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[Stranger] - ER:59% (Condition: 5/5, Awakened) Stranger's eyes flickered upon as he heard them start talking, but he didn't move just yet. Instead, he went through a rigorous sequence of nerve impulses, starting from his toes and continuing up through his body to the very tips of his individual hairs. To watch him, it looked like just started pulsating from head to toe, rippling like a man-shaped jello mold. And then he drew himself taut, and lay still. No need to move just yet, and he needed time to process what had just happened to him. As he listened, he thought. A cure for Renegade - an end to his powers. His knee-jerk reaction was disgust - but then, perhaps that was a response from the virus. A sort of primitive survival instinct propagated through the viral host, keeping itself from danger. On the other hand, was there really a distinction between him and the virus, at this point? He'd changed so many times, so wildly, that he couldn't imagine what he must have looked like originally. Had he even been a man, back then? He dimly recalled his parents, but time and his drifting morals had made them into sketchy blurs, caricatures of parental affection. Without the virus, what would be left? Would he 'revert' to his original form? Would there be anything left of Stranger in this new, saved person? He didn't move, barely breathed. He just thought and listened. (As mentioned, taking a 10% Corruption Reduction, as well as 3 Signature Moves.)
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Mar 29, 2016 19:09
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Wagner sighs, collapsing into a chair on his side of the glass and Shinya steps to one side, pulling a large flat-screen monitor, equipped with what looks like a motion sensor device. "Understood sir, Black Death is go." He flips on the monitor and walls of small-font text appears, "Tempest originally dismissed the possibility of the use of Schism as a weapon due to its extremely contagious nature. Like the Renegade it is an extremophile and easily crosses interspecies barriers. Release of the virus under uncontrolled conditions could quickly spiral out of control. It's estimated that even this incident with the weakened Schism virus in relatively sterile conditions had as much as a 3% chance of reaching pandemic status. The odds rise as high as 98% for even a small-scale attack with full-strength virus. Hopefully, whichever cell captured the virus is aware of this. Being killed by a well planned operation is bad enough...being killed by a bunch of fools who don't know what they're toying with would be shameful." Shinya gestures to the monitor. "This should provide you access to Tempest's research data as well as remote access to information from the UGN database. The motion sensor controls will respond to simple hand gestures easily enough. I expect we'll be able to release you from quarintine in under 3 hours. Once the Renegade virus in your system has returned to full strength it will begin to attract and eliminate the remnants of the Schism virus in your environment. Your equipment is undergoing intense anti-viral treatment as we speak and should be ready shortly afterwards." "With your permission I will carry out your orders and supervise the transfer of remaining samples of Schism to high security containment in the head branch. Please let me know if there's anything else I can provide before I go."
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Mar 29, 2016 21:32
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[Back Alley] - ER:25% (Condition: 5/5, Awakened) Gonna spend my xp on getting brawling to [d10] and a signature power. Back Alley groggily woke up and tried to check a watch that wasn't there. He sat up and listened intently to what happened. No wonder he felt like garbage, considering what they got hit with. He spoke up, "Hey, how long have we been out?" Hopefully it wasn't too long. Jared would be pissed at him for missing work otherwise. And the ol' bender excuse only works so many times.
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Mar 29, 2016 22:18
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Wraithblade/William Jones - ER: 21% (Condition: 5/5, Awakened) William sat still on the ground, legs crossed. To an outsider, he might have appeared stoic, almost meditative. But that was just the inexpressiveness so typical to the Neumann breed taking hold, for in truth he was extremely agitated. He did not mind the gowns, or his situation otherwise, except for one little detail. They had taken his sword. His SWORD. The ingrates. Only his respect for the Branch Chief was holding him from trying to tear his way out and find it. So instead, he merely closed his eyes, and tried to concentrate inwards, get his mind off from this. He focused himself and on his immediate past, trying to cleave some clarity on the fate of his blade from the clutches of time itself. And indeed, he saw some flickers. ________________ Buying a signature move, leaving 7 XP in the bank: Slash Through Time - (Awakened, 1 EP ongoing) Via an application of his Balor powers, William can store a temporal echo of himself to be released later. Wraithblade uses his action to perform an attack roll which is 'stored', and can later on be added to another attack roll when he stops paying the upkeep. Also, please give William his sword back before he loses his poo poo tia.
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Mar 29, 2016 22:51
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Blood Bath -16% ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ Bohn slept through the important conversation until near the end. It took him a while to get himself together because the last things he recalls are...         Happy Birthday, DK!
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Mar 30, 2016 00:14
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Ex Machina - ER: 17% (Condition: 5/5, Awakened) "I suppose it is not possible to provide us with decontaminated chairs for the upcoming briefing." There were trace amounts of humour in the Branch Chief's voice as he positioned himself in front of the monitor. "You are free to go, Agent Yamanaka. Should anything else come up, contact me immediately." Once the Double A and Tempest's liaison were gone, Ra'id spoke up once more. "Good to see you are awake and aware once more, gentlemen. Take a moment to regain your bearings, if you please. I would like all of you to be fully conscious for debriefing. And wake up Stricken, if possible. I see no reason to repeat myself more than necessary." Clearly the whispers of activity coming from the agents had not gone unnoticed.
