My best campaign ever....

189101113

Comments

  • Adenides
    Adenides
    Posts: 416
    Greetings,

    CONTINUATION...

    Almost a decade after it's inception...ASP was officially acknowledged as an active global terrorist organization and deemed a "clear & present danger" to global security after operating for years in relative obscurity.
    The Unreal Tournament was finally making ratings gains and started to surpass Autodeuling in viewership by 2045.
    The time of the "road warrior" had come to an end.
    The time of the gladiator had returned.

    Knowledge did his best to keep Duk's presence a secret but in the end, the more he tried, the more Duk tried to be seen.
    No one had seen North in over a year and the first thing he does is breeze into town with a asian kid (whom he claimed was of no consequence) saying DB is dead?
    Questions begged to be asked.

    Unlike Cathy...Erica liked Duk immediately and whenever at Calaveri Concepts, Erica insists Duk be her "Escort" at all times.
    Seven likes Duk as well and thinks he's truely exceptional. Never before has she witnessed photographic reflexes in an "organic" before.
    Alicia tolerates Duk and warns the "lil' wog" to stay out from under her feet and outta her stuff if he knows what's good for him.
    Elektra doesn't mind Duk at all but Elektra but nothing much EVER bothers her.
    Mouse loves Duk and enjoys playing with the "Grandmaster" whenever he's around. She says he's a joy to be around.
    Vivian however is suprised by North's attachment to Duk and remains suspicious of it.
    Cathy doesn't like Duk. He only reminds her of the family she and North never had in their life with the Swords. It is one of the first times Catherine and Vivian ever saw eye to eye on anything.

    Anyone who crosses paths with Duk...even momentarily can have their lives profoundly effected by the experience. North refers to him as "Lil' Amitabha".
    Tsugi and Hiro Lin-Keui are two such people affected by his arrival.
    Odd Kat is another.
    Every "formal meeting" with him is considered cause for a grand occasion.
    There are more security considerations for Lo Phat Duk than the Dalai Lama.

    It would take five years to complete but eventually a monastery was carved into the living face of Ayer's Rock for the survivors of the Tibetan ambush.
    Mee-Chan considered it's commission his best accomplishment in life.

    All was not rosy and pink however in the land downunder.
    ASP had a new player.
    Cobra had their "Baroness".
    ASP had "The Countessa".
    Psychotic royalty with a deathwish and the wealth to carry out her bidding.
    She'd become a public (clandestined) figurehead for their global efforts.

    The Countessa was the first ASP to be sent to Melbourne after the failure at Gateway.
    Representing Gmbh corperate concerns, The Countessa arrived under the guise of an EU/SHIELD global terrorist inititive specializing in ASP operations.
    The first thing The Countessa suggested was the forming of an ADP taskforce with the job of identifying and apprehending Stormfront.
    She was then nominated to be the chairperson of that taskforce codenamed: "Endless Oversight".
    An ASP operative at the head of an international initiative able to use EU/SHIELD's full economic & military might, looking for and finding ASP's mortal enemies was a coups d'etat for Black Asp.
    Gary Stevenson had finally arrived.
    He had his finger on the pulse of the world...where he stood poised to strangle it in its sleep.

    Stevenson saw the next big thing coming.
    He saw it coming and he knew the future wouldn't be found on Earth.
    He KNEW Mars was the next big step.
    He began to move all ASP concerns up to the various SDPC stations for transit to the primary terraforming initiative to completed before 2050.
    He would be present to ensure ASP would be built into the foundation of life on the distant red planet.
    All of ASP's wealth was diverted into finding and unlocking human pefection and the conquest of Mars.

    By 2142, Gary's dream would be a reality.

    TO BE CONTINUED...

    -Peace-
  • Adenides
    Adenides
    Posts: 416
    Greetings,

    CONTINUATION...

    The aftermath of Stormfront's latest caper were quite substantial.
    The surviving 16000 ASP Commandos in the Terminus eventually surrender a month later.
    The city being only a hair away from invasion by a foreign hostile power shakes Australia from it's slumber.
    Australia doesn't take it as "seriously" as the Federated Americas, upon realizing Corpus Christie failed.
    The land down under's take on matters was that they were now host to the most wanted powered armor vigillante group in the world.
    Number one at something else...again.
    Oz ate it up.

    As for Gateway Island?
    It was tragic. They were finding bodies washing ashore for monthes...it was terrible. You couldn't goto the beach anymore without finding a burnt bodypart.
    Took a while to straighten all that out.

    What's worse...Australia is now fully aware that ASP is real and is active after the Federated Americas claimed the contrary for over a decade.

    The Countessa Arrouet while in town with Gmbh, decides that she wants to visit Calaveri Concepts - Melbourne (quite by chance) personally to buy a car for her visit. Catherine, Kirstie, Erica, Vivan and Knowledge are present when she arrives on the premises.
    Dominique Arrouet sees North leaning on one of the 5000SS converti-cars with Kirtsie.

    Arrouet: "You like these cars?"
    North: "I have two myself...thinking of getting a third."
    Arrouet: "Really?"
    North: "I wouldn't fly anything less."
    Arrouet: "I am something of a piloting enthusiast myself...what can you tell me about it."
    North: "I can get the Mark VII here up to 480mph at sea level but she tops out at 80 knots under the waves. You'll not find a faster hybrid."
    Arrouet: "Weapon suite?"
    North: "Custom package...but I prefer vehicular superiority...packs a one ton payload of state of the art firepower."
    Arrouet: "Doesn't sound like a lot to me."
    North: "Lady, it flies and has more bang for your buck than a main battle tank...what MORE do you want for under a quarter million?"

    The Countessa holds out her hand for North to take, as if to say "walk with me".
    She knows that he is familiar to her but she doesn't know from where.

    Arrouet: "You seem familiar to me...have we met before?"
    North: "I don't think so...I'm pretty sure I would remember bumping into you."

    Having been used to life in the monastery, North fails to keep his wits about him and is easily flattered by The Countessa's attentions.
    Catherine doesn't like the "turn of good fortune" at all.
    Erica thinks it's a scream.

    Kistie mutters: "Like...EWW...sh1t falls off PERMANANTLY when you do it at YOUR age!"

    Dominique decides after buying a pair of white & black 5000SS converti-cars that she wishes to celebrate her purchases with a deuling themed party to show off her recent acquisitions.
    She personally invites everyone on staff at Calaveri Concepts that day.
    Knowledge, having such "romantic" notions of the deuling days can't resist the invitation.
    Kirstie manages to spill the beans that North had at one time been a gunner on the pro-AADA circuit.
    Knowledge can't divulge any details of his time with Team Darktread or risk making a connection between his new personae and his old identity but he can't help but blurt out a few unconnected encounters he had on the road.
    Kirstie is stoked at being included FOR ONCE in her life but her sister, Cathy declines for both of them.

    Erica: "Screw you...this is gonna be GOOD...one of those "once in a lifetime" things...I wouldn't miss THIS if you paid me."
    Kirstie: "You're friggin' kidding me!?"
    Cathy: "No, thank you."

    The Countessa bows to Catherine.

    Cathy: "Some of us have to work for a living."

    TO BE CONTINUED...

    -Peace-
  • Adenides
    Adenides
    Posts: 416 edited October 2013
    Greetings,

    CONTINUATION...

    Kirstie looks to "Aunt Vivian" but the stern eastern expression says "no joy" either.

    North: "I wouldn't miss it."
    Cathy: "I'll BET."
    Arrouet: "Excuse me?"
    Cathy: "I said "You bet" I'll be there."
    Kirstie resumes smiling until Cathy shakes her head in disapproval at her again.
    Cathy: "You're STILL not going."
    Kistie: "You're friggin' kidding me!?!"
    Arrouet: "Let her come...I want you all to come...I will send a car for you."

    Kirstie begins to smile again.

    Cathy: "Don't-EVEN-think-of-it."
    Kistie frowns again: "THIS SUCKS!!!"
    Arrouet: "I insist...you wouldn't want to insult me would you?"

    Cathy holds up her fist with intent to pop the Countessa after she has turned away when Erica, at the last moment, prevents her and masks the attempt from Arrouet...

    Cathy: "Wouldn't want to do that, would we?"

    (Kirstie lets out a half-squeal which is cut off as her sister turns to her once more.)

    Cathy: "Shower this time...A-REAL-ONE!!!"

    Her little sister is off on a cloud at the possibility of attending one of the biggest most exclusive parties of the year...Dominique Arrouet's Balle en Noir in the spires of the MB-1 high society. Royalty, Celebrities, Politicians, Corperate & Industry Leaders will all be in attendance.
    Rumor has it Arrouet even has a real screen-used Tumbler on display in her house as well as a half dozen other rare combat vehicles for her guests to fawn over.
    The Countessa is crowd sourcing a new Autodeuling project. She hopes to network at her soiree.
    It's her desire to show the fans of the flagging pastime a glimpse of it's hey days.
    By now it's painfully obvious the Countessa is desperate to attract Knowledge's attention.
    She seems to have him hook line and sinker.

    Kirstie: "She is like WAY outta YOUR class gramps...trust me on this!"
    North: "You all saying I'm not "good" enough for her?"
    Cathy, Kirstie, Erica and Vivian: "YES!"

    (Seven nods her head and smiles)

    Erica: "Something has to be seriously wrong for this Countessa to have a thing for YOU."
    Cathy: "I agree with the gorilla...AGAIN...s'kinda scary."

    North glares at Maim.

    Erica: "You're cute an all boss...but your not THAT cute. Now sweet Jimmy M...HE'S cute! But you? You're more like a grim reminder."
    North: "Okay, first of all...(looks to Erica)...f@#k you."
    Kirstie: "I may be young but even I knew THAT was coming...and second of all, just ew."
    Cathy: "You think this is just a joke?"
    Kirstie: "Maybe the Dragon Lady here just has a thing for ancient guys...what about that?"

    Both Cathy and Erica slap Kirstie off the back of the head at the same time.
    North glares at Kirstie.

    Kirstie: "What, you TOO?"
    North: "Ancient?"
    Kirstie: "Compared to ME you ARE!"
    North: "But I buy you gum."
    Kirstie: "And you're SUPPOSED to be fithly rich but you're always broke, WTF is up with that?"
    Erica: "Whatever you decide to wear, it'll have to be black."
    Cathy: "So, nothing changes for you then?"

    Erica deadfingers Cathy across the forehead with her middle finger. The mechanic winces in pain.

    Maim: "You feel that rocket scientist? That what happens when two particles come together. Keep it up an I'll show you what happens when the same two particles collide."

    Catherine says nothing to the remark as Kirstie taunts her: "You gonna TAKE that from her, sis? Some leader YOU turned out to be!"

    Maim stops and deadfingers Kirstie across the forehead.

    Erica: "Stupid IS hereditary."
    Kirstie rolls her eyes: "Old people SO are weird...promise me you AREN'T gonna embarass me tonight like you ALWAYS do."
    Cathy, Erica, North and Vivian: "No promises."

    TO BE CONTINUED...

    -Peace-
    Post edited by Adenides on
  • Adenides
    Adenides
    Posts: 416
    Greetings,

    CONTINUATION...

    Erica and Catherine pause in their arguement.

    Cathy: "Logan's Run theme?"
    North: "CAROUSEL IS A LIE!"

    (They all pause to look at him with varying degrees of disbelief)

    North: "You mean to tell me y'all never seen Logan's Run!? Seriously?"
    Kirstie: "I can't believe you used to kill people for a living. Why would anyone ever do that?"
    Erica: "I was GOOD at it!"
    Kirstie: "You don't kill people...you write parking tickets."
    Erica: "When I DO start killing people again...I'm gonna start with YOU ya little-"
    Cathy: "Language please!"

    The "Balle en Noir" was being held that year at the Pendleton Memorial Grav-Ball arena...to the confusion of most, the theme was indeed "Logan's Run".
    Everyone in Ozzie showbiz (of consequence) was in attendance...there were even still a few Hemsworths around at the time.
    (Even Harrison Mondelli & Aqua Sueve made an appearance.)
    Erica and Knowledge decided to go in leather. They hardly had to change a thing except to make sure what they wore was clean.
    Cathy and Kirstie showed up in custom liquid latex dresses that likely took most of a day to apply and highlight.
    Kirstie is so psyched she can hardly contain herself.
    Catherine is so busty her dress can hardly contain her. She knows North is a "cleave" man and intends to keep his attention this evening.
    When the door bell finally rings, the yougest Calaveri squeals, answers the door (barely tounching the ground as she does) and takes a picture of the driver...then herself and the driver...then herself and just the car...herself the car and her sister...this goes on for FIVE minutes.

    Erica: "And WE'RE gonna embarass HER?"

    The girls are brought in a luxury skycab but Mee-Chan is brought to the gala personally by the Countessa in one of her new 5000SS converti-cars.
    She tries to freak out North by switching seats with him in mid-flight (without telling him auto-pilot was engaged) so he can fly but North reacts calmly and assumes the controls with the rehearsed fluidity of a professional. She shows him her car has diplomatic tags and asks him to show her what a car like this can REALLY do.

    (It's been pointed out before but North is a MUCH better pilot than he is a driver!)

    North initiates a banking manuver out towards water and innitiates a gentle climb, until the accompanying skycab is just a speck.The then instructs her to buckle up. picking up more speed as he accelerates towards the coastline.
    The dive keeps the 5000SS above the cityscape below but the closer they came to the peaks of the skyscrapers, the more they blurred with the distortion of rapid acceleration. Knowledge passed 400mph as they were moving over the the last of the city and finally...by the time he had leveled out at sea level, they had topped 475mph. The Countessa was very much impressed with his handling of the craft and surmises he must be "ex-military".

