Kinetic Strike System

Michae wrote:
Also it mentions that the OBS has a "fully loaded 12 pack" ready to go,before the first strikes. Maybe what's left of it's load could be decoyed into firing off into somewhere where it doesn't make any difference,or better still,firing on the Church,which would be hilarious,if documents could be leaked which would persuade them to push the boundaries as they become desperate?

It's only "hilarious" if you and your loved ones aren't some of the millions of people who die in the kinetic strike.

Merlin is already suffering from guilt at the millions that the war he kicked off has killed (Nahrman et al lectures about it not withstanding). Don't think Merlin wants to add to the guilt. Plus, after the reveal, people wouldn't be too happy about deliberately calling down a kinetic strike like that (the truth would come out!)

Michae wrote:
Also it mentions that the OBS has a "fully loaded 12 pack" ready to go,before the first strikes. Maybe what's left of it's load could be decoyed into firing off into somewhere where it doesn't make any difference,or better still,firing on the Church,which would be hilarious,if documents could be leaked which would persuade them to push the boundaries as they become desperate?

I dont have the exact source, but I believe comment in this forum referred to RFC mentioning fairly recently that the OBS had at least some reload capability. Early forum speculation did include running it out of ammo, but that appears not to work.

In addition I also recall RFC mentioning that the AI running the OBS was smart enough to realize it when what could only be humans were messing it. Once the concern surfaced about notifying "dad" under the temple it became imperative not to trigger a response.

ericth wrote:

Michae wrote:
Also it mentions that the OBS has a "fully loaded 12 pack" ready to go,before the first strikes. Maybe what's left of it's load could be decoyed into firing off into somewhere where it doesn't make any difference,or better still,firing on the Church,which would be hilarious,if documents could be leaked which would persuade them to push the boundaries as they become desperate?

I dont have the exact source, but I believe comment in this forum referred to RFC mentioning fairly recently that the OBS had at least some reload capability. Early forum speculation did include running it out of ammo, but that appears not to work.

In addition I also recall RFC mentioning that the AI running the OBS was smart enough to realize it when what could only be humans were messing it. Once the concern surfaced about notifying "dad" under the temple it became imperative not to trigger a response.

The idea of running the OBS out of ammo. is viable only if there is a step two to neutralize it permanently. Otherwise all you have done is created a temporary situation in which the OBS cannot react immediately but have wakened something that is better off left dormant.

RFC has commented that the OBS does have the capability to reload. I do not remember any comment being made as to how long the process would take, however.

Don

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It's only "hilarious" if you and your loved ones aren't some of the millions of people who die in the kinetic strike.

I wasn't thinking of it in that respect. I was thinking that'd it'd be funny to see how the Grand Fornicator thinks he's doing the will of God and the Archangels,why did they just unload a Rakarui on his head in response for doing their will? After all he deemed that the tech that brought it on was worthy of being exempted of the Proscriptions.

The only explanation so far for the size of the files is the guess that it's a stored personality.

If the OBS is reloadable then the Key must control something else, since the Key is single-use.

If the "wrath of God" struck the Temple, sure there would be some strategic value in undermining the authority of the Church leadership, but it would backfire by reinforcing the people's belief in a God capable of wrath who hates technology. That belief is exactly what Merlin needs to destroy.

Expert snuggler wrote:The only explanation so far for the size of the files is the guess that it's a stored personality.

If the OBS is reloadable then the Key must control something else, since the Key is single-use.

Do we know the Key is single use? I thought all we knew was that the Key was only to be used in direst emergency. There might be various reasons for that. For one if it does contain the stored personality of one of the Archangels (Scheuler, presumably) or even an AI, it is going to be hard to re-establish the status quo ante once the Key is used and people have got accustomed to getting direct divine orders again. For example, even if the Archangel goes away again, it could be hard to resist pulling him out of the bottle every time there is a hard decision to take once the Key is used and the secret is out.

There was something in the books, as best I remember one Wylsynn talking to another, that said it could be used only once.

Expert snuggler wrote:There was something in the books, as best I remember one Wylsynn talking to another, that said it could be used only once.

Reference to conversation surrounding Father Paityr's introduction to the inner circle in HFAF.

Don

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Michae wrote:

dobriennm wrote:It's only "hilarious" if you and your loved ones aren't some of the millions of people who die in the kinetic strike.

I wasn't thinking of it in that respect. I was thinking that'd it'd be funny to see how the Grand Fornicator thinks he's doing the will of God and the Archangels,why did they just unload a Rakarui on his head in response for doing their will? After all he deemed that the tech that brought it on was worthy of being exempted of the Proscriptions.

I think the term you're really trying to use is "ironic" or "getting his comeuppance" or something along that line.

Personally, I'd prefer that the Grand Fornicator's comeuppance come from the "Thing Under The Temple" waking up an telling him 'You've been doing WHAT in My and God's Name?" and then condemning him and the Inquisition.

But that's probably too much of a deux ex machina.