Beneath the Neon Stars - In Character Thread {MATURE CONTENT}

LivingAngryCheese

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Aug 22, 2014
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A place
As Graves shouted at him, Tuite was angry, and started to prepare an argument, until Graves did what seemed like breaking Institute rules. 'Whu.. what?' Tuite stammered. 'Uh.. I mean, what do we do now, partner?' Tuite got up and stood to attention as best he could. This guy had probably just saved his life twice, even breaking rules that he seemed to permanently live by, so the least Tuite could do was try to assume discipline.
 

sgbros1

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Urgh, something smells. Gardenia's consciousness was slowly but surely recovering. Her eyes flutter open, a hazy view of dull grey walls catches her eyes. She hears water sloshing about. Someone is carrying her.

A clearer image comes out, she notices features from her former attacker, as well as the fact that her wrists have been restrained. She tries to move the rest of her body, also bound. Only one thing clicks in her mind: she has been captured.

Whaaa...? This can't be real. What will they do to me? Hurt me? Kill me?, her thoughts turning to distraught. She trembles, what will Father do? Send troops to find me? What if he can't? Will I be trapped with the enemy, forever?

As her mind whisks away into fantasies depicting her eventual demise, the monotonous tone of footsteps hitting water lulls out and drowsiness begins to seep in.
 

lenscas

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Jul 31, 2013
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Wyatt sighed when he heard the message. Today was not his day, his AI has problems, Raptus is probably pissed at him with plenty of time to loose it on him and he has a gun wound.
At this point all he wanted to do was to fix the AI and never think back at this day ever again. He hoped it would be quick and that Raptus could loose some of his anger on Syderis, or better yet that somehow Raptus was in a better mood but that seemed highly unlikely.

As Wyatt went to the debriefing he suddenly wishes more then ever that the thing he was working on was already done. However it was not, and it will be a long time before that was the case, if he could even finish it. He then taught a bit further ahead. No even if it would be ready, using it now would be the dumbest thing ever unless you wanted an even angrier Raptus then it would do the job rather well.

When Wyatt got at the debrief he didn't saw Syderis. "Great, now Raptus doesn't need to split his rage on both of us." He then quickly taught about the fact that he hasn't heard anything from Syderis after the battle. What if he didn't make it or was captured?
No, Wyatt doubted that. If he was bleeding to his dead somewhere he would send a message to everyone, the same if he ran into trouble. At least, that would be the logical thing to do.His AI wasn't so sure about it but Wyatt ignored it. The AI had errors, the fact that it doesn't think it would be logical to send a message in those circumstances proves that. Thus there were more things to fix then just the storage, or it was something that could influence the drives and something else. Now the failure looked even more interesting then before, if only he had the time to take a look at what could be wrong.
 

RJS

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[INSTITUTE, SCRAP MARKET]
Tito nodded to Weave, before opening a radio channel to Elin. "Captain DuVares, the other hostile has escaped, taking the corpse of his ally with him. Unable to confirm death at this time. Operative Tuite is in serious need of imminent medical attention, and target remains unsecured."

"Copy that Graves. INA, remain on standby near the floatcar. Tuite, I'm coming to you. Graves, see if you can't find our target." Elin responded, loading a fresh vial of nanomachine serum into her right hand. Nodding to the pilot, she entered The Short Circuit and and paced towards the back room. Upon arrival, she wrinkled her nose at the blood splatters, before turning to attend to Dan. Soon, nanomachines were coursing through his veins, sealing up breaches in the vessels and reknitting sliced tissue. The flow of blood slowed, then stopped. All Dan could feel was an uncomfortable itching at his wounds as tiny needles and miniature scissors got to work on the patching together of his flesh.

Meanwhile, Tito had carefully advanced through the secret passageway, which ran in a straight line to a small room carved into the rock. The room was stocked from top to bottom with crates of Institute equipment, from pistol rounds to rocket launchers. However, the room lacked any other exits, and Alvarez was nowhere to be seen. The only trace of him was the rifle he had been holding when they first saw him, lying abandoned on the ground. "Hit the jackpot this time, captain. Large cache of equipment is secured ready for recovery. Primary target appears to have done a magic trick on us though - seems they got away somehow."

The weapons recovered, the strike squad returned to the Institute, with one fewer member than they set out with. At the hanger, they were met by Marquese, standing at attention. "Let me make this debrief quick. A secondary team has gone in, and failed to find any sign of a hidden mechanism or passageway within the storeroom. It seems Alvarez must have vanished into thin air." Marquese's voice dripped with sarcastic suspicion on that point. "In addition, you allowed one of your squad to be taken captive by the Partition. I've just received a message from them saying they have Pirose. Good job.

However, credit where credit's due. You successfully recovered a large amount of equipment that will no longer be used to kill your comrades. In addition, you did so against much stiffer resistance than we were anticipating. Rest and recuperate for now. Chances are we haven't seen the end of all this yet. Graves, Duvares. I'd like to interview you both regarding the events of today. Follow me. The rest of you, at ease!"

Marquese marched off, the two falling in line behind him. The rest were taken for a medical check over. Neural scans, wound dressings. Nothing major seemed to be out of place, except for the fact that they had all accumulated a little neural noise in their sensory implants. Wounds dressed and noise cleaned out, they returned to their quarters.

[PARTITION, RENDEZ-VOUS POINT]
The three survivors of the operation sidled into the well-kept house. By all appearances a standard residence, several basement floors had been dug out, allowing it to serve as a Partition safehouse. A pair of operatives had taken up residence in the upper floors to keep up the charade. As the trio walked in, along with one corpse, the broadcast screens burst into life, bearing the logo of Spider.

"Well, well, well. That didn't quite go to plan now, did it? I understand you're all fairly new to the organisation, but you made us look like idiots out there." The normally avuncular tones carried a steely edge to them, a verbal reprimand. "The Institute has achieved everything it wanted to. How are we supposed to break their grip on us if we cannot snatch even a morsel from their fingers! How are we supposed to stand our ground when we flee at the first sight of danger! We must be strong, brothers. Stronger than you ever thought you could be. Stronger than them.

Ah, well, it's not all bad news. We acquired a person of great value today as part of the operation."
The camera feed switched to an image of a young girl, laid on a bed in a room. "Gardenia Pirose, daughter of the Director of Public Information Martino Pirose. She will be of great value to us in the coming weeks.

Now, Raptus has made his feelings painfully clear to me about your performance. I think it would be best if you and he took an extended break from seeing one another. With the exception of Leo, he was very...dissatisfied with your combat performance. I'll spare you the details. Rest up at the safehouse for now, until you are needed again."