    Her entrance is unique as she instructs North where to land the vehicle in her gallery as a display for the assembled guests. Despite the danger (and high speed approach) North makes it look so easy, as if he could have done it blindfolded.
    Arrouet poses for a few photo ops after emerging and is off to mingle the crowd with North on her arm.
    Dominique is impressed by the skill with which North stuck to the landing. It's a feat few professionals could have pulled off and she was taking a big chance.
    Cathy tries to reach the Countessa upon seeing North with her but is prevented entrance to the upper terrace by the Countessa's security.
    As North stands at her side, he is certain he notices four security members shadowing her at all times.
    While Knowledge surveys the affair, he begins to realize there's more security personel present than guests.
    He spots Erica being chatted up by a group of men and walks over to "rescue" her.

    North: "Keep an eye out for Cathy & her sister."
    Erica: "You're taking ALL the fun out of this."
    North: "That's my purpose in life...take all the fun out of your world."
    Erica: "Did you know you can be too happy at your job...the germans even have a word for it...wanna hear it?"
    North: "Wow...y'know what? Not interested...at all...not even a little bit...it's a burden, really."
    Erica: "I'm on it killjoy."

    Dominique discovers her "arm piece" is missing and goes looking for him.
    Finding him with Erica she recovers him before taking them both to see a preview of the rock ballet-opera to be performed that evening by Aqua Sueve.
    While Cathy is unable to reach Maim and North...Sueve does find her with her sister.
    Kirstie is speechless that her sister is on a first name basis with one of the biggest rockstars in the world.

    TO BE CONTINUED...

    -Peace-
  • Adenides
    Adenides
    Posts: 416 edited October 2013
    Greetings,

    CONTINUATION...

    Kirstie: "You guys weren't joking about LA...you REALLY MET HIM!?!"
    Aqua: "She's a pistol your sis! You're carrying one RIGHT now aren't ya?"

    Cathy shakes her head as if embarassed by the question.

    Aqua: "Let's 'ave a look?"
    Kirstie: "WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?! SHOW HIM!!!"
    Cathy: "You'll have to excuse my sister...she's a little overwhelmed."
    Aqua: "She's just like you."
    Kirstie: "JUST SHOW HIM THE D@MN GUN ALREADY!!!"
    Aqua: "In EVERY way."

    Catherine rolls her eyes and hikes the latex skirt slightly, revealing a consealed holster on her thigh.
    Sueve giggles in excitement.

    Sueve: "IS IT REAL!?! Can I touch it?"

    Kirstie can't believe that the super rich & famous (but completely androgynous) Aqua Sueve is hitting on her sister like a drunken transvestite. She's still can't believe it.
    Mondelli was also in rare form.
    Musical blockbusters were in a slump at the box office and he was desperate to make a leap back onto the big screen.
    North spent the evening avoiding him.

    Erica found herself being mistaken for security everywhere she went.
    Gunn finally hooked up with Catherine after Sueve took the girls up to the veranda for absinthe.
    Cathy was hesitant but Kistie was just trying her best not to freak out.

    Aqua: "You happy honey?"
    Maim: "No."
    Aqua: "Why not?"
    Maim: "I never shoulda worn heels..."
    Cathy: "Carousel is a lie, d@mnit."
    Aqua: "Our feet are almost the same size...what do you need?"

    Erica hugs Sueve.

    Cathy: "Don't I get a hug too?"
    Aqua: "Oh, honey...with those two big honking balloons of yours in latex like that...I'm afraid I'll pop ya."

    Knowledge is standing by a table and is about to snag a drink from a tray when one of the security detail bumps into him "deliberately"
    North excuses himself but the Televiper cautions North to be more careful next time.

    North: "Make me."
    Televiper Two: "What did you say to me?"
    North: "Ears that big and you STILL didn't hear me?"

    The Televiper (in disguise) wrinkles his face as if he didn't like what he had heard at all. He began to walk towards North.
    The Countessa began to realize what was happening but decided to let it keep going. She wanted to know what sort of man she was dealing with.

    The Televiper got right in North's face immediately.
    He ended his tirade by poking North in the forehead.
    The ASP stood at 6' 4", 240 lbs.
    North stood at 6' 190 lbs.

    North: "If we're going to make this interesting...why not double the fun?"

    The Countessa smiled and nodded, prompting a second guard to emerge behind North.
    Erica sighed as if resigned to a fight but Catherine stopped her as she moved to intervene.

    Cathy: "He can take care of himself."
    Erica: "Are we even talking about the SAME Knowledge North? He'd GOING to get creamed.""
    Cathy: "Trust me...he's just fine."
    Kirstie: "What's going on?"
    Cathy: "Your uncle is about to get his @$$ handed to him."
    Kirstie: "Didn't I ask NOT to be embarrassed by you people?"
    Aqua: "Aren't you going to help him?"
    Erica: "Nope."
    Aqua: "But he's going to get hurt?"
    Erica: "Not too badly I hope...he's the designated driver."

    Dominique walks between the men and removes a silk hankerchief.

    Arrouet: "I will sleep with the man who brings me this..."

    She then drops it in front of North and walks away with a coy smile.

    TO BE CONTINUED...

    -Peace-
    Post edited by Adenides on
  • Adenides
    Adenides
    Posts: 416 edited October 2013
    Greetings,

    CONTINUATION...

    Catherine begins to grit her teeth.

    Cathy: "I SO hate this b1tch right now..."
    Erica: "You've never seen your uncle get beaten up before have you?"

    Kirstie shakes her head.

    Erica: "Well, it's almost like a tradition for us so take a seat."
    Kirstie: "I don't think we're talking about the same uncle."

    Televiper One lunges with a strong kick at North's torso. From behind, the second Televiper attempts a sweep kick.
    Knowledge leaps to avoid both attacks but lands closer to the ASP who tried to kick him in the chest.
    North counters by landing a elbow strike to the man's adam's apple before before grabbing his arm and judo throwing him directly onto the second Televiper, sending both to the ground dazed.

    Erica: "Well, frak me dead..."

    Knowledge takes notice that Dominique has decided to up the ante and with a nod of her head, the remaining two specialists in her detail commit to the fight.
    Televiper Three enters the fight by attempting to ambush north with a flying jump kick to The Jumper's head but he ducks under the attack with ease.
    Televiper Four joins right as his comrade left off by tumbling into a spinning kick-sweep kick combo against North but Knowledge avoids the first kick but breaks the combo by stomping on his ankle during the leg sweep, breaking it in the process.
    Four rolls away in agony.
    Without hesitation, Televiper Three lunges in for a four-jab boxing combo against North but he expertly blocks all four strikes before initiating his own combo of three kicks.
    The Televiper blocks the first kick to the sternum but takes the kick to the face and skull which stun him and send him staggering backwards. Completing the combo, North leaps into the air at Televiper Three and lands a brutal nose punch which shatters the ASP's nose and sends him to the floor squirting blood.

    Televiper One and Two have risen but One is still woozy.
    Number Two decides to charge at North from behind but catches a boot from a back kick instead. Unwittingly, the boot catches the Televiper in the sausage.
    He has time to gasp before he hits the floor and vomits up his dinner all over himself.
    Only Televiper Number One is left standing now and the spectators have started to applaud the display.
    Dominique seems to be enjoying the spectacle.

    The Televiper pulls out a combat knife but the crowd reacts poorly to the gesture.
    The Countessa wags her finger at the ASP bodyguard who grimaces then throws the knife into a nearby tabletop.
    North charges at the Televiper and leaps into the air to execute a flying jump kick.
    The attack is perfect and it has the effect of knocking the target out cold in a single strike, sending him into a pond of black Koi.
    North looks around at the remaing security personal.
    None seem to want to take their chances with him.

    The applause starts from The Countessa first as North picks up the silk trinket.

    Kirstie: "That is sooo romantic."
    Cathy: "You are THIS close to going home, y'know that?"
    Erica: "Hell, even I'd f@#k him after that."

    Arrouet: "And what will you do with my virtue, monsieur?"
    North: "Sell it to the highest bidder of course."

    Erica: "When did he learn to do all THAT?"
    Kirstie: "He came back like that...its totally messed up...he does that "kata" stuff all day long, it's kinda creepy."
    Cathy: "Yeah...he's really different now...it's got something to do with that boy."
    Kirstie: "He's JUST a kid Cathy...give it a rest. As for Knowledge, you let that ship sail long ago...no sence regretting it now."

    Arrouet: "Where did you learn to fight like that?"
    North: "I don't remember."
    Arrouet: "Those four men...the absolute BEST that money can buy...and they weren't even in the same class. How did you do it?"
    North: "Do? I didn't "do" anything...they defeated themselves."

    Erica: "Wow...like fraking wow...I NEVER woulda seen that coming."
    Kirstie: "Whenever I asked him what he used to do for a living...he would tell me "he killed bad people". I always though he was just joking. You say you used to kill people for a living...him I believe."
    Aqua: "When did he learn to do dat? It's so asian...so primal...I can use dat in my next movie."
    Cathy: "Down Boy."
    Aqua: "Dat's what I CALL it! DOWN BOY! You're on FIRE tonight."

    TO BE CONTINUED...

    -Peace-
    Post edited by Adenides on
  • Adenides
    Adenides
    Posts: 416 edited October 2013
    Greetings,

    CONTINUATION...

    Knowledge walks up to the group, barely out of breath.

    North: "Sueve?"
    Aqua: "Love what you've done with the face."

    North shakes his head nervously at the mention of his past.

    Aqua: "You make it work...looks more rugged."
    North: "Haven't seen you since the FLA-500."
    Aqua: "Talk about a party to die for...too bad terrorists can start shooting up this place too, huh?" (Sueve smiles & waves as a Justin Beiber-type walks by) "It definitely could use it."
    North: "Not that anyone would notice."
    Aqua: "The first thing they do is they make you sell your soul...and after that...well, they GOT you. That's what I always loved about you guys man...you're like my own little D.B. Cooper."

    Kirstie can be seen filming her interaction with guests.

    Kirstie: "No one at school is going to believe this."

    North takes Kirstie's vidlink while Aqua pulls Calaveri into the frame to take a zaney "selfie".

    Aqua & North: "Don't you see...we don't have to die!? Carousel is a lie!!"

    Kirstie didn't realize it was a selfie moment and wasn't prepared (in her opinion) when the still was snapped.
    She begged for a "do-over" but Sueve and North had already disappeared in search of real grain alcohol.

    Aqua & North: "Carousel-is-a-lie!"

    As The Jumper was taken to the bar, he was walked past The Countessa who rolled her eyes at the flurry of activity surrounding her once she'd caught North's attention.
    Cathy ambushes Sueve and North at the bar.

    Cathy: "YOU are a hard man to find."
    Aqua: "Yes I am."
    Cathy: "Behave..."
    North: "I was right here getting the sh1te beat outta me."
    Cathy: "Hardly...you were trouncing the snot outta them...y'can hardly even call it a fair fight."
    North: "THERE WERE FOUR OF THEM!?!"
    Cathy: "Y'wanna ribbon for that...will that make ya feel special?"
    Kirstie: "Don't look at me...she's been like that since we got here."
    Cathy: "So now you have given m'lady back her chum rag...y'got the keys to the city now?"
    North: "Looking kinda likely."
    Kirstie: "First of all...ew. And second of all...EW!!!"
    North: "Why is everyone here against me getting some?"
    Erica: "What are y'talkin' about...I hope ya get laid."
    Kirstie: "Stop it now...seriously."
    Erica: "If at least SOMEBODY gets laid here it would be nice!"

    Kirstie's expression becomes one of horror.

    Cathy: "Nobody is getting laid here."
    Erica: "Actually I'm pretty sure North is."
    Cathy: "SHUT-up."

    The Countessa arrives and takes Knowledge by the arm.
    As she does...North becomes ever so slightly saddened by this gesture...seeing that Cathy is annoyed by this behavior.
    Kirstie decided to capture the ackward moment with a picture.
    Anyone looking at the photo would have thought by expressions alone, in the next frame...Cathy went all "World Star" on Dominique.
    That "deathlook" was captured on Calaveri X-mas cards for many years to come.

    (The best one is still "The Merry Warhol-Calaveri X-mas". To this day, no one claimed responsibility for it it or it's distribution throughout all Calaveri divisions in 2048 but the security breach spawns the tradition of "Troll the Boss Day" in all Calaveri Concepts branches.)

    TO BE CONTINUED...

    -Peace-
    Post edited by Adenides on
  • Adenides
    Adenides
    Posts: 416
    Greetings,

    CONTINUATION...

    The night draws to a close and seems to be a resounding success for The Countessa.
    The party however has taken on a life of it's own and continues unabated into the wee hours of the morning in international waters.
    Thankfully, there were very few injuries reported that evening.

    A few "prefered" guests were allowed to sleep over with the VIP's as others were shown towards the exits.
    Dominique went up in front of the cavalcade as they left the soire in droves, bidding each of them a goodnight.
    Knowledge as fate would have it was standing at her side.

    North wasn't the first to notice the targeting laser on Arrouet's chest but he was the first to react.
    He dove upon her as the shots rang out across the lobby.
    Had her hand-picked security detail not been hospitalized by North a little under 3 hours ago it might not have been so much of an issue at the time.
    Panic swept through the guests and a stampede occured at the exits.
    Dominique appeared as if she had been exhiliarated by the attempt on her life.
    Knowledge however appeared pale and found it difficult to move.
    As he was rolled off Arrouet by security, the crimson blossom on his shirt began to spread as the Countessa realized Mee-Chan had been shot.

