It would seem infiltrating Napai at this juncture would be a Fool's errand. I'd rather raid Boranai for more technology, gain some necessary information regarding how things work, possibly find out some Gate codes and such.
Question for ADS: Can the Gate codes be changed dynamically (or at all for that matter), like scrambling the keyswipes in a building...or does it require hands-on "re-wiring" of the Gate circuitboards/flux-capacitors/etc?
Expending time/energy/manpower obtaining primary Gate codes with said codes being able to change with simple keystrokes would really, for lack of better term, SUCK.
The ROBS is such a big target, and for so many things, I can't imagine that someone doesn't know a way past the mind-jellies. I think we need more information and contact with someone who knows about the planet before we proceed. The payoff is great enough, both in terms of getting knowledge for us and then taking out that repository and denying the Imperium its use, that I think further research and information-gathering is warranted.
Just like a gun detector won't notice a longbow, Imperial defenses may not be primed for chemical slugthrowers.
Imperial weapons scanners definitely WILL NOT detect the transport or use of firearms. The noise, bleeding, shouting, all that's a different story but you won't be flagged like you would be for carrying a powered-up whap gun.
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Can the Gate codes be changed dynamically (or at all for that matter), like scrambling the keyswipes in a building...or does it require hands-on "re-wiring" of the Gate circuitboards/flux-capacitors/etc?
The Gate network figures out what a new Gate's code should be. If an existing Gate is destroyed, a newly-created Gate can take up the old code. The process by which a new Gate replaces an old one is unknown to Arketta or Varos. Gate codes, to the best of their knowledge, cannot be changed once set. It is theorized that the Diego Garcia Gate, once complete, would somehow automatically acquire a new code.
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Do we know how the mind-jellies read your mind?
Cyllans can detect pressure changes and sonic waves in their environment, but their "hearing" is not developed for communication. They detect and have some measure of control over bioelectric fields and the electromagnetic spectrum. Cyllans communicate with others of their kind by "reading" the electric signals given off by the "speaker". They can extend this reading ability to humans if properly trained, reading the cerebral impulses that are associated with the speaker's message. In fact, a Cyllan can act as a translator of sorts, since they deal directly in basic expressed concepts - not language. Skilled Cyllans can even discern unspoken thoughts.
These Cyllans are apparently called Truthseekers. They're not psychic at all; they see your brain currents like a shark sees the bioelectric field given off by muscle movements.
Shit, that's easy enough to defeat, especially if the ROBS is as busy as it's made out to be. At that rate, they can't be actively scanning everyone, and are probably just looking out for specific thought patterns. A tinfoil hat would probably be enough to slip past them.
Would a copper-meshed, chainmail-style coif work in preventing brain waves from being picked up. I know it would also wreck havoc on radios and such, but we might want to have contigents in place.
Well, the way I understand it, they'd watch the whole noosphere (thanks, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.!) for bad thoughts rather than scanning every individual. If they do it that way, faraday helmets will work. If they do scan individuals, then they won't, but in that case I don't see us passing by without some hardcore anti-PSI training.
I think they'll be too busy. It's like scanning a crowd for one person. You don't look closely at every single face, you sweep the crowd looking for a specific set of features. It's not that we'll show up as blank spots, they won't even notice we're there at all.
You could kill them, then it doesn't matter what silly hats you wear on your head.
But for the purposes of argument, your best guess is that some sort of copper-wired mesh hood-thing should prevent a Cyllan from "seeing" your thoughts. Sadly, you won't know if they'll work for sure until you meet one of the jellyfish.
I think maybe you guys should pick a target first, then focus your ideas on that one target, instead of worrying about this and that and those guys over there and whatnot.
It seems that Dieter, E of Pi, and Gordon (kind of) are leaning towards Boranai.
Punkey's whole-hog Napai, and Ivan's leaning that way on the not-insignificant fact that you guys are badasses.
If you're worried about the jellyfish, nothing you can plan for will calm you. There is one fact about them and that is that you will not know if any of your precautions will actually work on them.
I would worry less about the jellies and more about how you'd get the various levels of authorization to get to Napai's surface in the first place. Gatac is absolutely right (darn you!); Varos' codes would have been flagged as "kill these fools immediately" as soon as he was captured.
Remember that Varos only has the addresses for Napai's space gates. You'll need a spaceship before you can even use these. How to get a spaceship? Nearly every one of the 20-some addresses you have should open onto a spaceport. Almost without exception, every Imperial world will have a space gate either in high orbit (in case only one planet is of any use in the system) or farther out (in case there are a few terraformed or useful planets in the system). High-traffic systems might have more than one.
