2023-11-03: Overlord: Like a Thief in the Night
- Log: Overlord: Like a Thief in the Night
- Cast: Lucine Azul, Rikka Takarada, Jana Cektru, Kaworu Nagisa, Liam 7-020, Neon Genesis Junior High Students, Namiko, Shozo, Mobile Weapons Team
- Where:Nemi Colony, Mars
- OOC - IC Date: OOC: 3rd November 0097; IC: approximately 29th October 0097, just before the Division Train leaves Mars
- Summary: With the King of Ruin on Jupiter, there are several things of higher priority than reclaiming some old research data from a single defunct colony. However, when oppurtunity knocks, you answer. The 'opportunity' is a forecasted sandstorm, which will likely provide some clear sailing to Nemi Colony, if the timing is right. Get ready to set off at the crack of dawn to hug the backend of a sandstorm, get to Nemi Colony, go through one of the backgates, power up the backup generator, go to the labs, and download some data. Then, get ready to fly like a bat out of hell before any Jovian lizards start chomping at the bit to use you for target practice. Easy! If you succeed, the King of Ruin will still be shining in the sky and Mars will still be infested with Jovian Lizards, but it may mean over a decade of research might be saved from rusting away on a dead server. Considering it was on hydroponics and other research into growing crops on Mars, it'll likely be highly valuable. Besides, it might be a good warmup exercise for what's waiting for you on Jupiter...
<Pose Tracker> Lucine Azul has posed.
======PRELUDE======
< ".... I appreciate all of you coming on such short notice, especially since you all have much more pressing matters." > Dr. Diana Azul is neatly framed in the video feed message sitting at her desk, dressed in her lab coat, a dark red turtleneck underneath. Her hair, with is a similar blue-teal shade as Lucine's, is loosely folded back into a braid. Silver halfrim glasses frame her face and brown eyes.
< ".... As I've outlined earlier, there's a sand storm forecasted to cover the area from Alba City to Nemi Colony. While our sandstorms aren't as fierce are yours on Earth due to the thinning atmosphere, this one is more like those in the past, spanning a large area of territory. The Jovian lizards can and are able to withstand them, but the amount of sand they accumulate often temporarily slows them according to some studies. However, it'd be the same for all of you if you flew out straight into it. So, we're going to have all of you set out behind the storm and ride it until you get to Nemi. I've had my staff calculate what times you need to set off, what speed to maintain, and how long the trip will be. It's estimated it'll be about a nineteen hour journey at the most, assuming you're not forced to dip close to the terrain to avoid notice." > Diana turns in her chair, leaning forward on one elbow. < "Once you get out of range of Alba City's network signals, I'll have Lucine radio in with guidance. She'll guide all of you on what to do when you arrive at Nemi Colony." >
Four staffers poke their heads in from either side of Dr. Diana Azul, the visible uniforms marking them to be engineers. < "These're the pilots, right? We're rootin' for ya! Take out some of them bugs while you're out there too, will ya?" >
< "..... hehe... bugs.... squish em'...." >
< "I got a cool fifty n' a 12 pack ridin' on you guys. Don't disappoint me, okay? By the way, Marty's the asshole who said you wouldn't make it." >
< "I totally think they'll make it! Otherwise I'd bet a hundred--" >
In the background, the vein on the side of Diana's forehead grows steadily more and more prominent. < "Why are you all in my office?" > Diana reaches out a hand, and the camera shifts away. Sounds of shuffling and chatter are heard, and, about a minute later, the camera faces back, with Diana, looking a little less composed, sitting in her chair. < "I will be using my contacts to ferry what supplies we can to your mission as payment, as well as paying each of you your shares to offset any costs." > Other details are shared, as well as contact information, before the message ends.
======A LITTLE WHILE AGO======
It is just before dawn on Mars. The dark inky night is beginning to lighten into a dark ultramarine blue, right where the sun is rising on the horizon. However, instead of going towards that light, everyone is pointed towards the windy edge of a massive sand storm. Departing the the walled edge of Alba City, a new member joins the crew at the last moment, as well as a familiar one: Lucine herself, if the Dianthus is of any indication. < .... Slight change in plans. Mom was going to have me radio in as a guide, but, due to the signal interference, I'm taking a direct role." > Lucine's voice is terse, but slightly triumphiant. Even on Mars, mothers and daughters will clash.
The Dianthus flies towards the front, with Lucine continuing to speak. < "... We will be coming in via the supply entrance, which should be less compromised than the center living stations. We should be able to get in through an entrance to the underground labs from there, while leaving the main part of the colony... undisturbed. Anyone who brought their suits along can come with me; just.... be ready for anything. The rest can keep watch for anything that comes along, or refuel if needed. As long as I can get to one terminal, it should be very quick.... Then, we'll file out and go on the long journey back." > Assuming nothing is compromised, but that goes without saying. < "... If you've ever wanted to dogfight with Jovian lizards... save it for the trip back. That's the part that will need everyone here." >
.... Assuming things go as planned, but that *also* goes without saying.
======NOW======
Riuding the edge of a sand storm is a rattling experience. As dark gives way to light, more is visible along the planet surface: broken highway tunnels, discarded vehicles and ships, debris, sand covered outlines of small colonies. Time and sand have covered a lot of the initial violence, but it hasn't been long enough to bury it completely; the rest is hidden mercifully in the embrace of the sand storm, or the landscape's own embrace, being far up enough as everyone is.
After a while, it will feel... terrifyingly monotonous, even, like an early morning road trip.
As the initial 'excitement' of the take-off is over, Lucine's voice squeaks over the radio. < ".... So. Ah." > Lucine clears her throat, awkwardly. < ".... I... made a playlist. To keep people's spirits up." > Pause. < ".... We can play something else, too, as long as our radars are quiet." >
It's going to be like this for several hours.
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
A mission to retrieve important research data... If it was just that Rikka would've volunteered right away, but the danger of running across the Jovian Lizards in the process gives her pause. Still... it sounds like that data could really benefit the people of Mars - and even beyond, too. So it's a difficult choice - but eventually, she volunteers. She's good with hardware, and getting into and out of places she's not supposed to. If she can help, then she has to.
And so, she's among those gathered as Dr. Diana Azul connects to them via video feed. Rikka listens intently as she lays out the situation, and considers what's coming up.
"A sandstorm... We'll want to make sure our units are treated first, I guess." She considers. Even if they're be riding behind it instead of through, they might still run into some trouble from it.
The engineers pop their heads in. Rikka stares for a moment.
"...Thanks for the vote of confidence." She says, her tone dry.
Time passes, until it's just before dawn. Rikka is still a little groggy, admittedly, but she'll be fine once they get going. And, they're joined by Lucine! At her message, Rikka smirks. She knows that tone, from her interactions with her own mother.
"Made your case, huh? ...Glad to have you." She replies. She goes quiet as Lucine explains - and then nods.
"Right... got it. I'd prefer to get in and out without fighting, if we can... but if we have to, we have to." She says.
...And now... the long march.
She knew it was supposed to take a while, but now that they're actually on the way... one thought fills her mind.
'Oh god, this was a mistake.'
Too late to back out, though. Instead, she looks toward the wreckage surrounding them. ...A slow frown crosses her face. ...It's sad. Too sad. But thankfully, the silence is eventually broken.
"...I can share some Sheryl, if I've got any you don't have. I think I brought some Minmay, too..." Rikka chimes in, as Lucine brings up a playlist.
<Pose Tracker> Jana Cektru has posed.
<poem>
The Hermes's bridge is mostly typical for that of a Salamis Kai--wide, with numerous terminals and stations, and a raised Captain's chair with visibility of all stations. The main difference is the holographic display in the center that Jana brought out for planning purposes.
Currently, it displays a schematic of the labs to which they're going.
A nearly dead world, though. Time and sand have covered so much. Jana is thoughtul, uiet, until the music starts up.
She smiles, faintly, despite everything. "Hope springs eternal..."
"The Hermes will remain here, in case of incident. I'll be your ride out... so make sure you get back to us safely. We'll take care of the rest."
<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.
Kaworu stands to one side of the group watching Dr. Azul's video message, clad in his dark plug suit, hands tucked in the pockets of a white windbreaker he picked up at some point. His SDAT (formerly Shinji's SDAT) is tucked inside a breast pocket, earbuds twining up around his shoulders, but not currently in his ears. After all, he's listening to Lucine's mother--and those four staffers, momentarily--at the moment.
"Understood," he says simply. It is a simple message, after all, despite the interruptions.
~ * ~
On the bridge of the Hermes, Kaworu stands, attire unchanged. Lucine relates the change in plans and the basics of the plan while he studies the schematics displayed on the holographic display. His gaze turns momentarily to the approaching sandstorm underneath the lightening sky; then he looks towards the Dianthus flitting forward below.
"Understood," he repeats, because it really is a straightforward concept. He isn't bringing Unit Beta, so he'll leave any dogfighting to the others. Someone of his particular skills is best off handling the retrieval of this precious data.
