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

[Arcalane]

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."

[Tapewolf]

"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.

[Prof B Hunnydew]

"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

[Tapewolf]

"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."

[Prof B Hunnydew]

"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

 

[Tapewolf]

"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?"

[Arcalane]

"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?)

[Prof B Hunnydew]

"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

[Tapewolf]

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."

[techmaster-glitch]

   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!"

[Dannysaysnoo]

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?"

[Prof B Hunnydew]

"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

[techmaster-glitch]

   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.

[Azlan]

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."

[Tapewolf]

"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..."

[Azlan]

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. "

[Arcalane]

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."

[Tapewolf]

"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?"

[Arcalane]

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."

[Tapewolf]

"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?"

[Arcalane]

"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..."

[Tapewolf]

"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.

[Arcalane]

((Exo, not Arc. ))

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?"

[Azlan]

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?"

[Tapewolf]

"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.

[Prof B Hunnydew]

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.

[Arcalane]

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.

[Azlan]

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."

[techmaster-glitch]

   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.

[Tapewolf]

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...