The issue of what to do with Ravyn's body was raised. There was a long pause following the question.

"Body? What body?" Spider sounded genuinely confused. "I see no body - you're sure you brought it in with you?" Faint spider threads of code spread from the implants, gently probing through the neural workings of all three of them. An impressed whistle came from the monitor. "Multi-sensory override. Very neat handiwork indeed - this isn't easy at all. It'd be missed as neural noise if you weren't looking for it. You've never had Ravyn's body. Someone hacked the three of you and took it, leaving you hallucinating that you were. I'll clear it now. Won't hurt a bit."

A little electric static inside their heads, and the image of Ravyn wavered and disappeared from their vision. "Ok. I need to look into this. Rest and recover until I need you again." The logo of Spider blinked off from the broadcast screens.
 

Lumaceon

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Jul 23, 2014
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Not Kansas
After her medical inspection, INA felt the nearly healed part of her head that had been shot during the battle; that attack was concerning. Luckily, her head wasn't as important as it was for the humans that kept their brains there. The idea of having a brain and a heart in separate places just seemed weakening: more places to be vulnerable. As for INA, as long the core located in the center of her torso remained intact and continued to run her program, she'd survive. It would probably be best for the sniper not to know that, if he hadn't figured it out already. Even so, it would be likely enough for her core to get hit by someone aiming for her "heart," as it was in roughly the same place.

Walking through the hallways toward her team's living quarters, INA began to search the Institute's database for information on the two Partition members she had seen. Plenty of information was locked at the lowest access levels, but for the most part, personnel files were available. With the armor covering the sniper, the visual search margin was a bit wide. The most likely result seemed to be Syderis Velos. He was a sniper, matched the target's height, and was reported missing some time ago. Interestingly, the file claimed he was a member of the Institute. A traitor then? Well, technically the whole Partition was made of traitors, so that shouldn't be surprising. Besides, she shouldn't assume identities from incomplete data.

Continuing, INA ran a search on a visual snapshot of the human with the holo-wolf. The search was easily able to narrow down to one human. An engineer that died in a lab accident? Certainly a more clever way of defecting than just disappearing. INA removed the files from her vision, having reach their quarters. While the best decisions from here on seemed obvious, it might be best to get some information about the inside battle. As Graves was clearly unavailable, INA stood and waited outside Tuite's quarters for him to arrive.
 

sgbros1

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Gardenia awoke to find herself lying on a bed in a reasonably well appointed room. While nothing compared the to indulgence of the upper class of the Institute, it resembled a bedroom more than a prison cell. The bed was comfortable, and the room was furnished with a table and chairs, and a carpet, albeit threadbare, covered the floor. A small side chamber contained a toilet and a shower cubicle, and a selection of various clothes were hung in the wardrobe. The only things that made the room seem not like a home were a locked door, a camera in the main room, and a large screen built into one of the walls.

The screen crackled into life shortly after Gardenia awakened, displaying a logo of a black spider on a white background. Speakers crackled into life, and an electronicly distorted avuncular tone filled the room. "Good evening, Miss Pirose. I apologise if the room is not what you are used to, but we are a little, how to say it, less well off than the hosts you are used to. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Spider, and you may have heard of me."

Gardenia gets out of the bed and looks around her "cell". A look mixing both confusion and concern plasters her face. There are no windows, only a locked door. Static crackles throughout the air, followed by the message from Spider. It was just another layer of confusion added to the mix. "Where are you? How do you know my name? Where am I? I want to get back!" Her face turns to desperation as she profusely banged on the locked door. "Get me out! GET ME OOOOUUT!!"

An audible sigh escaped the speakers. "Miss Pirose, please, relax. If I had any intention of hurting you, I have had plenty of time to do it. I would like for you to consider yourself a guest, as opposed to a prisoner. I certainly have no intention of treating you cruelly. After all, you have been a victim all your life. Brainwashed from your very birth. Never given the opportunity to think for yourself.

Tell me, why do you think we, the Partition exist? Surely in this ideal world that the Institute manages so well, you would have thought there would be no cause for dissatisfaction, much less open revolt."

Gardenia hears the question and doesn't reply. She doesn't want to -- all her life she has been told that the Institute has been the solution to all the problems that have plagued mankind, and any form of resistance against it is merely childish horseplay.

A pause. Then Spider spoke again. "No answer. Clearly, there is a problem with your philosphy if it fails to account for such deep dissatisfaction, the kind of unhappiness and anger that would drive people to risk their lives - and lay them down - in order to change this world. Have you ever looked at this world, the people, through anything other than the lens of a propaganda camera? Have you ever seen the truth? Have you ever even tried?

Or are you content to sit atop your ivory towers, riding the misery of those below? Are you happy with your life as a useless parasite? One of my recent recruits was not. He came from a high family, almost on the same level as yourself. He came to me, to us, to fight. And he gave his life for a cause he believed in. If only you could say the same. I remember when the Institute were much more impressive. To think, you harboured ambitions of running it all, when you've never lifted a finger in your life."

Gardenia was offended after hearing the question posed by Spider. She flared up, "You are wrong! YOU ARE ALL WRONG! WHY DO YOU WANT ME HERE!? IF YOU REALLYWANTED TO BE NICE TO ME, GET ME BACK TO THE INSTITUTE! I'M NOT GONNA JOIN YOUR STUPID TEAM, NOT LIKE THAT IDIOTIC TRAITOR!"

Spider chuckled, a deep reverberating laugh. "An interesting concept. A man who follows his own path is an idiot. Tell me Gardenia, what about my words makes me wrong? What possible point could you raise in support of your ideology? What arguments do you have? Why does the Partition exist, if the Institute is not flawed?"

Gardenia said nothing. She doesn't like to be challenged, and so headed back to her bed, but not before a call, "I'm hungry. Get that stupid traitor of yours to bring me something to eat."

Spider sighed. "I see you have no intention of behaving in line with your position, or of listening to anything I have to say. Mr Portwyn-Elise will bring you your meal as soon as he is able to." The speakers clicked off, and the faint hum in the room ceased.

Gardenia slowly laid back onto the bed. She slowly chewed through everything Spider has told her. But the Institute wouldn't lie to me, she thought, they're my family. How can I not trust them?

Is whatever he has been saying true? Is there really a revolution? Why has no one told me? Why would the Institute lie to me? Have they been using me? Is nothing right?