    North: "I'm tellin' ya...it's ain't a party 'til someone gets shot."

    Cathy tried to reach North through the wall of security but failed.
    Even Erica was unable to break the line of security officers.
    Knowledge could see them but he couldn't make out what they were saying. He didn't realize he was in trouble until he discovered he couldn't move his legs.
    He'd felt this unpleasant sensation before.
    If he could only just remember what it was...it was related to or sounded like "mortally wounded"?
    His final thoughts before everything faded to white were:

    "Why is everyone looking at me like that?"

    He awoke in bed on an island yacht.
    Stirred to life under the shade of a palm tree.
    The attendant who had been watching over him left his side once he had awoken.
    They were replaced by another attractive female attendant with clothes and shoes, ready to dress him..

    He was cleaned, shaven and taken before The Countessa when he was ready.

    North was taken to a table with eleven other "finalists".
    There was room for thriteen at the table but the final seat had been left vacant.

    North: "Somebody just tell me we're not gonna have to fight each other."

    He recieves only stony silence in return.

    North: "Are you FRIGGIN' kidding me!? WORST-FIRST-DATE-EVER!!"

    Some of the other "champions" laugh at his outburst.

    The laughter slowly stops as Arrouet walks up to the head of the table. The rest quickly come to order and sit...except for North. He remains standing defiantly.

    North: "You lied to me."
    Arrouet: "I can set you free."
    North: "I should kill you."

    Every champion looks away from Mee-Chan with disapproval over his remark.

    Arrouet: "Are you sure that's wise?"

    The assassin closest to Knowledge puts his hand towards his belt to grab his knife. Before the weapon can clear the sheath, North delivers a ridged hand strike to his opponents wind pipe, instantly disabling him. The next closest pushes away his seat from the table as he goes to stand but before his keister can rise far from the chair, North has pinned the gladiators hand closest to him to the table with a "steak" knife, immobilizing him.

    North: "Anybody else?"

    TO BE CONTINUED...

    -Peace-
  • Adenides
    Adenides
    Posts: 416 edited November 2013
    Greetings,

    CONTINUATION...

    One of the mercs let his hand slide towards his holster. He only realized he was doing it once it had caught Knowledge's attention, as he wore that: "What are you DOING?" look on his face.
    The merc froze.

    North: "I said: Anybody ELSE?"

    The mercs hands went to his side in submission, half raised in surrender as the body of the first thug North struck (in the throat) finally stops gasping and falls to the ground lifeless.
    The other goon still has his hand pinned to the table and is pleading for someone (anyone) to pull it out.
    Dominique begins to clap slowly.

    Arrouet: "I love watching you work...it's captivating...I NEVER know what your going to do next. Are you ALWAYS like this?"

    She walks towards Knowledge, promting the remaining champions to become concerned for her safety but she reassures them with a wave of her hand.

    Arrouet: "He won't touch me...his code of honor wouldn't allow it."

    Phil: "F@#K...she KNOWS I'm with Stormfront!"
    Mike: "You don't KNOW that."
    Greg: "Why take a chance?"
    Mike: "Hush you...not your turn."
    Greg: "Why aren't you filling her full of lead? She's obviously BENT."
    Mike: "She's probably done SONETHING wrong...so, let's just kill her!?"
    Greg: "Exactly."
    GM: "Your childhood probably reads like a horror story..."
    Greg: "No...I mean if we aren't supposed to mess with her...why is he telling us about her at all?"
    Mike: "You're meta-gaming again dude."
    Greg: "You never answered my question: Why aren't you filling this Countessa full of holes?"
    Phil: "Dude, she's stupid hot..."
    (GM giggles)
    (Mike sighs)

    North: "Do I have you to thank for the bullet removal?"
    Arrouet: "I owed you...I thought I'd return the favor."
    North: "And I didn't get you anything...what is this place?"
    Arrouet: "Think of it as "after-AFTER hours."
    North: "Gmbh corperate territory floating in international waters?"
    Arrouet: "You worry too much...you're safe...no one can touch you here. I owed you my life...consider us even."
    North: "And the assassin?"
    Arrouet: "Escaped with some of my guests on a launch...rest assured, we'll find him."

    Knowledge stepped out to look out upon the forest that was built-up onto an artificial island/yacht. It had a tropical Eden-esque quality to it.
    Based on what he could see (alone) 12 families (a pair of adults and children) could easily be accomodated indefinitely...the only thing the flora on the yacht had in common, was that it was all edible and non-transgenic.

    Mee-Chan picked a Granny Smith and admired how perfect it looked before he bit into it.

    North: "Why am I really here? You could have dropped me off at a Gold Cross station...but you brought me here."
    Arrouet: "I have need of people like you...people I can depend upon are a rare breed...I want you to accept a position in my organization."

    Greg: "ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?!"
    Phil: "Take a seat "Krull-Boy"...I ask her to go on."

    Arrouet: "I will make sure you are well paid. How does $2.5 million petro-dollars a year (that's $15M USD after taxes) plus benefits sound to you?"
    North: "To do what?"
    Arrouet: "What you do best except I want you report only to me. I want you to obey my orders without question. If you can do that...I would give you the world."
    North: "What could I do that your organization couldn't?"
    Arrouet: "Often the dangers I must face are as much from within my organization as without."

    For a moment...he almost considered Dominique's offer. It was close but in the back of his mind, he could still hear Duk, encouraging him to make the right choice.

    North: "Can I take some time to think it over?"
    Arrouet: "Consider it a limited-time offer."
    North: "I have something I'd like to ask you?"
    Arrouet: "Anything."
    North: "I came here with a pistol and a knife?"

    The Countessa smiles.
    A servant approaches her from behind and whispers into Dominique's ear causing her to pause.

    Arrouet: "Your an expert pilot. You know how to handle yourself better than anyone I'll seen in a long time. You don't like to lose...and people don't frighten you. What will it take? Name your price...I'll match it."
    North: "What happened to letting me think it over?"
    Arrouet: "What is there to think about? You either WANT to do it or you don't...what is it you want? What do I have to do to make you say yes?"

    TO BE CONTINUED...

    -Peace-
    Post edited by Adenides on
  • Adenides
    Adenides
    Posts: 416
    Greetings,

    CONTINUATION...

    Greg: "ARE YOU F-"
    GM: "Enough Greg!"
    Mike: "I only say: don't think with the little head."
    Phil: "But dude...she looks like Christina Cox...I LOVE her!"
    Greg: "ARE YOU FU-"
    GM: "GREG!!"
    Phil: "I WANNA do it but I'm not gonna do it!"
    GM: "Your call."
    Phil: "Let's string her along."
    GM: "So, you want a Buddhist to lie?"
    Greg: "HA-HAH!!!"
    Phil: "@#$&!!!"

    North: "Make me believe."

    The Countessa smiles.

    The rest were not reclining in the lap of tropical luxury as Mee-Chan was.
    Storm Island was on 24 hour lockdown.
    The team was treating the disappearance like a kidnapping case and proceeded accordingly.
    Try as they might, no one had received any news of Mee-chan's whereabouts.
    This was when Yu-Lung from the Poseidon A.R.F. decided to make a contribution.

    He sent Mouse a hi-rez image of North being loaded onto a Gmbh military aerodyne.
    The image came equipped with an illegal transponder code and a suspected flight path that lead it straight into the middle of the ocean.
    Mouse was even able to establish a temporary link to the EU/SHIELD Combat Net and acertain what, if anything, lay along that flight path.
    There was only one hit...a Gmbh diplomatic courier by the name of "Grendelheim"...moored roughly 500 nautical miles off the Australian coast.
    International waters meant only one thing in Oceania.
    To operate safely you MUST have the blessing of TRIADE.

    Vivian & Seven reluctantly arranged for Catherine & Erica to meet with Odd Kat.
    They arrived at the Tower by skycab a little after 1PM.
    The feat proved easier than one would have thought.
    After all the years of hearing about Stormfront, Kat was truely honored to be recieving an audience with them.
    Odd had seen all the available press on the group but Catherine and Erica were not what he had been expecting.
    As always, by Kat's side stood Yorobazu Hime and a quartet of BU-55C's keeping a watchful eye over their lord.

    Hime stepped forward and humbly bowed: "Konnichiwa, Calaveri-San."

    Before Cathy could reply, Erica stepped towards Yorobazu and took a close look at the scar on the side of his face, ignoring his sentiment.

    Erica: "Before we continue...I for one would love to hear where you got that doozy of a scar from. Looks like it musta sucked."
    Hime: "Another time perhaps."
    Erica got right in his face: "No...I want to hear it NOW."

    Cathy takes notice pf a rather familiar Bowie and Tomahawk on Odd's trophy wall.
    Both Yorobazu & Erica watch the mechanic approach the wall of weapons.

    After a brief explaination to Odd, Hime replies: "My lord says you may ask anything you wish."
    Erica: "The question stands."
    Hime: "The man you are here to see my lord about took THAT axe...and stuck it in my face."
    Erica: "Good...then you have some idea of what I'm gonna do to you next if you misbehave-"
    Cathy: "What my friend is TRYING to say is thank you VERY much for your time and we are honored to be recieved."

    The mechanic slaps the biker.

    Erica: "Let's cut the bu77sh1t, shall we? Knowledge is missing and Vivian thinks you know something about it."

    TO BE CONTINUED...

    -Peace-
  • Adenides
    Adenides
    Posts: 416 edited November 2013
    Greetings,

    CONTINUATION...

    Odd Kat begins to laugh out loud uncontrollably. He motions for Yorobazu to desist and tries to catch his breath, nearly in tears.

    Odd: "It is a great honor to finally meet you...how can I be of service?"
    Erica: "We want North back and you know where he is."
    Odd: "What has he told you of our "arrangement?"
    Cathy: "What arrangement? What are you talking about?"
    Odd: "You think Stormfront just moved here and decided to set up shop all by yourself? Oh, this is SO ackward...he didn't tell you."
    Erica: "You saying we were "vouched for"?"
    Odd: "In a manner of speaking...yes."
    Cathy: "Why are you telling me this? Knowledge is missing and you know something you're not telling me."

    Odd Kat begins to laugh at the mechanic.

    Odd: "Allow me to enlighten you...in order to remain in Melbourne, nine of you needed to start over...nine lives. Annually, for the last five years, TRIADE and Lin-Keui have sent him a single name...a single life we demand as tribute against the nine whose lives we spared. He is fulfilling that debt. He owes us four more."
    Erica: "I don't believe you!"
    Odd: "Why would I lie to you? What have I to gain?"
    Cathy: "You're saying he's not missing...he's on mission?"
    Odd: "I am saying you are mistaken about his situation. He insisted you never be told or become involved...so quite frankly it's a unique pleasure to entertain you. Which one were you?"

    Vivian clears her throat.
    Cathy & Erica both sigh in resignation.

    Erica nods: "Tempest."
    Cathy raises her hand: "Torrent."

    Odd smiles and bows humbly before them.

    Odd: "Great admirer of your work."
    Cathy: "You say he's owes you a life and that he's on mission for you...but who is his target?"
    Odd: "It's against the code for me to say but rest assured, Smoke NEVER fails."
    Erica: "Who?"

    The Countessa and the families of her 12 closest entourage members gathered for dinner in the underwater hall. Their meal would come with an unobstructed 360 degree view of the ocean.
    North was to be attended by the servants but he declined the courtesy, prefering to dress himself.
    Arriving at dinner fashionably late, he expected to see a group of gluttons stuffing themselves but instead came upon a holographic presentation underway.
    One of Dominique's chief sycophants proposed a project in which Gmbh would go into contract talks with The Liandri Mining Consortium to stream The Unreal Tournament 24/7 from Mars & the Colonies.
    With the show on hiatus, to seal his deal, Van Gelder brought with him (as guests) a few of this seasons current high scorers.

    -Brock (Token Representation: Retconned to Jason Statham)
    -Lauren (Token Representation: Retconned to Gina Carano)
    -Malcolm (Token Representation: Retconned to Micheal Jai White)
    -Siren (Token Representation: Retconned to Trish Stratus)
    -Gorge (Token Representation: Retconned to Stone Cold Steve Austin)

    North had his weapons returned to him earlier but had refrained from bringing them to the dinner table.
    He entered the room as the weapons presentation was beginning.
    Siren had been demonstrating the reflex scope on the M-577 caseless 10mmCLR assault rifle with underbarrel 20mmEM mini-grenade launcher...typical starting weapon in the Tournament.
    North stepped through the holographic background behind her presentation.
    Siren had no idea who he was but asked him if he cared to help her for a moment.
    Knowledge shrugged and walked towards her cautiously.

    Siren: "I don't bite...toss me that burner over there."

    She motioned to a Flak Cannister Cannon that had been lying on a weapon crate beside him.

    Siren: "Yeah, that's the one."

    He brought it to her, prompting Siren to hand him the M-577. He took note that while the M-577 was fully loaded...the Flak Cannon was not.

    TO BE CONTINUED...

    -Peace-
    Post edited by Adenides on
  • Adenides
    Adenides
    Posts: 416
    Greetings,

    CONTINUATION...

    Siren: "What do you think? Light isn't it?"
    North: "What do I think?"

    He steps past the table arrangements and stood before the open dining area framed perfectly with south pacific sea sunset sky. He then points the rifle skyward and begins to fire 3-round bursts until he completely exhausts the sixty round casette and finishing off with a six-shell metalstorm explosive burst into the ocean.
    Knowledge then walks back to Siren and hands her the M-577 back.

