcanite boosters' described by her. Her drawings of both Celestia and Luna depict them wearing a crown and collar that might fill that role. If crafted specifically to enhance their abilities then it doesn't seem so far fetched.
Twilight will need some time to recover from today's testing, plus the lab itself will need to undergo repairs for the damage incurred. Bradford was not pleased with the damage but I feel that this breakthrough was worth it. And I'm quite certain he will as well once we're able to convert this into something we can use in the field.
UPDATED: 15:00, 05/02/2015
During the operation alert, I took the time to review some of the information retrieved from other projects, and on a whim I reviewed some of the implants recovered from Sectoids and more specifically the 'Sectoid Commander' recovered during the earliest operations undertaken by us. The use and meaning of the implants were only speculated due to obvious reasons, but upon reviewing the files I noted that the contents of the implants were extremely delicate and complex patterns resembling circuitry composed of Elerium.
After the discoveries that Twilight helped us uncover, combined with the location of the implants in the Sectoids, brains I started to suspect that she might be able to provide insight into the nature or exact function of the implants.
I was right.
The first implant, labeled (A), is used to gather the energy that Twilight uses from the 'Field' to power her abilities. The possibilities of this are extremely tantalizing. If this circuitry can be refined, increased in scale and retrofitted into the base, we may find the base's power concerns a non-issue. Depending on the scale of power generated, this might completely eliminate the energy crisis that our world was facing prior to the invaders.
I was at first worried that this would violate another one of our cherished laws of the universe, namely the conservation of energy, but Twilight described the field's mechanics suitably though it still rankles me greatly that she's referencing an entire branch of science we're completely ignorant of. The energy of the Field is returned to it as it is used by her abilities. The energy is never truly consumed, merely borrowed and converted, then returned to the Field.
The only weakness I can see in creating a power generator with this methodology is that we will require a 'jump start' from Twilight before it can become self sustaining. If I'm right, once one Elerium generator is running, it can jump-start further generators, or perhaps even charge batteries of a fashion with this 'Field Energy'. I imagine if we're to replicate these powers artificially and in the field, we'll need portable power supplies.
I suspect that this revelation will be the most beneficial for mankind in the long run.
The second implant (B) was described by Twilight as a form of receiver. While I didn't openly speculate as to what it was receiving, I have strong suspicions that it's tied to the nature of the third implant, especially since this second implant is found in virtually all invaders found thus far.
The third implant (C) was met with gratifying horror from Twilight. Her description of its intended use is the offensive projection of the user's will upon a target. This is seen as a high crime amongst Twilight's people, which goes a long way to dispel any lingering doubts I harbored regarding her nature. Either she is a very good liar, or she is completely sincere in her disgust regarding such abilities. But I digress.
Twilight's confirmation of this ability certainly accounts for the behavior of certain soldiers found in one of XCOM's earliest operations, where they opened fire on our troops to precede the invaders starting their own attack. I also suspect there's a more sinister application when combined with the second implant. With the second implant I suspect the third can be used to remotely access the senses of the reciever, as well as communicate or even assume direct control.
I may contact Engineering to see if we can arrange for the glass in the Containment cells to be one-way mirrors if there's any possibility of invader commanders looking through the eyes of the captives at us.
After Twilight's reaction to the third implant plus her understanding of the basic mechanics of all three, I took the initiative and pitched the idea that she assist us in creating our own devices to ostensibly defend ourselves against the invaders. Once we can ascertain the basic concepts of how to fabricate our own imitations of her abilities, we can come up with more complex applications or even start creating our own effects.
From what I've heard regarding the Strike Teams, they could really use help levelling the playing field against the invaders. I intend to give them more than that. If decoding Twilight's abilities is the key to saving human lives, then I will do everything possible to learn from Twilight.
I've delegated the task of analyzing the artifacts retrieved from the alien ships to my subordinates that aren't associated with the Stardust Project. They are all capable with the various debris the invaders leave behind, but my time is more wisely spent on Stardust now.
UPDATED: 09:02, 05/03/2015
Another discovery has presented itself that is just as unexpected as all the others Twilight has warranted. But some explanation is in order to adequately describe just what was discovered and how.
Twilight finished the blueprints of an Elerium circuit that would be designed specifically to detect the energies of the Field that she manipulates for her spells. These designs were delivered to Engineering where they were worked into an existing detection device, specifically an audio/visual/thermal recorder, where the thermal display was adapted to interpret the information generated from Twilight's design.
Initial testing proved the concept almost immediately, as the 'thermal' component of the device quickly detected a bloom radiating from the location of the Stardust lab with a bright spot that could only be Twilight Sparkle. I decided to take readings from various locations within the base to determine if the base structures themselves in any way shielded Twilight's signature, and I discovered what appears to be an effect of the field on the world itself.