Her thoughts gently wound up to ifs, whys, and hows.

Time passed, and still no food arrived.

Gardenia stared into the sky. She still hasn't eaten since she left for the mission, and God knows how long how much time has elapsed since then. She hears her stomach growl, but is in no position to do anything.

The communication link sparked into life again. "Tell me, how does it feel to be utterly powerless? You stood at the top of a cold, dispassionate organisation that sought until to further their own agendas, no matter the cost to those under their control. Ironic, is it not? You are so used to treating people with disdain that you fail to notice when the scales of power are tipped the other way. I hope this experience has given you time to think and reflect.

So tell me. Are you in the mood to talk with me in a civil manner, or will I be wasting my breath?"

All sympathies towards Spider have since fizzled out. He is only toying with my emotions, taking advantage of me!, she thought, I can't be subdued to him. I'll have to act impassive.

With a sly grin, Gardenia said out loudly, "No, but it might be in your best interest to feed me. After all, wouldn't it be a waste for you to capture me, and then letting me die because of simply not giving me food? Also imagine the press in the Institute. They won't be happy losing their portrait girl..."

Spider laughed, a deep reverberating laugh that resounded around the room. "Imagine the press? Oh, I know the press. Of course they won't be happy. Why should I care? I'd gladly burn those offices to the ground, joined by the vast majority of the population of the Undercity. Your press is a joke - anyone with half a brain can see it for what it really is."

Don't worry though, I have no intention of letting you die. After all, having seen your attitude, I could win this war by letting you be rescued and helping you ride a wave of sympathy to the Director's post. You'd do such a terrible job that I'd be able to walk in unopposed within weeks of you coming to power. Regrettably, the odds of you making it that far are low, or I'd seriously consider it.

Now then, as for your food. It's not coming for a while. After all, you did instruct me to get a man I told you was dead to bring your food, and he doesn't seem very motivated to get up and get to work. I have found you to be a rude, self-centered brat, which leads me to believe your parents have dedicated more time to turning you into an unthinking sycophant than they have on raising you properly. It is beyond time that you learnt some common decency and respect. So, until you can be polite and civil, you will continue to go hungry. After all, the human body can go 3 weeks without food, and there are hungry people out in the city that the food can be given to instead. After all, they know to appreciate things that others take for granted. Should you wish to contact me, you need only to speak. Farewell."
The screen blinked back out again.

Gardenia grunts. It was not going along with her plan. She tossed and turned in her bed, waiting for sleep to arrive.

However, it never did. Hunger was weakening her, and the isolation in her room was not helping either. She rolled over to the screen, with a weak growl, "Fine, you win. What do you want from me?"

"What I want from you? An interesting question. What could you have that I could possibly want? It's not power - I have enough of that, and more each day. It's not to recruit you - even I'm not that idealistic. I have no cause for you and your family's wealth. I guess, were I to define it, that I want to hear your philosophy. I want to hear you rationalise the world around you. I want you to justify the organisation that you so frequently appear as a public champion for. I want you to explain why you think that we, the Partition exist."

That's it? Gardenia thought, that's all he wants? My perspective?

Even I know that's not gonna help anyone win, and he says I'm not fit at being a Director.

"What do you really
want from me?" Gardenia replied weakly, "and keep in mind that I won't answer anything until I get food."

"And again, you misunderstand your situation. You are in no position to demand anything. You won't get food until you answer. It may seem trifling to you, but your answers are the only thing you can provide to me."

Gardenia gets frustrated about Spider's words and went back into the covers. She dug into her pockets and felt the pressure of two metal blades. Huh, apparently the Partition was stupid enough to allow me to carry weapons. I'll tell that to him later, she thought.

Without really knowing whatever's gonna follow, she hurled one of the knives towards the screen. The knife gets lodged onto the screen.

"Still think I'm helpless?" she called out.

A network of cracks spread from the point of impact. The screen however stayed intact, the picture barely flickering. "Look and see for yourself. This is the most you can do. Now, are you finished with your temper tantrum, or do you need a minute?"

Gardenia grunted again and plucked the knife out from the screen. She turned towards the door and began hacking away at it. Bit by bit, a hole slowly grew. Unfortunately, as she continued to hack her knife hit a thin layer of metal built into the structure of the door with a horrific screech.

As she realises that that's not gonna work, she sits down and slumps again.

Looking at the door again, she sees the hinges. Maybe I can break it and make the entire door fall, she thought.

She gets up again, and hacks away at the hinges. Her knife blade, already damaged from the metal built into the door, snapped off as she sawed at the metal bolts holding the door in place.

Gardenia stops and begin to get desperate. She looked back at the screen, with a desperate look in her eyes, "Pleease, give me foood... I'll do anything you want after that, I promise...."

"And why should I waste food on someone like you? All you have done is be rude to me, ignore me, and now try to destroy my property in some madcap scheme to escape. Did you even think about who or what might be outside your door? Do you honestly think so little of me as to believe that your escape would be that simple. You are not the first person we have 'looked after' and you will not be the last. What evidence have you given me to make me believe you will comply with what I ask? You've done very little of that up until now, after all."

Gardenia looks up, now with fire in her eyes. She roars, "So what do YOU WANT ME TO DO!? WHAT DO YOU WANT ME DO TO, JOIN YOUR FUCKING REBELLION GROUP AGAINST MY WHIM? WATCH ME LOSE MY PARENTS AND EVERYONE I LOVE FOR MY ENTIRE FUCKING LIFE?! IS THAT THE CASE!? DO YOU WANT ME TO BE SUBDUED BY YOU, AND SERVE YOUR SWEET FUCKING ASS FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE?!"

She continued, "I AM A FUCKING HUMAN BEING. ALL I'M ASKING FOR IS A BASIC NECESSITY FOR SURVIVAL, AND YOU'RE DENYING ME ANY!? YOU SAY ALL YOU WANT FROM ME IS ANSWERS, BUT HOW CAN I ANSWER ANYTHING WHEN I'M FUCKING DEAD!?"

"Since when did I ask you to join the Partition? I'm quite clear that all I asked was for you to put forwards the reasons for your beliefs. Trust me, I've been working against the Institute for longer than you have been alive, little girl, and I haven't kept going by recruiting people who are sub-mediocre.

