Brotherhood of the Machine (IC Thread) [PG/14] {02}

[Ryudo Lee]

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.

[Tapewolf]

"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?"

[techmaster-glitch]

   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."

[Tapewolf]

"Jexx," said Dorcan, "When you were attacking the robot, the markings on your body were glowing again.  What does that mean?"

[techmaster-glitch]

   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..."

[Tapewolf]

"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.

[techmaster-glitch]

   "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.

[Tapewolf]

"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."

[Prof B Hunnydew]

"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

[Ryudo Lee]

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.

[Tapewolf]

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."

[techmaster-glitch]

   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.

[Ryudo Lee]

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.

[Tapewolf]

"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."

[Ryudo Lee]

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.

[Tapewolf]

"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.

[Ryudo Lee]

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."

[Rammenstein]

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."

[Tapewolf]

"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."

[techmaster-glitch]

   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.

[Rammenstein]

Ram nodded, although he knew none of them could see it. "Roger that. Thanks for the heads up."

[lucas marcone]

"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.

[techmaster-glitch]

   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...

[Prof B Hunnydew]

"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

[techmaster-glitch]

   "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."

[lucas marcone]

"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'?

[Ryudo Lee]

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.

[Tapewolf]

"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.

[Ryudo Lee]

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.

[Tapewolf]

"Okay then," Dorcan said over the comms, "Let's do it.  Action stations, everyone... if this doesn't wake the Brotherhood up, nothing will."