~ * ~
It's a magnificent trip. Nineteen hours is, in the grand scheme of things, not very long; that's how Kaworu can think that and mean it. He admires the view of the ruins and the sky as they ride the storm, this time with his earbuds in. He hums along with the classical/jazz mix tape that Shinji left behind.
Looks like he's got his own playlist. He'll be content with it for however long the trip takes--though he's willing to converse, too.
He will not need to remove an earbud to do that.
<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.
The Neo Helios is still in the care of GGG's teams for an extensive retrofit, but Liam was not about to sit this one out. As awful as things have been, he still needs to feel needed, useful. His answer to Diana was simple: "Accepted. I'll keep in touch."
A Dilanza Sol rests in a support cradle in the Hermes' hangar, swaying gently as the ship flies in the sandstorm's wake. Its pilot stands on the bridge: Liam wears his cream-and-maroon NERV flightsuit, with his helmet tucked under an arm. A radio headset clings to the side of his head.
He was simultaneously greatly relieved and horribly anxious to see Lucine take to the field. As the trip went on, passing over the remains of highways and settlements and crashed ships--signs of the home this place used to be--the pendulum has swung towards the latter.
"You're a lifesaver, Rikka," Liam says, with a smile. Lucine's playlist is already a significant percentage Sheryl by volume, but more Sheryl is welcome. She has a way of making happiness happier, and melancholy easier to handle.
<Pose Tracker> Neon Genesis Junior High Students has posed.
Initially, all three Neon Genesis Junior High Students were planning on attending this mission. But once they found out it would take nineteen hours, enthusiasm died quickly. Borr wound up throwing their hands in the air once it was learned that Shozo would be attending -- much to Max and Vit's relief.
Besides, someone should remain behind to guard the ship. It's tactical.
Thus, Buster Borr finds themself next to Kaworu, keeping an eye on Shozo. Shozo isn't a child anymore, but after everything that's happened, Borr still feels protective. That's their kid. They won't be away when he's in need. Ever again.
"Sheryl sounds pretty good." Borr nods to Rikka. "Don't mind hearing what Lucine has... I'm not picky. That's Max's thing."
In a blur of movement, a knife appears in the smallest Hyper Agent's hand. They flip it into the air, catching it easily, then toss it again. This is going to be a long, long trip...
<Pose Tracker> Namiko has posed.
Namiko has spent MOST of this trip dicking around with Hass as the duo hastily train to be Remotely Useful In The Slightest. The mental strain of it isn't small, even if Namiko is, as ever, all smiles about everything she can.
Namiko for now is sitting on a supply case in her very own personal cut of the GGG Uniform, which includes a halter top and miniskirt instead of the usual minidress because *the future is now*.
She has a thermos of tea with her, because of course she does.
She is already kicking her feet, which means by the end of nineteen hours of this she is going to be chewing on the light fixtures. But, she can share some smiles for Rikka and Borr at least, people she's happy to be here to support.
<Pose Tracker> Lucine Azul has posed.
Rikka Knows. Lucine gives her a lopsided smile. ".... y-yeah... she's been on high alert since the kidnapping.... b-but we'll be facing things a lot more dangerous than this!"
So far, the plan seems to be working. Some adjustments are needed as the skies lighten, and while the sandstorm is following a predictable pattern, it's not without its changes and shifts. Radar helps supplement the potential for being discovered by any Jovian Lizards that may be flying above the sand storm, as well as keep the weather's patterns updated. The moment things begin to climb on a mundane, cheery note, something pops up on the radar to bring everyone back to reality. As the trip goes on, Lucine grows more and more quiet, veering between quiet, numb sentences and then, observations that veer on excitement, before dissolving into a discomforted calm. The music helps; while Lucine's playlist manages to have some of Sheryl's work leak in while favoring upbeat Martian jazz, Rikka comes in with the save, giving more time to Sheryl and Minmay.
Like all trips, this one must come to an end. In one direction where the sky is visible, the sun begins to touch the horizon, coloring it a cool, almost blue-green hue. < "...... we're close. I know this landmark...!" > The landmark being a crop of stones with a distinctive shape, almost looking like the profile of a horse's head or similar, if someone squints. < "... fifteen, maybe twenty minutes..." > It'll be an accurate estimate, but for Lucine, it'll feel like an hour, as the landscape grows ghastly more and more familiar than it has any right to be, at this point.
The dome becomes visible soon enough as they veer away from the sandstorm's edge towards Nemi Colony. Like many colonies that dot the surface of Mars, the dome raises high up, panels keeping the inside contents from being visible to the outside. From this side, it almost looks untouched, but its size, being large enough to house a viable simulation of a rolling countryside inside, could be hiding its scars on another side. And, as they get closer, many of the panels visible to this side exhibit cracks, glinting at the edges in the last light of the setting sun.
( BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W19njiBpSBg )
Arriving at a rectangular outpost, the Dianthus veers to the side to a side panel next to the two doors and interacts with it. The emergency lights flicker on near the immediate area a moment later. < ".... Good. The emergency generators still work... just need to.... ah." > With a groan and a shudder, the reinforced doors open slowly, sliding aside to allow the units into a loading bay. The Hermes itself can opt to remain immediately outside, though people with specific air needs (or wish to have that layer of protection) will need to don suits to deal with the thin Martian atmosphere.
When all are inside, the doors begin to close, shuddering as they barely manage to close, leaving the party in a loading bay partially lit in the wan light of the emergency lighting system. A few vague piles dot the sides leading to the door to the outside, looking to be suits and debris. It's probably better not to examine them, especially with how dark everything is. < ".... It's going to want to change the pressure and gravity to Earth's, but..." > The Dianthus moves to another panel, this time by a second pair of doors leading further inside.
<Pose Tracker> Shozo has posed.
Shozo is looking out the window with exuberance that belies his true age, his androgynous features lit up in excitement. He'd signed up for this mission the moment the call had gone out, wanting to feel more helpful to the friendly folks that had given him a chance to do some heroic stuff! Plus, Borr was here, and Borr made everything better.
As the ship rolled along, Shozo had been making condensation doodles on the window, scribbling with his finger, images that would disappear no more than a minute later. Most of them looked an awful lot like a certain absent Hyper Agent...
As the Hermes came to a stop, Shozo leaps up and runs out as soon as he can, looking around the loading bay with some curiosity.
"Hmm... You know, I was kind of expecting it to look more like Tsutsujidai with some lizards. I guess Akane did a better design job?"
<Pose Tracker> Lucine Azul has posed.
< "Anyone that's going on foot, join me by the entrance. Make sure your suits are tight; the life support systems aren't fully up. Everyone else, remain alert, just in case." > A magazine slips off a metal chair next to the terminal the Dianthus goes next to, showing a smiling Martian celebrity. There's a similar one at human height, but Lucine seems to have this covered.
<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.
On one hand, Liam is safe on the Hermes' bridge, protected by layers of reinforced plating and orbit glass. On the other, he still feels like he's walking through a graveyard at midnight, where things could ambush him at any moment. He's fought a Jovian Lizard drone. He knows, roughly, what they can do. But not even Sheryl, or idle chatter with Lucine and the others, can calm him.
There are corpses beneath the blood-hued sand. Mars buried them, because there was no one left to do it themselves.
As the dome comes into view, Liam rises, and speaks into his radio. "Understood, Lucine. Take point. I'm deploying now."
About five minutes later, a grey-and-violet Dilanza Sol leaps from the Hermes' open hangar, its jets firing to blunt its landing. The dust compacts beneath its feet. It rises, the sun playing on the red NERV logo painted on its right shoulder. "On the field," Liam says. The Dilanza Sol's shields drop down, and it whips its rifle off its equipment rack. "No anomalies in sight so far."
KTS: Liam 7-020 has deployed in MD-0031UL Dilanza Sol. KTS: Liam 7-020 has changed loadout.
<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.
Soon enough, the Hermes and assembled mobile suits arrive at the dome. It's certainly seen better days, with all those cracks in its panels. It, too, is magnificent in its own way--but like the other ruins, there is a sadness to it.
But, as Jana mentioned earlier, hope springs eternal. Kaworu tucks away his earbuds with care and disembarks with the rest, a brief but wistful glance to Shozo's doodles. Despite Lucine's warning, he doesn't take a helmet with him.
Once inside, Kaworu takes in the state of the loading bay. "It can't be helped. There were many things Akane hadn't needed to concern herself with when she designed Tsutsujidai," he remarks to Shozo.
Not to mention the Martian colonies have been through a lot... but so had Tsutsujidai, by the time Shozo had been born. He looks up towards Liam in his Dilanza Sol, despite the fact that Kaworu is inside and Liam is outside. No anomalies is a good thing, certainly. As Lucine leads the way deeper inward, he strolls after her, keeping pace with Borr too.
<Pose Tracker> Neon Genesis Junior High Students has posed.