    North: "Pulls to the right...I prefer Matsucorp myself."

    He then turns to sit down but then discovers Brock is blocking his path.
    North tries to step out of the way but Brock remains in his path regardless of the path he chooses.
    Both North and Brock begin to laugh at almost the same time.
    North shrugs as he struggles to catch his breath.
    Brock shakes his head and lines up on North anyways but The Jumper is ready for him and instead, Brock steps into a devastating head butt, missing his punch altogether.
    It breaks Brock's nose and sends the arena leader to the floor.

    North smiles: "He slipped."
    The Countessa began to smile: "My friend here has been rude and he wishes to make amends...so I will give $100K USD to the one who teaches him some humility."
    North stops smiling.

    Phil: "That's cold."

    Lauren helps Brock to sit as he tries to stop the bleeding.
    Gorge on the otherhand, stands from his seat:

    "I dunno about anyone else but I for one could use that money...'bout you?"

    Malcolm watched the look in Mee-Chan's eye as he sized up the Juggernaut...

    Malcolm: "Think I'll sit this one out...that money is all yours today."

    Siren was curious to see just how badly this newcomer would die but wasn't going to interfere.
    Gorge charged at Knowledge but The Jumper deftly avoided the bull rush.
    North counters by launching into a spinning back kick which connects to the back of his opponent's head as he goes past.
    Gorge swings wide in his rage but hits air, only to have North land four-punch combo to the arena champion's face in one second. Gorges natural toughness prevent grevious injury but the attack staggers the giant.
    The Juggernaut tries to kick Mee-Chan but the Jumper captures his leg and throws him to the ground by it while he's still off balance. There is even a brief moment when North lifts Gorge off the ground for a moment before throwing him back down, head first.
    The impact doesn't knock him out but dazes Gorge who is unable to do anything except writhe in pain.
    To make sure Gorge stays down, North stomp kicks the man's sausage while he down.
    The unecessary attack removes Gorge from the fray instantly.
    Being a poor sport, North grabs the Juggernauts head and knee strikes him in the jaw as a coups-de-gras.

    Siren is blown away by the display. She immediately notices the Shaolin influence in his technique.
    Brock is shocked Gorge was defeated so easily but isn't likely to start anything new until his nose stops bleeding.
    Lauren slowly claps her hands at the display.
    Malcolm is the only one who looks as if he had expected the outcome. He silently raises his glass to North.
    Dominique is speechless and joins Lauren in clapping. This prompts the rest of the room to follow suit.
    North relieved the unconcious Gorge of his Liandri Enforcer MK II 10mmCLP sidearm and chambered a round.

    North: "Now, THIS is a nice gun. S'mine now."

    The Countessa hands him a distilled soda water with lime wedge.
    Knowledge has a big sip then throws the rest in Gorge's face.
    The Juggernaut slowly rouses to a selmblance of life. The first thing he does is reach for his sidearm.
    Mee-Chan stands over him with the weapon pointed at his head.

    North: "Be nice...I can make you swim home big guy."

    Gorge uncharacteristically complied begrudgingly...I don't think he liked the idea of swimming home from international waters personally.
    The Countessa watched North "ease" into his new position.
    She was convinced it would only take a bit more incentive to bring Mee-Chan around.

    The presentation was unpredictable but sold the point effectively, despite the casualties. The gladiator death sport was back...and it was called Unreal Tournament...and every family sought to invest in establishing a network dedicated to establishing this primarily Martian death sport worldwide.
    Dominique began to think of Mee-Chan as her good luck charm...whenever he was around, things seemed to go right. She even let him keep Gorge's heavy pistol.

    TO BE CONTINUED...

    -Peace-
  • Adenides
    Adenides
    Posts: 416 edited November 2013
    Greetings,

    CONTINUATION...

    Eventually came the question North dreaded hearing...

    Van-Gelder Senior: "Where did you learn to fight like that? Your style looks asian but you aren't asi-"
    North: "I grew up in...Tibet."

    GM: "Really? Tibet? That's the best you could come up with?"
    Phil: "I panicked! Lemme rechoose!"
    GM: "No chance...too late."
    (Greg laughs maniacally and creeps out everyone in the room)

    Komy Tso: "Really, I too grew up in Tibet..."

    Phil: "SH1T, SH1T, SH1T!!!"
    Greg: "HAHAHA-HAHHH!!"
    Mike: "That's gotta suck..."
    GM: "What now Romeo?"
    Phil: "Can I speak Tibetan?"
    GM: "Yes?"

    North bows: "Tashi Delek."
    Komy Tso: "Near Cheng-Du?"
    North: "Not far from the border...at the Lonely Mountain, I attended a monastery there once."
    This suprises and amuses The Countessa: "You? A monk?"
    North bows: "Amitabha."
    Arrouet: "I will double my previous offer...no, $50K petro-dollars...to the one who can take my friend out.

    North stopped smiling.
    Brock and Lauren both traded looks with each other.
    Siren couldn't believe what she was hearing.

    Gorge shook his head: "Nahhh, I'm sittin' this one out."

    Malcolm finally rose from his seat. Everyone began to cautiously move away from the area.

    Mal: "For that kinda money, I'd hand in my own mother...s'nothin' personal you understand."
    North: "Of course...s'just business."
    Mal: "That said, I have to hurt you now..."
    North: "You'll try."
    Brock: "Kick his @$$ Malcolm!"

    Lauren slowly doubles takes Brock.

    Brock: "What?"
    Lauren: "Are you STILL bleeding?"
    Brock: "IT'S A BAD CUT WOMAN, LOOK...YOU CAN SEE INTO MY F@#KING SKULL!!"

    Malcolm walked up to Knowledge and dropped his weapon belt as he held Gorge's pistol on the best player in the sport.

    Greg: "!!!"
    GM: "Shush!"
    Phil: "What?"
    GM: "Nothing...you were saying?"
    Phil: "I'm THINKING!"

    North: "Forgive me."

    Knowledge opened fire and shot nine holes clean through Malcolm's torso in less than 3 seconds...killing him instantly. All that and he still had 32 rounds left in the clip. All in attendance were in shock.

    GM: "W-T-F was THAT?"
    Phil: "It's a little something I picked up called: know your limitations."
    Greg: "I didn't think ya had it in you."
    Mike: "Guess what happens in Grendelheim STAYS in Grendelheim."
    GM: "Dude, that was VERY out of character for a Buddhist!"

    The Countessa was ecstatic...she knew she finally had North. She was the only person in attendance to applaud the display.
    Instead of being cut down by Televipers, Malcolm's body was carted away and thrown off the back of the boat.
    The rest took a breather as the tables were reset for dinner.

    TO BE CONTINUED...

    -Peace-
    Post edited by Adenides on
  • Adenides
    Adenides
    Posts: 416
    Greetings,

    CONTINUATION...

    Arrouet: "You need a name."
    North: "I already have a name."
    Arrouet: "You need a NEW one."
    North: "What would you suggest?"
    Arrouet: "Diamondback...what d'you think?"

    Knowledge strains to see Malcolm pitched overboard and feels remourse at what he's done.

    Phil: "F@#k THAT...I'm "DIAMONDBACK" now!"
    GM: "Dude?"
    Phil: "Seriously?"

    North: "Looks like it's time for a mid-season replacement..."

    GM: "Uuuughh."
    Phil: "Point?"
    GM: "I STILL can't get over that a Buddhist shot an unarmed man nine times."
    Phil: "So, point?"
    Mike: "He's saying you're supposed to revere life...not pump it full of holes."
    Phil: "F@#k THAT noise! I'm DIAMONDBACK now! You b1tches BETTER recognize!!"

    Arrouet: "One things for sure...this new deal is not going to make ANY money if YOU keep "killing the help"..."

    Knowledge bows to The Countessa. This turns her on...knowing she has him by the short and curlies. Waiting to spring her trap...leaving him agonizing over what comes next.

    Arrouet: "Would YOU ever consider appearing on The Tournament?"
    North replied: "You have but to ask me."

    The Countessa looks at the balance of her death sport gladiators, still watching Malcolm's remains get hosed off the deck of the island yacht.

    Arrouet: "Would YOU fight him?"
    Lauren: "In Tournament...with clones? Definitely. Right here and now? Now so optimistic about that. Still got the championships to think about, especially now that I've suddenly moved up in the rankings."
    Siren: "In Tournament? For SURE...right now? I dunno, he looks kinda cute if ya ask me...I don't think I want to shoot at him."
    Komy Tso: "You don't even want to stand up for the pride of your tradition?"
    Gorge: "You'd never figure a "little guy" could hit so hard. I'm SERIOUS...those hands of his are like rocks."

    The last of Malcolm is mopped off the deck and the gladiators all look disinterested at it's conclusion.

    Gorge: "Lauren is right...the rankings have opened up a bit now."
    Brock: "It was a cowardly thing to do."

    GM: "It WAS a cowardly thing to do."
    Phil: "Moment of weakness..."
    Greg: "BWAH-HAHAH-HAHHHH!!!"
    Mike: "Pretty weenie...you could have kicked his @$$ anyway."
    Phil: "I wanted to go "Indiana Jones"..."
    GM: "You failed."

    Kanji: "Are you as ruthless as you seem...or as ruthless as you need to be?"
    North: "Excuse me? Have we met?"
    Arrouet: "He is the "Compte D'Erlet" of Poseidon...a GOOD friend of mine...we have known each other since I was small."
    North: "Must be good to have friends."
    Van-Geldar Senior: "What do you have if you don't have friends?"
    North: "Alibi's."

    The group nods in approval at Knowledge's comment.
    The Countessa likes that North seems to "fit in" seamlessly.

    The part Knowledge was dreading was coming up.
    In his arm, under the skin, was a micro-sized beacon that Front can use to triangulate his position.
    To activate it, he has to retrieve it from beneath the skin and "extend" the implant, activating the emergency homing beacon.
    Digging it out is painful and delicate work as the slightest miscalculation results in the breaking of the transmitter...then it STILL has to come out!
    He'd have to find relative privacy to dig it out...he knew he'd be closely watched.

    TO BE CONTINUED...

    -Peace-
  • Adenides
    Adenides
    Posts: 416
    Greetings,

    CONTINUATION...

    As he paced the aft deck of the yacht (closest to the pool) holding his incision while staring across the ocean, he couldn't help but wonder if his message had gotten through.

    Cathy spent the following day catching up on Calaveri Concepts work as Kirstie was run ragged getting latte's for her sister.
    Erica however ran a VERY tight ship at Concepts in light of recent events...especially around the Skunkworks...Gunn was ready for a war.

    Kirstie: "I know I say "HE'S a killer" all the time...but...d'you think he's alright?"
    Erica: "Don't be ridiculous...don't you worry about him. He knows how to take care of himself, you'll see. He'll turn up somewhere."
    Cathy: "Of course HE'S alright...it's the REST of us I'm not so sure about. This Countessa b1tch is bad news, I can FEEL it."
    Erica: "I'm with ya on this...bad mojo indeed...but we can't involve Stormfront."
    Cathy: "The "Charter" said nothing about dusting our old Hard Suits off either and doing what needs to be done."

    This caught Maim's attention.

    Erica: "This sounds like something we're NOT supposed to be doing...count me IN!"
    Cathy: "We're no longer in Stormfront so we aren't bound by a charter this time...We can do whatever we want."
    Erica: "I'm listening."
    Cathy: "I have sole access to the old Hard Suits and Motoslaves."
    Vivian: "We're talking the middle of the ocean here...any miscalculation at all and we DIE somewhere out there."
    Cathy: "We?"
    Vivian: "You're not leaving me behind. Since moving out here, I've been toying with a feul convertion process for the Skycarrier...N-Type for "Nautical"...she has the range to get us out there."
    Kirstie: "What are you planning to do?"
    Erica: "Do a little recon..."

    Knowledge felt terrible for what he had done to Malcolm.

    Phil: "Really?"
    GM: "Yes...REALLY."

    He'd lost sight of his goal.
    Let himself become swept up in the moment and now someone had paid for it with their life.
    He was beside himself with grief...in retrospect, this single callous act probably saved him from crossing over and joining The Countessa...it reminded him to complete his mission for the Lin-Keui.
    The Jumper passed off his disappearance as "polynesian cuisine doesn't agree with his constitution".

    Investors all took turns shooting off the various Tournament firepower assembled for their pleasure.
    Knowledge tried his best not to flirt with Siren all night but the two of them DID seem to hit it off rather well.
    The Countessa took notice and asked him if he would like to have her sent to his room, while she watched.
    Mee-Chan graciuously turned down the offer...although he kicked himself for it later.

    Unable to sleep, in the dead of night, North prowled the forest floor of the island yacht and paused by the pool to dip his feet.
    He had come THIS close to crossing over.
    Knowledge KNEW what he HAD to do.

    Phil: "It's time to break sh1t now right?"
    GM: "Yes sir."

    A strangely familiar Alfa-class submarine surfaces just aft of the Gmbh island yacht.
    From the Alfa, quickly and quietly deploy a series of inflatable boats, four in total which all begin to beeline for the island yacht.
    Each boat holds 6 Tsurimatsuo Acolytes for a total of 24...each, a master in the art of silent dispatch, poised to kill anything that moves.
    With North's help, the strike team is able to board the yacht with little difficulty.
    Ermac and two of the Acolyte's carry a cargo pod which is brought to North.
    Within it, lie Smoke's armor and weapons.

    Ermac: "Your orders?"
    Smoke: "No survivors."

