AN: Got covid and lost motivation to post. I'll drop the next chapter sometime next week.

Miles

Month 17 Round 7

Taylor's shocked eyes vindicated the feeling that I had won this engagement. I bet she never considered that approach, ha! Not that I would carry it out, that would be just petty, but I would let it simmer till nighttime.

"Now, what perk should we pick? Maybe the one making fun of you?"

"Miles…"

"Yeah, we wouldn't want that. I want to take the Honorverse one just because it costs less. Opinion?" I asked, taking the lead back from Taylor after she murdered that beautiful creature, just like that baby she shot. I wasn't petty!

"Yeah, fine, I agree," Taylor said.

"Too bad because I just picked the Lucky perk!"

Luck Forgives All Sins (Warhammer 40k: Tau Empire) (600CP)

Developing AI without instigating a rebellion. Fiddling with Warp travel without Gellar fields. Messing with biological manipulation and nanotechnology without creating a homogenizing swarm. While you or those under you work to push technology forward, you will somehow stumble your way around or past the major drawbacks and potential disasters you could invite, whether you know they are there or not. This won't let you ignore those threats, but will push you to solutions that don't trigger them, such as skimming the warp instead of entering it, even if this results in inferior results. Unless you know about a threat and deliberately work in such a way as to trigger it (such as trying to form grey goo), your luck will hold.

She gave me a deadpan stare, and the tail wack from Sam told me I was being a slight asshole.

"What? I'm upset and getting it out of my system."

Her stare intensified, and I started sweating.

"Okay, sorry."

"I'm sorry too. Maybe I was still upset about the insect mission," Taylor said.

"That was like a year ago!" I said, shocked at our mutual inability to forgive a slight.

"Eh, I really wanted that beetle. Even."

"How haven't we killed each other?" I said out loud.

"Loneliness, knowing that they would come back, attraction, we don't kill random people-"

"Ahem!"

"We don't kill random people anymore, and we get along somehow." Taylor finished, ignoring my objection. Her spark crown popped into existence, and she didn't even notice.

"It would be boring," I said and let out my crown. It felt like a weight lifted off my shoulders when I did. "Would you join me, my Queen?"

Taylor gasped at me, and a slight flush rose into her cheeks before nodding. "My, King," She whispered.

The next day, when the four of us were sitting at the table eating breakfast, I broke the silence. "I think we should make Queenie a new body."

That received three looks of bewilderment, along with a frown on Taylor's face.

"She's been good for a year, and her tiny spider body won't protect her once we leave. Not to mention, leaving her voiceless is rude." I said.

Sam nodded her head as she munched on a celery stick. "I agree."

I looked at Queenie, and she was vigorously nodding. Taylor still had a frown and looked to be thinking it over.

"What if she betrays us?" Taylor finally said, her crown of webs flared bright with emotion.

"Could she, in a way that would truly hurt us? Sam could betray you at any moment, but you know she wouldn't."

"Sam is annoying, but hasn't ever done anything unforgivable."

Sam chirped and sent a smug look at Queenie.

"Is this from Queenie messing with your mind?"

"… yes."

"I don't think she could anymore. Your spark wouldn't allow it. But if you still have trust issues, why not possess her? That way, you'd have to trust her as much as she would need to trust you."

We have never tested out the dark corner of the Spark given abilities, but one thing they let us do was possess willing minions. Minions were anyone, not a spark or maybe a lower-level spark. All that I knew was Taylor couldn't possess me, and the same in return. However, it might force them to trust each other by letting Taylor into her head in compensation.

Queenie jumped up onto the table and walked up to Taylor. She held out one of her legs to shake on it. Taylor looked torn, but I knew she repressed the need to use this part of her power. This might just be an acceptable outlet. I could tell the moment she gave in and she touched Queenie's limb.

The spider slumped onto the table before wobbling to her feet. She turned around a few times, taking in Sam and me. Then Queenie collapsed when Taylor jerked in her seat, eyes narrowing.