Borr leans their head back, closing their eyes, as the voyage drags on. Lucine and Rikka's playlists are nice. Tapping their foot, the Hyper Agent enters a sort of meditative state, letting reality exist around them without taking much in.
Lucine's voice breaks Borr out of this state, announcing their imminent arrival.
"Right." Borr stretches his arms above his head. "Shozo, get your suit on. I don't want you getting some kind of weird disease out here."
Borr joins their ward at the window as they approach, looking out on Nemi Colony. They wish for Calibur's danger sense. As the sunlight glints against the cracks of the dome, Borr frowns. What waits for them here at Lucine's old home?
"Tell them to take it easy on us." Borr mutters to Shozo's drawings. "These kids have enough going on."
Though she may insist on Shozo's use of a normal suit, Borr doesn't don one themself. They'll be fine with any sort of air -- or at least, they have been thus far. Taking a place next to Shozo at the loading bay, they smile at him.
"Yeah, you can't fault Akane for design. Most folks don't have quite as much help as she did when it comes to colony building, though." Borr looks Shozo over, searching for any signs of distress. "You stay close to me, alright? If anything feels weird at all, tell me. I'll keep you safe."
Borr looks to Kaworu, next. "You too. I've got you both, so don't make my job hard, yeah?"
They smile. It's mostly a tease.
<Pose Tracker> Namiko has posed.
When the signal goes out that it's time to gather up and get out in the field, Namiko sucks in a worried breath, then glances to Rikka and notes, "Time to suit up, I guess."
The Hermes presumably does not have a dedicated Dive Chamber, but a pilot locker will do in a pinch for the few minutes it takes to get into the transmission-optimizing Dive Suit. And also a big robe so she's not walking around in broad-ass daylight in a Dive Suit. GGG brought all the strength it could to this mission...even bringing one of its most important Super Neuromechanoids, despite leaving its main pilot behind.
"Alright," Namiko says, sliding her hands into the weird gel of the Neuronoid core's Cereb Head - the cockpit for the combat-optimized Active Mode. "Let's get out there and knock 'em around~! I have control!"
Soon, shining white and black, the Super Neuromechanoid GaoGaiGo roars out of the hangar on Ul-Tech thrusters, swinging around a little unsteadily ("Whoa! Them's G forces!") before Namiko swerves into position and comes down hard in the rusty Martian soil.
"Ah, this is Namiko...GaoGaiGo's in position. Rikka, anything on scanners?"
KTS: Namiko has deployed in GaoGaiGo. KTS: Will Barrier activated! (But will not apply until relevant Morale threshold.)
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
Rikka offers a small laugh Liam's way, before looking toward Borr.
"Yeah... we're going to have a lot of time to kill, so we'll probably going to be able to get through a lot of it..." She replies.
Namiko, of course, gets a smile in return from Rikka. The circumstances could be more ideal... but, she is glad she's here.
"Yeah, I had a feeling..." Rikka replies, looking toward Lucine as she gives that lopsided smile. She can't blame her mother for being concerned, but... Lucine's right. "...Hopefully, getting through this helps her relax a little."
Time passes. Things go smoothly enough that she's able to relax a little, even if she finds time feels like it's dragging on. Rikka's glad she brought her notebook, taking the opportunity to jot down notes on future stories she wants to write.
...Eventually, though, Lucine's voice alerts them all to the fact that they're close. Rikka shuts her notebook and stows it away. Fifteen, twenty minutes... Now that they're so close she's a little nervous. And, finally, it's visible - the dome of Nemi Colony. Rikka stands up, looking Namiko's way. It's time - Rikka nods.
She follows Namiko to the lockers to get suited up, and then moves to join her in GaoGaiGo - settling into the Accept Mode cockpit, similarly grasping the Linker Gel controls.
"The feel's a little different from V2's..." Rikka notes. It really highlights the difference between the machines. Handling Accept Mode is an entirely different feel, too - though thankfully, she's made sure to practice in both forms.
GaoGaiGo roars out of the hangar! It swings around a little - but Rikka trusts Namiko to get it under control. Instead, she focuses on her own equipment.
"Let me check..." Rikka replies, giving the scanners a quick look-over.
KTS: Rikka Takarada is now subpiloting for Namiko.
<Pose Tracker> Shozo has posed.
Shozo waves off Borr, though he hugs them as they approach.
"I'm fiiiiine, Borr. There isn't a disease in this universe that can do anything to me. I don't even *breathe* unless I want to." He flashes an easy smile at Kaworu -- Clearly, he's taken a few dressing tips from the older boy, wearing simple clothes that seem more at home in a classroom than on a battlefield. He looks around, a calm expression on his face.
"I was walking around in space without a helmet a few weeks ago, a slightly thin atmosphere is fine."
<Pose Tracker> Lucine Azul has posed.
After a few attempts, Lucine lets out a sigh of relief as these doors begin to open into another structure inside the walls of Nemi itself, colored by the same weak lighting near the panels. However, these doors, leading into Nemi itself, are propped open with a large chunk of sheet metal. < ".... looks like I can get the main system for this sector online from the panel here, but I'll need to do it on foot... we'll need it anyway to access the back entrance to the labs." >
Lucine's home beyond those doors is... an inky void, the immediate ground catching the light of everyone's lights, as well as the emergency lighting near the entrance. Shapes of things that sparkle faintly; a paved road, linear shapes broken and splintered on a clump, with thinner branches delicately encased in ice. Besides the road is a tattered lab coat laid out, a prosthetic hand reading out of one sleeve, but nothing underneath but a pair of pants and a shattered pair of glasses. The pile is surrounded by small flowers-- or, the shape of them. There were something like lilies here, leading out, but what remains is the frost-encased shape of them. The same is true of everything here: the Martian cold is bitter, but colony has at least preserved some parts of what was here.
Lucine has since gotten out of the kneeling Dianthus, her face outlined by the glow of the OS screen as she pauses, looking back towards Kaworu's lack of helmet, and filing it in her mind. Maybe something to do with being a Coordinator? Besides, he's in good company, as Borr or Shozo don't either. Her gaze drifts up to the Dilanza Sol, and Liam inside. She gives him a smile, and looks back down. < ".... The manual said I had to... no, not that... come on... ah." >
The ice outside also tells a tale of what's gone through here since then, if people dare to look further. However, there's not much light. Anyone who isn't paying more attention to Lucine's progress or their surroundings may notice something on their radar: something may be coming online, and it isn't Nemi's own systems.
The lights come on, and a simulation of the Earth's day sky color the panels overhead, spreading into the distance over softly rolling hills, resembling what must have been a meadow. The dots of settlements can be seen in the far distance. However, disconcerting jagged patches of magenta, yellow, and cyan glitch, revealing this place's artificial nature, as well as the holes further off in the distance, looking like several black suns descending.
< ".... Sorry, the time is out of sync--" > There's a gasp, as the walled inside bay is fully illuminated as well.
It's been well over a year since the Jovian Lizard invasion; what remains of the two bodies that had gotten inside the bay have been well mummified, unlike cloth pile outside. < "...... I see... Some must have been desperate enough to take their chances going outside..." > Lucine's voice is gentle, heavy with acceptance. < ".... Let's go." >
<Pose Tracker> Mobile Weapons Team has posed.
No one has stepped foot in Nemi Colony for a very long time. And yet, your radars unquestionably start to pick up something - so it seems, the warnings come true, when Lucine is interrupted with a gasp by light - and pounding machine gun fire from the outside, where the Dilanza Sol and GaoGaiGo deployed.
Doctor Diana Azul's valuable research isn't all that lies dormant in the ruins of Nemi Colony. Now that your presence is clear, now commences the clattering and clicking of machinery - as if you remind you that the King of Ruin isn't the only known menace from Jupiter.
It's hard to say there's any malice behind the bug-like Batta that make up the majority of the Jovian Lizards' unmanned forces. They are simply programmed to shoot at moving targets that emit heat, after all. And after a long time of dormancy... they have once again sprung to life.
Those who brought a Mobile Suit with them will have to act fast, to fend off the swarm, so that the rest of the group can safely retrieve the research they've come for. Each individual bug goes down with not much more effort than a single shot - but it won't be as easy as that!
With their dogged persistence, surprisingly strong teamwork, and seemingly endless numbers, it's not hard to see how tragedy befell this colony... you'll have to make sure you don't meet the same fate.
Liam's worst fears quickly come true, but this time he's not just up against one Jovian drone, but a whole mass of them. The Batta bug aim to swarm Liam's Dilanza Sol first, raining suppressive missile fire upon the heavy new-model Mobile Suit.
Even the appearance of the crown-chested King of Braves isn't enough to deter them, as a group slides across the surface, Distortion Field up against the rough Martian terrain, as their built-in light machine guns burst in all directions - it'll take both Namiko and Rikka's eyes to find a way through.