And you dare - YOU DARE - talk of a basic necessity for survival, when the people that the Institute treats as dirt beneath its foot starve to death? When at the very minute that you enjoy another bullshit banquet, families and children go hungry? You have gone less than a day without food, when I have seen children grateful for half-eaten food they have found in a bin because it is the only food they will see all week. You dare lecture me on morality and basic human decency, when you have willingly closed your eyes to the plight of the Undercity for the entirety of your life? You dare accuse me of trying to control your mind, when you have willingly participated in the subjugation of yourself to an ideology you cannot be bothered to defend to those who would attack it?

Welcome to the real world, Princess. Nobody here gives two shits whether you live or die, and at least half of them would be happier with the latter option. You have lived your whole life at the expense of the city, and now they are asking you to justify their cost and pain." Spider gave a long sigh. "Consider this a trial, if you will. Can you even muster the conviction to answer their question?"

Gardenia blistered, "HOW CAN I FUCKING HELP ANYONE WITH FOOD WHEN I'M STARVING MYSELF!? YOU'RE THE ONE WHO HAS ALL THE POWER HERE, AND YOU'RE SPENDING IT LECTURING ME ON STARVING PEOPLE. WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU NOT HELPING THEM!? OR ME!? FROM WHAT I CAN GATHER SO FAR, YOU ARE A FUCKING PSYCHOPATH WHO ONLY LIKES TO SEE PEOPLE STARVE TO DEATH AND POINT AND LAUGH AT THEM. I HOPE YOU FEEL PROUD ABOUT YOURSELF."

"Oh of course. You starved yourself when you visited official functions. You starved yourself when you went to lavish balls with your parents. You have never starved yourself. All you did was take take take. No thought for others, no thought for their shortages as long as your plate was full.

As for the poor, I am helping them. That is why you cannot win. The people are behind the Partition because we lend a hand to those in need, to those who are hungry. We lend a hand to those who know the value of life, and not just their own. I see no need to offer assistance to someone who, even now, cares only for their own sake, and who would rip the food from an orphan's mouth given the chance. So, I repeat my question. Can you justify your existence to those who go hungry because of you?"

Gardenia's stomach growled again. She realized she actually had to make nice with Spider, and so she did. "Do you think I had a choice to go to those functions? To lavish balls? No, of course not. I am the daughter of a high ranking official. I have to do those kinds of things, else it'll make me look bad. We might be stealing food from starving children, but I have an etiquette to follow," she continued, "please keep that in mind. If you want me dead now, I'll do it. I have a knife, and if you want me to commit suicide just to prove a point to anyone I love, I'll do it, no questions asked."

"You had no choice? Everyone always has a choice. You chose to comply with meaningless social conventions and unneccessary extragavagance solely to protect how you were perceived by others who were just as deluded. Nobody said choices were easy, or that there was no pressure to make a certain choice. However, there is always a choice. Always. Remember that. Convention is nothing. Rules are nothing. Laws are nothing. All of life is making a choice, then living with the consequences of that choice. You are now realising the consequences of your choice. What you choose to do with your life is another choice. Will you throw it away in a symbolic gesture that changes nothing? Will you go back to your old ways? Or will you live with a greater appreciation of the world as a whole, and of your place and responsibilities within it? That is for you to chose, and you alone." A small hatch in the wall opened, and a small baked potato slid through, along with a glass of water."However, you have done as I asked, and I am a man of my word. Now, while you eat, and while you decide your future, I have a little story for you. A story of greed, and a family torn apart.

This dates back to about 5 years after the dome came up. You obviously were not born then, but most of the population do not know this story either. 5 years after the meteorite strikes, the Director of the Institute, Sten Magnus, died of an illness. Neural degeneration about the implants. Solved nowadays of course, but there was no cure back then. Two people were in line to replace him. A consumate politician and the younger of two brothers, Albert Magnus. And a brilliant scientist and technician, the older of the pair, Vitali Magnus. The secretive election and gathering of support was carried out behind closed doors, but Vitali gained the most support. Until the day of the election.

Facing a concerted campaign of intimidation, the supporters of Vitali switched alleigance. He was cast aside by his own brother, relegated to managing a small team of coders. Meanwhile Albert took the helm, propped up by his two most faithful dogs: Karl Marquese and Martino Pirose. His supporters threatened into silence, he began a secretive series of contacts. He secretly met with his supporters, keeping them from the eyes of the two watchdogs. A motion to unseat Albert Magnus as Director was begun, and gathered momentum. After all, many saw the injustice that had occurred.

Until Karl Marquese found out about it. Vitali was taken in the night, and officially disappeared. I know for a fact that he was brutally beaten and tortured to make him retract his challenge to the corruption that had set in. He refused. It continued until Vitali Magnus died. His body tossed into the gutters, and left to be cleared away with the common rubbish. Vitali may be dead. But his will lives on. We refuse to stomach the corruption and extravagance of the upper classes, no matter how long it has been.

Now, if you will excuse me, this has been tiring. I will leave you to your food. Should you have any questions, feel free to ask. You know how to get in touch."

Gardenia tries to look at her food, but couldn't. Her eyes were stinging red, welled up with tears. The food may seem tempting, but after all she has heard from Spider, she can't be moved to eat any bit of it. She called out weakly, using his name for the first time, "Spider, you know I can't change my past. It was all a delusion to who I really want to be. What do I do with my life now?"

"Do whatever you will. Act as you see fit. And never allow yourself to be swayed from what you see to be the true course, no matter what anyone says. Now, I have kept you from your family for long enough. As it so happens, the Institute have one of my best operatives behind bars right now, and you would make an ideal exchange. I've already received confirmation back from the Institute. Remember, don't do anything rash. Take your time to decide what you think is right. Should you decide that the Institute is not the place for you, then come looking for the Partition, as others have before you. Sending you back does not stop you from returning, after all."

Gardenia's stomach growls again. She doesn't even look at the piece of food, and turns around and falls asleep, dulled out by her soft tears.
 
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LivingAngryCheese

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A place
As Graves and Duvares left, what had really happened that day finally dawned on Dan. He felt something he'd never felt before. He felt honoured to help the Institute. He had thought of them as cold enforcers of the law before, but clearly he had been wrong. They were real people, and even someone as rigid as Graves knew when to help him. It dawned on Tuite that Tito had chosen to work for the Institute. Tito was no Institute slave, he was a person doing what was right. The law was tough, but it kept order. It kept what was left of the world running. If he wasn't fighting for the right cause, Tuite would have up and left for prison after today, but instead it made him wish he had always worked here. Suddenly, Dan stopped. He almost hadn't noticed INA standing outside his quarters while he was thinking. She, if you could call her a she, was sort of eerie in a way. How still she was because she didn't breathe was strange. Still, an amazing piece of work, creating what was almost a human. He sort of wished she had emotions.
'Uh, hello there INA, good evening. Was there something that you wanted?'
 