    North dons the Smoke suit and activates the armors systems.
    The Acolytes silently fan out across the island yacht and put under the knife, anything that breathes. Whether man, woman or child...nothing lives in the wake of a Tsurimatsuo shadow after it has fallen upon a victem.

    A pair of Acolytes overhear a comotion coming from one of the rooms.
    They enter to find one of the gladiators has remained from the night's festivities.
    Siren has stayed thinking she would "boost her chances" in the rankings and upon seeing a fresh pair of assassins enter her cabin, wishes she hadn't.
    One Acolyte draws a wakizashi while the second one prepares a Kusarigama as they slowly position themselves to make the kill.

    Siren: "This is the LAST time I do a private party!"

    TO BE CONTINUED...

    -Peace-
  • Adenides
    Adenides
    Posts: 416
    Greetings,

    CONTINUATION...

    The arena gladiator shoulder rolls over one of her fallen opponents and takes his Katana as she springs to her feet, narrowly avoiding a kusari blade as she vaulted from the deck.
    The sword wielding Tsurimatsuo charged but found his death strike denied as Siren managed a desperate parry in the nick of time. The blow so savage, it cut into the edge of her Katana, nearly locking the blades together.
    The Acolyte seeing an opportunity to disarm his foe, simply applies leverage to the "locked" blades and shatters Siren's sword with a flick of his wrist.
    Using the sharp stub still attached to the hilt, Siren stabs the remains into the ninja's foot...pinning it to the deck.
    The Tsurimatsuo howled in agony when the gladiator grabbed the stunned ninja by his collar and delivered a powerful head butt which shattered his facemask and sent him to the floor. Siren cuts her head in the process.
    She barely avoid another kusari swing delivered as a combo attack. One swing (delayed by the attacker acrobatically wrapping the chain around his own neck before striking) aimed at Siren's throat, another for her ankles and a third at waist level.
    She ducked the first, leapt over the second and away to allow her the distance to avoid the third strike of the combo...each being delivered at a rate of one strike per second for three seconds.
    By the fourth attempt, the ninja had overplayed his hand. He threw the weighted chain end of his weapon in an attempt to entangle Siren's throat, but she was not only ready for the attack, but managed to catch the weighted chain from right out of the air with her bare hand.

    Siren: "Somebody needs a time out."

    Siren swung the chain with all her might and bounced the Tsurimatsuo off of some furniture and walls a few times before he abandoned most resistance. She then wrapped his own chain around his throat and began to choke the life from him, holding his head in place with her thighs. Having secured him, she then proceeded to snap his neck and throw him through the nearest glass window and off the boat into the ocean.
    She turned to see a hazy mist had slowly begun to fill her cabin. She began to think the boat might be on fire but could not detect the odor of burning one would expect from from so much smoke.
    The gladiator barely had time to react.
    Knowledge liked Siren and had no intention of killing her.
    Instead, he threw an inflatable survival pod at her and pointed at the hole in her window.

    Siren: "And what if I don't want to leave?"

    Smoke drew his nanothorn blade as the sound of more Acolytes grew louder.

    Siren: "Anything else?"

    Smoke laid a finger infront of his mouth to urge "silence" but nothing else.
    She would be one of the only two Grendelheim suvivors.
    Kanji, Tso, Van Gelder...every family in the Countessa's court was slaughtered as the slept.
    Soon, only one room remained to be cleared.

    By now...only Tsurimatsuo walked the island yacht and only Dominique had yet to be silenced.
    Lin-Keui/TRIADE causalties were light and by the time the sound of fighting was noticable, it was already too late.
    18 of the 24 Tsurimatsuo who began the attack were still combat capable but 8 of them stood poised to storm the Countessa's chambre.
    It was over so fast and nobody saw anything.

    The rest of the Tsurimatsuo realize none of the eight-man team which struck the Countessa's chambre are responding and they begin to sweep into the area looking for confirmation of their fate.
    As Smoke stands overlooking the carnage in Dominique's luxury cabin, he realizes he not just dealing with a "mark"...he's dealing with an enemy as dangerous as he is.
    A quick head count shows only 7 (instead of 10) Tsurimatsuo still responding...at this rate...she'll go through the rest in a little under five minutes.
    Soon, only Smoke and Ermac remain.
    In each case...Dominique Arrouet removes the helmet of every Tsurimatsuo she kills...looking for Mee-Chan's face.

    Smoke: "Who the he77 is this woman anyway?"

    They decide to split up to search for Arrouet.
    The Countessa manages to get the drop on Ermac and decapitates him with a monowire garrote but before she can withdraw from the kill, she is intercepted by Smoke...shimmering in the darkness.

    Arrouet: "You used him as bait."

    Smoke only tilts his head as he examines her.

    Arrouet: "You think you can stop ME!? Do you even know WHO you are dealing with?"

    TO BE CONTINUED...

    -Peace-
  • Adenides
    Adenides
    Posts: 416
    Greetings,

    CONTINUATION...

    Smoke draws his nanothorn Katana and adopts his signature one-handed fighting stance.
    Arrouet charges straight at him using a pair of Mauser C96 pistols akimbo style as she closes ground.
    North defends with a combination of allowing the bullets to pass through him and actually parrying some with his nanothorn blade.
    Opting for the "chicago reload" Dominique drops the C96's and instead draws a pair of long knives, spinning towards her foe like a ballerina delivering blow after blow as she twirls.

    Smoke pulls out a nanothorn wakizashi and using his blades like a shear, pins both his foes knives and snips them at the hilt like a shrubbery.
    The Countessa delivers a powerful counter-attack to Smoke's face but hurts her forearm in the execution of the attack. Smoke seems unphased by her effort.
    She tries to kick Smoke in the baggage but he phases at the last moment causing her to end her strike in a vertical splits.
    Smoke steps on the foot closest to him while grabbing the other ankle in the air and delivers the strongest kick he can to his foes exposed crotch, expending all the effort he can.
    The resulting attack knocks his enemy 6' before she hits the ground. She has not only been dealt a major injury but has had the wind knocked out of her and is having trouble concentrating.

    Arrouet is in SERIOUS trouble.
    Smoke instead of closing for the kill...waits for her to stand before assuming a defensive posture.
    Seeing a possibility, The Countessa charges at her enemy...but in the final moments, moves instead towards a pillar which has a fire extinguisher on it, grabbing it as she drops to her knees and slides to avoid a spinning back kick.
    The Countessa tries to spray him but Smoke counters by spraying an inky jet plume of darkness (from his hands) which seems to counteract the extinguisher foam.
    Finding herself in danger of being consumed by this billowing darkness, Dominique withdraws...uncertain of what lies in the shadows ahead of her.

    She slowly drew her cavalry sabre and activated the weapon's vibro-plate, causing it to hum to life.
    Still walking a bit funny from the first devastating kick, Arrouet was in no mood for a repeat performance.

    Arrouet: "FACE ME you COWARD..."

    Smoke stood up from the shadows as The oblivious Countessa spun in a desperate bid to catch him sneaking up behind her.

    Arrouet: "I KNOW you're HERE!!!"

    North drew his Katana as he stood behind her.
    Dominique turned to face him, sword at the ready and tossed the extinguisher at his head as she spun. He ducked under the throw with apparent ease.
    Smoke adopted his signature one-handed sword stance and awaited his opponents next move.
    The Countessa lunged for the vitals but North expertly deflected the blow aside harmlessly.
    She attempted a sweep kick but Smoke nimbly leapt over the attacking limb.
    She attempted a double butterfly strike at her enemy but he tee'd off each strike as if he knew they were coming.
    She countered with a flurry of sword blows and kicks but the dark armored opponent was too skilled to fall for her tricks.
    To break her momentum Smoke used his nanothorn katana to cut her vidrosabre into shards of vibrating metal.
    His armor protected him from the lethal shower of sharp metal.
    Dominique was not so lucky.
    Still losing ground (and now blood as well) Dominique throws her hilt at Smoke's head.
    The throw is so far off the mark North doesn't even have to dodge to avoid it.
    Smoke takes the hilt from the air with his katana anyways.

    She picks up a kusarigama from a fallen Tsurimatsuo as she backflips away from Smoke to get some distance.

    The Countessa executes a flawless kusarigama fastdraw technique that impresses even North but it is her downfall she heralds.
    Dominique holds the bladed end in one hand after looping the weighted chain-end back around her neck to finish in her other hand.
    Smoke instead holds up a small red wrist piece belonging to an Acolyte's armor.
    Arrouet looks confused for a moment at his gesture.
    Smoke pushes a button on the wrist piece causing both it AND the kusari she holds to "beep" audibly.
    Dominique looks to where she had gotten the weapon from and notices that Tsurimatsuo's wrist piece is also missing.
    The Countessa barely has the time to groan before the explosive charge in the kusari's weighted end detonates, shredding Dominique's left hand.

    She fell to her knees almost instantly, left hand torn to pieces, half-way up the forearm.
    Anyone could see she was going into shock.
    North traded the wrist piece detonator for a TRIADE Security Forces Custom Lorcin.
    Smoke chambered a round and turned towards her when she finally spoke up.

    Arrouet: "I have to know..."

    TO BE CONTINUED...

    -Peace-
  • Adenides
    Adenides
    Posts: 416 edited November 2013
    Greetings,

    CONTINUATION...

    North hestitated for a moment upon seeing a trio of laser dots appear on the Countessa's chest. Dominique was stunned as he removed his helmet and turned to confront her REAL assassin.

    Arrouet: "Impossible..."

    Smoke tosses a "Tsurimatsuo calling card" at her, a trademark normally left with the target of the contract.

    Arrouet: "...y-you played me? You had yourself shot?"
    North: "No...I had nothing to do with that...but I know who did."

    Behind him stood a second shadowy figure in the room with them.

    North: "How long have you been stalking her for?"
    DB: "Since she gave the orders to unleash Yoo-Chan upon the Lonely Mountain."

    The Countessa was in shock.

    Arrouet: "You're DEAD...you NEVER survived the mountain!"
    DB: "ASP betrayed me...so I'm gonna burn it all down...starting with YOU."
    Arrouet: "Coward...why not just face me?"
    DB: "To be honest...I wasn't sure I could beat you but once I saw the Boy Scout here...I KNEW I had my chance."
    Arrouet: "You're working together?"

    They both begin to giggle.

    North: "Me? Work with HIM? Never. We carried on with out respective missions and allowed the other some "latitude" to complete their own."
    DB: "I KNEW you were the only one who could have betrayed me to Gary...I just couldn't prove it..."

    He hold's up the directive for his elimination at the monastery with her stamp upon it's edge.

    DB: "...until now. What did you get for this?"
    Arrouet: "Immortality."
    DB: "Not for long."

    DB half raised his shotgun until he noticed Smoke stood in the way.

    DB: "You mind?"
    North: "You shot me."
    DB: "Next time don't be in the way."
    North points at his wrist: "Clock's ticking."

    Mee-Chan stepped out of the way.
    He then dons the Smoke helmet once more and walks away from the pleading Countessa to the safety of the Alfa, leaving her to Only's mercies. DB executes her on the floor before North has reached the doorway leaving her cabin. Only half expected to see Knowledge waiting for him but he turned to find him gone.

    DB: "THAT ARMOR SHOULD HAVE BEEN MINE Y'KNOW!?"

    Brief silence ensues.

    DB: "THIS ISN'T BECAUSE I SHOT YOU AGAIN IS IT? 'CAUSE I COULD REALLY USE A RIDE HOME!!!"

    Greg: "F@#ker."

    Mee-Chan watched from the tower of the Afla for a while, ensuring a second survival pod got away, before the submarine disappeared beneath the waves of the south pacific.
    To be certain, the submarine's captain decides to put a torpedo into Grendelheim.
    The island yacht remains undisturbed upon the waves for a few minutes before exploding into thousands of flaming pieces, bobbing on the ocean.
    Mission accomplished, the Alfa charts a leisurely course back to Sidney.
    They should arrive by morning.

    The Skycarrier's arrival didn't occur until about 19 hours after Grendelheim went down.
    No one had arrived in ALL that time to render any assistance.
    Erica & Cathy only found wreckage, remains and one inflatable oceanic pod with one survivor aboard. A minor-celebrity by the name of Siren.
    The other was a crewman who is as of yet unidentified but reportedly went by the name of "D.B.".
    He won't be found by a tanker for another week!

    Greg: "F@#ker."

    TO BE CONTINUED...

    -Peace-
    Post edited by Adenides on
  • Adenides
    Adenides
    Posts: 416
    Greetings,

    CONTINUATION...

    Vivian, Cathy and Erica arrived back home in a dire mood.
    They believed North to be dead...lost a sea, blown to bits or both.
    Even finding a survivor was good news that paled in comparission to the thought of losing Nimbus.
    None of them knew who or what Smoke was.

    Siren did as she was "told" and said nothing of what she saw that night. She contends a "good samaritan" was ready to go overboard with her in the survival pod but she never saw him again.
    Despite the tragedy at Grendelheim, the deal signed there was still binding and Gmbh became the first terrestrial sponser of The 24/7 Unreal Tournament Network.
    Siren was able to translate her ordeal into a lucrative announcing contract for the fledgling UTN.
    Brock, Lauren go on to place high in the final standings but Gorge becomes the seasons UT champion as a result of Malcolm's sudden "disappearance".

    Cathy arrives home after a long day.
    She knows Kirstie is home but isn't sure how to tell her Knowledge is gone.

    Kirstie: "Hey...we got take out."
    Cathy: "Indian or Chinese?"
    Kirstie: "Thai."
    Cathy: "There's something I have to tell you..."
    North goes walking by with arms laden with food cartons: "Can't it wait, I'm starving."