KTS: Mobile Weapons Team targets Liam 7-020 with Batta Missile Saturation! KTS: Mobile Weapons Team targets Namiko with Light Machine Gun Maneuver Shot! KTS: Mobile Weapons Team has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Mobile Weapons Team has completed their actions for the round. KTS: [Spirit Defense] Liam 7-020's Budding Resilience activates, and the spirit endures. KTS: Mobile Weapons Team has activated the Daunt Spirit Command targeting Liam 7-020 KTS: Rikka Takarada has activated the Trust Spirit Command targeting Namiko
<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.
"He's quite right," Kaworu says to Borr of Shozo and his lack of space suit, sharing a smile with the dark-haired youth before he addresses Borr again. "It's good of you to be concerned, but this isn't something that needs it. He'll be fine."
As will Kaworu--but he doesn't say that aloud. Instead, he smiles back at Borr's mostly-tease, a chuckle on his breath. "I'll do what I can," he replies.
Borr's job is already quite difficult, after all.
Lucine disembarks the Dianthus, and Kaworu walks over to her, meeting her gaze when she takes him in. Then he looks out past the propped-open doors at the iced road and the frozen lilies. He looks up towards the ice outside, even in the darkness--though the light soon comes on, imparting a blue sky to the dome interior, if one broken by black suns and streaks of un-Earthly colors. His gaze then rests on the corpses, level but--as with Lucine--heavy with acceptance.
His gaze rises then, and a faint frown creases his handsome feature. "We should hurry," he notes.
The Bettas presently make it clear why. Kaworu will rely on Liam and the others to fight them; for now, he matches Lucine's pace as they head further into Nemi Colony.
<Pose Tracker> Lucine Azul has posed.
Kaworu is looked to again, this time, Lucine gives back a grim nod. < "The rest of you on foot, follow me! Liam, Namiko, Rikka, cover us and hold them off! We can still do this!" >
<Pose Tracker> Neon Genesis Junior High Students has posed.
Namiko and Rikka are treated to a signature Borr Thumbs Up as they prepare to head out. "You two take care of each other. You can handle this no problem."
Borr takes on a very Max-like expression as Shozo tries to get out of wearing a space suit -- but Kaworu speaks up in his defense, and the Hyper Agent sighs.
"I guess I can't exactly insist you two wear suits if I'm not going to wear one." They shake their head, sending their twin ponytails flying. "Man. Just don't tell Max about this, or I'll never hear the end of it."
Shozo's fashion sense trending toward Kaworu's feels... bittersweet. Kaworu is the one who taught Gridman about fashion. Perhaps it's fate that Shozo learns from him in kind. Borr's eyes are faraway for long moments, remembering clothing in bright, saturated colors.
Lucine is quick to join the three odd companions -- thankfully she is wearing a space suit. Borr takes in the destruction around them, pausing to kneel down and touch the frozen almost-lilies. Their brow furrows.
"Hey, Lucine." Borr greets, standing to walk away from the destroyed flowers. "Looks like we're the welcoming party. Lead the way -- and get behind me if something goes bad."
Glitched out lights illuminate the Colony, and Borr's expression darkens further as it reveals two bodies. They reflexively move to cover Shozo's eyes -- but Shozo is far too tall for that, now.
"Poor bastards." Borr mutters, dragging their gaze away from the corpses. "Hope it was quick."
It's only a moment later that the bugs appear. Borr swears, manifesting their dual knives... But the enemy is far too distant, and large, for them to be any use. Kaworu makes a suggestion. Borr finds themself agreeing with him.
"Let's go! Damn it!" Borr grits their teeth, reaching out to take Shozo's hand in their own as they hurry forward.
KTS: Mobile Weapons Team has deployed in Batta Swarm. KTS: Mobile_Weapons_Team has deployed as a Boss for 2 opponents. KTS: Namiko has deployed in GaoGaiGo. KTS: Will Barrier activated! (But will not apply until relevant Morale threshold.) KTS: Rikka Takarada is now subpiloting for Namiko. KTS: Liam 7-020 has deployed in MD-0031UL Dilanza Sol. KTS: Liam 7-020 has changed loadout. KTS: Mobile Weapons Team targets Liam 7-020 with Batta Missile Saturation! KTS: Mobile Weapons Team targets Namiko with Light Machine Gun Maneuver Shot! KTS: Mobile Weapons Team has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Rikka Takarada has activated the Trust Spirit Command targeting Namiko KTS: Namiko blocks Mobile Weapons Team's Light Machine Gun Maneuver Shot, taking 1380 damage! KTS: Liam 7-020 blocks Mobile Weapons Team's Batta Missile Saturation, taking 1380 damage!
<Pose Tracker> Namiko has posed.
They were warned about possible attacks - that's why anyone's even out here in armed machines, after all. Still, when Rikka spots that that something's activating out there, Namiko's grip on the control pods tightens, fingertips clenching in the Linker Gel. GaoGaiGo's GS-Glianoid will make sure uptime is no serious problem, but for just a moment, Namiko's lessons about just how fast Linker Gel decays flash through her mind. "Okay...here it comes!" Namiko yelps. The initial wave of gunfire she manages to block. Neuronoids are built on the same vocal system calls that've been used by Getters and Mazingers before it, so Rikka gets the treat of Namiko calling, "Phantom Ring! Plus!" a little frantically, followed by: "Protect Wall!" as GaoGaiGo thrusts its left arm forward. The Wall Ring slots in before the palm-out left arm, creating a bent space into which those waves of bullets vanish - and then belch out at high speed. It's not particularly organized, but it should serve as a decent reply to the first volleys. GaoGaiGo then starts charging - the very first thing to do, of course, is to counter fire, so Namiko adds, "I'm gonna fire into them!" The TM System hasn't got enough breath in it yet for a Synapse Attack, so she'll have to lead with...!
The machine rears back with the other arm. "Phantom Ring! Plus!" Namiko repeats, but this time: "Broken Phantom!"
The second Phantom Ring undocks, this time floating into position over the right arm, which soon fires downrange into the Battas, tearing through them with forces greater than merely physical!
Namiko is already breathing a bit heavily. "I forgot how much yelling you do in this darn thing," she grumbles.
KTS: Namiko: Will Barrier Activates. KTS: Namiko targets Mobile Weapons Team with Broken Phantom! KTS: Namiko has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Mobile Weapons Team fails to react to Namiko's Broken Phantom, taking 3750 damage!
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
"Right. You take care, too." Rikka replies with a nod toward Borr.
...And sure enough, once they get moving...
"...Yeah, there's something on the radar - be careful, everyone." Rikka warns. That something becomes clear as they move into the dome, with its terrain a replica of Earth's - and soon, the abandoned Batta drones stir to life and attack.
"I'm kind of impressed they're still intact after this long..." Rikka replies. "Incoming fire!"
Fortunately, Namiko takes care of it handily with a well-timed Protect Wall! Rikka nods in approval, then nods against at Lucine's transmission.
"Right - we'll keep them busy out here. You just focus on what you came here to do." Rikka replies with a nod - then focuses back on the fight. "GaoGaiGo's still holding strong - how are things on your end, Liam?"
She nods, then.
"Right!" Rikka replies as Namiko says she'll fire. She laughs good-naturedly, then, at her complaint. "Careful you don't shout yourself hoarse."
"...Alright. Get ready for the next wave. I think we've got this." Rikka encourages. It's not going to be an easy fight... but she believes they'll make it through.
KTS: Rikka Takarada has activated the Rouse Spirit Command targeting Namiko KTS: Rikka Takarada targets Namiko with Sound Spirit! KTS: Rikka Takarada has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Rikka Takarada has activated the Enable Spirit Command targeting Liam 7-020
<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.
The Dilanza Sol steps into the bay after the rest of the squad, its head swivelling to take in the environs. "This place was... alive, once," Liam murmurs, and his heart starts to ache. Who wore that lab coat? Where has he seen those...
Those flowers.
Liam sucks in a breath, and turns his back to the squad. "In and out," he says. "Quick and--"
Chirp. Chirp chirp chirp chirp.
Before he can finish, the radar is aglow with dozens upon dozens upon dozens of signals, lighting up with the same bizarre 'IFF' he saw out of Jiro. "LU!" Liam shouts, "incoming! Lizard drones!" Missile fire pours from above like rain. The Dilanza Sol sets its feet, and sweeps its shields forward. The hail of missiles slam into it, sending it skidding back a foot or two on the frozen, torn-up grass.
"Barely scratched," Liam responds, to Rikka; a glance behind reveals the team's in the relative safety of the outpost's guts. A sort of cold anger creeps into his voice, his eyes. They're just drones. They're just drones, and they killed countless people, stole Lucine's father, her community, her home. "Thinning them out."
Liam's thumb presses into an indentation. His HUD lights up with targeting brackets as the Dilanza Sol's computer calculates locks. He pulls the trigger the instant he can see the seams on the closest Batta.
The missile pods split open, and unleash a flight of heat-seekers into the mass. There's so many Batta that even the submunitions--which deploy seconds after the main missiles themselves--might not make much of a dent.
Liam doesn't care. He's already calculating killshots for ones the missiles likely won't kill.