"Her restrictions still lock her up," Taylor said. "She can't act against my subconscious whispers and is a slave to them. On the one hand, it stopped her from doing stupid shit. But I've been mastering her for over a year, which disgusts me. Give her a new body."

This was fantastic news. I had a new project that used my Spark to its full potential. Sam felt my excitement and chuffed at me while Queenie danced around on the table.

"Alright, let's get this moving! First, I need to make an incubation chamber and sequence some DNA!" I said before leaving the table in excitement.

Sam jumped up to my shoulder and dropped Queenie on my head.

"Thank you, Sam. I almost forgot Queenie."

I settled into an empty workshop and got to work by sitting in the neuro rig. It was easier to design components and convert mental ideas into paper ones when your mind was in a computer. Ten minutes later had the nanite constructor popping out parts for my chambers. Now I needed to rig up a second or even a third connection port to the neuro rig.

This one took a little more effort, but it was nothing a few hours couldn't handle. Once done, I strapped Queenie and Sam on the rig and sat down in my seat. An instant later, we were in virtual space.

A duplicate mockup of Queenie floated around before us. Queenie soared around, not limited by physics, taking in the exact details of her body.

"Now, what do you want? We can keep the general spider look, or we can go more humanoid." I split the image and projected a body roughly the same size. It looked like a flesh barbie, quite creepy. "We can go full-sized," the bodies expanded to approximately the same size as my body before shrinking down to dog-sized. "Or a more moderate size."

"Interesting. You can give a human body," Sam said from my side.

"Not, really. Queenie's situation gave me a decent amount of leeway that you lack, Sam. It would take years of research to ensure your mind wouldn't reject the new body. Queenie, at the base, is a program and not a true mind. I would just need a brain that was compatible and download her into it."

"Spider," Queenie said.

I waved away the humanoid mockup and enlarged the spider. A thought later had an interface floating mid-air with thousands of options. Queenie looked at it and started scrolling via thought. It was slightly a joke about how each change cost a certain amount of points, with trade-offs adding more. I did that for an excellent reason, TANSTAAFL, there ain't no such thing as a free lunch. Whether in terms of energy or size constraints, every upgrade or addition costs something, no matter how minuscule.

After an hour, Queenie finished her last touches. It was honestly fascinating to watch an alien design a body. She might not have her databases, but some lessons stuck. The end size would stand a meter off the ground and a half again as long from the mandibles to the spinneret. This time, Queenie would have an abdomen instead of a sole thorax and eight legs, but kept the four eyes.

She selected many options, but the game changers included vocal cords, minor telepathic abilities based on Treecats, including their ability to bond with people. Energy storage, spinnerets, and the front leg's tarsus split apart to form manipulators reminiscent of the fingers of a hand. A carbon nanotube would make up her shell in a honeycomb fashion while staying in stings for tendons. The spinnerets would use nanotubes for the basis of webbing. All in all, her new form would be robust and durable.

I vetoed a few items like a scorpion-like stinger, poison excretions from everywhere, neurotoxin laced webs, acid-based venom, hairs laced with a paralytic, and a second mouth that extended from her mouth. She didn't fool me by saying it was for bacon, and nothing good could come from that horror show. A mixture of amusement, exasperation, and horror wafted down my link from Sam throughout the display.

We left the simulation so I could work in peace without Queenie nagging me about the lack of weapons. I kicked both of them out of the workshop, but not before Sam sent me a message.

'Is it a good idea to give her that body? You saw her. She'd be a walking biohazard if we left it up to her.'

'Meh, I'm sure it would be fine. I know you could kill that body with a stray thought. Don't think I haven't missed your telekinetic training. Very impressive.'

Sam looked away, and I felt happiness burn down the link. She padded away without another word or glance.

