The tech looked over the 'scope and pointed to a small rubber covering.
"Looks like it's got an access port on it." He said.
He flipped up the cover. He smirked and produced a cable and connected the scope to his laptop. After a few moments of furious typing, he had come up with an interface.
"Okay, we can record waveform directly to file." He said. "Ready whenever you are."
Edit:
Original thread is here (http://clockworkmansion.com/forum/index.php/topic,2926.0.html)...
-- llearch
Dorcan hit 'Record' on the 'scope again, and they dumped Morgan's waveform into it. Not long afterwards they had both traces up, a side-by-side comparison on the display.
"Well," the doberman said, "that looks like a match to me. I'd say that pretty much confirms it - this tunnel is carrying the chip signal. Where it comes from and where it goes, we don't know. Morgan, you're outside... can you or someone else relay that info back to base camp, please? Also check if there are any updates from the lab regarding the chip and its, uh... 'withdrawal symptoms' while you've got a link."
He paused and turned to face the others in the tunnel. "Well, gentlemen, I guess we'd better find out what's down the tunnel. We'll need to think of a strategy for those turrets, but please..." he said, looking at Jexx, "try not to damage the cabling."
"Huzzawhubawa?" Jexx said, getting up. "Well," He looked to Dorcan, "I've got pretty good aim, but misfires are impossible to not do. I doubt I'd actually damage anything important, though, cuz it usually takes a few hits to punch through anything. Anyways..."
Jexx looked down the tunnel. He could just barely make out lumps in the ceiling and walls far down, which were the turrets. Jexx looked back to the group. "Those turret suckers pack a whallop and are tough, but are a little on the slow side. We have to be fast and deadly." Jexx held up both handcannons, powered them up with glowing red light and a high-pitched whine, and smiled. "Anyone in this hole good at run'n'gun besides me?"
"Eraser was it? I don't know you, and I'm not totally sold on your story. But, considering the moment I'm inclined to belive you. One thing is damn sure though. Turn on us and I'll make sure you're chokeing on your own excrement before the day is done."
Morgan pulled back from the edge, swung his weapon around and thanks to the comm signal, drew a target on this new intruder. The fox talked in such a manner, based on voice tone and tension, that indicated that he spoke truthfully and with conviction, but cleverer spies have existed.
He ignored the amateur remark from this mere sharpshooter and concentrated on sending a tight, secure beam transmission back to Exo and hopefully the rebellion leader, Morgan made a quick demand, You have 30 seconds to validate Ram's identity before I am forced to terminate his life functions.
He heard Dorcan's request and responded on the public channel, "I am too busy to comply, please carefully move to an opening and use your own transmitter."
The fox chuckled at both the threat he recieved and Morgan's sudden action, which he was able to catch sight of. "Wow, so hostile. Believe me, if I was truely here to take you out you'd be dead already, given the fact that I was able to take an overlooking position undetected. Like I said, I am here to help. Now, if you would kindly stop aiming that at me and go back to covering the others, I, and probably those you should be looking out for, would much appreciate it."
Dorcan was stumped for a polite reply. Okay, I really meant "when the current situation is dealt with", but still... Get up on the roof? While there's a potential hostile up there?
He glanced at Jexx and an evil grin crossed his face for a moment. But the time for that was not yet. Give them a chance to sort out the sniper first.
The warbot had, the entire time, been watching (or, well, listening) from the van, browsing a map of the city on the display. Those with a holographic HUD would see a small mugshot of the 'bot as it talked.
"One moment, accessing the ID network."
Exo paused as the system searched.
"Hold on... records accessed. Ram 'Eraser' Ei'Sona, Rebellion Sniper. Classification; Mercenary/Freelancer..." it cut the comm for a moment and muttered something "...records say you should be on assignment in the South. Has Jackson been meddling, or are you A.W.O.L again?"
Ram winced slightly at the robot's question. He hadn't thought about that. then again, considering his unfortunate tendancy to go A.W.O.L. while on assignment, he really had only himself to blame. "Umm, yeah. Jakcson's gonna give me the chewing out of a lifetime when he hears about this. Well, the story is, I was supposed to be down South. But, I got a lead on...well, let's just say it turned out to be a dead end. I stopped in this quaint little town to plan my next move. I heard about the hospital, one thing led to another and here I am."
There was a moment of silence from Ram's end, before he spoke up again. "I...apologize for any confusion I caused. I didn't really introduce myself all to well..."
"More like not at all." Josh said sarcasticly.
"What's that?" said Dorcan, only able to hear part of the conversation, but deducing they had a confirmation of the newcomers ID from the change in attitude.
"Have you people got a line to Exo? If so, can someone update him on the tunnel? Otherwise I'll just send Jexx up there to do it." And you know he's about as stealthy as a fire appliance, he added mentally.
Morgan received the message from Exo over the comm. He sent it to his CTC for analysis. Morgan's CTC analyzed header information, sender's encryption key, digital signature and message payload. Encryption keys and signatures matched, headers were normal and the payload was unmodified. He carefully studied the message contents and found no hidden text. Concealed meanings and coded communications seemed unlikely, as none of the "tells" seemed to have been given.
The information was legitimate, he immediately updated his IFF systems and validated Ram for the basic communication's network. Morgan, however, reduced secure channel access to basic and removed him completely from the encrypted, private team chat and the secure command channel.
With a neutral expression, Morgan brought his AMR to rest as he flatly stated, "Standing down."
Morgan resumed his vigil on the approach to the shack. When he heard Ram's apology he paused only briefly, "I too must apologize. I evaluated you as a soldier and a professional, my actions would have been less pointed and harsh if I had known of your inexperience and your status as a novice. I should not have expected proper protocol and communications. I must also apologize to my team on my failure, as grim as it may seem, we should be cleaning up a body and not welcoming an unwelcome freelancer, if I had been on my game. Having scaled, blatantly to the most prominent coverage location undetected by myself is a massive failure. One I allowed a potential aggressor to gain an advantageous position over us and two I failed to select the best coverage location myself... I completely missed it, almost as if the position did not exist until a few moments ago."
Hearing Dorcan's request, Morgan sighed, "Information transmitted Dorcan."
"Thanks," Dorcan replied. "And now," he continued, mostly for the benefit of those in the tunnel with him, "if the present situation is dealt with, we'd better turn our attention back to the turrets.
"Jexx, I'm not quite sure I understood your suggestion, although it seemed to involve moving into the line of fire. Would it not be a better idea to use some kind of high-accuracy, AP rounds to neutralise their sensors or control logic from afar?"
He considered, and the inspiration came to him in a flash.
"In fact, if we do something like that we'll want someone with more expertise in long-range weapons," he concluded. "Mr. Eraser, wasn't it? Would you mind coming down here? I believe this may be your area of expertise." And it will also give Morgan the time to cool off, he thought.
The other soliders were mumbling amongst themselves, and then one approached Dorcan.
"How long should we wait for him? I mean, even though our shots aren't that accurate, we could probably hit those turrets from a distance without them seeing us." One of the soldiers asked. "In fact, it looks like Jexx has the most powerful weapons of all of us."
"True, but they may not be as accurate," Dorcan pointed out. "Until we have some idea of what knocking out the cables is likely to do, I'd rather not risk it."
"Come in Eraser... Eraser, do you copy?" he said over the comms.
"Jexx," he added, "if Eraser is not forthcoming, what's the power source for your weapons? I mean, if an assault on the turrets is going to drain you, we should hold you in reserve, since we may have to fight our way out."
"If Eraser goes down would you like me to scale that building and take his position? I brought a plasma rifle along. I might not be as accurate, but it would still put less strain on Mor to keep the area covered." Josh didn't want to be pined in if things got out of hand, he was still a novice afterall.
"You were happy enough before he arrived," Dorcan pointed out. "Bringing him down here would just return you to the status quo. Of course, if you really need him up there, I'm sure we can improvise."
"What are you hinting at?" Josh sounded a might it worried.
"Well truth be told," Dorcan said, sounding slightly perplexed, "I thought it would be a good idea to get him out of Morgan's hair until things are a bit less tense."
Jexx bubbled with childish pride inside when one of the soldiers commented that he seemed to have the most powerful weapons of their little group. Damn straight! He thought to himself, smiling a little. When Dorcan said that his handcannons might not be accurate, Jexx's constantly-changing mood dipped a little, and when Dorcan asked him what powers his handcannons, Jexx shifted uncomfortably. But before Jexx had a chance to answer, Dorcan briefly conversed with Josh, giving Jexx a little time to think.
The Jexx finally spoke up. "My handcannons are accurate enough. Granted, my strategy is usually to simply bathe my targets, surrounding areas included, with burning plasma, but I can sharpshoot if I need to." Jexx's memory briefly flashed back to when he shot off an Enforcer's arms, just before he was brought to the Rebellion warehouse to join up. "And my handcannons won't drain me. Trust me on this one. I can shoot all night and shoot all day, it's no problem." I just hope he doesn't press the issue of actual power, Jexx added to himself as an afterthought. I really don't want to have to admit that I have no idea what powers these things.
"Yeah, I copy." Eraser said in responce to Dorcan. "I think I would be of better use to you up here where I can take full advantage of my...rather unique abilities." Eraser paused for a moment, then spoke up again; "And, uh, guy guarding the shed," Eraser said, refering to Josh, "There's a bee next to your leg. Just thought you should know."
"Careful sniper guy," refering to eraser "Your bravado is showing."
"Fine," said Dorcan, turning to Jexx and the Rebellion troops and quietly hoping that Morgan and Eraser wouldn't kill each other.
"Okay guys, see what you can do. But remember, until we know what cutting the cable is likely to do, we do not damage it."
The soldiers mumbled amongst themselves and after a few moments they came to a consensus: let Jexx go first.
"Alrighty," Jexx said as everyone else came to agreement with each other. Jexx going first is exactly what he wanted. "These turrents are placed a nice distance apart, 'bout ten feet. I can mow them down as I go." Jexx , looked behind him, his smile getting wider and wider at the prospect of freaking finally getting some action. "Try to keep up..." Jexx said.
He turned back down to face the tunnel. The turrets in the distance whirred back and forth, still searching for the intruders. Jexx began focusing as much as he can, holding up his charged handcannons, and unknowingly tapping his metal foot at a rapid pace. He began muttering under his breath incessantly, and his foot tapped faster. If it could be seen through the glow of his handcannons, it might become apparent to everyone behind Jexx that his markings were also starting to glow...but Jexx didn't notice.
His muttering got louder, the tapping got faster, until finally, WHOOM! He took of like a cannon almost literally, howling like a demon. He came up on the first turret almost instantly, which picked him up just as fast and turned to fire at him. But by the time it could take aim, it was already being pummeled by a barrage of red plasma balls.The turret smoked, sparked, and finally exploded under the assault. Jexx quickly stopped shooting and kept on running, not having lost any momentum at all. Jexx came up on the second turret, only ten feet away, almost a second later, and blasted this one the same way he did the first. The third one actually managed to pick him up soon enough to get off a few shots, but Jexx had moved a little to the side, and obliterated this one to. One of the bullets did graze his left side, crating a moderatly-sized gash, but he paid it absolutely no heed. Then, he came up on an intersection...
The fool, thought Dorcan in a moment of despair. Well, at least the rest of us will know if there's anything nasty because he'll run smack into it.
The tunnel seemed to be curving off and it looked like they were going to lose sight of Jexx any second. "Stop!" yelled the Doberman into the comms. "You're going out of view. Wait for us to catch up."
Before they did, he took a brief measurement from the junction box before replacing the cover, just to satisfy himself that the cables were intact.
Jexx had just gotten to the intersection when Dorcan's voice sounded in his ear. It barely registered as Jexx was barely even thinking, he didn't even immediately recognize it. But in the back of his mind, something told him to trust that voice; it was familiar. Jexx slowed down to a walk, and actually began processing what was said to him. At the same time, the markings on his body dimmed and died. He finally stopped entirely when he registered the meaning of what was said to him. He turned and looked back down the tunnel where he could just barely see the others. "Well, hurry up then, slowpoke!" Jexx said as if nothing had happened except (in his current mind) Jexx casually stolling along and blasting some turrets.
He then felt a sharp pain in his left side. He looked down and saw the gash that one of the turret bullets made in him earlier. "Ah crap!" Jexx said as he clutched his side with his metal hands.
"What happened to your mark-" Dorcan began but cut off as he saw the injury.
"You need help with that?" he asked quickly, glancing at the others.
I should have brought a first-aid kit myself, he added mentally. I'll stand out without one...
One of the soldiers produced a small first-aid kit.
"Here, let's get you patched up... maybe we should abort for now and go back to base and then come back later with a medic." He suggested.
"You mean we didn't bring one?" said Dorcan, incredulously. The only consolation he had was that Morgan hadn't spotted this either.
"No," he said, considering the situation. "We're in a prime position and when the Brotherhood figure out what we're doing they'll close the tunnel quick as lightning. We won't get a second shot at this.
"In any case, Jexx' injury doesn't look too severe, and my... augmentations should allow me to recover fairly rapidly from anything nonfatal. For now, I think we can continue with what we have, but someone needs to radio base to request two medics ASAP. And we should take things more carefully from now on," he added, looking at Jexx.
Jexx gave a critical eye to the proffered first-aid kit. He said, "I don't need any of whatever that crap is. I've had much worse happen to me before, and I just shrugged it off and kept on going. Like this." Jexx then pointed his left handcannon at his own side, on the wound. He took a deep breath, the blasted his own side with a small and very low-power burst. He yelled out and grunted in pain for a moment, but then quieted. The small area around the wound was now burned a bit, but on the plus side, there was no more bleeding, as the wound had been completely sealed up.
"That'll do." Jexx said. He then realized that Dorcan had tried to ask him about something before he noticed Jexx's wound, but Jexx didn't hear what it was exactly, and mentally dismissed it as unimportant if Dorcan was distracted from it so easily.
The doberman jumped back in alarm, his headwings fanning out. Holy f...! he thought and turned to the soldier.
"Is that normal for the people on your planet?" he asked doubtfully.
The soldier shrugged.
"For him, maybe. But he did cauterize the wound. If he's good to go, then we can get moving again, and he can see your doctor when we get back to base." He said.
Though he didn't say it, but he was thinking it, headwings aren't normal for people on this planet.
Back when Dorcan was made of flesh and magic, he might have been affronted by the soldier's mental comment. Now, he was completely oblivious.
"Okay, he said. We've got an intersection coming up. First question... is anyone aware of any other big Brotherhood installations? If so, it might be an idea to head towards those if we can. If not, I say we go straight on. Any objections?"
He turned to Jexx.
"Hey, just so long as we head towards the Brotherhood of the Mother-Effers-" Jexx said, "You'll get no objection from me. You point, I shoot. It's that simple." He said with another one of his disturbing psychotic smiles.
The tech already had a map of the town on his laptop screen.
"Doesn't look like we're going to run into any other installations. Maybe that little shed was the only access point for these tunnels. Let's keep moving to the middle. That should be where these cables intersect." He says.
"Oh, I didn't know you had a map," Dorcan said, picking raising his metal pole before him. "Well, I guess that settles it. Lead on Jexx..."
"Of course..." Jexx said. Still with that deranged psychotic smile on his face, he held his handcannons up at full ready and started down the tunnel, the others following behind him.
Prepared for it this time, and unencumbered by a scope plugged into a partially-dismantled junction box, Dorcan kept pace with Jexx, although he maintained his distance.
"How far to the middle?" He asked the tech casually.
The tech tapped on his laptop and mumbled something unintelligible.
"Err... we shouldn't be far now." He says.
Back at camp...
The whitecoats were working diligently in the mobile lab on the chip that Sally had pulled out. One of them came out, looking fatigued. The sarge approached him.
"Well? Any news?" He asked.
"We're running a battery of tests, but I think we're getting close to figuring these things out. We should be done soon." The whitecoat replied.
"Well it ain't soon enough. Come on, we got people to save." The sarge said.
What's he mumbling? Dorcan wondered suspiciously. Did he just notice that I don't need to breathe? If so, I might have to... wait! 'Cubi don't need to breathe anyway! Okay, so I never quite got to that power level before I died, but they don't need to know that.
Relieved, he smiled to himself and looked curiously at Jexx. I'm sure those markings were glowing just now...
After walking down the tunnel, Jexx heard Dorcan converse briefly with the tech for a moment. Being in the front, Jexx was basically responsible for seeing dangers up ahead.
And he did. The light from his handcannons shone down the tunnel and fell on yet another turret, silently whirring in it's holder, sanning for the intruders. Jexx picked up his pace to a jog, then stopped suddenly at what he judged to be a little bit outside the turret's range. "Stop!" Jexx said, holding up one handcannon.
Jexx then focused on the turret, watching it's movements carefully. He didn't even realize that he had plowed right through turrets earlier. He settled into a position not unlike the starting position for a marathon runner. His markings were indeed glowing soflty, but Jexx didn't seem to notice. He continued watchiong the turret, waiting for the right moment...
Now! Jexx then took off like a runner towards the turret at the moment it was turning away the most. It picked him up and started turning back, but Jexx had already let loose a small burst of plasma balls, melting parts of the turret. At the last moment though, Jexx jumped up, morphing his handcannons into hands almost instantly, grabbed the turret, and ripped the whole damn thing off the ceiling. When it was on the ground, he repeatedly jumped on it with his heavy metal feet, slowly crushing it into scrap metal. "Eat that, you son-of-a-gun! Yah-ha!"
He turned back towards the others, any unnatural glowing fading the moment he faced them. "Clear!" he called back, then leaned up against the wall to wait for them.
Dr Sally checks on Bill, the security guard, who is still out after the warbot bop him on the head. The man was doing okay, as she check him with her medical scanner and the chip was still inactive. It showed no sign of activity or impulses.
Now, the real test, Dr Sally tries her own magical scan of Bill, and she touches Bill's neck and probes with her magic. Everything was healing normally in Bill and he would a waken into another hour. The chip feels like malice to Sally with her magical touch. It wants control of Bill and everything else. Its red LED eyes turn to Sally....with a evil grin With a squeak, Sally pulls out of her trace/scan of Bill. Sally you are just imagining things she thought to herself with her eyes closed.
"So that's it, Do you have some witch power there? Sally" says Chad.
"eeep" shouts Sally, as she see Chad standing there, looking at her strangely.
PBH
Josh lets out a long yawn. "So Morgan, Eraser, I don't know much bout you guys. Care to share?"
"I I I I have to report to the scout team...." says Sally
"Sally, you have to talk to em sooner or later" says Chad annoyed... " I just saw you just stare at that guy's head bump and it just faded away."
"Stop, Chad.. I will tell you but I need to talk to my team, first.many people are in danger... Look, I will tell you everywhere, tonight, but you think of this, what would the Brotherhood do to me, If they knew what I am. This This power is not something I can not stop using, it sometimes just goes a heals whoever I see needs to be healed. I have got to go"
Dr Sally goes to the head researcher in the Lab. "Doctor, the sercurity guards chip is still dorment, and has gone into a standby mode. I am unsure, but it looks like the chip is waiting for the control signal and will not do anything without it. The scout team could cut the control signal without harming the townpeople. But I am afraid that. ... Well, I will be running some more tests, but Bill, the guard should be awake right now, but isn't. It maybe the chip or the blow to head, but stopping the control signal could just put everyone asleep after a certain length of time.", says Sally as passes this Info over the comlink as well.
Sally goes back to Bill and trying to wake him up.
PBH
"That's something that could be problematic. What if someone falls asleep at the wheel of a car or onto a stove?" Josh pondered out loud.
"What's that, Josh?" said Dorcan. Inside the tunnel they didn't have the range to talk directly to the base.
"That gaurd fell asleep when the signal was cut, the good doc is assuming everyone else will do the same if we knock out the signal. There are some dangerous activities I'd rather not see people fall asleep during." Josh kept trying to think of a way to put the fact to good use in order for them to openly fight the brotherhood.
"It would be fun to see the Brotherhood explain that away if the entire town fell asleep," Dorcan said. "The only people left would be migrants, people passing through and presumably the Brotherhood minions themselves. An event like that would draw the press from miles around."
"But you're right," he added. "Many lives would be ended. And until our friend recovers, we won't know if it is just sleep... or a coma. "
"Either way it's good to play it safe." Josh said.
Jexx was hearing what Josh was saying just as well as Dorcan. As the two exchanged information, Jexx's face slowly fell, and finally set on a very grumpy expression. He only said, "I hate safe...", crossing his arms in front of him.
Very soon the group reached the central area. The central area was a large cylindrical shaped room with a catwalk overlooking the center of the room, which went a long way down. In the center of the room was a huge piece of machinery, obviously the transmitter. The signal was originating here. The cables from the tunnel snaked up the wall where they came out of the tunnel to the ceiling and into the top area of the transmitter.
"What in the blazes..." One of the grunts commented.
"Well, looks like we got our work cut out for us." The tech commented. "Anyone got a link to the base? We're gonna need a whitecoat to tell us what to do with this thing."
"Well...this is interesting." Jexx said with surprise as the came up on the signal generator. "I thought it would be at the top of the Tower..." After the tech spoke up, Jexx shuffled and grumbled. "The only thing we need a whitecoat to tell us is how to make it so no one falls asleep when the signal's gone. Then I could just blow this whole thing to hell." Jexx knew that there probably wasn't a chance of this, but he just had to speak his thoughts, like he always does.
"This will just be the RF modulator and the amplifier stage," Dorcan said. "Those cables going up there will be the ones which are actually linked to the transmitter aerial. On Earth and Furrae, they often used a vacuum tube for the power amp... a massive thing as big as your head. Low-tech, but simple, relatively inexpensive and able to handle arbitrary amounts of power, assuming the envelope doesn't actually melt. Whatever the technology, it does have to be on the ground so you can maintain it easily."
He stared at it. "You know, it's tempting to plant some remotely-detonated explosives while we're here. But that does bring its own problems as we probably couldn't trigger them from above-ground. It's probably got some kind of tamper-proofing in the chassis and in any case I'd be amazed if this was the only one."
The demolitionist was already inspecting the walls and the machine.
"Nah, we could get a signal through for remote bombs just fine." He says. "I sure am lookin' forward to blowin' this up."
"Keep your pants on, we have to hear from the whitecoats first." One of the grunts says. "Anyone got that link up yet?"
"If you also have the ability to remotely deactivate them, and you think you can conceal them, we should probably plant them anyway and get out of here." Dorcan decided. "That will give us the ability to blow the place remotely later on if the techs say so. Like I said, we won't get another shot at this once the Brothers figure out what we're doing. And I don't think it would be a good idea to hang around. If the techs say 'no' we either do nothing or remotely deactivate them. But placing them does mean we don't have to go back down this hole or sit here and get caught and killed while we wait for them to decide.
"The only real risk is that placing the bombs may trigger some kind of telltale, which would force us into a quick decision. Any comments?"
"What about regular work on it? they might discover the bombs. Oh, and Jexx, your attitude worries me. Even the barbarians from our village know when to actually take some time to plan. I'm surprised you're even still alive with your tactics." Josh sounded resigned and apethetic, like he was talking to a wall.
"Well yeah, like I said, it does hinge on our ability to conceal them," Dorcan said. "But there are loads of places we could put them and only one should be enough to put it out of action. In the transmitter itself, any one of the junction boxes. These things usually run off a high-tension supply, so if we can put one in the lines going out to the tower itself, a short there is likely to do serious damage to the transmitter. Heck, even if we put a couple in the junction boxes down the tunnel, it's going to do them a power of no good."
In the tunnels...
The tech put a hand to his ear.
"I've got a link... you guys getting this?" He asked into his comm.
The response was staticy, but everyone could hear the voice of one of the whitecoats at the base.
"Yes, we read you loud and clear. What do we have?" The whitecoat asked.
"I'll send you video of it." The tech said.
He pulled his laptop out again and produced a small camera. He then started walking around the machine. Every so often the whitecoat on the comm would 'hmmm' or 'interesting'. Once the tech had walked around the machine, he closed up the laptop and put the camera away.
"Give us a little time." The whitecoat said, and then the comm went silent.
"Looks like we're staying put." The tech said.
Back at camp...
Bill, the security guard, was finally coming to.
"Oh man... did anyone get the license of the truck that hit me?" He asked as he sat up, rubbing his head.
"Exo you are unluck, The Bill is alive and well, and is coming to get you. So you better run" Says Sally over the com-link to the recon team, Exo and the whitecoats.
"EXO! Is he with warbot that bop me in the head? ... I will to take a power screwdriver to that thing!!!" is heard over the comlink
:mwaha
PBH
Jexx snorted when Josh talked to him. "Tactics? What tactics? I don't use no tactics! I just shoot anything that's Brotherhood. And I'll tell you, it works. Simplicity rocks and all that shnaz."
"Did anyone catch what Sally said?" Dorcan asked. It had been very faint and he couldn't quite work out what she was saying.
"The loss of control signal does not induce sleep, but the computer geeks will have to tell what the chips are programmed to do?" Reports Dr Sally down the Comlink to Dorcan "Bill and Chad are fine, just little confused at who the bad guys are"
PBH
Another voice came over the comm, it was one of the whitecoats.
"Dr. Joywaves is right. Cutting the signal does not induce sleep, but places the subject in a state of confusion, akin to waking up from a nightmare. We're pretty sure its... *crrzzzzzzz* ... hello? Are you reading.... *crrrzzzzzzzzzzz*" The comm went dead.
The soldiers looked at each other.
"What happened to the comm?" One of the grunts asked.
The techie was already checking his comm.
"Interference. Strong interference." He said.
"From where?" The other grunt asked.
Suddenly, there was a loud metallic thump.
"Movement!" Both of the grunts shouted simultaneously as they brought their weapons to bear.
Metallic footsteps could be heard approaching the central room. From one of the doors came what looked like Exo... only a bit more crude.
"It's an 1800!" The tech shouted as his gun came out.
The Exo-lookalike came into view, and brought it's arms up. Unlike Exo, this one had conventional miniguns on it's forearms.
"Halt. Identify yourself. Searching for Brotherhood signal. None found. Intruder alert." It said, and then opened fire.
Dorcan let out a very doglike whimper and dived sideways with astonishing speed, getting the transmitter core between himself and the robot.
"Is that robot sentient?" he asked the nearest trooper urgently.
The moment Jexx saw the Brotherhood warbot, he, for once, didn't even bother with shooting. He immediately dove for cover, shouting a very loud and long stream of increasingly eloquent obscenities. He'd met quite a few different makes and models of Brotherhood war machines in his time, but only once did he ever meet an Eighteen-Hundred, as there aren't many of them left. That was one of the few battles that Jexx was unable to win outright; he had to lure the warbot to the top of a high building and knock it off the edge. Even then the great metal bastard still got up, albiet very slowly. Jexx then simply crushed it by collapsing a small steel structure on the damned thing.
When he heard the bot start shooting, he waited a moment, the put one of his own handcannons around the corner, careful to keep the rest of his arm and body behind the wall, and started shooting in the bot's general direction. It didn't matter if the bot shot his handcannon, he could just re-nanomorph it back together. But if anything past his handcannons got shot, he's need to try to patch it up, then get Baiye or Gerald to fix it back at camp.
He paused in his curse-spewing for a moment to shout, "That armor's tough, but if you pound it enough with an energy weapon, it will eventually fail. Othwerwise you're gonna hafta find a weak spot, of which there aren't many." Pause. "Someone here does have an energy weapon besides me...right?" Jexx continued shooting and cursing.
"What about the bombs?" Dorcan asked. "Would they work?"
Jexx suddenly stopped shooting, very surprised. He'd completely forgotten that someone brought charges. "Shit, I think that just might work!" Then Jexx resumed his shooting, listening for the telltale thumps of the warbot's footsteps.
The grunts started firing and then dived away just as bullets pelted the section of the catwalk they just vacated. The tech, torch, and demolitionist made a bee-line for the nearest tunnel. The tech got back on the comm.
"Base come in! We're taking fire down here! Someone respond!" He shouted fruitlessly into the comm.
"They're sentient enough to shoot anything that's not Brotherood!" One of the grunts shouted in response to Dorcan. "Totally one-track mind! Our Exo has a much more advanced AI than this thing! This thing is basically a walking tank!"
Upon hearing the idea for using explosives, the demolitionist removed his backpack and started rummaging through it.
"I got some remote detonated plastique!" He shouted back. "It might be enough, but he'll need to be distracted for me to plant it!"
"Can't we just roll it towards him?" Dorcan suggested.
The demolitionist held up one of the explosives. It was nothing more than a hunk of plastique explosive with a remote detonator on it. The plastique was sticky and would stick to whatever it was pushed on, but rolling it wouldn't be advisable.
"Well, what if we throw it at him?" Dorcan said, exasperated. "If we just lob it over this thing," - he patted the transmitter core - "it will take the force of the blast, right?"
"Oh for crying out loud!" Jexx shouted in exasperation over all the gun and plasma fire. "I'll distract the damn thing! Someone circle around and shove a bomb up it's Exo-wannabe ass!"
Jexx then quickly stood up and jumped out from his cover. "Yo! Hey! Over here you great metal bastard!" Jexx yelled as he lobbed some plasma balls towards the Eighteen-Hundred's head, and tried to make a break for the opposite tunnel. Jexx hoped that the warbot would turn towards him, thus making it's back face the others, giving them a straight shot for planting a charge on it. He was also slightly worried about getting hit with those miniguns, but he trusted his agility to keep him alive.
"NO, YOU FOOL!" snapped Dorcan. If the explosives are too powerful for the transmitter to protect us from the blast, he may well have just thrown his life away.
"We'll have to risk it," he said to the demolitionist. "How many bombs do we have?"
The demolitionist did a quick check and looked up.
"Three!" He shouted.
It was all he could fit. The more powerful explosives, which were large discs, took up a lot of space in his pack.
Jexx's shouting got the 1800's attention.
"Incorrect designation." It said, and then opened fire on the spot that Jexx vacated not a second earlier.
It caught sight of the plasma balls and fired on one, though the bullets passed through it harmlessly. One plasma ball hit it on the head, and the others hit it's shoulders and chest area, leaving only small scorch marks.
"Damage assessment, insignificant. Continuing assault." It said.
The grunts took the opportunity to take a couple of shots at it, and then returned to cover as soon as the 1800 put it's attention on them. It again spotted Jexx and opened fire in his direction. An odd thing that anyone watching would notice is that whenever the 1800 starts shooting, it has to brace itself first, so it cannot shoot and walk at the same time.
"You brought three lumps of putty?" Dorcan asked, horrified. "That's all? Does anyone else have anything? Hand grenades?"
I should have asked about this when they didn't have a medic, he thought frantically. Now I've fucked everything up. He was quite right... we should have abandoned the mission when we had the chance.
"Okay," he said, pulling himself together. "Can we roll all the putty together or something? I need a big bang, a really big one."
The demolitionist nodded.
"Give me a minute!" He shouted and then moved behind cover.
He started the process of removing the detonators, and lumping all the plastique together. It was going to take a little time though.
"How big is the blast going to be?" Dorcan asked, wanting an expert opinion. "What I'm thinking is we dump everything we've got in this room, scram down the tunnel detonate it all from around a corner. If we can take the transmitter out and flee the robot won't matter. Assuming it survives the blast and collapse of the ceiling of course."
"With just plastique? No way, can't be done! I'd have to use my big charges, but they need to be set in the right spots to do the most damage!" The demolitionist shouted.
"And the only way we can do that is to have the whitecoats analyze the transmitter and tell him where they need to be set!" The tech shouted.
The 1800 was having a hard time keeping a bead on Jexx.
"Discontinue evasion maneuvers." It said as it fired at it's moving target.
"If it's not enough to break the transmitter, it's not going to break the robot either," Dorcan said. "Anyone got any smart ideas?"
Then: "Do we need all the big charges?" he asked. "Can we chuck one at the robot and then use the rest on the transmitter when it's dead?"
The demolitionist didn't look sure about being one big bomb short.
"Let's stick with the plastique. Maybe we can lure him onto the catwalk and blow it up there. It should knock out part of the catwalk and take him with it." The demolitionist said.
"Sounds good," said Dorcan. "If it's not enough we'll have to try the charges, but we'll try the putty first. Let's do it."
The demolitionist finished prepping the plastique. He then looked to the grunts.
"Okay boys, get that thing's attention." He said.
"Jexx! Over here, we need to make a distraction!" One of the grunts called after Jexx.
"Guys, come in! What's happening all I'm getting from you is static!" Josh was thinking of all that could go wrong. "Morgan, Eraser let's give thim a few minuts to respond, but if noone answers someone's gonna have to go in." Josh felt confident in his dicision, but then he muttered "I'm closest it'll probably have to be me."
Back in the HQ-van~
"Tell that lovely man that no power screwdriver will be sufficient for the disassembly of a 2000, and that unless he wishes to experience more electrical incapacitation and/or pain-based deterrance he should stay somewhere nice and safe, or as close as can be found in this field HQ a short distance from a Brotherhood-infested town. Make sure he doesn't leave either. In the mean time, however, I will - with the assistance of the more technically minded staff - attempt to re-establish contact with the remote teams. Any interference from unauthorized personnel will be dealt with accordingly."
Jexx was doing everything he could to not get hit the whole time. He ducked and dodged around one side of the room, ducked into a tunnel, went around to an adjacent one, then popped back out into the central hub room, trying to pepper the Eighteen-Hundred with plasma fire. It was starting to have some effect, small patches of the Eighteen-Hundred's thick shell were definately heating up, but it was nowhere near enough to break through. The one thing that Jexx was very grateful for was that it was rather slow, like the other Eighteen-Hundred he once fought. That one wasn't armed with twin miniguns, though.
When the Eighteen-Hundred gave the order to discontinue to Jexx, Jexx shouted at the top of his voice (which seemed unusually loud), "Discontinue this, you metal ass!" and lobbed another volly of plasma balls, this time trying to aim for the miniguns just for the heck of it, even though it probably wouldn't have much of an effect even if they did hit. Jexx's makings, forehead X, and pupils were unmistakably shining now. Jexx continued ducking, dodging, and running from tunnel to tunnel, reversing direction, and repeating. But he couldn't hold it up forever. Sooner or later he would start to wear out, and the Eighteen-Hundred would get him. It was never a matter of luck that Jexx had survived for so long fighting the Brotherhood. It was just about Jexx doing everything to bring a fight to a conclusive end before he lost.
But he wasn't alone this time! He remembered that when the demoman shouted at him. Jexx had almost forgot about that. but over the din of the battle, and the fact that the shout didn't seem to make much sence, it came through to Jexx as,
"Jexx! Over here! We need a distraction!" The 'to make' part completly blew over Jexx. That and Jexx hadn't gotten a snatch of the conversation between Dorcan and the demoman, so he irritably replied at a shout,
"What the hell do you think I'm doing?!? Just blow the unholy shit out of this thing already!!!"
Back at the base camp:
Mister had been standing guard, conversing politely every so often with whoever wasn't on duty, but mostly listening in via the commlink. With all the clashing egos, he found it flabbergasting that people ever got anything done at all without a golem to look after them. Then, of course, the line went dead. He stared at the communicator for a second, surprise fading to horror at the possibilities. Oh my...
Exo was already organizing a solution when Mister rushed over, his haste the only visible sign of distress. Seeing as the other machine already knew, it seemed silly to try to give warning now. Thus he simply stood, Rebellion rifle at ready and looking puny in his massive fist as he waited to be given an order to help.
The grunts rushed out to provide further distraction to aid Jexx, and hopefully confuse the lumbering warmachine. But rather than get confused, the warbot merely prioritized his targets by distance. As the nearest one came into view, it fired there. As that target disappeared into cover, the next nearest would be targeted. In all, their plan was working. The 1800 was sufficiently distracted.
The demolitionist wormed his way through, taking cover when need be, and made his way up behind the warbot. While it stopped to fire at Jexx and the grunts, the demolitionist planted the bomb right above the swivel joint at the bottom of it's torso area. Once in place, he turned and bolted.
"It's planted, get to a safe distance!" He shouted as he fished out the detonator control.
The moment the demoman said that the bomb was planted, Jexx immediately stopped dodging and firing, and instead turned right around and started running like his life depended on it. Which it did. Jexx saw an intersecting tunnel, turned, and dived straight into it.
Dorcan saw Jexx flee, the markings on his body practically shining. A moment later he turned tail himself and fled down the tunnel from which they had entered. Whatever Jexx did was up to him, but the doberman didn't have the kind of weapons you'd need to take down the turrets so the only path open to him was the one they'd used to enter. At the first intersection he came to he turned and crouched down.
Judging from what the demolitionist had said the blast wasn't going to be catastrophic but there was no point in taking chances.
The grunts disengaged and ran in the other direction on the catwalk. The 1800 started pursuing them on the catwalk. Once he decided everyone was out of range, the demolitionist took the safety off of the detonator.
"Fire in the hole!" He shouted at the top of his lungs.
He pressed the button.
The explosion created a big ball of fire from behind the 1800 that quickly dissipated, but the whole catwalk was shaken.
"Damage sustained, chassis integrity... holding. Resuming..." It started.
But it was interrupted by the groaning and whining of the metal catwalk it was standing on. One of the supports for the catwalk had been jarred too loose, and the weight of the warbot was making that section of the catwalk bed and warp out of shape.
"Foothold slipping, balance failing." It said as the catwalk bent underneath it.
There was a loud snapping sound as the support finally gave out and the catwalk broke in half under the 1800, dropping it down into the darkness below. After a moment, there was loud THUD, and then silence.
After a few moments, the tech's voice came from one of the tunnels.
"Hey, the interference is gone... Base come in!" The tech said.
The comm came to life in everyone's ears. It was the sarge.
"This is base, you guys alright?" He asked.
"We're fine sir. We just had to take out an Exo-1800." He said.
"A what?" The sarge asked.
"We blew it up sir." The demolitionist said.
"Oh. Alright. Any casualties?" The sarge asked.
"Probably a few bruised egos, but other than that, everyone's alive." The tech said.
"Hey sarge, can we get the lab boys on the comm now? I'm eager to blow up this transmitter." The demolitionist said.
"Alright, they're going over the plans one more time. Take five and then we'll be in touch." The sarge said.
"We may not have five," said Dorcan grimly, as he went to rejoin the others.
"That thing probably had some kind of telltale. What are the Brotherhood likely to send after people who can destroy a warbot?"
Jexx was in cover when the blast went off. He listened down the tunnel, and heard the Eighteen-Hundred continue talking. Son of a bitch...I hate this thing! Then Jexx heard something collaps, and a few moments later, a heavy thud. Finally... Jexx walked back down the tunnel to the centarl hub to meet Dorcan and the others. When he came into sight, his markings dimmed and died quickly. Then the interfearence was lifted off the channels. Jexx 'tested' his microcomm, talking to everyone.
"Hey, Exo! I think we just killed one of your cousins. Or was he your uncle? I couldn't tell."
"Jexx," said Dorcan, "When you were attacking the robot, the markings on your body were glowing again. What does that mean?"
Jexx suddenly stopped walking, and looked at Dorcan in a genuinely suprised and confused way. What Dorcan just said had made no sense to Jexx. "Um, glowing? What are you talking about? They're just tatoos..."
"Tattoos can be magical," Dorcan pointed out. "It happened before when you first attacked the turrets. I wasn't sure at first because they had gone back to normal when you stopped. I thought it might have been the light from your weapons reflected, or just my imagination. But I distinctly saw it happen again just before I ran." He looked at the others as if for confirmation.
"Magical? You're crazy. I'm not...magical..." Jexx's eyes suddenly went wide, as if he just rememberd something. "No! No, it can't be! It's not right! This can't be right!" No no no NO NO! I'm not..." Jexx stopped his near-incoherant babble, and looked at his handcannons, then at the markings along his sides. He then spoke in a very soft voice. "But...what it said...makes sense now...it fits...no...it can't make sense...but it..." Jexx trailed off into a barely audible whisper, then went silent.
"Th...the Brotherhood w-will have heard the k-kaboom. W-we should just b-blow the tr-transmitter and g-get out of here, while we still c-can. I...I'll talk later. When we get back." Jexx was very visibly shaken up, and had a near-horrified look on his face.
"Agreed," said the doberman, looking at Jexx with concern. "We need to move out as soon as possible. If we don't get a message back from the techs within the next few minutes, we'll have to make a guess ourselves. Either way we'll want to destroy as much of the cabling as we can on the way out."
"Tech specialist Certer, Does your tech team have any answers on that chip yet .... Do you need another?" ask Dr Sally
She loaded herself with her medical kit and scanners with a supply of bandages and premedicatic kit. "Commander, Can the team get their wounded out.? or will they need access?" ask Dr Sally
PBH
One of the whitecoats in the lab turned to Sally.
"I think we have everything we need. And by the look of that transmitter... I think we have all we need to shut this thing down." He said.
Then he got on the comm with the demolitionist. They talked for a few moments about the placement of his charges.
"Roger." The demolitionist said.
He looked over at the others.
"Okay, I know where to set the charges." He says.
He motions to the transmitter. There are four sections that appear to be structural.
"These parts are holding the thing up. If I put my charges there, the whole thing will topple, and gravity will do the rest. But it's gonna have to be a remote detonation. When these babies blow, this whole place is gonna be filled to the top with fire. So I suggest we get back to that shack where we came in before detonation." He says.
He then starts the process of placing and arming the charges. After a few minutes, he's done.
"Okay, let's get outta here." The demolitionist said.
Dorcan nodded. Had the engineer suggested not using a remote detonation, the doberman would have been very suspicious. Terrorism R Us, he thought to himself.
"Okay then," he said as the charges were placed. "Let's go."
"Morgan, Josh, Eraser," he called over the comms, "We're going to blow the transmitter, so we'll need to exit the tunnel fairly soon. What's the situation outside?"
He turned to Jexx. "As we leave, I want you to fry as much of the cabling down the tunnel as you can. I want to make things as difficult for the brotherhood as we can, just in case they have a complete spare unit they can swap in."
Jexx's head snapped up when Dorcan talked to him. "Uh..yeah..whatever..." He said unenthusiastically. He then bowed his head again, and muttered thing under his breath. They sounded like, "Why didn't I see it before?, "Gods, I'm so stupid...", "It all fits, I can't belive it...", and other such things randomly.
As they moved along, the grunts took point. The tech moved alongside Dorcan.
"You know, that thing must weigh a couple of tons. Putting it in here must've been quite a feat. I don't think they'd be able to replace it so easily." The tech said.
"True," Dorcan admitted. "In that case the problem is going to be if they have a complete backup site which they can just switch in. If so, we'll have to do this whole thing again, and next time they'll be ready for us."
The demolitionist gave a hearty laugh.
"If that's true then we'll go in and blow that one up too!" He said between laughs.
"That's not the point," Dorcan protested. "They didn't know we were going to do this. If they do have more of these things, and if they are important to the Brotherhood, they're going to guard them with a damn sight more than two bored guards, a bunch of turrets and a robot."
"At least, that's what I'd do in their place," he added.
The demolitionist shrugged. He didn't seem to care about how well something that he had to blow up would be guarded.
"Whatever you say boss. All I know is, it's my job to blow up the stuff that the Brotherhood sets up. And I do my job well." He says. "As for the guards, well, that's what the rest of you guys are for. You all did alright with that 1800 and those turrets. I didn't even have to waste one of my charges."
Upon Dorcan's request, Ram gave the area a thorough sweep to make sure there weren't any hostiles in the vicinity. "Everything's clear out here. How are things going down there? I saw a big IR signature not too long ago." Ram replied. "Like, an explosion or something."
"That would have been the Exo unit we dispatched," Dorcan told him. "We used plastique. Whatever sensors you're using, you might want to turn the amplification down soon. Apparently the next bang will be a big one."
As the group walked along the tunnels, Jexx hung slightly behind, perodically melting cabels at random as Dorcan told him to. But there was no enthusiasm or agression from Jexx in his job. One would think that would've be expected as he seems to delight in destroying Brotherhood property. But now, he did it out of obligation, not enjoyment, and still had a shell-shocked look on his face.
Ram nodded, although he knew none of them could see it. "Roger that. Thanks for the heads up."
"All clear from my end. Hay Jexx what's up? Why are you so wigged out about being a magic user?" Josh was very aprehensive at Jexx's reaction to his new abilities.
Jexx only faintly heard Josh in his microcomm. "It's..not that...it...I don't know...I just..." Jexx trailed off into silence. "I...need time to think." He finally said as he melted another section of cable. It really wasn't just the fact that Jexx now knows he's a magic user. It was that revelation that allowed him to make several connections he couldn't make before, and it was too much for him. Another side effect was triggered by the revelation, something having to do with his memory. None of it made any sense, it was just a few random jumbled images that weren't even discernable. There was only one thing that came out with any sort of clarity; experiment one-five-six...experiment one-five-six...
"Yes, Jexx, What is it about Magic users? Whatever it is, You need start thinking survival and get back in the game. What about Bab? Are you even think what will become of her, if you fail this thing.?
Magic is only a tool, Jexx. Like axe, you can chop wood or you can chop heads. Welder makes it good or bad... Well that is over simplified.. Because the method of casting can effect the good or the bad propose of the spell. So says the books I have read in the basement o f the library in college and medical school." Says Dr Sally over the comlink from the command center at base camp...
"So that is how you think of this power, Sally Just something to lord over the rest of us?" States an angry Chad. Chad was feeling betrayed by a good friend, who never told him about her magic thing, and her secrecy is playing into the hand of the brotherhood scheme of things. :Magic-user are all secretly out to get you or cheats." thinks Chad
PBH
"No, it...it's not that!" Jexx said, exasperated. "It's not about that, it's just that...it...I...agh..." Jexx clutched his head, but didn't actually morph his handcannons into hands. "It just doesn't have to...I just don't know!" Jexx said. His voice was shaking, and he sounded like he wasn't to far away from having a nervous breadown. He wasn't going to, but he still sounded...vulnerable. Scared, perhaps? This was certainly a far cry from his usual agressive, beligerant, and cocky demeanor. But mostly, he just sounded confused. "It's...just some thing else. Some other things. But...I can't figure it out right now. I need time to think. I'll tell you when I get back. But now, talking isn't...helping me. I just need quiet." Jexx spoke with a very subdued voice. He then managed to get one handcannon into a hand, and reached up and picked the microcomm out of his ear. He then did the same with the one on his tooth, and put them both in a pocket on his shorts. "Let's keep moving." He said to the others, not even looking at them, and seeming to miss the fact that they were indeed still walking. "I...just wanna get out of here."
"What's it looking like down there Dorc, you guys close?" Josh was rather agrivated at the whole thing. "Doc you still going to need Babs' chip, or are you just interested in her 'spark'?
Once they reached the hatch they had entered, one of the grunts popped it open and went into the shack. After a few moments, he shouted 'clear', and the rest started coming through as well.
"Should we close the lid or keep it open?" Dorcan asked the demolitions guy, as he climbed out of the trapdoor. He had visions of it either belching smoke and flame, or flying open and clobbering someone if they left it closed.
Once everyone was out of the hatch, the demolitionist fished out his remote detonator.
"I think it's best we close it and then step outside. Don't want to risk it blowing open on us while we're in there." He said.
"Okay then," Dorcan said over the comms, "Let's do it. Action stations, everyone... if this doesn't wake the Brotherhood up, nothing will."
"Affermative. Eraser, ready for action." Ram replied over the comm.
Jexx still loked bad, but not as bad as he was. "Let them come...I'll kill them all...those bastards..." Jexx wasn't shaking anymore. But he still had a strange expression on his face, something along the lines of an expression one would have if they were 'still recovering' from a life-shaking revelation.
Once the whole team was outside of the shack, the demolitionist started priming the detonator.
"Man, can you believe they pay me to do this?" The demolitionist said.
He pressed the detonation button.
All four of the charges that he had set went off at the same time, taking out the structural supports of the transmitter. The shockwave itself pretty much ruined the inner workings of the transmitter. Without the supports, the transmitter fell.
Above ground, there was the sound of a loud explosion, and the ground started to rumble. Sewer covers popped off, but they didn't go far. Some fire came up out of the manholes, but quickly died out. Then there was a loud THUD, and then it was over.
All the people in the city suddenly stopped what they were doing. They all felt dazed and confused. Everyone looked around at each other, feeling as though they'd just woken up from a very strange dream.
Back at the lab, the chips that Sally and the lab boys were examining suddenly shut down completely.
And without any warning, all the televisions and radios in the city suddenly began playing a message. The voice on the message was that of Jackson Phoenix.
"People of Northon! My name is Jackson Phoenix, and my people, the Rebellion, have just brought you out of your forced hypnotic state! The perpetrators of this heinous act against all of you is none other than The Brotherhood of The Machine! They implanted chips at the base of your brain to control your thoughts, to make you feel complacent and obey their every command! All of you have this chip. Men, women, and children. But the transmitter that controlled you has been destroyed, and the chips are no longer functioning! You are all free now! So please, open your eyes now and see the treachery that The Brotherhood has caused!"
The message kept repeating itself.
Over everyone's comms, Jackson's voice came through.
"Good work team, pull out and return here to base. We'll have a debriefing, and we'll start work on your next mission." He said.
Dorcan was right, that was a pretty big IR signal. Even thought Ram had turned down the sensitivity, he still had to squint a little. Once the flare had died down he, satisfied that he no longer needed to see in IR, switched to normal imaging and re-focused his attention on the streets. He would be very surprised if the Brotherhood didn't send troops after that explosion.
"We're screwed," Dorcan said. "The Brotherhood are going to mobilise everything after that blast. It's just the excuse they need to declare martial law, so like the man says, we'd best get out of here before they hunt us down."
How the heck did Jackson do that thing with the broadcast? he wondered to himself.
"I dunno i kinda wanna bash in a few faces. All this sneaking around and I've yet to hand out any violent retrobution." Josh said with a disappointed look.
"Goddess I know the PR of thing great, But Jackson. I have a patient to get to.... Jexx, Can you still bring out Babs to me? or I will have to come back for her, some day soon. I just need a few minutes for me to help her. Grrrr There goes the whole plan" storms Dr Sally as she heads back to the Vans and her equipments. She also heads to the lab with Bill the security guard.
"Chad, how is Bill?" asks Sally of Dr Westling. Bill and Chad were wayching Jackson's broadcast.
PBH
The explosion seemed to change something in Jexx. Almost right after it happened, Jexx's demeanor returned to it's original hardness. It's as if the explosion shook him out of the funk he was in and snapped him back to reality. He then saw Jackson's broadcast through a window of a shop. Well, that's certainly left me speechless... He thought to himself. He then remembered that he had taken out his microcomms, and hurridly fumbled to get them back in. He was just in time to hear Doctor Sally talking specifically to him, which caught Jexx off-guard. He listened to her, then replied.
"Babs? Who the hell is...oh wait, ain't she that chick Josh was supposed to date?" Jexx snorted. "Allright, I'll play delivery boy for Josh's little crush, but the problem is I have no idea where the f**k she is!"
Oh yeah. Jexx was back to his old self again.
"But if you tell me, I can go get her. The Brotherhood are going to be swarming in minutes, so everyone needs to get back to the camp, pronto. But if we also need to get Babs, then the less people we risk to get her the better. I do believe I'm rather, ah, how you say...expendable."
"Sorry Jexx I forget who is in charge of your little troop or trip. Yes Josh should be the one going to get her, and he knows where she is lives. But maybe, you guys can check on her on your way back at her work, the Silver Diner on Maple and Forest ave on the south side of town just east of the freeway 125 exit 17. " says Sally " but I will be check on Bill;s chip and the other chip in a few moments and We will see if I need worry about her, right now. Still, Her magic potential alone would put her on a watch list by both side."
PBH
"Ok guys, we need to be quick! Jexx can you head to the dinner and check if Babs is there? If she is give me a shout and either I can come get her or you can drag her out. I'll be heading for her home. Checking both places at once should cut down the time to find her. The rest of you should high tail it." Josh spat out his hastily put together plan.