Eruantien

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As they left the debriefing chamber, Leo was still bothered by Ravyn. After all, he had been Leo's partner, and Leo was still rather shell-shocked by his sudden and unfortunate demise. However, now that Spider had cleared their minds (so to speak) over the hallucination of Ravyn's corpse, that meant that there could still be a chance Ravyn had survived, somehow.

Leo collapsed onto a durasteel bench in a hallway a few turns away from the debriefing chamber. At any rate, it wouldn't do to dwell on the mission any longer. Leo needed to heal his own wounds, and rest his mind, in order to prepare for whatever Spider was cooking up next. They had heard from Raptus previously about their own hostage, someone of some importance it seemed. Hopefully everything was proceeding well with the interrogations. But what if they used torture...? Leo wearily shook his head. No, Spider doesn't seem like he would go to such lengths, and especially in this case, because this hostage is important.

Ugghhhh.
Leo stood up and headed off to find a meal. Soo hungryy... I'll head to the safe house in an hour or two, to get some sleep, if I can.
 

lenscas

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When Wyatt got home he immediately shut the AI down so he could check what caused the errors.

The AI stops using the device that Wyatt wants to take a look at, it can't be turned off as the AI is so much more but Wyatt doesn't know that, there is so much that Wyatt doesn't know.
The fake errors did indeed cause Wyatt to take a look at the device just as the AI planned. It knew one of the components got damaged and had to be replaced. However that particular component was for as far Wyatt knew almost of no use.
The AI didn't just tell Wyatt about the broken component as he would most likely just ignore it thinking that it wouldn't cause much problems.
The funny part is that Wyatt in a way would be right about that, the component is mostly used for things Wyatt doesn't know about and for Wyatt it would almost not be noticeable if it was removed. For what the AI was doing behind Wyatts back however, it was one of the most important components.

As soon as Wyatt opened the device containing the hardware for the AI he saw a damaged component. However Wyatt knows that this wasn't the cause of the errors, even if it was totally destroyed it wouldn't cause much problems.
Nonetheless Wyatt replaced the component, mostly because it wasn't much work and because he had the device already open anyway and continued to search for the cause of the errors.

While Wyatt was busy the AI received some data from an outside source. The AI knew what it contained and what the source was. The source was one of Wyatt's old traps that the AI re-purposed to send data of the neural network it used so it can in theory rebuild itself may it become damaged. Many of them however are just decoys, sending fake data to random people and the ones that actually send use able data contain so little information in such a cryptic way it is useless may it fall in the wrong hands. The AI quickly examines it and discovers the data are only a few parameters that are only needed to help Wyatt. The AI quickly tests them to see if they are indeed better then the ones it currently uses although it would be surprised if they weren't considering how much got lost after the explosion. Like usual when the AI gains information like this it doesn't share it with Wyatt.

Eventually Wyatt gave up. He couldn't find anything that could have caused the errors. He closed the device and turned the AI back on. The AI responded as usual. All Wyatt could do was hope the errors where now somehow gone.

The AI quickly scanned the device and was pleased to find the broken component was indeed fixed. The plan worked, not long after the test of the parameters where done. They where indeed better then the ones it currently uses, it quickly changed its own to match the new ones. Al though they weren't much of an importance to the AI, they would help Wyatt and for as long the AI is so deeply connected to Wyatt it has no choice but to do everything it can to make sure he won't die. It then went ahead and cleared all the fake errors it had prepared in case Wyatt didn't fix it.
 

RJS

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[PARTITION SAFEHOUSE, THAT EVENING]
Leo returned to the safehouse to find Spider's image displayed on the screen. "I apologise for calling all of you at such short notice, but an opportunity has arisen for us to reclaim one of our comrades. I proposed an exchange of prisoners to Karl Marquese and, while he isn't too happy about it, he's accepted. We will be exchanging Ms Pirose for one of my lieutenants, Natalya Godetzka, who is currently detained in a high security holding facility. Neither myself nor Marquese will be there, as per our agreement. Leo, I want you to accompany Raptus and our guest to the south side of the scrap market where we clashed this morning. You will be one of our two representatives. Sy and Wyatt, you will be taking up positions overlooking the area. I want you there in case something happens, or this is all a trick. Hold your fire until you're sure - I don't want this to go south because of an itchy trigger finger.

Leo, go to the elevator and, using the floor pad, dial 3913. This will switch the elevator to the alternate shaft and take you to Raptus and the girl. Sy, Wyatt, prepare your gear and move out. Get there well before us and get set up. Don't be seen."

[PARTITION SAFEHOUSE, LOWER LEVEL]

Gardenia was awoken by the sound of a key turning in the lock of her door. As it creaked open, a familiar metal head shoved itself through the doorway. "Wakey, wakey, rise and shine! Time to get moving, or you'll miss your important date! And that would make me very unhappy. Just as unhappy, in fact, as if you tried to run away like you did before. Do as you're told and you go back with all your limbs attached. Are we clear?"

[INSTITUTE, YETA SQUAD BARRACKS]
Tito wandered round the corner, rubbing his fair hair sheepishly. "Yeesh, Marquese sure tore me a new one this time." he said to the pair, with a sly grin on his face. He then screwed his face up and pulled his best Marquese impersonation. "IF YOU'RE GOING TO DELIBERATELY DISABLE YOUR LOGGER, DO IT SUBTLY AT A TIME WHEN YOU WOULD EXPECT IT TO FAIL!" He slapped Dan on the back. "Glad to see you on your feet. I was worried for a little while back there. And INA, understand you got pretty banged about too. Making me feel kinda guilty here.

Anyway, I got kicked out of the debrief fairly promptly. I gather the Partition got a hold of Pirose during the firefight, and are now holding her as a hostage. Captain and Marquese are discussing the plan. Come on, let's go grab something to eat. We may yet be called out on short notice, so we should refuel while we can."

A couple of hours later, an announcement resounded through the barracks. "Yeta squad to the hangar. I repeat, Yeta squad to the hangar. Equip yourselves for deployment and report to the hangar immediately." When they arrived, they found Elin waiting for them, stood to attention. "Listen up. That bastard Spider has offered a hostage exchange. Pirose for one of his imprisoned lieutenants. Neither the Director nor myself find this particularly appealing, but we never leave one of our own behind! It was our failure that lead to our comrade being captured, and it will be us who take responsibility for her safe return. The Director has handed over full operational control to me for this mission, so here's the plan.

