Wastelands, Bunker C-17 [IC]

[Malakin]

Spork climbs back into his original position in the military variant.
He ducks down into the vehicle proper.
"What should we call this vehicle? Military variant is rather a poor name."

[Paladin Sheppard]

Climbing in after Spork and sitting in the shotgun seat Eph smiled. "I think our new driver should name it."

[Somber]

She positioned herself behind the wheel.  Despite not having a neural interface, she seemed to have an innate understanding of how the vehicle functioned.  "A name for it?"  She thought a bit as she drove it back towards the entrance.  What was in a name?  Chalean's named their biggest warmachines vaguely nationalistic titles like 'Fist of the People' or 'Truth of Unity'.  She thought a second.  "Sojourner," she said as she leaned back in the seat.

"Now.  First stop on our trip is that town I mentioned.  Should be about four hours, if we're lucky.  So a few simple lessions."

"Lesson one.  None of you are from Fahlberg.  If anyone asks, tell them it's none of their business.  If they try and pin you down as one, say you were out of country on business or something.  Remember, if they're not wearing a uniform or holding a gun to your head, you don't have to answer.  If they are, you don't have to tell the truth.  Same goes with this vehicle.  If some one asks about it... we found it.  Can't remember where.  End of story."

"Lesson two.  Scavenging is a competition.  The stuff we find some one else will want.  Good scavengers trade.  Bad scavengers take.  If you can get what you need with a trade then you've saved yourself a lot of trouble.  But if some one tries to take something, then people are going to die.  Scavengers are people.  Most would rather not put their necks on the line, but there's more than a few who will shoot you in the back and take what you've found."

"Lesson three.  People with uniforms.  The protectorate has a half dozen bases in the bad lands I know about.  Anyone with a uniform is some one to avoid.  Period.  If we have to talk, let me do the talking.  If I'm not there, then remember your best bet is to be as craven and fawning as possible.  Soon as I find a nice ledge I'm going to coat this thing in an inch of dirt, but the last thing... the last last thing... I want is for a protectorate unit to think we're actual military."

She shifted gears as she glanced over her shoulder.  "Any questions about lesson one, two, or three?"

[ITOS]

Johanna's rover followed the truck (or Sojourner if you so wished). Lesson one made her a bit concerned.

The company that made her was known and prized for their innovative coding and their .ai format was pretty much standard in the industry. As the war started they pushed out their new versions of the format, mainly at the request of the Fahlberg military.

Johanna was one of the test AIs for experimental code and her version was upgraded, a process which made her structure unique. There was a chance of other AIs notesing this and realise that she had to be Fahlberg.

[Boog]

"Erm, I have a question," Dr. Nick raised one hand and leaned forward, "How do we explain that the Fahlberg medbot isn't from Fahlberg?"

[Azlan]

Caden sighed, "perhaps we should leave the extremely obvious Fahlberg robots behind and select a few more convincing flesh and blood team members?"

[Arcalane]

A speaker in the vehicle's dashboard crackles for a moment, then a small holographic figure flickers into view, marching along the dashboard militarily before stopping to address the vehicle's inhabitants.

"Seeing as ya'll haven't left the immediate vicinity yet, I can still contact ya by this here radio. 's Mack, by the way. Jo knows me, but for those who've forgotten I'm the Dee-Cee-Aye-Eye - that's Defense Co-ordination Artificial Intelligence - assigned to protect this here bunker. Anyhoo! I've been listening in on ya'll, if you'll pardon mah nosiness. As fer the medbot, yer actually a... well I don't know what th' hell y'are. Scrap `bot walkin' is one of 'em, but you seem ta be about... quartah Fahlberger FMU, half Derethian M6S and another quartah of unahdentifahed parts. Whoops, slippin` into the old accent there... anyhow, as I was saying. Ya shouldn't have any issue with being recognized as a Fahlberger medical bot. Trust me, you'd know a Fahlberger FMU when you see one. Big imposing fellas with heavy armour and fingers the size of sausages. Gentle but at the same time rather disturbing to watch one work. Probably where y' got that left arm o' yours, I'd bet." The little holographic figure lets out a puff of holographic smoke from it's little holographic cigar, standing there for a moment.

"Anythin` else y' wanna cover, or d'ya just want ta get goin'?"

[Paladin Sheppard]

"Personaly Mack, I just want to get the hell out of here." Eph purr'ed at the hologram.

[Somber]

She laughed and smiled, shaking her head.

