Replaced by AI

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**Replaced by AI** is the 45th episode of Assertive Acquisitions.

Capac is not present for this episode. His absence is explained by a lack of oxygen causing him to stay unconscious in his cryo chamber.

## Synopsis

### Oxygen emergency

> G'day and welcome back for more WE'VE RUNNING OUT OF OXYGEN GET OUT OF THE CRYO TUBES NOW!
>
> Splitsie McSplitsington

The episode begins in the carrier's medical bay, with Splitsie subverting his usual introduction to urgently call TFE and Capac to action as they have completely run out of oxygen. Capac does not regain consciousness, with Splitsie and TFE suspecting him of having hypoxia.

Not finding any ice on the uranium asteriod the carrier is parked at, Splitsie and TFE use the Marlin to jump to an asteroid that they previously detected ice at. This asteriod happened to be the one next to the trade station they have been under gunfire at before. They use the Marlin's drills to completely deplete one of the ice deposits on the asteroid's surface. Splitsie suggests to TFE that he extends the Marlin's drills to form a smile, and they also think about adding oxygen farms to the Marlin.

When they get back to the carrier, Splitsie builds more oxygen tanks at it, though he first briefly brings up his fighter drone, mentioning he has an idea of how to make it fit better in the hangar.

### Designing the Razors

Splitsie gathers TFE in the hangar to discuss his plans for the fighter drone. He points out that it would make more sense for the turret to be on the sides of the fighter rather than the bottom, citing inspiration from weird dreams where things that look like YouTube comments suggest stuff to him. They then go outside to the Schnozz, where Splitsie suggests modifying its design so fighter drones can launch from it. Capac is still unconcious and so isn't able to consent to this plan, but he is outvoted anyway.

Splitsie starts work on designing a new fighter drone from scratch, which would become the Razor. Meanwhile, TFE pokes around the Schnozz.

As it nears completion, Splitsie realities that his new drone design resembles a razor blade in form, giving inspiration for its name.

Splitsie configures the new drone to be set up for the Schnozz, planning to make ones for the carrier later on. He realizes that this means it should be named accordingly, so he names the drone the *Schnozz Razor P* (with *P* standing for Port) before using its remote control functionality to dock it to the Port side of the Schnozz. After a jumpcut, Splitsie has printed a second Razor, the *Schnozz Razor S,* and docked it to Schnozz as well.

Some time passes off-camera as the two wait for some targets to appear.

### Combat Testing

Splitsie and TFE select an ASSERT. Guppy to test their new drones on. Splitsie landing gear locks his Saffron to the bottom of the Schnozz as backup and to provide communications to the new drones with its antenna before getting into one of the Schnozz's control seats, and TFE pilots the ship towards the Guppy.

The drones are deployed from just outside the gattling turret range of the Guppy, and they are very effective. As the drones were set to only target weapons, they take out all of the Guppy's weapons except for an interior turret. The drones then proceed to go rouge and fly off towards a nearby ASSERT Grub, while Splitsie and TFE approach the Guppy in the Saffron and Schnozz respectively.

The Schnozz takes out the remaining interior turret, and Splitsie disables the Guppy's thrusters and gyro with the Saffron's fixed gatling guns. At this point, the two have a look at what the drones are doing, and discover that the Grub is apparently completely gone, and they are not sure if it simply left or if the drones completely obliterated it. Splitsie remotely accesses the drones' terminals to command them home while TFE magnetically locks the Schnozz to the Guppy.

The two dones don't manage to orient themselves correctly to dock to the Schnozz with their connectors, so Splitsie has to manually dock them with remote control again.

Splitsie celebrates in disbelief they managed to successfully capture a ship with just the two of them, though he soon notices that the Gubby did not send any drones to defend itself for some reason.

The episode ends with them flying the captured Gubby back towards the carrier, and they mention that they hope Capac will be conscious next time.