While switching from Thermal to visual mode on the detection device, I noticed that the closer a location is in proximity to the Stardust lab, the colors of the area appear to brighten. In contrast, the further the location is from the lab, the less the color changes. There is no change in illumination but the colors are noticeably richer, especially when compared with security footage of the exact same areas one month prior. I've shown the images to both Dr. Ngo and Dr. Mills and both noticed the color changes in the footage before I specifically mentioned it. Neither of them have an idea as to how this is possible, and I find myself straining to come up with a plausible hypothesis.
This isn't alteration of perception, as Twilight has indicated the 'Wallflower' power is capable of. Security footage taken and time-lapsed for the month clearly shows the gradual change to the areas around Stardust, and its gradual spread from there to the rest of the base.
The only hypothesis, the only cause I can think of is Twilight due to the timing as well as the corresponding readings that the detection device is now showing us. Twilight has mentioned repeatedly that prior to her arrival, the 'Field' was stiff and inflexible due to lack of use and that with repeated access it would become more easily accessed and used. Could the 'Field' be passively affecting the properties of the world without Twilight's input? Could this also affect the people that are on the base itself?
I've sent requests for increased screening to Medical to watch for any sort of trends with all personnel that report for their checkups. If there is any sort of side effect, I would imagine those closest to Twilight would have seen some sort of reaction before hand.
UPDATE: 17:00, 05/03/2015
After the meeting with Commander Bradford, I have taken it upon myself to call in favors with some of my former colleagues that now work at SETI and politely requested any information they had regarding any solar systems with unusual behavior. For security's sake, I gave them several sets of parameters to look for, all under the pretense of trying to locate the invader's homeworld.
The true reason for the request is to locate Twilight's home, as all parties at the meeting agreed it would be a far stronger position to possess if we know as much as we can before the inevitable first contact between us and this new power. For all of Twilight's assertions of the benevolence of her teacher, we all agreed that it is simply too risky to trust just her account of her country's (or world's?) ruler.
As soon as SETI sends their initial findings to us for review, we'll begin scanning the systems in question with the detection device Twilight provided us. Dr. Shen feels that he can create a scanner that can be attached to one of our satellites launching later this month that might be able to detect her homeworld in the same manner the hand held device detects Twilight's presence.
I've never been mistaken for an optimist, but I get the feeling that this will be the first real positive the Earth has to look forward to for centuries to come.
Assuming it's ever declassified enough for the public to be aware of it.
END LOG
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WARNING: Access to this file is RESTRICTED to personnel with TOP SECRET clearance or above. Attempts to access this file without authorization will be reviewed and be grounds for TERMINATION AND/OR PROSECUTION. Distribution of this file may only be done with authorization from Cmdr. David Bradford, failure to provide authorization will result in TERMINATION AND/OR PROSECUTION.
PROJECTID: Stardust
PROJECTDIV: Supplemental
DIVLEAD: Dr. Frank McKendrick
Attached files: Personal Notes by DIVLEAD
NEW RECORD: 18:40, 05/02/2015
I was able to have my first real conversation with Twilight Sparkle this afternoon, and she is everything I both feared and hoped for. All other observations are validated and need no further detailed discussion. She is extremely intelligent and detail-oriented to the point of obsession, as well as having a creative and dedicated mind. She also has several problems that, while exacerbated by her time here on Earth, were originally started in her childhood.
As observed on multiple occasions, Twilight has shown a reluctance to use certain abilities for various reasons. It was initially believed that this was due to the traumatic nature of her arrival and the subsequent violence she participated in, but her 'acceptance' as the student of Princess Celestia is the true cause in my opinion. She was lauded for her abilities when they first manifested, but during that manifestation she lost control of her powers and could have quite easily injured or killed not only herself but her parents and innocent bystanders as well.
Combine this near-catastrophic accident with the suddenly added pressure of being the personal student of the god-figure of your world and you get a pressure cooker. Like her work and her space, her use of abilities is exact and precise and she isn't satisfied with anything less than perfection for long. Any perceived failure on her part is a catastrophic blow to her confidence, so great care must be taken not to give the impression of criticism when she uses her abilities.
She also displays a significant degree of naivety when it comes to the nature of military operations. I didn't directly question her on her thoughts on XCOM, but I did ask her about her brother's duties as part of her nation's military. She couldn't elaborate on the specifics of his duties beyond simple protection, which leads me to believe that either her homeland hasn't seen war in ages, or she was kept in the dark. To clarify, she -is- aware of the concepts of war and all that entails, but she seems completely certain that no such violence is possible so long as both her teacher and her brother are able to prevent it.