Morgan regarded the transmission and shook his head, Does not miss a beat does he?
Shouldering his gun, Morgan dropped quietly to the street level and met the rest of the team, "You heard the man, time to pull out. Good job down there everyone, you all adapted well. Let's move out."
Morgan considered the hastily drawn together plan, "We're considering a teenage girl here, correct? Hook your cell up to one of the computers and use the GlobalNav to find its location. Even if in all this confusion she dropped her phone, it is likely she will not be found too far from it... she is a teenage/young adult girl, it is a safe bet."
Josh looked at Morgan like he was crazy. "Do what with the who now?"
Jexx shook his head and walked past Morgan. "I'm goin' with your plan, Josh, it sounds easier. We better go right now, there's no time to waste." Jexx said as he got to Josh. "We'll meet you guys back at the camp. You better hurry too." Jexx said to the others.
"Very well," said Dorcan, unsure if he was still in charge. "We'll head to the base camp and meet you there. Give us regular updates and do not let the Brothers follow you to the camp. Now, let's move out, people."
As Jexx went one way with Josh and the others all went the opposite direction, Jexx turned around for a moment to shout something back to them. "Do I LOOK like someone who lets the Brotherhood follow them?" Then Jexx turned, scaled a building, and started roof-hopping his way towards the diner.
"Yes," said Dorcan, but not over the comms.
"I'll remain in position for a little longer and give you guys cover. I'll follow once you've all safely left the town." Ram replied, remaining where he was. It was a good idea to have a sniper cover the team until they got to safety. He could both warn them of enemy activity in their area and help neutralize it.
"So you can shoot us in the head as we leave?" Dorcan asked. "Listen, Eraser, You may have convinced Exo over a comms link, but how do we know you're not an incubus or succubus who's assumed his form? Can someone scan his..." he trailed off as the others were looking at him strangely.
"OK, forget it," he said. "I guess you don't have such things here."
Josh put his plasma rifle back in his bag and tossed it to Dorcan. "Stay safe!" He called before he ran for Babs' place. He ran through streets before he caught sight of an enforcer. Before the enforcer could spot him Josh had already popped out of sight and down an alley way. Almost forgot about them. This'll be rough convinceing Babs to follow me back to the camp without alarming the goons. She's bound to be confused as hell. "Jexx I may need back up to get back to the camp if things go sour. Can you follow directions if need be?"
"I'm pretty sure I can." Jexx said. He'd roof-hopped his way following Doctor Sally's instructions, keeping low and moving fast to avoid detection like he always had done. He saw quite a few zealots and even a few enforcers on his way.
Eventually, he came to the diner that Babs may be in. He hopped his way to the roof, then dropped down the back in the allyway. He circled around to the side until he came to a window. Keeping low, he was about to peek up inside when he realized he hadn't seen Babs before. Whispering into his microcomm to Josh, he said, "Um, Josh? What the hell does this Babs chick look like?"
Josh was panting trying to keep his pace up. "She's a squirrel around 16 years old I'd say. She has a reddish coat and long red-orange hair which lookes good with her light blue uniform.....Gotta admit. I'd go to jail for that." He joked.
"Ok..." Jexx peeked up at the bottom of the window he was under to see if anyone in the diner matched Josh's description.
Morgan gave a sideways glance to Dorcan, "Scan his what now?"
Not fully understanding his meaning, Morgan utilized a sensor scan and a psychic one as well, "Fox species, no magical or psychic emanations... there doesn't appear to be any shielding. His eyes... are implants... no life energy at all in them. Nothing unusual or special. Let's head back now."
Morgan drew his pistols and moved further ahead, scouting at the corner.
"'Scan his surface thoughts' I was going to say," Dorcan explained. "But by the looks of things you don't have a problem with shapeshifters here. In any case, as far as I know, 'Cubi can't replicate implants like that. So it either means he's a shapeshifter who already had implants, or more likely, he's the real thing.
"Anyway... who's going to lead us back?"
Josh popped out through some bushes to a small front yeard. It had a slightly over grown look about it and the house was a two story that looked, aged, to say the least. At least the shrubs would keep him from being readily spotted by an stray goon. He walked up to the house and knocked on the door.
Jexx looked over the bottom of the window with his eyes, looking surreptitiously around the diner. Jackson's broadcast was playing on a loop on the diner's television, and all the patrons and personnel were just standing or sitting still, various expressions of shock, confusion, or revulsion on their faces.
As Jexx continued to look around, he spotted a reddish squirrel girl with orange hair, wearing the diner's blue uniform. Jexx ducked down again and whispered into his microcomm. "Josh, I think I've found this Babs chick, she is here at the diner. I'll pick her up and meet you back at the camp." Jexx then peeped back up the window. I have to wait for her to be alone, no one's supposed to see me... Several of the waiters shook their heads, and automatically went about their business, not really paying attention. Probably still pondering what had just happened. Babs stood there, looking shocked and confused, then turned and headed for a back room in the diner. Perfect... Jexx thought. He ducked down and started around the building, peeking in windows to see where she was, until he saw her in what looked like a storage room with the lights off. Her expression looked as if she was struggling with some great inner personal feeling. Jexx stood up, morphing his handcannons to hands, and placed them on the sides of the window. He had learned from his mistake from shattering the window back at the the Brotherhood warehouse. He got a grip, pulled with one hand, and pushed with the other. After straining for a second, the window Popped! right out of it's frame. Jexx put it up against the wall on the ground, grabbed the top of the brick masonry, and flipped himself feetfirst through the window, landing smoothly in full view of Babs.
"Why, hello there." Jexx said calmly, then started walking towards the startled woman. "I'll make this simple and short. I got a friend who want to see you. He wants to see you safe, unharmed, and alive. However, we are on a bit of a tight schedule, as we are hiding for our lives from the droves of Brotherhood troops now swarming the city. Obviously, this puts a little stress on my job as golden retriever. So, we're going to do this one way; my way. You're coming with me, lady." Jexx reached Babs, and with no further warning, grabbed the stunned Babs with his whole left arm and slung her over his back like a sack of potatoes, done easily thanks to the mechanical strength in his arm. There was no way he could go back out the way he came in with such a load on him, so he went to his old standby: make your own way. He morphed his right hand back into a handcannon, and turned to the wall. In short order, he began shooting at it, up, over, and down. After a moment, he stopped, backed up, then ran at the wall full speed. At the last moment, he jumped, putting his heavy metal feet and legs out first in a jumping kick. He slammed into the wall, which exploded outward, weakened at the arch that he had melted into it. Babs was just freaking out, screaming and kicking, almost getting Jexx in the face. Jexx did a hard, short jump, jolting Babs on his back and stunning her for a second. "Lady, if you don't stop kicking and screaming, you're gonna get us both killed." Jexx looked around for a moment, then set off in a run down the alleyway.
No-one else seemed to come forward so it looked like Dorcan was still in charge. Perhaps it's better that I go first, he thought - after all he had a far greater chance of surviving a direct hit from a handgun than his organic companions did.
Gesturing for them to remain put, he dissolved into the stark shadows of the alleyway, his presence betrayed only by a dim red glow from his eyes. Previously he'd have done anything to worm out of this, for fear it would compromise his identity, but if Eraser could have augmented vision, so could he.
At the street intersection he glanced around furtively and stuck his hand back into the light and signaling the others to move with a quick, smooth gesture before plunging it back into the comforting, shadowed night.
All this will be for nothing if they have IR cameras of course, he thought with grim amusement.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! DO YOU WANT THE WHOLE TOWN ON YOU?!" Josh shouted at Jexx. Josh wouldn't hear jexx's reply as a large ball of energy glanced off his head destroing the comm and leaveing him with large patches of exposed flesh. He didn't bleed much as the wound was pretty much cauterized. Josh turned to his aggresor as he covered his wounds with his off hand and welped in pain. He saw a zelot. With all that metal his bullets would be hard pressed to find a target, still he had to try. He fired a few rounds at it. Afew left large dents in parts of his face metal, more missed. It wasn't working well. "contricio terra!" A large piece of building flew off and smashed into the goon.
"Lords of Light, Can you guys go anywhere without getting shot at? " Says Sally over the comlink. She was listening on the recon party as they work their way back to the camp as she packed up and striked down the camp. Leaving only a mobile medical unit setup for any wounded and for Bab's treatment. "I was hoping to leave our guests some options, so they would not be stuck with come with us like or not."
"Bill, you are good to go, if the Commander says so but I think they will be dropping you off somewhere else. The Brotherhood knows you are with us, and they could just kill you for that. Also you chip has been removed and you are in perfect health" Says Sally " Chad, my love, you also have to choose to stay with us or go to another city."
PBH
Jexx ran through the alleyways, and heard Josh yell at him over the microcomm. Jexx was going to answer, but a sudden zap of plasma from Josh's end indicated something bad had happened.
"Um, I think you probably should know," Jexx said to the 'package' on his shoulder, "You're boyfriend may have just died. Sorry. But we don't have any time to worry about that at the moment...' Jexx stopped at an intersection, glanced down the different paths, and chose one in the direction of the camp. Sally's voice then came over the line. "Well, nothing can be done about that right now..." Jexx remarked dryly.
Jexx then came to a spot next to a street. He had no choice but to cross it, in full view. He glanced down both sides, didn't see anyone, and made a mad dash across. Almost there...
"Hey, who's that guy carrying the girl?"
"Get him!"
Well, shit.
Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat!
Bzzw! Bzzw! Bzzw!
Bullets and plasma bolts whizzed by Jexx, popping holes in the buildings in front of him, for just a moment before he made it to the adjacent alley. He easily recognized them both as standard zealot munitions by their unique sound. He continued his mad pace down the alley, before coming to another intersection, turning a corner to the right, and backstopping right up against the wall. He quickly let Babs down, keeping his left mechanical arm firmly around her, and using his left hand to cover her mouth. "Shh shh shh shh, don't make a sound, I won't hesitate to knock you out if it means my life..."
Jexx then closed his eyes and listened carefully. He heard footfalls that he clearly recognized as Brotherhood. By listening to them, he made out two approaching people one, behind the other, coming down the alley Jexx had just been running through. Jexx tensed up, his right arm and handcannon free and at the ready. He heard them come closer, and Jexx waited for the right moment to strike.
Then he did. With a loud battle-cry, he swung around, right arm outstretched, just as the first zealot was reaching the intersection. Jexx's handcannon slammed squarely into the zealots head, sending him into a full backflip onto his back. Jexx quickly brought his right foot up, then down onto the zealots head, crushing it into a bloody mess on the ground. Jexx's handcannon was already brought around to the second zealot, the zealot finding the barrel right in his face. Jexx let off several bursts, frying the zealot's faceplate and most of his head as well. The zealot stepped backward, weapon dropped, hands clawing at his nonexistant face, before falling onto his back dead, head still smoking.
Jexx looked down at his foot. "Ew. Brotherhood filth." Jexx quickly scraped what he could off his metal foot on the ground, the picked up Babs again and placing her on his shoulder. "Time to go." He said, continuing towards the camp.
Babs was not taken this lying down, Here was this stranger a cyborg taking her who know where. The Brotherhood shooting at them, mostly likely killing and hurting her friends in the crossfire. And Now He is saying her "boyfriend" is likely dead.
She is now screaming at Jexx and beating him as he goes down the alleyway.... The Brotherhood is quick to locate them after that and start fire down the alley. She would have thought the brotherhood would be think about her welfare, but they were still shooting at them both the deadly force. Bab stop screaming at Jexx after one plasma bolt had enough force to blow out the steel door which Jexx held her against just second before. The shot was clearing aim at her...
The shock squirrel was not sure who was going kill her, but she was sure she was going to die in the next minute or two.
PBH
Josh had ditched him and was running down an alley way. "I'm hit, but I lost the goon. Jexx you better keep her safe! I won't have an innocent's blood on our hands! Ugh it hurts." Josh had entered the forest unfollowed. He took his hand from his head, ripping some of the soft tissues away leaveing a hand print on his head luckily he still had his ear. The camp was still a good walk through the woods, his ear was ringing, he was confused, disoriented and hurt as the adrenaline wore off. "Guys, I uh, I think I'm lost and uh, I'm just going to uh, stay here and uh, I'm takeing a nap." Josh sat down and he started to nod off.
OOC: Tech, Josh's reciver(ear piece) was blasted off not his mic (tooth).
Babs' struggling was really starting to get on Jexx's nerves. Her screaming was attracting more bastards, and though her pounding with her fists really didn't hurt Jexx, it was very distracting. However, she stopped struggling when some rifleman nearly took her head off. Jexx continued on, dispatching the the rifleman as he followed Jexx down the twisting alleyways, but not before taking a plasma bolt to his left side (just barely missing Babs' foot) for his trouble, exactly opposite to the turret-wound he had sustained earlier. His fur and flesh were burned up, but it was fortunately a relatively small wound.
Jexx then heard Josh's voice over his microcomm. His right handcannon morphed into a hand, and flew up to he ear, pressing a finger into it to hear better. "Hey, good news, lady," Jexx said, "You're boyfriend's not dead after all. Josh, if you can hear me, yes I've got you girlfriend, and yes she's safe."
Jexx turned another corner, made sure there was no one following them, then set Babs down again, tapping the microcomm on his tooth to turn it off. He then looked at Babs and grabbed her shoulders with his metal hands (not being overly gentle about it, either).
"Listen, lady. Believe it or not, I'm here to save your life. And for me, that's being very generous. I'm going to be honest with you, the only reason I'm here is because I like killing Brotherhood sons of bitches. I don't really give a damn about you personally, or about the fact that you have magical potential. However, Josh cares about you for both of these reasons, and since he isn't here, he wants me to get you out of here safely. From here on out, there are two ways we can do this. One, I slam you upside the head with this," Jexx took his right hand off of her, morphing it into a handcannon to how her, then made it back into a hand and grabbed her again, "to knock you out, and I carry you over my shoulder silently the rest of the way. Two, you stop screaming and struggling, and I let you follow me on you own feet, if you can keep up, silently the rest of the way. Either way works for me, because I can't have these bastards following me at the moment, much as I'd like to kill them. So, what's it gonna be?"
Jexx's eyes stared hard into hers. The disturbing thing about them should become apparent; they had no iris or veins to them. They were just two orbs of pure white with one small, not black, but red pupil in each of them.
His expression was serious, but his furred hedgehog face, with the red X on his forehead, looked like a madman's out of a nightmare.
"We should be able to get back to camp without any trouble, seeing as our distractions are playing off nicely." Morgan paused to motion to the Rebellion soldiers to move up, "let's not fight if we can avoid it. I prefer not to have any civilian casualties, and stray shots will likely do just that. The Brotherhood is not known for marksmanship in its rank and file."
Somewhere inside Morgan worried about the other two who recklessly charged off, but if they were caught, cut off or wounded, he would not permit a rescue. We cannot risk the lives of the whole squad and those at the camp over just two. Morgan thought to himself, more to convince himself then for any other reason.
"Oh My goddess, Josh is in trouble and Jexx has the girl. And No one is going to rescue them.... Find Oh Just Find..." shouts Dr Sally. She has finished packing one of the her team's Vans and jumps into the driver's seat. She locks on to Josh's Transmitter's signal and drives off.
"Commander, Can you take care of Bill the security guard and Dr Chad?" asks Sally over the comlink.
"Who is takes care of Me? Oww" says Chad from the back of the van.
"Chad?" yells Dr Sally "Sit down Chad!! Josh and Jexx, Can you get to to Oak and 6th? ETA fifteen minutes. " She can see that Jexx is still moving but Josh was stop. She hope the bad guys were not in the area. " Jexx, Josh has stop moving at Maple and 5th just in a wood area part of the regional park. I will meet you there in ten minutes. Maybe, the girl can help him, if you can get the goons"
"JOSH? Josh !" asks Bab
PBH
"OK Morgan," the doberman hissed as Morgan reached him, "Which way now? I only know the way we took in, but you've had more time to explore the place. Do you know of a better route?"
Josh was just sitting there deep in the woods leaning against a tree and "sleeping". The doctor would notice that the shot to the head had left him with a severe concussion, and as you know sleeping is one of the worst things to do.
As Dorcan asked the question of routes, Morgan had moved to the next corner, "We could move down this street around the corner and head to the alley halfway down. It runs all the way to the country road where we can reach the edge of the forest."
Morgan turned to look around the corner and immediately ducked back, "Bloody hell, that's bollixed. There's a squad of heavies coming up the street this way. I don't think they saw me."
"Heavies?" Dorcan queried. "What are we talking about here? Normal people, like Brotherhood sympathizers, or Zealots? And if it's Zealots, do they have night-vision?"
Bab stops screamings and looks around scared for any more people shooting at her. When Jexx forces her to look at him. She stops and stares into Jexx white eyes with a dazed and puzzled look.... She is shocked and more confused to think about Jexx's strange eyes She locks on to the only that makes sense He said something about Josh
"Josh? Josh !!! WHere is JOSH!" She shouts which brings distant noise of Brotherhood patrol.
"Wait! you hear that over there beyond that next fence.. THX -23" Brotherhood units are not in sight but can be heard rush up two blocks away.
Bab cover her mouths and rushs behind Jexx.
PBH
Jexx's face contorted into an expression of infuriation when Babs shouted out, attracting more Brotherhood patrols.
"God-fucking-dammit, woman! You will be the death of me!!!" He hissed at her. Jexx was running out of options, fast. So he did one of the only things he could think of.
Jexx's markings had already been glowing, and now they burned fully brightly as Jexx grabbed Babs' arms, then used his (not conciously known to him) magically augmented mechanical strength to throw Babs straight up into the air, but slightly at an angle so she would come down on the roof. She'd be feeling something tomorrow, but Jexx couldn't worry about that. He vaguely heard a voice in is ear, but didn't connect it with Sally.
Without wasting any more time, Jexx dug his metal hands into the wall and climbed to the top at record speed. He flipped himself up and over the top, falling prone next to Babs, just a split-second before the Brotherhood entered the alleyway.
Once the Brotherhood patrol had passed, Jexx's glow dimmed a bit. He tapped the microcomm on his tooth back on, and said, "Sally, did you say something? I missed it, I've got a very problematic package with me at the moment." He then turned to Babs, quickly tapping his microcomm back off, and started making odd gestures as if to strangle her. "Just...shut up, ok? I am this close to thunking you upside the head, and dragging your unconcious body back to the others."
Looking over the edge of the roof at the searching Brotherhood, then cowing from Jexxx, Bab quietly says "But but yous say you know whar Josh is? Please, I feel that he needs me" as she rubs her sore butt and then she looks to the west.
"JEXX ! JEXX! Come in Josh is west of your location some ten blocks and one south, and follow the bike trail about 100 meters and then another 10 meters south west into the woods. The public park land ends there and the really forest begins. I am not sure but the Brotherhood looks like they still concentrating in the suburban streets and not the woods yet. This scan has just dots on it but no info, not even reds or green dots. But your dot and Josh's dot are labeled, as are the dots back at camp. You are about 1 mile from Josh. My ETA is 7 minutes. I took the wrong road when reading this thing. so I'm back tracking. " reports Sally over the Comlink.
" SAllleeee SLow down this is not the 400 Brickyard race, eeeee" is weakly heard over the comlink.
PBH
"Ok, now I know where Josh is, and we need to get to him quick." Jexx didn't bother to turn his microcomm back on. He lisened to make sure there were no Brotherhood patrols down below, then stood up. "Alright, I'd really rather not be on the ground anymore. From here on out, we're jumping roofs. Think you can do that?" Jexx asked Babs, and looked over to the gap in between buildings, Unless Babs was much stronger than she looked, the gap was much to wide for someone of her build.
The red squirral girl could jump far with a running start, and she show Jexx that she could jump the common street gaps, but four leaps later only got them to a parking lot and then a four lane road with single family homes beyond that. The Brotherhood had one guard at the intersection to the north and they could see the rest were searching off to the south and east.
"Okay Now what? We can travel south one block by rooftop to get a way from the goon up the block, then you are out of roof tops." says Babs The residental area has trees and winding roads.
PBH
Jexx was suprised at the squirrel's ability to jump the rooftops, but he was still better. When the reached the end, and she talked about their options, Jexx looked at the guard, who was facing away, and said, "No problem."
Jexx suddenly and quickly let out a concentrated stream of red plasma ball toward the goon. The poor zealot never had a chance, as he was slowly and partialy melted into slag.
"That solves that. Now, we run." Jexx quickly took Babs, and swung her so he was carrying her on his back, jumped over the side of the building to the ground, let her off, and then took off in the direction Sally had directed him, into the residential area, with many trees and houses to hide his movements. "Josh is this way!" he said to Babs. "We gotta get to him! It sounded urgent."
"Jexx That is great flare there on 4th and Maple , I see now. Eta 2 minutes." said Sally over the comlink. Once Jexx lit up the zealot, the Brother came running back and started searching the residental nieghhoods. Beside a few close calls, Jexx and Bab make it to the park and the backwoods area. The scanner would be good here as the underbrush is getting in the way of finding.
Babs is getting fantic, "He is near, he iis right here. no here... I know he is he is in trouble...." she fights into the heavy wooden brush and Jexx loses sight of her. and the woods go quiet after a moment.
PBH
Morgan put his hand up for a moment, "Brotherhood, heavier crowd control weapons and more 'riot style' armor. They are not equipped with night vision. Let them pass, as long as they do not suspect anything, they should pass right by."
He stood in the shadows very quietly, patiently waiting for them to pass, hoping the rebellion soldiers would remain hidden as well.
When Babs dissapeared on him, Jexx was quite annoyed. He stood around making very odd gestures and sounds of irritation. Finally, he stopped and talked into his microcomm.
"Sally, I've got a bit of a problem here. Babs..." Then Jexx remembered that his microcomm was still off. With a severely ticked off growl, he turned it back on and tried again.
"Sally, that stupid girl ran off on me. I think she's going for Josh. I don't know what I'm going to go do at the moment, but I am not responsible for her well-being anymore." He said very irritably.
A strange feeling came over Josh and he "woke up" just long enough to lean over to a side and vomit on the ground, then he went back to his "nap.
Jexx hears a bang and screech as a white van comes into view and bumps down the bike toward him. it stops
"Well Jexx, if she is near Josh then we just need to GPS Josh. I think he is 30 meters that way off the path." said Dr Sally as she got out of the van. Chad is frozen in place with all his fur standing on end. Sally looks at him a second and see him is still breathing.
"Come On." she whispers "This way" as she grabs her bag and heads into the woods.
******
In the dark woods
Josh see nothing but dark....no feelings no light, he drifts in a sea of dark. He thoughts slowly fading Himself fading, he is just too tired to panic... too tired to be annoyed at that voice calling his name. it was a sweet voice far away, calling
Josh Josh
Who was Josh? Wait that is my name? It is too far to go there? Who was calling? That Bab girl is so annoying No she is not.. If we don't answer she will go away. No I want her to stay.
Josh?
Babs! I'm here...
Josh. ** a star appears in the black void. Josh can't seem to reach out to it. **
Bab
Josh stay with me. **the star becomes a small glow and then a moon and finally a sun with Bab inside **
Josh Please stay with me, I need you to come back ** Josh feel Bab warm and love full him and his strength returns. Josh feeling all that is Bab and knows she feels all that is him**
"Will you come back, Josh? It is just this ,,,,way? Where is the door back?" shouts Bab. The squirrel girl turns to see no path or string to follow back and the dark closing on them.
"Foolish Girl, jumping in to safe someone without a lifeline. Hmmph Nevermind, Follow my voice,... I will guide you back to the living." says the voice of Dr Sally
****
Dr Sally has frozen and stared at the sleeping couple for two minutes or so. Then she pick up the girl and asked "Jexx Can you get Josh into the van?" Josh is fully healed under his torn and bloody clothes.
Over the Comlink "Okay Commander, We have Josh and Bab, We are heading back to camp. or should we head to HQ?" asks Dr Sally
PBH
Jexx heard the van coming, and was slightly aprrehensive when it came to a stop. Sally spoke to him, and Jexx got in the van.
When they got to Josh, he was a wreck. Babs was doing something having to do with magic to him, and seemed near unconcious herself until Sally intervened, She healed Josh and then carried Babs to the van, asking Jexx to do the same with Josh.
Jexx rolled his eyes and scoffed. He went over to Josh and easily picked him up with his mechanical arms. "I am starting to get way too charitable..." Jexx muttered to himself as he brough Josh into the van and climbed in himself.
Dorcan watched through half-closed eyes as the patrol came into view. He was unnaturally still. Fortunately they seemed to be preoccupied with dispersing the crowds of confused citizens in the street rather than being on the lookout for half-concealed ne'er-do-wells such as the party.
"That was lucky," he hissed back to Morgan, poking his head gingerly around the corner the other had been looking. "Looks clear," he said, and checking that the Brothers were out of view, strode purposefully across to the alleyway that Morgan had indicated so he could give point. Scampering was all very well for the cover of darkness, but in the glare of the light and for that kind of distance it was far better to simply look like you were supposed to be there.
Dr Sally looks at Jexx's wounds and looks apologetic to him. "Sorry Jexx I never meant to put anyone in harms way. Here this will fix you up" She says as a warm glow heals Jexx' wounds and restoring blood lost and regrowing fur. She pats Jexx on his shoulder and goes to secure the patients.
Bab is unconscious, her abilities tax beyond their normal levels. Josh is fully healed and asleep, he come awake at any time. Both were in the back of the van with Dr Chad looking after them. Sally kisses him on the cheek and drives them all back to the base camp passing the searching Brotherhood zealots.
Returning to camp, the doctor give the Lab techs the chip from Babs. The squirrel girl's body had almost destroyed it and the girl have been free of the control in about six months. Dr Sally would not think about that now. Now she was tired and hunger, but waited for the Commander. Find out what was next.
PBH
Jexx was extremely surprised when Sally came over and healed his two plasma burns. It was something rather unknown to him, as he never had magical healing before, he just let his wounds heal by themselves. He was also entirely used to being in harm's way, it's how he lives his life. He felt gratitude toward her, gratitude being an unknown felling to him since he had never really socialized with anyone before he was called on by Jackson. But he then quickly shook it off, like he always does with anything unfamiliar or distracting.
He looked back at the town swarming with Brotherhood they were leaving, only wishing he could kill some more.
Eraser swept his eyes along the street, scanning it for any Brotherhood Soldiers. He was, at the moment, huddled in an alleyway branching off from said street. He had indeed waited on the rooftop until most of the squad had escaped, prepared to open fire should things get out of hand. Luckily, he didn't need to. The squad was having no trouble making their way through the town, and he hadn't seen anything that would give them any serious trouble. So, in favor of not being left behind, he had decided to make his own getaway.
The Fox ducked further back into the shadows of the alley as a small patrol of Brotherhood Soldiers passed by. He waited until they had left his field of vision before leaving the alley, making his way down the street.
Josh's eyes were still closed but he surprised everyone as he spoke. "Did everyone make it out ok?" His words only served to make his headache worse for wear. "Thought 'Eraser' was sposed to be covering us." Josh said porpusfully knowing full well Eraser was litening in.
"I tried." Eraser responded through the comm, somewhat heatedly. "You were out of my LOS and, unless I were to use up all of my Penetration rounds, I would have just been wasting ammo shooting at the wall of a building."
Eraser's words fell of deaf ears, without his reciver Josh was blissfully listening to the sootheing rumbel of the vans tires on the road.
::: Shhhh shh Josh go back to sleep, Luv. ::: Josh hears that from a female voice somewhere behind him.... Behind him? He lying on a cot in the van with nothing but the street/ground beneath him. Behind his closed eyes, he hears a little giggle and feels a warm presence snuggle up to him, which fells asleep and then slowly fading away into the back of his mind. Josh feels that other another sleeping against him.
PBH
Looking in all directions first, Dorcan beckoned the others across to the alleyway he was hiding in. By the looks of it, the Brotherhood was concentrating on suppressing any trouble in the centre of the town, so their activities in the outskirts were going largely unnoticed.
In the distance he could make out the edge of the forest, and the sight of it made him want to whoop with exhilaration. Barring any nasty last-minute surprises, it looked like they had a clear run home.
Josh sat up and took out his transmitter. "I'll be needing a new comm" he said. "So, we're nearing endgame for this outting huh? I expected a little bit more of a fight from the imfamous brotherhood. Maybe it is possible to loosen their strangle hold on society."
Walking with purpose, Morgan crossed the street and reached the alley without any significant notice surprisingly. The alleyway was a nice straight shot and with careful speed the small group reached the forest edge. The soldiers moved quietly and with appropriate caution, they were adept at being unobtrusive, a handy trait at the moment.
Dorcan surveyed the forest as the others arrived. If there were Brotherhood patrols in the woods they were screwed whatever happened, so stealth didn't really seem so great a priority to him anymore, especially if they were going to be reassigned to another location.
"Dorcan to base camp," he said over the comms, "Break out the marshmallows. We're coming home."
A voice crackled back over Dorcan's comm.
"We read you Dorcan, the area looks clear, so you shouldn't have any resistance." A voice of one of the rebellion soldiers said over the comm.
After a few moments, with the comm still on...
"Hey sarge? What's a marshmallow?" The same soldier asked.
Realizing the comm was still on, he quickly turned it off.
Reaching the forest safely meant clear sailing from this point on. Still remaining professional, Morgan and the soldiers showed a noticeable relaxation in their movements.
After a brief stroll in the woods, the party reached the camp area.
"Excellent job lads, let us stand down and pack up the camp. It will be nice to get back to the city." He smiled briefly as he found EXO and the rebel sergeant, "despite conflicts of personality, I hope our actions have shed some light on our capabilities and usefulness. I suppose that will need to wait until we see Jackson again."
The next few hours were a blur of activity. Those that were wounded were being tended to. The lab was being packed up. All the equipment was being loaded back into the vans. The sergeant approached EXO, Morgan, and Dorcan.
"Our orders are to stay here and secure this area. We'll be moving what we brought here to a new location on the other side of town. You guys need to take the whitecoats and their equipment, along with what you brought along, back to base." He says.
He snapped a quick salute.
Dorcan blinked. He wasn't used to being saluted at.
"I guess we'll have to divide into our original parties again," he said, "unless we're taking back anyone else who can drive and knows the route." Where he came from, most people used public transport, walked or used magic. Driving was comparatively rare, especially among Creatures.
"Exo, you set up the camp in the first place, and in any case you're in charge. How should we approach this?"
Morgan returned the salute due to his slipping into old habits.
"I'd like to add good luck to you sergeant, keep the Brotherhood busy."
Morgan nodded to Dorcan, he agreed that Exo's judgment should be observed, "It is worth considering, that even if the area is secure, we should not travel too heavily in a caravan formation."
Josh just kinda hung back and staied out of the way. He wasn't feeling the best.
The 'bot placed one hand on it's chin, obviously deep in thought.
"Morgan is correct. With the Brotherhood on alert now, they may send aerial patrols... whilst this is statistically unlikely, it is still a possibility. Our best approach is to split up. Come."
It gestured for the others to follow as it moved over towards a map of the area, displayed inside the comms van.
"There aren't many routes back towards HQ, but there are enough for two or three smaller groups. I suggest those of you with the capability download the map. Don't attempt to track your locations by GPS or the Brotherhood will almost certainly send scouts after you as they're wired into practically every GPS and Sat-Nav on or orbiting the planet, legally or otherwise. Getting lost shouldn't be an issue, though."
It pauses, making sure everyone is around. "I will take the comms van here, the rest of you take the other van and the lab vans back. Anyone who wishes to travel with me may do so, but I cannot ensure a pleasant ride."
It paused again, thinking. "If anyone has any better ideas, speak up now."
"That seems sensible," Dorcan agreed. "I don't mind having an uncomfortable ride, so I may as well travel with you if that is not a problem.
"Now, one thing that disturbs me is that that Gerald guy doesn't seem to be with us anymore. Given how he tried to use our comms infrastructure to contact the Brotherhood, I have to wonder whether he was a spy. If he was indeed in their pay, he has probably returned to them, so we should get out of here as soon as is practical."
"I'll drive another van..." Josh said. "Is there any device I can use to download the map? I'll not want to get lost. On another note, what of Babs? She knows enough to be a problem and we could use the help."
"Josh, We have more than a problem with just Bab.. There is Bill the security guard, who is a bigger danger to us than Bab, he wants to go home. And my old classmate from Medical school, Dr Chad Westling, he wants to return to his practice and position at the hospital. As for Bab, you will have to work things out with her, yourself. She is still out from healing you, and I can't tell what is wrong with her, if anything beyond overtaxing her abilities. But Her return to the city will put her life in danger. " says Dr Sally as she passes a plate of energy- bars and water bottles for everyone. They are her own recripe and taste twice as good as any candy bar, but are just a little heavy in the stomach after you eat them.
"And the Brotherhood will question, scan, and likely 'erase' anyone who returns back to the city for this camp." says Dr Chad as he comes from one of the lab vans....
PBH
Dorcan politely refused the doctor's offerings. "Are you sure you can drive those?" He asked Josh. "I thought you came from a non-technical enclave."
"We did develop some tech before the brotherhood made tech into 'the Devil's toy'." Josh said in a matter of fact way to Dorcan. "I'll go see about Babs." Josh said as he walked in her general direction.
"Com'on Dorcan, they are a whole meal in a bar cover in chocolate, mmm." teases Dr Sally, but then she looks worried at Chad. As he looks toward the city.
Josh finds Bab laying on the patient cradle in the medical van that Dr Sally was driving. Her heart and vital signs are all good, but brain activity seem to be very low.
PBH
Exo glances at Josh as he moves away. "This unit finds it unlikely that a previously tech-less village with little outside interaction could develop fully automotive vehicles within a short period, if what you claim is true in both respects. A few hundred years, perhaps, but anything less? Unlikely. I also find it unlikely that you are a fully qualified driver, and given the rough terrain, and thusly suggest someone with a little more experience to be given the task of driving one of the other vans."
"They may have had memories of them from before," Dorcan pointed out. "Or they may have built them using magical propulsion. But unless they had some form of commerce with the outside world and actually imported the vehicles in from outside, they are unlikely to use the same control system. Heck, where I come from there are people still using gryphon-carts..."
"Either way," he continued, "the point of licensing is a good one, if your society does require a permit to operate them. We do not want the brotherhood to find us over a traffic violation."
At Sally's insistence he took one of the bars and stuffed it into his pocket 'for later'.
Morgan smiled kindly, but did not take an energy bar, "No thank you, looks a tad bit heavy to be sitting on my stomach."
He regarded the vans and shrugged, "I suppose I can have a go. I drove one of the vans here and operated the escape vehicle on our hospital run."
"That settles it, I'm rideing with Morgan. No offence Exo, but your driveing sucks." As Josh got to babs he tried wakeing her up through conventional means. "Wakey wakey. Dude, c'mon wake up!"
"Jexx," said Dorcan suddenly, yet gently and somewhat hesitantly. "Are you... in a position to tell us... about what happened back in the tunnel?"
Jexx had been hanging back in one of the vans when the reached camp, and after everyone else had gotten out, he did so as well, wandering aimlessly and only taking a small amount of obervation in what was going on, but he still knew what was going on. The Dorcan came up to him and asked him about about earlier.
"I...um, it's kind of a long story, and it seems," Jexx waved a handcannon around, gesturing to the activity, "The Brotherhood is after us, and we need to split as soon as possible. I can tell you in a van, though, I swear I'll tell you everything."
After more than a minute of touch Bab's shoulder, Josh feels a strong wind blowing him toward her and his paw feels a burning touch. With a scream, and clap, Josh find himself in a black room. or land. The sun slowly raising over a garden, as Josh see Bab laying on the green grass down by a babbling brook.
With her eyes close, she sighs "God what a nightmare.. The brotherhood lock me away and controlling my every mood. but Josh, my darling Josh, woke me up. I fought back against the Brotherhood from within my own mind. Still they came to enslave me again. Josh fought to reach me, but they hurt and he needed healing from me. I have to reach for him I healed his pain but his still not there " Bab remembers aloud
Josh Josh Where are you? JOSH Came back!" she cries out with eyes closed for tears, which seem adds to the stream's flow. "Please Josh I am lost, I can't get back." The water level rises, and the girl is endanger of being sweep down stream.
PBH
"Do we have any more takers for a ride with Exo?" Dorcan asked. Since they were travelling in separate vans to reduce the chances of the entire party being intercepted, it looked they just needed to fill out the places and that particular van would be ready. In any case, he was impatient to get going.
Dr Sally says that she will go with Exo...."He can't be that bad on normal roads."
"Jexx?" Dorcan asked, gesturing to Exo's van. "Are you coming? If so, we need to get cracking..."
"Yes! I thought that that was obvious...didn't I say I was gonna get in a van with you?" Jexx said quickly, and headed for Exo's van.
(OOC: Jexx did not say this in a snappy or mean voice, just quickly)
"That was before you knew I'd be traveling with Exo," Dorcan pointed out. "Given his disclaimer about the comfort of his journey, I wasn't sure if you'd want to come. In any case, we're wasting time. Exo, are we ready to take off? "
One of the soldiers approached the group with a portable television, which was currently tuned to the Northon local news channel.
"Hey guys, check this out." He says.
The television showed a reporter standing outside of the Brotherhood tower, and behind him, a mob that had formed around it.
"We are live in front of the Northon Brotherhood tower as a mob rule has broken out. The intended target: The Brotherhood of the Machine. A riot had broken out shortly after a message was broadcast by the Rebellion's leader, Jackson Phoenix. The people here have taken his message to heart, and possibly... too far. Now it's mob rule out here. People are throwing things at the tower, firing weapons at it's upper floors, any Brotherhood zealots that come out of the tower have been rushed, beaten, and trampled." He says. "Earlier today it was uncovered by the Rebellion that the Brotherhood had been using mind controlling chips, which had been covertly implanted into every citizen of Northon, for some as of yet unknown reason. The chips were being fed information by a huge underground transmitter. The existance of the chips have been confirmed by medical experts, and it seems that the transmitter has been destroyed. The Rebellion has taken responsibility for the destruction of the transmitter. Some of the rioters had this to say..." He said.
The scene switched to a group of angry people.
"How dare they control us like that!" One shouted.
"They think they can get away with anything!" Another shouted.
"Let's run 'em out of town!" A third cried out.
Shouts of agreement came from behind them. The scene switched back to the reporter.
"A statement has not yet been released from the Brotherhood Central Tower, and as of right now, all communications to the Central Tower are being ignored. We will keep you updated as the situation changes." He said. "Reporting live from the Northon Brotherhood tower, for Northon Daily News, this is..."
The reporter was interrupted as the soldier turned the television off.
"Looks like we got through to them." The soldier said.
"Well," said Dorcan, "Now I guess we'll see how the Brotherhood deals with a town who opposes them." He didn't look particularly enthusiastic about the prospect. If they had forced the Brotherhood into adopting a more belligerent approach, it would not go down well.
A thought occurred to him. "What about our guests? Are they still as eager to return to the town?"
"I will think, We would be more need than ever. And we would want to see our families." said Dr Chad Westling
"Yea what he said..." said Bill the security guard. " I want to protect my family from the hornet nest you guys stir up."
"Bill, The Brotherhood brought this down on themselves. Still the innocent will be getting it the worst of spillover. And If the Brotherhood starts shooting back... the highest body counts." said Dr Chad "Can Bill and I get a lift to the Southern Hospital...?"
PBH
"Well, I suppose that's up to you," Dorcan replied doubtfully. "I hope you know what you're getting into. Either way, I wish you luck with your endeavours. Now, Exo... are we ready to move out?"
Exo made a slight chuckle at the television, then nodded as it began the sequence to pack up the comms van. "Alright, I think we're ready. The rest of you, make sure you're all packed up to go." It pauses, then turns to Dorcan. "This unit would like to point out that the Brotherhood is in no place to resort to more violent methods of pacification, as this has already thrown a spanner in their collective works to some extent. To resort to violence to pacify the crowds would only increase public awareness of their atrocities and the extents they are willing to go to in order to get what they want - which will only make things worse for them in the long run. Nevermind the sanctions they could be placed under for doing this."
It pondered. "You can be taken as far as the edge of town, as I doubt the Brotherhood would miss the chance to lash out at us." It glances at the soldiers as it clambered into the driver's seat of the now ready to go comms van, after handing out holo-map disks (a small flat CD-sized map that displayed a holographic map of an area, in this case the routes to HQ from Northon, highlighted as red lines on the otherwise flat blueish maps) to the other drivers so they can find their way. "Think you can handle that?"
Josh walked up to Babs in het little dream world. "You're asleep. Wake up! He said as he shook her.
To the Commander of the back up team:
Dr Sally asks, "I know it may be foolish, but I understood his decision. Can one of the re con team drop the good doctor and Bill at the Hospital or the diner near there? Commander." Sally turns and hugs Chad, "I don't like Dr Chad Westling but I understand. Here, the operational step to remove the control chip. Tech guys and I were able to come up with. Take care beloved... And don't forget to email me if you need me?"sob " no I won't cry"*sob*.
The other hear a yell "Wake up!" and then scream "EEEEEEEEK" from one of the van
A sweet sixteen dreamscape
"What do you mean? of course, this a dream, dreamboat. This my dreamland and you are my dream prince" said Bab with her arms around Josh neck.... "But wait, you know this is a dream, and you are hurting me.*ow* Josh, what are you doing here? *blush* like it is not what you think I I ah ...Josh oh" Bab going from embarrassment to shock...."But what are you doing to in my mind? no no no you should be here.....I mean what is happening No!! go away! " Bab tries to push Josh but he is like a ghost and her hand passes though his chest as his whole body glows. Then Bab tries to run away and screaming and Josh sees a red string connecting Bab and him together as she runs away.
Josh wakes up with a screaming Bab shouting" Get out Get out my Head" and her arms flailing.
PBH
"Calm down." Josh said holding Babs to the table. "I got to get ready, go talk to the guy that brought you here he'll tell you what you need to know and what you need to do." He let her up. "It isn't safe for you here anymore." He said walking away.
"BUT ... But I can't go back?" whispers Bab as Josh smells change in the air around the girl squirrel... For a moment, Josh see the woman that Bab will be.... a red haired Beauty and feminine curves, but independent courageous soul stare back at him. ,,, but the moment passes and the teenage returns in two blinks of the eye.
Bab feels alone and depressed as Josh leaves her, she is confused and can't think of what she really wants. go back home or go with the rebels. Josh can feel all her feelings, even her love for him and her fear of him. And she can feel what he is feeling too, now. She has a need for him, but knows, now, it is not love or it may become love down the road. She knows she could be lose herself in the new powerful need for Josh, she would never be the same.
Babs waits until Josh has left to search for some clothes which Dr Sally left her on the bedside. And she wait for Sally.
PBH
As Josh walks away he calles back "Just trust me on this one. You won't regret it!"
"Okay people, let's move out! Last one back to base is a rusty co-processor!"
Once everyone coming with it was in it's van, Exo revved the engine and rolled out, driving off into the forest. Taking the dirt path up to a more reliable mountain road, it drove the van along the winding path.
"I figured you'd all rather we took a slightly more comfortable route back. It's also a decent part faster, though more exposed. This old road hasn't been used in a few years, so we shouldn't have any trouble." it commented, not even looking away from the road.
Bumps don't bother me as much as before, Dorcan thought, but he didn't say it aloud.
Turning to Jexx, the doberman gave him a courteous nod.
"Are you okay to tell us what happened back there in the tunnel?"
Jexx turned to Dorcan when he spoke. "Yeah. About that...Well, it's mostly because that one little realization unlocked a few other things I guess I..ah...wasn't quite ready for. But, for you to understand what this meant to me, I've got to tell you a bit about myself.
"Well, I think I've said a few things about me and 'two years ago' to at least a few of you. The reason for that is..."
Jexx looked up, with a strange expression on his face. "Well, my memory only goes back two years. I have no memory of anything beyond that. But, that's not what I've been trying to hide from everyone. What I was hiding was the reason I don't have any memory. You see, I'm..." Jexx unconciously folded himself up defensively. "I'm an experiment. Of the...Brotherhood of the Machine."
Jexx braced for whatever reactions these revelations might provoke.
Sally sees Chad off with one of the clean up team into the city... Bill is a bit nervous but is glad to be going Home.
Chad, Please Please be careful, The rebels and I will watch out over situation here. But please write to my email address, the rebel filter it but it is the only way I can talk to the world." says Sally. She quickly kiss him and is pulled back for a long kiss good bye...
Babs sits in Exo's Van waits for Sally.... She watches the Rebel teams going back in the city, and wonders if she will ever see her folks again. Or if she should. She can feel Josh outside and the uncomfortable feeling that she should be with him..but why...?
PBH
Dorcan looked Jexx over.
"That you are telling us this freely suggests that the you probably aren't a spy or a member of the Brotherhood in the conventional sense, and that the experiment presumably failed in some way. However, it is quite conceivable that you have some kind of transmitter or tracking device. Have you checked that?"
Exo glances back at Jexx. "Doubtful. If he does, it'll only be accessible to the higher echelons of the Brotherhood." It turns back to the road. "They are good at hiding their work, so a simple scan won't have found it. May be necessary to take a deeper examination once we get back. I suggest conferring with Jackson on the subject."
It pauses. Ominously.
"Besides, you're not the only 'experiment'. This chassis was technically destined to become their latest, advanced killing machine, capable of 'fluid' movement and improvisation, linked into the Brotherhood's network to access information and call for support or supplies whenever necessary or whenever it deemed appropriate. Earlier models were simply automated killing machines barely capable of distinguishing friend from foe. The machine you met back in the tunnels was a crude predecessor. If I were a modern being, then that was a caveman."
It pauses again, making a slight chuckle.
"Not everyone in the Rebellion is a saint. Don't let it get to you."
"Jexx," Dorcan added thoughtfully, "Your great moment of elucidation, if we may call it that, came when I mentioned magical tattoos. Would you mind explaining how that ties in with your condition?"
Jexx looked back to Dorcan. "Ah, yes, about that...Well, it seems I was part of an...unusual Brotherhood project. I believe I've mentioned Project Fusion? Well, as best I can figure, seeing as I blew up most of the labs during my escape, the experiment involved slowly replacing a subject's body entirely with mechanical and cybernetic parts. The realization came when I put together what I had seen with my magical ability. The project was apparently supposed to be done on only those with magical ability. It was supposed to be done in a way that would...allow the subject to keep their magic, even when they were completely metal and wires. In this way, the Brotherhood hoped to create...a perfect fusion between magic and technology. I honestly have no idea why. Anyway, I guess the reason it shocked me was because...I was just unprepared for it. I'm alright now."
Dorcan stiffened, and a slightly haunted look appeared on him for a moment, but it faded quickly and when he spoke again it was with a nonchalant air that he didn't really feel.
"I'll grant I'm not familiar with a system that allows the recipient to retain their powers, but... you're talking about replacing someone's body like it's a bad thing. I mean, if they're dying or something. You said your memory only goes back two years - how do you know it wasn't being done to save your life?"
Did I just defend the Brotherhood?
Jexx looked at Dorcan, quite well shocked. "You completely missed the point! I'm not supposed to be here! I'm supposed to still be in their labs, having hideous experiments done on me, alongside who knows how many others! I did get some information before I escaped, I and whoever else they were experimenting on were supposed to be controlled! We are supposed to be nothing more than super-soldiers to them! Things that they direct at their whim! Our minds were erased, and then...we were literally reprogrammed! I was an UNlucky one, they did this to me over and over again! Erase, reprogram, erase, reprogram...obviously, I don't remember any of this, I just read off of a computer terminal that those were the procedures done to me!"
Jexx's right handcannon morphed to a hand instantly, and Jexx grabbed the front of Dorcan's shirt with it, harshly pulling him close. Jexx certainly had been set off. "My life is gone because of them! I don't know who I am! I don't know who I used to be! I don't even know what my real name is! It's sure as hell not Jexx! You have no idea what it's like to live like this, to live without your own identity! I don't know what it's like to have an identity, except that I'm supposed to have one!"
Jexx then shakily let go of Dorcan, and pulled back a little, a look of rage on his face. "I WANT MY LIFE BACK!" He yelled. He then looked up. His markings and eyes were glowing again, ominously. Jexx had an agonized look on his face, which slowly changed into a deranged, evil smile. He held up a glowing handcannon for display, pointing it at the roof of the car. "And the ironic part..." He said quietly, "Is that I've been using the very weapons they gave me, to kill them...kill the ones who did this to me. And to one day...take back what they took from me."
Deep in the back of his throat, Dorcan growled. He'd never done that since he was a kid, but being grabbed in his already nervous state had pushed him over the edge. He reached out and grasped the handcannon, forcing it back down. If Jexx fired now, he'd blow his own leg off.
"Jexx," he said sternly. "I have never been, as you put it, erased. You are quite right, put like that, what they did to you was far from a mercy, it was horrific. But that's no excuse to behave like an idiot. Now put the guns away."
When Dorcan reached out to grab Jexx's arm and force it back down, his eyes--quite literally--flashed a dangerous red to match his already-glowing markings. With a bit of a snarl, he yanked his arm out of Dorcan's grip. "Don't...touch me." He said. "I'll keep my weapons where I want them. It's the only way I've been able to survive this long. Trust no one."
Jexx, now uncomfortable with the close proximity between him and Dorcan, moved to a different chair more to the back of the van to put some distance betwen them. He then sat back, metal arms (both with fully-morphed handcannons) crossed in front of his bare furred chest, not taking his eyes off of Dorcan, with a very defiant demeanor about him. Gradually, his markings dimmed and died, and his figure relaxed a little.
Good, Dorcan thought - Now he knows what that felt like.
With a faint glow of self-satisfaction, he turned away for a few minutes to give Jexx time to calm down.
"So," he asked casually, as if nothing had happened, "Do you know any magic?"
"No." Jexx said, in a very disdainful voice. "You found out at the same time I did that I had any magic at all. If I ever did know any magic, it's been long erased from me."
"True," Dorcan said. "Although that in itself is rather interesting. Magic, at least where I come from, requires an enormous amount of study. Centuries for the really impressive stuff. Wipe someone's mind and they'd have to re-learn it all, which makes the whole idea seem pretty useless..."
"But on the other hand, the Brothers would have thought of that. I wonder what they were doing?"
With drooping headwings he looked down at his hands, flexing them longingly. In the back of his mind he could almost feel the tingling he used to get whenever he cast a fireball. A forlorn sigh escaped him... in some ways, Jexx had been lucky.
There had been a point, a few minutes ago, when the doberman had almost confessed his cybernetic nature. But from the other's reaction it seemed such things were taboo in this place. Better to keep it under wraps. But eventually the others would put the pieces together, and he would have to stay alert for that day.
"What are you, exactly?" Jexx said suddenly and bluntly. "As if those wings of yours aren't indication enough, you aren't an ordinary person. There ain't no way someone ordinary could just turn my arm-" Jexx clanged it on the side of the van a few times with loud metallic bangs, to demonstrate, "-as easily as you did. So what's going on? Are some supernatural thing, and that's just how strong your muscles are, or is it something else?"
Dorcan hesitated, but only for a moment. "I'm augmented," he replied. That at least should be safe - Eraser had been part-machine as well.
"This is pretty rare for my kind, but I had an accident, and it... became necessary. Unfortunately they botched the job, and it cost me my powers. Mind you, I'm not sure they would have worked anyway in this world."
"If you want to be picky, I'm an incubus, a magical creature. Normally, we're shapeshifters with a lifespan of 30 centuries or so, and great skill at magic." He ran his hand across his headwings.
"These are the telltale. There are other creatures with back-wings, but only we have these."
Glad to finally be on the road again, as he was in desperate need of a shower and a peppermint latte, Morgan pulled his van out and assumed a safe distance behind the one Exo was operating.
