Esther

//--- Initializing.
//--- OS: SkyCrane Ver. 8.49.5.64.0
//--- Syncing to High Command...
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...
...
//--- Syncing complete.
//--- Incoming transmission.

Dear Esther,

Greetings from High Command! You are SkyCrane V8 A.I. construct. Codename: Esther. You have been selected to oversee military operations in sector 3 in the delta complex and to investigate the disappearance of agent 42 and if applicable: his retrieval. Your first task is to set up a small military base, all materials will be provided for basic base building. A platoon of 7 light scouting mechs have been delivered for your use. Courtesy from high command! Further from that, you will have to harvest the local area for base building. More objectives will be provided as needed. Enclosed in this message is Agent 42's last known transmission.

I hide within the abandoned town hall. Every now and then I see the "holy" inquisitors passing by. Every time I see them, I see another poor soul faired away to the forgotten forest, as named by this map that I am holding, by my mind that is humorous. The forest has been right next to the town for as long as anyone can remember and it's called the Everfree forest. But, I digress, I often have to find the humor in a given situation to keep me from becoming insane. Even as I continue to write in these blood covered pages. It helps that I at least do something to stave off dementia. I can only hope that I so not find out what happens to those that have been taken to the forest. Curse my mind and imagination for not letting me settle with my previous statement. I theorize the inquisitors are taking the captured to be burned at the stake for their sins. Ya know, like the Vatican did on Earth a few thousand years ago. Except that I am the only human in the town. Surrounded by aliens I am. Something along that context anyway. I'm not going to go out of my way to think why I came here. On second thought, I didn't have to. I just remembered why I came here.
The TCIA, Tactical Combat Interstellar Agency specializing in off world espionage, sent me here to conduct a basic census, because this world's government are failing to account for the recent spike in death by an unknown disease. That is however, not the reason why I have been sent, I come here under that assumption. The SC government is concerned that the unknown, as we at the TCIA like to call them, are in procession of terran military grade technology. It is my job to find what and who this organization is, what they are planning and if indeed they have stolen human tech. The task is coming at a slow place, every time I try to gather information it is met with difficulty. Whatever they are, I am dealing with a professional and highly experienced group. However, despite effort on their part, I did manage to crack into an information bank. Not much was in there. A lot of the information was dummy info, used to cloud the real info. I'm still extracting the correct info, but it will only be a matter of time. Kind of... The data that I got from the information bank has several high grade self-evolving firewalls and encoders. The decryption equipment that I brought with me is not enough. I need to, and still do, bring this to HQ, but the transporter does not come for another 8 moons. Oh well. I did manage to get a name however, the Followers of Righteousness. Do I have to ask? As I was continuing my information gathering, I noticed my equipment has been acting strange. I believe me stuff has been hacked. No matter, I made a save state of my gathering and have since destroyed my equipment and have already made my way to a small town where my extraction would be.
I made my way to the small town called Ponyville. Nice little town, friendly, easy going, if I wasn't on the job I would totally live here. Anyway, after my arrival the peace was short lived. A group of ponies clad in purple robes demanded the townspeople to bring a spy to them, good to know they were following me. They threaten to do horrible things to the residents if they didn't bring me to them. But a good spy always... actually, I am a terrible spy, they followed me, and by being a bad spy, I put a town in jeopardy. Too bad, I'm not going to reveal myself so I can save a town full of anthropomorphic ponies. Even though it is the right thing to do. Again, I have a job to complete and I get paid to do this crap. Crap that tries to get me killed on a daily bases. What can I do? Anyway, the town did not take likely to that, especially a sky blue with a rainbow main-tail combo pony, she really did not like it. In defiance of the town, they blew one of the arms off of the blue pony. Poor girl, instantly dropped to the ground in the fetal position with blood practically pouring out of her. I feel bad for that. I think I maybe the indirect cause of her death, if she dies that is. The purple robed ponies said they would be back with an army tomorrow if they do not find me. 13 hours later... yeeeaaaa, it's a mess now, and I'm hiding in this town’s town hall. I know I said I feel bad for this, but now I feel really bad. While I have been writing this entry I've been hearing noises from beyond the door. I might be able to use my defunct cloaking device if I'm lucky enough. If I don’t make it, I hate you all, TCIA training is a literal hell. Bye!

As you can see, we need him alive or at least the data he has on him. Preferably, him and the data, he is one the best agents the TCIA have, it would be shame if he died. Personally, I like him. I would love to see him again!

Good luck, Esther!
With love, M.O.T.H.E.R.

//--- End transmission.
//--- Establishing objectives.

- Objective 1: Establish a small military base.
- Objective 2: Locate Agent 42.

//--- Assigning priorities.

- Locate a suitable area to establish a base.

//--- Area(s) located.
//--- Scanning...

- Everfree Forest
- Mineral poor
- Hostile plant overgrowth
- Hostile weather patterns
- Unsuitable. Reason: site is not suitable for construction.

//--- Scanning...

- Frozen North
- Mineral rich
- Subzero climate
- Unsuitable. Reason: equipment cannot operate with in subzero conditions without proper research.

//--- Scanning...

- Badlands
- Arid weather
- Mineral poor
- Unknown alien presence
- Suitable. Danger: high chance of alien contact.

//--- Establishing base.

- Sending builder unit.
- Warning: unknown presence detected.
- Builder unit destroyed.
- redirecting scouting mechs 1-4.
- Contact eminent.
- Contact established.
- Open firing on threat.
- Mech 3 destroyed.
- Threat eliminated.
- Establishing defensive perimeter.

//--- Warning: power low.
//--- Commencing recharge.
//--- Powering down all A.I. functions.
//--- Sweet dreams, Esther.

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