On a related note, Twilight also holds extremely strong beliefs when it comes to the act of killing. She believes under no circumstance can it be justified, and she backed this by stating that not even Celestia had executed anyone in the thousand years of her reign, not even her sister when she staged a coup to try and take the throne for herself not once but twice.
Because of these two traits, I strongly recommend that any discussions regarding the offensive applications of Twilight's abilities NOT be discussed while in her presence. I fully expect her to endorse and assist with any efforts for us to create purely defensive or utilitarian applications of her abilities, but once she realizes her gifts are being used to kill, her most likely reactions will be horror or outrage at best. At worst she may begin to see us as a threat and try to defend herself accordingly. Such an outcome would be costly for all sides.
Lastly, Twilight is extremely attached to the friends she has made amongst the Stardust personnel. She asked several times about the well-being of both Matt Harris and Lana Jenkins, which I did my best to avoid answering. At the time of this writing, Ms. Jenkins is in stable but critical condition down in medical, and was declared dead before miraculously coming back to life.
Twilight is aware of the concept of death and dying, so I strongly feel that if either Mr. Harris or Ms. Jenkins were to die during the course of their duties then Twilight could become self-destructive if she feels that she could have saved them in any way. Ms. Jenkins' injuries will prevent her from being killed in action assuming she pulls through, but there still is the very real risk of the worst happening to Mr. Harris in the field. I am also more inclined to assume the worst case scenario should Mr. Harris fall in battle due to Twilight's attachment to him specifically. I tried to probe the nature of this attachment but Twilight became evasive and changed the subject repeatedly, which only makes me more worried.
While I cannot recommend his removal from duty rotation after the losses the last operation incurred, I cannot stress enough the risk of Mr. Harris being deployed in the field as his injury or death would make Twilight significantly more difficult to handle.
I would also strongly encourage Lana's initial visit to Twilight after her recovery be monitored as well as accompanied by Mr. Shen and Mr. Harris at the minimum. Seeing her friend maimed in such a way will likely provoke a strong reaction.
END LOG
EDIT: Stardust may be your project but Twilight is still technically my patient, and the exact content of our conversation is confidential. I can give you my impressions but I'm not handing over the transcripts, Moira.
EDIT2: Dr. Joel Mills observed the conversation we had to ensure no sensitive topics were discussed or any security breaches took place. Proper procedure was followed to the letter.
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WARNING: Access to this file is RESTRICTED to personnel with TOP SECRET clearance or above. Attempts to access this file without authorization will be reviewed and be grounds for TERMINATION AND/OR PROSECUTION. Distribution of this file may only be done with authorization from Cmdr. David Bradford, failure to provide authorization will result in TERMINATION AND/OR PROSECUTION.
PROJECTID: Stardust
PROJECTDIV: Xenobiology
DIVLEAD: Dr. Joel Mills
Attached files: Personal notes by DIVLEAD
NEW RECORD: 18:00, 05/02/2015
I am so glad I volunteered to be Frank's wingman for his meeting with Twilight. That big hairy genius was able to wrestle out of Twilight one of the subjects I have been -dying- to know about since our first interview: The Changelings.
To review, Twilight had previously shown a significant amount of reluctance in discussing the Changelings beyond the basics, and when in-depth questions were asked she expressed discomfort and the subject was dropped. Due to their nature as emotional leeches I immediately suspected a bad personal experience with one such changeling because of her reluctance. I was only partially correct.
Twilight first encountered the Changelings during her brother's wedding. Unlike my previous theory that Twilight was a victim of the changelings, it seems her brother (Shining Armor) was the target instead. The Changeling known as 'Chrysalis' kidnapped and then assumed the identity of Cadance, Shining's fiance. Chrysalis then used her position to fatally undermine the capital's defenses to allow a force of changelings into the city.
The changelings were repelled once the real Cadance was freed and reunited with Shining Armor. The method of repulsion was rather unique, at least if I'm reading between the lines correctly. As mentioned previously, Cadance draws her power from emotions and can manipulate them as well while Shining Armor's power appears to be a mastery of various shield and barrier spells. Again, reading between the lines, upon Cadance's arrival, her power increased exponentially due to Shining Armor's emotions toward her, and she then fed the excess power back into him. The bubble shield he created expanded out from the chamber they were in to encompass the entire city while hurling every changeling out.
It didn't feel tactful to mention, but I wonder if changelings that were indoors were crushed between the walls and the spell as it expanded...
Regardless, this confirms most of my theories. Chrysalis, at the height of her power while she was leeching the emotions of Shining Armor, was able to direct enough power to defeat Celestia in a power struggle. Twilight was quite descriptive in the collossal amount of power that was used by both sides of the fight, but I personally suspect that Celestia was holding back. If she is truly as strict with her 'no kill' policy as Twilight says, she was likely watching out for the safety of the innocents in the room as much as Chrysalis.