KTS: Liam 7-020 targets Mobile Weapons Team with Split Missile! KTS: Liam 7-020 has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Liam 7-020's Biorhythm activates Focus! KTS: Mobile Weapons Team partially guards Liam 7-020's Split Missile, taking 3800 damage!
<Pose Tracker> Mobile Weapons Team has posed.
Through the power of Protect Wall!, and thanks to Rikka's timely warnings, Namiko is able to stave off most the machine gun fire, sending it warping through space and back. It doesn't just blocking the attack, but takes a lizard or two out in the process.
That's not the only thing GaoGaiGo has up its sleeve, though, as Namiko swaps from the protective Wall Ring to the destructive Phantom Ring. As the ring-assisted fist pummels forward, the Batta squadron demonstrates it's... not above sacrificial tactics. The Broken Phantom tears through a group of the tiny robots on the surface, detonating them one-by-one in a domino-like chain of effect.
The aerial models, on the other hand, scatter, using GaoGaiGo's wind-down as a chance to get into a more advantageous position above StealthGao II. The AI the Jovian drones use may be beyond simple, but apparently they're capable of some form of machine-learning - instead of aimless machine gun fire, they each aim a single, piercing missile for the top edges of StealthGao II's engine pods - where the Phantom Rings are held.
Liam, meanwhile, musters the sheer defensive bulk that the Dilanza Sol boasts, negating the storm of missiles that way. There's no way the drones can understand the cold anger Liam feels, but perhaps they are forced to feel it from the mass amounts of detonations his Split Missiles cause, taking out a sizeable number of them. Significant... but not enough, as Liam surmises, as the surviving Batta aim their machine guns at him, this time. They fire and fire, in the attempt of creating some kind of dent or opening in the Dilanza Sol's black armour to feast upon.
KTS: Mobile Weapons Team has activated the Strike Spirit Command. KTS: Mobile Weapons Team targets Namiko with Batta Missile Single Missile! KTS: Mobile Weapons Team targets Liam 7-020 with Heavy Machine Gun Area Denial! KTS: Mobile Weapons Team has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Liam 7-020 blocks Mobile Weapons Team's Heavy Machine Gun Area Denial, taking 2240 damage! KTS: Mobile Weapons Team begins a Formation attack! KTS: Rikka Takarada's sound spirit flares with her performance, raising Namiko's Morale! KTS: Namiko's Will Barrier activates, negating 1000 base damage. KTS: Namiko blocks Mobile Weapons Team's Batta Missile Single Missile, taking 2800 damage! KTS: Liam 7-020 has activated the Spirit Spirit Command. KTS: Liam 7-020 has activated the Spirit Spirit Command.
<Pose Tracker> Namiko has posed.
Namiko focuses on the fight, trusting Rikka to handle communication. That's part of the function of the dual Head Divers! "Yeah," Namiko agrees to Rikka's encouragement. The right arm is cruising back, but while that's still happening, the flying Battas zoop up and target - the spot where the Phantom Rings dock! "Hey what! Cheating!" Namiko yelps. No real time to get the Wall Ring in place, but she can still--! She thrusts the palm up unassisted and yelps, "Protect Shade!"
Without the Wall Ring it's not as strong, but it still is able to warp space in a way that makes the missiles mostly detonate or scatter rather than hit dead on target. Shortly after, the second Phantom Ring and right arm return, and GaoGaiGo hurtles into the air at Namiko's command, Ul-Tech pylons in StealthGao II shining green as she lashes out with both arms to just GRAB a few Battas and then-- "HAAAAH!" -- DRAG them back down to slam them into another part of the swarm.
"They're not tough, but how are there so many! Spend some money on schools, or something!"
KTS: Namiko targets Mobile Weapons Team with 3G Fisticuffs! KTS: Namiko has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Mobile Weapons Team has activated the Focus Spirit Command. <Pose Tracker> Shozo has posed.
Shozo looks... impassively at the bodies in the colony, nodding slowly.
"...Must have been rough." It's always tricky to figure out what will upset him and what won't.
The appearance of the bugs causes a visibly change in Shozo, his eyes warping shape into the red rings again. He begins to flex his arms, but pauses and looks at the others.
"Oh, uh... Do you want to engage them, or are we focusing on getting outta here for that data?" He looks over at the robot-laden members of the crew, and nods. "Ahhhh... whoops, yeah, OK, let's go!"
KTS: Mobile Weapons Team fails to react to Namiko's 3G Fisticuffs, taking 3720 damage! KTS: Namiko has engaged Mobile Weapons Team! <Pose Tracker> Lucine Azul has posed.
The low gravity makes running both easy and hard; the frozen ground will rush underneath the people who follow Lucine on foot between each hop, but managing the trajectory of those jumps can be near impossible. However, with everyone covering, it should be possible to get to the already opening entrance.
The entrance is sheltered, at least, and painted white with a wall marking which entrance it is. Through the doors is a stairway down into the ground, leading about ten feet below the surface. Down the stairs is another lab-coated remains of someone else who had mummified; the lighting flickers, but remains stable, allowing Lucine's group to still see. The stairway leads into a hallway that looks similar to the loading bays the larger group had been through, though there's evidence that these were meant to be more well-kept and clean. The walls are white and mostly unmarred save for the oxidized remains of blood here and there; there's pools of water from where a water pipe running overhead has burst. Still, with the narrowness of these hallways, the larger Jovian Lizards can't get down here.
There's still the danger of smaller ones, if they're present. But, for now, this area is safe enough-- a perfect underground tomb. < ".... Damn it... I should have searched for their tags immediately.... There's still people missing I haven't found. ... Keep an eye on the stairway and further down the hallway..." > There's a bay to the right side of the staircase, with a large terminal. Lucine immediately heads towards it, her in-helmet transmitter still on and reporting her progress. < "... I knew there was a terminal here. if we're lucky, we should..." > Despite the insulation of the ground above them, the battle going above will cause the area to shudder and shift; dust and debris will waft down, dislodged from the exposed pipes and the lighting. Clattering metal is heard further down due to a particularly rough strike. .... or is it?
< ".... damn it... the stations are cut off from the network... There's data here, but it's not the total package... We'll have to go further in and go one by one and get what we can." She turns to the team assembled; thankfully, there's already a plan for this. Taking out extra data sticks, Lucine hands them out to each as needed. < ".... Ah, remember the layout? Mom gave her the schematics to help visualize things down here, but... ah, this end of the lab layout is very simple; long hallway, labs on either side. Like... a pinnate leaf... Er..." > She gestures down the hallway, which remains disconcertingly quiet.
Three rooms are present on either side, spaced evenly apart, with doors on either end, each marked. Going further will meet you with a reinforced metal door blocking access to further in. < "I'll work on getting the gate open while you all examine the rooms. .... Please... be careful." >
<Pose Tracker> Lucine Azul has posed.
(OOC: Pick 1-2 rooms to pilfer and/or team up on any as needed. Not all of these need to yield results, and not all of them need to be visited by the next round.)
Room 1: The first door you come to going to Room 1 is shut closed, and its panel is unresponsive; it'll need to be opened manually, though the door on the other end will open just fine, if you opt to check it. The insides show a layout of hydroponic rows; the plants that were here have been long dead, the brown remains draping to either side like hair. A terminal is on the far right side, its blue light casting a lonely glow over the room. The OS is simply enough; Diana's technicians rigged a program on the chip that is able to get past the first screen. It's about as easy as one could hope for.
Room 2 is opened easily enough; the insides are a hydrophonics lab similar to the one behind Room 1. The plants here have cracked and fallen from their raised beds, forming a small knee-high floor of brittle brush you'll have to walk through to get to the terminal at the opposite end. The data stick isn't able to get past the first screen, instead giving an 'INCORRECT PASSWORD'. You'll have to guess the password yourself, but the faded stickers of anime characters are stuck around the screen terminal may give you a few clues.
Room 3 will require some work to get into, though either door seems to have already been damaged enough to allow entrance inside once enough force is delivered to it. Once in, you will see a large mummified body in jumpsuit, slumped almost casually against the wall with an empty pack of cigarettes, with the remains of a smaller Jovian lizard caved in with a terminal face. Nothing can be done here by normal means; trying to interact with the exposed wiring of the terminal may deliver a nasty shock, now that the power's back on.
Room 4's doors are easily opened via the panel at either side. The terminal is easily accessed as well, though slow to respond to the data sticks being inserted in. That may leave you free to look to the wall at the side, which has pages of yellowed paper is taped to the wall, each curled up and made brittle from time. If , will instead find the markings to be stick figures, drawn in crayon, on a field colored in green. Above them, in English, are words in capital letters, with arrows pointing to each: 'GRANNY' to the tallest, 'ME' to a shorter figure, 'ROGER' points to a dog. 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDMA!!!' Other 'notes' are revealed to be similar drawings, with photos of a young boy with dark colored hair, holding a balloon, another with his parents at an amusement park on Earth.