    The mechanic almost has kittens.

    Cathy: "Where the F@#K were YOU!?"
    North: "Yeah...I got shot."
    Cathy: "I KNOW that...I was THERE...what happened?"
    North: "I'm not sure...because I got shot."
    Cathy: "But how did you get HERE?"
    Kirstie: "I picked him up from the hospital like an hour ago."
    Cathy: "And everything is just...FINE?"
    North: "Well, no...I got shot."
    Cathy: "And nothing happened?"
    North: "Hello? Shot over here."
    Cathy: "Funny...that's not what Odd Kat told me."

    Knowledge became quiet.

    Cathy: "How many more lives do you owe?"
    North: "..."
    Cathy: "HOW many!?"
    North: "3."
    Cathy: "How many have you taken?"
    Kirstie: "Is HE killing people AGAIN!?"
    Cathy: "K...I swear...I'm gonna bounce you off a wall here..."
    North: "6."
    Kirstie: "YOU'VE KILLED SIX PEOPLE? WHEN DO YOU EVEN FIND TIME TO SLEEP?"
    North: "One a year...that's not a lot!"
    Cathy: "FOR SIX YEARS!?"
    North: "If it's any consequence, they're all bad people."
    Cathy: "Oh REALLY!? Like WHO...name ONE?"
    North: "The Countessa."

    Catherine went silent for a moment.

    Cathy: "F@#k!"

    The mechanic thought long and hard about it.

    Cathy: "Who ELSE?"
    North: "Lucius Graves."
    Cathy: "F@#K! That guy has been in Forbes top 10 list for the last decade running."
    North: "Not anymore?"
    Kirstie: "Can I film this?"
    North & Cathy: "NO!"
    Kirstie: "But it feels so much like "evidence" y'know?"
    Cathy: "Who have you not bought off yet?"
    North: "Myself...Erica...and you."
    Cathy: "Why?"
    North: "I didn't get to choose the order."
    Cathy: "Who did you just "free"?"
    North: "Your sister."
    Kirstie: "Wait? You killed someone for me?"

    TO BE CONTINUED...

    -Peace-
  • Adenides
    Adenides
    Posts: 416 edited November 2013
    Greetings,

    CONTINUATION...

    North nods his head.

    Kirstie: "No one nice I hope!"

    North shakes his head.

    Kirstie: "You're just kidding me right? You haven't killed anyone!"

    Knowledge stops smiling for a moment.
    (He can only see Malcolm's lifeless form being tossed overboard in the pacific.)

    North: "Not in the last 48 hours."
    Cathy: "We went out after you...did you know that? After we found the remains of that ship...we thought you were dead. You TELL me what's going on right now or so help me..."

    Catherine drew her pistol.
    He had been quite a while in that Tibetan monastery but not so long he'd forgotten how volatile Calaveri's can be when you set them off.
    In accordance with his new lifestyle choice, he came clean to Catherine about the deal between Smoke, Lin-Keui and TRIADE. He told her about Lo Phat Duk and the fall of the monastery. He told her about his vision to rebuild the temple at Ayer's Rock. He told her that he dreaded he still had three more lives to claim (as Smoke) before Stormfront could be truely free. He talked about abandoning the project.
    While working for the TRIADE/Lin-Keui consortium, Knowledge had become disenfranchized with the mercenary way of life...it weighed heavily upon him.

    Calaveri told him that he shouldn't have made that sort of a decision for the team without informing them.
    Now she understood the distance he kept.
    His indifference began to make sence.
    No wonder he'd never wanted her to meet Odd Kat.
    They'd hear from him soon enough.

    It was a lot to absorb so Catherine, Kirstie and Knowledge all decided to eat out...he brought Duk.
    As an exhibition, Calaveri is sponsering a football team to mount up and play an all Landmate game of football.
    It's getting considerable press coverage as well as boosting sales and rentals...they could barely keep up with the demand.
    Landmate fever was sweeping MB-1.
    (Even a light civilian model could go for $200K USD with heavier stock models starting at $1M USD and up...a Guges-D currently $7.5M USD)
    Things would start to look up.
    For a while.

    Gary on the otherhand was looking at a serious problem.
    Someone with sensitive top-secret ASP knowledge was using it to assassinate key members of its leadership element.

    D.B. Only/Viper is long dead.
    Brax Milton/Copperhead is now dead.
    Annette Murphy/Sidewinder is now dead.
    Dominique Arrouet/Cobra is now dead.

    MEO-series Televiper clones are nearly depleted (less than 100 left)
    The ENTIRE Oceania Legion was destroyed and Black Asp's plans for Oz doomed to abject failure. Even his plan to have the one global agency tasked with finding his organization lead by one of their own...now a flaming ruin.
    Stevenson was becoming a bit concerned.
    Who would be next?
    More importantly...who would be last?
    With nothing to lose, he put his latest plan into action.

    Gaia International was the name of the first big corperation that came knocking on Stormfront's Melbourne door.
    They offered the group's $100M dollar price tag and urged them that speed was of the essence.
    Gaia were the group's highest paying customers to date and they EXPECTED results.
    Their problem?

    Gaia International is a primary defence contractor for conflicts taking place on the Antarctic shelf.
    They supply all-weather Aerodynes, Combat Boomers, all-terrain armored vehicles and terrain specialized personal. They do such good business that the company need not delve into other markets to make it's living.
    Recently, events have begun to unfold which are cause for panic amongst Gaia's shareholders.
    An unspecified discovery has been made so secret that Gaia has refused all outside offers of assistance in favor of an independant investigation.
    At last count, Gaia International had nine operational bases on the shelf.
    As of midnight last night, they'd lost contact with all but three of them.
    Gaia wants Stormfront to get down there and acertain what's going on as quickly as it can.
    Perhaps as many as 700 lives hang in the balance and time is running out.

    TO BE CONTINUED...

    -Peace-
    Post edited by Adenides on
  • Adenides
    Adenides
    Posts: 416
    Greetings,

    CONTINUATION...

    Vivian is already cursing that the Knightwraith is not an "all-weather" craft.
    Mouse is stoked about seeing the "Winter War"...she says she misses seeing snow.
    Elektra is peeved about the new mission location and wants to know if there's gonna be hazard pay for all the cold.
    Alicia seems to show no preference either way but Seven maintains that Hard Suits are meant to function more effectively at cold temperatures.
    North instead becomes concerned at the list of hardware being used in the various "Winter War" theatres. Some of them are mobile weapons platforms over a city block in size.
    Anything without an IFF tag is engaged and destroyed automatically by Boomer forces on all sides of the conflict.
    The Winter Army is an amalgum name given to represent the total amount of fighters in the surrounding conflict. The composition is 85% Boomer and only 15% Human. Many countries involved in the Winter War do not even have human boots on the continent.
    Gaia International is to "Winter War" as poppies are to WWI and very little happens south of McMurdo that G.I. doesn't know about.

    Conditions have deteriorated to the point where a person walking outside the safety of camp MUST wear an IFF tag to NOT be targeted by the various military Boomers used in "The Winter War".
    There are so many different types used in the conflict that it's said an untagged organic will likely die from a Boomer before they die from exposure.
    Military escorts are manditory in all G.I. installations.

    Stormfront arrives off the radar.
    Using the modified Skycarrier, they land at a Gaia facility just off The Shelf as a team of researchers for Trinity Investments, a Gaian holding company.
    They are assured full cooperation and unlike the other researchers, carry firearms at all times and are given authority over local security personal.

    Alicia Kelly packs "light". A pair of Diamondback caseless magnum pistols were right up her alley. As a back-up, She kept a disassembled Member-II amongst her pocessions and an HK-CAWS in case things got rough.
    "Mouse" carried a caseless medium pistol chosen specifically for it's performance in cold climates. Her Takao T-20a was probably one of three on the entire continent at the time. For emergencies, she brought a Matsucorp carbine, favoring it's compact frame for in-door fighting.
    Seven used a caseless heavy pistol to make her point...high capasity, high calibre. She never missed. As a primary on this OP, she chose to go with the hybrid UAW/Shotgun combination...ever the utilitarian.
    Elektra wasn't f@#kin' around as her choice of 20mm caseless anti-material rifle was evidence of. As a back-up, she decided to go with a classic...the Smith & Wesson .660 Nitro Express Earthshaker...that's my girl, uh-HUH!
    Sally was just chilling in the driver's seat but she carried a custom Ruger .454 Caskull at all times, left to her by Rebecca after Corpus Christie. O'Shea never went anywhere without her rifle with her current favorite being the Moretti, currently favored by EU recon forces. Sally has prided herself in never having to draw her weapon on a Stormfront piloting gig.
    North couldn't go anywhere without "Samantha". For a primary he chose the M-42A1 Matsucorp pulse rifle with 20mic-mic grenade launcher. As ever, Knowledge always kept a few tricks up his sleeve.

    Elektra: "Who's idea was it to come down here again?"
    Mouse: "Yours after you found out how much money Gaia is paying us for this."
    Elektra: "Well, don't listen to me in the future."
    Mouse: "Done."
    Alicia: "S'nuff you two!"
    North: "They've got a point...it freakin' blows down here like the ninth ring of he77."
    Seven: "This is an unusually large facility."
    Elektra: "So?"
    Seven: "Then where is everybody?"

    Helen was right.
    These docks should have been crawling with people off loading cargo...but instead, it was a graveyard with only a handful of staff.
    Something was going on.
    Everything was proceeding smoothly until the site's security chief decided to make his presence known to the team.
    Knowledge just couldn't keep his spurs from jingling and jangling.

    TO BE CONTINUED...

    -Peace-
  • Adenides
    Adenides
    Posts: 416
    Greetings,

    CONTINUATION...

    To put everyone at ease, Gilad went on to advise the women not to wear anything too prevocative. The men who work the "Shelf" are as rough and as tough as they come, many of whom, have not seen a woman in many monthes. Stormfront is well advised to refrain from interacting with platform personal whenever possible as their safety can not be assured.

    "Ya might get raped."

    North: "Gil is it?. Well Gil, HERE'S how its gonna work. You are gonna go home right now and when you goto sleep tonight you are gonna pray. That's right, pray! Pray harder than you ever have in your WHOLE life that nothing happens to ANY of them...because if I find out someone has even so much as harmed a hair on one of their arms...I am gonna hold YOU directly responsible for it and I'm gonna take it out on YOUR @$$."

    Knowledge finished his speech with his hand on his pistol and his face right in Gil's...but the security officer seemed unimpressed.

    Gilad: "You don't fighten me-"

    Knowledge head butted him, breaking Gil's nose in the process.
    Gil was no slouch and his hand was to his pistol in the blink of an eye but North was too fast for him. Before his gun could clear the holster, "Samantha" was already tickling the bottom of his chin.

    Gilad: "Now, THAT was fast...how did you do that?"
    North: "If I show you again, I have to pull the trigger next time."

    Gil's hand eased from his pistol.

    North: "Smart man...now stay smart and stay OUT of our way."
    Gilad: "Nobody could be THAT fast...that gun is way too big."
    North: "It's not as heavy as it looks."
    Gilad: "It was way too perfect."
    North: "I've had a lotta practice."
    Gilad: "That couldn't have been real."
    North: "Don't-do-it..."

    Gilad's hand was to his pistol in the blink of an eye and this time, Gil's pistol had JUST cleared the holster by the time "Samantha" was tickling the bottom of his chin.

    North: "Godd@mn you..."

    Gilad's head turned into a pink mist. Before the two officers behind him could react, Elektra and Alicia each drew and took a bead on a guard.

    GM: "DUDE, W-T-F ARE YOU DOING!?! DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHAT A F@#KING BUDDHIST IS!?!"
    Phil: "They gave us MSG didn't they?"
    Greg: "BWAH-HAHAHAH-HHAAAAHHHHHAHAHA!!!"
    GM: "Sigh, ONE more time...you are NOT Diamondback...you are NOT Smoke...you ARE Nimbus. You don't JOIN ASP, you kick their @$$...and you DON'T murder people, you are a BUDDHIST!!!"
    Phil: "You're SERIOUS about that!?"
    Mike: "Dude...it's been ten sessions or so....what's so hard to figure out?"
    Phil: "BUT I WANNA BE DIAMONDBACK!!!"
    GM: "You wanted to be a Shaolin TOO...Shaolin or Ninja and you CHOSE monk!"
    Phil: "F@#K!!! I STILL shot the guy in the face, right?"
    GM: "Yeah, dude...hydrostatic shock, no sequel for him."
    Phil: "Okay, cool-"
    GM: "No...very UNCOOL...no where in the character's disadvantages does it state he does things like THAT...instead, LOOKING RIGHT HERE...it states rather the opposite to be true!"
    Phil: "LEMME SEE that...mmumble-grmmble...Pacifism: Self-Defence Only...mmumble-rmmble...Sence of Duty: To all Mankind...mmumble...there's NOTHING there!!!"
    Greg: "BWAH-HAHAHAH-HHAAAAHHHHHAHAHA!!!"
    GM: "PACIFISM!? SENCE OF DUTY TO ALL HUMANITY!?"
    Phil: "..."
    GM: "How does that equate to: "QUICK, SHOOT THEM IN TNE FACE BEFORE THEY START MOVING AGAIN!"?"
    Phil: "..."
    GM: "I THOUGHT so!"
    Phil: "I was p-protecting...life?"
    GM: "This is the second person you've executed!?"
    Phil: "SECOND!?!"
    GM: "Malcolm?"
    Phil: "Oh, y-yeah...aheh, second...got it!"
    GM: "The hero can't go around executing people at random!"
    Phil: "Why not?"
    Mike: "Because he stops being a hero and starts being a serial killer?"
    Phil: "DIAMONDBACK!!!"
    GM: You might have just doomed the mission before it even started."
    Mike: "A personal best dare I say it."
    Phil: "..."
    Greg: "BWAH-HAHAHAH-HHAAAAHHHHHAHAHA!!!"