Oh, and apparently Luna slept through the whole thing. She must be a VERY heavy sleeper. Or cast some variation of Twilight's silence spell as she slept.
Aside from sating my curiosity regarding the changelings, this also brings up two very interesting points: One, the princesses are not omnipotent, as Cadance was kidnapped (though she's a lesser princess apparently) and the deception wasn't revealed even while in the presence of Celestia herself.
The second point is that, at least in this one anecdotal example, Celestia did not resort to fatal levels of violence even if it would have saved herself from defeat during the fight. Such a story, if it is true, goes a long way to calming my fears at least that XCOM is bringing the wrath of an angry god against all humanity for harming a single hair on Twilight's head. While I have no doubt that she COULD be pushed that far, it is reassuring to know that she won't hurl us into the sun because we didn't have sweets for Twilight.
I hope.
END LOG
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FROM: Cmdr David Bradford
TO: Strike Team Leaders
DATE: 05/06/2015, 08:00
SUBJECT: New Targets
Effective immediately, when Strike teams encounter undocumented or unknown aliens, the following guidelines are to be followed:
1.) Do not fire upon them unless aggressive action is taken against humans (XCOM or others) by the subject.
2.) If the subject attempts to approach Strike team personnel in a non-hostile manner, retreat unless otherwise ordered.
3.) If subjects engage or are engaged by known invader aliens in combat, all Strike team personnel are to report immediately and then assume overwatch until other orders are received or the conditions of 1 or 2 are fulfilled.
4.) If subjects are seen working in concert or cooperating with known invader aliens, normal rules of engagement and reporting apply.
5.) All sightings are to be forwarded immediately to Cmdr David Bradford and Dr. Moira Vahlen for analysis.
As always, consider your number one priority is the mission and the safety of your squads; but if any new or unusual aliens are spotted that fit the above profile, check your targets and tread carefully.
If there are any questions, my office is open.
Cmdr. David Bradford.
Evening folks!
I had intended to get this posted about 20 minutes earlier but my parents have an uncanny sense for when to call me to delay what I want to do. : \
Regardless, here's the chapter! Tied up a few loose ends while opening up some new lines to be developed.
Let me know what you all think!
How can it be updated before it was created?
This one isn't bolded.
And the updates aren't in order...
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Uh... Discord.
That's all I got.
oremormeromeormeormeormeormoemoeremore?
Twilight is changing the way colors look around her? Probably harmless, but nasty paranoia fuel, and it might do weird things to electronics. Also, I wonder if the invaders have the same effect.
Woot! An update! Just read the whole story last night too
Here's one question that I don't think was answered when it should have been. Why didn't Harris tell Twilight that Jenkins had been killed? I don't think that got explained. Whether Harris was still in shock from the battle, or he was ordered to stay away from Stardust until ordered otherwise for whatever reason, I think that error could be fixed by a single sentence addition.
Love the story
It seems that emotions and thoughts can create powerful magical effects. Not to mention effect the local nature of the field itself if magical creatures are experiencing them.
Emotion driven magical effects are powerful but more unpredictable and difficult to control than more conventional forms of spell casting.
I figure magic when used is powered any or all of the following: emotions, ideas, symbolism and established rules/conventions.
The latter being the closest to a science in a craft that is very much an art.
How convenient, I was just about to play the tutorial for the first time when I read the part about the brainwashed soldiers. Thanks for the heads up!
I couldn't help but laugh at this.
Frank is becoming my next favorite character due to the fact that he bought up some points and manages to make Twilight a patient.
Wow. Twilight only using the magic field is causing it to awaken ... and it appears to making everything more colorful. Didn't see that coming.
In other news, keep on being awesome, because this story is one of my top five on the site.
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I'm afraid I'm extremely limited time wise right this moment so I can't reply to every comment but I wanted to mention this one.
The reason Harris hasn't mentioned Lana's status is because Harris still hasn't spoken to Twilight yet. Everyone else is avoiding the subject regarding Lana.
Sorry if this wasn't clear. : /
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It isn't Twilight, specifically. It's magic being used consistently for the first time in... Well, a long time. It's making everything brighter, and perhaps it will start to effect other things too. Like, say, the food that is around the magic use will start tasting better?
Of course I could be misunderstanding and horribly wrong but lets say I'm rightSo, the more XCOM is going to use Elerium-based devices, the more Equestria-like the base and Earth in general will become, appearance-wise? Cool! Like a permanent high, or something!
I foresee great stealth/security issues.
Another outstanding chapter. I'm worried that Twilight's naivety might end up being the downfall for ponykind, if humans have all the tricks behind magic then ponies don't have much under their belt, and could lead to a very one sided war if the princesses aren't as powerful as they seem. Also damn you for keeping us in suspense of everyone's reaction to Lana's recovery. ;)
3151515 Don't now if spi or just Coincidence. cause I finished this story last Night as well.
More would be appreciated.