He scanned the radio frequencies in his head until he found a suitable channel playing pleasant melodies. Loading his autopilot program into the CTC, he linked it to the navigation system in the van and allowed the automatic systems to drive the van while he enjoyed the music.
Once the song on Morgan's radio ended, a little newsblurb came on the air, telling about the recent events in Northon. It seems that the news of the rioting, and the Brotherhood's subsequent slow-paced retreat, was beginning to spread around.
Josh had a wicked smile on his face. "We did good. Those monsters won't know what hit em..." Rideing shotgun Josh reclined his seat and rested his eyes. "What do ya think Jackson will have us do next now that we've proven our abilities?" he asked Morgan.
Morgan smiled somewhat knowingly, "We have proven a facet of our ability and an iota of our trustworthiness. However, in an organization like the Rebellion, we have yet to be fully proven. We will likely receive more sensitive missions and must continue to prove ourselves. Eventually we will be deemed fully trustworthy and can be brought fully into the fold. Phoenix would be foolish to fully trust us after one mission, no this kind of game is like a carefully played hand of Poker (OOC: or appropriate card game here). At any rate, though, we have done a good thing."
While Dorcan was talking, Jexx raised an eyebrow and repeated "Augmented." to himself a little skeptically. But when Dorcan went on about magical creatures, incu-something-or-others, shapeshifting, and wingies like nothing, both Jexx's eyebrows raised up to a ridiculous hight. He slowly turned his seat around, whistling and saying in a slighlty joking tone, "I'm sorry I asked!"
Sally and Babs sat beside each other in Exo's van. The young girl squirrel seems depressed but then smiled a moment and jumped up to looked at back to the other van. "Josh is happy about something," she thought.
The otter woman just look at the girl, and Bab scrambled back into her seat and looks out the window.. The Doc just patted the girl on the shoulder and smiled at her. Babs looks less worried and then sighs
"What is happening to me? ah What will happen to me.?" asks Babs to the window...
"We don't know. We are all going through changes, but we will have to see about you. You will have to find some of your own answers but you can talk to us. We help you thought it." says Sally and looks back to the other van. "It will take time, you have to give yourself and Josh some time, too."
"Somehow, I don't think I have much time to sort it out with Josh... I barely know him, but I feel I must be near him, hug him and love him now, right now. And then I questioned myself why? I have no answer. but "BECAUSE, YOU MUST" then I get scared" says Bab.
That is Lust,, He is cute.. fearless, a little dangerous. But he is a good male, I can tell, he doesn't want to hurt you" says Sally.
"Lust? No this drive is something more than that something deeper .... But it is not love either" says Bab puzzles. "And what about my folks? Can I call them?" cries Bab.
"We will try to call them..." Sally reassures Babs "Exo, Can we get a secure line to Bab's house?"
PBH
"Is there some local taboo about cybernetic implants?" Dorcan asked nervously, as Jexx didn't seem so happy about his confession that he had augmentations. It was true after a fashion...
Jexx turned back around in his seat at Dorcan's question, a sort of incredulous look on his face. "Um, no. Well, at least, near as I can tell. Like I said, I haven't been around for long, and my contact with others has been...limited...But from what I can gather, most people who can afford 'em got 'em. Ususally just little implants to optimize someone's life, but it's not uncommon for augmentation mods or even full-on replacement."
"You're right, I keep forgetting that," Dorcan said. "Still, two years or whatever it was is still two years longer than I've been here."
"Guess you're right." Josh said. "Yay for b**** work. So I guess that Babs girl's on board.... so much for get the chip n' get out."
"I hope she can prove useful, liabilities make missions very difficult."
Morgan quietly hoped that these people would all settle into a cohesive group, but too many wildcards existed. Oh well, he thought to himself, they could all be kids and pacifists.
"Time will tell. The old mages used to say a day of experence is worth decades of studing. I just hate to see her drug into this mess 'unwillingly'." Josh shifted in his seat and yawned.
The 'bot shrugs. "A secure line is unlikely given the Brotherhood's perversion of technology, but we may be able to arrange something once we get back to HQ. Until then, however, outside contact will have to be minimal in order to maintain cover. The network may be big, but we still can't afford to lose anybody."
"Thanks Exo...Why Bab, we will have to wait. I'm afraid if we try to call your parents the Brotherhood may take notice of them. " says Sally. Bab groansand just looks out the window until they get to HQ.
PBH
As the group approached the city that held their HQ, some obviously rebellion vehicles intercepted them, and provided an escort. They were smaller, fast moving vehicles with rebellion logos, a sword behind a shield, painted on their sides. The escort led them to the warehouse where they had first gathered, and then led them behind the warehouse, into a structure behind it where other vehicles were parked. It appeared to be some sort of vehicle staging area. As the group would disembark, they would be approached by a rebellion officer, a rather musclebound looking wolverine, bearing the insignia of a lieutenant.
"Good job in Northon everyone. You really hit 'em where it hurts. I'm Lt. Armstrong. I'll be debriefing you until Jackson arrives. I'll need you to all to return any weaponry you were given to the armory, and then we can begin the debriefing." He says in a gruff voice.
He points over to the other side of the staging area where there was a door with a sign that simply read 'Armory'.
"Just give your weapons to the man in there and then report back to the main warehouse for debriefing." He says. "I'm sure you all have questions, but save them until after the debriefing."
With that he turned and walked out, heading towards the main warehouse.
Dorcan couldn't help but feel a trifle let down by the reception.
Don't be silly... what were you expecting? A party? The slaying of the fatted calf? Nonetheless, he walked calmly into the armoury and handed in his weapons as expected.
In the back of his mind, there was a faint tingle of paranoia. If the Brotherhood had somehow taken over while they were away, handing over the weapons would have been the ideal first step. And it might explain why Jackson had delegated the reception to someone they'd never seen before.
Don't be daft, he told himself, as he headed to the briefing area in the warehouse. You've been watching too many movies. The Brotherhood haven't displayed any subtlety at all so far... it's probably just a safety precaution. Besides, you didn't have much in the way of weapons anyway, just a handgun and some stunners...
Paranoia or no, he resolved to keep his eyes and ears open...
Josh put his toys away in the armory, but he could help a sniffle when he put away the holo projecter thingy. "I barely knew ye." He kept, however his hand gun that he had brought to the first meeting. it was his after all.
Jexx nonchalantly looked at his handcannons, gave a slight huff, and said to himself, "Just gimme something else to shoot."
He followed the rest into the briefing room.
Morgan stretched after disembarking from the van, he coolly regards lieutenant Armstrong before nodding courtly and moving off towards the armoury.
Wow, what a stunning welcome and congratulations. I did not exactly expect a parade and an executive suite, but it just seems bland. Oh well, as long as the pay is worth it, I'll get over it.
At the armoury, he produced a single 10mm pistol and a few extra clips, "did not see much use I am afraid, or is that a good thing? The stun pistols, the second autopistol and anti-materiel rifle are all mine to begin with or were acquired on mission, but not from your assets."
He then produced the laptop and handed it over, "This was of great help, please be sure to wipe it clean after you pull any useful data off of it."
With that task completed, Morgan immediately headed to where Armstrong had gone.
"Bab, you need to stay here...." Sally calls after the young squirrel, who goes after Josh, but she stops at the door to the armory. She waits for him to come out. She smiles at him alittle when he comes out.
Sally doesn't go to the armory since she did get a weapon from the weapons. She waits for Lt Armstrong to starts
PBH
Josh grabs her shoulder and walks with her. "Let's go get you and Jackson aquainted."
Bab smiles at feel of Josh's paw and lets him lead her into the warehouse and tales a seat near him. She wishes to lean towards him. but straightens up and looks at Lt Armstrong
"Jackson who?" she asks when she finally wonders about what Josh said.
Exo parks the van and climbs out, going straight for the warehouse as all of it's equipment is it's own, although it does make sure it's handgun is unloaded and that there are no rounds in the chamber. Once inside the warehouse and debriefing room, it takes up position in a quieter corner of the room, arms folded.
As soon as Babs is brought to the warehouse, a couple of rebellion soldiers approach her and Josh.
"She needs to be taken to be screened." One of the soldiers says.
The other takes her by the arm and leads her off. Babs looks over her shoulder at Josh. The other soldier pats Josh's shoulder.
"Don't worry, she'll come back in one piece. We just gotta be sure she's not a spy or anything. Security protocol, you understand." He says. "You on the other hand have to report to the debriefing room."
Once everyone was situated in the debriefing room, Lt. Armstrong entered, carrying a handful of files. He strode over to a podium and dumped the files on top of it. He cleared his throat rather loudly to get everyone's attention.
"First off, we are considering the whole of your Northon operation a success. You will notice that your various bank accounts have recieved a healthy sum from several reputable sources. That is your payment." He says.
He clears his throat again.
"We are relatively pleased with the way things happened in Northon. As it stood, your orders were to investigate the situation and report back your findings. Optionally, if you felt that you could remedy the situation then you were given the green light to do so." He said. "Your investigation revealed that the Brotherhood was actively controlling the minds of an entire town. To what end, we have yet to figure out, though there are quite a few theories, and to top it all off, they're being tight-lipped about the entire thing. They're even going so far as to claim that the whole thing was perpetrated by a splinter cell within the Brotherhood. We don't believe that for a moment, and few others do as well. We've been recieving reports from our white-coats about the nature of the devices used to control these people, as well as all the information produced by Dr. Joywaves on the subject. In any case, you completed the primary objective of the mission."
He stopped for a few moments to let that all sink in.
"The optional objective, to remedy the situation, was also completed satisfactorily. The squad that was dispatched to that area was sent specifically to remedy the situation should you have chosen not to do so, and then further secure the town. Instead, you utilized them in the destruction of the transmitter. We are rather pleased with your resourcefulness. The squad's sergeant sent us a report, but I want to hear from you about what happened at the transmitter. What exactly happened when you got there?" He asks.
I haven't got a bank account, Dorcan thought. Nonetheless, he'd led the transmitter expedition, so it was only right that he should make the report.
"Did you have anything specific in mind, Sir?" he asked. "We approached the transmitter via the tunnel. Jexx destroyed most of the turrets, which did cause him to glow in strange ways. Anyway, we eventually made our way to the transmitter, which was suspended above a void. As this point we were attacked by an Exo unit of some description, which we destroyed by blowing the catwalk out from under it. We then sent a detailed report of the transmitter configuration back to base so that they could determine the optimum points to place charges. This we did, ran like heck and blew it up."
He paused. "At least, I presume we blew it up. We didn't exactly go back and check. Oh yes, and when we were under attack by the robot, Jexx was glowing again. I believe it happens when he is feeling particularly, uh, psyched up," he added lamely.
Jexx had a confused look on his face when the 'bank accounts' and 'payment' were mentioned by Armstrong, but he seemed a little smug when Armstrong started complimenting the job they did.
Then when Dorcan started talking about him specifically, he shuffled uncomfortably and unconsciously ducked his head a bit, trying to become smaller and more unnoticeable.
Dorcan glanced at Jexx with an apologetic look. "I'm sorry," he said, "but they have to know. It might be important."
The lieutenant nodded to Dorcan's explanation of what had happened in there.
"Yes, the reports from the squad did mention an EXO-1800. I thought we had gotten the last of them, but it looks as if the Brotherhood still has some in reserve. And the explosives did wreck up the transmitter something fierce." He says.
He stops to think for a moment.
"Jexx, if you'd consent to it, I think that we should have our whitecoats look you over. This glowing thing seems a bit odd to me. If you think you have everything under control, then it's fine, but we will need to be monitoring you." He says. "Oh, and another thing, I know some of you don't have bank accounts... so we've taken the liberty of setting up accounts for you, under assumed names of course."
He picks up one of the files.
"Now let's see here... who do we have..." He says as he rummages through the papers in the file.
"Lt Armstrong, The money is good and all . But I would like to be in on that the girl's exam, and Josh's exam with the Labcoats.. There is something about these two. Bab's powers seems to attach to Josh, or he is amplifies her powers. The girl is a raw recruit, she has no skills and her raw power is barely under her control. She need our training and help but I am not sure she should go on the next mission. She is also connect to Josh, which way I don't know, but I will report in private with Jackson and Josh once I know. She and Josh will have to work somethings out themselves. I fear that her survive depend on her getting powers under control." said Dr Sally
PBH
"Out of interest, how are bank accounts accessed in these parts?" Dorcan asked casually, glancing at Jexx of the metal arms. "I've seen a number of people with augmentations, so I presume it's some kind of passcode or ID number rather than biometrics, right?"
"Sir," Josh spoke up. "The money is nice, but....where will we be staying? I really feel like a warm shower and a good hot meal." Josh shifted in his chair and it creaked. "And, uh, not to sound like an ungrateful asshole but, how much did we get? And how do I access mine?"
"Good point," Dorcan agreed. "Not all of us exactly have homes to go to."
The lieutenant shook his head.
"You know we can't do that doctor. You can have a chance to examine her if she clears the screening process. Don't worry, you know as well as I do that the screening is a painless process, unless she's got some kind of psychic shielding." He says, and then clears his throat. "To answer your other questions, you can go to any of the First International Bank branches and simply present your account information. Here is your account information, along with how much you got."
He passed papers to those who didn't already have bank accounts. The papers showed their current balances, which displayed a healthy sum of money, not quite enough to retire on, but enough to do almost anything else with.
"Those of you who already have accounts will find that they're nicely fattened up." He says. "Also, if you want, we have barracks here. Though you'll find a hotel to be much more accomodating. But if you prefer, and if Mister over there will agree to it, we still have his home, still safe and in one piece. Any other questions?"
Jexx raised an eyebrow as his account papers were passed around, looking them over in his metal hands. Having never used a 'bank' (or even money) before, he had no idea what it was, or what all the numbers on the paper meant. He briefly thought of incinerating it just because, but since everyone else seemed to take great interest he decide that whatever, maybe someday it will become important to him to. He folded it up and placed it in a pocket on his shorts.
Having no concept of raising one's hand, Jexx simply blurted out, "All this 'bank' and 'money' and 'hotels' and stuff is all nice 'n'all, but when do I get to go burn some more Brotherhood? I didn't get enough at that Northon place, just a couple wimpy zealots, some autoturrets, and a knockoff of our own Exo here, which I didn't even have the pleasure of killing. So, we gonna get a new mission soon? Or do I have to find one myself?" Jexx didn't sound like he was joking. "And where's that Jackson guy? I just wanna make sure he remembers our deal."
"Cool it Jexx, enjoy your down time, other wise you'll find you passion just may kill you." Josh didn't seem to show much infletion in the statement, it was just kind of there. "Everything is fine, Sir. If you don't mind I'll stick around to fill Babs if when she gets out of screening."
Dorcan was taken aback at Jexx's outburst. After a shocked silence, he eventually decided to pretend it hadn't happened. Still, it was an interesting form of amnesia he'd been subjected to, if he didn't remember about money. Usually with cases like that the subject remembered everything except their identity. Basic concepts like commerce usually remained in place...
"Sir, I think the barracks should be fine for me, if that's not a problem." He glanced over his shoulder at the black dragon-like wings on his back. "Winged creatures don't seem to be the norm here, so I can't exactly check in at a hotel without causing a scene."
The lietenant opened his mouth to speak, but he was interrupted by someone laughing in the back of the room. He looked up and saw that Jackson had finally arrived.
"Hah ha! I like your spirit Jexx. And you'll soon get your chance." Jackson says as he moves to the front of the room. "Excellent work in Northon everyone. Now, while I still have you all here, how would you like to do some more important, and possibly dangerous, work for the rebellion?"
Josh grinned. "I like the sound of it. Maybe this time I'll get to practice more of my magic on the goons."
"What kind of mission are we talking about, and how soon?" Dorcan asked. Although he didn't exactly need to rest, he preferred to give the impression that he did. And while it was unlikely they were thinking of a suicide mission, a little prudence never hurt anybody.
Needless to say, Jexx was visibly latched onto Jackson's words from 'soon you'll get your chance'. For once, the psychotic little cyborg furre didn't say anything, he just listened, waiting for the mission explanation.
Josh looked at Jexx funny. "O.K. He's quiet and that scares me." The scrapeing of his chair could be heard edgeing away from Jexx.
Exo nods to Jackson as he makes his presence known, then stretches a bit, taking a couple of steps toward the center of the room.
"Query: Only 'possibly' dangerous, Jackson?" the 'bot makes something that sounds like a deep and slightly sinister mechanical chuckle "Last time you said that... well, nevermind. What did you have in mind, Sir?"
"So we get paid and encouraged to take a break, but you are going to tell us about a mission before we go away for the weekend? or a week? or whatever. Am I going to able finish my unpacking at my apartment? Hmmm. Before this thing, Should I buy Milk? Diner and Mess hall food is giving me some stomach problems... Burahp OH." Said Sally
"excuse me"
PBH
Morgan examined the paper and nodded approvingly, "quite respectable indeed. It would be nice to take a hot shower, get some warm food a tad better then a cut lunch and a nice bit of sleep in my own bed. I am intrigued to learn what will be the next operation, I nary say I share Jexx's... enthusiasm for violence, but I do enjoy causing a bit of mischief with the Brotherhood."
The rusty haired lad fished about his pockets and produced a set of keys. He pressed something on a fob attached to the ring and an audible chime was heard from it. A short time later a small sport coupe pulled up near the most convenient entrance and parked itself. The engine powered down and it wait. From the key fob could be heard and audible, "Welcome back sir. I hope all is well."
Jackson seemed pleased at their positive responses. He turned to Armstrong and clapped him on the shoulder.
"Why don't you go check on that new girl, I'll fill them in on what I've got in mind." Jackson said.
The lieutenant saluted.
"Yes sir." He said, and then walked out of the room.
Jackson turned back to the group.
"As most of you already know, a Brotherhood tower is an almost impenatrable fortress. We've only managed to get a spy in one of them, but even he's in a completely low-level area. Dorcan, you had met him when you first appeared. The Brotherhood towers come in three different versions: City-Control towers, the ones that you see near cities, Waypoint towers, located between cities which we believe act as messaging routers between towers, and the Central tower in Capitol City, which is the largest tower and what we believe to be the Brotherhood headquarters... possibly the very home of the one they call 'Mother'." He said. "Recently, intelligence has found possibly the rarest opportunity for us. The Brotherhood has just started constructing a new Waypoint tower, and it's only a day's drive away from here."
Jackson turned and walked to the back of the room. He pushed a button on a control panel on the wall and a screen came down. He clicked a few other buttons, punched in a passcode, and then the lights dimmed and a projector hidden in the wall on the other side of the room came to life and displayed a sattelite image of the fields east of their current location. Circled in red and surrounded in handwritten notes was what appeared to be the beginnings of a cylidrical structure, obviously the construction site for the new tower. Not far to the west of the site, running north and south is what appears to be a dried up riverbed.
"It's a fairly remote area, not a whole lot of cover. They will most likely see you coming. Except, there's a dried up riverbed that runs along the west side of the site. The Brotherhood appear to be using the riverbed as a storage area, as you can see here on the image. So they would most likely have guards posted there, but if they're taken out quietly, you might be able to slip in unnoticed. Or you might try a full-on frontal assault. Whatever floats your boat." He says. "The primary mission objective is to collect as much data from this new tower as you possibly can. Anything that they have stored in their computer systems, we want. It will all most likely be encrypted. If it is, don't try to decrypt it. Leave that to our cryptography boys. The optional part of this mission, which I'm sure you won't mind accomplishing, is to destroy this tower. Since it's still under construction, it's not operational, and we don't want it to be. So find a way to make sure that the construction never finishes."
He looks around for a moment, letting all that sink in.
"The tower should be partially operational within a few weeks, so you have time to kick back and relax, spend your hard-earned money. But keep in mind that the sooner you start on this mission, the easier it will be. The further they get on with the construction of this tower, the more defenses it will have. So don't wait until the last minute, or we'll have to abort the mission. When you're ready, requisition whatever you feel you will need from the armory. This includes vehicles and other soldiers. As you've seen, we have specialists in many different areas, and they're at your disposal." He says. "And of course, you'll recieve a hefty payment for the completion of your mission objective, and a bonus for destroying the tower. So that's it, any questions?"
Outside the briefing room, a soldier leads Babs to a set of chairs. Apparantly she had come up clean.
"Just wait here, they're still going through their briefing." The soldier said. "When they're done they'll come out. Welcome to the rebellion Babs."
He gave her a salute and wandered off.
"So..." Dorcan began slowly, "Am I to understand that the tower's construction is performed in stages? And that as soon as the first section is complete they will have that part of it 'live' while they work on the next section?"
He paused.
"This is probably a silly idea, but would it be possible to plant some kind of backdoor and let them finish it?"
Jackson shook his head.
"Not exactly in stages, more like levels. From what information we've gathered on their construction methods, they build the tower from the ground level up, and each level's defenses at the same time. If you move in while they're still working on the ground level, then those defenses may not be active yet." He says.
Jexx was near stupified with psychotic glee when Jackson finished his explanation of the mission. An actual move against a Tower! He barely heard Dorcan speak, or Jackson's responce.
Eventually he shook his head and stood up. "Well, if the earlier we strike, the weaker they are, I'll go right now!" Suddenly noticing the looks he was getting, Jexx quickly added, "Not to, y'know, actually attack them...just, more of an...uh, recon thing, right?" The more he talked, the weaker he spoke. "I can use a radio, so I won't...have to actually come back...and...maybe I could do a little sabotage...y'know, just harrasing the supplies, ruining the tools...setting off a big detpack in the middle of everything..." Jexx's smile was so weak a mouse could have shattered it. The only kind of person who wouldn't be able to see Jexx's real intentions would be a social dimwit.
Jexx slowly sat back down. "I'll just...um...shut up now." he said, self-defeated.
Once Jexx settled down, Jackson cleared his throat.
"Jexx, your enthusiasm to put the Brotherhood down is commendable, and I realize you're eager to get going and smash in your fair share of heads, but remember that you all are a unit, so you need to work together as one, just as you did in Northon." He says.
Babs quietly finds a seat in the back as Jackson finish up the briefing. She wonders what she could add to these psycho warriors. Dr Sally looks like she fixes in, but she is doctor. Sally turns to the back and smiles, motions to the girl to come closer.
But Babs waits for the end of the briefing.
"So, Do we have a week before the tower's first level is complete, more or less? We all need about three days of rest, and then we could use some recon information on the tower,and with planning and maybe even some training drills. Oh, I know you, boys and your games." commended the Doc. "Maybe this time, we can have more of a semi=plan before we leave HQ"
PBH
"I concur," said Dorcan. "A properly worked-out plan would be good, although you know what they say... the plan survives until the battlefield. Nonetheless, we will need a few days to recover." And I'll need a few days to learn about the world, he added mentally.
"I hate to admit it but I agree with Jexx... If we go in now while there's less security then that means the less we have to risk. I'm sure nobody wants anyone to die here." Josh looked stern. "Let's rest for three days then grab some thing to store the info on and some guns and roll out."
Jackson straightened up and went back to the control panel and shut off the projector and brought the lights up. He produced a file folder and placed it on top of the podium.
"Here's all the intelligence we have on the site. And with that, we're done here. I'll be around if anyone needs to talk to me. Remember, my door is always open." He says.
He then heads out, back towards his office.
"Time is of the essence, but on the other hand, we do need a break," Dorcan pointed out, as Jackson left. "Some of us have been on our feet for more than 24 hours at a stretch. If we go now, our attack - with no plan - will consist of falling asleep outside the tower.
"Anyway. Let's see what's in the folder before we make a decision," he said, opening it up and scanning the contents.
The folder contains a copy of the map they were shown along with spy reports of movements of supplies, tools, materials, weapons, as well as the movements of zealots and enforcers, along with the latest guard positions. One spy notes that it seems that the riverbed where all the supplies are kept is rather lightly guarded.
Morgan sat quietly, he took in the information as anyone would, but kept his thoughts quiet for the moment. When the file folder was placed on the podium, he approached the podium with Dorcan and also perused the contents of the folder.
Morgan made special note to take scans of all the documentation and overlay it with a satellite map downloaded from Quest.
"I suggest we get some rest, but probably a limited amount of time... a few days at most as Josh suggested. It does not preclude us from planning as we take a break, I'll add my suggestion to it all." Morgan paused before continuing, "I would suggest a stealthy approach, using the riverbed, but perhaps we should time such a maneuver with a direct assault... as a distraction. A fighting force utilizes a classic lure to force the enemy to commit its combat forces to maneuver to engage them, while a special operations team moves in to eliminate structural, command and control and support assets, as well as obtaining any intelligence from the enemy's systems."
Suddenly, a dim light came on in the shadows, and a dimmer voice came from it's vicinity.
"So... are you gonna need a pick on this mission?"
A small man clad in dark clothes stepped from the shadows, his steps sounding much like that of a mouse. He held up his right hand, brandishing a nano lockpick in the place of his little finger. His left arm was odd... almost as if half of it was missing, and the scorches at the bottom of the sleeve added more to the conundrum.
"Cause i'm all that you need."
"Oh goddess, not another macho dimlight warrior or Are you the prince of thieves? Please leave impress teens back at whichever schoolyard you came from... and save the dramatic phrases for someone who cares." Says the otter female doctor. "I am Dr Sally Joywaves and I am sure the staff look you over before you got here to this point . But Do step into my office when you are ready for your medical exam."
"Babs, you will need to assist me, and get my bag from the van" orders the doctor, as Dr Sally Joywave walk to a small office in the hanger bay. Sally turns to Jackson and asks, "Will there be anything else, we need to know about this mission, today? Commander". Babs runs out to the van give the doctors' medical bag. Sally waits at the door to the small offices for the new comer to enter the small office and /or if Jackson was indeed finish with his briefing with rest of the troops.
PBH
"I imagine we're more likely to encounter electronic locks and other defences than the good old-fashioned mechanical variety," the doberman remarked to the newcomer.
"Anyway. Dorcan Ja'Fell," he said, holding out a hand. "And you are...?"
Lewis took the hand in his right and shook firmly.
"I'm Lewis. Lewis Nicolas."
"Pleased to meet you," Dorcan replied. "What did you say your specialities specialities were? Aside from locks, that is?"
"Well, excluding locks, I'm also handy with my saber."
Lewis pulled up his left sleeve to reveal that he had an inactive laser saber device where his lower arm should be.
(OOC - This is kinda hard to explain... the saber comes out below the elbow)
EDIT - Mentioned the saber is off
Dorcan's ears pricked up. "An energy blade?" he asked, and glanced towards Jexx and his metal arms. "Wouldn't a prosthesis have been a bit more flexible, though?"
"I'd like to think I'm reasonably good with a sword myself, although I didn't think there would be much call for that skill when the Brotherhood are armed with projectile weapons."
Lewis rolled his sleeve back down.
"Well, i was born with some kind of problem in the motor nerves in my left arm, so all it could do was move jerkily."
He reached to his lower back and pulled out a laser pistol.
"And don't worry, I've taken the Brotherhood's armament into account."
"A laser saber? Well now, not as clumsy or random as a gun, an elegant weapon for a more civilized time." Morgan smiled slightly to himself after making his comment and turned to everyone else.
"Melee weapons are not as well used now as they were, but never discount a skilled wielder of the sword, staff or other similar weapons."
"At close range, Still I am worried about your nerve condition, you speak of. I will have to look at that. Many conditions can be adjust for in most cyber limbs, if it is not progressive." says Doc Sally from the door of her office. Babs returns with her medical bag.
"When you are ready Mr Lewis" said Sally
PBH
"What's the power source?" Dorcan asked, looking at the sabre. "And does anyone have any comments on Morgan's suggestion, or alternative ideas? The only thing I see with it is that we would have to try and make a convincing dummy motive out of the diversion. Say, trying to steal their building materials or something. If we attack for no obvious reason, logically it would have to be a diversion."
"Maybe later, Dorcan, but right now, I've got an appointment with Doctor Doom."
Well, he's friendly, think I've made a new friend...
Lewis made his way to Dr. Joywaves' office.
"What was it you needed?"
"Well, whatever the specifics are, I'll certainly be with the frontal assault diversion force." Jexx smiled wickedly. "Though I'm sure you already guessed that."
"An elegant weapon for a more civilized time, eh?" the warbot would grin, if it could. "Well guess what. Times have changed."
Taking on a more serious tone, it nods to Dorcan. "There is an issue with that, however, in that the more covert approach route is, in fact, where they are storing aforementioned construction materials. Believe me when I say we are not at a loss for construction materials, and petty theft achieves little..."
It taps it's chin, apparently deep in thought. "The distractionary assault force, however, could masquerade as a simple recon op, with the main goal of gathering intelligence on the defenses and stage of completion. This information could then be transmitted both to the infiltration team and back to headquarters via an almost undetectable tight-band transmission. We then allow ourselves to be discovered and engage in combat, stalling a retreat as long as possible, before returning (possibly with reinforcements) for a more drawn out engagement. The Brotherhood will ideally not have detected either transmission and thus send a majority of their forces to intercept us before we can 'escape' with the information."
The doctor comes to Lewis
"Mr Lewis, I will only be examming you with my medical scanner." said Sally with her handheld flashing light like device. She waves the light over Lewis's cyborg arm and then the otter woman places her hand on his shoulder as she scan the other side of boy's body.
Doc Sally's scans tell her about his vital signs and his body's health status. The boy's nerve activity around the arm is normal. That is as normal as an average being's unhurt arm would be. The tech-scan shows that the cyber bio links alignment at bare minimum levels for the level of cyber hardware he has, and the bio sensors and nerves were offend fighting each other in some areas which were disabled.
Sally's own magic scan see the boy's arm as whole arm. A ghost arm lay over the machine arm, but what the boy could do with this information? She had seen others with ghost limbs before but the ghost arm never fought against the cyber links before.
"Well, I will have to check my scans with some of the data bases and maybe run some test on you, It looks like it is a misalignment with the cyberware and the biosensor, but there maybe something else going on. And you need to eat more veggies. You are low in your vitamines..." said the doctor with a pat on the kid's back as she goes back towards the office. "Did they ever give you a name of this nerve condition?"
PBH
"In that case, could we tentatively divide up into groups?" Dorcan asked. "Jexx would obviously want to be in the assault force, as he says. Personally, I'm probably a better match for the stealth group."
"I don't really know, I've never been to a payed doctor in my life. Do you thiunk you could fix it?"
"I'd like to be in the assult group." Josh smiled "Someone has to keep the little psycho from Death's cold clutch."
Sally finishes her scan, and tells Lewis, "Well, I can fine tune the arm to your biosensers, and then we run some tests to see if your arm can be match up to your bioseners or not, your may need a new cyber matrix...Sometimes, people feel things from the cut nerves even if there is nothing to feel. Your nerves are weak, a bit fried, so we will see. Do you ever feel anything beyond your stump, like here?" Asks the doc. She reaches out a touches the ghost fingers. Lewis feels a warm heat source on or near his cyber arm. Like he is hold a warm cup of coffee or a hold a hand. The first time he has felt touch since they replaced his arm.
"Josh, which psycho are you watching out for? and who is going to be watching out for you." Asks Sally. "Josh, Which are you, Batman or the Joker? or which one is crazier, Jexx or you?" Babs just lets a small giggle loose, but quickly turns a straight face to Lewis as she helps the doctor
"Babs and myself will be on the Stealth team or as a Backup team. Someone needs to watch out for all you psychos" said Sally
PBH
"Well that begs the question of wich Batman and wich Joker now dosent it? I think I'm the Joker... The intellegant and demented Joker. Wolverine over here however just wants to pick a fight...Some one needs to be calm in the heat of battle." Josh laughed a bit. "I'm way too freaking much of a comic nerd."
Lewis went pale, this was the strangest feeling he had ever experienced.
"Whu...Wha...What did you just do? For a moment, it was like i could feel something..."
"I like the irony That the Joker wouldn't be the Joker, If Batman had not caused him to fall into that vat of chemicals, but the Batman wouldn't exist if the young punk, who would be the Joker hadn't killed Bruces Wayne's Parents in the movie." says Babs.
The Doctor pulls her hand from the kid's phantum hand, and says "Well. it shouldn't be anything, many amputee still feel something from their lost paw or hand, but if you feel something like it again without me. Let me know. Meanwhile, I will have to work something about your nerve problems. Maybe the lab rats can built a hand or something you can use."
PBH
Lewis, still stunned by this new sensation, was slow to reply.
"Eh, yeah... that'd be great..."
Sally rolls and crushes a sheet of paper and suddenly throws at Lewis on his cyber-arm side. She shouts "Catch!". Whether he catch it or not, she watches with magic sight to see if Lewis's ghost hand will reach out to catch the ball of paper. And she see that the ghost hand still reachs for the paper, but the boy is unware of it.
"Mr Lewis, There are many things that are real in our world, which is never dream of in the Brotherhood's reality. Some of their fears are fake and they know it, but some of it is more real than they couldn't believe possible." Says Doc Sally. "If you are going to stick around, you better start believing anything is possible. And we all have some power over our own paths. So, What do you want if you had a real choice, Your real paw back, a cyber hand that really works as a hand. or a magical ghost hand that can grab anything in your sight? Hey if you going to dream, dream big, kid, but for now just think about it. I don't know what is possible, And I need a few days to research your problem"
Sally gets up and walks towards the exit, "Jackson, Is there anything else? I need a shower, food and some rest. The rest of guys better think about some rest, too. No plotting the downfall of the brotherhood all night."
remarks Sally as she leaves the hanger.
PBH
"She has a point," Dorcan said. "If someone can show me to a spare bed in the barracks, that would be much appreciated."
And since it seems I'm going to be here for the long haul, I suppose I'll have to buy some more clothes in the morning.
"Yeah, I'm feeling shattered myself. Anyone got a bed or something? Hell, I'll sleep on the floor."
Morgan yawned and waved to his new comrades, "Good day to you mates, but I think I shall retire to my flat for a bit of rest. I'll be by tomorrow, I must make arrangements to shift my schedule to working from home for a bit. Shouldn't be a problem with Zenithsoft, plus it is still a good cover. I'll be on network, feel free to plot and plan online, otherwise see you in the morning. Cheers."
Morgan wandered off towards his vehicle and the waiting embrace of his bath and bed.
The 'bot holds up a finger, then points at one of the doors. "Head down that corridor and it'll be the first on the left. Mess hall is just opposite."
"As I do not require extended shutdown periods, I will remain here and analyze the plans we have for any further information. I suggest the rest of you get whatever sleep you need."
"Righto, I'll be hitting the sack then. Anyone want to help me go apartment shopping tomarrow?" Josh laughed heading for the mess hall for a quick snack before heading to bed.
"Yeah, right. If i went apartment shopping, I'd fall asleep from sheer dullness."
Lewis turned into the barracks, looking for a bed that was devoid of an owner.
Dorcan followed the directions he was given and located an empty bunk. There were a few odd glances on account of his wings, but no-one bothered him. He curled up, lying on his side so his wings weren't squashed, and closed his eyes.
The mental powers and magic were something he missed of course, but they were decades gone by now and it wasn't really something he'd exactly overused when he was alive anyway. But there was one thing he had missed from that time, something which Jakob had given back to him. The ability to dream.
Morgan passed by Armstrong on his way out and gave him a business card, "I know you chaps can contact me easily, but just in case you don't have my regular contact information."
He waved casually and slipped into the seat of his car. Already ready to go, the car headed casually out the way it came. Morgan planned a creative and scenic drive back to his apartment in case he picked up a tail.
Quote from: lucas marcone on February 04, 2008, 10:18:20 AM
"Righto, I'll be hitting the sack then. Anyone want to help me go apartment shopping tomarrow?" Josh laughed heading for the mess hall for a quick snack before heading to bed.
"I will help find something, Josh. I am sure I can help find something for you, Honey buns" says Babs. The girl squirrel come up after Josh as he heads to the mess hall. "Suring, You can afford me a dinner here, Kind Fur."
**** Base Gym *******
Sally heads to gym and the girls locker room showers.
(Goddess she needed a swim.) She has been at the base for a little longer than the rest of the team and found a place just off the base. The small house by the river was too close to the industial park and warehouses to be good home for a family. Sally was need on the base too much of the time to be too far from it. Yet, she hasn't been home too long enough to unpack much either. The Rebels had increased security around her place, because they thought it was unsafe despite it being close the HQ. Still, she like it and the hot tub.
After a quick drip in the gym pool, Dr Sally goes for a bite to eat and to see if anyone else was still eating, before she Goes to see Jackson will see her.
PBH
Josh rummages around in the food stores then opens two large cans emptys them into bowels and throws them into a microwave. Then readys some buns. "I'm sure they won't miss a can or two of sloppy joe's" He smiled at her.
Lewis poked his head through the mess hall door.
"Ah, sloppy Joe's, food of culture, wealth and culture!"
Lewis then went back into the barracks and jumped into the closest one without an owner, and soon dozed off...
"Mmmm Sloppy Joes are good, thank you Josh. Here are some glasses and I turned on the milk and soda machine." Says Babs.
"Hey, You Kids what are you doing in My kitchen, operating hour are over... but You can got a snack from the ice boxes out on the dining hall floor." Shouts a female cow in a food service uniform. "YOU guys in special ops just have to call ahead if you want hot food. Now, get out Out of My kitchen."
Babs grabs up the food and Josh rush them into the dining hall a table as Sally walks into the Mess Hall....
Doc looks at Josh and Babs and yells into the kitchen. "Radeen, Stop scaring the new recruits, or we never win this war..."
PBH
Morgan pulled into his garage and closed the door. Stretching, he entered his flat and carefully placed his sensitive, mission materials in his concealed work area before settling in.
One hot bath, with soothing salts and oils, later, Morgan was feeling far better then he had in the last 48 hours. With a kettle of peppermint spiced tea brewing, he set about a quick preparation of seared duck with black truffle terrine over light pasta cooked with truffle oil, pepper and spices. Settling on his couch with tea and food, he ate and relaxed in a semi-decadent fashion.
Elsewhere
"Okay, let's get this straight," said Jakob. "We've got a run of the control valves, which we've tested and checked OK. Every part of the portal generation system is now working and we can even open up a gateway to other realms. But we can't get back to the realm were Dorcan was stranded?"
"That's about the size of it," Azrael said. "We're looking into the software side now."
"You don't suppose... something is blocking the formation of the portal?" Jakob said slowly.
"If it is, Dorcan is stuck."
As most of the people got up and left, Jexx just hung around in his foldup chair, not doing much of anything. Soon, some lights in the compound were being shut off, and eventually, he got up and walked over to one of the darker corners in the room. He sat down against it and curled up, with his handcannons pointed outward.
In another hour, he had nodded off into a mentally fitful sleep.
Morning came with the sound of revelry at dawn... and the sound of various objects being thrown at the bugler. Slowly but surely the facility began to come back to life from it's long overnight slumber. The smells of breakfast being cooked and coffee being brewed began to waft in from the mess hall. The sounds of soldiers getting up, showering, dressing, and trudging down to the mess were filling the halls. Everyone was slowly coming to at this early hour. Even Jackson himself was wandering the halls, clipboard in one hand, big cup of coffee in the other.
Sally awakes in her own bed, and looking to red glow of dawn across the river outside her window. She is stuff and tried still, but gets up and going out her hot tub. Lays in a few moments to loose her muscles, She knows she is off and would like to stay at home in bed. Yet, she gets dress and going to the base and some how meets up with Jackson in the halls as he is leaving the mess hall with his coffee.
"Good Morning, Mr Jackson, I have that report on Babs, if you want it. Her powers are now, link to Josh in someway, but Iam not sure. Once awaken, magic rarely goes back to sleep, and her healing gift was already fighting the chip before Josh. But with Josh and/or for Josh, her power have increase a ten fold. Another problem is she is young and inexperienced, she could be do anything with training. She was going to need some tests during this mission away from Josh to see if she can work her healing on others and to check to her link with Josh." said Sally. "Will all members of this team going to be needed in the raid?"
PBH
Dorcan awoke and showered as the soldiers did. Drying was a bit of a problem since the facilities weren't really intended for a winged creature. In a former life he'd have shapeshifted to clear the water out of his wings and fur, but now it was a matter of drying himself as best he could.
As he did so, he was frantically trying to figure out a way to avoid breakfast. Screw it, he thought. Don't be such a wuss. You wouldn't be sweating so much if you were a 'Cubi, would you? No scratch that, if I could I'd be eating and pretending I had to...
Reluctantly he headed off down the the mess hall. Finding an empty seat he sat down and waited for someone he could recognise to appear.
Jackson looked up at Dr. Sally and motioned for her to follow him as he went towards the mess hall.
"Who you take with you on this mission is up to you and your team. I think that you all should come up with a plan of action, but keep in mind that this will be a good experience for our newest members." He says.
As they enter the mess hall, Jackson excuses himself to get himself a plate of food, and then spotting Dorcan, moves to sit with him.
"This all must be pretty alien to you, huh?" He asks. "I mean, you're thrust into this world and then put to work by the likes of us. But, it could be worse. You could have been assimilated by the Brotherhood. And you've already seen their methods."
"Not as much as you might think, Sir," Dorcan began, slightly uncomfortable at the attention.
"I come from a world where there has been something of... you might call it a 'cold war' between various races, so in a way I'm used to being hunted by less tolerant groups.
"Ordinarily my kind is able to shapeshift, so our basic education spends a lot of time making sure we're able to adapt to new situations. In short, we're taught whatever it takes for us to be able to impersonate someone and infiltrate their organisation."
"That sounds a bit sinister," he added quickly. "Though I suppose we do have a bad reputation back home. Still, these days, many of us simply hide our wings and try to live out our lives as best we can among the ordinary folk."
"ah I don't know ah if this is that much different from ER work..... I can be a field doctor, that I am going to this mission is a given. But Babs is an unknown, and It looks like I will have to test her.. before we go.." Says Sally. "Good Morning Dorcan"
"Oh The saber kid has an alloy allergy, and I have emailed the techs with a request new biosensors with newer pads for his arm unit and maybe a redesign hand.. They tell me, that the hand will be the hardest to engineer for that arm." said the doctor. "Yet, I or Bab may find a way to restore his original paw."
She looks over the heads of rebel crews for the squirrel girl. Bab was with Josh the last time she looked. She maybe able to get the girl to follow her to the ward with a promised trip to the mall. Where is that Josh....? wonders Sally as she eats her small bagel with cheese and her coffee.
Back at his flat, Morgan awoke at his normal time, showered (he took a bath last night) and prepared himself a small breakfast. Poached egg, potatoes fried in light oil with thyme and spices, and a cup of tea graced his table as he scanned through the news stories on the net. He would head over to the compound after he took care of a few minor details and tasks at home.
Jackson looked back over to Sally.
"Oh yeah, what's his name... Lewis, yeah. Well, don't impose on him anything that he doesn't want. If he wants to keep his arm like that, then let him keep it." He says. "We don't wanna do anything that might scare off a good soldier."
He turns back to Dorcan.
"Well I'm sure things are a bit different here than at your home. No one but avians have wings around here, and even they've been making themselves scarce as of late. They keep to themselves really, holed up in the Black Cliffs." He muses. "But, bad reputation or not, your winged nature would make you more of a curiosity around here than a target or threat."
"That's good to know," Dorcan said, nodding to Sally as she greeted him.
"All the same, the Brotherhood came down on me like a ton of bricks. If I'm unique here, that will make me easy for them to find."
He paused, considering. "I'm slightly surprised that wings are uncommon, though. What about bats, for example? Are they non-sentient or something? Or unable to interbreed with other furred races?"
"Yeeah, about that..."
Lewis appeared as if from nowhere, clutching a half eaten piece of toast.
"If you do do anything with my arm, would it be possible for me to keep the old parts? They have... sentimental value..."
"Well the only thing, That I would be replacing is the Bio-sensors, the arm would be the same, just reaction rate a little faster. And it will enable robotic hand to added later. But the sensor replacement will prevent your nerves from deteriorating further." explains the doctor to Lewis. "Sorry Lewis you will have to wait for the technicians to built the replace sonsers first."
Turning to Dorcan, Sally commends:"The avian races, as we were taught at medical school, didn't crossbreed very well with mammals. Yet, This is more common believe, then there being any studies to prove why or If that is. The Avians are distrustful of non-avian doctors and/or scientists since the last war, I think... before the brotherhood's present reincarnation. Please, What is your rebel version of avians and history, Commander?"
PBH
After his breakfast, Morgan opened the door to his hidden area. Just as Bruce Wayne has his Bat Cave, Morgan had his concealed seller.
His sniper rifle was still in the case he had carried it in and carefully he unpacked it. Morgan set about disassembling the gun and meticulously cleaning each individual part. Removing the short clip, he placed it in a cabinet with other weapon accessories, and produced a long clip holding a total of 12 shots. Carefully, almost religiously, he placed each shell in the clip.
Reassembling the rifle, he moved it to a field case from the armored carrying case he was currently using. Opening a cabinet, Morgan cleared an area to store the 2 autopistols (received in the town from security personnel) and the pair of stun guns he had pulled from the same guard and various personnel.
He donned the same suit of form fitting body armor and put his basic casual clothes over the top of it.
Jackson jumped when Lewis suddenly appeared.
"Geez do you have to sneak up on me like that?" He asks.
Jackson shrugs a bit at the other questions, once he'd settled back down.
"Well the bats live deeper in the cliffs, and are primarily nocturnal. We don't see or hear from them much at all. As for our relationship with the avians, we've been trying since the rebellion's inception to open a dialogue with them, but they just won't talk to us. They aren't fighting us off, they're just stonewalling us." He says.
Lewis chuckled and put down his toast.
"There are two things you should know about me. While the other man sleeps, i sneak up on him, and while the other man is awake, i sneak up on him."
Dorcan glanced at Lewis. "I take it you'll be in the stealth team for the tower mission, then?" he said.
Morgan carefully cleaned the other weapons he had acquired and those that he had taken with him. After a good few hours of work, Morgan decided he should put in an appearance at the base soon.
"So What have you try in talking to the avians? If the Brotherhood is not interested in them, then they are maybe safe from them, and they have no reason to get into this war." commends Sally. She drinks her coffee and eats her breakfast. "I thinking of going in with the stealth team to the tower. And would like to go with the next diplomatic team your send to the avians"
PBH
Jackson shrugs.
"We've tried everything. You see, the avians are really close to nature, and though they don't show it outwardly, we believe they have some sort of magic, possibly related to nature. Just having that kind of wisdom on our side would benefit our cause greatly, not to mention if they actually have power over nature." He says.
"Do we have a plan for today, Sir?" Dorcan asked.
"I realise that people will want to spend some of their paychecks - goodness knows, I need to buy at least one change of clothes - but the plan against the tower is something we should really get down pat sooner rather than later."
Jackson gave Dorcan a pat on the shoulder.
"Go do whatever you need to. Your team is on special assignment, so you can focus on the task at hand. I'm sure you'll find everything you need in town. And whatever you can't find in town, our suppliers can probably find it for you." He says.
Trusting Jackson's word that he wouldn't be persecuted on account of his wings, Dorcan set off on a shopping expedition. Possessed of the almost magpie-like attraction to shiny things common to most 'Cubi, he was sorely tempted by a black leather jacket and trousers - a combination that always looked striking on someone with demon wings - before he forcibly reminded himself that he was caught in the middle of a war and that something more practical would be a better idea.
Milling around the shopping centre, he glanced around to see what other furs were wearing and eventually returned to the base carrying a set of clothes that formed a reasonable compromise between his sense of fashion and practicality.
Trying them on had been awkward , he'd only really been able to guesstimate whether the shirts and jackets would fit without actually making the wing-holes in the shop, but at least he had more clothes to his name than just the ones he had been wearing when he arrived.
Morgan had left his domicile after his work was completed and his mission equipment was carefully stowed in the shielded compartment in his trunk.
The red haired lad spent a good portion of his day picking out a few more outfits for casual wear. He also purchased a new set of flat wear and dishes. While shopping he came across a tabletop fountain, consisting of several descending stages surrounding a small grassy area with superbly made fox figurines. Needless to say, he scooped that up immediately.
After a treating his car to a generous detailing and himself to a mint mocha, he headed back. Upon reaching home, the first thing up and running was his new fountain, a nice center piece to his living room.
"Oh that is right.. We got paid... I still need to replace my wardorm a little bit more. I have nothing to wear when I am in my lighter size." said Dr Sally. "I have lost 15 pound this week."
"Then you should eat up" says Radeen the cook, "Goddess, girl, you go on a mission and come back looking like a starvation victim." The cook puts a full plate of eggs and pancake in front of the doctor.
"Radee! I don't have time for this, right now." whines the doctor " Josh and Babs are missing and so is Jexx, I have to look for them. That Jexx boy needs breakfast, too. And we know he doesn't have a room off base. Josh and Bab can wait a little bit, I think." Sally has a smirk and then a sigh at the thought of Bab and Josh, but quickly goes out of the Mess hall to search for Jexx.
"Well, I will keep your eggs warm for you, and bring that boy to breakfast." yells the cook.
The Otter woman finds Jexx in the same hanger, where she last saw him. She shakes him awake
" hey Hey Coming on guy. Don't you want some breakfast.?" asks Sally in a motherhen ordering tone of voice.
PBH
When Sally gently poked Jexx awake, he and his handcannons jerked a little, red glows fluctuating in their barrels. His head shook a little, and he started mumbling;
"Buh, no...get away from me...you bastards...I'll never go back...I'll kill you all...no..." His eyelids then then half opened, partially revealing his almost-completely-white iressless red-pupiled eyes, very sleepy. He blinked slowly a few times, looking around the room. Eventually he eyes settled on the face of Doctor Joywaves. His half-opened eyes stared blankly at her, and slowly blinked once. "I hate bad dreams."
"Well, Yes, We all have our wounds inside and out. Are you coming to breakfast? Really Jexx you would find sleeping in a bed may lead to a better night's sleep." scorns Sally as leads the way to the mess hall.
"I wonder about Morgan, He seem to have some place offf base, so he might be alright. You, Jexx, need somewhere you can be yourself beyond your *job*. I have a place, but my place is so close to base, it might as well be on it. Still If you need some place to relax or something, just ask, you can stay at my guest bedroom until you find some apartment or take a bed in the barracks." says the otter girl. "Because, I can only do so much for a bad neck or back pain. Please, think about my work load here." SHe pats him on the back as them enter the Mess Hall.
PBH
Jexx followed Sally all the way to the Mess Hall. But when he arrived at the entrance, he froze. His eyes darted around the room, and he shivered nervously. He started inching his way next to the wall, as if trying to stay out of sight.
"Good morning, Jexx," Dorcan said. He had a pair of carrier bags containing the spoils from his shopping expedition, and stopped abruptly as he noticed the other's paranoid body-language.
"Chill out," he said in a concerned voice. "These people here are your allies. They won't hurt you..."
"Yes yes It's Okay okay. Don't do anything rash yet? If you don't like crowds, I can have to food delivered to my office. Or is it something else?" ask Dr Sally as she stand by Jexx trying to calm him. The doctor was being cautious as she had seen a few combat vets with battle flashbacks here and in her old practice.
She was not yet using her magic to calm him, but she was ready with it to knock him out if need be. She could sense something, but she just watch Jexx carefully
"I'll tell Raydee to a breakfast to my office and you can choose what you like from that. OKay?" asked Sally in calm tone and a smile.
PBH
"Ye-yeah..t-t-too many pe-people..." Jexx managed to get out at Dorcan and Sally's comments. Jexx felt something in his mind, the same thing that made him loose control in the woods when no one was watching but Mister. Jexx hoped that wouldn't happen again. So much for hope. Even though he had no idea what was going on, and a non-conscience level, he almost understood what 'it' 'wanted'.
"They are not enemies. They are not enemies. They are not enemies..." He repeated over and over to himself in a whisper so low that Sally and Dorcan(supposedly, Jexx doesn't know of his android senses) could barely hear it. After a moment of this, Jexx's right handcannon rose shakily up, along with his head. It almost looked as if he was going to shoot something. His metal arm rose to full height, then...