While I slaved over Queenie's new body, Taylor set to crafting her a new mech for the next battle. She still had the last mech, but with her size increased, threw it out the window. I could tell Sam was jealous, and it was only the promise of a new one next month that kept my sanity intact.

I had a giant floating spider in an incubation tank three weeks later. Finally, it was time for the grand unveiling, and everyone was here, kind of sad, with just four of us. I pressed the large, obnoxious red button, and lights started flashing. Klaxons deafened us as the tank edge slowly receded.

"Are you serious?" Taylor asked.

"I have to agree, this is too much," Sam chipped in.

"What? I'm a mad scientist creating an abomination. I needed to have the proper atmosphere. And look, Queenie appreciates it!"

They looked over at the very spider dancing around the tank with its front raised in praise. Some two minutes later, the tank entirely receded, leaving the enormous spider curled up in a ball. I rolled the spider over until the top of the thorax showed. The fur was just as silky as I had planned. There was nothing carbon nanotubes couldn't do!

"Now, Queenie, place your limbs on the yellow circles. Then, Taylor, place a finger on the orange spot and another on Queenie," I said, instructing them.

Queenie scuttled up the dormant spider, lining up her limbs with the necessary spots. Taylor looked equal parts enthralled and horrified at what we were doing, yet she still walked up and did as instructed.

"Taylor, you need to free Queenie of her restrictions on changing containers. And you, Queenie, don't you dare try to take over Taylor. We're all telepathic and could crush any attempt."

The little spider vigorously nodded while Taylor screwed up her face, concentrating. The smaller body seized, and the larger twitched. I knew it worked; there was no chance of failure! Some seconds later, the small body fell over and twitched its last. I rushed over and transferred it to a jar of preservation liquid. It was an enigma, and I wanted to study it!

"gHHAaCk!" A high-pitched screech blasted out of Queenie's new body.

"Ahh, it looks like she survived. Shame," Sam muttered before leaving.

Taylor stood back, wrung her hands together, and watched the hundred-fifty kilo spider twitch and spasm before it stopped.

"Miles, Miles, is something wrong?" Taylor asked.

"She's fine. Place your hand on her head and reach out with your mind," I said, leaving the fact that Queenie could bond with her as a surprise and prank.

I laughed as Taylor froze, and Queenie rubbed her giant face all over her. But, of course, that's going to be just terrible, and I'm the source of it all!

The four of us waited for the portal to open. Sam prowled around the feet of my mech, burning off her anxiety. She talked to me last night about how there was a real chance of one of us dying, and if we did, the loss would drive the survivor to suicide, or at least that was what her memories said.

Taylor also brought up what happened when my mech succumbed first, during the sixth round. The psychic connection shared left us in a tactically unsound position. We all had to survive. Otherwise, we would face a cascade of mind breaks.

I wished they brought this up earlier to take proper precautions and maybe make Sam a more formidable mech. Unfortunately, we couldn't do anything as the portal winked into existence. Queenie's new four-meter tall and 75-ton mech launched through, and the rest followed.

SG-1

Colonel Jack O'Neill, Dr. Daniel Jackson, Major Samantha Carter, and the Tollan Narim jogged forward and ducked under a low bridge as death gliders strafed the area. It just happened that Teal'c and the Nox Lya had taken cover there too.

"I must inform Travell!" Narim said right after a plasma bolt hit the ground, taking off running.

No one argued as he ran off, leaving them there. Teal'c didn't even look at the fleeing man and continued to look over the destroyed Ion Cannons. The very cannons meant to protect this planet from the Goa'uld.

"Zipacna escaped through the Stargate," Teal'c said.

"Well, that's the least of our problems. Where have you been?" Jack asked Teal'c.

"I must inform you, O'Neill, that I've disregarded your orders regarding the Goa'uld."

"Please explain."

Lya ascended from her knees and waved her hand around. The group of five visibly shuttered before returning visible. She looked around with a concerned expression. "Something is blocking me."