Well. This is very exciting.
Railgun- Thought that you got your math wrong initially, with 2 -> 30 feet per second. But, if that persisted as an acceleration, well, It would certainly have that effect. That, and pencil cannon. Heck, we could be seeing Mass Effect Type Weapons, with the metal cube, and shears sand grain sized pieces off of it. Could be fun. Or, using that, plus an AI and motion detector, to stabilize a gun, reduce recoil.
Arcanite as enchantable: Yep, the Celestiara and rest of the Regalia are at least partly Elerium, as magic amplifiers.
Elerium Reactors are interesting. Have to wonder if Arcanite is used up when a spell is being worked.
Arcanite seems to be reinforced when enchanted. Interesting.
Conservation of energy. Well, not certain if this would work. It wouldn't work in reality, any more than you can get uneven amounts of vacuum energy.
It would be similar to an ocean, and a tap at the bottom.
Anyhow, Glows, any effect, at all, that used energy, ought to bleed some off, and drain the magic field.
On the other hand, Suns could give off magic recharge effect, which recharges the field overlay, and the field is stiff and inflexible because it is really dense and at capacity. That would result in finite magic, with regeneration from stars however, which would make Equis hard to maintain.
You can't feed it back in without putting more power than you took out back in. But, who lets a little real life physics get in the way of awesome stories?
Glows, in fiction, often ignore the fact that that ought to cost energy, or it is a trivial leakage compared to nuclear levels of power or higher. That, and fiction tech often runs off of the rule of cool: The cooler it looks, the more powerful it is. Humanoid robots work better than their physical properties support, due to them being awsome. And it is literally measurable. And in large groups, it is diluted. Hence conservation of ninjitsu.
On the detector. Initial thought, Magic leaves residue behind.
Instead, it was that it was the magic field being worked free, instead of being stagnant.
I am unsure as to whether or not Ponies can innately see the more vivid colors due to magic.Actually, Unsure as to how exactly that works. Did colors in that area alter over time, caught on video,Or did that require the detector. And if the second, how did they go back over video logs?Ah, so it does alter color, physically. Which increases the local contrast.
Check what is seen while Teleporting. Energy Spike at caster is expected. Possible spike in the line between the two, and at the target.
On Implants.
One of the things I like in stories like this, is multiple perspectives, at least where opinions between parties vary massively.
Anyhow, This is similar to my expectations on the second implant. I had a few theories.
Although, all of them require an output circuit AND an input circuit to work.
Remote control: Cloned Troops. Could have experienced Aliens controling them remotely. Requires feedback loop, hence both types. Kind of like hiring Counterstrike players to pilots your robot army, remotely.
Spy effect. Requires output, not input. Not sure how this could work without an output. When you see, you receive messages. You don't send them.
Telapathic link between aliens. Integrated Radio!
On Twilight's high stress lifestyle.
Yea, I can see that. When you have contact with numerous important figures, including the effective god-ruler of your world/country...
Changeling Story. I like how they cut out the whole "Power of love" thing, Twilight almost certainly used.
Also, Celestia, in that case, might have been overconfident too. Its hard to say. Any battle like that, if not controlled sufficiently, is going to result in collateral damage.
Good Protocols for first contact.
Oooh, XCOM has become a much more sophisticated organization in every way, and all from contact with Twilight.
Poor Twilight, I wonder when (not if but when) the betrayal of her trust will hit her. Having her magic being used for killing without her knowing and maybe them finding her planet but not telling her. The only question in my mind is if she will or won't see it coming and/or will she find out about it herself or from someone telling her. She was already pretty close to being suspicious of XCom's actions but she might not be suspicious enough, especially once she sees Lana.
I really enjoy these Supplemental Files, they add a lot of interesting behind-the-scenes....depth(?) I think is the word I'm looking for.
Also,
Oh yeah.
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Don't need to respond to this, only bringing it up to explain why I mentioned it.
SOP is that after a battle in which a unit takes losses, the unit commander (or acting-commander if the CO bought it) reports to higher who's dead, who's wounded, and who's still able to fight before any other information is debriefed (in fact, this information should have already been sent before the unit left the battlefield). That starts off a chain reaction where the battalion's CO or XO sends the KIA notification to the branch's department, who then notifies the unit designed to handle the notification of the next of kin. Someone from that unit then calls the KIA's next of kin to inform them of the warrior's passing (a similar process happens for those who are wounded). This process can take anywhere from within an hour, if the next of kin also serves and is relatively close, to a few days if there were massive amounts of casualties (over 10,000 at least from the same branch). With as many casualties as they took, I'd think that at least someone would have tried to break the news to Twi within an hour or two since she's in the base where Jenkins was stationed.