    TO BE CONTINUED...

    -Peace-
  • Adenides
    Adenides
    Posts: 416
    Greetings,

    CONTINUATION...

    It took a while to smooth over the "accident" involving Officer Gilad with Gaia Control.
    Instead of a full investigation, pressure from above resulted in North's immediate release along with a threat of summary termination for any employee who hindered his team's investigation.
    The incident left great resentment amongst the security personal of The Shelf towards the group.
    The reason for low employee attendance was a virus had been making the rounds month ago. Apparently the rig was operating on 50% staff capasity instead of it's minimum recommended 80%.
    Although information on Boomers used by the Gaian Exchange were highly classified outside of the conflict zone, this information was freely available for personal of The Shelf.

    Two dozen BU variant Boomers were commonly employed in the combat zone in addition to a dozen battlemovers.
    All of which bore state of the art modifications to existing weapon systems that have yet to be deployed in the "real" world.
    A cursory look would lead one to the conclusion that military Boomer testing (illegal in most countries on Earth) is being conducted regularly in The Winter War...each act, a federal crime punishable by itself with death.
    The problem didn't seem to lie with incursions of enemy boomers upon it's territory.
    Something was causing Gaia's OWN boomers to go mad.

    Knowledge's attention was caught by a large mecha-spider battlemover manuvering through the settlement, despite it's massive size and enormous weight.

    North: "WHAT-is THAT?"
    Mouse: "Looks like a GD-44B series military battlemover."
    North: "Jackie doesn't pack enough firepower against something like that."
    Seven: "Correct...this model of battlemover was ranked tops in the assault class of 2046. The J-Type, while versatile is still two decades older than anything it faces here."
    North: "I'll put J up against any Gaian Boomer here!"
    Seven: "In MB-1, only every few encounters we had were with a "military" class boomer. Military programming, military hardware or perhaps just a miltary objective. But here, EVERY model is a pure military prototype. Not some watered down boomeroid to operate in a populated area...not like anything we're used to facing."
    Elektra: "We've taken down BU-12's once.
    Alicia: "We were lucky...Nimbus softened them up quite a bit. A Hard Suit would have been taxed to it's limits to compete with a monster like that."
    Elektra: "Speak for yourself."
    North: "You telling me you can take out a GD-44B by yourself?"
    Elektra: "No...but Nimbus & Lightning could do it together."
    Sally: "Hate to bring this up folks..."
    Seven: "Yes...Knowledge, there's no easy way to say this...you've had your firearms permit revoked by The Shelf Authority."

    PHil: "WTF!?!"

    Seven: "Next time don't shoot a site foreman in the face within minutes of arriving. Your lucky you're not in jail awaiting trial."
    North: "No GUNS?"
    Seven: "None...if they catch you with one, you can be deported off the continent at Gaia's leisure. It could have been a LOT worse."
    North: "But I've just angered EVERY security officer in the installation?"

    The girls all smile to themselves at the mention of this.

    Alicia: "Fancy that?"
    Mouse: "Don't worry, I'll protect you...(slaps North's @$$)...if you're any good that is."

    Elektra indicates to North that she's carrying "Samantha" and "Grace" with her.
    With Knowledge disarmed, they are allowed to proceed onto the Shelf.

    They spend the first day acclimatizing.
    Contrary to the warnings of the Gaian officials, the crew seem friendly and courteous to all the female researchers.
    (A few even insist on cat calling North as well!)
    The crew seem friendly and attentive.

    Mouse spends her time establishing a secondary OP's station in North's cabin while he watches her back.
    Seven spends all her time on the bridge, keeping a close eye on Ops.
    Elektra & Alicia sweep through the ship, searching it as a team.
    The gravity of Mouse's work becomes apparent to her as stacks of discs dumped in her cabin with the Gaia bases boomer combat protocols.

    Mouse: "Merde."

    TO BE CONTINUED...

    -Peace-
  • Adenides
    Adenides
    Posts: 416
    Greetings,

    CONTINUATION...

    The captain finally shows Seven the last known location of the camp before all contact was lost. The map shows it to be located about 450 miles south east.
    When quizzed, the captain claims only two other people even know about the secondary research site.
    He says it houses fifty people...all with top secret clearance...some so compartmentalized they may not even know other humans are even on continent with them.

    Seven: "What did they find?"

    The captain can only shrug.

    Captain: "I guess that's YOUR job."
    Seven: "Since travel by night is out of the question, I'll expect an aerodyne to be fueled and ready for an on-site inspection tomorrow at first light."
    Captain: "Will you need a security detachment?"
    Seven: "My colleagues are trained for all contingencies."
    Captain: "Will you need a pilot?"
    Seven: "We'll need a guide."

    North can be seen walking into a local watering hole.
    He brushes off the snow and cold from his bones and takes a seat up at the bar.
    Knowledge barely had time to let the head settle on his pint when a group of off-duty security personal approach the Jumper from behind.

    SECFOR #1: "Would you be him?"
    North: "I don't know what you ar talking about."
    SECFOR #1: "C'mon...don't be scared...are you him?"
    North: "Scared? No, confused. What are you talking about?"
    SECFOR#2: "Are you the one who killed Administrator Gilad?"

    North sighed and went limp.
    The third officer, who had been only approaching until now, put her hand into her jacket.
    Knowledge reflexively used his foot to immobilize the shooter's hand.
    The action was so sudden, the officer accidently discharged her pistol in the holster and grazed herself, lighting her coat on fire.
    Two officers went to draw pistols while the thrid went to pull out a tonfa.
    Dodging a tonfa swing, North spin kicks the weapon hand of the closest gun-weilding assailant, knocking it from his grasp.
    Now within the club weilding officer's reach, North stamps on his foot then elbows the officer in the adam's apple while he's stunned.
    Taking the tonfa easily he throws it at the next closest gun-weilding officers weapon hand and succeeds in deflecting the shot enough to cause a miss.
    Before the shooter can recover, North armlocks and flips the trapped officer onto the last shooter, disabling both before landing a stamp kick to the gun-weilding officer's baggage.
    The final SECFOR operative strained to reach for his sidearm but rudely had a pistol stuck in his face.

    North: "Looking for this?"

    The final SECFOR officer surrendered.
    Knowledge thumped him off the bridge of his nose with the pistol and the thug went out cold.
    Mee-Chan turned to see he had been the focus of all attention in the establishment.

    North: "WHAT?

    They went back about their business but the Jumper already felt the time had come to move on.
    He finds the group in Alicia's cabin.

    Mouse: "Any luck."
    North: "I'm not sure I'd call it that. Hostile however...they REALLY liked this Gilad guy."
    Alicia facepalms: "If we don't get sued...it'll be a miracle."
    Elektra: "Seriously? In the face? You don't do the belly anymore? Just go straight for the face?"
    North: "I panicked...he pissed me off...what's the difference?"
    Seven: "Just promise that you'll stop."
    North: "I'm unarmed."
    Seven: "Promise me anyways."

    Knowledge sighs.

    TO BE CONTINUED...

    -Peace-
  • Adenides
    Adenides
    Posts: 416
    Greetings,

    CONTINUATION...

    Mouse: "I could sure use some help going through all these discs."
    Seven: "Perhaps I could be of assistance?"
    North: "Tell me what to look for."

    By morning, all they could find of the camp were a few old snap shots of the original site and a few memo, heavily redacted except for a single passage containing the word: "Crossbow".
    The report detailed that the first expedition was lost but failed to specify how anyone died. Just that personal were lost.
    The guide the team recieved was a burnout by the name of "Piedmont". The least time out of any guide on the Shelf.
    At the teams disposal was an all-weather variant heavy transport aerodyne called a "Sundog".

    Gaia had established a base camp just outside the find consisting of two dozen specialists...and protecting them a barrier of about 120 Combat Boomers of various shapes and sizes within a ten-mile radius of the signal. A string of these "boomer shacks" were set up enroute to the find and lead directly back to the Shelf.
    The group would make their way to this position by Sundog at first light.
    Based upon how the marines on the transport dressed, one would believe they expected a LOT of trouble.
    Even the most experienced of the OP's troops says they can't begin to guess at what may await them.

    The team arrives on the ground with 15 chaperones in the heavy transport plus the three-man air crew.
    The flight to camp three (the furthest operational camp) will take a little under four hours. After taking on feul and provisions, they will head to camp six (site of the largest airfield) and then move to the find location in a Sno-Cat.
    Overland passage should take no more than two hours.
    The airspace is supposed to be friendly but anything could happen.
    Military Boomers would make short work of the Gaian transport if they were to be intercepted. Accordingly, they are granted a pair of Hornet gunships as escorts for their mission.

    Camp Three has not seen so much activity since the find was reported.
    The arrival of the gunships and transport have everyone guessing as to what is going on.
    The team spends only an hour refeuling and updating weather data before moving on.
    Absolute secrecy is maintained.
    No contact is permitted between Stormfront and Camp Three personel during the layover.
    Four security specialists deliver a shipment of weaponry to bolster Camp three's defences. They are the only people to stay behind.

    The rest are airborne before the hour is up.
    The wing of aircraft veers towards the east and resumes it's journey to the lost sixth camp.

    The Gaia security specialists are all seasoned "Winter War" professionals but not one of their squad is able to mask the reservations they are having about the mission.
    Armed to the teeth.
    High trained and motivated.
    The best artic soldiers money could buy.
    All of them...just p1ssing in their pants like babies...all but Piedmont.

    Mouse occupied herself by doing a Sudoku.
    Alicia kept herself busy by cleaning her Colt Navy Dragoon.
    Seven maintained an even keel as the transport's pilot.
    Elektra was the most nervous of the group and insisted upon pacing the length of the cargo hold when she couldn't sit still in her seat.
    North appeared as if he was sleeping.

    Alicia commented without looking up: "Would you SIT DOWN...you're gonna wear a hole in the plane's fusilage."
    Elektra: "I don't like dealing with spooky sh1t...I TOLD you that didn't I."
    Mouse: "What are you talking about?"
    Elektra: "This freaky kinda close encounters sorta sh1t...I don't DO that."
    Seven: "This has nothing to do with aliens."
    Elektra: "I don't CARE! I don't do aliens!"
    North: "Speaking on behalf of aliens, I'd like to say: "AWE!!!"
    Seven slapped his arm: "You are NOT an alien...at BEST you are a cross-dimensional entity."
    Mouse: "There are NO aliens...if anything it's just some prototype technology man invented."
    Alicia: "What kind of technology could neutralize 700 people...or make them disappear from the face of the planet?"

    TO BE CONTINUED...

    -Peace-
  • Adenides
    Adenides
    Posts: 416 edited November 2013
    Greetings,

    CONTINUATION...

    Mouse shrugged.

    Elektra: "See!? Spooky sh1t!"
    Seven: "There is no such thing as ghosts."
    North: "Agreed...let's keep this relevant...I need a gun."

    The girls all begin to turn their backs on him.

    Alicia: "Next time you'll know better."
    Seven: "You were lucky you weren't deported."
    Elektra: "Don't look at me boss."
    Mouse: "Whatever made you think you could do that?"

    Phil: "I SAID I was sorry!!"

    North: "I panicked."
    Elektra: "Bullsh1t...I've known you for over a decade...you NEVER panic."
    Seven: "Need I bring up the biometric data on this?"
    North: "NO...you-do-NOT."
    Seven: "THAT just NOW...as close to panic as I've ever seen him."
    North: "Ha-ha...very funny...STILL need a gun."
    Alicia: "Sorry...it's back at the Skycarrier."
    North: "You're enjoying this aren't you?"

    The girls all begin to giggle.

    Phil: "F@#K!"

    Mouse caught everyone attention and pointed out a plume of black smoke on the horizon.

    Piedmont: "That's not a good sign."
    Mouse: "Why?"
    Piedmont: "That's Camp Six."

    The gunships broke off from formation and did a preliminary sweep over "shack six" before allowing the transport to approach for landing.
    The place looked as if it had been torn apart by boomers.
    There was no sign of any PAC nations or corperate entities.
    Only the shacks own Boomers lay about the compound, deactivated.
    The view from the ground confirmed what the aerial sweep had revealed...the Gaia boomers seemed to have turned against their masters.
    From the looks of things, they waited until the camp was alseep to attack.
    No one was spared.

    Upon landing, the group split into five three man teams.
    The Gaia corperate liason officer remained with the aerodyne.
    One gunship immediately circled back to Camp Three with news to disconnect all Boomers from the active system while the second landed while their crew assisted with any refeuling efforts.
    Each search team reported the same.
    They found no survivors and evidence that any human was terminated by their boomer security force with extreme prejudice.
    A problem presented itself.
    In an effort to quell the boomer madness, the camp deactivated the site's main power source.
    The aerodynes unfortunately needed that power on to complete refeuling.
    The team must disable all "deactivated" boomers they find before trying to refeul the aircraft or risk attack by them the moment the "lights come on".