Teal'c tilted his head, also looking concerned. "Does the Goa'uld possess a way to disrupt your abilities?"

"They do not. I only know of one race that can, but this does not feel like them," Lya said before she collapsed back against the pillar.

Jack was about to push Teal'c to explain, and instead of his intention of showing them, a large portal appeared before them.

"That looks like a fully stabilized two-way wormhole!" Sam Carter said as she pushed to the front of the group, getting a better view.

She gasped as a giant mechanical spider jumped through. It swiftly hurried to the side, and two enormous humanoid contraptions appeared. A six-legged cat came after them and was the smallest of the group. Each mech expressed micro motions that any living being had, but robots shouldn't.

"Uh, Carter?" Jack asked as he examined the weapons of war that appeared before them.

"Whoever made those machines must be incredibly advanced, with a large industrial base behind them. Look at the subtle movements. It looks like they are alive!"

"Tollan advanced?"

"I don't know, but they might be close!"

"And they're not pacifists, no offense, Lya." She nodded at Jack, "Daniel? Ideas?"

Daniel pushed up his glasses, taking in the general shape and the animals. "I've got nothing. The six-legged cat might relate to the mythological Wampus cat. As for the spider, there's too much out there. The taller mech gives off a medieval knight vibe, while the shorter, stout one almost looks alive."

"Teal'c? Lya?" Jack asked, but both shook their heads.

They looked on as the larger mechs seemed to point around and up in the sky. Then, a death glider that escaped their notice strafed the mechs. The plasma bolts impacted a shield and exploded for no effect. The Knight raised its arm, and a searing beam speared the retreating glider, destroying it.

"I want one," Jack said as he rubbed his eyes that stung from looking at the beam weapon. "Sam?"

"Ah, I, that tech is far beyond the Tollan and us. Those shields and weapons must draw an enormous amount of power in a mobile unit." Sam said, as another glider met its end before it could fire.

The spider mech spun around and bound away, somehow missing the screaming civilians and leaving the buildings undamaged.

"What's in that direction?" Jack asked, pointing after the spider mech.

"The Stargate O'Neill."

A buzzing sound drew their attention back towards the mechs as the two larger mechs lifted off before soaring into the sky.

"Okay, I really want one now."

The cat mech turned towards the group and bounded over. Each step of the mech made no sound and reminded each member of SG-1 of a predator stalking their prey. It made its way to them before sitting down.

"My task is to escort you to your goal." The cat said to them.

"Our goal?" Jack asked, as Teal'c still hadn't explained.

"Yes, O'Neill, I asked Lya for help regarding the Goa'uld, and she agreed. She has hidden a single Ion Cannon as the Tollan stated a single one could destroy a Mothership."

"Well, lead the way."

SG-1 and Lya jogged off, following the cat machine. Both Danial and Sam tried to ask questions of the pilot, but the pace was punishing, and the occupant refused to respond. They spotted a few Goa'uld foot soldiers, but the mech mowed them down without firing a shot. The shield prevented any damage.

The group emerged from the forest into a small clearing. Lya waved her hand, and a large turret emplacement faded into view. However, nothing happened.

"It should have already fired," Teal'c said.

A whine filled the air as an Al'kesh bomber lined up for an attack run on the newly exposed Ion Cannon.

"Well, it hasn't. Let's take cover!" Jack said over the increasingly loud whine.

The group broke and ran back towards the woods except for Teal'c. He ran towards the Cannon and pressed buttons in an order he had observed before. The cat mech unleashed continuous blots of plasma at the incoming bomber, but they washed over the shield equipped to the spacecraft.

"This doesn't look good!" Jack shouted out.

"The cat lacks the power to break the Al'kesh shields!" Sam said.