Jexx's arm suddenly pulled back, morphed to a fist, and then punched himself across the side of his head. Hard. He slowly tilted is head, and his neck cricked audibly. He grunted a little, then straightened up, and started talking rather fast and in short bursts. "I'm good. I'm good. Nothing's wrong. I'm fine. Lots of people. So what. No enemies. No one's going to jump out and shoot me. Everything's fine. Food? Food? Is that what we were doing? Okay then, let's go get food."
Aside from his odd dialogue, there was nothing in his physical demeanor anymore that suggested anything was wrong.
"Okay Jexx, right this way" says Sally motioning and leading back down the hall from the mess hall. "right in here, Jexx.... AH come now." Sally opens a door to an office with a exam table and a desk and couple of chairs. There is another door on the far wall.
Sally walks in and calls to the kitchen, "Radee, can you send me a breakfast special to my office. please?"
"Sure, thing Doctor Sally...So you are going for that second Breakfast anyway... good girl I'll will keep it a secret, I'll sure will, sister." Says a southern female voice over the speaker.
**the door to the office is left open to Dorcan and Jexx.**
PBH
Jexx followed along wordlessly and without complaint or resistance as Doctor Sally led him through the hallways, his head drooping lower and lower as he walked. When led into Sally's office, he quietly sat down in one of the chairs with his head hung low in shame, looking very much like a child that knows they just did something very bad.
Intensely focused, Morgan narrowed his eyes as he prepared for the next step. A few sweat drops beaded on his forehead as he took a long breath and the he moved, lightning fast.
A small tuft of green drifted and settled on the floor, an expert cut had pruned his bonsai to perfection. The plant truly beamed, ever so happy to be next to his new table fountain with the fox statues.
Morgan placed the pruning shears in their small tray and returned the kit to its drawer. Removing the excess tree bits, he checked his calendar and retrieved the last of his remaining gear and placed it in his car. He opened the garage door and was surprised to find a feral city fox sitting calmly in his driveway. It blocked his exit from the garage by car so he approached it. The animal did not seem perturbed by this approach. He stood in front of the creature, a female it appeared to be, and kneeled down.
"Go away lass, I need to leave."
The vixen tilted her head.
Morgan shrugged, "Well if you are going to hang around, go root the voles up out of my yard. Those pesky little things."
As if waiting for permission she bounded off to his grass and began sniffing about. Morgan just shrugged and hopped in his car, heading off towards the base. He looked back to make sure the fox had not slipped in under his garage door as it closed, but she happily searched about his yard still.
Dorcan watched nervously as Jexx was led away by the doctor.
"I'm worried about Jexx," he told Jackson. "He could be a plant from the Brotherhood without his knowledge. If there's some kind of programming left in him, he could go off like a timebomb."
Jackson shook his head.
"If he were a plant from the Brotherhood, I'd have been shot already. He's had ample time and opportunity. No, I think he's going to be alright. After all that's been done on him, he needs time to reacquaint himself with people." He says. "Our spies have been snooping around, trying to get more information on what was actually done to Jexx. We've had little success, but eventually we'll be able to crack this mystery. In the meantime, I've been assured that Jexx is going to be alright, although maybe a little unstable, but we can handle that."
"I'm a bit more concerned about the possibility of dormant conditioning," the doberman replied. He'd read Impostor by Philip K Dick.
"If there is any such thing it may be triggered only under certain conditions. Still - if you think that's unlikely, I'll trust your judgement on it."
After all, the same question could be asked of me...
"I do think that it's unlikely. The Brotherhood has never been very good with subterfuge. Every last spy they've sent into our ranks has been quickly uncovered, and Jexx doesn't fit with how the Brotherhood spies operate." Jackson says.
Jackson takes a long drink from his coffee, eventually draining it. He places the empty mug on the table.
"And there's something to be said about trust as well. The rebellion hasn't lasted this long by not trusting people. Especially people who want to see the Brotherhood taken down." He says.
The cow cook enter with a cart with enough food for twenty people, and everyone breakfast food know to anhro or man. "Oh, I didn't know you had company, I would have brought more food."
"That is quite enough Radee...ah I ll let you know if we need more. Please, leave us for now, dear." said the doc
"Okay You two be good. Just ha'lor if you need anything, or when you are done, you hear!" remarks Radeen as the otter girl pushes her out the door.
Doc Sally turns to Jexx, after closing the door on Radee. "Jexx, please don't mind her, you can have anything you want from this cart... Goddess, I could feed half the city with this."
"Jexx, I If you need to talk, I am willing to listen, or scan you don't mind.?" asks a worried Sally.
PBH
"I can't argue with that, Sir," Dorcan said. "Perhaps I am being a bit paranoid. In any case, whatever ails him, I hope he gets over it soon.
"You know, Sir, I can't quite remember what you said earlier. Did we have a set schedule for today?"
Jexx's metal hands fidgeted nervously. He looked at the cart of food that was brought in. In all truth, he didn't recognize any of it. He had not in living memory seen anything like what was on the cart. He poked a few of the breakfast foods, before picking up a floppy white mass with a yellow center with his left hand. He tentatively took a bite of it, before making a little sour face at it. He held it in his hand, made his right into a handcannon, and quickly fried the stuff into a black, plasma-charred crisp like he did with the slice of meat back in the forest. He ate the rest of it quickly.
Then Sally started talking to him, about what he thinks he should do. Jexx, still looking rather meek and small, decided on telling her what he already knew. Which wasn't much, admittedly, but she didn't know that the same thing happened in the forest.
"Well, um...I really don't know. I don't know what this is about, or what's wrong with me. It's just...I suddenly got this felling to shoot something. I don't want to, but it feels like I have to. And, this isn't the first time it happened...you remember when the rebellion troops hooked up with us in the forest? And they started filing out? There were so many, and...I just felt like I had to shoot them. To keep that from happening, I stumbled into the woods, and let off some shots there. The same thing thing just happened in the food room, but it wasn't as strong, and I just barely got it under control."
Jexx looked up at Sally. "It was easier to control this time, but I don't want to happen anymore. All I've ever known is the Brotherhood trying to kill me. But the rebellion...aren't. I don't want that to change. I think...you probably should scan my head, and find out what's wrong."
Jackson shook his head.
"You guys are on special assignment. You make your own schedules. Just keep in mind that you should make a move as soon as possible. The longer you wait, the further along they get with their construction." He says.
"I'm aware of that, Sir." Dorcan said. "I'd like to get our plan of attack finalised this afternoon if possible, for that very reason. Of course I'm going to be a little biased since I don't really have anything else to do..."
"Good, You have a choice...... Jexx, that is what the BrotherHood really wants you to be, a weapon. If you berserk here in the middle of Rebel HQ or even on a mission. They win. You are just going to have to choose... You can be Superman or a supergun. First, let's see if they left any subroutines in your operation systems. The Techies should have pick up anything like that, but anything could have awaken since then." says Dr Sally
The doctor scans Jexx with her medical scanner, and also looking at him with her magical eyes. The magical scan finds deflections in his head. There is a small part in a cyber part of his mind that was not active on his entrance scans data. This is unknown shielded flash in his mind . Sally downloads her scan for the flash drive for the labrat.
It could a self defence protocols for Jexx, but only the computer geeks would know for sure. "I'll send this on to the lab.. In the meantime, try sitting down at the desk and eat something without burning it and the office down." said Sally She runs quickly down the hall to the lab and ask that they research this with the highest caution. Sally returns to her office ad makes herself some tea fro the teapot.
PBH
Sally delivered the data from Jexx's brain scan to one of the lab coats, who quickly took it to the tech room. He loaded it up into a terminal, and some other lab coats quickly begin their analyzation of the results.
What they found was about the most fractured and empty mind they have ever seen a scan of. Right off, they found that Jexx's psyche is, or was, in pieces and barely managed to fit it back together, and not very well either. Further (but not much) analysis would reveal that Jexx's entire brain and neural processes bear the unmistakable sign of deep Brotherhood tampering. More specifically, Jexx's brain has been wiped clean of everything; every brain function completely removed and then reprogrammed from scratch, like any blank computer disk. And this was not done just once, but so many times it's virtually a miracle that Jexx even has any functioning brain processes at all, let alone being even marginally sane. Analysis conclusion would find that the most recent time he was erased, the reprogramming was interrupted by an unknown factor. This left random strings of artificial neural code floating around, which seems to focus roughly around "kill Rebellion", which can explain Jexx's erratic behaviour around large groups of people, particularly Rebellion, but the lines are already degrading. Shortly after his interrupted reprogramming, Jexx's mind somehow managed to spontaneously reassert basic survival instinct protocols. How this happened is completely a mystery, unless Doctor Joywaves also sent data about her own magical probe of Jexx. Then the conclusion might be drawn that Jexx's own unusual magic had something to do with it, as well as the reprogramming interruption. Shortly after that, other necessary functions, such as self-awareness and language, also spontaneously reasserted, until all primary functions were assembled in a poor patchwork configuration, resulting in his current fragment-mind. Jexx has only two years of 'real' memories.
About the only thing that is certain is this; whoever Jexx used to be before this is utterly gone. Natural recovery is pretty much impossible at this point.
Dr. Joywaves' office
Jexx listened to Sally when she told him to stop plasma-frying his food, but he was having some difficulty stomaching most of the foods from the cart otherwise because he hadn't eaten such things before. Eventually he gave up and asked if there were any freeze-dried rations around.
"RATIONS!!!.... Okay okay Do me A favor... Take what you like or what you think you will like into the hanger... You cook? Your meal there. In fact, I will just take this scone... and you can have the whole cart...Just don't burn up the cart...Goddess I know you are good with your cannons, Jexx. But It is a little scary see them in a close space like this." rants Dr Sally....she takes her scone, pushes the food cart to Jexx and directs him back to the hanger/conference room.
"I will see what the Lab came up with your scan in few minutes and I will met you in the hanger."
Morgan made his circuitous route back to the rebellion base and as he pulled into the compound, he made sure to verify his GPS scrambler was still operating withing normal parameters. His car could mask tracking and location satellites, short and mid range ground scanners, but it was still vulnerable to visual observation.
Choosing this time to park among the staff spots, he was careful not to park in any marked as reserved.
Not having a great insight into the base layout, Morgan headed to the lounge areas and had a look around.
Meanwhile, back in the briefing room, Exo was still going over plans and routes of attack. It had been doing so all night, and was fairly sure that the plan it had prepared would work.
It had even gone so far as to plug itself into the network to more quickly peruse the data available as well as download a few firmware & software updates (designed to tighten security and root out a few bugs in it's target recognition software) as well as more tactical data about the Brotherhood. On top of this, it was also manipulating and surveying a holographic display of the construction site and riverbed, examining every last detail it could find.
Jackson shakes his head at Dorcan's comments.
"You guys have free reign to deal with the situation as you see fit." He says. "But I'd put money down on the assumption that Exo has spent all night going over the plans. He does that sort of thing. Maybe you should go and find him."
Perhaps it was a little strange that Jackson was calling Exo a 'he' rather than an 'it'? But that's just the way he is.
Jexx stood in the hallway that Sally shooed him into for a moment, slightly dazed. Eventually, he took the handle of the cart and dragged it with him off to the hanger she directed him to, which was fortunate as he did not know the layout of the Rebellion base himself.
He hung out in there, out of the way, eating the food after thoroughly cooking it to his own ideal of perfection, until most of it was gone. Then he just stood around, not doing much of anything.
"A good suggestion, Sir." Dorcan said. "I wasn't sure if he was one to bother with sleeping or not. I have seen synthetics who do and flesh-and-blood types who don't, so really, anything goes." Not entirely sure how to excuse himself, he made his way to the briefing room, where sure enough, Exo was still busying himself with the plans.
"How does it look, Sir?" he asked. "Any improvements over our tentative plan of last night?"
Sally Finds Jexx in a underused hanger, one that was used more for storage than workshop for vehicles. About 15 minutes after he finished eating, she walking in on him.
"Okay Jexx I know I did say a hanger, but I would have though you would have gone back to the Briefing room/ hanger I found you in earlier. Well, this place is as good as my office, I supposes to talk about what the lab coats found, Yet, if you want more privacy when you should come back to my office. This data could be a little hard to take, but you may need it to be more personnel. The Lab coats will be sending a copy of this report to Jackson, and he will keep it secret. Just know that I am here to help you, Jexx. the Brotherhood has makes many things which even they can't control, if it will do the most damage to their rivals, all the more reason to make them." remarks the doctor.
"So, Do you want the good news or the Bad news first?" ask the otter as she sits on a crate...
PBH
Morgan had finally been directed towards the command center to see Exo and after receiving the needed directions, he headed over to the location.
There he found both Exo and dorcan, "Good day lads, how goes everything?"
Morgan sported fine new clothes and was well rested, he smiled cheerfully at them both.
Jexx seemed slightly...timid...as Sally approached, most unlike him. His demeanor returned to normal as she stopped next to him and started talking. He listened somewhat nonchalantly, nodding at a few places.
"Well, I doubt anything you could tell me would do anything but give me more reason to hate the Brotherhood, which I certainly don't mind. But if there really is any 'bad' news, might as well get that over with. Take the worst first and it only gets better from there."
The warbot nodded and gestured to the tactical display, pointing at the storage trench.
"Reports and input from personnel suggest that the trench is the best way to get close to the site. Ideally we strike under cover of darkness. Whilst it is not a major advantage, as many of the security personnel will likely be equipped with light enhancement optics, it may well give an edge to our assault. If they do, flashbang grenades may prove highly effective - perhaps moreso than usual."
It then points to a forest line to the southeast of the trench.
"The fake recon operation will set up here and allow itself to be discovered, but will actually have more personnel in the rear to back up the assault. From there we will create a diversionary frontal assault on the facility."
"Meanwhile," it then gestures to one side of the structure, nearest to the trench, "the team from the trench will advance up to here and gain access to the structure. There may or may not be auxiliary entrances via which to gain access. If there are no other ways to gain access then they will perform a flanking assault upon the forces tied up by the front assault group. The defenses will probably be of moderate strength given that the tower is still under construction and is unlikely to have had it's automated defenses installed."
It pauses, to let that all sink in, then continues.
"Either way, each team will be assigned a demolitions expert should the other team be neutralized or their demoman incapacitated. If both survive, demolition of the structure is assured, and in the case of incapacitation of one, the bombs could possibly be transferred."
"I am confident that this will succeed, but I have yet to relay the information to the other members of our team and thus have not recieved any input from them."
"Jexx, the Brotherhood has left you very soul in rags, and your anger is raging on now because of that, but you don't have the last pieces of their program to piece together the way they want you to be. Yet, there is somethings left which are dull or dimmed in your mind for their cause. These dim "memories" are now clouding your judgement somewhat. What I want to help you do is to find them and heal those false memories away. I don't know if I can cure them all or If I can find them all this first time. But we can at least take care of the ones on the surface for now.." says Sally in a motherly tone.
"Okay, Jexx, After looking through this scan report.. I think I understand some of my own readings of you. So, here place your hands on my"says Doc Sally as she holds out her hands out in front of her palm up. "Now, I want you to just think of the answer to my questions. This is the first step to you finding your memories or what is left of who you are/were? Can you do that?"
Sally leaves her hands out and waits from Jexx to place his hands on top of her.
(ooc) If he does with following (OOC)
She breathes soft and deep, and slow. " breath with me Match you breathing to my"
After three deep breathes in sync with her, She begins
"Think of your mother " a pause" Do you see her?"
"Think of father?" a pause "Do you hear him?"
" Brother or sister? Are they here?"
Sally watches and see what if anything come to the surface of Jexx's mind... As she also keep a eye on the angry red stabs of memories/emotions from the BrotherHood that seems to twists all Jexx's pain and emotions to blame the rebels.
PBH
Jexx listened with a stoic face as Sally described what happened to him. "Well, that explains a few things..." He muttered softly to himself as she spoke. She then started talking about attempting to 'heal' him. He cocked his head quizzically as she talked about that. He realized she must be planning to help him with her curative magics.
With only a slight hesitation, he did as she said, placing his metal hands on top of hers. He then tried to start breathing as she instructed, matching her slow, deep, controlled breath with his own.
"Think of your mother...Do you see her?" Saly asked.
"Mother..." He said slowly. He felt a warm, light sensation as a small, steady stream of Sally's magic slowly flowed to him through their contact. "M...mother? No...I don't think I can see anything..."
"Think of your father...Do you hear him?"
Jexx concentrated. His eyes started to unfocus, looking at something beyond the room he stood in. "Father...father...wait, I think...I can hear something..." Jexx's markings, ever so slightly, began to glow. "Father...wait, father? Are you there? Wait, come back..." Jexx shook his head gently. "I thought I heard something, but I lost it." Jexx resumed breathing in synchronization with Sally.
"Brother or sister? Are they here?"
"Sisters...brothers?" Jexx's markings suddenly glowed a bit stronger. His eyes also began to aquire the same signature glow. "Wait...I can, no...no, wait, you're not my...brothers..." Jexx's eyes closed. The glow got stronger. "No, go away, you aren't my brothers...stop it...leave me alone, stop hurting me...stop it!" Jexx was now grimacing, and breathing harder and more erratic.
Jackson was getting more and more questions and requests from other rebellion soldiers. Once he had fielded enough questions to satisfy the soldiers around him, he got up from the table and left the mess hall. As he was walking along the corridors, one of the whitecoats approached him and quietly handed over a report, and then left without a word. Jackson looked over the report, it was the data that they just collected on Jexx. Jackson calmly sipped at his coffee as he read the summary and risk expectations. Jexx is being considered as high a risk as Exo first was, but the whitecoats believe, that with Dr. Joywaves' assistance, they can get through to Jexx, and make him as valuable as Exo has become. Jackson carried the report back to his office.
Meanwhile at the Brotherhood construction site...
Vehicles with Brotherhood markings approached the site and were flagged towards the materials staging area in the riverbed. These were fresh materials, along with just a couple of zealots for some added security. Others dressed in plain clothes and hard hats came around and began unloading the vehicles. Construction was beginning to move along.
To Sally
Jexx's mind takes on a empty space with crystal balls or bubbles of memories floating but not connected to any tree or webbing like in a normal person. Her questions were needed to find any good memories or tree roots and branches.
With the questions of Mother and Father... She found Jexx's main trunk, the memories of his first three years, but it was just floating and spinning. It should be steady, an anchor to everything else. His trunk was ripped at it's base, yet it was alive. New memories were growing on the trunk as young leaves. of Jackson, and the team. But she had to steady his psyche.
His Mother answer was not a blank, he had no true memories but feelings of love and comfort. She moved the stump to where these feelings were strongest, but she was also see many red balls. False memories seemed to be strongest here.
His father answer brought an image bubble and Sally tried catch but it sailed away from her. She looked and saw these red bubbles grew in numbers. She soon saw that some had added themself to Jexx's tree She brush some of these red memories from the tree. Some popped to leave a red smoke or mist , but they mostly just drafted away to come at her again. Sally also noticed a red mist or fog around her. As she watch it change one of the clear memory bubbes into a red one.
"NO " The otter girl yelled as a memory of a kid's birthday party was change to one fully of Brotherhood zealots laughing and joking around as the children died.
"Jexx Jexx come here come here. Please...help me Come here. please." shouts Sally. She dusted the party bubble off and rubbed trying to get the tainted off and out. Sally pushed too hard and her hand fell into the ball, but couldn't touch anything inside, expect the young Jexx. Sally poured her magic into the little Jexx and then the zealots disappeared from the party. And the party memory became alive fulling Sally's vision.
Jexx finds himself in the body of a three year old cub sitting on a tree stump in front of a cake and candles. He is at a birthday party with other kids and many balloons. He has two red toy guns, and a young girl otter sitting to the right of him. The rest of the rebel team are sitting around them sing happy birthday to him. But they are all kids, too. That can't be right Only Jackson is there as the adult who is leading them in the song.
Jexx remembers the scare Zealots who were there just a minute ago, and then Sally called him and pulled him onto this stump. He is still anger at at the scary brotherhood goons. He hates them and the many red ballons that are still here.
",,,Happy Birthday to you, Yeah!.... Now make a wish and Blow out the candles, Jexx!" yells that otter girl, Sally.
PBH
Dorcan nodded solemnly as Exo outlined the current revision of his plan.
"I'd like to know when we're going to have a formal briefing about this," he said. "I have a strong feeling that we ought to get down to it sooner, rather than later. Among other things, we need to finalise who is going in each team, and who is going to command them."
He paused. "However, I do have one question. If we're going to be operating in darkness, given that the Brothers likely have internal nightvision or goggles if not, are we going to require nightsights also? Personally I don't think I'll need them, but the more human members of the trench team are likely to."
"I have no need of nightvision myself and I concur on the operational meeting. The sooner we move on their position and neutralize the tower, the smaller the force we need to deal with."
Morgan looked down at his hands, "I prefer not to participate in wanton slaughter and unnecessary death. I will always do what is necessary though."
Real Jexx calmed and softened a bit, eyes still closed, as Sally inserted herself deeper and deeper into his mind to stabilize him. The glow of his markings dimmed a bit.
Kid Jexx, in the warped memory bubble of the birthday party, looked slightly dazed. His cybernetic limbs and markings were gone. He was just a little hedgehog cub.
The three-year-old Kid Jexx looked around, slightly confused and afraid. He looked at all the young figures seated around him, laughing and having a good time, and the safe-looking adult behind them. They all seemed...familiar, somehow...
His gaze then settled on the otter-girl next to him. "Make a wish? Hee hee...I know exactwy what I wanna wish for!" He then turned to the candles and blew them out, hard. "I want the meanies all dead...those meanies who hurt me all the time, I wanna kill them all! Bam! Bam! I'll kill them all mysewf! Bam, bam, bam! Hee hee, all dead! Bam, bam, boom! Kaboomy! Die meanies! Die!"
Kid Jexx continued enthusiasticly shooting at make-believe targets with his toy guns.
With the blowing out of the candles, the party memory bubble fades and shrinks, The happy Kidd Jexx is left shooting at the red balloons.... A wind blows the red misty fog away from the Jexx's tree stump. Sally is again grown and an adult Jexx is there with her. They are both standing on the great roots of his psyche. Sally sticks the party bubble onto the stump. And then breaths live into one last time, and Jexx remembers a short spark of his father's face lit by the candles on the cake. before it fades into his back of his mind, again.
Sally looks at all the red bubbles that still surround them. "These red bubble are all your old memories, corrupt by the Brotherhood. They are what colors your re-actions. But, you can/must decide what is right of you. Your dreams will try to sort this mess out, now that your tree is stable. I can help you sort them out, I think, but I am too tried, right now. "
Reality returns, As Sally faints to the floor and her hand slipping out of Jexx's hands, and Jexx finds himself back in the hanger. the doctor is passed out.
PBH
As Kid Jexx faded, Real Jexx slowly stirred as Sally extracted herself from his mind. Jexx opened his eyes just as she slid out of his hands and slipped to the floor, unconscious. Likewise, Jexx was exhausted. But he knew that Sally couldn't be left here. So, despite the fact he felt like he was going to drop any second, he kneeled down, wedged his metal hands underneath her, and tried to pick her up. At first, even with his cybernetic legs and arms, he was simply to tired to lift her weight. But then, his markings glowed again, very strongly. Though he barely consciously registered this, he now had the strength to lift her.
He stumbled out the hangar, barely hanging on to wakefulness as he carried Sally. Quickly, he found himself in the other room where he had slept for the night, the one that now had Exo, Morgan, and Dorcan seated in it discussing the plans. He took a few steps in, and finally sank to one knee. As gently as he could, he let the unconscious Sally roll out of his arms onto the ground. Once done, he too collapsed sideways, out for the count. Had he been conscious, and familiar with the meme, this probably would have been a 'not what it looks like' moment.
His strongly glowing markings went out.
"Holy shit," said Dorcan, turning with a start at the sound to see the two unconscious figures lying in the doorway. Moving swiftly to the doctor, he checked her pulse - Jexx' cybernetic hands posing something of a problem in this department.
"She's fainted," he said. "Does this sort of thing happen to her often?"
But what to do about Jexx? The doctor is the only one who knows anything about his metabolism.
Gingerly, he pressed a finger against the unconscious creature's throat, looking for a pulse.
[OOC] Since i haven't been posting in, well, ages, i figure i might as well go SuperSize!(For me, anyway) Also, remember Lewis' left eye is all jazzed up as well[/OOC]
After leaving the mess hall with out a word, Lewis decided to explore the base. He always felt comfortable with a greater knowledge of his surroundings. He spent a short while gently strolling, when something caught one of his eyes. His left one in specific.
He saw a pair of people standing in a relatively disused hangar, facing each other and holding hands.
Not exactly what one does in a hangar...
He shut his right eye and tried to focus better...
What's up with the big one's arms? They seem... different...
He switched to the thermal mode, hoping to get a better look.
Those arms aren't giving off any heat...
He switched back to x-ray and watched patiently, not giving any attention to the passerbys looking at him with confused thoughts.
The smaller figure started to drop. Lewis took cover from the door and hid. He kept watching as he picked her up.
What did that guy do..?
As the large figure approached the door to leave the hangar, lewis backed even more into cover and kept a hold of his gun. The figure walked out, but Lewis couldn't see him properly, as he was in hiding. As the figure started to walk away, Lewis started to follow as best he could while remaining hidden.
The Briefing Room
As the figure stumbled in, Lewis saw a stronger shape crouching over the other figures. It looked certainly suspicious, and now the possible assailant had seemed to have fallen over, he wouldn't be as much of a threat anymore. He managed to recognize the small figure as Dr. Joywaves, and felt a small pang of terror at seeing her in a bad way.
"Dorcan, is she alright?!"
Morgan dipped his head, closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead with his right hand, "blimey, this is so going to delay our mission. Well, how are they?"
Morgan shook his head and sighed, working with these people will certainly be a challenge.
"I don't have that kind of empathic power anymore," Dorcan said. "They're both unconscious, that's about as much as I can tell you. No lesions that I can see. To be honest it looks like some kind of psychic shock, although I can't really find out what."
Satisfied that Jexx' spine was intact, he crouched down and lifted him gently, with little appreciable effort. "I guess we'd better get them to the sick bay."
Lewis let loose a long sigh of relief. Sally was alright...
"Yeah, we can't leave them here forever."
He pointed to Morgan.
"You! Mr. Headache Who's Name I Can't Remember! Could you give us a hand with them?"
"Ow ow You got the hair Ow the hair... Okay Okay I am awake. *Moan* Jexx let go of my hair... " whispers Sally softy and gets louder... Some strands of Sally's hair can be seen caught under Jexx body on the floor. Sally doesn't open her eyes as the pain from her hair is to great. And she doesn't seem to know she has been moved.
"Come'on Jexx, Seeing one's true Father's face for once in so many years should be enough for now. I'm too tried to help you remember anything more." whines Sally.. and drift into a dazed then unconscious state again. But her breathing is more even and steady.
PBH
Dorcan glanced at the doctor as she lapsed back into unconsciousness. He looked impressed.
"She's an empath? That might account for it. Nonetheless, they should both be checked over. Can someone lead us to the infirmary?"
A rebellion soldier happened to be passing by the hangar, just a guard on patrol. He looked in and saw the strange scene.
"Hey, what's going on in here?" He asks.
He sees that the doctor and one of the new guys is unconscious.
"Are they alright? They look like they need a doctor." He says.
Lewis groaned and looked up at the soldier.
"Oh, why didn't I think of that? Would you kindly help us carry her to the sick bay? Also, where is the sick bay?"
The soldier moves in and helps to pick up the doctor.
"Okay, just follow me. It's not far away." He says.
"This may be a silly question," Dorcan began, "But after we were sent off to blow up the Brotherhood's transmitter without a single field medic between us, I have to ask... there are more medics on staff than just her, aren't there?"
The soldier looks over at Dorcan.
"Of course we have more medics. We have a whole medical staff. She's not the only doctor around here." He says in a that-was-indeed-a-silly-question tone.
"Good," Dorcan said. "Just checking."
The Medical Team arrives and both Jexx and Sally checked and taken away to the medical unit. After the few minutes, the doctors said that Sally and Jexx are only exhausted. Jexx should be up in a few hours, but the good doctor will need a little longer. The otter-girl has lost about 15% of her body weight and suffering from dehydration. She should be okay in a few day, but they are keep her over night.
PBH
"Weird," Dorcan said to Lewis, as he turned to go back to the briefing room. "They didn't ask what happened. Does that sort of thing occur a lot in this organisation?"
"to answer that question, my young male, one should know our young Healer, Doctor Sally... She is a true healer and one of our strongest ones we have, if she wouldn't over work herself so much. She has a good heart, but she has to know her own limits. Once a week, we normal doctor would have give up on a case for dead or crippled Yet, she cure them up to full health and ends up exhaust each time. This is the first time that she has lost so much weight in a short time. She would be in bad shape, if she was not a healer." said a elder human doctor as he comes out of the medical clinic to talk to Dorcan and the other.
"I'm Dr Adams, the head of the medical department here. Jexx is fine physically, but he seem to have a sensor-overload of some kind. He is free to go when he awakes and feels up to it." he turns a worried look to the wards "But Sally...m.m. She will not like it, But I am enforcing her to bed rest of a few days, and you can see later tomorrow. If you bring some Double Chocolate chip ice cream, she love you forever, I know Any other question?"
(OOC) Sorry I will be out for a few days to a week. I will try to keep reading and post when I can, but Dr Sally will out for a few days of game time. (OOC)
"I'm not as young as I look," Dorcan said with a sly expression, "But thanks for the heads-up... we'll pass the prognosis on to the others. Oh, and thanks for the tip about the ice-cream." He made his way back to the others, wondering how they'd take the news about the doctor.
Morgan followed after the others, making a mental note to call Sally if the team should need a martyr on their next mission, "blimey but it's convenient if they're willing to do it."
As the morning wore on, more and more activity was beginning to go around the base. Jackson had settled into his office for another day of paperwork and other such nonesense every leader must deal with. The guard rotation had already been done, and other soldiers were heading out on other missions. A couple of vehicles left the motor pool, destined for a mission in another town.
The attitude of the other soldiers towards the newcomers was mostly welcoming. Though some regard Jexx with a careful eye, they do remember that even EXO was once a Brotherhood product and he's as trustworthy as they come. They don't think strangely of Dorcan, however. Even though he's from another dimension, he's looked upon more in awe than anything else.
Dorcan squirmed inwardly as they made their way back to the hangar. The boss seemed keen for them to get to know each other better - a sensible move in any case - and now would be an ideal time to strike up such a conversation with Morgan or Lewis.
But how could he get around the fact that the most interesting parts of his life were after he'd died? Reluctantly he put it aside for the time being.
"Uuurrrrrr..."Jexx stirred on the medical bed he was in. His mind was lethargic at the moment, so he did not remember what happened, and he definitely didn't know where he was. Nor did he care. He slowly opened his eyes, then tightly shut them again as a white ceiling medical light glared at him, although he didn't have any idea what it actually was. With that, he automatically went to his solution to all his problems. His left arm slowly pointed up, the metal hand sluggishly morphing to a cannon. He blasted some plasma balls up until he heard a loud CRASH! sound, which was the light exploding into a shower of sparks from a hit. He opened his eyes again. "Better..." he said groggily.
"I'd hate to seem the misog, but could we perhaps contemplate our mission a bit further and mayhaps even get going on it?"
Morgan was never one to feel comfortable with a casual operational attitude and open ended mission clock, this flexibility was an illusion and the sooner the mission was started, the sooner it could be completed.
"It seems I'm not the only one getting a little impatient," Dorcan noted as they entered the briefing room.
"Exo, Sir," he said, "Can we schedule a meeting for about 2pm to finalise the mission? The plan as it is seems good enough and to be honest, I don't think we can tweak it much more.
"Stalling will only help the Brotherhood, so frankly I think we should sort out who goes with which team and get started this evening. Jexx should be up again soon - and he's unlikely to change his mind and go with the stealth team. The good Doctor seems likely to miss the mission, but my understanding is that this is likely to be a single-shot mission as opposed to our longer, more drawn-out adventures in the forest. I think we should be able to get by with an extra medic on team."
The 'bot nodded.
"It is... unfortunate... that the doctor won't be able to join us, but chances of success are well within acceptable limits even without a medic. If one of you would be so kind as to forward a list of required personnel to Jackson, I shall add the finishing touches once everyone is assembled."
It turns back to the display, making a few more adjustments.
"We will require two demolitions experts, a scout, two grunts and a medic, according to the plan so far."
"Ideally we should two medics," Dorcan suggested. "Not only for redundancy but in case of emergency." He paused. "Or did you mean for each team?"
"We can survive with only one medic if we have personnel trained in medical procedures." Morgan advised, "two medics may be more of a hindrance then a help."
"In that case I suppose they had better go with the assault team," mused Dorcan. "Backup plan aside, if the stealth team does its stuff properly, we shouldn't get into a situation where we'd need one."
And I won't need one, he added mentally.
"But what if something goes wrong?"
Lewis appeared out of nowhere again.
"If something goes awry, I don't want to die. I can't do squat if I'm dead."
A Rebellion doctor came rushing over on Jexx's destruction of the overhead lightbulb, scolding greatly. Jexx, who was still rather groggy, did not register any of the words being said. He sat up, waved the doctor away, and slipped out of his bed. He stumbled slightly out of the medical ward, still trying to get his head cleared. He was starting to remember some things. He wandered around until he found a corridor that he vaugly recognized, it being the one that leads back to the breifing room. He heard voices talking, and he recognized them as the people he's been with. He walked through the doorway, coming onto Exo, Dorcan, Morgan, and that strange new guy. Jexx simply off-handedly asked, "When do I get to go melt some skulls?" before slumping into the nearest chair, still rather tired.
"Jesus," Dorcan said, as Jexx staggered into the room. "Jexx... are you supposed to be up? Are you sure you're okay?"
"When you have fully recovered," The warbot glances at Jexx "Or do I need to make that an order to get some Rest and Relaxation, Corporal?"
The 'Jesus' thing passed right over Jexx's head, but he partially registered what Dorcan had said to him after. Exo also chimed in with an 'order', which of course had no effect on Jexx. "Yeah, 'm fine...just little tired. Wh'dya mean by 'supposed' t' be up? I just woke up 'n some funny soft thing with a light above me that hurt 'm eyes, so I blew it up. I got up, bu'then there was...some angry man. I didn' look at 'im or listen to 'im, so I pushed 'im out of the way, walked out, and found here." Jexx's head lolled back slightly. "I hate bein' tired...hold on."
He then got his left hand into cannon configuration again, and put it up all the way on his face, obscuring it. A red glow could bee seen from the rims of the cannon. As a few moments passed, Jexx's ear, then his leg, then his arm twitched. Finally, his cannon shot away from his head with an extended grunt of pain. His eyes were now very wide open, and he started shaking his head and rubbing his face hard. "AH! Direct plasma heat will wake anyone up! Yowza!" He then looked around, fully energized. "All right, now I'm 'fully recovered', big bot. Any by the way, what the freaking heck is a corperl-whatever-it-is?"
"Corporal is typically the most junior of Non-commissioned officers, it is generally a specialist that is serving in a leadership role more commonly held by an NCO such as a sergeant. The rank usually heads up a combat section or fireteam." Morgan paused, "I guess it depends on what branch of service and the country in question. I mean we have bombardiers in artillery, Lance corporals of mount... cavalry, erm... infantry, air force, naval forces, that 'what is' question is really hard to answer so simply. "
As Morgan explained the position of 'corporal' to Jexx, if his eyebrow could raise any higher, it would have vanished off his head. He shook his head and thought to himself, Lesson learned; never ask questions when Morgan is around. His answers will fry my brain.
"Well, assuming you're fit enough when we head out, I guess we can mark you down for the assault team," Dorcan said. "Morgan... which team did you have in mind?"
*phone Rings* on wall in the Hanger/Briefing room, where the Exo and the others are......
PBH
Lewis picked up the phone, curious as to the nature of the call.
"...Hello?"
"oh Hello Lewis... This is Dr Sally, Please put me on speaker phone. So I can hear what you Hot shots are up to and what you guys are planning for me by association."
"Less talk, more eat" is heard on the other end of the line.
"What? what? I am eating I am eating, Radeen... Goddess I am sure, Dr Adams didn't order me this much food." Complains the doctor...
"Look Lewis, I will not let you guys die, IF I can help it. So Ask Exo to link a line to my phone here, 25796, Please. I need to hear and see, and answering any questions... It is a briefing room, it should be setup for tele-conferencing....."
PBH
Lewis put on speakerphone, so the rest of the group could hear Dr. Joywaves.
"How are you faring, Doctor?" Dorcan asked. "Indeed, when are you likely to be up? We're hoping to bring the mission forward so we'll need to have some idea of whether you'll be joining us on the front line."
*groan* " Well, I will not be able escape Radee and her food cart any time soon. If she gets her way, I will too stuff to move by the time my bedrest is up. So, I would having to rely on Dr Adams to get me out of here on TIME. I'm *Burp* feeling better. I hear Jexx scaring the Staff as he escape, Is he Okay?"
"Come on come on girl you can finish that chicken."
"It is a whole chicken!" "so" Gulp Munch " well andasdw" Gulp " Bah Wees Aha aH Well, I will just have to listen to what plans you got."
"Milkshake" commands Radeen
"Radee, please you don't need to feed me by hand. Can't you just leave the tray and come back.... Pleeeease" begs Sally
"Okay, You right, I will just go and get your 2nd lunch, and you better finish this tray before I come back, Ya hear." orders the cook and the door bang shut.
"Oh Goddess, I can't compete with a woman with four stomachs... Okay, Dorcan and everyone what are the options you have so far? My Health will be restored in about three days or two but if Radee keeps going and I will need a rescue party. As for my part in this, I am not sure where I can fit in, but I will not be good with frontal assault team if you please." *slurp*
PBH
"Do not mistake me for a simple war machine, Doctor." The 'bot sounds mildly aggrieved, as if talking to a child. "I do possess a state of the art strategic and tactical processor. There was no intention of placing you on the frontal assault team."
It then glances over at Jexx. "As for you, you will be going for another check-up before we depart. Understood?"
You a war machine, I never!!!...... Well please forgive my comments, and I am ready to hear what the plans,,,,PBH
Jexx just grumbled and shuffled with a sour look on his face when Exo spoke to him, an odd "Puh!" sound being the only thing really audible.
"Jexx? You okay? You were up against the walls not 40 minutes ago..."
Jexx looked at the new guy who's identity he did not know with annoyance. "Yes. I am completely fine. Will everyone stop asking?"
Morgan had thought long and hard about the mission objectives, what stakes were involved and what opposition they faced. The resources they had were more then adequate to confront a reasonable contingent of Brotherhood, but there was no sense in allowing them to build forces for too long.
"I will go with the special operations group. Despite what you may think of me, I am the only capable... soldier among you. My past will have some use after all, rather then just sad memories and dark nightmares. we should leave ASAP, the doctor should remain here, she will be of little use in battle. We will use whatever medics the rebellion can offer and if necessary, I have field EMT training that can be put to use."
"So soon?" Dorcan's headwings drooped slightly. "I agree in principle, but on the other hand it's only afternoon. We proposed an evening strike, didn't we?" He paused. "Actually, how far away is the site?"
"In any case, let's get the personnel assignments straight... I'll be more use on the stealth team. Morgan, I take it that means you'll be leading said group? I'm assuming Exo is either going to be in the attack team or coordinating. Lewis... did you say which team you would be on?"
"Well, Fine, I can go with the backup team, if it should be needed." says Dr Sally. "Once the strike team hits, and the stealth team plans their bugs, we could use a "rescue" team to pull back the strike team, as if the strike team got into too much trouble and HAD to retreat. The Brotherhood must think, we were only trying to stop them increasing their reach, and not think it was a Fake attack to cover something else. You would need to act wounded and cowardly"
PBH
"That was never part of the plan. The assault/recon team will press the assault as much as possible in order to force what little security there should be into facing the oncoming threat, whilst neutralizing as many defense operatives as possible! If we fall back, there are two outcomes - one is that a sweep of the forest is initiated, possibly discovering the stealth team's vehicle or our hideout, in which case we will be in an undesirable defensive battle. The second is that the security forces return, and thus provide more of hazard to the stealth team."
It gestures back to the holodisplay, showing the semi-complete tower, the clearing, and various markers for team personnel.
"It should be obvious enough that both are undesirable. As for the stealth team, leadership will indeed be in Morgan's hands. You do, after all, claim to be the most qualified for the task."
It glances back to the tower on the display, then at the group.
"Almost all who join the Brotherhood are mindless drones with little hope of salvation, going by what we've seen of their cybernetics. Death is a kindness."
"I was taught that lives were something to be treasured," Dorcan said. "And only to be taken in self-defence. I'm not quite sure what grandfather would say about a mercy killing, but the idea of it jars me somehow. Nonetheless, if that's what has to be done, I guess it will have to be done."
"So long as there is live there is Hope. Hope that we all can be saved, so says the Mother's pray"
quotes Dr Sally "The Brotherhood goons are more than drones, but their spirits are trapped in their own bodies as carbon-base robots. It is hard to argue if death would be preferred, even if they could be freed from the Brotherhood's programming and the guilt and ashame of what they have gone thru. They are not all like Jexx, their programming doesn't have holes in them, that you can drive a truck through."
"The Brotherhood .... mmm will be on heighten alert once the attack begins.. Will the stealth team be able to get in and out the tower undetected with a battle going on outside? Will not the security systems at least record the break in? Can we just destroying the tower and the security forces? or send a trojan virus or something to the whole Brotherhood network and take it unawares?"
PBH
Morgan shook his head as Dr. Sally spoke, "your input, everyone's input if valuable, but you will need to trust our judgment on these things. Once we are committed to the field, you will need to follow the orders given to you. If you or anyone has any objection to taking the lives of Brotherhood troops, now is the time to make this known so we can adjust your role to accommodate. The mission objectives are hard and fast rules, but a good soldier learns to adapt to the ever-changing nature of the battlefield and as opportunities present themselves. We are not, however, going to be trying to take prisoners except possibly as part of the cleanup. Brotherhood tend to suicide rather then surrender, keep that in mind."
He gestured to the holodisplay, "if the 'stealth team' moves to as close a position as they are able, they can capitalize on the initial response by the Brotherhood. They will likely commit a large portion of their force in a reactionary measure, we can slip in on this and destroy the tower. I would estimate a very reduced contingent left to guard, but their alert level will be far higher."
Exo nods firmly to Morgan.
"Exactly. With the significantly reduced security contingent, the stealth team will have a much easier time of their work. Also, Morgan is quite right - all Brotherhood operatives are knowingly or unknowingly implanted with an assortment of methods of remote termination - cortex bombs and the like. Opportunities for escape from the Brotherhood are almost nonexsistant. They either serve the Brotherhood or die. Thus, death is preferred."
It pauses.
"At least if they're dead, they can't shoot you in the back. Taking them alive can be hard enough. On to other matters: the tower will almost certainly not be in a situation to act as a spreading point for any kind of virus. Destruction is priority, and we do not have a vast amount of information about their network that we would need in order to target it with a virus... a specially crafted one would be in order."
Exo stops and thinks for a moment...
"Your primary objective, Morgan, is to 'acquire' whatever data records are held on site. Secondary objective will be to destroy the construction site and as much of the construction equipment as possible."
"I'm not saying not to Kill these goons, they will kill you without a second thought. Your first duty is to keep your teammates save. I wish I could truly cure them, but I can't even go near them without being heavily shielded for my own sanity. Jexx has a strong will and a chance for a total break free from his training. As for the other goons in the Brotherhood, I know of a few, who knew what they were get into the the brotherhood and wouldn't leave if given a chance to. Few of them deserve your mercy."
PBH
Morgan scratched the back of his head with his left hand and grinned, "aye mate, I already got that covered when we get in. The Brotherhood will hopefully have their Net up to coordinate, troop movements and communications locally. I can hack on the waltz with my CTC, but I might need a chaser... wish we had another hacker. If the Brotherhood's Net isn't up even locally I'll have to hardwire it, but that will be faster."
"Well, does the rebellion have any hackers to spare?" Dorcan asked. "I'd offer myself, but I'm not exactly a hotshot and besides, your computer systems are undoubtedly too different to mine for my skills to be much use."
He mulled over it for a few moments. "Actually, remind me to book some computer systems courses next time we have a slack period.
"Anyhow. As I understand it, we're almost ready to think about heading off, except that our assault team is kind of lacking compared to the stealth team, yes? Exo, can you suggest a few members who would be suitable?"
The phone rang behind Dorcan as he spoke; the low, rythmic ringing of a person miles away with something to say.
The warbot nods. "Jexx, Josh, myself and other staff we require for the assault team will handle the offense operations. Any last questions or requests? I need to go and make preparations to our vehicles and ensure that we have spare personnel."
"Good," Dorcan said. "In that case, I think we're pretty much sorted. But please, make sure we have at least one medic this time."
"Hello... boardroom?" he said, picking up the telephone. He didn't know if it was an outside line or not, and while the Brotherhood seemed to prefer force over more subtle methods, saying something "Hello, rebel base?" would probably not be wise.
* * *
"Okay, no problem," he said, and put the phone down. "Wrong number," he told the others.
"Wrong number? We don't get wrong number in here.... The IP PBX fillers all incoming phone numbers through security office so they answer any uncleared phone numbers." commends the Doc's voice from the other line. A heavy silence followes that statement.
"Well, Okay it's a wrong number. Still, What will you guys need to invade this tower? I will try to get a emergency backup team setup if this all goes south and I have to pull you out of there."
PBH
"I think it was internal," Dorcan said.
"As for the plan, I think we're pretty much ready. Medic-wise, if you have someone who's trained in both field medicine and stealth, that would be useful for us. Either way we will need someone somewhere as backup for the assault team since - in principle at least - they are more likely to get hurt than a properly-functioning stealth team."
"I'm not sure, who in Medical has stealth training, but I think some of our team has medical training. But, I am going with the backup team for the attack team and will have two assistances." says Sally "Is the rest of the team ready? I will need 24 hours to ready my team, even if I can't go with them Because
my Dr Adams doesn't okay it."
PBH
"24 hours?" Dorcan's headwings drooped. "I was thinking we would be in position by this evening. Why is it going to take so long?"
"That is indeed an unnecessarily long delay, Doctor. I do hope you are not trying to impede our operations for reasons discussed earlier through passive-aggressive behaviour. Also, an additional backup team will also be a little excessive, our personnel list already numbers around a dozen*. Our manpower and resources here are not infinite, and deploying that much force could easily lead to the Brotherhood responding with greater force if - or when - they find us."
(*Exo, Dorcan, Josh, Jexx, Morgan, 2 demomen, scout, 2(?) medics, 2(?) grunts... did I miss anyone, not counting the Doc?)
"Well, I am still in my sickbed since my little "accident" with Jexx just a few hours ago. " ***Burp***" OOoo goddess, enough food. Raddee. I need to rest." says Sally. "*Sigh* Look I am almost ready to travel and I couldn't be much help in the main teams, even if I was at 100%. So, I am staying in the background with the backup group. You will have a someone from my medical team in the next hour. Anything else..?"
PBH
Dorcan looked around. "I can't think of anything to add," he said. "If no-one else can either, perhaps we should prepare for the journey."
Jexx had been suspended in an almost half-dead state, slumped in the chair he was sitting on because the conversation was completely null to him. But when Dorcan said 'prepare for the journey', he snapoped back to life, explosively.
"It's about freaking time!"! He exclaimed. "I want to get out of this place! I haven't killed anything in more than a day! I want to KILL something, dammit! I want to incinerate the head of some Brotherhood sap!"
Lewis was stirred from his trance, not by Dorcan, but by Jexx's violent outburst. He stumbled sideways in his chair to move away from Jexx slightly. He gave Jexx a strange look for a second, then looked at Dorcan.
"So, are we leaving soon, or what?"
"Oh goddess, Heaven help any innocence walls or trees or cute cubs in your way, Jexx" remarks Dr Sally. " My assistant will be ready and in the loading area in one hour." and click off.
PBH
Jexx paused for a second after Sally hung up. Normally, what she said would never have affected him in the least. But even though he didn't know it, the little trip with his head they did earlier had a subtle effect on him. He was...he couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he was unsettled, slightly, by her words.
With only a glance of a frown on his face, he shook himself and sat back in his seat.
Morgan stretched and yawned in anticipation of a long drive, "well then, we best get ready. It looks to be a long drive and an involved mission, rest up and be ready."
"What would you recommend as firearms for the stealth group, sir?" Dorcan asked, glancing between Morgan and Exo.
"Bearing in mind that I don't have much training with modern weaponry, so it would have to be something close-range or something that handles similarly to a crossbow," he said.
"Actually, I should really get some formal weapons training after this mission..."
Morgan frowned a bit as he thought about Dorcan's question, "a crossbow or compound bow might work if you aren't familiar with guns. Otherwise I would suggest a laser sniper rifle or other energy weapon. We will need weapons that are relatively silent and with reasonably invisible shots. "
Exo nods to Morgan. "One of the semi-collapsing crossbows from the armoury would probably be more ideal than a compound bow, and yes, any laser weaponry would be preferable for all of the team due to the higher accuracy, lower noise generation and low shot visibility, especially if using a graser, or suchlike. The bows are still very viable weapons as modern developments in arms, armour, mechanical equipment and material have significantly increased their already respectable power and vastly improved rate of fire using auto-cocking mechanisms."
"Do the crossbows come with laser sights?" Dorcan asked. "Either way, a beam weapon is a good idea. Though I have had training with crossbows." In the adventurer-slaying courses.
"Wait... did you just say 'GRASER'...?" he blurted, wide-eyed. "As in lasing gravity waves?"
The warbot makes a loud, audible *SNERK* at the mention of gravity waves and suppresses a giggle.
"No, Gamma Rays." If it had eyes it could roll, it would have just rolled them. "The crossbows have accessory rails for a number of attachments - flashlights, scopes, laser sights, etcetera."
"Still... you have portable gamma-ray lasers?" Dorcan asked. Not as radical as a gravity laser, but still impressive. "What's the power source?"
"As for the crossbow, I'd one with targeting and scope, if that can be arranged. A flashlight will not be necessary. Some grappling bolts might be handy as well, since we're doing a stealth job."
The doberman paused for a moment as an idea occurred to him. "Do we have a mechanical engineer on the stealth team?"
"Barely infantry-portable. They're more suited for heavy vehicles and run off most high-output vehicle grade powerplants, or a dedicated high-output infantry backpack powerplant."
The bot makes note of the request. "Currently, no. I do not see any particular reason why we would need one, but if you can provide adequate reasoning..."
"We will be entering a partly-constructed tower," Dorcan said. "I don't know what condition the facility will be in, particularly after the raid begins. It may be necessary to locate and power on backup generators. There may be entrances which are physically out of reach without some kind of impromptu ladder or staircase being constructed. It may be necessary to open deactivated or deliberately-sealed power doors in locations where explosives would be inappropriate."
He glanced at Jexx and then back to Exo.
"And there are members of our party who are wholly or partly mechanical," he finished.
((Exo, not Arc. :U))
The bot nods. "True, true. Though my chassis is not exactly designed for field repair, mind. That's why it's built like it is, after all. Another request for the personnel list then. Anything else? Kitchen sinks, maybe?"
Morgan shrugged at the bot's comment, "only if you carry a pocket catapult around with you, otherwise we can leave the kitchen sinks, eh?"
"I believe that covers everything, Sir," Dorcan said. Now let's get things underway. The Brotherhood aren't going to sit around and wait for us.
A young male ferret in cammie uniform, and medical badge comes down the hall to the briefing room. He is thin and wiring. Coming in, "It is from the Doc, Hero" whispers the ferret, as he throws a t-shirt at Jexx, which hits in his face and it falls to the ground. The shirt has Bunny Superman with the letters SB on his chest.