Room 5's closest door is hard to open; the other door, just as difficult, and the terminals aren't working. However, opening it will reveal why: several inches of stagnant water empties out into the hallway, while the insides of the room show slowly dripping pipes and a shorted out Jovian lizard lying legs up amid all the pipes and hydrophonics like a dead bug. The terminal, miraculously, is still running; the data stick will work its magic.
Room 6 has locked doors, but the panel to either side of them is working. Coming in, you'll notice something is banging in a closet turned towards the wall; the terminal is up. Do you dare stick around? Especially since the data stick is refusing to work past the password stage; you'll need someone to try to work through the OS, or try to do it on your own. To someone more technically advanced, it should be easy enough to intuit, but someone with a basic understanding may find themselves at their wit's end.
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
Liam reports back and Rikka nods. ...She frowns a little, though, at the tone that creeps into his voice. That cold anger... He's taking it very seriously.
...It makes sense, she supposes. These are the machines that did this to Nemi - did this to Mars.
Rikka focuses - and then gasps in surprise.
"From above!?" She calls out. They're going for the Phantom Rings... Namiko is able to protect in time, but it recontextualizes the severity of the threat.
"It looks like they're quick learners... be careful and don't underestimate them." Rikka warns. "I'm doing a wide-range scan - I won't let them take us by surprise again."
Whatever results she gets will be passed to Liam and Namiko, to make sure they're ready for whatever threat approaches next.
...While she's at it, though, she's impressed at how far Namiko's come in her training. It's kind of cool the way she's using the Batta against each other... Rikka pauses, though, at her question.
"...Yeah, seriously. Good question." Rikka replies with a frown. "Is fighting all they know...?"
KTS: Rikka Takarada targets Liam 7-020 and Namiko with Caution. KTS: Rikka Takarada has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Rikka Takarada has activated the Enable Spirit Command targeting Namiko KTS: Rikka Takarada has activated the Attune Spirit Command targeting Liam 7-020 KTS: Rikka Takarada suggests caution, raising Liam 7-020's Intuition!
<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.
The drones might be too big to climb in after the team, but that doesn't mean they can't hurt them. Liam keeps the Dilanza Sol exactly where it is--a Ring-engineered bulwark, standing before the mechanical horde. The machine takes a heavy step forward, crushing frozen grass beneath its feet. Another step cracks the surface of what was once a shallow irrigation canal, now torn open and completely frozen. The machine's shields sweep back and forth with precise motions; bullets ricochet off with sharp metallic clangs, landing on the soil.
But the sheer volume of fire is something else. A bullet rips through thinner armor, rupturing a secondary hydraulic; the Dilanza's right arm twitches, but Liam quickly corrects. More bullets hammer the heavy armor encasing its legs, but he lets the AMBAC do the work there. The Mobile Suit stabilizes. "They did this to her," Liam says, "everyone else is dead because of them."
'Spend some money on schools, or something!'
What a ridiculous thought. And yet, it's true. Liam laughs, his voice edged with more of that cold, bitter rage. "Who does this," he demands, perhaps of the universe. "Who builds drones and then sends them to do this!" He can feel the anger growing sharper, deeper. He forces himself to breathe.
"Lucky for them this thing's still kitted for Bartolls. Rikka, Namiko, coming in from below!"
A long, thin wire whips out from behind the Dilanza Sol's wrist, rushing up to intercept any Batta that gets the bright idea to go after GaoGaiGo while it's airborne. The wire is completely innocent-looking, and charged with enough electricity to knock out a Mobile Suit in one shot.
KTS: Liam 7-020 targets Mobile Weapons Team with Aftermarket Shock Filament Critical Hit! KTS: Liam 7-020 has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Liam 7-020's Biorhythm activates Focus! KTS: Liam 7-020 rattles Mobile Weapons Team, making his next maneuvers more difficult. KTS: Mobile Weapons Team fails to evade Liam 7-020's Aftermarket Shock Filament Critical Hit, taking 4371 damage! KTS: Liam 7-020 has engaged Mobile Weapons Team!
<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.
Kaworu's eyes shut as his smile broadens. "I'll be sure not to mention it to him," he reassures Borr.
But there's no further opportunity for joviality. Between the bodies, and then the bugs, there's a need to make haste. Lucine leads the way, and Kaworu follows. The trajectory may be near impossible for normal humans, but there are not actually any normal humans in this group--not even Lucine. Kaworu's movements are quick, measured, and elegant, as if he were as used to Martian gravity as he is Earth gravity.
"It's all right, Lucine. There may still be a chance on the way out," Kaworu reassures her as he accepts the data sticks. Of course, there may not, all considered, but it's better than giving up all hope. The underground rumbles as the battle proceeds overhead, so they will need that hope.
He does remember the schematics, too, and nods to Lucine. "We'll move on ahead, then," he says. A nod to Borr and Shozo, and together they move onwards. Some of the doors are clearly stuck; others open easily enough. After an initial quick scan of the six rooms, Kaworu settles into room two, stepping neatly around and over the fallen plantlife to approach the terminal and insert the data stick.
'INCORRECT PASSWORD,' the screen says.
Kaworu gives it a level look.
'PASSWORD ACCEPTED,' the screen says.
Accessing and downloading the data on the terminal will thereafter be entirely up to how fast the terminal can handle being processed. Kaworu is patient; he can wait. After all, he won't need to wait long.
From there, after removing the data stick, he considers the other doors. Room six's door isn't stopped up, simply locked, and electronic locks are no more than a speedbump to him. The door opens in time for him to walk through it, and the terminal boots itself up as he approaches. It's already ready by the time he inserts the data stick into this terminal--
*BANG BANG BANG*.
As this terminal imparts its knowledge onto the data stick, Kaworu turns and considers the banging away inside a nearby closet. The closet has been turned around so the doors are held in place by the wall. With that level of force, it won't be long before whatever's inside bangs itself free anyway.
He walks over and raps politely on the closet's back. *Tap tap tap*. (Though, if it's a Jovian lizard drone, frankly, Kaworu already knows.)
<Pose Tracker> Neon Genesis Junior High Students has posed.
With their Hyper Agent abilities, Borr is able to keep up with Lucine easily. If any of the others need help -- well, they'll find themselves across the shoulders of Buster Borr, moving at high speed.
They keep an eye on Lucine, expression grim. Coming back to your home only to find it like this... It's gotta be tough. Dust falls from the ceiling, and Borr's about to say something, but Lucine begins to give instructions. Grabbing two data-sticks, the Hyper Agent vanishes in a blur of movement.
Finding Room 1's door unresponsive, Borr grits their teeth. Backing up, they ram their shoulder against the door at top speed, crashing through it with a terrific noise. Vaguely swearing under their breath, they refocus. This looks like it was once a hydroponic farm. In better times, Borr would've loved to explore it, but -- the kids are in danger. They need to hurry. Still moving at their near-invisible speed, Borr slams the data stick into the terminal. Tapping their foot, they glance toward the door anxiously, waiting as it loads.
"Damn thing. Old as Junk. Come on..."
Finally, finally, it finishes, and Borr snatches back the data stick, vanishing out the door once more. It seems Kaworu has the next room handled, so Borr hurtles toward the Room 3.
Once again, this door is blocked. Rubbing their sore shoulder, Borr shouts: "SHOZO! GET THIS THING OPEN FOR ME!"
Assuming Borr's adopted child is willing to be used as a battering ram, they ruffle his hair and vanish once more, flashstepping into the third room. The mummified body gets a sympathetic look, the lizard... less so.
Then, Borr notices the state of the terminal. "Shit."
They respect the effort, naturally. What a badass way to go out. But there's no way to get any data from this thing now. Borr isn't about to risk electrocuting themselves when the kids still need to be evacuated.
After checking to make sure Kaworu and Shozo don't need help, Borr appears back at Lucine's side, holding up their one successful data stick.
"Sorry, the other one was busted. I got you room one, though. And I think we better get out of here, Lucine."
<Pose Tracker> Shozo has posed.
Shozo can't help but smile a bit as he receives the news that they have to keep going. He knows he shouldn't be having fun... but he's totally having fun. As the group splits up to look at the 6 rooms, Shozo gravitates to the one with the bulging, malformed door.
"Hey Borr, Kaworu, check this out!" With a grunt, Shozo *drives* his fingers into the metal, puncturing clean through -- and making a bit of a face as fetid water leaks out around his digits onto the ground.
"Oop, guess it's gonna be a bit wet..." he grunts as he *yanks* his arms in opposite directions, the sound of shearing metal heralding him simply *pulling the doors off, getting splashed by the water as it pours out onto the floor.
Wiggling his fingers until the doors fall off, he walks in, wipes some moisture and a bit of mildew off the data port, and pops in the data stick.
"Alrighty! That wasn't so bad." He walks out, patting his hands together, and heads towards Room 3, already partially broken. A simple SHOVE knocks it open, albeit with a loud clattering, and Shozo walks in, only to cringe at the sparking terminal.