"The bots have less to be worried about.  The protectorate doesn't recognize AI's and bots as people.  The Denethans don't have the technological knowledge to tell where she comes from.  So if any one asks where she came from, its the same as this truck.  'Not tellin.' or 'Found her some where south east a year ago.'  If there's some one who can identify her origins, they're probably wearing a uniform."

She paused as she thought of something and frowned.  "Oh... mac?  You might want to be sparing with the radio.  I don't know if the protectorate can hear you through the Enterian ECM, but the Enterian's do still have kinetic kill weapons in orbit.  One of them wiped out a camp I'd left six hundred miles south where they found an communication node and fired it up to full power.  So keep it to burst transmissions as long as you can."

Settled back and focused on driving.

"Lessons four, five, and six...  lesson four is about the environment.  Your country is now host to nuclear, biological, chemical, and military ordinance.  Sensors are your new best friend and Joanna is your lover.  Stay close to her because the second the wind shifts and she picks up dangerous levels of rads, a biocontaminant, or a toxin... get back in the truck.  The land is littered with all kinds of live war material, from cluster mines to bombs to ammunition to military bots with their AI's on the fritz.  Make sure you know where you're stepping when you walk some where.

"Lesson five... ruins.  We're going to a city of about fifty thousand or so that caught a full barrage of protectorate long range artillery from the Mijol cannon.  At least two of the shells were loy yield tactical nukes.  The buildings are not stable.  The surface has been picked over over the last six months since the rads went down.  You have chemical storage that is now leaking.  You have power systems that may or may not electrocute you thanks to phenominal fahlberg fusion generators.  You have robots that may or may not be following their AI.  In short while you'll be tempted to relax your guard, the opposite is true.  Ruins are great spots for ambushes and there's all kinds of nasty buried stuff that'll surprise you.  Remember, your sensors are your best friend and Johanna is your lover."

"Lesson six..." she paused and glanced over at Eph, then sighed, her face returning to it's emotionless protectorate mask.  "Lesson six is bodies.  You're going to find a lot of them.  They won't be pretty either.  You'll find bodies of men with gaping holes in them.  You'll find bodies of women clutching their children.  You'll find fresh bodies of scavengers who got caught by the rads.  They'll fall on you when you open a closet.  They'll land on you when you dig out a shaft.  You'll find hundreds crammed together under ground in subways, sewers, and shelters.  Worse of all your sensors usually won't warn you, cause a body just reads 'inert biological matter'.  And no matter what I say now, it's going to hurt.  If it doesn't, then you'd better eat a bullet because you sure aren't alive yourself.  But you can't stop and bury ten thousand dead people.  You got to move them aside and keep searching.  You just can't stop for the dead."

After all, she hadn't.

[Boog]

Dr. Nick hunched his shoulders slightly at the mention of bodies. His programming included what could be called Motivation Subroutines. He was proud when he succeeded in his duties, and felt crushing shame when he failed. The sight of dead bodies could trigger the shame response. YOU HAVE FAILED IN YOUR DESIGNATED FUNCTION. YOU ARE A BAD ROBOT. It didn't effect his efficiency, but he figured it was what organics called uncomfortable.
"Sounds like a lovely place, the world. Dunno why I didn't visit sooner," He half groused. Again, keep things light, pleasant. Be proud of your ability to keep these people in fine mental health as well. He was distracted, though. After all, he didn't offer up a single crack about the "Johanna is your lover" bit.

[Azlan]

"Enterian KK orbitals only have a 30 minute operational window before Fahlberg anti-orbital sats take them out and Enterian interdictors subsequently remove them and so forth.  By now the balance has evened itself out so there won't be anything to worry about in regards to death from above."  He paused briefly to snicker, "So the technologically imbecilic Protectorate managed to get a few shots from their monolithic Mijol gun?  As poorly conceived as 1km long artillery weapons are, both Enterian and Fahlberg analysts considered it threatening enough to dedicate a kill sat to its location, I'm sure it scragged nicely."  Caden gazed at the floor as he continued, "death is an obvious part of war, we have no need to attend to them, the living are more important.  Speak not of it again because it is not your place."

[Somber]

She smirked but didn't take her eyes off the road.  "I so love people who are so sure of my place that they feel they have an obligation to remind me.  I should tell you about Colonel Dessaid some time.  I think you and he have a lot in common."  The truck lurched as she swerve to avoid a rough patch in the road.