With a large backpack with helm on the side of it, he walking in the brief room and hands his orders to the warbot. "Lt Jathon, reporting for duty, ah sir" answers the Ferret.
The bot speedreads the printout and grunts.
"Fine. You'll be needing more than that little popgun of a pistol you call a weapon though. You lot, hit the armoury and load up." Exo makes a quick printout of suggested equipment, rips the printout from the printer, snaps it into a clipboard and slides it across the briefing rom table towards Morgan.
"I have some personnel requests to fill out. Anything else? No. Good." The 'bot promptly marches out before anyone can interrupt, aiming to deal with the paperwork as fast and as efficiently as it can manage, leaving the holodisplay and mission data up for examination.
Morgan stops the sliding clipboard with his hand and makes a crisp mocking salute to Exo's backside, "ah yes, the wonderful thing about military life... someone always wants to order me around. Alright lads, look lively now! To the armoury now. March! Left... left...left right left..." Morgan could barely keep from snickering as he tried to make the remaining assembled team members march like soldiers.
Before leaving, he glanced back over at the battle plan and enemy data, "what I wouldn't give to have the Brigadier with me on this one."
Jexx was extremely surprised when he got a facefull of T-shirt. He picked it up off the ground after it fell, and heard Exo mention something about the armory. Well, as usual, the armory doesn't apply to me. I'm all set! Meanwhile, he still had the shirt. He didn't see any point in wearing it, and since everyone else was off to the armory, he probably didn't have to move from his seat for a little time. I don't think Sally would be happy if I didn't use this somehow... So, he crumpled the shirt into a ball, put it behind his head, turned on his side, leaned back in his seat, and used it as a pillow as he closed his eyes.
As the meeting broke up, Dorcan made his way to the armoury with the others. 'Cubi were generally trained to act independently and in a clandestine fashion rather than as part of a well-ordered militia, so there certain gaps in his knowledge. As a result, Morgan's attempts to make him march fell somewhat by the wayside.
At last, he thought. Let's get this going...
When all the necessary paperwork was put through, Jackson looked through the personnel records himself to find a suitable mechanical support person for their team. He pulled up the record of one Issaic "Izzie" Nebulous, and it seems that he's not currently on an assignment. He put in a call to Izzie, for him to report to Jackson's office.
Morgan approached the Ordnance chief wistfully.
The chief nodded to him, "what can I do for you?"
With a straight face he looked over the equipment, "Fusion rifle in the forty megawatt range..."
"Hey, just what you see, pal."
Morgan smiled impishly, reminiscent of a fox with the key to hen house, "Destrier LR-55 multi-purpose laser assault rifle with all sniper scope and extended e-clip. Two C-16 demo charges. Auto-caster* with 2 score multipurpose ammo, AP... EX... Incendiary... stun... conventional kinetic for the balance... throw in a few grapple shot with high-tension line and a magnesium flare head or two. A scope and/or a laser sight for it would be nice too."
Morgan regarded Dorcan, "the caster is for you of course, anything else?"
*Auto-caster: power assisted crossbow
""
"Thank you sir," said Dorcan. "That should do me nicely. Holding it could be awkward, mind - a shoulder-strap would work at a pinch but I'd need someone to help me put it on and drawing it will be a fiddle." He swished his wings gently. "A belt might be a better idea."
"Also, an energy weapon might make a useful backup."
The chief raised a brow as the doberman swished his wings, "I see... well, you can clip it onto this heavy belt, along with the quivers. As for energy weapon backups, we have laser and plasma pistols... your choice."
"I recommend lasers, it is more in line with the silence we seek." Morgan advised. "or you could go back in for that stun gun thing you tried back in that town."
Jathan, the new med tech ferret boy, asks " But... bu... I like my 9mm beretta, it was my father. I can hit what I aim at, when I need to shoot some un a thing. Why do I need anything bigger then this." Jathan holds and cradles his gun as he follows the other in the Armory and watches the other supply themselves.
PBH
Dorcan chose a laser weapon and turned to the ferret. Good to see another furre, he thought. Humans unnerved him slightly.
"Well, this is a stealth operation," he pointed out gently. "Quiet weapons are imperative. The Brotherhood may have automated gunfire detection, even if their guards don't have augmented hearing. Of course, if there is a silencer in stock that would fit your weapon, I don't see why taking it should be a problem."
"The problem with your 9-mil is its inadequacy against body armor. The Brotherhood is well protected against light pistol rounds. You can carry it for self-defense, but pick up a silencer and keep out of combat."
"ah, Thanks, " says Jathon. Jathon gets a silencer, rechecks his equipement and then goes lookings for his own body armor. He maybe shooting anyone unless he has to, but he would be very much help if he gotten killed by a stray shot or something.
"mmmm Something is midnight blue, light weight, flexible, but will be able stop standard Brotherhood bullets. Anything like that Quartermaster?"
PBH
Dorcan cursed himself mentally. Not for the first time, he regretted coming late to this whole 'guns' business. Of course a 9mm round wouldn't do much against a Brotherhood soldier, he should have thought of that. Indeed, all it was really good for in this scenario was killing any unfortunates who'd been roped into serving them...
Jathon's next question took him out of his reverie. "As long as it's not day-glo orange, the colour probably doesn't matter too much," he said. "But it would probably be a good idea to get an energy weapon as a backup."
"Maybe I ought to think about some body armour myself," he added. "Though I doubt there's much in the way of a vest with wing-holes in it."
"energy What? I thought energy weapons don't come in anything smaller than a heavy assault rifle. Oooo Hook me up with a Plasma pistol...." says the ferret in sarcasm.
PBH
The Quartermaster was a bit confused by all this. What's with all the special orders?
"Look, everyone gets standard issue. Standard issue bullet proof vest. Standard issue pistol. Standard issue rifle. There ain't no plasma pistols. This ain't the Brotherhood. Our pistols use good old fashioned lead. But if you bring me back some of them weapons they use, then we can work on replicating them. That's where we got our rifles after all." He says. "If they got plasma pistols, take 'em from the corpses and bring 'em to me. That goes for anything that they got that we don't got. Guns, explosives, whatever."
The Quartermaster went to the back room and came back with Morgan's 'order', including the laser rifle.
"Yer lucky. We got one laser left. Make sure it comes back to us in one piece, eh? They're hard to come by." He says.
"These are those Heroes of Jackson's, QM Casey.... Do be nice to them, and maybe they will bring back a dead Brotherhood goon gift wrapped to ya." says Jathon....He goes to take one of the standard bodyarmor and remembers something..
"Hey, Did my order of high pressure tranquilize darts come in yet?" asks the medic
"What? You're still working on that sleeping dart for the Bro Goonies, aren't you?" demands QM Casey.
"I swear, I got it right, this time. Dr Mason wants one alive for study, you know, beside I have a backup gun. So, do you have them?"
PBH
"Well, a stunner did the trick last time," Dorcan said. "Though it has to be on maximum setting. You'd probably have to dose your victim with it regularly... mine woke up and committed suicide."
He turned to the quartermaster. "About the vests. Do you have one to suit someone with wings?"
"Ah that's reason to try a drug, it might work better, their cyber parts seem to adsorb the electrical shock for even a high voltage tasers. Drugs would stay their system longer and inducing sleep but inhibitting not electronic sensor interfaces, but we are not sure of the doseage. It seems that cybernetic parts go into auto-destruct, if the host's heartbeat is lost for a certain amount of time, but that has not been proved yet." said Nathan.... He starts stretching and doing Tia Chi in his new armor vest to get the feel of it. "This thing chafes a little."
PBH
The quartermaster thought about it for a moment. Wings eh?
"Well, we could make a vest to fit you. Give me a few hours and I'll see what I can come up with." He says.
"I haven't the need of a vest myself. I already got some protective gear."
Morgan watched Jathon begin his exercises and shook his head, "gor... you're a barmy chap."
" 'Y Thank you, But I was trying for Loony. Some of these chaps need to lighten up or we all will go bonkers...or something" says Jathon. And then he does a running leap and somersaults and lands in a Judo defensive pose beside the quartermaster facing Morgan.
PBH
The quartermaster sneered at Jathon.
"And you, the armor ain't made to be comfortable. It's made to be functional. And jumpin' around like that's only gonna make you a bigger target. So for the last time, quiddit!" He says
"Aww, It goes so well with my ballet slippers." complains Jathon..... He sighs and goes back to his medical pack and gear. "Oh my darts in yet? QM"
PBH
The Quartermaster scratches his head.
"Darts... darts... oh yeah, those tranq darts you wanted." He says. "Well they're not so much darts as they are bolts."
He grabs a box labelled 'experimental' and opens it up.
"We've only got a couple of clips of them. They're still in development. They'll fit any standard clip-fed crossbow." He says as he pulls out a couple of clips of crossbow bolts.
Thanks,,,,PBH
"anything else gentlemen? Or shall we leave the good quartermaster to his tasks? Dorcan can come back in a few hours for his wing accommodating vest, I suggest we all muster for a lunch and discuss things further." Morgan looked about to the others with him for any note of discord with his suggestion.
"Suits me," the Doberman replied. And if I can grab a book on this world's IT systems in the meantime, it might give me a chance to catch up.
Jathon packs up his darts and a small crossbow/pistol type weapon.. he looks to Morgan as walks towards the door.
PBH
Izzie walks into Jackson's office and greets him. "Nice to meet you. if you don't mind my asking, what am I going to be doing for the next few days?" Izzie then sits down in a chair, and looks to Jackson for a response.
Jackson looks up as Izzy comes in and he motions for Izzy to take a seat. At his question, Jackson smiles.
"I'm assigning you to EXO and the new recruits that he's been running around with. They're still around here somewhere, planning their next mission. They could use someone with your skills. Go get your gear from the quartermaster and report to EXO." He says.
"Okay, I guess that's where I'm headed."
Izzie gets out of the chair and stops next to the door.
"Is there anything I should know before hand?" he says curiously.
Jackson looks over at Izzie and smiles.
"Just keep your wits about you. They're quite a group. But you'll do fine." He says.
Izzie nods and exits the room, heading toward the quartermaster.
Izzie reaches the quartermaster and asks "Hi there, I'm the new engineer. So, can I have a bullet proof vest, laser rifle, and a pistol?"
The quartermaster looked Izzy over and then went to the back. He came back with a vest and a pistol, but instead of a laser rifle, he brought a plasma rifle.
"Last laser rifle's been assigned already. That Morgan fella's got it. Take a plasma rifle instead." He says.
Izzie looks the plasma rifle over "Meh, it's not like it makes much difference anyway. How many shots will the battery let me take?"
"More than enough if you're not trying to be a one man army." The quartermaster says.
He then turns and heads into the back. He's gotta tally up everything that he had given away.
Izzie was feeling hungry, and decided to go to the mess hall for lunch. He grabbed his gear and headed out the door.
Morgan had made it to the cafeteria and tried very, very hard not to turn his nose up at the food that was offered. Existing in an upper middle class to lower upper class lifestyle had jaded him a bit.
Dorcan couldn't eat if he wanted to, so he found a space on Morgan's table and just sat down. Taking a notepad and pen from his pocket, he began to doodle while the others ate.
Izzie proceeded through the doors to the mess hall and got some food. The food was nothing special, but it was edible. He sat down next to two others at a table, and began to eat.
In the Briefing Room
Jexx wakes to a rustling of clothing and the sound of a glass tapping on a table. Before his eyes is a cold protein shake with dew drops of water from the air, and He smells a feminine smell and movement behind him.
"Really Jexx, If you can't wear my T-shirt normally, you could wear it as a head band, like this" says Dr Sally. She wearing a hospital gown and a two robes with light shoes. She ingores Jexx's protests and puts the t-shirt around his head, and ties.
(http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f216/PBHunnydew/Jexx.jpg)
Now, she starts for the door as she scold him. "If you need a rest, try a bed in the dorm. You're a person, act like one. These attitudes will not do in a civil settings, you should try to socializing a little, even if you do not need the food or the company. Everyone is in the mess hall, if you care to join them or if you feel better, stay here and just drink your shake there and then find a bed and have a nap. Exo will let you know when your departure is near." scolds the Doc. "And if you don't want me nagging you. Bring home a nice girl, who will take care for you. We all need each other to keep ourselves sane, Jexx. You do want to keep you you, don't you? The T-shirt is a gift, Jexx, keep it for the mission. I am need in the mess hall." Dr Sally heads to the mess hall.
In the mess hall
Jathon watched the new guy as he got his food... and follows him to the same table as Morgan and the other. He sits down quietly eats his salad.
PBH
Jexx woke up gently as Sally rustled around, the sight of a cold protein shake greeting him. Before he could do anything else, she had the T-shirt and tied it around his forehead. Even though she then started scolding him as she walked to the door, Jexx found himself listening carefully to what she was saying.
After she left, he reached up and gently felt along his new 'headband' with his metal hand. He then took a sip out of the protein shake slowly, as he was for one of the very few times in his (remembered) life, pensive, thinking about the things Sally said to him. Some of it didn't make much sense to him, as the concepts were new, but their meaning was...familiar, almost. As he thought, his markings glowed softly for a moment, then went out again. His mind decided, he got up, protein shake in hand, and headed off to the mess hall as well. He'd give some of her advice a try.
Izzie looked up from his food for a moment, and gestured to the doberman next to him. "So, what is it you'll be doing on the mission? I don't really have everybody's faces in order yet, maybe you can help me out." Izzie smiled and took another big mouth full. He'd always been told he ate like a dinosaur, but they were around for millions of years. They must have been doing something right.
Morgan poked at his greasy cafeteria style food and looked up at the stranger who had spoken. This guy ate like a dinosaur, which had proportionally small brains and existed for millions of years without achieving anything meaningful or achieving enough intelligence to create culture or society. They must be the epitome of a race that had something horribly amiss about it.
"And who might you be mate? I dun remember you being with us before."
Dorcan looked up from his doodling. He was about to answer when Morgan's question stopped him dead. "I didn't think the mission was top secret, was it?" He queried. "If there is the risk of an informant in the organisation, I'd say we have bigger problems than just the mission being compromised."
He paused. "In any case, we requested a few extra personnel. For all we know, he could be one of them." He didn't say what kind of personnel they were expecting.
As an afterthought, Jackson turned to his console and typed out a message to EXO, informing him of the addition of Izzy to the unit.
Izzie was taken aback, "No, no, I'm the new engineer. I was assigned to this mission by Jackson, I'm supposed to report to EXO after I get my gear and something to eat." Izzie then downed his glass of some kind of juice in a gulp. It seemed tropical, but he couldn't place it. "Anyway, I guess I'm going to have to work a little for trust around here then?"
"That would mean you're on our team, then," Dorcan said, and offered his hand. "Good enough for me. It didn't take them long to get us an engineer."
"So, what is your speciality? Have you done much work with augmentations, by any chance?"
"You mean cybernetics?" Izzie asked as he wiped his face off with a napkin. "Yeah, I've worked with them before. I'm not specialized in it of course, but I can do field repairs and the like. I'm not really a specialist, I'm the general guy. I can repair that, weapons that misbehave, the necessary stuff."
"Yes," Dorcan said. "I have a few cybernetic enhancements. While I'm hoping it won't be an issue, it's not something I'd like to leave to chance. When we have a moment I'd like to discuss it with you, preferably in a more private setting."
"Well, good, We need a engineer. I can only heal the fleshy parts of most of the team, here." states a female sea-other. She was carrying a tray with six double cheese burgers, a large fries, and ex-large milkshakes. In spite of the large "meal", she looked thin in her face and arms with her nigthgown and bathrobe hiding most of below her chest. She sits down at the table.
"I'm Dr Sally Joywaves and the team doctor. And I will be reviewing your medical record, and give you an exam on your return from this mission." says the Doc. "Jathon is my new assistant, and he will be on this mission as field medical officer, while I am recovering in the sick ward." As she finishes her two burger, she points to the ferret at the end of the table. *slurp*
PBH
Dorcan glanced at the food and mentally shook his head. On occasion, he missed eating, but right now he was glad that his sense of smell was long gone. The thought of eating that much junk food would have made him feel ill.
"Good," he said, glancing at the ferret, and offering his hand. "Dorcan, of Ja'Fell clan. I'm glad we have a field medic this time... going without on our last outing kind of shook my faith in the organisation, I'm sorry to say. Still, I guess there were more pressing missions going on at the same time.
"Anyway. Which team were you going with, again? The assault one, I suppose..."
"Now, Doc, you really should eat better.... "Said Jathon
"What is it with you, guys? You want me to regain my weight, but you starve me on soups and lettuce leaves." complains the annoyed otter, "I need the protein and the fat to rebuilt my muscles and body tissue."*Burp* "Oh goddess, excuse me, this is good. This is not something, I do just because I enjoy it. I lost some 25 pounds over the last week, and I need this." *munch, munch, slurp*"Mmm, Don't mind me. Go on with your planning" says Dr Sally around her third burger.
*Sigh* "Dorcan? Is it? Well, I could go with the stealth team and I have some re-con training " Says Jathon.
PBH
Morgan glanced at Dorcan as he mentioned cybernetics and the private conversation with the new mechanic. He was forced to shake his head, once again he would be forced to enter into a life or death situation with someone whom he could not fully trust.
However, he was more concerned with the mountain of grease and junk that Joywaves was stuffing into herself.
"Lass, that can't be healthy, but whatever... it is your body. As for engineers, we definitely need one. As long as there's field experience mixed with the book learning. I'm Morgan Kell, software engineer by day and freelance agent for the Rebellion by night it seems."
Izzie glanced over to the humanoid and said "Some field experience, and you'll be happy to know it wasn't on the Brotherhood's side. I can remember at least one time I was glad that the demonic thing's aim was off by a millimeter or so. By the way, I didn't catch your name."
"You didn't catch my name because I did not throw it... however I did already said it, Morgan Kell."
Dorcan caught Morgan's head shake out of the corner of his eye. He had a pretty good idea what was going through the other's mind, and in his place, he'd have felt the same. Then again... I'm an alien. You never had a frame of reference for me to begin with.
"Don't worry," he said. "It's not going to affect me operationally unless I'm physically injured. But it is a... personal matter," he said. "Something I'd rather not discuss."
He turned his attention back to the ferret "I can't now remember if we were getting one medic or two," he said. "If it's just going to be you, it might be better if you go with the assault guys since they'll be doing a head-on attack. If it works, we shouldn't encounter many of the Brothers ourselves, with the chance of injury correspondingly lower."
Morgan raised an eyebrow at Dorcan's comment, "Look mate, you must have a guilty conscience about something, because I didn't say a word. However, if you want to be on this topic, let me just say... personal is what strands a teammate alone behind enemy lines, personal is what gets one's team killed as one hesitates, and personal is what leads to distrust and misunderstandings. In this business there can never be any 'personal'. Any limitation, quirk, unusual ability or trait is something that could be an asset or a liability, but no one will know which until it is too late."
Morgan rose to his feat and roughly tossed his tray into the collection receptacle, "excuse me, for some reason I've lost my appetite."
He exited the cafeteria in obvious and unconcealed disgust.
Izzie watched Morgan leave "Well, that was certainly awkward." He tossed his plate toward the receptacle with a look of anticipation, but it missed, so he got up and put it in by hand looking crestfallen.
Guilty conscience? Dorcan thought, You don't know how right you are.
Then Morgan stormed out of the room. The Doberman's headwings drooped and he turned to Sally.
"Is he always that emotional?" he asked. "We could come unstuck if he does something like this on the battlefield."
Dorcan went back to his doodling for a few moments and reflected. Morgan is unhappy because I've left slip that there's something amiss with me. We don't want that to happen again. So... keep him in the dark. Ignorance is bliss, and he'll be happy.
Confident that he had found a solution, he smiled and began to draw a seascape.
To someone who had spent 300 years learning how to hide, it made perfect sense.
Jexx walked through the doors to the cafeteria at the same time Morgan was storming out. Jexx wasn't technically familiar with such behavior, but even he could tell something was wrong. He didn't get a chance to say anything before Morgan disappeared down the hallway. Turning back to the cafeteria, Jexx spotted Dorcan, Sally, and the medic guy who had given him the T-shirt from Sally.
Sporting said T-shirt on his forehead now, Jexx made his way around the tables and sat down next to Dorcan, sipping his protein shake again. "Is that...Morgan guy okay?" Jexx asked slowly. "I just saw him. He didn't seem right."
Izzie looked over "Not really my business, but I don't know. Whatever it was, he got pretty upset about it. Anyway, My name's Izzie, I'm the new engineer, you'd be?"
"I'm not quite sure if it's because he doesn't like surprises, or because he's prejudiced against people with augmentations," Dorcan said sadly, without looking up. Probably both.
He finished adding a few sailboats and then turned his attention back to the others. "So, how are you doing, Jexx?"
he asked. He didn't say anything about the shirt... for all he knew, it was some kind of local fashion statement.
"Morgan seems to be a male, who has lost friends to people with personal issues. Emotions can be good motivators, but they can blinded you to that is right in front of you. It is more important to stay focus during a mission, and do your duty and your job without little personal issue detractions. But we are all mortal, and personal issues will hang us up from time to time. Morgan seem to want your or our issues, known, so we can back you up, if you get in a jam. But that will require a matter of trust, which we all are not ready for yet." says the sudden somber Ferret. Jathon had finish his meal, and was playing with his darts at the end of the table, filling them with a clear liquid. "I'll be going with the assault team, better to try out my new formual"
"Dorcan! Morgan is right in that you should not let an injury go untreated, if you are going on this mission. Dorcan come here, please. If you are going on the raid, you should be healed or I can talk to Exo about leaving you behind." says Dr Sally in a stern voice, be she soften. "You have a right to privacy, but you should see me and/or Exo about this. We'll keep it just between us, but we can't have you as a loose cannon of the battlefield." The doc had just finish her double burger number #5, but she didn't look like she could eat anymore of a lunch fit for 3 lumberjacks. "Please, Dorcan, I can help"
PBH
"You are welcome to examine me if you wish, Doctor," Dorcan replied with a look of surprise, "But there is little point. I told you everything during the initial examination. Right now there is nothing wrong with me, and I am not injured. However, in case I become injured in the upcoming mission, I want to make sure there will be someone on the team who will be reasonably able to fix it.
"Baiye provided that support in our previous mission, but she seems to have quit. All I want to do is get Izzie up to speed as her replacement."
Jexx looked over to the unfamilar guy who answered his question about Morgan. Jexx would have asked him who the hell he was, but he identified himself as Izzie and their new enginner, before asking the same thing.
"I'm Jexx." he said simply, shurgging. What else was there to say? Dorcan then asked how he was doing. Jexx answered, "Okay, I guess. Still can't wait to get back out there."
Dorcan then got involved in a detailed conversation with the new medic and Sally, apparently over something Dorcan didn't want to say aloud. Jexx didn't pay much attention, he already wasn't feeling very comfortable. He quietly took another sip of his shake. For his preferred diet of plasma-cooked meat and freeze-dried snacks, the shake wasn't too bad.
A look of defeat was followed by a look of announce on the doctor's face, but she recovers quickly..."Fine, we have a mechanic, now.. Have him give you a full system check. And no admission of troubles/problems on your part, tell all your problems and quirks to him."demanded the doctor. She had a little trouble getting up, but she is up and heads out of the mess hall. She smiles at Jexx and pats his shoulder as she passes him. Her touch is warm and calming to Jexx. Sally gives her sixth double cheese burger, which is very over cooked. "You can have this".
"I'm heading to my bed in sick ward. After this last meal, I should awake up freshed and fully healed by tomorrow afternoon at the latest, Good Luck, on your mission, guys"says Dr Sally. "Hope to see you all upon your return.... Jathon, you take care and care for my people or else."
PBH
Izzie heard the comment about him giving Dorcan a systems check. "You sure don't seem to be having a good day with these people, is it always like this?" Izzie sighed. "I can give it a check, but I can't promise I have a PhD in the systems, I can really only help with the basics until I know what I'm looking at, and read up on it. Anyway, you seem trustworthy to me, and I have a feeling you'll have my back out there." Izzie offered Dorcan his hand."
Morgan stalked off, heading no where in particular. He wandered the base halls for a few moments until finding his way outside to a back lot with a small park like area. Morgan gazed up into the sky as the cool breeze rustled his hair.
Setting a leg up on the bar and resting his forearms on the railing, Morgan leaned, allowing his weight to support him against the metal. He watched the blades of grass slowly sway in the wind as he thought to himself.
Once again Fox, you are all alone. Always there are little secrets, hidden agendas and mysteries. I'm expected to trust these people with my life, the lives of others and the success of an operation? Trust things to a single minded, homicidal maniac with zero redeemable qualities... a hollow freak of an alien... and the third-string substitutes? I have laid my capabilities and knowledge on the table many times, but I have to put my life in the hands of amateurs and collateral damage artists? How can I trust they have my back? They have their secret agendas, if something comes up, how will I know I won't find myself alone against it all again? Blimey, who am I kidding... I already said it, I'm all alone anyways.
You aren't alone silly Fox.
Morgan spun around, scanning the park, walk and building exterior with his eyes, "Cat... who?"
There was no one around, no presence in astral space and no mental signatures close by, "cor... now I'm hearing things."
Morgan headed back inside before ghosts started appearing to match the phantom voices.
Sally Joywaves was exhausted, her body had little reserves left from the last mission, and her body was going into overdrive to digest the mega meal of meat and fat to replace it. This left her little energy to navigate the halls of the rebel base. Yet, She was worried about Morgan, and her instinct somehow lead her down the same wandering path that he went.
"Be careful what you dream for?" said her mother. Sally had want to be a mother to group misfits, which she saw just need a little TLC. She did know how that would effect her. That she would know when they hurting in more ways than one and her own worry about them all.
She stops herself in a hallway before the outside door which Morgan had gone. She rests against the wall to catch her breath, wondering why she is here. Morgan is old enough to take care of himself, but still she stays. She is lucky the medical ward is only three or four passages away, she thinks with heavy breath.
PBH
"The last mission wasn't like this," Dorcan said. "My guess is people are just tense because we're going to go into action again. Anyway. If we can borrow one of the Doctor's examination areas, I'll show you what you need to know.
"Off the top of my head, I can tell you that your technology and mine are similar, but the units are different. The main electronics bus is rated at +5v on our scale... using your multimeters it came out as -6.83, so multiply all the written voltages on my circuitry by -1.366 to get the equivalent in your units.
I think I have a copy of the schematics on a thumb drive in my key ring. After the mission we'll have to see if we can figure out a way to read it on your computer systems."
Meanwhile, back at the construction site...
A truckload of sheetmetal, nuts, and bolts, as well as a few more workers arrives on the site. The other workers at the site immedietly descend upon the truck, and quickly unload it's contents. The zealots providing security look on.
Izzie prepared to get up "Sounds like it shouldn't be too ridiculously hard to figure out. You wanna go now?"
Morgan wandered back into the base. He did not have any where in particular to go, so he headed to the one of the lounges near their staging area. He took a seat and waited, keeping his thoughts to himself.
Dr Sally
Watching Morgan going down the hall to the lounge, Dr Sally thinks it would better to leave Morgan to his own device for now. She lets go of the wall and heads to medical ward. She just makes back to the her sick bed, before she collapses in a heavy healing sleep.
Medical Tech/Corpman Jathon
Watching the new Mechanic and Dorcan leave. And turns to Jexx, "Well it seems, we will get have to wait for the others at the departure Lounge or somewhere. Do you know how to play cards?"
PBH
Jexx looked up at the new medic quizically.
"Uh...cards?"
"I guess we'd better," Dorcan said to Izzie. "Let's get this over and done with."
When they were somewhere private, he turned and faced the mechanic. "I'm afraid I've been a bit economical with the truth," he began.
"It's true that I was practically killed some years ago. It's true that I required a lot of rebuilding, and it's true that my limbs are prosthetic." He took off his shirt, and held out his arm. He flexed it, twisted it and rippled his fingers. Beneath his fur the muscles and tendons flowed perfectly.
"...the implication is that it is just my limbs. The truth is... " he paused, wondering how to put it. "My brain is prosthetic as well. There is nothing left of my original body at all, save for my memories and personality."
As he spoke, he touched his ribcage in a certain way. It swung open to reveal a clean layout of circuitry and actuators.
"My muscles are a mixture of polymer and nanoelectronics which contract when a current is passed across them. The power source is a hydrogen-boron reactor.
"The doctor knows. Baiye knows. The others might start to suspect soon. I never eat, I don't tire, and I don't breathe. I don't know what will happen when they find out. I mean, we're fighting against the Brotherhood of the Machine, right? For all they know I'm... one of their pawns, or something." He looked scared.
"I wouldn't tell anyone at all, but... I.. I guess it's in case something happens to me. I want there to be someone who stands a chance of powering me up again if I'm... damaged."
He took a small, plastic object from his pocket and placed it on the table.
"This has the complete schematics for building an android frame like mine, even down to the brain. It's all there in raw bitmap image form. One bit per pixel. If you can figure out how to read the data off the memory chips sector-by-sector, you can reassemble it like some massive jigsaw puzzle."
Izzie grimaced "When you put it like that I'd rather try to figure it out the hard way. Guess in this case that's not an option." Izzie sighed "Well, I can understand the hesitance on telling everyone, you have a point. I'm not making any judgment, I mean if you're as complex as you look I doubt the brotherhood would be able to screw with you so completely that no one would notice. That said, I'll be able to patch you up, but looking at it, you'll want to go to whoever specializes in it as soon as you can. I'll be able fix some of it if it breaks, but it will not be permanent by any definition of the word for now." He sat down and rubbed his eyes "You guys really like to give the new guy a challenge huh?"
"O-kay Jexx Cards is a game or games base on small thick pieces of paper with pictures or numbers on them. 52 of them. See." Said Jathon pulling a small box and opens it to a deck of playing cards.
"See, these have the same picture/pattern on one side and the value/picture on the other side or the face. Some games you hold your cards so only you know their values like this. or face up in front of you, so everyone knows. Each game starts with a shiffle*clicklclickbrr* and you get to cut or divide the deck in half and put the bottom half on top the upper half."
Jathon starts to teach Jexx about the game 21... If he can stand this instruction....
PBH
"Thanks," Dorcan said, and there was a tone of relief in his voice.
"I'd rather you didn't prod around with my insides unless it's entirely necessary," he agreed. "Extracting the data from the memory module shouldn't be too great a task if you can figure out how to drive the memory chip. The basic pinout is on the PCB, and we've deliberately used a simple protocol.
"My race - what I was before I was killed - has a nominal lifespan of 3000 years. We see a lot of tech suppliers and standards come and go, so we stick with standards that are simple to reverse-engineer in case it becomes necessary."
"So ultimately, recovering the schematics is basically just a data recovery exercise. I'm sure the Alliance labs will have someone who specialises in that, and I don't care who else is involved as long as they don't realise that the plans are for building me. The assembly schematics depict a generic humanoid... the thing that is most liable to make people suspect are the optional modules for the head-wings."
"As for the Brotherhood, what worries me is not that they might gain control of me somehow, it's more that the Alliance only really has my word that I'm an alien. It might be easier to believe that the Brotherhood built me themselves as a spy or something. That's what I'm afraid of."
Izzie got up "Yeah, I guess that makes sense. Anyway, we should probably meet back with the others, I can drop this off on the way there" Said Izzie as he picked up the thumb drive
"I wonder where they went?"
Dorcan shrugged. "Check the mess first, I suppose. If that doesn't work, we ask where Exo is."
"Sounds like a plan to me." Izzie said walking out the of room. "All else fails, we go door to door."
Dorcan surveyed the mess, spotting Jexx and the medic guy. What was his name again? They seemed to be playing some local card game.
"All done," he told them. "You know, our instructions were a bit vague on what we should be doing right now, and where we should be meeting for departure. Unless anyone knows different, I guess we should ask Exo what's next. Anyone know where he is?"
"Oh Hey, Dorcan and Izzie, Well, If we are looking for Exo and He went to gather the vans, teams and supplies. I think, if we go to the staging area. The storage and armory are nearby the motor pool, so back this way. We should able to find Exo there, if he working on the logistics." Said Jathon as he puts up he cards.
PBH
Morgan had long since decided to abandon the lounge he was in and head to their staging area. He reclined against a crate and waited for a call to assemble from Exo or for everyone to show up.
Exo was just doing a final check on the loadout and personnel before departure as the others arrived, making sure everything was in order for the attack.
"Ah, good. Everything is almost ready here. I suggest you make any last minute preparations you need to make."
"I have all that I need, it would be best to... 'get this party started' as soon as possible." Morgan stated as he leaped up and sauntered over to the warbot.
Jathon voice can be heard down the hall "And here is the motorpool and the emergency room is right through there. This is the staging area number #2, where there is this big giant global thing is directing our next big movie.... Exo, you have gain some weight since you got here, I have seen you this big in a while."
Jathon leads Jexx and Dorcan into the stage area. He marches up to Exo, salutes him, and said "Corpsman (FMST) Jathon Mason reporting ready and standing by, sir".
PBH
"I'm ready," Dorcan said. "How about you?" he asked Izzie. Now would be a good time to hand that memory card over to the techs, he thought.
"I'll join you as soon as I get this thumb drive to the techs." Izzie said "I'll try not to hold you up to long." Izzie then started off toward the labs.
Exo nods, and directs the assembled Rebel operatives to get ready to roll, with the group split between three vans*. The main attack/scout feint group take one, whilst the infiltration group take the other two, passing out maps. "We stay together for most of the trip, and split up around... here." It points to a small clearing marked on all of the maps. "The infiltration group will hide their vans near the dried out river," it gestures to a couple of suggested vehicle hiding places, "...and proceed down it amongst the construction materials. The scout/assault group will get much closer and attempt to lure the defenders out. Infiltration team objectives are simple; download the tower's database and, if possible, set demolition charges to destroy the tower. A night assault will give us a better chance of getting close to the site without being detected."
It folds the map it was using away and throws it onto the main van's side seat. "One more thing. If you come across any Brotherhood tech that can be salvaged, grab ahold of it. They may have a technological advantage for now, but it's a stranglehold that we can break fairly easily if we can get ahold of equipment to reverse engineer." With that, it climbs into the driver's seat of the main van, slams the door and revs the engine.
Jathon points to a female ferret said, "Hey Izzie, You can give the Data drive to Micheals over there. She is with cybernetic/robotic. Exo is not a bot to wait, it seems."
The corpsman runs to Exo's van is driving, and gets in.
PBH
Dorcan was still a little unsure that he had done the right thing. Confiding in Izzie had opened him up, perhaps more than had been wise.
Nuts, he thought, Think of something happy. What's done can't be undone. Brooding over it for the whole damn trip is not going to get you anywhere.
He climbed into the first available vehicle automatically, not really caring who he was with.
At the sight of Exo laying out the plan, then climbing into a van straightaway, Jexx got much more active. "Finally! That's what I'm talkin' about! Let's get going!" Jexx rushed to the van that Exo had commandeered, getting in through the back and sitting with the equipment.
Morgan took to one of the vans designated for his particular part of this operation. He assumed that he would be driving, and as such slid into the driver's seat and logged himself into to the vehicle's VCI.
With everyone settled in, and preparations made, the vans finally took off from the rebellion base towards their target. The drive was a long one. A day's worth of driving brought them to a large field. The east side of the field was flanked by a group of trees. Some ways away was the riverbed that was shown on the map, and in the distance, they would see the construction site, as active as ever.
Leaving his van, Dorcan made his way to Exo. If it was like the last time, the robot wouldn't need help setting up the camp, so he just hung around and waited for Morgan.
Morgan had parked the van and disembarked. The personnel in his vehicle expertly exited and were distributing their gear. Morgan had his duffel and sundries tossed to him by the fellow coordinating the people from his van. He nodded to the lad, "carry on."
Shouldering his gear, Morgan headed to Exo. He found Dorcan already there, "I'll have to explain a few things as soon as the team is assembled."
After setup his own little tent, Jathon also goes to Exo and finds Dorcan and Morgan.
"Evening, Gents... Great place for a Jamboree... Hey. So where to next?" commends the ferret
PBH
After the ride, Jexx opened the van doors and stumbled out of the vehicle. He wandered around for a little as other were disembarking, then caught sight of the construction area.
Almost like a zombie, Jexx walked a ways in the direction of the construction, his metal arms hanging down, passing the assembling command group, and finally stopping. He stared at the construction with a definite hunger in his strange eyes, and a slight grin on his mouth. After a moment, a familiar red glow started radiating from the barrels of his handcannons, illuminating the ground at his feet.
Dorcan stared at Jexx nervously as he stood there glowing. "The Brothers aren't going to be able to detect that from here, are they?"
The ferret follows Dorcan's gaze to Jexx. Looking at the cyborg's stands and "ready to pounce" body language, Jathon goes in front of Jexx, and asks "Jexx, you know they are not going anywhere.. Your team will need you, when they go in. It will not be much longer. Remember what Sally said to you back at HQ, "You have a choice what you want. Do you want to be a gun all your life or person?"
Jathon stands away from Jexx and moves to the side of Jexx, and watches the camp setup. Looking at him with a corner of his eye, he is ready to tackle Jexx should he move to leave the camp or shoot the tower from here."
Fool hearty yes
PBH
Exo is busy checking that his weapon is fully loaded before he notices the glow and casually walks over, sweeping one heavy hand around to try to give Jexx a firm slap upside the head. "If you do anything to jeopardize the mission, I will be sending you, or what is left of you if you think a fight is a good idea, back to base."
"Do I make myself clear?"
Jexx scoffed when Dorcan asked a somewhat paranoid question, and his handcannons slowly went out. Jathon stepped up and reminded Jexx oh what Sally had told him before. Jexx just shook his head in an almost bemused way. "Aw come on, I wasn't really going toWHOA!"
Jexx tried to duck when he saw a big metal hand come swinging at him from the corner of his eye, but it managed to clip him anyway, throwing him off-balance enough to send him sprawling to the ground. He turned over to look up at Exo, a rather angry expression on his face.
"What was that for, you big dumb robot?" Jexx spat in irritation. "Give me a little credit here, I'm not stupid. As I was saying, I wasn't going to try shooting the damn tower at this range. My plasma shots would burn out waaay before they even got there, not to mention that I wouldn't even be able to see whatever sod of a cultist I fried even if they did."
Jexx got to his feet, brushing himself off. "Just excited and anticipating our coming skirmish, is all." he said to the group, in a bit of a hurt way. He then turned and walked towards the small tree forest. "If you need me, I'll be up high." He reached a tree, then agilely scaled it, disappearing into the thicket of branches quickly.
Morgan did not comment on Jexx or Exo, he did not think the Brotherhood's sensors could see them this far out in the Tower's current state of construction. Still, discretion was warranted. When Jexx moved off, he was somewhat relieved.
"now would be a good time to explain the basics of special operations work." Morgan details many operational areas, including intelligence gathering, signalling, movement, and threat neutralization.
What Jexx sees when he climbs the tree:
When Jexx goes up into the tree, he would catch sight of a heavy armored Brotherhood transport being flanked by two lighter Brotherhood attack vehicles, all heading towards the construction site. They stop at the site and the heavy vehicle's back door opens and out steps a man in Brotherhood robes, different from what the soldiers wear. He has no helmet, but his head is covered with a hood. The personnel at the site appear to be giving this man a tour of the site for a short while. After a half-hour or so, the man re-enters the heavy transport, and the group of vehicles leaves the site, heading away from the player's current location.
(From Jexx's vantage, he wouldn't be able to get better details on the man, but he looks important.)
Jathon had jump when Exo hit Jexx. He shakes his head at Jexx when climbs the tree. W\
"Well, does that mean we all go to bed at ...at ...ah 8 PM?" asks Jathon as he looks at his watch
Exo chuckles at Jathon. "You're not very familiar with the definition of a night operation are you?"
It then turns to Morgan. "I'm sure you're glad he's on the offensive distraction team, eh?" The bot would be grinning, if it could. "We don't have much time to waste at this rate. Best to make our move soon."
Dorcan found he had little to add. Morgan was his immediate commander, so the next move would have to be his.
"Goddess, Tin man, Can you take a joke? A seasoned soldiers will sleep when they can and are always ready at moment notice?" Says Jathon. "what is the plan, If I may ask?"
PBH
Morgan nodded wryly to Exo, "aye, he will be distracting someone at least. But that aside, you are right, we will need to get started on the operation soon."
He motioned over all the people who would be on his operational team, "alright lads, you all have been briefed on the operation. We will be moving under the cover of night, during a distractionary action. We want to keep engagement of hostiles to a minimum, get in, and extract the data. If possible we will be setting charges to blow the tower, but this is a secondary objective, primary is the data extraction. Oh Dorcan, and everyone else who may not be familiar, I have special forces... experience... we will be using standard operational handsigns, keep chatter to a minimum."
He demonstrated for Dorcan's benefit and anyone else who might not have been in the same branch of service or a different nation's special forces.
Morgan turned and nodded to Exo, "this is where we split up, we will hide our vans near the dry river bed, deploy and head up it as planned, moving through the construction materials. Do you have anything further, Exo or do I have authorization to proceed as planned?"
The mech shakes it's head. "Nothing at this time. I'd wish you luck, but I don't think that sort of think matters to your kind." It hefts the bulky SMG-sized 'pistol' and checks the ammunition cartridge. "Try not to have too much fun without us. We'll keep them busy outside as long as we can. With any luck we'll be able to join you, though that depends what the security detail is like."
Exo then sets about gathering up the members of it's own party before setting off to prepare for, and begin, the fake scouting party and distraction assault.
When Jexx was just settling down on a comfortable branch, his eyes caught sight of the convoy headed for the tower. He watched them for awhile, and when the convoy packed up, he heard Exo calling for him. "I'm comin', I'm comin'." Jexx deftly decended down from branch to branch, dropping near Exo.
Jexx was still sore at him, and kept his distance. He didn't tell Exo about what he'd seen. It probably wasn't important anyway.
As night fell, the workers in the tower began to head away from the site, towards a small collection of tents not too far away from the site. A few of the zealots went with them, leaving only a handful of guards at the site, and a couple at the staging area.
Dorcan was on watch, which he did from a tree like Jexx before him, studying the Brotherhood camp through a pair of binoculars. Hometime, he thought and skimmed down the tree to find Exo.
"Looks like the Brothers are packing up for the night, Sir." he reported. "Construction seems to have halted and they only have a skeleton guard from what I can tell."
Jathon has been making a set of darts with the different strength. Each dart with increasing strength set in a row on his belt. Jathon will use only one dart per target, and makes notes on the amount of morphine to each numbered dart. Amounts ranging from enough for a 100kg man to 2 ton elephant.
He has just finished up, as he hear Dorcan states the Tower closing down for the night. He goes to Exo.
PBH
Morgan also had observed the movement of Brotherhood troops through his optics from the tree he had climbed to better meditate on the upcoming challenge. Soundlessly he dropped from the branch, landing in semi-dramatic action pose-crouch.
Quickly he met up with the others, "Alright mates, time for us to get going. Let's grab our gear and load up the vans. As per the plan, we will be stashing the vehicles near the dried up river. We will then move towards the tower via the riverbed, using the construction materials for cover."
Morgan checked his watch and gestured towards the vans, "let's get this party started."
"Yes, sir," Dorcan said, and did as he was ordered. It seemed that the mission was well and truly under way now. Finally, he thought.
"Okay Boss, " Jathon salutes Morgan "Let's go" The ferret go to EXo's van as he starts the engine.
PBH
(OOC) I hope
"Actually, we're moving the rest of the way on foot. If we take the van too close it'll alert the guards. The air is cold... sound'll travel far, even with quiet engines. Audio enhancers are fairly common, and we want this to look like a genuine failed recon, at least at first. Plus we don't have as far to go, compared to the distance to the riverbed." The bot is hard to see in the darkness thanks to his matte grey armour plating, though his visual receptors seem to cast a faint greenish glow, and moves surprisingly quietly.
"We need a couple of people to play the bait and get a little too close while doing a recon of the site. Pvt. Mitchell here has some recon skills. Jathon, stay with him, stay down and stay quiet." The bot pauses for a moment to let the directives sink in. "Jexx, shadow them a bit, try to keep hidden with a good line of sight. You're to cover for them when they're spotted. Give them time to fall back to us, and us time to group up with them. From there we'll aim to get between the tower and their quarters, ideally disposing with the tower guards first."
Exo pats the bulky 'sidearm'. "Fortunately for our role in the mission, this thing is not subtle which, on occasion, does have it's uses. It's technically a heavy weapon, and it'll certainly get their attention once I start taking a few potshots. I've heard they're compared to fireworks celebrations in terms of noise. Remember to grab any of their weapons you can. With any luck most of them won't have ID locks, so we should be able to use them freely."
As the group nears the edge of the clearing to the construction site (and, no doubt, the infiltration group having reached the river bed), the bot raises a hand - the old and easily recognized 'stop' sign. "Mitchell, Jathon, Jexx. Off you go. Good luck. Let them fire the first shot and do not open fire or waste time shooting back - that's Jexx's job. Regroup with us and we'll give them something to think about. We'll move in as soon as we hear them firing." Exo then switches to comms. [All ready here. Any fireworks on our end mean we've got their attention. Try not to have too much fun without us okay?]
Morgan's crew deployed after hiding their vans. With a quiet voice and descriptive gestures, Morgan waves everyone over.
"Alright let's move, Dorcan and I are on point, the rest follow two by two. Let's stagger ourselves just a bit so we can cover each pair. You last two are in charge of making sure nothing comes up behind us to cut our escape route off. Remember, silencers and quiet weapons... garrotes, knives and crossbows, don't give the enemy time to yell or even gurgle in his own blood. If you have to kill an enemy, make it fast and quiet. Hopefully there won't be much of any opposition."
Morgan looked to Dorcan and gave him and the rest the be quiet gesture as well as the one for keeping your eyes open and be alert. Gesturing to the doberman to keep up, Morgan made his way into the dry riverbed and headed for the tower, keeping to cover and moving as silently as he was able (which is theoretically a lot).
Morgan thought into his internal comm, Exo, we are on the move. ETA ten minutes till we are in position, will advise if schedule is broken. Try not to get yourself killed.
Dorcan padded along, dividing his attention between Morgan in front and the next group behind. "All clear," he gestured, moving briefly into the light so they could see his signal.
Morgan paused at the indicated point and quietly motioned for the team to spread out and take their positions as previously discussed.
Exo, we are in position. Standing by, as we seem to be a slight bit early. Over. Morgan thought into his comm.
At the staging area, a couple of zealots are wandering around, patrolling the area.
"Man, how'd we get stuck with this post? I hate the night shift." One says.
"Quit complaining and do your job." The other says.
"Yeah, but I always seem to get these awful posts. I think the boss has it in for me."
"Maybe he wouldn't have it in for you if you'd quit complaining all the damn time."
They chattered in this fashion nearly the entire time they patrolled the area.
In front of the construction site, a small handful of zealots were standing guard and a few were patrolling the area. One of the guards men suddenly peers out into the distance.
"Hey, did you see something move?" He asked.
"I didn't see nothin'." One of the others asked.
"I swear I saw something moving out there." The first one said.
"Then send the patrol out there if you're so worried about it." Another said.
The guard flagged down the patrolling guards and motioned them to go towards the area where he thought he saw movement. The patrolling guards started heading to the clearing.
Dorcan's ears pricked up slightly. Voices. He couldn't quite hear what they were saying, but the sentence structure was like that of someone who'd seen something that made them suspicious.
He glanced at Morgan and tapped his ears with a cupped hand as though he was listening. If they'd agreed on a "Did you hear that" gesture, he'd already forgotten what it was.
Jathon follows Pvt. Mitchell as the rest of the fans out. He pulls out his trans-crossbow and load one dart looking to shot any stray patrol goons of the Brotherhood. He and Pvt Michell circle in the opposite direction of Morgan's team, hiding in the the bush and construction materials.
Jathon just looses sight of Exo, when he hear someone coming up the main path from the tower. He looks to see if he can climb any nearby stacks support beams, when Pvt Mitchell motions him to stay still.
PBH
Morgan wondered why Dorcan was gesturing for him to turn his headphone audio down when he was not wearing anything like such.
Morgan was in the process of isolating some talking he had heard from just a moment before Dorcan had begun gesturing and played back the cleaned up audio.
He gestured to the others to stay put and then carefully moved over towards the doberman, a smooth and stealthy like a fox. In a very low voice said, "they saw the distraction team, keep position until the fun starts. Let's hope that it pulls all the guards."
In the low light, Morgan's eyes glittered like a predatory canid, making him look a little sinister.
Dorcan nodded. "Aye, sir. I was afraid they'd found us," he whispered, glancing back at Morgan. In that light he looked almost hungry with anticipation. I guess humans are closer to us than I thought, Dorcan pondered.
Jexx noticeably started getting restless as everyone was talking about finally getting underway with the mission. He listened with an intent focus as Exo laid out the plan, especially at all the parts concerning Jexx's own role in it. When Exo finished and sent the 'recon' team of their way, Jexx reached into his pocket and pulled out his microcomms, slotting them back into his ear and tooth.
As Jathon and the Rebellion guy advanced stealthy-like towards the Tower, Jexx had vanished into the nearby trees. He swung from branch to branch, like a monkey, while remaining relatively silent. He settled on a branch that gave him a good view near the construction site with Jathon and Mitchell. His position was roughly across from the two, and in a relative diagonal direction to to the patrols
Eventually, the recon pair seemed to be noticed, and a patrol was diverted in their direction. Jexx watched them with a ravenous hunger in his eyes.
"Exo..." Jexx whispered into his microcomm, " the medic-dude and Rebellion guy've been seen. I'm taking this as my cue." Jexx's signature psychotic grin spread across his face. "Eat burning plasma, you ass-masked bastards!"
With that, Jexx rained a stream of angry-red plasma balls on the advancing patrol. He kept it up for a moment, then swung away to a different tree, and started firing again. His marking were not yet glowing; he wasn't genuinely fired up yet, and he just had to make sure that Jathon and Mitchell got back to Exo and the other heavy-hitters. Then he would have his fun. Oh yes, then he would have fun.
As Jexx's shots rang out, all the guards at the construction site suddenly became alert. The voices of the patrol team came over the comm.
"OH SHIT! CONTACT CONTACT! RETURN FIRE!"
Gunfire came over the comm as the patrol team opened fire in the direction the plasma shots were coming from. One of Jexx's shots clipped one of the patrolling guards and knocked him over.
"MAN DOWN WE NEED BACK UP OVER HERE!"
The guards at the site looked at each other and then ran towards where the patrol was.
At the staging area, the two guards looked at each other as they listened to the battle raging over the comms.
"Think we should go help?" One asked.
"No, let's stay here in case they need more support later." The other said.
"That must be Jexx," Dorcan murmured, "doing what he does best."
He glanced back at Morgan, waiting for the signal to move.
The medic, Jathon had a shot lined up on one of the Brotherhood patrolling guards, when Jexx fires with his cannons.. Jathin fires off two tranque shots before the guard starts re-acting, but he can't see if the darts hit the guard or if his effected. While the flash of light from Jexx fire, makes Jathon vsionable to the patrolling guards, who started firing in the direction of the ferret as he runs for cover between stockpiles.
The medic lose sight of Pvt. Mitchell and Jexx and the others as he travells away from the fire figtht but parallel to the tower.
PBH
With the sound of gunfire, Exo starts moving fast for a bot, assault weapon in hand as it almost sprinted across the intervening terrain. [Can you truly die if you weren't technically alive to begin with? Either way, we have their attention.] It's movements are none too silent, but it has soon caught up with Mitchell, and starts making use of the heavy gun, and the bot wasn't lying; the rockets are pretty noisy. Fortunately, they also excel at turning goons into kibble fairly quickly.
