Demo Day [Open]

Doctor Peesh had clearly been smugly soaking in the muttered praises and "ooo"s and "aaaah"s from the audience.  It was just as apparent from his scowl that he didn't expect, nor appreciate, the pointed (but well-founded) question that he'd received from from one of the HIGHER, higher-ups.  He put on an obviously fake smile and spoke through half-gritted teeth.

"Ah yes, thank you for such a... pertinent point, General Cheri."

A vein rose on his bald head, before he returned to the podium and took a deeeeep breath.  After that, he gestured to the walking ball of metal and compost.

"Now, I shall show you with the help of some visual aids, what makes Seed such the ONE solution to THREE problems.  Seed, if you would?"

"Yes, Doctor."

There was the sound of grinding and shifting within the quivering mass of Seed's body.  And then, with wet, popping sounds like a bird bursting from its egg, several projection devices emerged from Seed's shoulders, belly, and legs.  All of them curved and curled together, then began to glow... A three dimensional hologram then appeared in front of Seed, showing a smaller copy of Seed himself... alongside several technical specs and breakdowns.

"Seed is composed of a complicated mixture of nanobots and genetically engineered organic material.  Utilizing DNA from Namekian donors, Tuffles, and even Saiyan specimens, alongside plant stock, its organic components can regenerate and quickly heal from any damage.  Its technological components, meanwhile, are made of programmable matter much like what General Cheri used to create her microphone.  Seed has an internal database that contains the genetic code, physical characteristics, and behavioral patterns of every known species on Planet Plant, extant or extinct!  With this combination of traits, Seed can "grow" machines to extract inorganic elements from the soil, and COMBINE them into organic compounds via chemical synthesis.  In other words, Seed is a walking, talking, thinking terraforming engine that can create new lifeforms in a... well, how about I let it show you how quickly it can work?  Seed, activate terraforming protocols.  Grow us something... domesticated and native to the area."

"As you wish, Doctor.  Loading genetic and morphological schemes..."

Thumph... thumph... thumph...

Seed walked off the stage with slow, measured steps.  This was a necessity for something so large on a planet with such high gravity.  Once Seed was on the floor of the dome... it became apparent that there was no floor.  Instead, everyone was sitting and standing on hard-packed DIRT.  Well, some of the components of dirt, anyways.  With a sudden movement, Seed's arms extended and planted themselves into the soil with an audible grinding and crunching.  The projectors retracted into their body, and hums and whirrs began to resound as vines slithered and slid.

At first... nothing happened... then, after about a minute, it became apparent that the space between everyone's seats was changing color.  It shifted from the blasted, grey color of Destron destroyed ground, into the soft, dark brown of loamy soil.  Then the soil started to shift and rise... before little sprouts rose up.  Sprouts that rapidly, visibly, GREW bigger and bigger and bigger... Until the green stalks unfurled and a bud appeared at each stalk's tip.  The bud grew bigger... bigger... bigger... in time with throbs and pulses from Seed's arms and vines.

Within ten minutes, all of the assembled Tuffles had a single stalk in front of them, holding a single fruit.  Each fruit was purplish in color, and appeared to be spheres made of many smaller bubbles.

"I have grown some mountain mutfruit for all of you to enjoy.  This fruit was native and particular to this region, and rendered functionally extinct when Destron was released.  It is quite safe to consume, and should match the flavor profiles listed in the old texts."

"Go ahead everyone!  Don't be rude!  Eat the gift that Seed has made for you!"

With that, Doctor Peesh grabbed the fruit that had grown on a long, and tangled stalk (it reached all the way up to his podium) and plucked it free of the stem.  Then, he bit into it... and groaned as the juice dribbled down his chin and fingers.

"Uhff... just like when I was a boy!"

Peesh, again, seemed taken off-guard by... well an actual point.  A vein bubbled up on his forehead and he sneered before opening his mouth to perhaps launch into a grand tirade.  The image was rather comical, this little bald Tuffle man with fruit juice dripping from his chin looking angry beyond belief.  However, before Dr. Peesh could speak, Seed piped up from their place on the ground.

"May I answer this question, Doctor?"

"Hmmm?  Yes, yes!  An excellent idea!  Lay the good general's worries to rest in your own words."

There was a bit of *wumph-wumph-wumph*-ing as the gigantic... THING clapped their hands together.

"Oh goody!"

The great, big mixture of vines sounded almost... childishly excited as it vibrated and "spoke".  Though the red-eyes showed little sign of emotion as they swiveled to lock onto Cheri.  The mouth DID tilt up into a smiling position, but considering it was little more than a still slit, that was probably unnerving.