If I were in Harris' boots (and there have been times where I was there to break the news to a fallen friend's family), I would have wanted to do that task myself. Harris seems to have that same type of mentality. Best fix, that I'd recommend, is to either slip in something like "How am I going to break the news to Twi?" during Harris' brooding time during the mess hall section, or in the next main-storyline chapter, have him hesitate before entering with the same kind of thought. Again, just my recommendation.
3151766 ...holy crap...dude...ADD THIS TO THE STORY
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Soon. :)
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And just when poor Vahlen thought she had everything figured out, she realises that she doesn't. :(
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Glad I could oblige!
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I enjoyed reading your comment. Thanks for posting!
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Er... sorry for spoilers? :|
3151636
I'm glad Frank's notes were so well recieved.
And Luna sleeping through the entire thing was actually inspired by a comic I saw of Luna in her bed with blinders and ear muff on while Canterlot was torn to pieces.
3151644
Glad you're enjoying this story! I certainly enjoy writing it!
It didn't feel tactful to mention but I wonder if changelings that were indoors were crushed between the walls and the spell as it expanded...
Keen observation...
3151791
I had assumed she was alive when she left the battlefield, though horribly wounded, but then 'died' on the operating table. Only for about two minutes before Discord meddled, so not long enough to start the notification process.
How deceitful
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images.wikia.com/thefanfictionwikiofgtfandphazon/images/a/a8/Peter_griffen,_go_on_meme..jpg
I love these supplemental chapters. They go into a lot of depth into XCOMs' thinking without bogging down the main narrative. Of course, I have to read it twice to make sure I didn't miss anything...
3151676
Very perceptive! It makes one wonder just what all will be affected by the field...
3151685
Perhaps...
3151696
More or less.
You can expect tech developments to... diverge at this point from Canon XCOM.
3151707
Ponykind might be prone to such naivety on average (exceptions being like the Wonderbolts or Shining Armor), but also remember that Celestia has seen -significant- amount of conflict during her rule. She would not be taken lightly, that's for certain.
3151723
Yowsa long comment
I'll fix the math regarding the velocity, I'm just glad I got the concept across. And I see you're sugguesting Mass Effect style rifles, yes?
Regarding the conservation of energy, it doesn't exactly apply since we're talking about magic energy pulled from a place that has thus far avoided all detection by human science.
I will agree that glows and such is the result of energy bleed, but the field energy, once used, is returned to the field. The natural state of the Field Energy is to remain with the field, so once the desired effect is complete it simply returns.
Anywho, that's my headcanon firing there. In the end it's MAGIC.
And I have no doubt Twily extolled the power of love to Frank and Joel, but Joel feels he read between the lines to get to the 'truth.'
3151832
From what I read, she died either shortly after passing out from shock and blood loss or en route to the base. The medical staff then declared her dead when she was in triage. Remember, Harris knew she was dead when he was in the mess.
Wasn't Chrysalis indoors when the spell went off? Also, if the thing with the Elarium not fracturing when it penetrated the walls holds true for all matter under the effects of a spell, then maybe the aftermath of the invasion involved hundreds of Changling-Shaped holes in various walls throughout the city.
Contractors, Carpenters, Engineers everywhere, rejoice! For the Changlings are coming, and your job's about to get really fruitful.
Twilight's turning XCOM into a daycare center! Run for your lives!
I get a feeling characters are starting to see Equestria as a bunch of easily-conquered weenies with abundant mineral reserves and useful technologies to steal. That's not going to turn out well.
3151676
That's a bit like the distinction between Matt killing an alien, and bullets killing it. Twilight is changing the way colors look around her with her use of magic (or at least that's probably what's happening).
3151737
Yep! You can expect further changes with future entries.
3151742
That bridge will be crossed when we get to it. :)
3151766
I saw that video. As to what I'm going to include... you'll have to wait and see. :)
3151791
Aha, an excellent comment, thanks for the insight!
Matt's immediate thoughts after the operation was dealing with the fact that he survived another mission when so many others didn't, and they didn't have confirmation if Lana WOULD make it or not.
There's a second reason as to why he hasn't gone to her yet, and that'll be elaborated on with the next chapter. :)
Your concerns are valid and I have plans to address them.
3151792
Working on it!
3151805
That always made me wonder when I watched that episode.
3151832
That's how I envisioned it.
3151840
Yep!
3151845
Oh, everyone misses something. Everyone.
3151908
After reviewing the wording I think I can see why you think that. When he was referring to certain traits of Lana's in the past tense, he was assuming her injury would dampen both her spirit and sense of humor, or just flat out die from it. He didn't know either way.