"Where is Jathon, Private?" The bot spun around and snapped off a shot at a zealot trying to flank them, then paused to reload the pistol, pulling a magazine from one of it's empty internal bays and stowing the empty magazine inside it.
"No idea, sir, I lost 'im after that crazy bugger started firing." The private shouldered his silenced SMG and laid down some suppressing fire, forcing two zealots to duck back behind some metal boxes with distinctive 'Rhino' labels on them. "I dunno where all these fellas came from, it's like they just started comin' out the woodwork when we got spotted."
"Lovely." [Jathon, if you can hear me, find somewhere to hide and stay hidden. The last thing we need is for you to be mistaken for one of the zealots in this light.] Exo snaps off a couple more shots as suppressing fire before moving for cover as small arms fire started pinging off it's armour, the Private following it closely.
Hidden within the shadowed trees, and constantly on the move, the random spray fire from the zealots missed Jexx by a good margin. He then heard several very loud reports, and assumed them to be the weapon Exo was packing.
"Hey Morgan, I think we've got their attention. You can go in now." Jexx said over the comm, and then he suddenly started speaking the the best military voice he could muster (which was, no surprise, even less serious than his normal speech); "I say again, you have a green light for the code red black ops thing, bossman sir!" He then briefly collapsed into a fit of uncontrollable giggles.
After that, Jexx then scaled down the trees, and made a mad dash for Exo.
Morgan cringed as Jexx's voice blasted over the general comms in his head.
He watched the remaining two guards for a long few minutes, giving them a chance to settle down from the immediate rush of action happening in the field.
Signalling to two of the team he had with him, he instructed them to move around to the otherside where the guards were and hold, any other guards drawn by any noise from what he was going to do next could be surprised by those two.
Signalling to Dorcan and indicating the closer guard on the right and gave the signal for close in neutralize (that is to say, go up to him and take him out as opposed to stay here and shoot him).
With that done, Morgan maneuvered around the opposite side from where he directed the other two to approach. He attempted to quietly get around behind the other guard and apply his nasty diamond coated short blade to the back of the zealot's neck.
Dorcan nodded at Morgan's instruction, and suddenly realised to his horror that he hadn't thought to request any close-range weapons. With a silent curse, he decided to improvise.
The doberman crept silently behind his prey, watching tensely for any sign that he'd been seen or heard. So far, so good. At the last moment, he grabbed the Zealot's head and gave it a sharp, brutal twist.
The guard that Morgan snuck up on let out half a yelp that turned into a gurgle as he was stabbed through the neck. The other guard had barely a moment to react when his head was suddenly grabbed and his neck broken. Both slumped to the ground, dead within mere moments.
The firefight in front of the construction site had drawn the attention of the site foreman, an elite. He stomped out of the partially built tower, with a large repeating plasma rifle in hand. He took a quick glance around and spotted the battle, and charged in, his gun blazing away.
"Oh gods," Dorcan whispered, "forgive me for the life of my foe that I have taken in time of need. Accept this man into your flock and forgive him his sins as I pray you forgive mine. May his soul's journey end in paradise."
It was the prayer his clan uttered when killing their enemies.
As he cleaned his blade, Morgan opened up his mind, checking the local area for any thought signatures that did not match his team. He had miscalculated slightly, as his target had not fully expired.
Morgan paused briefly over the prone form of the zealot, he raised his head and appeared to be staring intently at something. With a noticeable strain he appeared to pull away from something. He looked visibly shaken, "it is one thing to kill a foe, it is another to witness the psyche slip into the void..."
Shaking off the feeling he gestured to the rest of the team to advance and for those forward to keep watch. Signaling to Dorcan, Morgan indicated to pull his guy off into the darkness. Selecting somewhere out of the way, he did his best to hide both bodies with the assistance of the cubi.
As satisfied as he could be with the concealment, he took position and checked his chronometer. Satisfied they had not been seen, his group moved to their spot near the tower, they were on schedule and now the assault team needed to draw off as much as they could and lead them away.
With the fight at the camp going in full swing, things were more than a little hectic. The bursts of plasma fire suggested a change of pace, however. [Private Mitchell, Jexx, I need you to distract that heavy weapons wielder. I'm going to try to get in close where he can't use that gun.] Exo used the group comm, rather than general.
Mitchell nods, breaking cover and dashing for another pile of crates, narrowly evading a stream of plasma bolts before diving behind the boxes, recovering and leaning out to make some ineffectual suppressing fire on the foreman. Exo likewise snapped off a pair of rockets, aiming for the foreman's feet to throw him off balance, before ducking back behind his cover and trying to circle around, not wanting to waste any time.
The ferret has lost his pursuiters but lost his friends, and his way. When hiding behind a stack of lumber, he hears the attracking assault of the Brother elite Foreman going pass him.
He fire two three four dart at him, but the elite goon is so enrage he doesn't slow down or turn to look at the little ferret behind him... The foreman runs on at the attack team with three solid tranque dart inbedding in his skin, and leaving the Medic, who stares after him in disbelief.
"Okay Jathon What have we learned?" he asks himself...
"ah, Exo is over there. Okay hussle on over there and only around the back way."
PBH
Morgan's scan would turn up a couple of zealots still inside the tower, possibly instructed to remain there by the foreman.
The foreman shrugged off most of the suppressing fire, but the rockets at his feet caused him to trip and topple over. Without missing a beat, he picked himself back up, and brought his gun around to bear.
Mitchell pops out again to spatter the foreman with more submachinegun rounds as Exo kept flanking, moving quickly. Once the bot thought it was in an ideal position, it fired another rocket at the foreman's feet and sprinted forwards, holstering the heavy pistol as arcs of electricity began to lick between it's fingers and forearm/wrist.
"PEACE THROUGH SUPERIOR FIREPOWER!" Exo almost bellowed, arms outstretched, aiming to grab ahold of the foreman and introduce him to several thousand volts of electrical output.
As Jexx saw the Elite foreman stide into battle, his psychotic grin grew to its widest yet. "Bots and boys, let's make some NOISE!" He yelled. His markings began to glow.
As Exo and Mithell started blasting at him, Jexx ducked low and started dashing around crates and contruction equipment. With his glow, he looked like some sort of blood-ghost as he flitted from cover to cover. Eventually, he circled behind the Elite as Exo prepared an energized bear hug. Jexx popped up like a jack-in-the-box, sending a steam of plasma shots into the Elite's back to add to Exo's assault. Then he ducked down again and darted off somewhere else.
Morgan did not yet move forward, instead he observed the tower looking for any possible surveillance devices. Morgan also scanned for live wireless APs and any SSIDs, broadcasting, nonbroadcasting or hidden.
While doing this he waved for two of the specfor Rebellion types to circle around the tower and check for any rear entrances. Morgan indicated that Dorcan and the others should hold position for the time being.
Dorcan continued to wait patiently. His time would surely come soon enough.
The Jathon is busy evading the fire fight while circling back to the assault team. When he surprises a patrol goon, on the edge of the fighting, the goon starts shooting at him. Jathon fires back with his tranque darts,from behind a half pallet of steel rods. After two-three hits, the brotherhood guard falls over. The ferret runs over and checks his vitals. The guard was a sleep, but how was he going to move this 350 pound guy of flesh and metal by himself.
Hoping the guard will stay asleep, Jathon runs faster to the back of the firefight.
PBH
Morgan's scan would only bring up radio transmissions between the foreman and the guards still inside the tower. The foreman was calling for some cover fire, which the guards in the tower were preparing to provide. They came to an unfinished section a few floors up and started firing from up there.
The rocket clipped the foreman's feet and made him stumble and fall again. Only this time when he picked himself up, he found himself being electrocuted. He fought back as best as he could, but eventually he fried within his armor and slumped down in a heap, dead.
After a few more moments, Exo drops the deceased foreman and picks up the large repeating plasma rifle in one hand, ducking as it comes under fire. [Persistant, I'll give them that.] Exo turns and starts hosing down the fire support with short sprays of plasma bolts assuming the rifle was still functional or lacked user identification, or sending rockets off towards them if it wasn't going to cooperate. [The Foreman is out of action. If there was any time to make a move, Morgan, now would be it.] It switches over to the squad network. [Mitchell, Jexx, sweep for survivors down here and find Jathon. Franklin, Mackenzie*, move up and rendezvous with me.]
Mitchell gives a quiet affirmative and stalks off into the shadows, moving quietly and dealing with any remaining zealots he encounters. Franklin and Mackenzie move up over the grassy area, 'leapfrogging' and covering each other as they moved forwards, encountering minimal resistance.
(*The grunt and demo expert assigned to their team, respectively, along with the scout. IIRC, Morgan's team also got a grunt and demo, who would be checking the tower for rear entrances right about now if I read things right.)
Murphy and Foster return a short time later, it is Foster that reports.
"The rear area is inaccessible sir."
Morgan nods, "the front it is then. Exo and the others are providing an excellent distraction. Let's move."
The red-haired lad takes lead, signalling them to take up the usual formation. He covers the distance quickly and very stealthfully, as if prowling was a natural ability, which it is for his species, but not the human he appears to be.
He reaches the wall and then the entrance, where he pauses to listen for activity beyond the door.
Jathon comes running up to Pvt Mitchell from the side,
"I got one, I got One." said Jathon
"yeea, we got many more."
"No no, I have one capture, a live one, but I can't move him.." say Jathon
"Exo, Can you hear me?" ask Jathon "Exo, Damn comm is dead. I know I check it. Pvt Mitchel, can we get a stretcher and Jexx, we need someone to cover us." Jathon quick runs and get a stretcher.
PBH
Morgan did not hear anything troublesome from behind the main door, but the area was too exposed and it was the expected point of entry.
He retreated back to the rest of the squad. He gestured to Dorcan to come over and spoke in low tones when he was near enough, "the front is too exposed, and would be the expected point of entry. I suggest we scale the ower and descend into it from the top levels. It would not be expected and it would put us at the backs of any of the defending guards."
Morgan indicated the autocaster that Dorcan was outfitted with, "you have grapple for that. We will scale this side, the one facing away from the fight. I am going to move out and try to get a good look at our deployment point and see if there are any guards up there, I'll let you know if you can take a shot or to hold over a point to point transmission. Be sure to have your communicator on."
Morgan then nodded and moved off far enough for him to get a clear view to their grapple points.
OOC: yes I am being careful about this, but a true professional never leaves to chance. I'm sorry if it bogs the action down, but it is what it is.
Dorcan nodded, and cranked up the amplification in his eyes a little. Taking out the grapple, he checked the mechanism and loaded the bolt. Taking aim, he waited for Morgan to give him the goahead.
"One ass-guard, comin' right up!" Jexx said, as he darted back and forth between different crates and construction equipment, tailing Jathon and Mitchell while looking out for any zealots that might try to jump them.
The guards in the top of the tower hit the deck when another wave of hot ammunition came their way. Once they had a chance, they got back up and returned firing. They had good cover, and were using it to their advantage.
Pvt Mitchell, Jexx and Jathon find the sleeping guard, when gunfiring from the top of the tower can be heard. They spy the guards on the top of the tower shooting down on the rebels. They don't seem to be trying to shoot at Jathon, Mitchell, or Jexx.
"Jexx, It looks like we have a clear path back to the vans. Give us a half minute head start, then you can try to take out some of wind from the tower top. " Says the medic and motion Pvt Mitchell lift the guard on the stretcher. They lift the guard and run back to the rebel vans.
PBH
Morgan had studied the top area intently with all variety of scans and could see no activity in the area they were planning to move to. It was still risky as the Brotherhood were laying down fire from the top as well.
The guards were pinned down temporarily by fire from the diversionary forces. Morgan quickly spoke into his comm, "Dorcan, deploy two grapples, I am heading for your location."
Morgan, quietly, but quickly headed back over to the group and prepared to head up when the lines were secured.
"Foster and I will go up first and secure the area, Dorcan follow with Murphy."
"Sir," Dorcan said, and fired. He'd spent a little while shooting trees at the camp to ensure he had a good feel for this particular weapon. The grapple had different ballistics to the dart he'd practised with, but it seemed to have paid off nonetheless. Checking that the first line was secure, he took aim and deployed a second.
With the grapples secured, and Morgan makes a concerted effort to make sure they are, he secures himself to the rope and gives a nod to Foster.
"Up we go mate."
Morgan deftly began his ascent, his cybernetically enhanced structure increased his weight significantly, but his muscles were augmented beyond what was necessary to cope with the increased mass.
He reached the top of the tower quietly and rolled over the edge, with the laser sniper rifle out, he expertly swept the area, finding it to be clear. Foster came in just after him and also swept the area.
When finished he looked to Morgan who nodded, understanding the question before it was asked. Foster headed back to the edge and gestured down to Dorcan and Murphy to begin their ascent. From his position, Foster covered the surrounding area, insuring that Dorcan and Murphy could climb without too much worry for what might attack them from the surrounding area or below.
Dorcan made his way up and glanced at Morgan. "Do we take these?" he whispered, gesturing at the grapples. Leaving them there would be a dead give-away if the Brotherhood resumed patrols - but on the other hand, they might be useful for getting down again.
Exo does a diving roll for cover at the return fire, laying down another volley of suppressing fire before popping back into cover and switching to comms. [Morgan, I can't get a hit on those Zealots on the roof. Fortunately, so do I. Unfortunately, so do they.] It does a quick check of the rifle's power cell and lets off a few more shots, which no doubt go well over the heads of the zealots. [They can't be far from your current location, care to deal with them?]
Morgan was about to answer Dorcan when Exo sent a message to him, I suppose we can, standby, but do not release suppressing fire until I signal you.
Morgan looked to Dorcan, "leave them."
He quickly pointed to each member and to the stair leading down, quietly he made his way to it and headed down to the next floor.
They came down into a mostly unfinished hallway. At the far end of the hallway was an open section of the wall which the zealots were using as cover as they fired on Exo and his group. They were absorbed in the firefight and didn't notice Morgan and his group entering the hall. One side the hall appeared to be more finished than another, and above one door a sign read "Computer Ops" and above another door read "Supp. Fld. Gen."
Jathon and Mitchell have gotten the Brotherhood guard to the vans, and seeing that few others who are wound need him. Jathon is torn beteween helping the wounds and help secure the prisoner.
After laying the guard in a secured van, Jathon calls HQ from some advice..."Jathon to HQ medical, Com'n Please. I need some advice and to disarm a brotherhood Rookie class four battle armor? Without damage the equipment or the victim/wearer?"
PBH
The response came quickly.
"This is shift supervisor Martin. You want to do what? You don't have the resources to do that. If you got a live one, you gotta keep him unconscious, otherwise he'll kill himself once he sees that he's been kidnapped. That's all you can do until you get him to us, got that Jathon?" The voice on the comm said.
Morgan gestured to the zealots at the end of the hall and gave the signal to terminate them. Aiming with his laser sniper, Morgan took a bead on the head of a zealot and fired a long, silent blast.
The grunt and demolitions soldier both took their time to aim and both squeezed of similar shots with their plasma rifles, hoping for head to upper back hits.
They never saw it coming. The two zealots slumped to the ground, dead. The abrupt end of the firing left a ringing silence in the air.
"If there's anyone else out there, they're going to have a good guess that someone's in the tower," Dorcan whispered. "Which way now?"
Morgan nodded slowly, "I know, but I am not the mission leader, Exo requested, and I am required to obey as he is the leader. We will just have to deal with the consequences."
Morgan motioned to Dorcan and the soldier Foster to check out the door titled "Supp. Fld. Gen.", while he and Murphy examined "Computer Ops".
Morgan indicated to Foster that he should watch the hall. Morgan moved in and listened at the door for a decent amount of time before pushing it open quietly and sweeping the room.
Dorcan did as he was bid, pressing an ear against the door and increasing the gain in his auditory systems. Satisfied that it was empty, he turned the handle, but to no avail.
"Locked," he said over the comms. "Want me to open it anyway?"
"Keep him unconscious? He has enough morphine in him to keep anyone out for a week, but him. He could be awake any minute, Grrrr.. VI stat, .02 cc morphine per minute should keep him out. That's if the Brotherhood main control doesn't activated him." says Jathon "This wireless heart monitor will alert us to any change."
Jathon goes to help the few wounded of the rebels, but keeps an ear open if the heart monitor goes off...
PBH
The computer room was unlocked, and was left that way due to the sudden attack. The other door was locked electronically. The computer room was empty, save for the equipment. There were several glowing consoles and many keyboards and microphones and headphones. At a simple glance this appeared to be not only a data hub, but a communications center and security room all in one.
Morgan stuck his head back out in the hall, "without any obvious method to lock the door, it must be a security controlled door. I'll try and see if I can get it open as I try my hand at the computer. Foster, Murphy, watch the hall. Dorcan hold the door to ops and cover the other one in case someone is in there. I'll crack this system."
Morgan sat down at the main console and physically connected himself to the network, and began his process to gain user level and finally root access to the network. He was using his CTC as the main processing unit for his attacks, with manual synth skills as backup.
(OOC: I haven't been getting much action, so I've decided to script my own scene similar to what I did before. Ryudo, Prof, If there is a problem with me autoing a zealot, and maybe Jathon, tell me, and I will remove/revise this post)
As Jathon was tending to the unconcious zealot, he didn't notice another sneaking up on him...until he felt cold metal press against the back of his neck.
'Don't move, you rebel scum." A voice droned from behind the circuit-faceplate, as he then seemd to start speaking into a radio link. "Hey, I've got one alive here! He's hiding behind the computer materials crates. Sick bastard looks like he's dissecting Na-"
Suddenly, a unique-sounding weapon repeatedly discharged, and Jathon felt both the gun to the back of his head fall away and the air heat up slightly. The zealot stumbled past Jathon, the back of his robes completely incinerated, and his back melted to a blackened mush. Out of nowhere, Jexx jumped in front of Jathon, sprinting right to the zealot as he wheeled around trying to find out what had hit him. Jexx, quick as lightning, already had his hands morphed out instead of handcannons, and used his left hand to grab the front of the zealot's robes and hold him. The right metal hand pulled back, and then delivered a fast and powerful jab with his cybernetic arm, strong and hard enough to crash right through the faceplate and cave in the face behind it.
Jexx let the dead zealot drop, removing his now-bloodied right metal hand. His markings, of course, had been glowing, and as he turned to face Jathon, he could see that Jexx's red-pupiled eyes were faintly shining. The red X on his forehead, however, was obscured by Sally's Superbunny T-shit that now functioned as a bandanna.
Jexx chuckled a bit. "This be a dangerous place to be stayin' put, man. Got to keep your wits about ya..." He snickered again, and then took up position to seen if anyone had gotten the zealot's last transmitted words, and was heading to investigate.
Rifle out, Dorcan took his position, covering the door and listening out, not just for intruders, but further instructions from Morgan.
With the last of the guards dispatched, Exo regroups with Mackenzie and the two move off toward the tower, looking for a way inside. Mitchell in the mean time stays to keep an eye on the sedated grunt.
[Heads up. Specialist Mackenzie and I are making our way into the tower now. We'll do a check for optimal demo charge placements and work our way up to meet you. We can set the charges on our way out.]
Morgan's work would take some time as the Brotherhood's systems were unlike anything being used in the rest of the world. It would take all the tools at his disposal to finally get the access he required, but after awhile, he got in. The data in the systems is all heavily encrypted by some method not yet seen in the security world. It was plainly obvious that the tech boys back at HQ were going to have quite a tough time figuring this one out.
Morgan begins to download data, as quickly as the system will allow him to. (OOC: Morgan's internal storage is about 200 yottabytes, which is hopefully enough.)
As he downloaded the indecipherable data, he searched the procedure routines for ones pertaining to security, door access, or anything else that looked interesting. He also poked around for anything hidden or concealed, though he really wouldn't have anything specific in mind.
Multitasking on top of this, the red-haired lad readied a nasty little logic bomb for insertion into the file system.
"How goes it?" Dorcan asked furtively over the comms. "Any joy with the door?"
Morgan's internal storage capacity was more than enough, as this system wasn't yet connected to the rest of the Brotherhood network. But there was data here. It wouldn't take him long to find the security locks. Though it would take him some time to crack the codes to actually use them.
Morgan gave a sideways glance towards Dorcan and nodded, "I have located the security locks, it is going to take some time for me to crack the codes. Standby."
Morgan went straight for the locks and began running his tools against them.
"So, er... how long have you been a human?" Dorcan asked, on the assumption that what Morgan was doing was more-or-less automated.
A small, unimportant terminal near the door exploded quite suddenly after Dorcan had asked his question.
Morgan did not appear to change expression at all until he spoke, "w...w...wha...what kind of question is that? What would make you ask me how long I've been a human...?"
How could he possibly know something like that... and why would he just casually bring it up now?
[I hate to bother you whilst you're busy Morgan, but would you kindly open the front door? I'd rather not have to break it down.] Exo glances over at Mackenzie, who smirks and checks his silenced carbine.
"Start at the bottom 'n' work our way up, Boss?" the wolf grins, leaning against the wall as he waits for the door to open.
"Naturally. Thorough demolition. The less we leave of the tower the better." The bot nods, hefting the repeating plasma rifle casually in one hand and watching the door.
"Eh, that'll be easy. We should 'ave more'n enough charges fer it." Mackenzie peers out into the darkness, watching for movement. "Wonder if the tech 'eads'd like a look at this metal. Looks weird, eh?"
Dorcan was taken aback at the sudden outburst. Not for the first time, he cursed the loss of his empathic abilities.
"I, uh... was just trying to make conversation," he babbled. "I guess... I guess it's because where I come from the only humans are shapeshifters... and really... I've never met one before..." his voice trailed away, cowed.
"Don't they have fuses in these things?" he asked a few moments later, prodding the burning terminal.
Morgan breathed a sigh of relief, possibly a bit more obviously then he really should have, oi, this Dorcan. The things he says sometimes, makes me wonder if there is just space underneath those dog ears and head-wings.
"Ha, ha... ha, okay I see what you mean. Sorry about that, it was just such an unorthodox question. I am, uh, 26 years old." Morgan let it drop there, "some of these Brother terminals have built-in self-destruct units, I tripped that one by accident... sorry."
Morgan received Exo's request and immediately split his focus between both the front entrance and the other door he had been working on.
"So, uh, Dorcan... what is it like... being you? Er, what are you exactly?"
"Do they, indeed?" Dorcan asked, referring to the terminals. "That implies that the tower has been designed with the assumption that people may infiltrate it." He began to glance at the walls suspiciously, as if they might harbour some hidden energy weapon aimed right at him. He almost missed what Morgan said next.
"I've been through a few changes," he said. "Grew up thinking I was a Be... ordinary mortal, I mean. Then I was taken aside, told I was actually a soul-stealing monster. Then I spent 275 or so years learning how to do all kinds of cool stuff like reading minds and shape-shifting and trapping souls. And then," his voice rose slightly in frustration. "As soon as I graduated I got myself almost killed and lost the ability to do pretty much any of it. It took a lot of work... a lot of rebuilding to save my life. Not that I'm ungrateful, but it was a bit of a bummer."
Jexx waited for a little time, during which he realized that no one would be coming to check on the zealot he ambushed. His red glow went out shortly after that. He was a bit put-out by his lack of a number of kills, but he reached up and felt the bandanna on his forehead, and his dejectedness drained away.
A few minutes later, he trotted up alongside Exo. Squinting up at the Tower, he said "So...seems like everyone's dead. What's going on now?"
Morgan never expected such a revelation from the enigmatic, secretive alien. He silently wondered to himself if Dorcan was serious, but his expression seemed to indicate so.
Focusing ever so strongly on Dorcan, Morgan actively probed his surface thoughts. While he parsed through the jumble of nonsense, Morgan pressed Dorcan with a loaded question, "what is it that you so fear we will find out? What kind of secret could you hold that would be worse in comparison to being a self admitted soul-stealing monster?"
In case he could not get a flash of insight from his thoughts, Morgan carefully added a bit to the scale, "if you tell me, I'll let you know why your question about how long I've been human rattled me so much. What say you mate?"
"You're going to work it out anyway," Dorcan said. "At the end of the day, you're right... you probably should know since you're running the show at present. And hey, now... soul-trapping is like any other technology - you can use it to do good or evil things. Sure, you only ever hear about the evil things, but at the end of the day it's up to you."
He paused as the offer sank in. "Well, if you are a shapeshifter, it's nothing to be ashamed of, really. As for me, well... the more I think about it - how we've got Exo and all - the more I realise that I may have been overreacting. But look at it this way. We're fighting the Brotherhood of the Machine, right? I suddenly appear out of nowhere, promptly leave a Brotherhood compound and then enlist with the rebellion, right? That's not going to look too good when it comes out that... that I'm a machine myself, now is it?"
Morgan honestly was surprised at the revelation, but it was also not nearly as bad as he thought it was going to be, "Is that what all your secrecy is about? I must say, I never expected that. I would be a fool if it did not concern me, but I do not think you could escape the notice of Phoenix's men. I have quite a number of cybernetic parts in me, but I am still the original flesh... I really am not sure what it would be like to be all machine."
He tapped his forehead for a few moments while thinking, "I can not imagine a way that tearing the soul from a living being can be considered 'good'."
He ruffled his red hair a bit and stared intently at the LCD screen of the terminal, "as for... uh... my issue, it is not really a big deal. I am not really human, I look like one yes... might even be compatible with one, but I am actually fox, genetically altered to be 'human'. An ex-military experiment. There, that was not so bad eh?"
"Being a synthetic is not as bad as you might think," Dorcan told him. "It's a step down from what I was before, but better than being dead by a long chalk. My creators put a lot of effort into making this body feel as close to a living body as they could. And yes, I'm sure Jackson knows. The doctor certainly does and I'm sure she's told him. Maybe that should have reassured me, but I couldn't shake the feeling that it was some kind of trap. Just being paranoid, I suppose.
"Either way, someone had to know. Just in case something happens to me... It's why I wanted the engineer to be with us. I guess I was just over-eager back in the refectory. Call it desperate if you will."
"As for soul-stealing someone who's healthy, yeah, that is a pretty nasty thing to do," the doberman agreed. "But the dying is where it really into its own. Consider the Brothers, for example. They have this bad habit of committing suicide to avoid capture. Were I fully an incubus - and assuming of course that the spells I know would still work in this realm - we could have grabbed them as they died and interrogated them anyway. Then of course, you have me and the others whose souls have been installed in android replicas of their former selves."
He listened curiously as Morgan 'confessed' to being a fox. "Since you seem to have humans and furred people here, I guess it's not such a great leap really, is it? I'm kind of curious if that makes you genetically compatible with others on this world in terms of having cubs or whatever you'd call them, but still. I would imagine the doctor knows about your condition too, if she took a blood or DNA sample during the medical."
He paused, somewhat more at ease for sharing what he considered to be his burden.
"Any joy with the door?"
Jathon continues to check on minor injuries to the rebels forces, and his zealot guard.
"Anyone check on the enforcement to coming to the tower?" Asks Jathon the secured comms. "Anyone else have anymore injuries, Friend or Foe?"
PBH
As if on cue to Dorcan's question, Morgan's efforts finally paid off, and the electronically locked door made an audible click and then slid open. All that existed inside was an odd piece of machinery connected to several computer consoles, and although it was obviously not powered up, it had a sinister look to it. An simple examination would determine that it is obviously some kind of field generator, but what kind of field is unknown.
Morgan shrugs, "I kind of hid it because the faction that cleansed our facility may still want to eliminate the remnants such as myself... and because I do not want to be thought of as a freak. It is silly, I know, but I have a strong sense to need to belong, it was probably programmed into my subconscious. So despite being the loner, I need to be 'with' people to be happy." He paused, "that strange doctor, I do not know what she did, but I have a feeling she might be the mad scientist type."
Just as he finished his thought, the indicator lights all registered green, releasing all locks. "awww, snap! There you go. Check it out, everyone else converge. Exo, you should be clear, but be careful."
"I was killed for being different," Dorcan said. "So I know where you're coming from there." He broke off as the locks disengaged.
"Well, well... what have we here?" he said. "Some kind of generator, I think." The Doberman looked at it critically. "If we can neutralise enough Brothers to ensure we have unfettered access to the tower for an hour or so, we might be able to remove this thing for study."
"Now? Now we bust into this joint and look for good places to put demolition charges. Pretty boring work. Close quarters, so be careful... and do try not to get lost." The bot glances over at Mac, who nods in return.
[We're all good here, Jathon. I'd recommend you head back to HQ with your little prize before he wakes up. Mitchell can drive if need be... there's enough room in the vans for those of us here anyway.]
Finally, the door starts to open, and Exo hefts the plasma rifle. It steps through the doorway once the door is open sufficiently, scanning the hallway for defense mechanisms with it's various sensors and cameras. [Careful is my four-hundred and fiftieth middle name.] The bot chuckles, though this comes out as rather mechanical, incredibly sinister and possibly a little spine-chilling.
"Close quarters? Close quarters is when I fight best." Jexx remarked offhand as he walked into the Tower with Exo. He ignored both what passed as chuckling for Exo and his cautious gait (though that Jexx missed entirely, actually), strolling right ahead of Exo down the hall a litte. Then he stood still, glanced around for a moment, and then proceeded to destroy any notion of "caution" as he raised his handcannons and began to seemingly randomly shoot balls of burning plasma all around the hall.
"Watch what you're doing, Jexx," Dorcan called over the radio. "You wouldn't want to demolish the tower while we're still in it, would you?"
"This is Dr Joywaves... Assault team come in Jathon get that Zealot back here in HQ, now..." comes over the secure com channel.
"ah Doctor what about the rest of the team" asks Jathon.
"I am on my way to the tower with a relief team, Dr Adams wants that guy back at HQ."
"OK OKay I am on the way... Geeesh" answer Jathon.....
Jathon checks that the Brotherhood guard. he is still out and stable. He starts the one medic van and find Michell at shotgun in the front of the van..... They head back to HQ.
"Commander Exo, your relief/backup team has an ETA of one hour" states Dr Sally..."If you need any assistance, don't hesitate to ask."
PBH
PBH
Since the construction site was a day's drive away from the HQ, the relief team had left mere hours after the team had originally left, so that they would arrive just in time to provide backup.
Inside the tower, Jexx's shots only served to pockmark the walls, as the automated defense systems hadn't yet been installed.
Exo shakes his head at the random plasma fire. [Random gunfire won't bring this place down, why do you think we brought demo charges?] The 'bot chuckles oddly again as it marches off into the tower with Mackenzie in tow. [We should be fine, Doc. Feel free to park out front and bring the other vans up too, we took care of most of the guards, though do a sweep for any stragglers... check the workers as well if you can find any; they're not likely to know anything useful, it's best to have them accounted for in the unlikely event one of them wants to play the hero.] It switches back to the squad net. [The rest of you, do try not to get lost. There shouldn't be any resistance left inside and it looks like most of the defenses weren't installed, but stay sharp. Exo out.]
Thinking Exo's first comment was directed at him, Jexx irritably replied "I said before, you big iron ass, I'm not stupid. I wasn't trying to bring this Tower down, was checking for traps and turrets. Since I didn't wake anything up, that means there's nothing here to surprise us."
After that, Jexx strolled forward, completely nonchalant, and then stopped again. "Is there anything else I can be useful for, big bot?"
"What if they've already placed their own charges?" Dorcan queried, thinking of the self-destructing terminals.
The bot shrugs. "Sweep the tower for stragglers?" It pauses, thinking. "Ah, better idea! Check if they have a stocked armoury. The more intact samples of weaponry and equipment we get, the better. The ones we find in the field tend to be in... less than perfect condition. Particularly the armour, often comes with a fresh set of holes." The bot switches back to comms. [Then assuming we don't end up tripping them, it saves us some effort and our demo-charges, no? Well, that depends on whether or not they'd be sufficient to bring the place down.]
Exo's response to Jexx made him cock his head slightly, as if confused about something. However, he shook himself and continued down the hall, turning right and then end and going out of sight as he started to randomly search for any rooms that looked like they were stocked with armaments, or at least anything interesting.
Their search for armaments would turn up an empty armory room. They had built the room, but hadn't yet stocked it.
"You know, if anyone's not busy, I'd welcome a second opinion on this machine," Dorcan called over the commlink.
"Is this thing working?" Dorcan said, tapping the commlink. Then he stopped. There was a sound coming from behind him. A resonant, metallic sound.
Silently, he padded closer to the apparent source. It was a set of water pipes, as yet uncovered by a fascia. It sounded like someone was banging them.
Experimentally, he tapped the pipe five times in a distinct pattern and waited for a response.
Darkshine felt the vibrations through the pipe, not really sure what else to do, he banged the pipe a few times with his forearm. He had a splitting headache, and was still trying to figure out what had happened. Figuring that it couldn't hurt, he shouted out "They got me trapped in this office and i can't move, anyone out there, think you could help?!"
Dorcan's eyes narrowed as the pipe answered his tapping. He could also hear a faint sound rather like someone shouting, but muffled and distant. The Brothers don't seem the type to play this sort of game. It must be someone else.
"Hey, guys!" he called, both over the commlink and within Morgan's hearing range. "I think there's someone locked in the toilets!"
Head still fuzzy, Darkshine thought he heard some movement in the distance. Not really sure what to expect, he tried first extending his blades to cut the chains with no success. With his head clearing, he asks his personal AI "Ranger, is there anything you can tell me right now that might help? the only thing i can really fight with is my spare pistol, and i'm not ready to give that away just yet..."
Morgan stops his work and disconnects from the computer. He had obtained all the data at long last, but there was no way he could crack the encryption without quite a large amount of time and effort. Luckily, there was a dedicated team back at the rebellion headquarters just for that job.
He stretched and walked quietly into the previously locked area, coming up behind Dorcan. "That generator is too big to take with us, unless we had some major heavy lifters and a construction team. I suppose Exo could be handy in that. I would be able to lift it, but I doubt I could carry it."
He considered what Dorcan had said about the sounds he was hearing, "perhaps we can call this new person Loo."
"We're on a construction site," Dorcan pointed out. "Since we're going to blow up the tower, I doubt the Brothers really mind if we borrow some plant machinery and load this up onto one of their HGVs."
"Anyway. Someone should investigate the stranger. Want me to go?"
Getting nervous, impatient, and with a growing sense of concern, Darkshine stretched his left leg out and retrieving the high caliber pistol from the hidden compartment in the calf plate. Doing his best to line up the shot despite the cuffs, he drew a bead on the door, and slowed his breathing... whoever comes through that door is never going to be expecting this he thought, while letting out a wolfish grin
Exo and Mackenzie finish up on the ground floor, and start moving up to meet the others. [We've found the sites for the charges and are making our way upstairs now. So far, things look clear. No other survivors in sight. Exo out.]
Jathon and Mitchell have left for HQ with their "patient". Dr Sally and the rebel's backup crew have just arrived at base camp.
PBH
Morgan shook his head at Dorcan's question, "no, we should hold position for now. I will inquire with Exo and see if they can investigate the disturbance. There should not be anyone here who is not Brotherhood, so it is likely nothing or perhaps a hidden Zealot."
Switching to the comm frequency, Morgan sent to Exo, there appears to be some type of disturbance that could be a person a deck or two below us. There should not be any civvies here, so I would recommend lighting the area up and asking questions later, but who knows what it may be. If you are going to start sweeping the next floor up from ground level than I can send Dorcan or go myself at your discretion.
Jexx was still wandering around the Tower.
He had gone off to look for any armories or usable supplies, but with the lack of success he gradually forgot about that and just wandered aimlessly.
As he traversed the endless hallways, rooms, stairs, and lifts, the environment nagged in the back of his head. Half-finished and deserted though it was, the basic architecture was almost...familiar. And it didn't have anything to do with the one time he had tried to get into a Tower on his own, either.
Going down yet another corridor, he got bored enough to bring up his handcannons. Lazily, he shot his plasma balls in random patterns along one wall, the distinctive sound of his handcannons echoing down the corridor and through any adjacent rooms. Eventually, he got bored of this as well and turned to continue on, but saw another door on the opposite wall. He strode over to it, grasped the handle, and pulled. It didn't move. Frowning, he jerked the handle a few more times, rattling it and the door.
Frustrated, he took a step back and brough his handcannons up again. He spit a concentrated volley at the handle, melting it into oblivion and and turning the area red-hot. He backed up again, then charged forward with a (relatively) small burst of a yell. He jumped up, metal feet first, in a flying dropkick.
With a metal CRASH!, the door was busted off its hinges, and Jexx came crashing down on top of it.
"Jexx, Report, Jexx where are you?" comes a questioning Female voice over the team comm link. "This is Dr Sally. Please come in Jexx"...
PBH
"Oh gods," Dorcan said. "That was Jexx, wasn't it?" He could still hear the crash reverberating in the pipework.
"What happens if it's a contractor or someone and he gets killed? That would make some nice propaganda for the Brothers, wouldn't it?"
Morgan made a slight 'grrr' noise and shook his head, "yes, yes it would. Not that blowing up the tower is going to do much worse if they know how to spin doctor that."
Morgan projected into the comm, Jexx report, what the hells are you doing out there?
Not really sure what to make of the situation, darkshine used all his self control not to fire... He lined his shot up on the center mass of the newcomer and spoke in a slightly shaky voice "who the hell are you?!" regaining a little composure and confidence " Wait... before you answer that, hands behind your head, NOW!"
As Jexx was lying on the fallen door, he shook his head a little as the stars settled. He was vaguely aware of multiple voices in his head. As his eyes focused, he was more aware of a man tied to a desk on the other side of the room, and somehow pointing a gun at him.
Jexx heard what the man said, but either it didn't register or he plain ignored it. Without getting up, he drew his metal legs and feet up to cover his body, and laid his handcannons on either side. Now he was in sort of a kneeling position on his back, and the man could see nothing but Jexx's metal parts, plus two ominous red glows from the barrels of his handcannons. The was no possible good shot the man could take, and Jexx needed only to randomly saturate the area with plasma to barbecue him.
Almost snarling, Jexx called "You don't look like Brotherhood, but all the same, I don't like little guns being pointed at me. Throw it away and I won't fry you where you...sit." Jexx's words were (unknowingly, at the moment) transmitted from his microcomm to all the rest of the team.
"the hell... you think i'm brotherhood?!, if you assholes would have waited another 20 minutes i wouldn't be stuck here right now..." Darkshine lowered his pistol, and started talking a little more calmly "ok, look, i don't know who you are, or what you want, but here's everything i know... people who know me call me Darkshine... and what happened, i got hired by a company the brotherhood screwed over... to send a message, they had me take out the paper pusher who originally employed them... he was here tonight. I came in through the roof about 10 minutes before you blew the gate. I was lining my shot up when that siren came on... i panicked, dropped him and his bodyguards before they knew what was happening... Go up 3 floors, and check the nearly completed office, my target took a round, square in the back of his head, he had 2 bodyguards, one took a shot in the base of the neck, the other i emptied the rest of the clip into his back and side, as he started to turn"
he paused for a moment, collecting his thoughts " after that, i tried sliding out through the front gate, thinking that no one would really suspect anything, the last thing i remember is a flaring pain in the back of my head, and then waking up here... most of my equipment is sitting in that cubicle over there" gesturing with his should towards the bag on the desk... "but, i've got a few nasty surprises i keep hidden... just in case" he finished with a smile
Jexx was unusually still for a moment. The glow from his handcannons went out, and he slowly climbed to his feet, unthreatening and arms hanging by his side. When he stood, he was looking at the man like he was the craziest thing he had ever seen. Darkshine could now clearly see Jexx, wearing only black shorts, unusual red markings on his torso, and a Superbunny T-shirt around his head like a bandanna. "I have no idea what the hell you're talking about, but I know that no Brotherhood bastard talks that much. Damn." Again, Jexx's words were transmitted without him realizing.
Jexx continued looking strangely at the stranger before finally remembering the rest of the team. Remembering the microcomm on his tooth (but not that it had been on), he started to, seemingly to Darkshine, talk to himself.
"Hey guys? Guys? I found some wierdo tied up in a room down here. What do you want me ta do with him?"
"Disarm him and bring him in for questioning sounds like a reasonable first step," Dorcan said. "Though at the end of the day it's up to Exo or Morgan to decide."
Experimentally, he banged the pipe a few more times to see if there was anyone else.
Morgan 'barked' into the comm, Jexx if you are actually listening for once, do not do anything with him at all until we get there. Morgan resumed a normal tone, If he even passes gas, hose him down with your cannons until he is a crispy. He is not working for us, so that leaves very few options and none of them are Truth, Justice and snuggling puppies. We will be rendezvousing at your location.
Morgan gestured to Dorcan and the other two rebellion soldiers to follow, "come on then lads, the generator is not going anywhere. Dorcan with me, the two of you bring up the rear."
Morgan moved forward, gun out and pointed in the direction he moved, as they navigated the halls and stairs. He and the two other soldiers moved with proper coverage and sweeps, making the trip a bit longer, but they didn't miss anything and kept good cover. Eventually they arrived, Morgan sincerely hoped that Jexx had not been required to vaporize the captive.
"Oi, Jexx, sitrep... situation report... please. What is going on?"
Edit: removed contractions. I was so tired when I posted this, I forgot to keep it in theme... he will only use them when "in disguise" or when excited/hyper/injured/or in altered mental states.
Jexx listened for a moment as Dorcan spoke to him. He nodded and took a slight step toward the captive, but then Morgan's voice blasted over the comm. Jexx initially bristled at the commanding voice, but what Morgan said next brought a bit of a smile to Jexx's face.
Jexx held up his handcannons, barrels glowing. "Guess what? One of the guys I'm hanging out with says I can fry you if you move before he gets here. Do that, please?"
Of course, Jexx's request went unheeded, and before long, Morgan and Dorcan arrived.
At Morga's query, Jexx replied "Nothing much. Just found this sap all tied up here."
"So the Brothers tied him up? That's very interesting. I've never really believed the old line about 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend', but still..." Dorcan pondered, and glanced at the stranger, who appeared to be some kind of feline.
"So... if you're working against the Brotherhood, how come you're all tied up? The first thing they did to me was put a gun to my head. If they'd do that to someone who is unarmed and hasn't done anything, shouldn't they have made a hole in yours?"
"to be honest, i think they wanted me alive to go after my employers... either that or they were planning something else for me, and needed me alive for whatever it is they were planning" he paused for a second to observe the people around him "but as for the unarmed bit, your highly mistaken, my gear is in that bag on the desk over there" gesturing towards the bag with his shoulder... "and as i was telling my new friend here" nodding towards jexx "i've got a few nasty surprises still with me..." darkshine took a deep breath, looking back at the team and leaning against the wall "alright, so are we just gonna sit around here chitchatting, or are you guys gonna at least get these cuffs off... i've got a nasty cramp in my neck and it's starting to piss me off"
"I will have to agree with Dorcan, that old adage rarely is very dependable. Here is the deal, since asking you to reveal your nasty surprises will not likely result in much more than a fake out from you, in order to release you, you will have to exit the armour. We will take your equipment and you with us to headquarters, you can discuss things with the person in charge and then that is that." Morgan shrugged slyly, "you will get your stuff back once we reach base, once cleared that is. And, no, you will not be given a weapon while we are here... I do hope you understand, you would not trust me if our roles were reversed, not that you do anyways."
Morgan narrowed his eyes, "first things first, what do they call you?"
"They call me darkshine" he said in a low voice "and under present circumstances i guess i'll have to play along with your game" he said, "but one thing, i'll need the cuffs off to remove the armor, the primary pins holding this suit together are hidden in the shoulders, and i can't really reach them at the moment" he paused, and smiled evilly "oh, and i wouldn't recommend trying to pull them yourself, a couple megawatts of power is flowing through them at the moment, just a safety precaution, but i doubt anyone would like to feel that burn..."
"There is another way," Dorcan said sweetly. "We could stun him and keep him stunned until we get back to base. Insulated gloves of the sort linesmen use wouldn't be too hard for the Rebellion to procure, and then we could dismantle the whole suit at our leisure."
"Though personally I suspect he's exaggerating about that," the Doberman added. "With that much power and that short a distance he'd be arcing from shoulder-to-shoulder. Though a suit like that would be handy for fishing. You'd just have to swim around a bit and they'd all float up to the surface."
"look, we obviously don't trust each other, and you've got the upper hand at the moment" darkshine admitted with a sigh, "i see 2 options at the moment, you kill me here, or i come with you as a captive... i know you won't trust me when i say this, but all i've got left is a pair of blades, and this pistol, everything else is in that bag"
"the only reason i had this pistol is because i've got hidden holsters in the plated boots in the armor, if you don't believe me about that, look just above the calf, where the plate is mounted into the mesh, just under the mesh is a latch... press it down, and you've got a holster and a pair of mags."
"And as for the blades..." he clenched his hands into fists, and extended the blades in each or the forearm plates "if you think i've got something else go ahead and stun me, but right now, i'd rather not waste more time talking while the brotherhood, our enemy, is assembling a strike team to counter-attack, and retake this tower"
"if you want me out of the armor, you will need to get the cuffs off though..."
"Darkshine, I have heard of a mercenary by that name. Tended to only work for the highest bidder... no matter which side of the 'ethical' chart that might be. Obviously I have never worked with him, so I could not say that this is the real one. I have worked against the side employing Darkshine, and made quite the mess of his employers operations on occasion, though never when he was still operating with them. Tell me, do you know of anyone calling themselves 'Fox'? It might not be a poetic oxymoron like your name, but it does suffice for an operational callsign."
Morgan raised one eyebrow and crossed his arms, waiting and signifying that this 'test' was important to his decision making process.
"How about we leave him trussed up, but cut the pipe out from under him?" Dorcan suggested.
"You can sense electric fields or something, can't you, sir?" he hissed to Morgan. "Are there any EHT sources of the kind he's describing?"
darkshine gave a puzzled look for a moment, then his eyes light up as the memory hit him "you said Fox? Callsign seems familiar, i believe my unit was offered a contract to hunt him down, within a few hours of his escape actually, we turned it down... and besides that, i've heard rumors that it was him who took out the twins, who in turn, owed me something around 40,000 for a couple of past jobs... but the latter is purely rumor"
"i'm sure i've probably missed something, but right now i can't really focus, my head is killing me... Maybe that brotherhood bastard hit me harder than i thought" he said as he leaned back against the wall, trying to relax despite the discomfort caused by his shoulders
[Having fun, are we? Try not to make a mess of yourselves in a sec.] The 'bot chuckles, still en route.
After a few moments, the familiar and rhythmic noise of heavy, metal footsteps on metal flooring can be heard slowly approaches the small group, walking in a slow and measured fashion. When in position, towering just behind the group, Exo raises the plasma repeater slowly - which begins humming ominously - to aim at the 'neutral party' and booms, "INTRUDERS DETECTED: INITIATING PURGE SEQUENCE."
"Look, i have no idea what the hell you want from me, but right now i'm your prisoner, and do you really want to stoop to their level, killing a prisoner?!" "we've all got trust issues, sure, but i've got a question before you we do something that we'll all regret... do any of you have an ion weapon? the lighter the better, anything that has enough of a charge to disrupt a networked system will work"
he said with a look of horror on his face at the realization of what the metallic monstrosity behind the group was preparing
Dorcan made a sound like a dog being trodden on and pressed himself against the nearest wall.
Morgan sent his response to Dorcan about the suit's output over the mental comm, the suit has a reasonably high output power source, probably an advanced fusion cell... very bad idea in combat armor... but it is not extra high tension at those pins or anywhere else for that matter. Such a ridiculous bluff.
Morgan was about the say something in response to Darkshine's response, but instead he throws himself against the side wall, "bloody hell!"
Over the comms Morgan sends to Dorcan yet again, Kah Dorcan, that sounded like someone was killing puppies.
Exo laughs deeply, "Now imagine if I'd been an unfriendly." The 'bot chuckles and glances out into the hallway. "I didn't think you were the type to lower your guard, Morgan... you're getting lax."
It lowers the plasma repeater slightly, although it's still pointed at Darkshine, and glances at Dorcan and Morgan momentarily before settling it's gaze back on Darkshine. "What have we here? I didn't think the Brotherhood regarded taking prisoners as a high priority. I guess I missed that memo."
darkshine relaxed visibly once the massive weapon was lowered, then said "no memo involved, either they want what i know, or they want me for something that requires a live subject, either way, i guess i owe you something for preventing them from getting what they want" he looked around at the team, then at the floor
"look we can talk about whatever you want once were on our way to safety, i bluffed about the pins, they carry a light current, but nothing too hazardous. You should be safe pulling them yourself with a pair of gloves... though if your removing my armor, i've got some civilian clothes in the bag, at least a pair of pants would be great" he finished the sentence with a crooked smile
"Do you want me to do the honours with the armour?" Dorcan asked, glancing between Exo and Morgan.
Morgan nodded to Dorcan, "I would say that is a good idea, as long as the big guy does not object."
Morgan shifted his gaze to Exo, looking for any sign of an opinion on this course of action.
Exo shakes it's head. "Knowing them, more likely the latter than the former. Try not to break anything, Dorcan." The bot raises the plasma repeater a bit, glancing out into the corridor. "The less time we're here the better though."
"Thank you, Sir," Dorcan said, and made his way to the leopard. "While we're all here," he added glancing at Exo, "Could we have someone check out that generator thing upstairs? The way I see it, Morgan had to pick a lot of locks to get at it, so it must be pretty important, yeah? Ideally it would be nice if we could dismantle it and remove it for study. Steal some of the Brotherhood's lifting gear or something..."
"Now," he said to Darkshine, "Let's get you out of there." He reached over and began to remove the locking pins.
darkshine leaned forward, making it a little easier for Dorcan. As he leaned forward, a small patched of dried blood became visible where it had pooled at darkshine's neck, along with a small bruise where he'd been hit. He looked up at the doberman and asked , "think you could get the cuffs off now? not gonna lie to ya, my shoulders feel like they're about ready to break"
Dorcan leaned over and took off the cuffs, bending them this way and that until the metal broke. The others seemed impatient to be getting on, so he didn't bother to ask first. It was obvious enough that if Darkshine tried anything he'd be dead in short order anyway.
finally freed from the cuffs, darkshine eased his weight onto his feet, and slid the mesh and plates off the rest of his body while he got up. After the initial dizziness passed from changing positions, he took a second to stand, then stretch his entire body. As his joints cracked away their stiffness, he noticed his total nakedness... sightly embarrassed by the other people watching, he paused, covering himself as best he could with one hand, and pointed to the bag with the other
"since you obviously don't trust me, why don't one of you get the clothing from my bag, it's in the main compartment, just under the rifle... and please, please be gentle with her" he asked, putting as much pleading in his voice as he could on the second please.
"May as well," Dorcan said. He studied the rifle for a few moments until he found the safety and ensured it was on. Leaning it against a wall, he separated out the clothes and handed them over.
Darkshine dressed in the khaki cargo pants and black shirt as quickly as he could without startling the team, then looked over at Dorcan, obviously regaining a great deal of confidence once he was clothed again "any chance i could get my comm headset back too, i'm gonna need the recording on it to get my payment" he asked with a wicked smile
Exo chuckles and hefts the repeater. "Fine, fine, I'll go and look at the generator. Getting it out will probably be tricky, and I doubt the Brotherhood'll be happy... we should probably have someone check it for failsafes before we start tampering. Don't need it going haywire and frying itself - or worse, us."
The 'bot lowers the repeater, turns and heads out to start taking a look at the generator, leaving Dorcan and the others to handle Darkshine.
With a sigh, Dorcan picked up the bag, and fished out the headset. He was about to hand it over when he paused.
"I'm not sure we want you transmitting signals. The Brothers might detect it."
So saying, he picked up the rifle and slung it over his shoulder for safekeeping. Before the leopard could ask for anything else, he popped the headset back into the bag and handed the thing over to Morgan.