"First, General, I would like to thank you for the compliments to my work.  It is... refreshing to receive such praise for on- from one, such as yourself."

Doctor Peesh glared at his own creation for just a moment.  A few of Seed's vines and bits slithered and readjusted when he did so.

"To answer your question, I will refrain from getting too far into speaking about foodwebs and parasites and limiting factors such as climate or barriers.  All of these would be considered whenever I were to introduce new species or changes to existing species.  Meanwhile, a grain that is very good at growing most likely is missing several other adaptations.  Domesticated grain species, for example, are far more vulnerable to infection and parasite infestations than their wild counterparts, but they grow fast, tall, and produce a much wider abundance of seeds than most wild plants... even if they cannot spread said seeds on their own.  In addition, any wild grains introduced to an area would be competing with several other species of grasses, as is frequently the case in the life-bearing portions of our world."

The gigantic plant monstrosity then patted its chest, more dull thumphs and whumphs echoed as it did so.  Was there even any sort of cavity inside of there?  Any organs or specialized nodules?

"Finally, I would be monitoring the entire process via an array of sensors.  If any individual plant shows signs of genetic deviance so severe that it would destabilize the biosphere, I will know as it is first growing... Thus, I will be able to cut off its nutrients and cull it before it matures.  The same would be true for any species, flora, fauna, or fungus."

Peesh, who had been waiting patiently (that was a lie, he was very impatient) then cleared his throat to interrupt Seed before they could continue speaking.  Seed's "smile" disappeared to be replaced by a neutral mouth shape, a flat line across their face.

"*ahem*  YES!  Well-said Seed, I would be hard-pressed to do any better in explaining it myself.  Even more simply put, even if Seed were not fully sapient, it would have the same margin for error as any of our existing terraforming devices... a very, VERY low margin.  So low that it will likely take billions of years of constant terraforming before Seed ever created a grain species like the one General Cheri described.  Now, as for the other two parts...  Those of you with scouters might wish to put them on."

As Doctor Peesh went on, several of the Tuffle brass shifted and grunted and pulled out the little ear-and-eye-piece combos that their kind made use of.  Many little beeps and whirring noises came from various parts of the dome as the devices did their work... trios of beeps announced that each scouter had finished scanning and had a final power level.

"You see, thanks to Seed's organic components, it is capable of generating ki.  With some... "standard" training regimens to unlock its potential..."

Many of the vines and cables on Seed's body slithered and shook for just a moment, and the glowing red eyes dimmed.  They returned to full brilliance after a few seconds.

"We have managed to achieve a power level of over five thousand standard units.  And it CAN increase and improve as Seed fights, regenerates, and trains.  This individual unit could do combat with ten low-ranking Saiyan soldiers, and come out on top.  Imagine what a whole ARMY could do... though, perhaps you'd like to see a physical demonstration of Seed's combat prowess, General?"

Right after Cheri's question left her lips, Peesh gained an almost dangerously unhinged grin.  Like he was waiting for just this specific moment, perhaps ever since Cheri's first question derailed his perfectly planned presentation by usurping the plants in the audience.  The bald old Tuffle then put a hand to his now-sticky chin and shrugged...

"An opponent?  Well, that would give everyone a much better idea of Seed's combat capabilities!  And if the brave and formidable General Cheri is offering to take part, who am I to refuse?"

Peesh was really looking the part of the unhinged mad scientist by that point.  Was he about to let out a bonafide evil laugh?  If he was, he didn't get to let it out, as Seed piped up from their place near the stage.

"Does this mean I don't need to go outside?"

"If the General is willing to be your sparring partner AND you can keep from destroying this dome, then yes."

A sound that would have been described as a sigh of relief, if it had come from any other creature, echoed out from Seed's mass.  Then their arms lengthened a bit and some fiber around their feet loosened up.  As bits of Peesh's creation relaxed, and unfurled, the whole began thumph-thumph-thumph-ing over to the stage.

Peesh, whether due to some hitherto unknown ability to read people or mere supposition, guessed that Cheri's smile was fake.  His, in turn, was a very genuine and equally as malicious as he watched the tired, overworked warhero/politician take her place on the stage.  As for Seed, they stomped their way over to the opposite corner of the stage, retracting the scouter-growth into their body as they did so.