3151909
That's a rather amusing thought. XD
3151939
Bullets don't kill people, organ failure kills people!
(Sorry, that was the first thing that came to mind.)
------
I have a random question: Does anyone know what the turn-around time is for EQD to review submitted stories? I'm just curious after all.
3151801 Oh, I didn't mind! Besides, the warehouse was first mentioned way back when Matt was recalling his first mission. I only recognized it after having completed the mission itself! Helluva introduction to XCOM.
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3151801 Actually Dr. Vahlen should be kinda used to beeing suprised. Good science is like: Answer one question, get two new ones. Althou in this case it might be few (hundred) more.
Btw, November is going to be an epic month. First XCOM:EW then MLP Season 4!
3151976
EQD turnaround can be long, I've had it take two months to get something reviewed, and my shortest time was a week and a half.
The field change makes perfect sense; and I'd say it's a basic mechanism of Twilight's species. One that perhaps even applies to different fields.
For example: Food production is generally an Earth Pony activity, yet only a tiny percentage of Earth Ponies actually work in food production. They do, however, tend to congregate in Earth Pony enclaves- so maybe the passive presence of the other Earth Ponies already increases the fertility of plant life. In other words: they help with farming by just being close by.
Now the question is: will this field further spread on its own? And how much? With enough time it could encompass the entire planet. And how will humanity react to it? As in, how will it affect them, if at all?
...
Well, with the change in colour due to the arrival of what amounts to a cartoon animal, maybe X-Com needs to look at how cartoon people act...
Addendum: If I were Dr. McKendrick, I'd probably wonder if Twilight's brother fell victim to another crime. After all, he was brainwashed and forced to "love" Chrysalis- perhaps even physically. There's a name for that kind of thing...
I love this don't stop
ASSUMING DIRECT CONTROL.
3151685 heh "hand"
3151874
Yea, Long comments are common for me. I bring up Notepad, Copy all the previous posts, via quote effect getting references, etc. Then, I respond to each piece. Better than 6 posts or w.e.
Escape velocity, or speed, needs to be, I think 11 kilometers per second. And 2 feet per second squared would still take a long time to get to that speed. Not that you can't go slower, but it takes a lot more energy to do so.
Well, mass effect guns ARE railguns, effectively. Actually, gravity guns, or something. As in, use a force field to accelerate a tiny object at extreme speed. It is a feasible thing to create. And, depending on whether or not Arcanite is used up for magic (matter to energy) may be more efficient, if less powerful (for balance :p). Don't drop plasma weapons, Xd.
Alright, so it is sort of bound to return. It can't actually work that way. After all, if you transform the energy, and apply it to an object, it goes into that object's kinetic energy. When it hits something, it might shatter, or not, and heat + kinetic energy is transfered. So you can not actually reclaim it, as it persists. Unless it, or all it's pieces, decelerated suddenly later. Hence, Ignoring free movement.
Conservation of energy need not apply in fiction. Literally. it was determined by science, because science tends to give you models that more closely match reality. However, even if something gives you good predictions, if you get a contradiction later, you throw it out. Like glass celestial spheres vs Orbital Mechanics.
And then Fiction goes "Forget that" and comes out with something like Spelljammers.
So, if you declare that your universe, like most Scifi, follows all laws of physics to the extent that modern science, as far as you can understand it, shows it to be, such that all inventions and so on work, and then add on top any other consistant laws, exceptions, tweaks, and hacks, its all well and good. Its only inconsistancy that is a problem, or contracticting things that are too tightly interwoven into standard reality to alter.
Yep. Gotta take out the flowerly language, and make it dull, but have all the facts, accurately.
Basically, the inverse of political speeches.
---
Unlock Telekinesis first. You can even make forcefields with that.
Either a constant field (do be careful of the vacuum effect, from pushing air out passively) or reactive, when a detector sees an object, set up a tk field and deflect it. Push to the side preferably, and as quickly as possible. Actually, that is more like a point defence....
3152011
Yep. Science starts with the wait, what? WHAT?
And, if you assume you already know everything, then you already failed. Miserably.
-----
There are a depressingly low number of scientist heroes. Its almost like people disapprove of science. Considering how fiction portrays it, that is not so surprising.
But honestly, there are around 3 stories that I have ever seen that actually show the process in scientifically analysing magic. This story counts, to an extent. (still just getting started)
Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality
Dungeon Keeper Ami.
Okay, after that other comment (I just had to get it out) I gotta say, I like how you attribute the color saturation of Equestria/Equis (latter is I assume to be the planet's name; the former seems more like a country's name) to the magic effect.
