Part 110: Jack's new place

Arthur: "All crewmen are to halt their activities and return to the Red Sprite. A new mission has arisen which requires us to change sectors. This ship will be leaving Fornax. Halt all activities and return to the Red Sprite immediately."




"Let him leave me behind, see if I care. Oh well. Guess it's time to go back, Francis."




Arthur: "I have detected suspicious activity from Jack's squad. This may affect our investigation. We must confirm their intentions. Please set a course to their coordinates in order for us to question them directly."




Tyler: "I thought we promised not to get in each other's way... "




" Do they have anything to gain from coming after us? They looked like they were serious when we were talking about each other's interests. "




Good to know.


Well if there's an important thing to know due to a change, I guess that would be worth stopping the current mission?




What?


... Wait, WHAT?



Arthur: "That is our destination."





Apparently so!


Arthur: "One possibility is that they developed it with the information we gained from the Rosettas. Perhaps they tapped into our communications and intercepted the data we sent to the Joint Project."




Mia: "Am I the only one a little afraid of Jack's squad right now? "




"Never thought we'd be suspecting our fellow humans instead of helping each other out."




"I definitely don't trust 'em now. Know what I mean, Francis?"




Arthur: "We must confirm their reasons for creating their own space-time location and remaining there. Any discussion of principles or strategy should be deferred until after our investigation. I have finished calculating the space-time coordinates of Jack's squad. We will travel there immediately. All hands, prepare to plane shift."




"Their technology is beyond anything we have, if they can create their own space-time location... Someone hired them to come here, right? "




The Illuminati? Wait, the Joint Project was supposed to be more or less the Illuminati isn't it?


"But they're acting strange without notifying us, and I can't blame anyone for being suspicious... I hate to say it, but it's seeming like our relationship of trust had a pretty shaky foundation. Be careful, now. Don't do anything to provoke them."




"It must feel good for them, having power like that. But there is nothing more dangerous than an overconfident human. Yes... They can be uglier and more frightening even than demons at times."




"I'd completely forgotten he was even here, to be honest. What on earth are they up to at a time like this?"

Well let's see what is new at the lab.




Nope, not at all! That's what rare shit is for.





"Looks like the forma ya got can enhance yer Main App. But whatcha got there won't do the job on its own. Tell ya what, Francis... Could you come see us again when you get another forma? Ya get another forma that works with that and put 'em together, then we'll be talkin'!"



There is new stuff! Let's see what is there.



A ring that won't get bought.




A useful item!


And another item of great use!



We can only manufacture 3 of them at the moment, AND it is quite goddamn expensive!


"Quality technology is always quality. The problem is with the dang humans who use it. A man's gotta have character, class and passion! Ya think Jack's squad has any o' that? Hell no! They ain't worthy of all that fancy-pants technology they got. If they gave it to me, I'd use it for the good of the world, for the people, ya know? "



No, but we know he is a interdimensional lolbertarian. That's something.



Cooperation is against lolbertarianism?


Eh dunno. No.


Yes. Time to hit the deck.


Yup.


No, got to heal the squad first!


Will do so.


Yes!



Terry: "There will be two shifts After we pass through the Vanishing Point to Eridanus, we'll jump to Jack's space-time pocket. Commencing the plane shift now!"





Well this ought to be interesting.