"As for sats and whatnot.  No one knows who has what up there anymore.  Some one used a nasty computer viral weapon at the outset of the battle that's made lots of the AI's develop a sort of data psychosis.  And since both Fahlberg and Enteria's launch facilities are inaccessable no ones going to be able to get up there to fix them any time soon.  One of the biggest questions of speculation amoung scavengers  is if the Fahlberg space station's still active or not.  Space technology that survives is prime material to sell to uniforms."

She glanced over her shoulder.  "Oh, and yeah, Mijol got scragged.  Six times.  Three tacts and two KK's and one 230 mt strategic device the last time.  Rebuilt and refiring each time.  Never underestimate the protectorate's ability to dump people into a radiated kill zone to rebuild their toy.  They'll have it firing again soon as they get their hands on a new nuclear or fusion reactor or two." She snifted the gears as she detoured around a half dozen derlict vehicles.  "So, any other questions or comments, or should I go to lesson seven, eight, and nine?"

[Arcalane]

Mack chuckles as he continues patrolling back and forth across the dashboard, staring out into the wasteland that was once peaceful Fahlberger farmlands.

"There's nothin' left in orbit that'll aim at us, and nobody's gonna be pickin' this radio up any time soon, missy, cuz I'm hitting this thing with a burst transmission from orbit. A lot of Fahlberger stuff is still up here in space. Now, F.O.C [Fahlberg Orbital Command] ain't exactly in one piece, but it's still functional. Xerx is a little more than apprehensive to talk to anyone involved in the war and has refused to let anyone from any side board the F.O.C, although he ain't shot any occupied vessels down yet. The Derethian Orbital Navy have a Destroyer that keeps skimming the edge of the F.O.C's automated defenses to test Xerx's stability and resolve. They're medical about everything, even artificial intelligences."

"Xerxes is a good friend of mine and I've picked over his systems several times - he's not infected, which is good, but appears to be having a paranoia disorder."

"Speaking of which, I managed to catch that node go up and down. The sat that popped it got wasted by one of Xerx's Orbit-To-Orbit Particle Cannons about a second after it fired and toasted up nicely on the way down... I think it actually hit the camp it shot at."

"Anyway, what I have done is use Xerxes' camera network to watch the rest of orbit. It's pretty bleak up there. Very few of the satellites are still operational, and the orbit of most of the debris is deteriorating rapidly. I'm no weathertech, but I estimate there's going to be some nasty rainfall over the Protectorate in the next few days."

The little 3 inch tall hologram grins as it puffs on it's cigar.

"That said, Xerxes has some pretty nice cameratech up there and I'm getting a nice view of the terrain, despite the Enterian's best efforts otherwise. I can almost pick up the exact location of this vehicle, as well as it's speed, facing and estimated destination going by these details. Of course I don't need to since you all already told me." The hologram turns back to surveying the landscape. "But what I can tell you is that there's some real funny movement in the southwest that you want to steer clear of. I'm detecting an AI behind it, but they're not talking and it's not the same format as a standard Fahlberger Military AI like myself. This worries me, obviously."

"Now what really worries me is that I can't get in touch with the GAFT and ACAF at all these days... oh, look up and on your left, there's ACAF Command buried in that there mountain. See the fake covering on the hangar doors and extendable runways? I've been watching it all since FHC went down, and there's been no activity since. I suggest we stay clear of it. I won't be able to stay in touch once you near the city as the fusion reactor power spikes a real bastard to get burst transmissions through but I'll get in contact once you reach the other side, or come out of the rads. Any last words-- I mean questions?"

[Malakin]

Spork ducks down from the hatch once more

"Ah, Mack... Is there any possibility of you taking then transfering some orbital photographs to us? They may be useful in tracking down areas of intrest, and signs of activity in the areas we are to explore..."

[Arcalane]

"`fraid not. This connection is only stable enough for text transmission. My voice is actually being synthesized by the truck. I mean theoretically I could send you a sonar image but that wouldn't be much use to any of you since you're not bats."

The little hologram chuckles, grinning.

[ITOS]

Naturally, Johanna reacted to the talk about unusual AIs. She knew about some series three alphas... but, no, they were never released. What Mac was talking about most likely a design developed by the Fahlberger military. Still, better ask...
"Not the same format as a standard Fahlberger Military AI? Can you still recognize it or is it new?"