If you're feeling really confident, here's something to try:
1. Start off in the Boranai spaceport. Get a vehicle or bring one with you that can take you to the Spire.
2. Hit the Spire, get your loot here, nab a high muckamuck amongst the Keepers and get his/her authorization codes.
3. Jack somebody's (possibly said muckamuck's) spaceship, take it out to Boranai's orbital gate and if you're lucky you can come in through Akwhela's Eye above Napai.
4. Use those auth codes as long as you can - you could get to the surface if you've been quick enough.
5. Hide, sneak, steal, talk, and shoot your way to the ROBS on Napai.
6. Profit!
I would also add that when planning for equipment, I have offered you nuclear warheads. If your plan would work if you just had a solid gold Harley Davidson with machine guns on the front, they will get you that bike.
Fun Facts:
1. An Abrams main battle tank will actually fit through your Gateway.
2. A Huey Cobra will also fit, as long as the rotors are inline with the fuselage.
3. Apache helicopters won't - they have four rotor blades.
4. Semi trucks will also fit.
I would also add that when planning for equipment, I have offered you nuclear warheads. If your plan would work if you just had a solid gold Harley Davidson with machine guns on the front, they will get you that bike.
Fun Facts:
1. An Abrams main battle tank will actually fit through your Gateway.
2. A Huey Cobra will also fit, as long as the rotors are inline with the fuselage.
3. Apache helicopters won't - they have four rotor blades.
4. Semi trucks will also fit.
It seems that Dieter, E of Pi, and Gordon (kind of) are leaning towards Boranai.
Actually, I'm very much in the Boranai camp. However, it didn't appear that my concerns were shared / heard, so I was trying to be productive in contributing to the Narai discussion. Personally, I think Narai is suicide, but the we're-PCs-so-nothing-bad-can-happen-to-us philosophy appears to be popular.
Regarding Adam's plan suggestion, I like it with one change:
5. Get within blast radius of the tower and place the suitcase nuke in a discrete corner somewhere.
6. Get the hell out.
It seems that Dieter, E of Pi, and Gordon (kind of) are leaning towards Boranai.
Actually, I'm very much in the Boranai camp. However, it didn't appear that my concerns were shared / heard, so I was trying to be productive in contributing to the Narai discussion. Personally, I think Narai is suicide, but the we're-PCs-so-nothing-bad-can-happen-to-us philosophy appears to be popular.
Regarding Adam's plan suggestion, I like it with one change:
5. Get within blast radius of the tower and place the suitcase nuke in a discrete corner somewhere.
6. Get the hell out.
Gordon
I agree with Gordon than an attack on Nurai is suicide. Max will have no part in that Greek Tragedy and is not bound by military authority to do so.
I also concur with Amendments #5 and #6 of Gordon's plan.
As an officer and gentleman, Hugh must insist that using a weapon of mass destruction - by itself abhorrent - is even more horrible when the target is, essentially, a city and not a military installation.
We'll never win hearts & minds if we give them a Hiroshima to rally behind. I vote for covert ops on our first try.
It's not that we're badass, it's that we have the advantage of time and surprise. There's no such thing as an impregnable and unsuspecting target. As long as they're not actively looking for us specifically, it's doable.
Most of the big scary security measures are looking for contraband, not for a strike force. Getting a space ship should be easy enough, either through finding someone sympathetic and crazy enough to do it or by "liberating" one. And once we're on the surface, the security measures need to pick us out, people that they've never seen before, out of a crowd of millions. The mind-jellies are easy enough to defeat, and if you're going to be extra paranoid, I've already shown that it should be easy enough to test my method of entry. All that's left then is scouting the building and executing the plan, something that if we plan it right, we are badass enough to pull it off. We cut the risk down by being smart so it won't be suicide. No guts, no glory, gentlemen.
(Edit: I agree with Gatac on the nuke thing, by the way. I think that we have more street cred than you guys give us credit for. Arketta's Homeworlder impulse probably is pretty common, and as long as we don't start leaving fallout clouds over major cities, we can bank on that.)
(Double Edit: Also, I don't know about you guys, but I've seen the Indiana Jones movies. I guarantee that there are a lot of security measures that we don't know about in the temple at Boranai. There is no way in Hell something that important is that lightly defended. If it looks like it's too easy, it usually is. I'm definitely not into finding out that one of their "artifacts" is an alien version of Cube.)
Dieter