"if your planning on using my rifle, i'd watch out for a few quirks, first is that rate of fire, in full auto you go through a magazine in a little over a second, and as for the scope, it's a two and and a half times zoom, and centered for 200 yards" darkshine said with a slight grin "oh, and if she jams, just pull the slide back, it does that from time to time, the ejected casing just can't keep up with the action on the weapon"
"I was thinking it would look good on the mantelpiece," the Doberman said, raising an eyebrow.
"if your not planning on giving it back, i'd recommend just killing me now, because if i'm alive, i'll be coming for my gun, though you probably wouldn't understand why" he grinned evilly, though his face started to change into an expression far more solemn as his thought's shifted at the end of the sentence...
(Edit) he cocked his head to one said and looked back at the team, "i've got 2 questions before we get going, number 1, have you heard from a few old friends of mine? Both served in my personal unit for a few years, then joined rebel factions against the brotherhood, not really sure which ones though, one went by the callsign Smoke Jaguar, the other Bloodwolf... Number 2, do you happen to have any medics nearby, i'm feeling tired as hell, my head's been spinning since i woke up here, i know your going to have questions for me, so yea... some painkillers would be nice" he said, while rubbing his hand the back of his neck
Morgan sent a response over the comm to Exo, it is all acting, thought you might want to look intimidating in front of the prisoner. I had you on tactical ever since you entered the tower.
Morgan raised an eyebrow at Darkshine's comment about his gun, "sounds like a plan. Depending on what we do, I will make sure everyone knows that is a viable option. I have recorded audio of this 'threat' and will present it as part of our evaluation of you. Thank you, nothing more telling than this could have ever been hoped for."
He ran his hand through his red hair and considered his question about the two 'ex-comrades' of his. Morgan knew of the names, but kept this to himself, Darkshine was likely name dropping to try and earn credibility. He would query Exo and see if he could check Rebellion records.
"Can not say that I know those two, we will check out your connection and if possible contact them to back your character. However, if they are not among those who are on good term with our people, than it is likely their testimony will be of little weight."
Exo, I am relaying some of his audio over to you. He mentions these two... Smoke Jaguar and Bloodwolf... aliases, could you check and see if these register with your Rebel staffers?
Edit: added a ? at the end of that last sentence.
"hmm, as i said, i'm not sure which unit they're with, but i know they joined an anti-brotherhood unit, as for you calling it a threat, how would you feel if that which you hold most dear is torn away from you? Then the only memory of what you held dear is referred to as 'a mantle piece' i beleive he said. If your not sure of what i'm talking about, the rifle your friend over there is holding" he paused to glare over at the doberman "belonged to a... friend of mine, perhaps you've heard of her in the past, Laughs Brightly" he paused, trying to keep his temper under control
"if you haven't, she served with me when i worked with the Black Hand unit, and when Winter Tempest broke the unit up, we stayed together, working together... one day while we were relaxing after a job, and just enjoying the massive paycheck we'd earned, a group of brotherhood thugs show up out of nowhere, grab her by the arms, throw her on her knees, shout how she's a magic user, an abomination to humanity... then he pulled the trigger... right there in front of me..."
darkshine took another pause, slowing his breathing and relaxing as much as possible, looking Morgan in the eyes, and showing obvious signs of fury
" i don't know who you are, or who you think i am, but quite honestly, i'm not a nice person where the brotherhood is concerned, if you want proof of that, i can tell you exactly what i did to the man who killed her as soon as i found him again... he didn't die nicely, and quite honestly i hate every one of the bastards... "
Morgan shrugged, "I am sure you will understand if I do not take you at your word. Infiltrators tend to be very clever with stories. It also does not help your case any that you seem to be going out of your way to drop names, full callsigns. If I worked with someone called 'Winter Tempest', I would eventually slip into calling them 'Winter' or 'Tempest' out of general laziness and need for shorter names for fast talking during missions and over comm systems. You should know one needs to pack as much information into shortened speech to save time and be less distracting to others. Habits like shortening names slip into casual speech and eventually ingrain themselves into speech patterns subconsciously. It tends to occur more when someone is nervous or uncomfortable, even someone who speaks as precisely as I do. The way you relate it speaks of a lack of natural flow, making it seem learned or practiced than normal and casual."
"Normally i'd have to agree with you, but i doubt anyone outside of the Unit actually knew Winter Tempest as Sarah, which is what we used when being informal. I was using full callsigns because i need you people to know exactly who i'm talking about, if i refered to bloodwolf as just wolf, i can think of 4 mercs who work for the brotherhood who have wolf in their callsign, and another 7 who are freelance... When smoke jaguar is concerned, well, he insisted that we use his name rather than shorten it, jaguar doesn't really fit him... and smoke, well, he didn't like the way that sounded.. though we did sometimes call him God, earned that with his skills with a high powered sniper rifle. One time he literally shot a guy off my back at 1200 meters" Darkshine looked back at the team, visibly calmer than a few moments ago...
then said "look, do we have about 2 minutes? Go ahead and have someone follow me if you like, i need to go back upstairs and get some blood or tissue samples from that officer i dropped"
"For someone who's essentially a captive, you make a lot of demands," Dorcan muttered. We should have just stunned him, he thought.
Darkshine looked at Dorcan, cocked his head slightly, and said "I've got a hefty paycheck pending this mission. I need a tissue or blood sample, along with that video in the headset to collect it, and i plan on getting my money." while still staring at Dorcan he stretched his entire body again. He then leaned against the wall behind him, getting relaxed as possible and said "i'm sure we all have a lot to talk about. Now me, personally, i'd prefer we do it once we don't have a brotherhood strike team crawling up our backside, and if in the process of leaving we can make another twenty thousand, i think that's a worthwhile venture... but as you said, i'm your captive" he finished the sentence with a crooked smile, stretched aging, flicked his ears back, and yawned. He slunk down to a sitting position against the wall as another wave of dizziness and pain washed over him
[Suuuure y'did.] The bot chuckles over the comms. [I don't maintain a huge internal personnel database with me for obvious security reasons, even if I have no transmitter/reciever setup, but I'll run checks once I get back to HQ. This guy sure is making demands, huh? If he gets too uppity, you have clearance to temporarily take him out of commission. Feel free to tell him I said that, and that I'll deal with him personally if he wants to make a fuss.]
The bot wanders into the generator room and starts inspecting it, looking for any obvious failsafes or traps, and looking for whatever's holding it down. [We can pick up the officer he's so interested in as well if need be -- he might have some info on him or in his hardware.]
The generator is bolted down with heavy duty bolts, and has several pipes and wires coming out of one side of it.
Dorcan glanced back at Darkshine.
"If I read Exo right - the metal guy - he just said that we can bring the officer to you. We get dibs on any documents and hardware about his person, though."
Privately, he shuddered with distaste. Killing someone as an act of self-defence, war, or even vengeance was bad enough, but something he could understand. But the idea of killing someone for money or the sheer pleasure of random murder... that was a concept he had difficulty with, both morally and intellectually. He glanced around, hoping he wouldn't get picked on to remove the corpse.
"I suppose I should also mention he authorised me to stun you if you get too uppity," he added. "Oh, and if you have any complaints, you'll have to take them up with him."
Looking up at Dorcan, darkshine sighed, then replied "You obviously don't like me, and if we keep it that way, fine. Personally i prefer to keep things impersonal, but this mission wasn't, maybe we wouldn't be here at all if it wasn't personal, but i know this officer, he's the one who signed the orders." he stopped sighed again, looking Dorcan in the eye "i need the blood sample to prove the video isn't a fake, lets just keep it at that"
"It's not really my decision whether you get your blood sample or not," Dorcan said, with a shrug. "As for dislike..." he paused, collecting his thoughts, and yet again cursed at losing his empathic abilities.
"'Dislike' may be too strong a word," he said finally. "I don't trust you. Maybe I'm self-projecting, but if I was in your place, I'd be... well, quieter. More subdued. Your attitude makes me think you're up to something, going to cause us trouble. Maybe I'm just being over-sensitive here.
"But the other thing is your choice of profession. I've had scrapes with bounty-hunters and adventurers and not in a good way. Where I come from it's all too easy to get a hit called on you just because of your race. And even if we set that aside, I was always taught that lives and souls were to be treasured. Granted, this ain't the best time for such sentiments, but stilll... someone who thinks so little of taking other people's lives unsettles me.
"Apart from that? No problems."
"understandable, and to be honest, if i had any less trust in you, or at least that your going to do the right thing, i'd probably have tried to use someone as a hostage by now. but, if were talking about our past, i was brought up in a world where life was cheap, and i also learned that 'if your good at something, never do it for free'. Take those lessons, add in the facts that i was orphaned, then trained to kill at a very young age, and you'll see my profession as a rather natural choice... though while we're just talking though, how old do you think i am?" darkshine asked with a raised eyebrow and cocked head
"oh, but before you answer that" he said quickly and giving a very wicked smile "when i'm quiet, that's when you should be most concerned"
"That's it!" the Doberman said. "That smile. Captives shouldn't sneer like that. Pretty much sums it up, hmm?"
"As for your age, I've met people who've spent millennia looking about twenty-something. So I wouldn't even like to hazard a guess."
"see, here's the thing, it's my coping mechanism, i'll admit it, i know that if you want it, i'm screwed, and theres not much i can do about it, if i sense something about to go wrong, i'll try and take someone down with me, but really, if you wanted me dead, i think you would have done it by now... am i scared, yea, a little bit actually, how do i deal with it, i make a few jokes, and try to push it away, deal with it later."
Darkshine gave another crooked smile, "now if we're talking about the whole defiance thing, that's my father's fault" he shrugged and continued" he wasn't human, i can tell you that much, can't tell you what he was, but i can tell you that he instilled a few values in me, even if you don't believe me when i say it, i don't harm the innocent, i avoid confrontation outside of the job if i can, and i am an immensely proud person, probably to a fault... but either way, i am who i am, and i don't blame anyone but myself for being this way." pressing up off the ground, he stood up slowly and moved a little towards the team "soo, you know a little about me, but what about you?"
"How far back do you want me to go?" Dorcan said, and glanced around. No-one else seemed about to speak, or indeed do much at all. It looked like they were waiting on Exo to check out the generator, after which it was just a matter of removing as much as they could for study, before blowing the tower. If so, they probably had time left for chatter.
"go back as far as you want, i'm kinda on your timetable now anyways. Though i am a little interested as to why you joined this unit, and would like to know a little bit more about them" replied Darkshine
Dorcan sighed, mentally weighing up where to begin. His recent history went back about eight hundred years to his Grandfather's falling out with the Red Queen... but that could wait.
"I'm not native to this continuum," Dorcan said, deciding to put it briefly. "I arrived here by mistake and got stranded. The Brothers took me prisoner, the Rebels helped me escape, and since I have no home or job here, teaming up with them seemed like a sensible approach.
"The Rebels have done questionable things - heck, we've come here to do some more - but when I have to choose between the Brothers - who were going to kill me - and the Rebels - who were actively recruiting - it was a pretty clear choice."
He glanced at the leopard critically. "Once we're sure you're safe, I don't see anything stopping you from joining up if you want," he added.
There was a sudden burst of multiple energy weapon blasts, and then a muted thunk on the other side of the office where Darkshine and Dorcan still were. Then it repeated, a blackened computer monitor coming to a rest on the ground near Dorcan and Darkshine. It seemed that Jexx had finally gotten completely bored pacing around with the others chatting away, and now was picking up random office implements, tossing them around the room, and using the flying projectiles as target practice.
a little startled the sudden change in attitude of his captor, as well as the sudden appearance of charred computer monitor, he stopped to think for a little bit "well, if i'm gonna be joining the rebellion, and beleive me, if you people are at all typical of the people i'd be working with, then i'm all for it. For one thing, with someone like him" he gestured over towards Jexx "you'd never be bored."
Darkshine took a deep breath, got relaxed again, and started thinking aloud "I'll just need a day or two to take care of a few things, collect my paycheck from this mission, clean out my safe house, and hopefully get back in touch with wolf..."
"Jexx, please stop that," Dorcan snapped. "You could damage the building, knock the lights out or heck, trigger some kind of emergency alarm at Brotherhood HQ."
Turning back to Darkshine he smiled slightly. "I don't approve of your profession. Aside from that, all this - the fact that you're a captive - is nothing personal. Mostly precaution, really." Unless you go and do something stupid, of course... he added mentally.
"This wolf... is he really a wolf? Or is it just a codename?"
"She, and actually she's a german shepherd, though looks very wolfish, clever as hell, probably a little too sharp for her own good... actually, come to think of it, she was probably one of the most talented tech people i've ever worked with, and on top of that, she was a damn fine shot in medium and close range." Darkshine paused, thinking back a little bit, then gave a devious smile "ya know, i probably shouldn't be saying this, but after i broke up the team, and she left, i realized i kinda had a thing for her"
At Dorcan's admonishment, Jexx returned him with quite a mean look, though seemingly more long the lines that it appeared that Jexx thought Dorcan crazy. Then deliberately, he walked around a few desks, picking up clipboards, keyboards, paperweights, and the like, standing with them in his arms. Abruptly, he threw them all up in their air. Jexx then became almost a blur of action, twisting, spinning, and throwing his arms out, sending a single plasma ball shot into each object before it hit the ground. In three seconds, it was over; Jexx looked around to survey his handiwork. He noticed the ceiling had acquired a fresh scorch mark.
He brutally kicked a desk with his metal foot in frustration. "Crud!! I'm startin' to miss now!" He swore to himself. "I'm gettin' out of practice already! Stupid rebellion...Can't kill Brotherhood mooks 's much as I want anymore..." He continued grumbling to himself, saying things along the lines of questioning the benefits of tagging along with the rebellion as he picked up more objects, viciously chucking them and and blasting them in their flight.
Both amazed and confused by Jexx's actions, Darkshine looked back at Dorcan and said in a slightly hushed voice "is he always that angry? is it something i did? or is this a 'just ignore it' kinda thing? because in all seriousness, i've now become pretty much convinced the word subtlety is not in that mans vocabulary" while nodding towards Jexx
[If you don't calm down I can make your life even worse. Entertain the concept of walking back and being confined to your quarters for insubordination and behaviour that jeopardizes the safety of our personnel. Or I could put you at the mercy of the medical staff, I'm sure they'd enjoy finding out what makes you tick...] Exo shakes it's head to itself as it continues inspecting the generator, looking for a way to power it down and/or unplug the cables/cut off whatever's coming through the pipes.
[On more important matters, the generator is firmly bolted down, though that's no real surprise. I don't suppose our relief team bought some heavy-duty bolt cutters or a cutting torch?]
"Who objected when I said we'd need an engineer?" Dorcan chided over the comms. "This should be right up Izzie's street. Where is he?"
"As for Jexx," he said, turning off the comm and speaking low so that only Darkshine would hear, "He's a bit of an odd one. Apparently the Brotherhood erased his mind about four years ago, so yeah, he's got a few screws loose. A good fighter, though."
Darkshine took a moment to soak everything and started chuckling, he turned back to Dorcan and said "i just had a rather amusing thought, either you people are way more trusting than i'd ever be, or you've got one of the most effective recruiting systems i've ever seen or heard of...either way, tell whoever needs to know, that when we get back to base or wherever the hell you plan on going, i'm in..."
(OOC: apology in advance for the swear)
Jexx stopped his impromptu target practice as Exo's reprimanding voice came over his comm. As he listened, something strange started to happen. Dorcan, who had seen Jexx's strong, uniform glow on occasions before, would realize that something is wrong this time. Jexx's markings were not picking up a steady glow. Rather, the glow was strengthening and dimming irregularly as Jexx's breathing audibly did something similar. Almost shaking, he brought his hand up to his ear, and began speaking in a very harsh, poorly-controled voice.
"Listen to me, you stupid pile of metal. Remember that I never actually "joined" your little rebellion, I'm just tagging around with you, but if things keep pissing me off, I'll just fucking leave!"
Jexx then pulled the microcomm out of his ear, flinging it across the room (though he didn't shoot it). With a shout of rage, he kicked a desk again--only this time he actually kicked it with enough force to dump it on it's side. Jexx then stood there, sort of facing away from Dorcan and Darkshine, his breathing still heavy and his markings still fluctuating. His hand/handcannons were even on the fritz, jerking around and partially morphing from one form to another.
After a minute or two, Jexx's body began to calm down, his glowing and breathing subsiding. He staggered over to a chair, collapsing in it. He actually felt a little sick, and his face reflected that. After another minute, he spoke up again. "That's two years, by the way, not four..." he said offhand to Dorcan, though with his face still staring straight ahead. He looked physically drained.
Darkshine paused, keeping his face as void of emotion as possible, then turned over to Dorcan and said "i'm just gonna go sit over there if it's ok with you" while nodding towards a chair on the other side of a cubicle from Jexx "as i said, i try to keep things a little impersonal, and i'm not so good when it comes to dealing with emotions.... I'd take a novacane free route canal any day..." he added in a low voice to Dorcan
Dorcan nodded and covered his eyes - his long muzzle preventing him from burying his face in despair the way a human would. A fine group of professional soldiers we make... this is more like a rock band, and the drummer's about to quit.
Feeling the weight of the tension in the room Darkshine was considering his options, he thought if i'm going to get out of the building alive, i'm gonna have to play along and jump through whatever hoops these people make me. so far so good... This seems real, but how do i know it's not some test... i could probably get my rifle back if i time everything right, but really, that'd get me killed by that angsty little guy over there, if i sit here, i'll probably say something that either A: sets of that angsty little guy, and he frags me, or B: brings up a topic that they consider taboo, and i get fragged because they don't trust me with whats been said... and leaving this room, well, if i'm getting out of here, it's under guard, so i might as well try that he looked up at Dorcan and asked "any chance you could hand me that vial and we could get my samples, it'd mean a lot to me, and it's also give us all a chance to relax a bit, and catch our breaths, both literally and figuratively, i'll lead the way, i swear i won't cause any problems, i'll walk at whatever pace you like, 3 steps ahead. But seriously, would you mind just leaving this area, even for a minute or two?" he kept his tone level and calm, and tried to keep as much of his nerves out of his appearance as possible
"That's up to Morgan," Dorcan said, and then spoke into his communicator.
"Izzie? I don't know if you heard Exo, but if you're in range, he's in need of your skills. I take it you brought cutting equipment?"
"Always, never know when you have to stop asking questions, and start cutting off limbs, should make quick work of the bolts." Izzie started running in the direction of the generator. "I can be there in a few minutes"
Morgan, who had left the room shortly after Exo and before Jexx had begun to act up again, took note of the situation. He had left with The two demolitions people and the two soldiers that had accompanied both teams. Morgan had planned on getting the demolitions charges set and doing a final sweep of the area, but he considered the situation.
Exo, I expect something is going to be done about him? Unless you want me to do it my way. Anyways, I am going to get moving on the demolitions part. Dorcan, escort our new... friend... to get his sample. I'm sending two of our soldiers to assist you.
Morgan gestured to the two rebellion troopers, "you two meet up with Dorcan, escort the prisoner to take care of his business. If the prisoner does anything you do not like, feel free to stun him or take him out completely at your discretion. If it is in regards to the prisoner, you may take whatever action you deem necessary even if Dorcan issues you commands to the contrary, otherwise you are to follow his orders within reason."
Exo just shakes it's head again and grumbles. [I'm glad we have some professionals around here. I suggest you handle Jexx, Morgan.. my.. people skills leave things to be desired, it seems. As for the charges... Mack and I marked the main spots with white crosses - they should all be fairly easy to spot. Just be careful when setting those things, once they're primed there's pretty much no going back.]
Morgan frowned, Exo, I was being sarcastic, my method involves tranqing him and calling for a medical pickup or putting a laser blast between his eyes. His actions are endangering all of our lives, if one of his shots went stray and into the hall, there is a charge placed on that support beam where Mack had marked. That could have killed everybody down here... which is both teams minus you. Just make a suitable report to the Rebellion command and handle this however gross insubordination and reckless endangerment is regulated among the Rebel soldiery. Oh, and do not worry about the charges, we are not arming detonation until you give the command. We have remote arming gear.
Morgan and the two demolitions experts begin placing the charges in the required areas.
Darkshine looked around the office, then back at Dorcan while listening to the activity going on outside... he heard muffled voices from somewhere in the tower. With fur standing slightly on end, he knew he was failing to keep his nerves under control. He quickly asked "so, whats the word on getting my samples?" while getting out of the chair.
Izzie ran through the door to the generator and slid to a halt beside Exo and started to inspect the bolts. "Jeez, this was not put in for the short term." He was still panting lightly from the run.
"Looks like you're in luck," Dorcan said to Darkshine, gesturing at the two soldiers. "We're going to escort you to the bodies. Don't do anything stupid though... He's given them authority to stun or kill you if they deem it necessary - even if I say otherwise. Just so you know. Now, excuse me a second..."
"Izzie? That thing didn't look like it was going to be trivial to remove, I'll agree. It's too much to hope that we can remove it intact, though if you can think of a way, go for it. Either way, if we can extract enough of it to figure out what it's supposed to do, that will be a huge help. Start with the computers and control equipment - those are probably more portable, and we might be able to deduce it's purpose by reverse-engineering the software or heck, extracting the text strings from it. Actually, if it were me, I'd do that first - worry about the generator core itself afterwards."
"Now, Mr. Darkshine, wasn't it? Let's get your, uh, victims sorted out. Lead the way." He took the leopard's backpack and followed behind the soldiers.
Darkshine got up and walked out the door, retracing the steps he'd taken earlier before getting hit. Keeping to a slow steady pace, after a few minutes, he found the room he was looking for. He paused at the closed door and said over his shoulder "It's gonna be pretty messy, i'm sure you can handle it, but i'm giving you the warning now that if you've got a weak stomach, you should try and focus on something else in the room" as he finished his little pep speech, darkshine eased the door open into the blood spattered room, the bodies were more or less exactly as he remembered them.
He pointed to body missing a large portion of it's head and said "and there he is, i'll need the vial and..." he stopped mid-sentence as he noticed the grips of the small weapons, still holstered on the bodies of the dead bodyguards. "better idea, one of you two should probably get the samples for me, not that i'm incapable, but those 2 are still armed" nodding towards the corpses lying facedown in pools of blood, while talking to the solider escorts
"Ugh," Dorcan said, and looked away. "Did it have to be quite so... messy? Those may have been bad people, but they were still people..."
"Better do as he says," he added to the escort. "I'll keep watch."
"i can't help the mess, i blame the ammunition... the .45 ACP is a rather nasty round, i use it because people don't have a tendency to get back up when it hits them... it's subsonic, making it easy to silence... The biggest downside is capacity, i've got 10 rounds per magazine... well that and the mess... big holes, big mess, i guess " darkshine replied with a shrug and a grin
(edit add) still having the grin on his face he began rubbing his chin while contemplating aloud "ya know, i'd say stripping those guards of weapons, hell... stripping them of everything, could be useful, the one with the holes not so much, but the officer's uniform, along with the one bodyguard's could be used to at least get some infiltrators past the front gate of another target" he paused, weighing the options, the devious nature of his thoughts slipping through to his face. "i've got some really lightweight armor back at my safe house, nothing too fancy just some ultra hardened fibers , but it'll stop a lightweight hit from most pistols, and it'll definitely hide under those uniforms... if you could find some volunteers, a brotherhood truck, and get the rest of the plan rolling within a week, we could probably pull off a really nasty raid."
"Oh nonono," the Doberman snapped. "I told you what Morgan said. If you touch those weapons, there could very well be one more Being in here with a hole through his head, so don't tempt fate. The photos, the blood sample... that's what you came here for, right? Take them and go. Please."
"That would be an affirmative on it not going anywhere, looks like the terminals will be easy to strip though." Izzie moved over to the console next to the generator and opened the case. "Pretty standard stuff, I'll pull the drives, check to see if anything from the generator can be dismantled, and call you back when I'm done." Izzie got out a set of screw drivers. "Oh, and if things turn south, feel free to let me know" He added as an after thought. Never hurts to ask he thought to himself.
darkshine paused, taken a little aback by the hostility, he replied indignantly "i was actually thinking aloud thank you very much, and i never said i'd be the one taking the weapons... " he paused, then the devious grin was back as quickly as it had disappeared "though a rather devious plot crossed my mind.... assuming we can get those blood stains out... Here's what i'm thinking, we get some people who fit in those uniforms, and look the part. If you don't have it available, i can provide some lightweight body armor that'll fit under the uniforms, it's just at the safehouse. As for the next mission, why bother assaulting a brotherhood compound, when, if we do this right, they simply let us in... now all we'll need is an in tact brotherhood truck"
"Will do, Izzie," Dorcan said and muted his communicator. Then he turned back to the leopard with a somewhat apologetic look.
"I'm sorry," he said. "That came out harsher than I'd intended. Look... I don't really trust you, and I'm not likely to until and unless we've had a chance to check you out back at base.
But just because I'm suspicious doesn't mean I want to see the inside of your skull spread across these walls. And that could easily happen if you do something to alarm those two, or Morgan. I'm not sure you realise how precarious your situation is, and... I guess I want to give you the benefit of the doubt. So please... just tread carefully, right?"
Sermon over, he un-muted the communicator.
"As for the uniforms, we might be able to snatch a few. They won't be able to check how many are missing by the time we're done here, after all. But we are on a tight schedule, and messing around with someone's corpse isn't something I'm eager to do right now."
Maybe the Rebellion isn't quite as different from the Brotherhood as I'd like to think, he mused, remembering his own capture. But at least I want this guy to have the chance to explain himself, which is more than I ever got.
Darkshine just stood, a little shocked at yet another ernest response from this total stranger. He waited a few seconds to collect his thoughts, then he gave a crooked smile and said "i know if our situation was reversed, i'd be taking some far more serious precautions, but maybe thats just because i know what i can do. Look, when insperation hit's me , i just kinda roll with it, good or bad, again, it's what i do... i kinda hope your leader is listening over your comm link, because i'm pretty sure he'd agree that, although risky, get the right people involved, it can be pull it off..." he paused, relaxed, and leaned against the door frame...His grin returned, and he kept on talking though his plan
"well, i wouldn't bother with some of the zealot's uniforms, low level troops like them tend to be stationary, but officers, from experience with the brotherhood" nodding towards the corpse of his target "they tend to shift from place to place, and an officer like him, he's got clearance to do on sight, and completely random inspections. So, here's how i see another mission going, if we can get someone who fits into that uniform, and looks like at least a little like him, and espeically, we need the man to pull off the arrogant 'i hear there's been problems with discipline around here' attitude. We have them let us in... all we need to do is get that brotherhood truck... we pack it with a strike team, follow it with additional troops in whatever we want... Once our man is approved at the main gate, take out those guards quietly, and i mean dead silent, knives, and silent firearms quiet... The brotherhood guys, they set up for inspection while the rebel trucks roll in... once we've got control of the main gate that shouldn't be a problem... though i've got a few questions about equipment available... any chance you guys got some crew served stuff that you have in hiding, ya know, light auto-cannons, heavy automatics, grenade launchers, perhaps some tripod mounted laser or plasma weapons?"
Dorcan listened to the proposal politely, but shook his head. "I don't have authority for that kind of thing. You'd have to take your suggestion up with Exo or Morgan, if you can persuade them to listen."
Darkshine replied calm and level "i understand what your saying, i'm more bouncing the idea off you, seeing what you think, it's the best thing for me to do right now when i've got the insperation to do something, and really no other way to act on it... Well, no matter how you do it, i guess we might as well get back to the task at hand" and with that, he stepped delicatly around the pools of blood, and made sure to be well clear of the bodyguards... He took the vial, scraped along the edge of the hole in his tagets head, collect loose bits in the tube... With his grim mission complete, he hopped over the bodies and blood with a single leap, stopping well short of the congregation, holding the vial up said with a bit of a grin "well, i'm done with my part"
"I don't really know enough about the Brothers to say whether that would work," Dorcan said. "But anyway, let's go. Now, Izzie... how are you doing up there? Do you need a hand lifting or anything?"
Darkshine started to head out the door, lost his balance and fell to one knee as another wave of dizziness hit him. He felt nauseous, and a splitting headache slammed him as well. He knew he had a concussion, and would need to be treated for it... Fighting every urge to just lay down and sleep, he grabbed the door frame, and pulled himself back to his feet, he said in a slightly low voice "sorry about that, still a little light headed i guess, i should be ok now" he rubbed the back of his head and neck, trying his best to be nonchalant about the whole incident.
"Are you sure you're alright?" Dorcan asked, his voice tinged with concern. "Do you need a medic? Can you make it back downstairs?"
still feeling a tinge of pain Darkshine replied "probably wouldn't hurt to see a medic... at the very least i could get something for this damn headache that keeps coming back" he rubbed his forehead and eyes with a hand, trying to get the spots out of his vision. He collected himself mentally and said in a slightly shaky voice "it's probably a mild concussion, so if nothing else, make sure i don't try and fall asleep"
"Our... uh... prisoner, seems to need a medic," Dorcan said over the comms. "Who's nearest?"
Darkshine placed the vial in one of his pant's pockets, then looked at his 'escort' and said "well, whenever your good to go, either lead the way or give me some directions" he held out his hand with a slight bow as if holding the door open for a lady... he had his crooked smile back, and trying his best to hide his growing concern... he thought privately to himself well, i'm stuck with them for the foreseeable future, might as well make the best of it... Hopefully this is the unit Wolf is in, at least i know i can trust her... though this Dorcan guy has been a pretty upstanding fellow so far... now if only i could can a handle on the rest of this team...
"Let's go then," the Doberman said and led the way. Darkshine was covered by the two troopers Morgan had sent, with Dorcan in front, glancing back occasionally to make sure the leopard wasn't about to collapse or something.
Darkshine followed without incident, too preoccupied with keeping his balance and fighting the headache to try and keep up a conversation of any kind
"Done with the generator, I managed to pull off a few pieces that look like they go back together, but I really can't say what they do. I'm on my way to you now." Izzie said into the comm. "Well Exo, you wanna carry half, some of this is pretty heavy." Izzie gestured to the neatly ordered pile of components arranged on the ground."
Jexx meandered out of the office room, vaguely noticing Dorcan and several other men. He started following them, his expression very distant, almost as if his wasn't seeing anything at all.
Morgan finished placing the last charge, half turning to Murphy with a small, half-grin he joked, "ready to blow this joint mate?"
"Ready? I was born ready to make things go boom. Let's blow shit up!" Murphy sounded extremely eager, he made an announcement over the comm, let's make it rain, ya'll got a phat grip of stacks waiting at the crib, yo.
Morgan sweatdropped, Uh, I think Murph is ready to go with the charges, I suggest we exit. We will wait for the all clear from Exo.
Morgan, Murphy and Mac exited the tower carefully and set up a temporary guard position as they waited for everyone else to exit.
Hearing the call to evacuate, Dorcan abruptly turned around and led the others out of the nearest exit.
"How far back do we need to be?" he asked.
Darkshine, still a little fuzzy, and not sure if the question was meant for him or not, slowed down his pace and considered the question... he looked over at the doberman and thought back to the question, he said in as level of a voice he could manage "I'd try and be about distance and a half from the tallest point... even if you go for a total implosion, if something either goes wrong, or a charge fires early, it'll probably fall to one side, rather than in on itself... soo yea, i'd play it safe, and get a good ways back..." then thinking about the tower falling added quickly "better make it twice the height"
"Got it, run. FAST." Izzie picked up the tools he had used, and a good portion of the components on the floor. "Isn't this about the time someone should say a lame catch-phrase like, lets blow this joint, or they'll have to glue you back together, in hell?" Izzie added with a chuckle.
Murphy shook his head at Izzie's comment, yo dawg, I don't roll like that. We jus' blow this shiz, roll back to HQ, and I get my 40s on.
Murphy checked the indicators for all the assembled charges, when they all flashed green he smiled sharply, "yea, that's what I'm talkin 'bout."
Morgan nodded, not entirely sure what Murphy was talking about and added his own comment to the chat on the comm, I suggest everyone fall back to the van camp, that is more than sufficient distance. Minimum should be twice the height in case of any complications. The tower should fall in on itself, as Murphy, Mack and I are all master demolitions experts, but the nature is controlled chaos... quite a difficult set of opposites to balance.
As Dorcan, Darkshine, and the soldiers started to rush ahead, Jexx seemed to snap out of his funk, and began rushing after them. He wasn't quite sure what they were running from, but for once, he thought that it probably wasn't something he could fry with his handcannons.
Exo is the last out, carrying some larger pieces of equipment from the generator disassembly over it's shoulders with ease. "Looks like we're all clear. Any last words, gentlemen?"
Mack shoots Murphy a glare and mutters, being the slightly saner of the two. "With any luck this'll go better th'n last time where somebody--" he eyes Murphy again "--miswired 'alf the bloody charges."
"Well if you two are quite done bickering, would you do the honours, Morgan?" Exo shifts slightly, carefully putting down the bits of generator before watching to turn the impending fireworks.
"I just hope there's no-one else stuck in there," Dorcan said, glancing at Darkshine.
Darkshine held up his hands defensively and said "don't look at me, i was in there for a quick solo job... I was planning on assembling a new team next week... but we can all see how far that actually got"
"Boys Boys, Chatting away on top a power keg... , when the Brotherhood could come along any day now... Bust up your little party before the fireworks." Said Doc Sally over the comlink."Please Have the new boy report to me for a medical exam once you get to camp, we are starting your pack-out and clean-up.."
PBH
Mack raises an eyebrow. "You sure you don't need glasses, Doc? We're standin' right here y'know."
Murphy leans a bit back, tilting his head and throwing his hands up in front of him, "shut yo wack azz up Mack, you be trippin. You da one that brought schematics written in Lantenese. How is someone 'suppose to use dat if they don't read that gay azz language?"
"Well, I for one, do read that language and a few others. Let us just hope that none of that has happened here, we can not have mistakes here." Morgan stated as he ran one final check before lighting the charges off. The programmed, staggered detonations began their sequence.
Mack snerks loudly. "They were perfectly understandable if you actually bothered to flip 'em over and read the other side, you idiot! I don't read Lantenese either, how do you think I made my set of explosives? Not by random guessin' that's for certain."
Exo glances at Murphy, then at Mack. "Are you two quite done bickering over explosive schematics? Record has it you're both experts after all." It turns to watch the collapsing tower. "Now that's a sight... the Brotherhood definitely won't be pleased, though. We'd best pack up and get back to HQ ASAP."
"I wish we could have buried them," Dorcan murmured vacantly. "Darkshine's victims, my victim... even a cremation would have been a more decent send-off than mangling them up in a demolition."
Exo's comment snapped him back to reality.
"The Brotherhood can go bend," he said. Then a thought hit him.
"Actually, this is probably the hardest we've ever hit them, isn't it? What happens if they make a concerted effort to exterminate us because we've just upgraded ourselves from 'nuisance' to 'threat'?"
darkshine considered the question, but quickly forgot his reply as the headache again surged... he looked around the small gathering for someone who looked like they had some kind of medical equipment, even some type of painkiller would help... though if it was a concussion, he'd have to avoid sleep for a bit. Darkshine looked around and, without any luck of spotting the obvious he asked "so, anyone here a medic?"
"Think of it as a funeral pyre, if that helps make it any better. At least they're free from whatever crap they were being fed and brainwashed with before. As for medics, ask Doc there. Can't promise you'll get what you want, but you'll get what you need in the long run." Mack offers.
Exo nods as it watches the tower collapse, recording the event to internal storage. "Then we probably have an assault on the compound to look forward to, assuming they can find it, and they will eventually. Fortunately we should have the home ground advantage. Someone should radio ahead and let Jackson know the job is done and that defenses should be stepped up. Once we hit the main roads we should split up and make our own roads back to HQ -- a convoy of unmarked vans is going to be more than a little suspicious. Even if the Brotherhood have no ID on the vans, it's bound to attract attention."
Darkshine looked over at the man that Mack had called doc, raised a hand and shouted "yo doc, any chance you've got some painkillers, just something that'll help this headache i've got until we get to where ever you guys plan on taking me?" Then turned to Exo and said "so... if we're going to be splitting up into several smaller groups, which van you want me in? and uh, who's going to be playing babysitter until you get me checked out?" he had his crooked smile while asking the last question... having a pretty good guess as to who he'd be riding with...
([OOC]fixed the small errors that i didn't pick up on when i first posted)
Izzie watched the tower begin to settle on the ground, a dust cloud rising from the ruins, then said, "So, who else feels the irrational need to fortify the HQ to prevent anything close to that from ever happening?" Izzie then sat on the ground and started fiddling with some of his "loot".
while waiting for the rest of the team, darkshine decided that with nothing better to do, he might as well chat with his new friend... looking over at dorcan he said "ya know, if they've either got an extra driver, or maybe willing to scrap a van, i've got a rather nice vehicle parked a few miles away... it's a ground effect beast, no external weapons, but i've got all kinds of goodies on the inside... Decent armor, and one beauty of a command and control system. In terms of money, it took me my entire savings for 15 years of work to get it."
he paused, thinking about how best to continue, then giving a pleading look in his eyes, and giving the most sincere tone he could muster
"think there's any chance you could convince someone here to stop by and get it... i'd have to go along since it's on a biometric lock, but as i said, i'm in with these guys once i've passed any tests, so, adding to their motor pool, as well as their overall combat capacity couldn't be bad thing, could it?"
"That's up to Morgan and Exo," Dorcan sighed. "I'm not sure I'd trust you in your own vehicle, not yet at any rate. It would be far too easy for you to grab a weapon, kill your minder and take off. But I'll see what they say."
Over the comms, he began to reiterate. "Exo, Morgan... Mr. Darkshine has a vehicle of his own nearby. I'm not sure I trust him to drive it himself, but on the other hand, we'll probably get more cooperation out of him if we don't let it fall into the hands of the Brotherhood. It seems to be quite expensive. So I suppose we should probably try to bring it with us somehow. Any suggestions?"
"End recording." Exo turns away from the collapsing tower, eyeing Darkshine. "You say that like we intend to keep you concious for the trip back. Have you ever considered you've been asking too many questions for your own good?"
"Dunno 'bout you, but I say keep him Murphy." Mack adds, grinning. "As fer that fancy van... eh, you think a fancypants biomet' lock's gonna stop us? Those hackin' tools an' cutters ain't fer looks or pickin' up the women, I'll tell ya that much."
Exo glances at Mack, then at Morgan, waiting to hear further input.
slightly threatened by the bots attitude darkshine looks up, mustering what defiance he could "i've been honest and up front with you, i know that you can do whatever you damn well please under the circumstances, hell, even if i had weapons, i doubt anything short of a shoulder fired shaped charge rocket could actually scratch something like yourself... and as for my 'fancy van' as you called it, it's a M-161 banshee Command and Control vehicle and i'd rather have it in your hands than in the brotherhood's since the former at least gives me a slight chance of getting it back."
he paused, letting a little tension out of his system, knowing he'd probably gotten himself in trouble with the little outburst...
"if your going to stun me, so be it, if not, then lets get going... whoever has my equipment bag, has the headset, just flip the orange screen down, and say the command 'ranger, access map, banshee' in that exact order, it'll bring up the HUD function, and you'll have a display as to where i've got it stashed... "
(Edit:) after letting go of most the built up tension, he started feeling sick again, He crouched to a knee and said in a slightly pained voice "soo, anyone know where the doc is? i'm thinking i'm gonna need something a little more serious than painkillers if we've got a long journey ahead of us"
The medic walks over to the crouched figure, and says "alright, lets go an check you out" holding out a small, flashlight like device. He turns on a small, pale light, and shines it in Darkshine's eyes... he paused "looks like you've got a nasty contusion, but that's about it, your probably feeling a little disoriented... no permanent damage as far as i can tell" he paused, then quickly said "i think i've got something for that" reaching into his bag, the medic pulled out a small bottle, while handing darkshine a pill he said "it's a mild pain medication, with a bit of a stimulant, it'll keep you awake, but it'll dull your senses a bit for a few hours"
Darkshine eyed the small tab, then, popped it in his mouth, tilted his head back swallowed it... he replied "thanks doc, i appreciate it" easing himself back on his feet and waiting for
Murphy looked to Mack and brushed his hand over his pistol, "I'd say we pop a cap in this fool and take his wheels, but if you say keep him then I guess we do that."
Morgan had been listening to the exchanges, but spent most of the time considering the situation with their "unlawful combatant". Which would turn out to be a good thing as even Exo seemed to turn to him as the final word on the subject. This made him turn a shade paler than normal.
"Normally I would recommend we 'take care of him'. As a killer who works only for money, he would be a liability and could never be trusted. He is also too conveniently placed. With gear like he has been outfitted with, he was likely a member of a special organization that may have had ties with some very bad news people.... but nothing like that has surfaced in over a hundred years." Morgan sighed and massaged his temple with a hand, "personally, I say we send him on his merry way, we do not need a hired killer."
Especially one who knows me, or at least knows the name. It will not take too long before he figures it out, and then I will have to remove him.
"First things first though, we should retrieve his vehicle."
"Way to maintain the moral high ground," Dorcan snapped, giving Murphy an angry stare. His wings had fanned out slightly.
"I realise that we're in a difficult situation here and we can't all be smiles and hugs, but think about what you're saying! If the Rebels just go around killing random people for shits and giggles, or because you don't like their profession, then we're arguably worse than the Brotherhood itself. And they would be quite justified in pointing out such atrocities in whatever propaganda they choose to broadcast. Who'd join us after that? What are you trying to achieve here?"
Calming himself with some effort, he glanced at Morgan. "Respectfully I must point out that this guy has been targeting the Brotherhood. It's unlikely those bodies executed themselves, right? So in that respect our interests are aligned, at least for the time being. Had he been targeting us that would be a different matter.
I don't trust him, and I don't like his methods, but I will not be party to the murder of neutrals or innocents. I joined the rebellion to avoid that.
"Moral objections aside, if he is part of a larger organisation and he doesn't return from a tower that was subsequently demolished, that organisation will almost certainly blame us for his death. Just saying."
He paused.
"If I may make a suggestion, I say that we make a report back to HQ. Tell them that we've accomplished the demolition - that should be standard procedure anyway, right? So we do that and inform them that we have a captive. Let Jackson and company decide what we do."
Just sitting in the background, gleaning bits of informations from the conversation the others were having, Darkshine tensed at Murphy's comment, relaxed slightly when he heard Morgans response, and managed to get his heart rate back down to something approaching normal when Dorcan spoke up in his defense... he thought i owe that guy something... i don't know what yet, but at the least i owe him my cooperation for the time being
with that in mind he eased up to the little congregation and said in a low, respectful, almost submissive tone "i've worked for some bad people, no doubt about it, but when you've got the choice between vicious torture, and a slow agonizing death in front of your friends, or doing some as simple as pulling the trigger, if you want to survive,
you do what you have to..."
" the organization you were referring to was know to us as the Empire, they built their regime around terrorizing world leaders into following their own political lines, if they didn't like the way someone worked, or where that person stood on a particular subject, they'd have someone kill the target in question once a suitable replacement was in place... Like all organizations built on corruption, a rouge branch got greedy, formed their own small army, and destroyed a good deal of the compound i was stationed at... when they attacked, i just sorta borrowed a vehicle and left... that was over 50 years ago... since then, i joined on with various groups of mercs doing other people's dirty work... 10 years ago, i thought i'd finally found an out, a way to live a life most would call normal.. that was while i was working with the black hand unit... I hadn't met her before, but we had a near instant connection, and i'm pretty sure that what it was, was love... she was killed almost 3 years ago... right in front of me, and all i could do was stand there with my jaw hanging open in horror... frozen in place"
Darkshine didn't change his tone at all, he continued in a near monotone, keeping his emotions in check as best he could, though the signs of tears welling his eyes were obvious. "after that bastard pulled the trigger, i had his face burned into my memory... i gave her the funeral service she deserved, then spent 6 months tracking him down. He didn't recognized me when i used a stolen truck to run his transport off the road... he tried to run after i killed his security... i broke his left leg at the knee, then the right... He screamed, but it didn't do anything to calm my wrath... i shot him in the shoulder when he tried to crawl away, i asked him for names, anything he could give me about who ordered Laughs Brightly killed... when i was done, i shot him in the throat and let him drown in his own filth... when he was dead i hung his lifeless corpse from a tree just outside one of their communication's towers"
he paused, his mood visibly changed as a thin smile appeared on his face "you may have heard the story in the news when it happened... blamed it on a couple of religious fanatics... either way, when i tell you that i'm not a nice person when the brotherhood is concerned, now, maybe you understand why"
Quite a sob-story, Dorcan thought to himself. I wish I could see how much of it is true. Someone as ruthless as this guy seems to be could easily invent a pretty little tale like that. Though if it is roughly accurate, it might explain a few things.
"Did I ask how old you are?" the Doberman said at last. Let's see if the numbers add up.
Darkshine looked at the doberman quizzically at first then replied "i'm actually 141, turning 142 in a few weeks, as for proof of that, go ahead and do a blood test either now or when we get to where ever you plan on taking me, at the very least that'll show that i'm not normal..." "Not that anyone would question that to begin with" he added with a smirk
feeling a little fatigued for several reasons, Darkshine leaned against the side of a van and said "look, any chance we can get going soon? if you need directions to the banshee, you can put on the headset, or i can sit shotgun... though, who am i riding with?"
Murphy was about to "get up and in" Dorcan's face, but Morgan stepped between them, using the opportunity to grab the headset.
Morgan half-listened to the mercenary's attempt to solicit sympathy and emotional response as he stared at the headset. Though he hated having to do it, it seemed he had little other choice, this paid killer's intent must be determined. He focused his full attention on Darkshine and attempted to peer into his thoughts. He frowned as he found the mind closed and protected.
Bastard is lying to us, he has a bloody mind shield up. Growled Morgan over the comm as he turned to face Darkshine.
Continuing if nothing had occurred, Morgan spoke out, "Shall I go retrieve this... Banshee? The banshee was always an unreliable brick on an air cushion. Perhaps we can use it for spare parts."
Knowing it was a goad, Darkshine let the jab slide, though thought to himself hell of a lot more reliable then some of these so called soldiers the thought brought a slight smirk to his face, as he tried to think of an appropriate response. After a few seconds he said "ehh, it's worked well enough for me, and never given me problems... temperamental maybe, but unreliable is a bit of a stretch" he paused then continued "ya know, that still hasn't answered my question...who am i'm riding with?"
"Sounds like a good start," Dorcan said, referring to the Banshee. "Meanwhile, someone needs to report back to base, if only to signal mission accomplished. Then, I guess we get moving."
Feeling a slight twinge in the back of his mind, Darkshine realized that he'd been keeping himself too defensive, and ready for the worst, and because of that, had closed his mind off to someone who could have actually verified his story... debating whether or not to let them know he knew they had a psychic in the group, he decided I'm actually better off having them trying something here, i'll just have to watch the body language very carefully, and as soon as something seems wrong, duck behind a van, and see if i can't get enough cover to get the hell out of here...
cocking his head slightly, he looked first at dorcan, then the redhead, not really sure which had actually had tried the probe, he gave up on guessing, and got himself as mentally relaxed as he could, knowing now that dorcan would try and maintain the moral high ground until all other options were exhausted... "look, i know someone just tried a mind probe, i wasn't thinking how you'd see it, i was more concerned with someone knowing what i was planning for if you were going to try something, rather than thinking about the bigger picture... go ahead and try your probe again" he said with a sigh
he thought to himself god i hate psychics, at least i can keep them out when i want to, i wonder what people who don't have the natural skill of blocking do?
Jexx had followed the whole group out of the Tower, and saw it go down with some booms. This considerably lifted Jexx's spirits. However, the rest of the group was engaged in some big discussion, apparently about that weird new guy. Jexx wandered away a bit, and eventually settled with privately making odd little patterns on the ground with his handcannons at their lowest power.
Exo hrms, thinking deeply for a few moments. Close observers would hear occasional pops and clangs as lightly-dented armoured plates gradually reformed and cooled, still warm from the fight, the occasional flicker of electricity sparking between the 'bot's arm joints and fingers. "Marcus, Langley." It gestures to two of the personnel who arrived with the relief staff. "Go with Morgan and retrieve this... 'Banshee' vehicle. Heinrich, Matthews, Michaels, Holtz. Secure our friend here in the armoured transport, I'll drive. When we return to HQ, you keep him under full watch until things are verified. Am I clear?"
The four salute smartly and nod, a chorus of confirmations coming over the tactical network.
"Good." Exo claps it's hands together, though it sounds more like an accident in a bell foundry than anything else. "Everyone else, let's get this show on the road. Grab any fallen weapons and gear up. Time to head out!"
looking at the bot, then the soldiers now around him, darkshine simply nodded in understanding "soo, ropes, cuffs, or is this a, we trust you enough to just keep you at gunpoint..." he kept himself relaxed, and decided, well, if they were going to try anything, it should have happened by now, might as well relax until things get sorted out and keep my mind open so that i don't have to deal with a more powerful psychic, or worse...
"Sir," Dorcan said, and made his way back to the van he'd arrived in. He was slightly concerned that they didn't seem to have relayed their success back to base, but if that was how they operated, he wasn't going to rock the boat.
(OOC: I apologize for slight amounts of autoing but I think it's best that we get things moving. We've been milling around far too long already.)
Exo clambers into the driver's seat of the armoured van, glancing back as the four soldiers escort Darkshine towards it. "Four gunpoints." There's a pause and a slight chuckle. "... and they all have quick trigger fingers, trust me." The van's engine starts with an irritated growl and it rumbles into life, the 'bot checking over the dashboard. [Best to maintain radio silence. Don't need the Brotherhood picking up anything we send back, and best we be moving quickly, I expect they'll have dispatched personnel to investigate lack of communications already.] Exo broadcasts over the tactical net.
Morgan did not show any outward reaction to Darkshine's comment about mind probes, but did decide to respond out loud to his mental declaration and rhetorical question, "the prejudiced frequently fear that which they cannot understand. It must be truly difficult for you fearing that psychics will violate you mentally at every turn. I am not sure who you think you are, but I can guarantee you that the gifted have no desire to sift through your diseased mind. You have spent so much time building defenses to protect dross, for that is all you have up there... lusterless and valueless scrap."
Bloody hell, can not anyone control their emotions enough not to project waves of them?
Morgan sighed, "look mate, just be careful how you throw around stuff like hate, it is strong even if you do not want it that way."
Taking a deep breath, the red haired lad "dove" right in. It took several minutes, but finally Morgan seemed to be finished, "it seems he is largely telling the truth, or at least what he believes."
Nodding to Marcus and Langley, whom both fell in immediately, Morgan queried the end point of the headset's tight-beam transmission line. He fed the thing the exact line DK had said, completely in the appropriate vocal range. He received telemetry data on the vehicle and immediately oriented himself with it. Morgan and the two soldiers headed for the Banshee and after a few minutes, reached it.
(OOC if we had a time frame this would happen just before leaving in the Van, and just before morgan went on his own little sidequest)
Darkshine considered what the redhead had said with regards to his personal distaste for psychics... he pondered sever responses, but none seemed appropriate ranging from describing how several friends were killed by Emperium psychics for having thoughts questioning what they were doing... to pointing out that had they, the rebels, actually tried something, knowing his own reaction plan ahead of time would have been paramount to suicide. Instead, he choose subdued silence while he weighted his options. he considered how his past experiences had tainted his judgment of someone who he'd never met, and for all he knew, could actually be a good person such as Dorcan, who he'd actually given a chance and been rewarded with the start of a possible friendship.
He slowly turned to morgan and said "i rarely do this, but i do feel i owe you a bit of an apology, you are right about hate, and my opinion of psychics has been tainted by past experience... as is, i never gave you a chance, never considered the possibility of a good psychic... While true that as of yet, i've never met a good psychic, i'll take your advice and give you a chance... as for that bit about lusterless and valueless scrap, while slightly insulted, i'm going to let it slide under present circumstance....but, just a little something to consider, you are the one who's now prejudiced yourself against me." he gave morgan a crooked smile.