Then, the monstrosity tightened up their "arms".  Both went from being loose, fuzzy collections of material tipped with blunt fingers, to well-defined things with a "musculature" of vines and cable.  After that, Seed adopted what could best be described as the Tuffle equivalent of a drunken boxer stance.  Their back curved, their arms hung low, and they began to sway back and forth on their feet.

"Oh, the trace amounts of Destron in the air cause minor damage to my organic components.  I do not particularly care for the sensation that causes."


PL: 5,000
KP: 6/6
No combat items
No damage.

A few moments of silence passed... except for the sound of Peesh clearing the stage as quickly as an untrained, elderly, and non-enhanced Tuffle could move on Plant.  Then... all of a sudden... Seed CHARGED at the general with speed they had not previously showed.  Their attack was quick, a flurry of blows directed at Cheri's front...  Followed by an equally quick retreat back away from the general... Why?  Well, a trio of explosive pods had been left where Seed had been standing and jabbing at Cheri.  A trio of explosive pods that quickly exploded, cracking the stage while releasing a cloud of spores directly around the general.


Seed uses Sleepy Spore!
-2 KP
Technique launched for 20% or 1,000 PL.
4/6 KP
+2 momentum (+1 for post, +1 for using technique)
2/6 MP

Seed tilted their head and narrowed the glowing dots that resembled eyes as they saw Cheri's shoulder-mounted laser blast several of the spore bombs before they could explode... then burn away the remaining spores with a low-power function.  It was an interesting tactic, one that Seed would have to expect to have to develop countermeasures against in the future.  The laser blast sent their way was... negligible.  They simply took the damage and let some of their organic tissue sizzle and burn.

Seed takes the damage!
500 PL = 10% of PL
Current damage: 10%/250
The burned components began to slowly fade away as new growth flipped and wriggled over it, and the mechanical components repaired themselves on a molecular level.  Seed would need to replace the lost mass, but they remained whole and able to fight.  Their limbs rose up and their fingers rapidly changed shape into a series of... sharp-looking leaves.  Sharp-looking leaves that had a glossy shine and which glowed ever-so-slightly in the stage-lights.

"As you wish."

Seed then spun their arms about and THREW the leaves at Cheri.  They were all sharp enough to cut through her armor if they landed, and perhaps leave some real damage.  Hopefully THAT would impress both the General and the rest of the audience.

Seed Uses RAZOR LEAF at 40% PL.
Attack launches with 2,000 PL of damage
-4 KP
0/6 KP
+2 momentum (+1 for technique, +1 for posting)
4/6 MP

Seed has no KP, Seed takes 2,000 PL of damage (40%)!
Damage at 50%/250%
Due to taking over 20% damage in one turn, Bleed+ is now active!

"Ah, delightful."

That was about the extent of Seed's reaction to being stabbed in their center of mass and then injected with a cocktail of caustic acid and toxins.  There was no screaming, no shouting, no great cries... just sarcasm.  Seed also wrapped some vines and cables around Cheri's wrists to hold her in.  They then took advantage of this hold to try and hit her repeatedly, in the face, with very large hands.  Left... right... left... right... left... right...

This hold could only be maintained for a few moments, however.  The toxin that Cheri had injected was starting to have an effect... weakening the bonds that were being used to hold her wrist.  Seed took a few big, whump-ing steps back across the stage, while activating various countermeasures to keep their body intact and alive.  This included forming programmable matter tubes with little mechanical pumps to filter the toxin out of their bloodstream and onto the stage.  The pink stuff hit the artificial wood with a HISSSSSSSSS as it began to eat through the material it hit.

Things were not looking good for Dr. Peesh's great creation, since Seed hadn't managed to get a single substantial hit on Cheri.  And if it couldn't fight toe-to-toe with a seasoned Tuffle warrior, how well would it do against Saiyans?  This was the general consensus of the grumbling and the rumbling of the assembled brass.

"Seed!  You are NOT fighting at full effectiveness, go all out!  USE YOUR FULL POWER AND YOUR FAILSAFE DEFENSE."

"...No..."

"No?!  NO?!  What do you MEAN "no"?"

"Doctor, my failsafe defense could kill everyone in this dome, and my opponent.  That is an unacceptable risk within the parameters of this demonstration and spar."

"GRAAAAAH!"

As Doctor Peesh tried to hold back a tantrum far more befitting of a toddler than an elderly scientist, Seed struggled to keep themselves alive and active while in the midst of combat.


Seed has not used a technique this turn!
+2 KP
2/6 KP
+2 momentum (+1 for posting, +1 for taking over 20% damage)
6/6 MP