    Piedmont is able to locate the shacks Sno-Cat's but until the refeuling is complete, can't afford to waste personal on a trip to the Find.
    With bullets in limited supply, the team elects to do it the old fashioned way.
    Tool kits and manual removal of the vital chipsets.
    It will take them two and a half days to complete but just when they don't think they can bare the cold any longer, they are finally able to activate power and heat in the shack.
    Refeuling takes precedent but within a few hour, they are topped up and ready to consider an overland trek.
    Another discovery was made.
    All the "corrupted" boomers had evidence of extensive transmogrification of an unknown type but only where they attempted to fuse to advanced technology.
    Mouse had never seen anything like it before but formulated the corruption was not machine-based...but computer-based.

    TO BE CONTINUED...

    -Peace-
    Post edited by Adenides on
  • Adenides
    Adenides
    Posts: 416
    Greetings,

    CONTINUATION...

    Her theory panned out.
    The main computer which controlled the Boomer security net looked like a slagged out heap of melted organic matter. No boomer could function even if it wanted to. Even the camps nano-bots would likely be effected by corruption.
    They could trust nothing.

    North could tell by the worried look on Mouse's face that she didn't have any good news.
    She surmised whatever is effecting the Gaia boomers might be a new mutation of Voomer Madness...one the Hard Suits might not be able to guard against.
    Seven's blurry vision should have been their first hint.
    Whatever had infected the boomers was trying to subvert her neural web bodysuit.
    Soon, Seven would be blind and with Seven blind the group was suddenly without it's transport pilot!

    It had been a long three days and everyone was happy to have a hot meal for once.
    The gunship crew would do a sweep near the two closest camps to see if the circumstances were similar before returning.
    One team would remain behind at Six and the other four would move on to the find by Sno-Cat.
    The groups urgency was heightened by news of an incoming stormfront that would be hitting the area within the week.
    Anyone who hasn't withdrawn to Camp Three by then will likely never have their bodies found again.
    Storms like these can last for weeks.

    Mouse elected to stay behind but North felt Seven would be better served with some down time.
    She would stay at Camp Six and monitor their progress.
    Seven's neural web glitches were beginning to effect her performance.
    She tried not to let it show but it was becoming obvious to the others.
    To her credit, no Gaia team members suspected she was blind.

    The aerodynes had been refeuled.
    The Sno-Cat's were being prepped.
    The shack was sealed up tight.
    Soon there was little to do but wait for the dawn.

    Elektra emerges from the mess hall and takes out a half smoked cigarette from behind her ear as she snaps her snow pants suspenders into place.
    A pair of Gaian security specialists keep watch at the entrance to the mess hall.
    One of them takes a moment to light her smoke with a zippo for her before snapping a salute.

    Elektra: "Down boy, I'm not your commanding officer..."

    His partner slaps him off the shoulder as if to imply "shot down in flames".

    Elektra: "...but I DO love a man in a uniform."

    The love smitten sentry perks up at the mention of this.
    She continues down to the make-shift OP's station.
    Although still not fully operational, the centre is a buzz with activity.
    Gaia personel bustle to set up telemetry for the upcoming sortie...they are having trouble establishing a signal.
    Mouse does her best to clear up the problem but she's happy to see Elektra arrive, knowing her shift is just about up.

    Elektra: "How goes it?"
    Mouse: "Still getting interference...I'm not sure it's even local."
    Elektra: "Well, the food is still hot but it won't stay that way for long...I'd suggest you get to it."

    The diminutive Mouse vaults to her feet like a gymnast despite that four hulking Gaia personal immediately stop what they are doing to help her stand.

    Elektra: "Show off."
    Mouse hands Elektra a clipboard: "Start on the second bank for now."
    Elektra: "Bring me a coffee!"
    Mouse: "You've already got one?"
    Elektra: "It'll be gone by the time you get back!"

    TO BE CONTINUED...

    -Peace-
  • Adenides
    Adenides
    Posts: 416
    Greetings,

    CONTINUATION...

    Mouse waves good-bye to the staff and makes her way to the mess hall.
    She arrives in time to hear raised voices.
    Mouse pauses by the doorway JUST as a Gaian specialist is thrown out through the door on his @$$.

    Mouse: "Hostie!"

    A Gaian officer tries to get the better of Alicia while two of his friends attempt to flank her.
    He tries to land a haymaker on her but miscalulates only to have her land a forearm bar to his throat, knocking the wind out of him.
    Alicia spins the dazed officer into one of his cohorts before landing a kick to the third guard's gut.
    She armlocks the stunned soldier, raises his head and then wails away on his face with all her might.
    One hit takes him to his knees.
    Two hits takes him to the floor.
    Three hits leaves him convulsing on the floor.
    The second guard tries to subdue Alicia from behind.
    She counters by armlocking the goon who jumped her from behind...twisting his wrist until he cries out in agony.
    In a rapid fast combo, she stomps on his foot, re-apply's her lock on his arm, keeping him bent over, then finishes by elbowing him in the throat...sending him into a daze before judo throwing him to the ground on his face.
    She then stomps on his crotch, causing him to sit up reflexively...only to have her land a monster sucker punch down onto his skull.
    Mouse follows up by firing a warning shot into the roof of the shack.

    Alicia: "You got lousy timing...."
    Mouse: "What the F@#K is going on here?"

    The Gaia personal all slowly backed off from Alicia.

    Alicia: "Them? Don't mind them...they were just being "friendly"."

    The officer slowly picked himself up off the floor.

    Dazed Officer: "Like she said...a lil' welcome to the neighborhood party."

    No sooner has Mouse put her pistol away when North rounds the corner.

    North: "What's going on here?"
    Alicia: "Nothing I can't handle."
    Dazed Officer: "Won't happen again...I swear!"
    North: "What's going on?"
    Dazed Officer: "Some of us aren't too keen about signing up with the man who killed Administrator Gilad."
    North: "Get EVERYONE here now."

    It took about twenty minutes but eventually all 21 were in attendance in the hanger.

    North: "It's come to my attention that some of you may not want to accompany the team to the dig tomorrow because I was responsible for Gilad's..."unfortunate"...death. Except for the air crews, if there are any among you who feel so inclined, I urge you to speak up now."

    All but four Gaia specialists, Tamerlain and Piedmont stood back.

    North: "You heard 'em chief...only two Sno-Cats instead of four."
    Chief: "Then I'm done."

    No one noticed anything was wrong.
    No one had noticed anyone was missing...till morning.
    During the night, four Gaian mercs had been stalked and killed. Bodies mashed by something of incredible strength and size.
    They weren't alone on the plateau.
    There was a rogue battlemover afoot.

    TO BE CONTINUED...

    -Peace-
  • Adenides
    Adenides
    Posts: 416
    Greetings,

    CONTINUATION...

    By morning, Seven was half-blind and could barely navigate the shack without assistance.
    Mouse, Alicia and Tamelain and two Gaian specialists took one Sno-Cat while North, Elektra and Piedmont plus another pair of Gaian specialists took a second.
    They hoped to arrive at the find by 10:30AM.

    Disturbing discovery number one?
    Wi-Fi ceases to function after you move towards the find site for more than an hour.
    Disturbing discovery number two?
    Radio transmissions also cease to be effective within this radius.
    Disturbing discovery number three?
    EM transmissions spiked off the scale.

    Everyone had their expectations but no one could have been prepared for what they found...everyone except Elektra.

    The Sno-Cat's come to a stop outside a set a caves, sunken into the rock and ice.
    The team assembled outside the vehicles.

    North: "We could be dealing with Boomers here so team leaders be sure to pack some poppers...do-NOT-lose-sight of your partners."
    Gaia Squad Leader: "Nobody engages anything...call it out...you do not fire unless fired upon...everyone activate your homing beacons."
    They split into four groups of three and fanned out onto the site.

    Mouse: "Good news is no power emissions so no boomers."
    Piedmont: "And the bad news?"
    Mouse: "No life signs either...we're the only things moving here for at least a mile in every direction."

    But upon reaching the mouth of the cave, the sensors went haywire.
    Mouse held the whole train up with her discovery.

    Tamerlain: "Squad Leader wants to know what the hold up is now?"
    Alicia: "Ignore Captain Crunch over there...what is it?"
    Mouse: "This rock...all of it...comprising the strata of the area? It's not of Earth."
    Elektra: "Now hold on...sensors have been glitchy ever since we came into this area..."
    Mouse: "This isn't a glitch...the gears working fine."
    Gaia Squad Leader: "Space rock? All this drama over a little space rock?
    Mouse: "I'd hardly characterize fifty square miles a "little"..."
    North: "Meteor impact?"
    Mouse: "Can't say without some direct samples and that's not really what we're here for."
    Gaia Squad Leader: "Tamerlain...I want eyes on that entrance now."

    The Squad NCO scrambled forward with two men behind him. He cleared the entrance before one of their recon elements released a camera drone into the cave before withdrawing to a safe distance.
    The UCAV drone gained altitude before getting it's bearing and proceeding into the cave.
    Gaian specialists crowded around the display monitor.
    The seemingly natural features of the opening belied the caverns contents.
    About 30 yards into the cave, a massive metallic portal lay askew and open as pulsing light beckoned from within.
    The contruction was like nothing seen on Earth.

    The Gaia crew was speechless.

    Elektra: "SEE!?! WHAT DID I TELL YA...I DO NOT DO SPOOKY SH1T!!!"
    Alicia: "RELAX!!! We still have NO idea what we are dealing with here!"
    Gaia Recon #1: "You seeing this?"
    Mouse: "Seeing what?"
    Gaia Recon #1: "Exactly...no bodies...no blood...this is a class three installation, there should be a ten-man detail topside at all times. Where are they?"
    North: "I could REALLY use a gun about now."
    Elektra: "What makes you so sure a gun would even help?"

    North gives her a deadpan look prompting her to slowly turn around.

    Elektra: "In my pack..."

    Knowledge pulls "Samantha" out of her backpack and holsters up.

    North: "I'm giving you a raise."
    Gaia Squad Leader: "You're not SERIOUS about going IN there are you?"
    North: "I didn't come this far just to turn back...and neither did YOU."
    Gaia Squad Leader: "Piedmont...get up here!"

    TO BE CONTINUED...

    -Peace-
  • Adenides
    Adenides
    Posts: 416 edited November 2013
    Greetings,

    CONTINUATION...

    Piedmont shuffles to meet his commanding officer.
    It appears the guide, Tamerlain and a "Scrub" of his choice are to accompany North, Mouse, Alicia and Elektra into the cave.
    The UCAV is unable to tell the heroes much more because for some reason, it ran out of power not long after entering the cave.

    Where it looks as if the "uncertain" and "very overworked" Tamerlain is about to begin the final mission of his career, Stormfront steps up to the plate like this kind of chaotic dynamic is their speciality.
    Alicia moves in on point while North, Mouse and Elektra sweep in right behind her with the Gaian team bringing up the rear.
    They all remarked that the entrance looked smaller in the display.
    Standing before it, the size would suggest that the occupants would stand 6-8 yards tall.
    Below it lies what could only be described as "an enormous damaged alien spacecraft".
    There was evidence of a firefight...and some blood...but no bodies.

    North: "Somebody TELL me they are filming this?"

    Both Mouse and the "Scrub" are busy doing just that.
    Rapelling down by rope to the floor/wall below, the corridor is swallowed up by darkness on both sides.

    Alicia: "THIS is the "find"?"
    Tamerlain: "No...this is just the entrance."

    The team fanned out quietly through the ships interior.

    Mouse: "I can't help but notice that this thing is..."on"...for lack of a better word. Shouldn't we be worried about this?"
    Tamerlain: "I am inclined to agree with the researcher."

    Squad Leader Dulles who remained outside is already losing contact with the group which even now is being lead by Tamerlain down to a central nexus at the core of the ship.
    The room was exposed to the exterior as the shell which comprised it's hull had become canti-levered, allowing for an open "ventillated" architechture.
    Shadows were being cast all over the room by the rotating hull sections.
    A suction had almost begun to form which threatened to pull anything not tied down into the interlocking cieling "fans" of modular hull plating.

    In the centre-seat was a human, seemingly trapped in a nexus of bio-organic technology which was siphoning off their "energy" for lack of a better description.
    Mouse is able to locate a control panel by which the hull is restored to it normal state, causing the wind effect to dissapate in the central chambre.
    The group runs into the room as fast as they can to get a better look at the central mass.

    North: "What is that?"
    Piedmont: "Not what but WHO!"
    Tamerlain: "Doctor Vector? GET HIM DOWN, NOW!!"

    No one knew what to expect.
    Everyone was mortified & terrified at the same time.
    It was all real...alien life was real!
    The first indication something was wrong came in the form of a biomechanical wail which erupted from the bowels of the ancient alien craft at the moment it's power was cut off.
    More of concern was the sound of giant footsteps approaching rapidly in responce to their cutting of the power.
    Mouse urged Elektra to run and the pair of them were already sprinting from the room as most others caught on.
    North motioned for Alicia to fall back but she and Tamerlain still held the line.

    They were greeted by what seemed to be a chinese-made military model boomer in the final stages of Voomer Madness.
    The Kijo was a rare variant of Doberman military spaceboomer that was downgraded in several key areas to allow for terrestrial deployment.
    Little short of a heavy battlemover could stand up to it in combat.
    It stood five yards tall and weighed in excess of twelve tons.
    A Kijo unit could withstand a direct hit from the 120mm hyper-velocity cannon on a main battle tank and still remain 70% combat effective.
    It wasn't a boomer...it was a death machine.

    North: "FALL BACK!!!"

    TO BE CONTINUED...

    -Peace-
    Post edited by Adenides on
Sign In or Register to comment.

March 2024
Wrath of the Highborn

Read the feature post on the blog
Return to Obsidian Portal

Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!

Discussions