[Arcalane]

"Not sure. Some of the patterns match, but not all of them. I wouldn't call it new, but it's using a modified protocol that I haven't got PTCs for. Can't make heads or tails of what it's doing." The hologram shrugs. "There's no patterns that would match a rogue AI either, so it's completely... well, coherent, or at least not insane. I take it the Protectorate haven't spoken much about any mysterious movements in the southwest, right?" Mack turns to Terra, watching her intently.

[Somber]

(I hate 12 hour work days.)

She nodded as she listened.  "Well that's good to hear, mac.  I'll personally be paranoid of a twenty thousand pound rock shooting at me from out of the blue at mach ten for the next ten or twenty years, but it's still good to hear.  As for bad weather, hey, just one more thing to scavenge."

She cracked her knuckles.  "Bogies to the south westand a non-com site.  Good to avoid the former.  Might have to consider the later, later.  Priority is water treatment equipment and your facilities probably have full environmental.  Still, don't want to take a novice crew to some place I don't know.  We'll be listening for you when we reach 51.55 by 132.02 with a progress report."

She leaned back, scowling as she looked out at the road ahead.  Finally she said, " About a month back I heard stories about an underground factory in that area.  Nothing new about that.  There's always rumors of a score here or there.  I didn't have a crew or transportation out there myself, but I know two crews that did go out that way.  They weren't seen again.  No emergency transmissions.  No remains.  No vehicles.  The protectorate used to patrol through that area six months ago but now they detour a hundred and fifty miles to the south.  I don't know what they found, but it would have to be significant.  Protectorate doesn't particularly care about the lost personelle.  It would take more to make them move."

She brightened a bit.  "Still, it's not in our path and it's some place to avoid.  We should be incommunicado for three days.  If it's longer, we'll move out and get in touch."

[Arcalane]

The hologram nods to Terra.

"Well, you're getting close to the edge of the interferen-- --ld now, I m-- --ar-- --eakin-- --p. I'l-- --eep in con--ct as m-- --s pos-- --ut I can't pr--se a good signal. Lo-- --nto bringing SatCom Aerial Six online, th-- should h-- --ceptio-- --eatly. It's ab--  --ou-- --om  --r-- --nt position. I'll be tr--king your m-v-ments fr-- --rbit. Mack --t."

The hologram slowly disintegrates as the truck travels deeper into the deadzone, making decent time towards the city already. SatCom Aerial Six is clearly visible, almost dead ahead of the truck, and according to calculations based off the vehicle's current speed and last known position, roughly an hour away. Part of the Fahlberg SatCom Network, Aerial Six provided major signal support. In a strange display of tactical thinking, the aerial was hit with heavy EMP bombs (rather than standard explosive kill-bombs) by Enterian airforces, and the fusion reactor was forced into 'cold' mode by the electromagnetic surges to avoid meltdown.

[Somber]

As the connection failed she sighed and fell into full drive mode.  Perhaps unfortunate for her passengers, it didn't preclude her talk mode.

"All right, seven, eight, and nine is all about salvage.  Scavenging.  Picking the bones of civilization.  Whatever you want to call it."

"Lesson seven is looking for it.  Stuff out in the open is rare.  You have to go looking for it.  There are scavengers who will take anything not nailed down, we call em Junkers because that's largely what they end up with... lots of garbage no one wants or can use.  I'm more selective, and you guys even more so since you need specific stuff.  Since things in the open get junked, smashed, or damaged, you need to get creative.  Basements and underground hold some of the best equipment, but they can be tough to excavate.  I'd give an inch off my tail for a crane.  I'm hoping that Joanna and spork have the sensors to make looking a bit easier."

"Lesson eight is removing it.  You have no idea how many times I've found a priceless optical processor smashed by some lug who tried to pry it out with a crow bar.  Use tools and remove it carefully.  Wrap it up if you can.  Remember, just because equipment is heavy doesn't mean it isn't fragile too.  Especially, emphatically, if it's a weapon.  I wish one of you was an explosives or weapons expert just to handle anything we come across that might go boom.  Our least expendable members are Joanna and Spork, so I really don't want to risk them.  All the rest of us are disposable."  She glanced back over her shoulder at the android's shells, "Ironic, eh?"

"Lesson nine is about hiding it.  Successful scavengers are scavengers who seem to be failing, because they don't attract attention.  When we stop for a break I'm going to crawl through this vehicle for hiding spots.  Last thing we want is a uniform or takers to try and make all our hard work pointless.  When we make a base camp, we hide it as best we can and we make it a mess to everyone who sees us.  If anyone asks, we've been there two days and haven't found nothing.  If they push us, I'll pass em some junk."