"Um... Do you think the data would be recoverable if I just pulled it out?" He almost tries it, but stops himself when he hears the banging.
"Um, Borr? Do you want to handle this one? I think it needs a scalpel instead of a hammer."
<Pose Tracker> Mobile Weapons Team has posed.
It was a crafty plan, for a bunch of Jovian Lizards, but thanks to the quick thinking of GaoGaiGo's Head Divers, the King of Braves emerges mostly unscathed once again, missiles detonating for the most part, against the warped space of Protect Shade.
Namiko's quick on the offensive once again, turning the Lizards' greatest advantage, their sheer numbers, against them as GaoGaiGo just grapples and throws them around - there's really not much they can do about this but take it.
Liam comes in hot not long after, putting the Dilanza Sol's AMBAC thrusters to good use, even amidst the sheer pressure of fire from the Battas. Backing up GaoGaiGo, he swings that electro-charged whip, the power output alone enough leading any Batta it hits to sputter and crash to the colony surface.
'Spend some money on schools or something?' The Jovian Federation assures you it is very proud of its education system, most of all the Ken Tenkuu Academy of Military Manliness. The evil Earthlings wouldn't understand!
In good news, Namiko, Rikka, and Liam's efforts have destroyed over half of the remaining Jovian Lizards currently swarming them and haunting Nemi Colony. On the other hand, that seemed to have triggered something in the surviving ones, as the tiny little bugs begin to attack with renewed ferocity.
Freed from GaoGaiGo's grip, a group of the Batta aim the biggest guns they got, aiming to cripple the Brave through hitting not just StealthGao, but also LinerGao and DrillGao. If they just keep shooting enough, surely it will come apart eventually! That's really the main logic these things were programmed to have.
Liam sees missiles fly his away again, the same big, piercing ones they shot at GaoGaiGo - but en masse this time. They have learned to 'fear' that shock wire Liam brought upon them, perhaps... so they keep their distance from the Dilanza Sol this time.
KTS: Mobile Weapons Team has activated the Valor Spirit Command. KTS: Mobile Weapons Team has activated the Strike Spirit Command. KTS: Mobile Weapons Team targets Namiko with Heavy Machine Gun Barrage! KTS: Mobile Weapons Team targets Liam 7-020 with Batta Missile Volley! KTS: Mobile Weapons Team has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Rikka Takarada suggests caution, raising Namiko's Intuition! <Pose Tracker> Lucine Azul has posed.
The banging and speeding around makes Lucine wince as she turns away, just in time to hide her reaction. It's a surreal feeling, seeing people zip around the same labs that were restricted to her when she was little, out of fear she'd knock something over.
But this is at the same time Liam and Namiko and Rikka are fighting to give them precious time. < "..... Just hold out a little longer, you guys..." > She wants to say something specific to Liam, but her helmet's transmitter is limited in that way. She opts to be as brave as she imagines, no, *knows* they're all being up there.
Borr appears at Lucine's side, the voice of blunt reason. Lucine, however, is now focused on the keypad. < "... No, no, this is good. I think we can make this happen... At the speed we're going..." > Lucine has resorted to pulling out a simple notepad, scribbled with notes.
It helps that this area bears less of the familiar markings further inside would have; even if they get past this gate here, it would still be a long walk to the quarters she once walked that last visit that nearly took her life. The data from one terminal would be enough to justify the trip, but it's simply a part of a larger whole, with personal files and data likely needing months or years to sort through without the original owners there to help it make sense. It's still things that would have otherwise fallen between the cracks; one small piece of one Library of Alexandria not lost to time.
One small seed of hope, and that's what keeps Lucine from falling into a panicked state, along with the faith and fearlessness of her friends.
< "... Ah, got it." > Lucine breathes. < "Opening the gate now. .... Usually, it's not this difficult to...." >
The doors slide aside, and behind it, several red eyes stare back, suddenly aware of the heat signatures just ahead of them.
The gate was locked for a very good reason, and despite all of Lucine's planning, she's the one to open Pandora's box.
Worse yet, alerts are being triggered, on the Hermes' radar, as well as any systems linked similarly, showing activity filtering in from the furthest edges, heading straight towards Nemi Colony, attracted by the uptick in activity in am otherwise desolate area.
Their time is up.
< BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toEBh2uUJt8 >
< "D-damn it... Pull back! Pull back! It's getting too dangerous to be here!!" >
Running back is as simple as running in a straight line; while Lucine already is trying to get the doors to close back shut, it only buys them a small amount of time, all while putting her in the line of fire. Her suit takes few rounds before she's forced to flee back, running after the unencumbered three ahead of her. Another shot makes a hole in her suit as they reach the stairs; air is beginning to wheeze out. It's not an immediate death sentence, but she'll likely need some help getting to the Dianthus, a field away, as they're forced to run.
KTS: Namiko has activated the Focus Spirit Command. KTS: Namiko has activated the Focus Spirit Command. KTS: Namiko successfully evades Mobile Weapons Team's Heavy Machine Gun Barrage
<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.
Before Kaworu heads into room six, Shozo bids him and Borr watch something. He stops and watches as requested. The malformed door is soon further malformed, and, shortly thereafter, no longer a door.
"Well done," Kaworu says, smiling at Shozo. He steps back as that fetid water pours out and adds, "Do be cautious of the water. It smells unpleasant."
He heads into room six after that, where there is a terminal that would need hacking by a lesser mortal and a closet with suspicious banging. Borr might well need to help him out with this part--but the machine within will have to remain inside as many, many more activate behind the gate Lucine has opened just outside. Kaworu frowns in that direction; then, with swift grace, he retrieves the data stick and leaves to rejoin Lucine and the others.
"Lucine, let Borr protect you," he urges--he knows well that Borr will be doing that anyway, after all, and Lucine's already been shot once. Unlike the rest of them, she actually needs air, too.
<Pose Tracker> Shozo has posed.
Shozo notices the shot tear through Lucine's suit and lunges at her, scooping her up and wrapping a hand around the hole to seal it as he broadens his shoulders to further obscure her, and begins running out.
"Awk, sorry about tha- ow!" A spray of machine-gun fire finds its mark, a pair of bullets striking Shozo square in the back... and flattening against his jacket before falling away with a PLINK sound, leaving powder burns on them. He turns around, giving the assaulting drones a hard look.
"These guys are JERKS... but you come first, OK Miss Lucine? Borr, Kaworu, c'mon!" He runs in hurtling bounds, trying to maintain a speed that doesn't risk giving his new passenger whiplash. He looks her right in the eyes as he runs, giving her a thousand-watt smile to try and distract her from the mounting chaos.
"So, um... seen any good movies lately?"
<Pose Tracker> Neon Genesis Junior High Students has posed.
Lucine opens the gate, and the back of Borr's neck prickles with alarm.
"Hang on, don't--!"
But it's too late. Red eyes meet those of light, sky blue, and Borr growls. Lucine's working on closing the gate, but Buster Borr charges forward all the same.
"Shozo, get Lucine and Kaworu out!" Borr instructs, a half-dozen knives fanning out in their hands.
Shots ring out, and Borr steps into their top speed, getting close enough to toss each of their knives in a fan-like pattern. It won't stop those drones, but maybe it'll be enough to slow them down.
By the time they return, Lucine's been shot. Borr breathes in through their teeth, hearing the air escape her suit.
"Damn it. Alright, we're going, now!" Borr is relieved to see Shozo already carrying Lucine away, hopefully with Kaworu in tow.
With a breath, Borr follows behind, summoning more knives in their hands. When the drones break free of the gate, they'll be greeted by a hail of sharp metal before the Hyper Agent retreats. They make certain to stay behind their retreating friends, ready to brawl with anything that gets too close.
KTS: Liam 7-020 blocks Mobile Weapons Team's Batta Missile Volley, taking 4340 damage! KTS: Mobile Weapons Team completes the Formation attack! KTS: Lucine Azul has deployed in Dianthus Mk. 3. <Pose Tracker> Lucine Azul has posed.
Lucine had used that same second that Borr armed themselves to try to shut the doors; in the end, it's the people she tried to protect that rescue her.
This is why Lucine needs to realize that her companions are actually able to do more in this Martian atmosphere than just breathe; they're able to protect themselves too from the monsters that had long been in her past. The lower gravity makes hauling Shozo's cargo a lot easier, not that he needs much help lifting in the first place. He'll notice Lucine staring up at him in amazement, trying to process the fact that he had just taken several bullets to the back. "..... Movies, ah... I saw... that one thriller action movie that just came out, with my mom--"
Or maybe, that's just the air leaking that made her see that. Really, if he's like Borr, that may explain a lot.
Drones flood out through the door, forcing it fully open with their numbers despite their smaller size, some clinging to the ceiling and walls as they shoot and rush towards them, some hesitating over the wet ground Kaworu warned Shozo over before decidedly trampling over it. The Battas are formidable foes, but these ones make up for their lack of size with sheer numbers and crowding.