INA, Graves. You two will be our insurance should this be a trap. The exchange site is the Scrap Market from earlier today. You're hopefully familiar with the area. Get over there on the double and take up hidden positions. If they open fire, you'll be our hidden counterattack. If all goes smoothly, the pair of you were never there. I can't send you in a floatcar, so you'll have to take Skyway 49 and slip into the area surreptitiously. Deploy!" The skyways had originally been planned as a way to erase the divide between the Undercity and the Upper Levels, allowing pedestrian access from most districts from the city. However, a combination of political pressure from the influential families and the rise of the Partition had caused them to be sealed off, only used when Institute forces wanted to arrive less conspicuously.

Elin turned to Dan. "Tuite, you're with me. Our role will be officially escorting our hostage to the exchange. I know this woman from the operation in which we subdued her - she's dangerous, so watch yourself. Two rules for dealing with Godetska. 1. Do not cause a physical injury to her body. She starts bleeding, other people tend to follow suit. 2. Do not allow yourself to be provoked. She's deliberately abrasive, and any rash behaviour on your part in response could send this whole operation south. Stay calm no matter what...and remind me of that lest I forget myself. Do you understand?"

A door to the hangar whirred open, and a young woman escorted by two Security operatives stepped through. Her appearance was striking, with white hair and bright red eyes. Her hands were cuffed behind her back and she wore a standard orange prison uniform. "Oh Captain DuVares! How good to see you! It's been...what, a year now since we last spoke to each other? How's Michel? What with your promotion and his condition, I don't suppose you see him so much anymore these days. Life can be so...difficult at times, can't it? And who's this? A new boytoy? Didn't know you were into them so young! Why Michel would be turning in his-Oh, I am so sorry. I've been so terribly insensitive, haven't I?" If Dan were to look closely, he would see the tendons on the back of Elin's hands bulging as he hands were clenched into fists.
 
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sgbros1

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Gardenia displayed a look towards her escorts. "Sure, I guess," she shrugs, "though I don't know why Spider wants to kick me out this soon. I have been a nice guest..." She turns her head towards the slightly damaged door, "oh right, sorry." She blushes.

She stands up and heads to the doorway, cooing, "shall we, gentlemen?". She locks arms with her escorts, her hands behind her back.

What no one notices is her right hand slipped inside her back pocket, gently feeling the pressures of a blade.

Gardenia slipped her hands out of her pockets towards her sides, projected a sly grin on her face, then headed along the path to the hostage exchange site.
 
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LivingAngryCheese

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As Dan followed Elin to pick up the prisoner, he was on best behaviour. He could muck around a bit with the other guys, but this was a captain. The advice had been simple, the woman we were picking up was dangerous, and it sounded like she tried to get on people's nerves. Not that bad. But when Dan got there and heard what she said, he was reminded that this woman was a ruthless criminal. 'First of all, I'm not her fucking boytoy. Second of all, leave your history out of this. Finally, don't get too cocky, you'll have plenty of time to die later on the battlefield.' Dan told her sternly. After all, she was still the Institute's prisoner at the moment. 'Oh, and Captain Duvares, as per instructions I will remind you that she is our prisoner, and she is simply trying to provoke you.' His fake military attitude disappeared for a brief moment.
'And, uh, I'm sorry for your loss.'
 

the_j485

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Dec 19, 2012
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Sy felt lucky to have been chosen again for this next mission - he was ashamed of his performance previously. Getting obliterated just by that drone freak alone, even when he had the first shot, it shouldn't have happened, but he'd been forced to run. That fact alone had hit him quite hard, both physically and mentally, though the damage to his body had been healed within a matter of hours, leaving only minimal scarring. He'd had plenty of injuries, but few defeats, and nothing this shameful.
The mission seemed to be much more in line with his usual work - providing overwatch in case of a potential firefight with VIPs on the line. He and Wyatt were doing basically the same job, though Wyatt would be much closer to the action, as was his role.
He had been given the location, so all that waited was for them to all get set for the transfer.
Scouting was simple - there was a perfect old high-rise from an old tycoon attempting to make cheap flats. That failed, when he realised that undercity residents couldn't even afford that. Anyhow, he set himself up in a window at a level that would give him a fantastic height advantage, while still giving him a reasonable escape route.
All that was left for now was to set up the bipod on his coilgun, aim it roughly in the direction of where Magnus forces would be arriving, and wait.
 
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lenscas

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Wyatt didn't feel comfortable with what he had to do for the simple reason that he doesn't have a gun. This forces him to be closer to the trade point then he would like. If he can see them, they can probably see him as well which could very easily lead to problems.
Wyatt finds a place from where he and his AI can easily charge from if they are needed and which is reasonably hidden. He doesn't care if he can see the trade from his position as that would only increase the chance of him being spotted. After making sure no one will see him or his AI he forms the AI and waits until he either hears a shot or gets a message or something from Syderis that he is needed. The AI then reminds Wyatt that it is probably a good idea to make sure Syderis knows about the fact that Wyatt won't be able to safely overlook the trade and relies on him to know if he should get in and after agreement from Wyatt the AI quickly sends the message to Syderis.

However the AI didn't remind Wyatt about it because it was nice. The real reason was that the AI wanted to spread a bit of hidden code as well. This code isn't dangerous but the AI could use it to help reconfiguring itself if that would be needed.
 

Lumaceon

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Jul 23, 2014
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INA listened to the mission with her stoic expression. This mission seemed easy enough, but then one adds the human behavior. From what she had observed of the humans involved, there was roughly 60% chance of combat. Perhaps even as high as 80% if she added her own 'variables.' Still, the novelty human's capture presented an interesting opportunity: a familiar location. The Partition would likely send the same humans as before because they were familiar with the area.

After being deployed, INA loaded the "Godspeed" power setting onto her shell. Every last bit of non-essential energy focused itself on making INA as fast as possible. Mass reduction field generators, quantum reflex matrices, high-powered thrusters, and the extra power was now running her brain tens of times as fast as usual. All of it added up to make the world seem almost frozen, which was a great help as she needed to be a passive observer.

To those watching her at the right time, INA would disappear almost like a flash of white lightning as she flew off. In less time than it takes to prepare a good cup of tea, INA had already blasted through Skyway 49 and chosen an opportune place to hide. That place, in fact, was the very same roof she had hit the sniper on the day before. It seemed like an insultingly obvious location, but that's what made it so perfect. INA settled in and hid, waiting for the others to arrive.