That was when the cat mech shifted tactics. It stopped firing its plasma cannon, and a small hatch popped open in its flank. A small pop echoed through the clearing as a cigar-shaped tube launched into the air. Small puffs of air aligned it with the approaching spacecraft before it disappeared. A horrible shriek filled the clearing, followed by a pressure wave that knocked everyone off their feet. The Al'kesh tore apart as whatever that tube was; it punched straight through the shields and armor.

Everyone stared at the destruction with disbelieving eyes. The weapon was small enough to be carried by infantry, yet possessed the power to destroy a shielding spacecraft.

Jack took off his sunglasses and whistled. "I really want whatever they're selling."

"That shriek had to be the air molecules being ripped apart! Do you know the speed an object has to be moving to do that? That, I don't know what they used to propel it!" Sam said.

"It was a single-use impeller drive." The mech answered with a croon.

"Impeller drive?"

"A phased array gravity drive, or so I'm told. I'm not a builder; that's the two larger mechs. You could call them King and Queen or Emperor and Empress."

"An Emperor and Empress? Do they rule an empire?" Daniel said as he jumped into the conversation.

"Yeah, the four of us."

"But that's not an Empire."

"It is for their egos!" The cat mech chirped, laughing at a joke they weren't privy to.

It was then that the Ion Cannon fired into the sky. Once, then twice, and a final third time before returning to the neutral state. Then, high in the sky, an explosion illuminated the world, and when they looked down, the mech was gone.

"So you're telling me that a fifth party dropped in on the proceedings, adverted the Goa'uld attack with extremely advanced war machines before vanishing into thin air?" General Hammond asked the SG-1 team.

"Yes, sir." Jack Said.

"You talked with one of them?"

"The cat mech, sir."

"Any actionable intelligence?"

Jack motioned to Sam and Daniel.

Daniel cleared his throat before standing up. "If what the cat mech said is true, then we are looking at a small group of four that design and build their own technology. I have a hunch that the pilot of the cat mech wasn't human. There was an inflection in their speech that reminded me of a cat; if that is true, I could speculate that mechs are in the pilot's shape. That leaves us two humanoids, a cat and a spider."

He sat down, and Sam rose to her feet. "The technology they displayed may be immutably different from what we're used to. For example, a missile they demonstrated to destroy the incoming Al'kesh was unlike anything we've witnessed before. We know Ha'taks use an inertia system, but the implications of an impeller drive tell they are directly manipulating gravity wells for propulsion."

"If that is all, please file your reports. Dismissed!"

+100CP EARNED: FIRST BATTLE SEVEN WIN

+50CP EARNED: BATTLE WIN

+100CP EARNED: DOGFIGHTING IN A MECH

+50CP EARNED: CLEANSWEEP

ROLLING WITH 500CP

The Love of Lightning (Fate/Grand Order) (200CP)

Steam Power! Coal! Electricity! The Nuclear Age! All the greatest revolutionaries have brought new power with them, their obsessions letting them take great bounds over the opposition to advance all of humanity. You share that same potential with one form of technological power, greatly advancing your skill and potential when dealing with technology that uses it. It could be electricity powered tech, steam powered tech or even wind powered tech. Whatever you choose, you'll be able to make them much stronger, much more efficient and much cheaper than you normally could. Not all energies are exactly equal however, so you may still find yourself needing more resources than normal, though you'd still get the increased power and efficiency.

Alloy Smith (The Avengers - Earth's Mightiest Heroes) (300CP)

Advanced knowledge of chemistry and metallurgy has allowed you to create alloys out of various materials, including metals and chemicals. These new alloys retain all of the properties- including those that are supernatural in nature- of the materials used to make them, allowing you to create truly powerful substances.

Ship's Engineer (Smash Up) (400CP)

It takes a lot of know-how to keep a spaceship running, especially with all the things they get put through. Not only are you an expert in the technology of the future, you've learned how to be incredibly resourceful in improvising technology. From using lasers to heat rocks or forge metals, to building a laser with the contents of a prison cell, if an Engineer doesn't have the tools they need, well they'll make the tools themselves!