Up the stairs and out onto the ice covered grounds above, the four rush out, followed by a small crowd of Jovian droids. No longer bottlenecked, they're able to spread out, but the lack of focus gives the four an even better chance of getting away.
Helped towards the Dianthus, Lucine stands, thanking Shozo before stiffly climbing inside and closing it; inside the cocoon of the suit, air systems rebalance the air so that it's suited for her to breathe comfortably. Her helmet comes off, and she breathes, fingers already punching in on the dash. < ".... The outside doors will start opening. It'll take a second. I think I got the doors to the outside to open too. Borr, Kaworu, Shozo-- get to the Hermes! I'll join Liam, Namiko, and Rikka while you all load!" >
Soon, the Dianthus darts off, towards the three that defended the rest of them, shooting a curtain of beams towards the Batta swarm.
<Pose Tracker> Namiko has posed.
Too much manliness is how they got into this situation!!
Liam's anger is a bit of a splash of cold water. That's right, this is the force that's been slowly destroying Mars...that's the reason only Alba City is left. Maybe the growth in her tension is palpable to Rikka in the Womb Head. But, before anything can spiral, the Battas try their new tactic. It's not bad logic, for paperclips with no main commander. Not good enough, though!! Namiko sucks in deeply through her teeth, and then forces herself to commit. She surges aside, Ul-Tech engines roaring to life at her wish, and GaoGaiGo vaults out of the way of the heavy machine guns. "Rikka, we're gonna try 'that', OK!?" she calls down, as GaoGaiGo soars up. "Break Synthesize!"
The TM System comes online, the vents in GaoGaiGo's crown of a chest sucking in the thin Martian air for raw particles to devour. The TM System itself does all the work - calculating optimal solutions, both tactical and chemical, displaying its output to Rikka down in the Womb Head. After a few seconds: "G-Set!" Namiko adds, and GaoGaiGo surges on automatic programming toward an optimal point to release its payload. "Looks like...Some kind of flammable payload...?"
Once she gets the signal from Rikka, she finishes the job: "Synapse Attack!!" she calls down, and thrusts down GaoGaiGo's exposed right arm, the claws peeling back to reveal an exposed nozzle. It erupts in a wave of what looks at first like light, but is actually thousands of individual sealed, airtight membranes, impacting the Battas in waves.
On contact, each one bursts into a searing flame.
KTS: Namiko targets Mobile Weapons Team with Synapse Burn! KTS: Namiko has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Lucine Azul targets Mobile Weapons Team with Lunate Crown v.2 Curtain! KTS: Lucine Azul has completed their actions for the round. KTS: EN Regen activates. Your new EN value is 61. KTS: SP Regen activates. Your new SP value is 75. KTS: Mobile Weapons Team fails to retreat. KTS: Mobile Weapons Team fails to react to Namiko's Synapse Burn, taking 5766 damage! KTS: Namiko has engaged Mobile Weapons Team! KTS: Mobile Weapons Team fails to react to Lucine Azul's Lunate Crown v.2 Curtain, taking 2940 damage!
<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.
Though Borr may call for Shozo to get Kaworu out, there's no need for him to do so. Kaworu keeps pace with Shozo as he carries Lucine out just fine on his own, unfazed by Shozo being shot in the back. What's there to be fazed by? They just fall off.
Those bullets don't even reach Kaworu. Maybe Borr's just that good. As he predicted, Borr moved to protect Lucine--all of them, really--without needing to be asked. Protection is just in their nature, after all. Gridman always wanted to do everything he could to protect Kaworu and Rei, too.
But while they may be just fine on-foot, the only one who came here with a mobile suit was Lucine. There are things Kaworu, Shozo, and Borr could do against the Battas all the same, but Kaworu opts not to do that, for his part.
"Very well," he thus tells Lucine. Once the doors are open, he'll make his retreat to the Hermes, though not without Shozo and Borr. There are quite a few Battas.
<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.
"They're adapting," Liam says. There's a note of fear in his tone, but it contrasts a wave of clear, purposeful intensity. His eyes saccade as he takes in multiple missile launches at once, notices the differences in heft and profile. Heavier ordnance. The Dilanza Sol jets forward, its feet parallel to the ground as it skates above the terrain. The shields shift to cover its torso as Liam turns it to face the machine's heaviest armor--the stuff on the front, shielding the cockpit--towards the Battas.
It mostly works. The left shield takes a missile head-on and survives, minus the outer ablative layer. The right one...
Liam hears the sound of shrieking metal, followed by the eruption of a fireball. The next missile embeds itself in the shield and detonates, shredding it apart. Chunks of smoking metal spray across the ground.
"Ghh!" the cyborg chokes out, eyes narrowing. But behind him, the Dianthus' reactor comes out of idle, flaring to brilliant life. "Lu," Liam says, the chill in his voice warming somewhat. "Did you get it?" The Dilanza Sol takes off once again, its jets stirring up a cloud of ice and dust. It draws its beam rifle up to its shoulder, and once again, Liam's back to coldly designating targets.
"Stay in cover," he says. He will do no such thing, himself. Instead, Liam starts trying to gun down the surviving Battas with ruthless, calculated efficiency--the opposite of how he fights piloted machines. By now he's figured out, more or less, where they keep their cores, or at least what will usually guarantee a killshot.
KTS: Liam 7-020 has activated the Valor Spirit Command. KTS: Liam 7-020 targets Mobile Weapons Team with Beam Rifle Perfect Shot! KTS: Liam 7-020 has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Liam 7-020's Biorhythm activates Valor! <Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
Rikka can feel Liam's fury. He has a right to be angry, really - these machines have stolen so much from so many. She's the last person who'd tell someone not to get angry in a situation like this.
...And she can feel Namiko's tension, too.
"...It's alright." Rikka assures her quietly. Thankfully, through their team work, GaoGaiGo neatly avoids the incoming barrage!
"Good work." Rikka says. And then - Namiko has a plan. Let's try 'that'.
...Rikka can't help but smirk a little. She'd asked Akane in the exact same way.
"Got it!" Rikka calls out, and focuses on the read-out. She watches the TM System do its work, keeping track of the data flowing in, and once it's complete... "We're ready! Go get them, Namiko!"
The Synapse Attack is always a sight to see... but her attention is soon quickly drawn away from it by other activity on GaoGaiGo's radar.
"What's..." Rikka starts, blinks - and then squeezes the controls tightly as she calls out to anyone keyed into the comms. "I don't know what it is, but I'm picking up activity from outside! Something's closing in on the colony! Everyone, please hurry!"
Rikka takes a quick look over the current situation... and that's when there's another surprise. This one's a good one - as the Dianthus joins the fray.
"Lucine! Did you get everything you needed?" Rikka asks, then focuses. "I've picked out the enemy locations - I suggest we focus on clearing a path for our friends and getting out of here while we still have the chance."
KTS: Mobile Weapons Team partially guards Liam 7-020's Beam Rifle Perfect Shot, taking 6480 damage! KTS: Mobile Weapons Team has been defeated!
<Pose Tracker> Mobile Weapons Team has posed.
As the UI-tech roars, the Batta's scheme fails once again as Namiko just... flies GaoGaiGo out of the way with Rikka's guidance. That should be the least of the drone's concerns, though, as the crown-chest of GaoGaiGo begins to glow... burn? The temperature suddenly rises, and rises around GaoGaiGo's immediate vicinity as the TM System prepares the chemical synthesis... and Namiko and Rikka let it fly from GaoGaiGo's right arm. Every single affected Batta's armour melts, before bursting into flames. Whatever self-preservation program that fuels the rest of them finally kicks in - as they attempt to flee...
Only to be met by beam shots from the regrouping Lucine in the Dianthus - there's nowhere left for the killer drones to escape. Especially not as Liam raises the Dilanza Sol's beam rifle with perfect, calculated accuracy, his precise shots ensuring not a single one gets away.
The battle may be over, but Rikka's right - they won't be in the clear for long, and their allies on-foot need an escape path as more unknowns close in on the colony...
<Pose Tracker> Lucine Azul has posed.
The normal suit had provided some shielding from a direct shot; still, as Lucine pilots, she begins to feel the sting of where some of the bullets nicked her.
Lucine's response is simple, though relief at seeing the two units still up and running still manages to filter into her voice. < ".... We got enough." > Rikka will feel the weight behind it, while Liam will recognize it in the soft tone of her voice.
But the satisfaction and a small surge in attraction to Liam as he delivers that final blow may be limited to Rikka to... appreciate. Such is the curse of being a Newtype.
< ".... Thank you. That'll buy us some time. You're right, Rikka. We can't wait any longer. I learned that the hard way, last time. You guys go ahead. I'll... turn off the lights, when you're outside." >
Even as she says that, the Dianthus hovers, its chest pointed towards the far distance, toward the lighted distance, towards her home.
She places the tips of her fingers against the screen, tears running down her face.
< ".... I'll be back. I swear it... Until then... sleep just a little longer.... all of you." >
Hope springs eternal.