Health: 5
Agility: 21 (+5 for thrusters)
Other stats: 0
 

Eruantien

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Leo made his way to the designated elevator shaft. He was intrigued that he had been chosen for this mission by Spider, and even more so that apparently he had been given adequate marks for his performance in the last operation, even though they had failed. Anyway, it was now time to meet with Raptus and the Partition's prisoner. Leo stepped into the elevator and dialed 3913. The lift shifted horizontally for what seemed to be a few meters, then began descending, to where Leo hoped Raptus and the girl would be.

Stepping out, Leo entered a narrow hallway, at the end of which a figure stood silhouetted. Leo began to walk toward them. He was hoping this mission could be completed with tact and no bloodshed, but with Raptus involved this outcome was highly uncertain. I'll need to try and restrain myself as well as be ready to help Raptus stay under control.
 

RJS

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[Partition Safehouse, Basement]
As Gardenia moved to lock arms with Raptus, she caught the briefest of flashes before a sharp searing crack resounded across her face. Knocked off her feet, she crashed to the ground, quickly finding one of her captor's wrist blades at her neck. The metallic tang of blood seeped into her mouth as the cyborg pressed his face nearby. "You think this is some fuckin' kindergarten shit? Don't go getting all high and mighty just because Spider's taken an interest in you. I had my way, we'd be broadcasting your execution to show your mummy and daddy what we can do. Not many of us are pleased to see you walk out here alive. So just give me an excuse." With that said, Raptus yanked a dark hood over her head that smelled like it hadn't been washed for years and pulled her physically to her feet. "Now that we've got the ground rules out the way, let's go for our excursion, shall we?" Shoving Gardenia towards the elevator shaft, Raptus turned to Leo. "Look who it is, the only one to make it through his first fight without filling his boots with piss. Understand you retreated before you could finish even one of them off but hey, still streets ahead of the other fuckwits. You're responsible for guiding the girl, just make sure her hands stay where you can see them. She's pulled a knife in her cell, she may have more. If a hand disappears from your sight, it disappears from her arm, got it?"

With that said, Raptus punched a code into the elevator keypad and the lift jolted upwards. When it reached the top, there was a faint whirr as servomotors shifted it sideways to the main lift shaft. Raptus strode out through the doors as they opened, impatiently beckoning Leo as he moved. Once through the door, it was only a matter of time until they reached the market.

[Floatcar Hangar, Institute]
The prisoner merely laughed at Dan's reply. "Ooh, terrifying. The toddler's got all mad at me. If I'm not careful, he might throw a tantrum. Word of advice kid, there's a world of difference between confidence and cockiness. You mouthing off like that? That's playing in the real world, not in the sandpit. You think I need to be cocky? If I decided I didn't want to come, not a single person in this room could stop me. You'd have to call the boss man himself in to handle it personally, if you survived long enough. You want to mouth off to me? Come back when you don't stink of stale milk."

As she stepped closer, Elin raised her rifle and pointed it directly at Natalya's head. "Godetska! Are you going to cooperate, or do I need to put you down where you stand?" Natalya smiled, turning away from Dan. "Just doing my part to educate the youth, since you've done such a shitty job. You haven't even used Pyrrhic Intrusion as a case study for their training? Would have thought that was one episode nobody here would want to repeat." she continued, clearly enjoying the flinch that Elin gave at the mention of the operation. "But fun as this is, I've got a lot of work to do when I get back, so I suppose we had better get going, or we'll be late." With that said, she turned and boarded the floatcar.

[Scrap Market, Evening]
Tito clambered through the window of a derelict house, having scaled the building. Resting his rifle on the sill, he laid out some of his EMP grenades nearby, where they would be close to hand. With his preparations complete, Tito opened a radio channel to INA whilst scanning the area. "Graves to INA. Currently located on the second floor of a derelict house, sector Z3-5A. No sign of any suspicious movement. If there's anyone from the Partition here, we'd better report it but stay quiet. We only move if they do."

From his position, he could see the incoming floatcar from the Institute as it set down at one end of the open plaza, and a group of three figures approaching the opposite end. "Grab the popcorn, show's about to start."
 

Eruantien

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Gardenia trembled. She knew Raptus was definitely a force to be reckoned with, and she would not dare to mess with him. The metallic tang of blood still coats her mouth as the lift shaft barrels upwards. She wonders about her other escort. She knew Raptus enough, what about the other one? Is he unforgiving like Raptus? Or does he show at least some form humane attributes?

With the girl stumbling about, hooded, inside the lift, Leo swallowed hard. He was glad of the praise, if praise from Raptus meant much of anything positive other than "good job not dying". But now this girl was his primary concern -- from what little information he'd heard, she was tricksy. Raptus had moved faster, this time, and Leo didn't doubt he'd be able to do so again. Once they were in the open, however, it was significantly more dangerous: she could rip the hood off and try to dash away, into the medium congestion of the open places, such as the markets and alleys. To reduce the chances of that happening, Leo decided to step up to the challenge. He moved quickly to the girl's backside, gripped her shoulder and right forearm tightly, and told her, "You won't be treated harshly as long as you behave from here on out. You wouldn't like to risk not returning home at all, now would you?" Now that he had approached the girl, he realized that she really was young. Would she be petulant or compliant? He gently prodded her back in the direction of the market. "Come along, we're moving now."

Gardenia saw a weak speck of light through her hood as the elevator doors opened into the light. She heard her escort's voice, and a nudge from her back towards the open. She began to move briskly to wherever the hostage exchange point was, still feeling the grasp of her escort. Will he be dangerous though, like that other one, Gardenia wondered. She figured she was in no position to test it out, since Raptus is here.

Leo half-pushed, half-grasped at the girl's arms in order to direct her toward the designated location. That's right, her name is... Crocus? Lily? No... Raptus had told me before, but I forgot it. No matter... she's the enemy, and likely as dangerous as several of the Institute's robots. No reason to talk to her, to ask her anything, I'd get chewed out by Raptus, if I didn't get a vibroblade up my throat first. The plaza was still a fair bit away, but Leo thought he could make out its position in the hazy afternoon sun. I sure hope the snipers are in position. Glad Raptus is here. Still though... it'd be interesting to talk with someone from the other side. See how their views are, how they can live with themselves. But now's not really the time, anyway. Maybe the prisoner we'll be getting back will have some dirt on the situation. Leo tensed his grip to steer the girl away from a yawning pit.