Not sure how you characterize the ponies so much as borderline pacifists. Sure, they're nice and forgiving, but c'mon, any sapient species will buckle down and go full MDK when survival is on the line. And yanno, those spears the pony royal guard use have a purpose. Oh, don't get me wrong, forgiving and nice and all that, much plus and I agree wholeheartedly. Just saying, implying that they have some sort of super-aversion to killing I think is selling them short. Heck, I think even Twilight Sparkle would understand that offensive measures sometimes need to be taken, and I kind of hope you have her surprise the X-COM folk by agreeing—albeit with some trepidation—to coming up with some offensive abilities.
But whatever. Just my two cents; I'm still gonna enjoy and read whatever you put up, anyway. Yanno, so long as it doesn't suck.
I increasingly feel like Twilight isn't a real character here. XCOM does research, XCOM runs missions, XCOM makes technological progress, XCOM characters get character development, XCOM has initiative. It has goals and acts to achieve them. Its people have goals and act to achieve them. Twilight? She sits in a lab, casting spells when other people tell her to, handing over useful information when other people prompt her, blushing over a crush someone else planted in her head. Her values are treated as other people's obstacles. Her fears are matters for other characters to overcome. Her goals are ignored. We have 6 chapters of supplemental files consisting mostly of other characters talking about Twilight, but nothing about that book Twilight wanted to write about Earth. From receiving mail to running tests and browsing the web, there are so many things we should be getting Twilight's perspective on that we only see from XCOM's point of view.
I want Twilight to do things! I want to see Twilight solve her own problems, not have XCOM and Equestria work on them for her. I want the viewpoint to stop shifting away from Twilight whenever she does anything interesting. I want to see her suspicions go somewhere instead of constantly being deflected. I want to see Twilight go somewhere instead of having all her scenes set in the same dull lab. I want to see Twilight as a character, not XCOM's free candy machine.
[/rant]
Nice!
3151976
Ironically that how most autopsy forms read like that.
i.e: Cause of Death: heart failure.
Symptoms: blood loss -> multiple sharp force wounds to abdominal cavity -> GSW (gun shot wound)
Hm... Twilight is making the world a more colourful place due to her influence on the Field, but the Invaders are not (I presume). Different types of magic, perhaps? Maybe the Invaders use Sombra-style Dark Magic. Twilight's magic is Friendship Magic. XCOM may have to pick which sort to focus on, a decision likely to have interesting long-term consequences considering how Twilight is subtly Equestriforming her surroundings through her use of magic.
Tons of potential. I'm really loving the worldbuilding in this story.
Looks like the pen can now truly be mightier than the sword!
3152007
Righto!
Oh, also. Just started another Classic Ironman playthrough. My assault's name ended up being, purely by chance I might add, "Jay Walker." I kid you not.
3152011
:D
It's true that she should be used to being surprised, but any day now I expect her to just barge into the Stardust lab screaming, "THIS IS SCIENCE. THERE ARE RULES."
3152037
Two months? D :
I might be finished with this fic by then. >: |
Still, I'm hoping for faster turn around.
3152111
Excellent speculation! Keep at it!
(And regarding your edit, I think 'Mind rape' applies, literally.)
3152125
Don't plan to!
3152137
ASSUMING DIREC-- *Zap*
"Command, Harris, we've got a live capture."
3152164
That is a terrible pun and I intend to use it later.
3152204
Regarding escape velocity, I'm not sure the minimum required would be necessary if Vahlen's suspicion was correct and the spell itself continued to propel the Elerium upward, plus its unknown just how much it accelerated after it escaped the facility.
And regarding future technology, I have plans for some unique developments.
Regarding field energy, all I can say is head canon at this point.
And future unlocks are pending...
3152247
If you're interested in fics that go into detail about magical systems I -highly- recommend The Hill of Swords and In Flight. Both are Fate Stay Night crossovers with other fiction and the author could probably write a -book- on the magical systems detailed in them.
3152251
I thought the color saturation was a clever idea, and a good way for XCOM to realise that other changes are taking place.
And just because Twilight sees the country as peaceful and happy does not mean that it is that way everywhere and to everyone. Remember, XCOM only has -her- stories to go on.
3152299
I am actually aware of this tendency, and I think I can explain why it has happened (and what I intend to rectify it)
Twilight is one of the main characters but she isn't the only one. Twilight's character is fleshed out to a significant degree from the show, whereas the human cast are barely characters at all in their source material. I will admit I'm spending a lot of time fleshing out the human characters simply because I'm making them from scratch as opposed to importing Twilight wholesale.
NOW, I know what you're thinking and you're perfectly justified. Twilight has been taking a bit of a back seat in terms of action with the human cast lately, and I -do- have plans to rectify this.
As for what those plans are...that will have to wait I'm afraid. Sorry!
3152321
3152358
Yep!
3152363
Great speculation!
3152372
XD