She taped lightly on the wheel and then looked back again.  "Any questions?"

[Boog]

This day was just getting more and more confusing. By his very nature, anyone animatronic was more expendable than one who isn't. However, rather than bringing it up, he simply nodded. It wasn't his place to be involved in such decisions anyway.

[Malakin]

"I for one, would be very intrested to hear your reasoning behind the statement that, both Joanna and I, are indispensable compared to the others in this outfit..."

[ITOS]

"I assume it's p-rtly because the Pr-tectorate consider l-ss of life l-ss important than loss of expensive e-uipme-t." Johanna said. She could feel the interference herself since she was outside the truck's protection but with minor changes to the signal she could make a clear transmition.
"Looks like the lights are off at SCA Six but no real damage done to the outer structure. There is a risk that vital components have been taken by scavengers. If not, the restauration of the installation may attract new scavengers unless we also activate the automatic defences."

[Somber]

"Actually, it's because robots are damned rare, can do things fleshies can't, and are harder to replace.  I might remember to use a scanner.  You ARE the scanner.  If I die you can find a new driver.  If Joanna get's scrapped, I have no clue where we're going to find another.  If Eph or what's his name back there bites it, you can replace us to.  But you guys are more valuble intact and active."

"As for the Aireal relay, I would fire it up unless we absolutely have to.  The second the protectorate get a signal off a place they'll investigate it.  I doubt that they have the equipment to take out the A.D., but if they can't take it then it just turns into a target for their long ranged weaponry.  And you're right.  An active facility is to scavengers like an shit factory to flies.  They just can't not investigate.  If it's got a bunker door like that one back at your base, then most scavengers I know won't be able to penitrate it."

"Remember, our priorities are water reclaimation equipment, food, and water.  I'm hopeing that we get lucky with the first."

Somber

[Malakin]

"Hmmm, I have not thought of it that way, and the bunkers maintenance department definatly have not either.
I am, happy, that you conisder me somthing of value.

As for the relay, if we can not make use of it conventionaly, then we might as well gather what we can of its valuable components for trade."

[Azlan]

Caden stood up and calmly placed his hand on the driver's seat back, "your reasoning is flawed, probably due to your lack of technological knowledge.  However, I do thank you for your opinions on who is considered expendable, but it is not your place to make that determination for us.  And yes, I said your place again, because you do have a place here... it is as driver and a consultant.  You come from one of our enemies, but you are not one of them specifically... nor are you one of us in any more then occupying the same space.  It also appears that you have no desire nor intention to become one, since you have such a low opinion of us."

"Since our driver has found it necessary to begin placing value on each of our existences, it is imperative that we establish the authority structure.  I propose that Johanna be the sentient in command of this operation.  An ITOS is analytical and calculating, but without excessive emotional fiber to cloud judgment, the years of built up predjustice or cynicism of some.  It may be advantageous to have Jean or Eph advise on areas where emotion may serve better, but for command decisions an ITOS should be sufficient."

Caden did not like having to confront the morally corrupt and insensitive Protectorate ragamuffin, especially on areas of morality where he had no business holding high ground.  Perhaps his years of military and police training finally chafed against the chaos of the mission's organization. 

     

[Paladin Sheppard]

"If Jo is in charge I'll try to help her out if I can..." Eph said from the passenger seat.

[ITOS]

Johanna was surprised at Caden's suggestion. AI-TOSes usually worked as advisers or secretaries for commanders but were never in a commanding position themselves. As such, Johanna wasn't really sure at what it meant to be a leader. It seemed to require something that she lacked... intuition.

"I usually give advice, not orders." She said.

[Malakin]

"I propose that Caden takes on the role of leader, with Johanna in an advisory role we should have a ballanced command team.
I do not belive any of us are totaly suited to this role of leader, however we must make do with what we have at the moment."

[Azlan]

The suggestion by Spork caused Caden to pause.  Though all beings had means of displaying non-verbal cues in regards to emotions, anthro-types seemed to have the most visually obvious ones, illustrated by how Caden reacted to this unforseen turn of events.

Caden kept his facial composure quite well, however, the jackal's ears drooped down and his tail did the same nearly slipping between his legs.  His pulse raced, Bad Caden!  This is why you keep quiet and stay out of things.

"I am a military reservist and a Police Special Tactics operative, I am trained to operate alone.  I am a warrant officer in the military, but I was just promoted before I entered the bunker and have never actually commanded before."       

OOC: Now that is definitely what I did not want to happen...