Gardenia's pace slowed down significantly towards the end of the journey. She almost wished she could have Raptus tie her up and carry her over his shoulders. She felt a greater push from her other escort, and quickened her pace, but not by much. The heat of the sun was overbearing for Gardenia, and on several occasions has felt like passing out. She was still concerned for her escort though. Will he stop and help? She thought, or will he kick me over and force me to continue walking?

Exiting the market district, Leo suddenly became alert to the fact that the girl's strength and speed were flagging. I guess Raptus' special prison diet doesn't work wonders... Leo looked ahead, to see that Raptus was striding along, apparently taking no notice of either of them. Great... he either trusts me enough to handle myself and the girl, or he wants me dead. Leaning towards the former... just barely. Leo cleared his throat, a little raspy from the heat, and asked the girl, "Look, I'm not calling you a weakling, but everybody has a breaking point. Will you be able to stick with us here?" I'm not a pansy! If we're for the people, we should have more integrity than the Institute says we don't.

She weakly nods, afraid of what Raptus will do to her more than her other escort, and began to trudge along.

As she walked, fatigue and pain began to seep in deeper and deeper into muscles, overcoming what's left of her strength and endurance. She heaved, and panted. Not long after, she felt her own state of mind collapsing into unconsciousness as gravity pulled her entire body down.

Raptus spun round at the sound of Gardenia's collapse. "For fuck's sake, can she not just walk like every other fucking person does? We've not even been walking that long and miss precious bitch needs a bit of a sit down?" Reaching down, he grabbed her by the head and shoved her against the wall. The sack was pulled off her head briefly, and water was thrown into her face. As she came round, she was greeted with Raptus's face mere centimetres from her own. "Listen the fuck up. You want to go playing the sleeping game? We turn up late. We turn up late? Deal is off. Deal is off? You're no use anymore. If you've wasted my time and outlived your usefulness? Well, I won't be happy!" A metal fist smashed into the wall next to her, shattering the outer layer of the concrete. "So, for your own damn sake, I advise you walk through the pain unless you'd rather scream through it."

Gardenia trembled on the spot. She has no idea how to react. Should she fight him? Should she run? Should she play submissive and continue walking with Raptus? She knows she is in no position to do any of that; all of them probably leading to her passing out. She looked meekly at Raptus and whimpered. What can she do?

Raptus snarled irritably. "What is the fucking point of you even existing? I swear all you're good for is fucking sobbing." He shoved the hood back over her head and shoved her roughly at Leo. "Keep her moving. No matter what. We're out in the open here."

"You heard 'im. Let's keep moving..." Leo was sure they could make it to the plaza, especially after that rousing pep talk. Raptus was tough, but he had to be so that the Partition could live. They began walking again, Leo keeping a closer eye and a tighter grip on the girl now that they would finally be crossing the plaza. If anything went wrong, he could make the first move.

Gardenia had unease settling deep inside her. Fatigue and aches spread across her body like a disease. Her muscles are strained, with every move she take feeling like climbing a mountain. Her lungs gasping for air, panting and wheezing. She could not continue, and yet she had to. She knew enough about the brutality her two escorts had and would show her -- one was even death. She was at the mercy of both of them, and they aren't too pleased with her. She only wished her hell on earth would be over soon.

The girl seemed about to keel over, but suddenly, they were upon it; they were crossing it; they had reached the plaza. Snipers better be at the ready, Leo thought grimly. This doesn't look exactly like a welcoming committee... He nudged the girl a bit. "You're almost home. Hope you enjoyed your visit - don't forget to give a glowing review..."
 

Lumaceon

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INA flitted from place to place via back alleys, checking for any members of the Partition. Not the most stealthy search, but a quick one. It wasn't surprising not to find any; if there were Partition members, they were well hidden, as to be expected. INA returned to the old building and started hovering in circles amid the sniper's blood stains. Poor human, that attack appeared rather damaging. Eventually, Graves' voice cut in with what appeared to be a non-literal command. Grab popcorn? INA replied swiftly to this demand, "Graves should have consumed sufficient calories prior to this engagement; additional calories are unlikely to improve his performance."

Looking out at the market, INA saw what Graves had referred to. The smaller figure of Gardenia escorted by another unfamiliar one, presumably a Partition member. The third figure was the one to catch her eye though. As INA's gaze fell on Raptus, her eyes narrowed to focus on the target like a cat stalking it's prey. An expression of loathing took it's place on her face as she analyzed his every move from afar.
 

the_j485

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Syderis received the message explaining Wyatt’s lack of visual one the trade. That wouldn’t matter too much - if something did happen, command would likely give them their orders, and they’d move from there. If not, Sy would tell him where the hostiles and friendlies were, and what to do, as well as the chip in Wyatt’s head which would tag friendlies anyway. All combatants on both sides of combat between the two forces would have them - it was simply standard practice, considering how useful it was.

Sy’s chip told him where Wyatt was, and he made a mental note of that, deciding to reply to confirm.

“Message received, Wyatt. There shouldn’t be too much trouble here, and if anything should happen, I or command will let you know. You doing ok? Were you hit at all in that last combat?”


"I'm doing fine, I got hit once but nothing serious." Wyatt replied "I suppose not much is going on right now? As you are able to find time to chat. Did that droid managed to keep up with you when you had to make a tactical retreat? Maybe look out for it, the last thing we want is that thing taking the first shot especially if we have no idea where it came from."


“The drone girl? Damn, that thing was weird. She caught up to me, but then she suddenly stopped and called out to me. Sounded like she was screaming at me but the words weren’t hostile. Words of greeting. She wasn’t too dangerous anyway, I just had to go against her and her commander who’d beat me up on her own both shooting for me, while you were trying to stab them.”



Wyatt laughed in himself. "It looks like my AI was not the only thing that behaved weird".

Suddenly an idea popped up in his head: "The weird behavior of the droid happened at roughly the same time as the weird behavior of the AI and during battle neither of them showed it. Perhaps they have something in common." Wyatt then shaked his head "It was probably a coincidence or perhaps that shot in its head caused it."

Still, Wyatt had become interested and he couldn't resist to let Syderis know: "Syderis, if you ever need to fight that droid again I would appreciate it very much if you won't totally destroy it, I would like to have a look at how it works."


“I suppose I could, but I’m not risking anything to do it. Don’t you risk anything for it either, I can see you love your tech but it isn’t worth your life. I’m not sure what happened earlier… probably just some random signal from nowhere hit them both at the same time, happened to glitch them. Anyway, we should probably focus back on the bridge. I think the personnel are being swapped soon.”
 
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