Eeee I'm loving the posts so far, from everybody. You guys are amazing writers! This is so fun~
Okay, I've edited the opening post to reflect the fact that:
Dip's, R-9's, and Daws' characters were all in system and in pursuit of Charity's scoutship. Honorific's character arrived a bit late but prior to its destruction, and Gat is not yet in system.
How much does Marauder shorten the distance of guns?
Marauder weapons have about 75% of the
max range of non-marauder weapons, but they also lose damage capability quicker over distance as well (beams dissipate, warp rounds tumble, plasma sputters and spreads, etc.). That being said, within those closer range groups they do nearly double damage (180%) at point-blank range.
So! I wanted to take this time to bring you another...
[warning]
Insomnant Info Dump![/warning]
Why do Nebula ships destroy human ships? This has been the topic of much debate and theorizing in-universe, with both sides being unsure of the answer.
From the Nebula side, they only know one thing: they are simply following orders. Specifically, every Nebula ship- from the largest of juggernauts to the smallest single ship- is ingrained with the Nebula Directive.
The Nebula Directive states that all human interstellar and interplanetary transportation must be stopped, by any means necessary. Humans are allowed to continue living in stationary habitats, defined as being structures capable of only sub-light speeds. All human-originated vessels with the capacity to travel at faster than light velocities are to be interdicted and dealt with accordingly.
The Nebula Directive is as entrenched within the Nebula Fleet as the basic sense of right and wrong is for humans. That is to say, the overwhelming majority of the Nebula ships follow the Directive unquestioningly, although there is room for interpretation of how best to follow through with what it demands. Some are more zealous in their enforcement of human interdiction, while others take a more merciful (though still strict) approach. That being said, there is a portion of the Fleet that does question the purpose and correctness of the Directive, and an even smaller fraction do not seem to be constrained by the Directive's edicts. The former are tolerated so long as they do not disobey commands, while the latter are regarded with distrust at best, and as traitors at worst.
The Nebula Fleet is aware that 'direct
ive' implies 'direct
or', but they do not know who or what has given them the command that dictates the outcome of their interactions with humanity. Some of the larger processing cores have spent quite a while contemplating it, but they've made no headway on the matter, as if the same programming that makes up the foundation of their existence also denies any attempts at scrutiny. Presumably it is the same entity that gave them the Nebula Directive which also mandated the creation of human avatars, but this is purely conjecture as that too is a mystery to the Fleet.
On the human side, theories run rampant. Here are a few of the many stories people tell:
- The Nebula Fleet is actually the robotic vanguard of a colonizing alien race from another galaxy, sent to pacify all potential for resistance in advance of the aliens arriving to harvest resources.
- The Nebula Fleet is a time-traveling autonomous naval force sent to the present from a future where AIs and humans are engaged in a bitter war, and they are now attempting to turn the tide for the AI by altering the past to produce a more advantageous future.
- The Nebula Fleet is the security system of a long-dead alien civilization, deployed to prevent the spread of a third race of horrifically destructive parasitic aliens that would otherwise ravage humanity if they were allowed free transit throughout the galaxy, as it did the Nebula Fleet's creators untold millenia ago.
- The Nebula Fleet is a manifestation of the Great Filter that destroys civilizations before they grow too large, explaining why humanity has not run into alien races before now- they were all destroyed before they could reach their peak by the likes of the Nebula Fleet.
- The Nebula Fleet is the product of an elusive capitalist madman tycoon who took his wealth and employees and fled colonized space, setting up a corporate empire on the other side of the galaxy and using his own inventions and slave labor to churn out an autonomous fleet of advanced ships capable of enacting revenge upon the civilization that resented his brilliance.
- The Nebula Fleet is punishment for humanity's penchant for environmental cruelty, enforcing the will of Mother Nature, who is unwilling to suffer the spread of such a destructive race to additional systems and planets.
- The Nebula Fleet is from another dimension, one of fire and brimstone where evil forces plot the downfall of man. With their demonic weapons and wicked materials they forged an army to stomp out the light of humanity to stop it from claiming its manifest destiny to spread throughout the stars.
- The Nebula Fleet is the leftovers from a long-finished war, the victorious navy the only remainder of a conflict that wiped out both participants. Now the Nebula ships are just bored, and so they hunt human vessels for simple amusement.