He then waited for his entourage to get ready while they received further orders from the war bot.
Once in the van, darkshine adjusted himself to the feel and sound of the vehicle, and quickly fell into a much needed, though somewhat restless sleep, thanks to the mild stimulant in the painkillers
Morgan and the two soldiers with him, approached the location where the Banshee was concealed. Using the HUD through the headset, by way of emulation from Morgan's CTC, he quickly located the vehicle.
The small team examined the security access measures. Marcus evaluated the situation, "biometric unit, if we can remove it, it is possible to polarize the leads from the magnetic deadbolt and force it to release."
"We dun have that kind of time mate, I can take care of this quickly."
Touching the biometric interface, Morgan reached out and concentrated on the flow of power through the unit and to the door. Severing power completely from the Biometric unit, he focused on redirecting it to each of the four bolt locks in the door. With four satisfying 'thunks', the locks released.
Pushing out again, Morgan studied the magnetic seal of the door. Without input from the biometrics, the magnetic seal would prevent anyone who could bypass the mechanical locks. Placing one hand at the 11 o'clock point and the other at the 4 o'clock point, he reversed the electrical current, changing the polarity. He dusted his hands off and smugly lifted the latch, pushing the door inward.
Marcus and Langley swept the compartments for anyone that might be hiding and scanned for any hidden explosives or tracking devices. Satisfied it was clear, Morgan headed into the "pilot's" area. The computer systems were on, but locked out.
Morgan used his laptop and CTC systems to gain access to the wireless systems with a restricted guest level of access. Despite being locked down due to a security breach, Morgan was eventually able to escalate his access completely to root level. The 'Ranger' system that controlled things in the Banshee lurked about, shutting down systems, almost as quickly as he got access to them. Its uncooperative nature forced Morgan to quarantine it from the system and elevate his CTC to the controlling host. He demoted Ranger temporarily and locked off the computer core.
Morgan loaded a navigation program and sat back while the vehicle sped off, trying to catch up with the vans.
Now that he had some time to himself, Morgan pondered the words Darkshine had spoken. He had been influenced by the strong hate that had embodied the strange creature's mind. His telepathic abilities were largely controlled by his empathy, making him very emotion driven and susceptible to the moods of others.
He frowned and sighed, he had not intended to be insulting, but he slipped again due to the charged emotions involved.
The vehicle was in automatic pilot, following a carefully planned route. Morgan closed his eyes and focused on the signature of the mind he had recently touched.
Morgan filled himself with peaceful thoughts and tried to elevate his mood as much as possible before trying to project. When he felt ready, he established a link, Darkshine had left his defense down.
Morgan appeared as a pale, transparent, shadow of his true self. His powers were strong (for the state of the world), but this kind of thing was difficult and very poorly understood. He could project and interact, but he did not possess sufficient resources to conceal his astral presence.
Morgan, with foxy ears and fluffy tail, spun on his heels shifting his gaze across the dark and cold place that was DK's mind.
"Oi, mate! You in here somewhere? I just wanted to talk, so keep the SuperEgo and Id down."
When no response was immediately forthcoming, he flattened his ears against his head and dipped his head, fixing his eyes on the ground, "I... I am sorry for what I said, being empathic makes me easily influenced by emotions... I have never been good with strong emotions."
Half asleep, darkshine heard the voice, but didn't really know how to react to it, his first thought was i must be hearing things until his head cleared, and he saw what looked like the redhead... it suddenly clicked that the he was communicating telepathically, not really sure if he could be understood, darkshine decided to focus his mind, thinking in simple, clear and 'loud' thoughts... after comprehending what had been 'said' he decided that he'd go along, he had promised he'd give Morgan a chance before becoming a total jerk anyways, soo, keeping to his word, Darkshine thought apology accepted, and don't worry about it too much, if our roles were reversed, you'd be in a similar predicament as myself... Anything in particular you wish to talk about?
apology accepted, and don't worry about it too much, if our roles were reversed, you'd be in a similar predicament as myself... Anything in particular you wish to talk about?
Morgan dropped to his knees covering his ears as best as he could, a truly pained expression across his face, and his tail tucked between his legs. As the ringing in his ears subsided from the booming internal voice of Darkshine, he stood and called out as loud as he could, "Darkshine! The mental manifestation of one's internal voice is... well... LOUD. Could you please come down here and not do the 'voice of the gods' thing? The best way to do it is to visualize yourself in your room sitting on your bed, but anywhere will work really."
Morgan dropped to a sitting position on the 'floor', he felt a bit disoriented. Projection was a rather taxing endeavor.
Doing as he was asked, darkshine visualized a mid sized room, with a few coffee tables, a couch and some chairs set up around an old victorian style fireplace, a rather cozy environment... visualizing himself in one of the chairs, he looked over at morgan and thought
many apologies, i've never actually tried this before... though now that we're here, it seems a far more civil place for a discussion...
i don't know if you caught my original message, as it seems to have caused you much pain... i was merely trying to say that i accept your apology, and there's nothing to feel ashamed about... i know that if i were in your position, i'd be even more suspicious of someone with my reputation than your group seems to be. Especially from someone who's probably heard what most mercenaries have to say about me...
i might add that my reputation isn't as deserved as some would say... i'm not a monster who will do anything for money. i do have moral lines i will not cross, and in some cases, i even empathize with a target to the point of helping them disappear. Faking a video, and having them give a blood sample, that's usually good enough to 'confirm' a kill... you don't hear those stories though...but, that's enough moping in the past, since your here, you probably have something on your mind as it we're, so, how can i help you? he kept his thoughts sincere, open, and level making sure to visualizing them coming from his perceived self in the room, rather than openly in his mind
The chairs were a welcome sight and Morgan took the one across from where felinoid's mental projection had appeared.
Darkshine began to 'think' at Morgan, causing the fox to curl up in his chair and whimper in pain, "Ugh, I think you just ruptured my appendix... Darkshine! Stop! This is your mind, stop trying to do things natural so unnaturally! Do you think at people to talk to them in the real world? No. In here, what you are doing is akin to thought lashings... you are hurling thoughts at me like rocks. Just try and talk normally... act like you would in the real world. It takes practice. Normally this would not be a problem, but projecting over distance is so taxing I am not left with much resources to work off of and defend with."
He relaxed a bit when DK seemed to set the hang of 'speaking' in his mind. Morgan ran his hand through his hair as his ears drooped off to the sides, "I mostly just wanted to apologize, and I did not think it could wait. I also just wanted to talk to someone. Having seen in your mind, I know much more than any stranger should about your life. We... we come from similar backgrounds, though I was 'made', sort of, and not pulled off the streets. You had more of a childhood than I ever did, I was trained to be fight, shoot... kill ever since I could walk. I was... transformed at first... I vaguely remember it... but we were evolved to be fully human as a 'proof of concept' of sorts in genetics. I had a team too, we were betrayed, but escaped our own destruction. I am known as Fox in the business, and I was trained to be a scout and a sniper. I am telling this to you, because... I guess it is because you and I have a few things alike, and you are about the only one I can relate to. I saw your life story and I have seen the good and the bad, so it is only fair that you know me."
Morgan cracked a smile, something he had not done in Darkshine's presence, but here he felt more comfortable after having talked a bit. However, something in the back of Morgan's mind screamed at him not too get too complacent.
normally used to dealing with psychotics and other just generally bad people, most of what Darkshine had seen of the rebellion so far seemed welcoming, besides Jexx's little outburst they seemed both kind, and yet professional, somewhere he could possibly fit in, somewhere he could start working towards being normal... using his visualized self he replied to Fox" i really do appreciate your honesty, it seems comforting, as well as welcoming. If you have any tests for me when we get back to base, let me know, but besides that angry little fuzz ball... Jexx i believe it was, it seems you have a rather decent group of people here, one that i wish to add my skills to if at all possible... I'm sure that it is a decision of someone else, but i believe that your word would carry infinitely greater weight than mine... I have one question before we get back, do you know what happened to Bloodwolf? if she is there, i might need these boys here to put on a show, or i'll never hear the end of it when we get back... probably a worse fate than had i tried something stupid at the vans..."
his projected image was practically beaming with delight at that thought, he then added "if this is going to be a long journey, you can find some iced tea, soft drinks, and a small jug of orange juice, along with a few snacks in the compartment just below the cot. At the far end of the weapons rack, between the screen, and the wall to the crew cab there's a microwave... i'm going to be taking a nap until we get to where ever your taking me, so enjoy yourself and if you can, let the autopilot do the work, as long as it's nothing like a rock filled corn field, it'll be the better driver"
with his last thought he relaxed again, and started to ease back to sleep
At one point during his random ground-scorching, Jexx, looked up and noticed the vans seemed to be packing up to leave. With a small yelp, he jumped up and rushed over, muttering incomprehensible things under his breath.
Morgan's projection shook its head, "I am sorry, but I have not met your Bloodwolf. I am a 'hired gun' with the rebellion, not an official commissioned member. Do not get me wrong, I would venture we are as deeply involved and supportive of their cause, just outside of their official command structure at the moment."
He turned his head to the left, checking to make sure his exit was still where it last was, the last thing he wanted to do was wander about Darkshine's mindscape looking for an exit.
"Well, if you are going to sleep, it would be best if I returned to my own body. When we get to headquarters, it will be up to Phoenix's people to 'test' you if they see fit. I will give my word on what I know based on this contact, I am not sure what weight they place on a psychic's findings, but I am sure it will help. I have seen much of your past, down to every name you have ever used or been called... good and ill, I will respect your privacy and will not divulge anything you do not wish me to."
With that said, Morgan disappeared, drifting the distance back to his own mind seated comfortably in the banshee.
A patch of light melded into a cluster of shadow, danced across the surface in a dance that resembled cavorting angels. Fetrethar reached for the interplay, found his hands strangely unwilling to obey his brain's commands. The light was coming in from somewhere behind Fetrethar's head, and he slowly became aware that he was both lying down, and that there was some sort of grill, with three bars, creating some of the shadows as he gazed up into the ceiling. He could feel himself rolling along, being transported somewhere, in a slow, steady, regular pace.
His face and chest ached, a thousand little stress points sharply screaming for realease and then easing, only to resume their cry a minute later. His eyes felt hot, and closing them burned. Keeping them open was more effort than the burn however, and Fetrethar suffered under the scorch. His mouth was dry and dusty, like he had been chewing an old bone.............
A flash of memory returned to him as the haze gradually receded. Out with the herds, black bombs raining from the sky, men with some sort of chemical canisters on their backs and masks over their faces running into the caves that were inaccessible from the air.
Still unable to rise, Fetrethar waved his arms around, trying to restore a bit of circulation. Hearing was returning, and a few guttural voices were to his side and above him. He thought he recognized a few, but thinking was still too hard to connect those voices to names that he knew.
Sharak'ti! He was armed, he was always armed when guarding the flocks. If he lost his weapons, the clan elders would have his hide. Fetrethar clasped his hands together, stifled a groan when he realized the gloves were no longer presence. Another moment's search revealed that his belt was gone too, with it the simple dagger he possessed. Whoever had done this had left him only in his dark brown homespun cloth, which scratched against his back. A drop of something struck him on the forehead, reminding him of his thirst, the almost painful swelling of his tongue against his upper soft palate. Moving it around for some relief, Fetrethar finally found something he could smile about. His stinger was still buried in his gumline. Whoever had done this hadn't thought to check inside his mouth for a weapon.
Morale brought vigor, and blinking heavily, Fetrethar heaved himself up into a sitting position, taking a few deep breaths of the almost green and moldy air to pay for the exertion. Peering through the poor lighting, for the only illumination was what flowed through some sort of window behind Fetrethar and only seemed to reveal the ceiling well, Fetrethar made out about ten figures on each side of a low, rectangular room, huddled into knots and whispering to one another. Another group of forms, mostly children, were left scattered about the floor in various states of semi-consciousness.Whatever they drugged us with, the biggest shook it off first. Sharak'ti! I hate being small. Listening more closely to the voices, he realized that his own clanmates were the group on the left, while the rival Mongoose clan held the right. Neither group had any sort of visible weapon, and Fetrethar felt a sudden surge of hope. If he was the only man armed, that opened up all sorts of interesting possibilities. No chance to kill a Mongoose now though. There were nine of them up, he now distinctly counted, and even with his stinger, he'd doubt he could get close enough in his current state to use it on any of them.
Eventually, he made his way over to his own clan members. Nobody seemed particularly interested in talking to him, and with his low standing, it was not Fetrethar's place to directly address any of the people awake. Scratching an itch in his lower back, Fetrethar settled into a crouch against the wall and waited for something to happen. He could feel the tension between the two groups of men, and knew that something was probably going to erupt between them soon. He cast his eyes about the interior of whatever vehicle he thought this was, looking for a longer weapon, and wondered why whomever attacked had bothered to take prisoners.
The radio in the vans came to life, and Jackson's voice came over the comm.
"Good job team, we felt that one all the way over there, and you can bet the Brotherhood felt it too. That should show them that we mean business. There's one more thing that I would like for you guys to take care of before coming back to base. Not too far west of your position is a Brotherhood prison convoy heading for the Brotherhood's main lockup in Central City. Rumor has it that they've got a couple of our boys in that caravan. Free them and whoever else they've got locked up in there, and you'll earn a fat bonus." He says.
Vaguely registering a background noise that sounded like a voice, darkshine awoke from his nap after some unknown period feeling a lot better... he stretched his arms, and let out a massive yawn as his thoughts shifted into the spectrum of coherent... he thought he caught the radio sputtering something about a convoy of some sort, his mind clicked at the last sentence that it wasn't just background noise or a radio station that one of the soldiers had on...
his thoughts raced at the thought of another raid on the brotherhood and felt an urge to do something to help...
He looked to exo and said "hey, any chance you can get me in touch with morgan? preferably tight beam communication... i think i might be able to put my skills, and vehicle to use for you guys already. If you don't trust me with comm gear, i'll suggest you record this, and relay the message... actually, just record and relay, that way i can start working some other things out in the meantime..."
he paused and gave the war bot a chance to react... once he felt that a sufficient time had passed he continued with his thinking out loud
"alright, i need you to tell him first to tell the ranger program, voice override command code 223/11764, that'll grant him temporary access to all systems with the cooperation of the on board AI. then have ranger run a sweep program over the brotherhood net, keywords convoy, prisoners, and status report. Once that's done, tell him to triangulate the position surrounding the query, and that should get you a location, from there, we can set up ahead of them a do a rather standard style ambush, barricade in front, preferably explosives in the rear, either that or something strong enough to take out a lightly armored vehicle... once the middle of the convoy is trapped, it'll be a turkey shoot, as the soldiers in ambush will have cover and concealment... if we've got the time, i'd suggest even setting out zones of responsibility to minimize the risk of friendly fire, and maximize what ammunition everyone has left... "
He finished his suggestions as his thoughts continued working out the mechanics of the whole thing... "actually, while your sending a message to morgan have him try and have ranger also identify what we're up against... chances are the records are on some open net... it's just a matter of sifting through all the garbage to find what you actually need"
Jexx was sitting in the back of one of the vans, still zoned out. Howver, at the mention of "Brotherhood Convoy", Jexx suddenly jumped up towards the front of the van. "Brotherhood? More Brotherhood? Can we kill them? C'mon, let's go get 'em! Let's go go go!"
It wouldn't be long until they caught sight of the convoy: a slow moving, large armored vehicle, surrounded by several zealots and a couple of elites, all on foot.
Oh great, Dorcan thought, mission creep.
"What are we doing in terms of command structure?" He asked over the comm. "I presume Exo is in overall command?"
[One would assume so.] Exo says casually as it throws the armoured van through a surprisingly tight turn for such a large vehicle and pushes the engine up to full, the tires screeching in protest as it accelerates out. [I can cut them off at an intersection up ahead and it's otherwise an empty street, so they'll have no cover but their own vehicle. The rest of you move in and prepare to hit them from every other direction you can. Try not to hit each other in the crossfire though, got it?]
Darkshine wasn't prepared for the maneuver and was thrown around during the turn. When he felt he wasn't going to get thrown again he asked the bot "do you have anything you want me to do? or just sit tight for now?"
"Sit tight. Heinrich, check for any spare weapons in the lockers. Can't hurt to have an extra gun at the gunports."
Heinrich affirms and pops open the footlocker under his seat. After quick rummaging, he pulls out a strange looking heavy submachinegun that's almost an assault rifle and several spare magazines with different markings. "Careful, she kicks like a mule and weighs a ton, but the rounds are big, deadly, and she's pretty accurate." He grins. "Twenty five to a magazine, somewhere in the region of nine or ten mill' rounds if I remember the specs. She was meant for CQC, not many were made. Red banded mags are armour-piercing, dual-banded blue mags are hollow-point. You'll want the former I imagine." He offers them to the merc, still grinning as he kicks the footlocker closed.
Gently taking the weapon, darkshine let out a rather wolfish grin, and replied to the soldier "i prefer forty-five myself, well, that and seven six two by fifty-one millimeter but, this will have to do i guess" he examined the weapon for a few seconds, got a feel for the basic layout, then loaded a magazine of armor piercing... checking to make sure the safety was on, he moved to a port and cocked a round into the chamber With a satisfying click. Darkshine eased the weapon into the port, and switched it over to burst... he thought to himself damn i wish i had my rapier... though this is probably a lot more controllable in full auto, i'd wager it has maybe a quarter of the stopping power per round... and a rather shallow mag too...
"Sir," Dorcan said - slightly irritably- "With respect I must remind you that I equipped for a stealth role. I have a sonic stunner, a crossbow and no firearms training. Given that those aren't going to do squat from a distance against armour, what would you have me do?"
Negative ghostrider, the pattern is full... I am afraid I will be declining your strategy for one of my own. This Banshee is really a very poor vehicle for combat, but it has two very important things going for it, speed and mass. It has an excellent top speed and it masses around 30 tons. I will be using this thing to run down as many of the Brotherhood hostiles, hopefully an elite too, as I can in one pass which will end in a hard brake and half turn. After which we... er, I... will deploy right on top of them. This will draw a lot of fire, but this thing's armor should be able to shrug off small arms, grenades and light rockets for long enough. Exo can still cut off the caravan first, but when I make the run and draw fire, a majority of everyone else should move in and catch them from behind. The rest should move up from my side and catch them in a crossfire. That transport of the Brotherhood can absorb small arms fire fairly well.
Morgan busied himself in preparation he released the AI from isolation and immediately issued an override, "Voice override command code 223/11764. Ranger integrate with CTC for tactical operation. Scan all active transmission traffic using encrypt pki <insert string of data> search for patterns matching recorded data, also scan for known Brotherhood virtual and logical channel identifiers. Access and play voice traffic. Maximum possible speed based on this course, reduce ground effect to lowest clearance."
Morgan retrieved the best rifle in the weapons locker, it chambered 7.62x51mm rounds, weak compared to his normal 15.2x207mm FSDS. The weapon had the advantage in weight, rate of fire and magazine capacity. If it were not so unwieldy, he would use two of them at once. To him, the recoil was negligible.
Scanning... link identified, status... disabled.
Morgan followed the schematics overlay that had taken over a small portion of his visual area and opened the access port on the side of the weapon. With a few adjustments and tiny electrical welds, thanks to electrokinesis, the smart-weapon link was brought online.
Link online. Connect? Y/N
Morgan immediately linked it wirelessly to his CTC and downloaded a firmware update for the weapon. The assault weapon was now an extension of his own self, as natural as his own arm.
Grinning like a boy who just received the super, most coolest toy in the universe, Morgan turned to Marcus and Langley, "alright lads, prepare yourselves as best as you can. I want you to provide supporting firepower from the ports."
Dorcan sank back into his seat and the laser rifle promptly dug into his back. He'd got so used to carrying it around - unused - that he'd forgotten he'd even been issued the thing.
"My bad," he said over the comms, "I am armed." He unstrapped the weapon and began a brief check.
Staying still was becoming more and more difficult by the moment. For one thing, Fetrethar was hungry, and there was no sign of their captors, or of any food outside of the remaining prisoners. Eating a Mongoose clan member would likely make him sick, and he had nothing to cook with.
By now, everyone had woken up, and joined one of the two gangs arranged on the sides of the compartment. Fetrethar had heard noises, voices from the other end of the wall, implying that there were other compartments than just this one. Fetrethar wondered if they had other groups of prisoners they were trying to keep separated, or if the compartment had their captors, or some other explanation. The walls were thin enough to permit some sound to go through, but not enough to make out the voices. He had made a few knocks on the wall, but had received no response.
Fetrethar wasn't sure if it was accident or design, but both clans had ten adult men and four children present. Nobody was really taking charge in his own group, but the Mongoose clan members were clustered around and seemed to be deferring to one fiftyish man with a paunch. They were talking in low voices, and getting close enough to hear would likely invite an attack. Neither faction seemed to want to risk a confrontation.
With little to do, Fetrethar checked his stinger, still ready, still envenomed, and tried to figure out where he was. That there was a grille in the "back" of the compartment letting in light seemed to imply that he was in the rear of whatever vehicle this was. It would probably have to be fairly wide to allow for another compartment beside this one. Perhaps there were even multiple lateral compartments, as there might be a similar construction on the Mongoose clan side of the box. It was hard to tell speed with no frame of reference, but they seemed to be moving fairly slowly. The grille was perhaps eight or nine feet high, too high to see through, and Fetrethar wasn't comfortable making either himself or another vulnerable by having someone stand on another's shoulders to get a look outside.
It was getting very hard not to pace around, simply for something to occupy himself with. There was simply too little information to make accurate assessments of the situation, and there was even less he could do about anything. There wasn't even an obvious entry or exit from the compartment, implying some sort of sliding wall arrangement, and he wasn't sure where the ventilation system was. He was reasonably sure though, that whenever they were to be transported out, they'd be gassed again, and although knowing the effort was futile, glanced around the bare metal floor and walls looking for something that could serve as a makeshift gas mask.
Darkshine started feeling his cold, calculating, combat senses taking over... he started turning more formal, dropping his usual casual and somewhat easygoing personality for cold professionalism... keeping his weapon down range he looked over his shoulder to Exo and said in a crisp, level voice asked "what are the rules of engagement, sir? Also, what would you have me do when we need to actually move and possibly leave the vehicle?"
He paused... knowing he had a little while before actually getting into combat and added "actually, uh, sir, can i ask what my part in the overall battleplan is going to be, as well as what everyone else is doing? i'd rather have too much information, and be overly cautious, than be misinformed and frag a friendly..."
Exo revs the engine a little more and glances at the van's map display, seeing the red icons of the convoy, the green van and friendly blues of other rebel vehicles. Just a little further...
"Take down anything that isn't ours. We hit them hard and fast - get them on the back foot and keep them there. Pick off anyone with a heavy weapon and high-ranking personnel like the elites. Now, hold onto your lunch and prepare to lay down some suppressing fire. Use the fire ports to stay in cover." The bot glances at the map again. "If you see anything that looks like a turret that's remote controlled, try and shoot out the camera. Ready?"
The four troopers acknowledge and there is a small chorus of assorted clicks and thumps as they make sure they're stable and their weapons are loaded. Then the van turns hard again as it reaches the end of the sidestreet a few meters ahead of the convoy, tires making another squeal of protest. The armoured van shoots out from behind a building and grinds to a halt in the middle of the crossing. With almost practiced efficiency, the four troopers open the firing ports and begin firing on the convoy whilst Exo grabs the plasma repeater from the passenger seat and proceeds to lay down suppressive fire out of the window as well, aiming at the convoy vehicle's cab.
Letting the other's burn through ammo at what was seeming like a prodigious rate, especially for the overall effect it was having. Darkshine snapped the sights of his weapon onto the upper chest of a zealot, and let loose a short burst, from the SMG. The zealot was still collapsing while darkshine was moving onto his next target. To Darkshine, this felt more like a shooting gallery than an actual combat situation... When he saw another target,he'd snap the sights onto them, press the trigger, then search for another victim. All the while, conserving what ammunition he had.
The soldiers around him didn't seem to have the same concern for ammo, and he wasn't sure if they were green, or just used to fighting in a totally different style than himself. Either way, he kept his fire in short, clean bursts.
As soon as the shooting started, the zealots and elites turned towards the vans and opened up on them. The convoy came to a halt and some zealots took cover behind it and started shooting from around the corners of the vehicle.
Flattening himself as best he could, Dorcan crept under the chassis of his van and remained still. From there, he watched, taking note of the Zealot positions. With a sad sigh, he lined his laser weapon against the edge of the vehicle, waited for his target's head to appear and squeezed the trigger.
As the Banshee approached the point of engagement, Morgan outwardly appeared to be daydreaming. This was not the case however. In a digital construct, the metallic fox stood facing a swirling mass of binary, I have your willing cooperation in this?
Affirmative, I will act as I have promised, you have full command authority at this time. The swirling mass appeared to bow, if such a thing was possible.
Right then, carry on. Morgan blinked once and signaled to Marcus and Langley to be ready.
The AI brought the vehicle in low and fast, on the side opposite from where the Rebellion vans had pulled in. Popping out of the hatch and hoping they were moving too fast for anyone to draw a good bead on him, Morgan primed a couple of grenades. He tossed them as the vehicle powered through its intended path, pretty nearly sideswiping the transport. Morgan tossed the fragmentation grenades amid the Brotherhood confusion.
When everyone's weapons started firing, Jexx was in a highly exited state. His markings were glowing, he was rocking back and forth, and he repeating something over and over under his breath with a smile on his face. By the time the van screeched to a halt, Jexx had already exited out the back van door, taking advantage of the momentary confusion to scramble straight for the Brotherhood transport after Mogan made his pass. Jexx covered himself by firing a few plasma balls at any Brotherhood footmen who tried to poke their heads around the corners of the vehicle they were trying to take cover behind.
As the banshee came screaming into the brotherhood formation Darkshine felt a twinge of hope that maybe he could do something more than be an extra gun. He shouted at exo over the chatter of the automatic weapons fire. "looks like my ride is here, any chance i can get some gear i'm a little more familiar with?!" He finished off the magazine in his SMG on full auto, unloading into a staggering zealot as if to punctuate the question. He reloaded another mag with the red band, cocked the action and got searching for another victim while waiting for the bot's reply.
The inside of the compartment was bedlam. The vehicle, whatever it was, had stopped, and shouting and explosions were clearly audible from the outside. The walls, once the impromptu bases of the two opposing clans, were quickly abandoned as the men scurried towards the center and what relative safety it offered. The temptation to bite and kill was strong in Fetrethar, but surprise would only work once, and the two largest members of the Mongoose clan weren't going to let Fetrethar within range.
The more rational side of his brain was wondering what exactly this vehicle was made out of, and if their attackers had any chance of breaching the "skin". It was certainly impervious bare hands, but that didn't count for much. The more pessimistic side of him was hoping that the attack would be victorious, and quickly, because if it seemed like they were losing, the assailants would probably gas and kill all the prisoners.
Morgan jumped out of the vehicle once it had come to a stop and unloaded a full clip from his borrowed rifle one handed. His other hand was busy readying the second clip. His fire, to the untrained, appeared reckless and wasteful. However, his aim was to pin down the Brotherhood aggressors long enough for the two others to take up cover positions, as the vehicle's ports were impractical and restrictive at close ranges.
Marcus and Langley exited and took up position using the Banshee as cover, within a moment, Morgan joined them. The two grunts had swept the area around the Banshee to insure those around them were indeed dead.
Morgan reloaded, brought his weapon out and began a more controlled assault. The other two Rebellion soldiers did the same with their SMGs.
A few zealots fell to their concentrated fire.
The four troopers in the back of the van paused to reload whilst Exo moves out of the cab, the 'bot hefting the plasma repeater and scanning for any zealots hiding in the blind spot under the firing ports. Any found are quickly disposed of, the cab door shutting again with a slam. Several more plasma blasts force a few more to duck back into what little cover they have, and the bot advances on the cab of the convoy vehicle, trying to determine how to best go about opening it.
Without anyone to answer his question, darkshine figured now is a better time than any to go get properly equipped. stuffing a few extra mags into the pockets of his pants, he checked the current mag, and with that, noted the distance to the banshee and what cover he could use to get to it.
He took all of 3 seconds to build up the confidence, then swinging the door open on the van, bolted towards the banshee. He held the SMG one handed, and watched for any signs of movement in the area around the brotherhood truck. When he got 15 or so feet from the banshee, he did a one knee slide, keeping himself as mobile, and small a target as possible. First announcing his presence to the rebel troops with a "hey, i'll be out in one second" While reaching the protected side hatch. He knocked twice, placed his hand on the scanner, then said in surprisingly normal voice "ranger, open this effing door right now" The hatch opened, and Darkshine proceeding carefully inside. walking to the rear area, he opened a locker, dropped his clothing and donned a suit of his armor. then, checking the weapons rack, he noticed the carbine he'd been planning to take was missing.
Darkshine grabbed the full rifle from the next locker, then a couple of spare magazines. He moved down, and holstered a pair of pistols in the boots. Finally, after a quick inspection of all his gear, he went back to the armor locker, and donned a new headset, mask, and IR monocle. He stuffed the SMG and mags into an open locker. Coming back out the hatch he came in, he waved to one of the soldiers and asked "whats the frequency, channel, and jumping code Exo is using for comms?"
About thirty years ago, not long after his rebirth, Dorcan's 'creator' had offered to upgrade him with combat programming, improved internal armour and enhanced reflexes. A sniper rifle and top-of-the-line sports bike had been part of the deal as well - the catch was that he would become Jakob's personal executioner.
Dorcan had been horrified at the suggestion and refused in no uncertain terms. Fortunately it had just been a test of his resolve and moral standards, and quite possibly the strangest form of psychometric testing the Doberman had ever encountered.
So it was with deep regret that Dorcan found himself crouched in concealment, shooting other people in the head with a sniper rifle, murmuring the prayer that his grandfather had taught him as the bodies fell.
This is different, he told himself, This isn't murder, it's war. But he wasn't wholly convinced.
One of the elites produced a strange looking box with a button on it. Placing it on the ground, he hit the button and an energy shield shot up from the box. Using it as cover, he returned fire and tossed a few frag grenades. One of the zealots came around to take cover with elite.
Jexx's plasma shots were keeping the zealots hiding behind the vehicle at bay, since they couldn't come around without being shot down. The other elite got the idea to come around the other end of the vehicle and opened up fire.
Morgan noticed the elite and swore openly, "bloody hell, not who I want to be waltzing with at close quarters."
Morgan did not reply to Darkshine, instead he pointed to the elite. Tapping Marcus and Langley he spoke quickly, "you two keep the Zealots pinned down."
While the two Rebel soldiers laid down suppressing fire, Morgan popped up and tossed another grenade at the elite. This left him with only one more.
Morgan risked pressing the attack and fired a full burst at the Elite.
Seeing the elite Morgan had pointed out, Darkshine took aim. With a practiced ease, he switched the rifle to 3 round burst, then fired into the elite's face. Then fired several more bursts into the chest and shoulder. Darkshine saw the elite shrug off everything, not even showing signs that the heavy impacts had hurt him. Switching the rifle to full auto, emptying the rest of the mag into the elite. Once empty, He pulled the mag from the rifle, opened the thigh plate on his left leg, and grabbed a new mag, replacing it with the empty. The new one had a blue band of tape around the middle. Darkshine thought armor piercing, that ought to help a bit taking this guy down.
Once ready, he ran at a diagonal to the way Morgan had moved, hoping to catch the elite on 2 sides, and forcing him to expose the weaker side armor
As Jexx was using his cannons to hold down the footmen while he dashed for the transport, one of them circled around to the other end and opened fire. Jexx immediately swung one cannon over to get that footman back behind the transport, but a little late. A few bullets ricocheted off Jexx's metal arm, but a few grazed him.
After another moment of plasma balls being slung both ways, Jexx was finally close enough to the transport that the angle put him out of the line of sight. He then jumped up as high as he could, morphing away his handcannons to get his hands back, and slammed up against the side of the Brotherhood transport. As he did, he plunged his tips of his metal fingers (which were pointed), into the armor of the transport, just barely getting a purchase in the metal. Quickly, he pulled one hand out and clawed higher, then repeated with the other.
He also felt something warm and wet trickling down his neck, but he ignored that for the moment. Had to.
In the about five seconds it would take for him to scale the transport and get over the top, Jexx would be relying virtually entirely on everyone else's supressing fire and activity to keep him safe and the footmen occupied.
The zealot behind the forcefield took the potshots at Jexx as he climbed the prison vehicle. Morgan's grenade landed behind the forcefield and exploded, sending the zealot one way, and the elite over the forcefield, into Darkshine's shots. All that were left were one elite, and a couple of zealots who were behind the prison vehicle.
Not 100% trusting that the elite he'd riddled was dead, darkshine slid over, and put one round clean through the skull, just above where the neck met the skull. Once satisfied, he moved to Morgans position to work out the next part of the assault, and maybe figure out a way to actually get inside. He approached with a smirk, hidden by his mask, and said "so, uh, what do you guys think we should do next?" all the while searching for anything that might be an entrance into the prisoner area.
Dorcan watched with faint nausea as the Elite took a bullet. He may have been evil, he thought, but he was still a person.
"Are we clear?" he asked over the comm. "And are you a hundred percent sure that guy's dead? He might not be wholly organic, remember."
If the few moments it took Jexx to climb the transport, another zealot managed to get a few shots off at him. Again, due to the angle, most ricocheted off of his metal legs, but he felt a sudden sting in his left upper leg just as he was getting to the top. He heaved himself over, and was finally in the clear. He took a very breif moment to take stock of his injuries. The hit on his neck was just a nick, but it still bled. His leg was worse off, actually having a small bleeding bullet-hole in it.
Jexx had been through much worse over his two years, but this required some attention. Quickly, he morphed back his handcannons, turned down and focused the power, and gave himself a burst of plasma on all the bleeding sites. He grunted in pain, but the wounds were now sealed, and that's all that mattered.
After only taking a few moments to do that, he brought his handcannons back up to full, crawled over to the side of the van where the last Brotherhood zealot footmen were hiding on, pointed his handcannons over, and rained fire from above.
Morgan pulled a piece of shrapnel from a frag grenade out of the armor covering his leg. The light, formed suit was strong against ballistics and had not been penetrated.
Morgan sighed to himself, tk did not stop the projectile, good thing for armor.
When asked what they were going to do next, Morgan shrugged, "go around. DK, cover me and follow. You two sweep the area for any stragglers and link up with Exo."
Morgan zipped out from cover and slid to a halt at the downed elite's body. Morgan grabbed the plasma repeater and checked the status.
Weapon status: online, 75% charge left. Link enabled. Connect? Y/N
Morgan accessed the smart-link and was whacked upside the processor with a generic Brotherhood embedded shell OS.
Morgan chuckled, stupid proprietary Brotherhood junk, it should work, but it will probably bluescreen on me at the drop of a hat.
The embedded programming was simple, handling the LCD display and weapon diagnostics, as well as the Smart-Link© interface. It did not contain any special code or secret data, nor any insight into the Brotherhood's technology.
The foxish being tossed Darkshine's borrowed carbine back over to him with a nod of thanks just as he broke into a low run coming to a stop up against the transport.
The Brotherhood seemed to be attempting to return fire at Jexx, so Morgan hoped they were a bit distracted. He took a deep breath and rounded the back of the transport, only to have the plasma repeater knocked from his hand by a slightly surprised elite. The weapon of the elite was pointed right at Morgan, up close and personal.
Without thinking, responding purely by instinct, Morgan grabbed the weapon and pushed, while ducking his head down, up with far more strength than the elite could have ever expected this little red haired male to have.
The plasma shots flew up into the air.
The elite was recovering quickly, but not before Morgan had executed a high reverse roundhouse kick. Though it did little damage to the elite, it threw him back and away from the cover of the transport and more importantly, away from Morgan.
Jexx, DK, some one light him up!!!! Morgan yelled into the comm. He panted hard as his heart pounded in his chest and his adrenaline peaked.
The remaining couple of Zealots trained fire in his direction and Morgan dove for his new plasma repeater.
Catching the carbine one handed, darkshine slung the weapon around his back. He then lined his sights up to keep Morgan covered with the rifle. He had fallen a few steps back while slinging the rifle, and while getting back into position, the heavy weapon Morgan had picked up seemed to fly from the redhead's hands. Darkshine had little time to react, he sidestepped away from the vehicle, and switched the rifle into full auto. When the elite appeared in his sights after the kick, he unloaded the magazine in several longer bursts of the armor piercing rounds. The slugs were aimed at the head and chest of the elite.
Jexx still handn't yet replaced his microcomm, but he heard Morgan's voice yell over the sound of battle. He stopped firing his handcannons down for a moment, and lifted himself up a little to see what Morgan was talking about. He saw an elite in the general direction or Morgan's voice, and dropped down again, putting his handcannons back over the top of the transport, and let loose a volly towards the elite as Darkshine was also pumping bullets at the man.
Exo clambers up on TOP of the convoy vehicle (much to the metal's complaint - it wasn't exactly designed for this), pounds over the roof and hefts it's own plasma repeater, the 'bot spraying plasma down on the zealots firing on Morgan as soon as it had a visual on them, using the height advantage to make sure Morgan was nowhere near the line of fire.
The elite took several shots before he was finally thrown onto his back. He didn't get back up.
The remaining zealots, realizing that their main firepower, the elites, had been disposed of, began panicking and firing wildly. They only managed to get off a small number of shots at Jexx, Exo, and Morgan before Jexx's and Exo's fire put them down.
Darkshine walked over to the convoy vehicle when the gunfire had ceased. He slung the rifle behind, and brought the carbine to the front as he prepared for the confined quarters of the convoy vehicle. he searched for any sign of a way in on his little walk, he used his nanite cache to access the smartlink scope on the carbine and checked the readout. 18 rounds left in the magazine, standard FMJs... when he approached the group, he looked straight at Exo and said in a slightly sarcastic tone "you know, i don't just wear this headset to look the part, it's also great for communicating... though it helps a lot if i actually know what settings i need to access the channel everyone else is on..." he paused, let out a slow breath then continued "so, whats the game plan from here, uh... sir?"
thinking to himself i wonder if they actually use the military formalities, or if i should stop using them, and address their commanders by name instead...
"Are we clear?" Dorcan asked over the comms. He didn't want to take any chances.
Morgan had dove for the plasma repeater, rolled and come to a halt while firing on the remaining zealots. With everyone's concentrated fire, the remaining Brotherhood forces were neutralized. Adrenalin still pumping, he stood and surveyed the area quickly with the repeater, "everything is clear on this side, someone check out that elite. Marcus, Langley report."
Langley was the first to respond, "Roger, all clear on this side. Over."
"Ditto, but I took a piece of shrapnel to my leg... hurts like heck, but it's not too bad... uh, over."
His CTC had a backlog of messages waiting for him, but he concentrated on tactical and combat data only. However, in his examination of the area he noticed and odd trail. With his eyes he followed it to the spot he had rolled to and sighed. He felt around the corresponding area as the ground impression and his hand came back wet with the acknowledgment.
Releasing the CTC's combat mode, Morgan received all the condition information and sensory input. He groaned slightly and bent over in his crouch. It took a few moments for him to get used to the pain as he pressed his hand to his side.
I have had worse... does not seem that way right now...
The data from the CTC was encouraging, lower left quadrant of the abdomen, missed all internal viscera and major blood vessels. He directed all available nanites to do what they could to mediate damages.
Slowly he stood and headed over towards the others, he kept his right hand pressed to his left side, "one of the zealots got lucky, I should be okay though..." Morgan commented as he leaned on the side of the vehicle, "it just hurts like hell."
"You're sure you're okay, sir?" Dorcan queried over the comms, as he climbed out from under the van. If he's not, if he's out for the count, who's he delegating to? Then again, Exo's in overall command...
"Either way, I guess we'd better find out what's in the box," he said. "What's the plan for opening it?"
After the final Zealot fell, Jexx checked himself over again. His two wounds were still cauterized, of course, but after his glow went out he figured he'd have a nice dose of pain to deal with. Oh well.
Now, though all the Brotherhood outside the van were dead, there might be one or two still inside this transport. Jexx had already thought of a way to deal with that; it was a big reason why he was on top of the transport in the first place. He held both his handcannons out to his sides, pointed down at the roof, and began firing. At this range, they acted almost like plasma cutters, but he deliberately kept from going all the way through yet. He began rotating on the spot, beginning to melt a circle into the roof. He completed a circle, and added a little more plasma around until he felt it start to sag. He moved off the circle, and then jumped onto it, keeping himself crouched a bit after the inital jump.
The circle immediately gave, falling out of the roof of the transport, but with Jexx on it. If there were any Brotherhood, and the sharted shooting at the hole the moment the circle began to fall, Jexx being on it and crouched down should both protect him and be unexpected. As he fell, his eyes were already darting around, looking for anything that resembled the Brotherhood's signature circuitry-inlaid robes. If his eyes did catch any, he would immediately return his own fire.
The soldiers on the ground were all very much dead. Even the two elites had taken enough damage to keep them from ever moving again.
The inside of the prison vehicle was empty, except for several cells which left for very little space to move between them. One cell contained a man who wears a torn rebellion uniform, who looks like he had been worked over a few times, and was unconscious. There were others who were in civilian uniforms, and appeared to be in similar condition to the rebellion man, but were awake, and on the edge of hysteria. They cried out to Jexx to free them, begging and pleading. It would seem to Jexx that Fetrethar was the least injured of the inmates.
The four troopers deploy out the back of the van and sweep for survivors, two of them staying with Darkshine whilst the others make doubly sure the Elites are down for good. They reform and exchange glances, obviously communicating on the squad's network rather than the entire group's local network. "Boss says you'll get a full brief once we get back to HQ, if you check out," the one who handed Darkshine the heavy SMG notes, "`til then we're... disinclined to go givin' out secure comm info, get what I'm sayin'?"
Exo 'adjusts' the hole in the roof with several unpleasant rending sounds and the creak of metal bending under stress, the auxiliary hydraulic system kicking into gear. After a few moments, satsified that there's enough room, the 'bot hops down after Jexx and surveys the cells, scanning the occupants, visual systems recording the prisoners as it sweeps it's view around.
[Someone get a medical team and some cellbreakers in here, we have several... ex-prisoners and they look like they took a beating en route, some are in worse shape than others. Find the actual door to this thing so we can get people out safely. Looks like one of them is ours, plus several civilians.]
The 'bot switches back to vocal. "You have been liberated by a Rebellion strike team. Please remain calm, medical personnel and locksmiths will be here to administer aid and free you within a few moments."
Darkshine slung his carbine, feeling slightly disappointed in their lack of trust... he thought i brought down at least one elite, i followed orders, i didn't take out any friendlies... and i kept morgan alive... well, whatever... if i don't have a radio, going CQC would most likely get someone killed his thoughts then drifted on getting back to the rebel base... not really sure what he'd be qualifying as when they arrived... He strolled back to Banshee and took a moment to put away the rifle and exchanged the half empty magazine in the carbine for a full one, if nothing else, he could play security detail, and give the rebels back their weapon...
While retrieving the SMG, he noticed a small wooden box at the bottom the locker, he opened it, and retrieved the large .357 magnum, semi-automatic pistol, along with 2 loaded magazines sitting inside. He found the holster and harness for the weapon on the shelves, and loaded everything up... When he walked back out, Darkshine had the carbine slung out front, the smg on his back, and the loaded weapons harness dangling from his left hand.
He took a few moments to try and find Dorcan...
when he found the doberman he walked over and said "hey, i think i found something you might be able to use" holding the pistol by the holstered barrel, and offering Dorcan the grip
"Thank you," Dorcan said, taking the gun. His voice sounded a bit brittle. As Darkshine watched, the Doberman opened the magnum up and extracted the rounds from it, slipping them into his pocket.
"I have killed at least three people today," he said. "From a puppy I was brought up to respect life." he stopped. "My grandfather did much worse. He took the souls of hundreds of mortals, maybe thousands before he saw the light, but... I guess what I'm trying to say is that I don't like what I've done. I know it's necessary, but..."
He stared into the distance for a few moments.
"I thank you for your gift," he said, snapping back to the present. "I just hope I never have to use it."
Darkshine nodded in understanding "i too hope for the same thing, but, i would prefer to see you come out of a situation where it is necessary alive... you've shown great kindness towards me, and i feel i owe you something in return... that pistol is more a gift a necessity than thanks. i saw a friend who isn't equipped properly, and i feel it was my responsibility to watch out for them..." he paused as he thought about what Dorcan had done. Darkshine then added, "you know, i'd keep the weapon loaded until we're sure there isn't brotherhood backup near by, just in case... when we get back to the rebel base, i'll get you the box and cleaning kit to do with what you like...also, i'd like to find a more suitable gift... but for now, i guess that will have to do" He leaned against the vehicle and waited for the others inside the vehicle to finish their sweep and start freeing prisoners.
Morgan shook his head to clear it, he had apparently zoned out. He pulled his hand off and stifled a bit of profanity, it was hemorrhaging rather vigorously and he was feeling a tad lightheaded.
He pushed off the vehicle and wandered over to Darkshine and Dorcan, "good day D and D." Morgan gave a brief laugh just after the initials, for some reason it seemed funny to him, "I just wanted to say, good job and uh, Dorcan... I think I am going to delegate to you to be second... oooh, dizzy... I think I might be a bit worse off than I thought. Either of you have a medkit? I left my emergency gear in the Banshee and I do not think I can make it there. I do not think it is bad enough for me to bleed out for at least a couple of hours, but a little bit of binding and bandaging might help."
Hey Exo, buddy... I am going to slack off for a bit... got a bit shot. I think Dorcan can second well for now. I vouch for DK as a good guy. Morgan said into the comms.
Although it was hard for Fetrethar to tell time in the cramped and near lightless confines of the vehicle, he judged that it was a few minutes after the first sounds of fire that an impact, something heavy, probably around man-sized landed on the vehicle, and the roof began to glow, a dull cherry color.
That seemed to trigger something, because there was a clicking sound, off to the right wall, and a pale green gas began to seep inside the vehicle. Whatever shred of restraint the clansmen had was shattered, and within an instant, blows were struck in the mingled group. Fetrethar's goal was clear. He wouldn't let some unseen foe rob him of this opportunity.
Darting through the melee, Fetrethar unerringly made his way to the bearded Mongoose clan elder. His memory, perhaps sharpened by the adrenaline, brought back a little tidbit that Mongoose men generally shaved, except for their leaders. Which meant........ He had to roll off to the left, avoid getting connected with a burly man's kick, who was promptly intercepted by one of his clanmates, and there it was, the opportunity, a clear path to the bearded man.
Fetrethar was always one of the smaller and weaker members in his clan, but he was quick, and good at moving suddenly, and it took him slightly over a second to close the gap. His foe, no novice to combat, managed to strike Fetrethar, one on the chest and a second time on the stomach, but Fetrethar simply accepted the blows and closed. He gripped the flab around the midsection, and bit the man on the shoulder, pressing the swelling in his gumline with his tongue.
The stinger went in, pricked the flesh of this Mongoose leader, and pumped a few milliliters of concentrated venom into the wound. Within a few seconds the arm was swollen and black, and it took only ten for the man to writhe around on the ground, foaming at the mouth. Fetrethar spotted a ring, made out of some brassy metal, on the fallen man's left hand, and quick as a ferret, he dropped to his knees and snatched up the prize, thrusting it into one of the pockets in his clothes.
He rose and turned, just in time to see a fist arc towards his face........ A blow struck him, and the world spun around the small man.
"Thanks for the concern," Dorcan said, sounding touched. "I guess I find it easier to talk to furred types... humans are vanishingly rare where I come from and I'm not used to seeing so many."
"Maybe you're right about the rounds," he said, and reached into his pocket. At that moment Morgan appeared and began to ramble drunkenly.
"Shit," Dorcan said, and reached for his belt. "Did you use some kind of painkiller there? Best you lie down, I think," he added, and began to unwrap the bandages. "Can we get a medic here?" he added over the comms.
Darkshine looked over the redhead with a little concern, and asked "you sure your alright?" then said to Dorcan "we're going to need some constant pressure on that... and we're going to need to keep the wound above the heart to slow the bleeding. if we need something like medical staples or some sealant foam, i've got both in the med kit in the banshee. they're not permanent solutions by a long shot, but they should work for a short term patch job until we get him to somewhere safe enough for real treatment... you want to get the med kit, or should i?"
"Would you believe that we didn't have any field medics on our last mission?" Dorcan said. "If this had happened back then, we'd really have been in the shit. Now that we actually have medical backup, I think most of them have gone off to treat the people in that box.
"It falls to us to keep him ticking over until they can take him off our hands, and I think we can probably manage that with the tools at hand." He cut a section of bandage off and gestured Darkshine to help him fit it.
Darkshine nodded to Dorcan and asked "wait, your telling me that you went on a mission without anyone who even knew basic combat medicine... isn't that like trying to go out for a night at the bar, but leaving your wallet at home?... " while chatting he kept pressure on the wound, and helped dorcan with the bandage. He tried to keep his voice casual, but his thoughts kept drifting back to keeping his 'patient' alive... "you know, we should probably find something to prop his head up, and rotate him on the side to keep that wound above the heart... assuming nothing in basic biology or physics has changed in last couple of years, that should slow the bleeding up to 20% in it's own right... " He chuckled at that last thought here i was not 6 hours ago a prisoner, and now i'm playing medic, trying to keep one of them alive... my... how the world has changed
Morgan thought it best to just let the two do there medical thing, his internal monitoring was issuing a constant stream of warnings, but there was something a bit disconcerting about watching your own blood pressure decreasing, "Ace! Reducing bleeding is high on my list mate... aaah... just do not press so hard ya bastard. Ooh, I feel like I am off my face and I have not even had one drink."
He closed his eyes and tried not to think about pain, but it was considerably futile, "if we can staunch off a majority of the gushing, then my nanites... can take... care of stabilizing things eventually, it will take time." Morgan narrowed his eyes a bit to focus on Dorcan, "did I hear you say you were uncomfortable around human types? Well, I would be as furred as you had someone not mucked about with my genetics. You are going to have to get over it mate..."
Morgan stopped talking and suddenly chuckled, which abruptly made him wince in pain, "you know, back home... my dad's home, there's a saying... 'grinning like a shot fox'. It means to be very happy or smugly satisfied... oooh, that's the last thing I'm right now..."
He continued to ramble on about other random things, interestingly though, he began using contractions.
"I know," Dorcan told the leopard. "I dunno what Morgan here thought, but I truly wondered what I'd gotten myself into. It was something I didn't even think to check before we set out because it was so bloody obvious!"
He masked his concern as the redhead's rambling started to become less coherent.
"It's not prejudice," the Doberman told him, "It's just... I feel a bit like I'm at a party where I only know one or two people, if you get what I mean."
"Anyway, that should keep you with us for now. Darkshine, stay with him. I'm going to get a medic."
So saying, he set off towards the 'box'. "Do we have a spare medic?" he asked again over the comms. "Morgan's worse off than we thought. I want one here, ASAP and by the gods I'm going to get one, even if I have to drag them away kicking and screaming."
Morgan wanted to protest that he was fine and belay any fears, but he was not exactly fine. The injury was not immediately life threatening, but it was serious. His nanites could cut his recovery time by half and normally they would have performed better damage control, but he was low on available raw resources. They had been thrown into too many things at once and he had gotten sloppy, he had skipped eating properly and he had not expected to be going into combat so directly.
He squinted to focus on Darkshine and shook his head to clear it, he was feeling rather light-headed, "you wouldn't happen to have a ration bar would you? I need to give something to my nanites to work with."
He tried to sit up, but the dizziness persuaded him not too move too much, "they sent a doctor with us on our first mission, Sally, but no field medics... I thought that was strange and I'm still not sure about the Rebellion at times, but the cause is good even if they need a bit better tactical planning. I really want to take a nap... where is that medic anyways?"