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Mar 30, 2016 00:34
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[Stranger] - ER:59% (Condition: 5/5, Awakened) Still lying down, Stranger chuckled softly. No rest for the wicked, eh? He flowed unnaturally from his supine position to his feet, then sauntered over to Stricken. Extending one arm, he gently tapped her on the shoulder to wake her up. He disregarded the ablated flecks of tissue that fell from his limb like snow. (Yo wake up)
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Mar 30, 2016 02:46
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This is a useful summary of the basic facts of the Schism virus that Ex Machina would be able to hyper-skim from the document. I assure you if I had to time they would be illustrated by crayon-drawn chibis. Facts About Schism
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Mar 30, 2016 08:32
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Mar 30, 2016 23:58
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Seems we've hit another little lull. I think I'll go ahead and fast forward things a bit since we don't want to take too long having everyone sitting in a featureless white room. If Ex Machina has any specifics he wanted to pass along in his debriefing feel free to post them retroactively. Within a few hours, Agent Yamanaka returns accompanied by several doctors with UGN badges and a work crew. All are wearing hazmat suits. "Sorry for the trouble, projections indicate that your containment should have been cleared of the Schism contamination by now but we have to make sure. This shouldn't take too long." Shinya motions for the team to get to work. Within minutes they have erected an airtight plastic booth on the far side of the glass. With an extremely complex-looking drill they bored a thin hole in the barricade, extracting an air sample. The hole was sealed and the sample passed along to a spectrometer. After a few minutes of everyone looking quite tense the technician looks up from the device "All clear sir." Agent Yamanaka nods, "Good news so far. We'll send a team through the quarantine zone to make a new door. Researcher Wagner was quite emphatic about the dangers of contamination so we took the precaution of securing the chamber with several layers of welded armor. In case of..." Here his gaze noticably turns towards Stricken before flicking back to Ex Machina, "...breaches. Once we're through we'll take a quick blood sample to confirm that the Schism virus is no longer active in your system as well as for possible vaccine testing. Although given Tempest's attempts so far that seems unlikely." The process is annoyingly slow but eventually the entrance to the room is unsealed and you are all freed (after a thorough series of blood-drawings and tests). Tchernobog, Foucault and the remnants of several of Ex Machina's other drones are produced (just about everything else was thoroughly destroyed), having been sterilized through baths of chemical decontaminates and radiation. After passing through several quarantine airlocks and testing stations you finally find yourself back on the surface in the remnants of Yokata Air Base. The place is a wreck: the fallout from the battle between Stricken, Stranger and Ruby Phoenix has more or less wrecked much of the base's northern airstrip and several buildings. The force that rescued Poison Orchid and Volkov seems to have literally ripped several layers of the underground base from the earth and deposited them across much of the surrounding area. A layer of metal has been used to seal the hole...apparently several of hangars (aircraft included), flattened and pressure-welded into a single sheet. UGN and American forces scurry here and there. Shinya walks alongside you as you approach a waiting helicopter, ready to take you back to UGN headquarters. "We have already transported the remaining Schism samples to Headquarters and are beginning testing. At the moment the events at Yokata are being explained as a large scale terrorist attack from radical Chinese groups. We are using this as justification for placing Tempest forces at likely potential targets for a False Hearts attack, including major government centers, alongside the SDF." He hands Ex Machina a tablet containing more details, "I've also arranged for a conference call with other Branch Heads, they've been provided all our current data but they will want to speak to you directly." Rather than let things play out scene-to-scene, here's what I was thinking. Lets assume everyone gets back to base. Gets a meal, clean bill of health, etc. and takes care of all the immediate running around this'll involve. We'll skip to "later that day" (it's early morning, around 7 AM currently). Everyone describe what you're working on. This could be acting on orders (come up with your own orders that you've been given), something personal you feel the need to take care of, an intuition you had, etc. Give a brief description of what you're doing and (if it seems like it needs it) a Trait roll. We won't get into anything long-winded...we're still kind of "fast forwarding" past the first day or two post-quarantine which is largely going to be a lot of information gathering, planning and organizational problems. I'll try and pop into chat later today if you've got questions.
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Apr 2, 2016 03:09
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Blood Bath Breakfast:  "Hmmm, how precarious." Bohn mutters to himself at his ominous toasted bread. Is this the work of an enemy overzed? "Fork!" Bohn tries to creates a fork to try stabbing the bread to see if it will scream, but his morphous power failed. "FORK!" Bohn tries it again, but the fork did not materialize. "Blood Fork!" At the command of this word, Bohn's body begins transforming toward monstrous and his surrounding begins to become bloody--"NO, NO, NOT MY SPECIAL POWER BLOOD FORT!" The power cancelled immediately. Then a fork shaped blood forms on Bohn's hands. It wasn't until later the day where Bohn will figures out that the Schism virus has removed his Morpheus power. Bill of health  So be it. Bohn will have to live without the morphous power that he rarely used besides for personal convenience, which is pretty drat convenient. drat it, now he have to find the remote. Action More importantly, Bohn needs to figure out why his family a bunch of Gjuam in an American Base? Why is everyone acting normally to such a revelation? Did they KNOW something about his family that Bohn dont? Is there something special about his family!? Can he be involved in a conspiracy that stretches all the way longer than he can imagine? Longer than A train!? Bohn needs to get to the bottom of this and he is going to apply for UGN field medic and scientist clearance with his medical degree to obtain more classified information!
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Apr 2, 2016 04:14
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Stricken Corruption: 61 Condition: (4/5 Awakened) Transported back to base in the heavily reinforced cargo section of UGN Chinook, protocols put in place by the previous branch chief ensured Stricken was placed back in containment (or as she liked to call it, her accommodations) before she even had a chance to wake up. The Box looked like no more than a large shipping container stacked unceremoniously in a shielded warehouse on the outskirts of the UGN base. It was however, heavily defended. Several cameras where pointed toward it at all times and anyone with even a basic comprehension of tactics would notice a slight skew in turrets, anti-aircraft emplacements and guard towers around the area in which it was housed. Stricken had heard rumours that there was always at least one artillery platform somewhere in the Japan pointed in her general direction, for all the good it would do if she gjaumed. If the old branch chief really was that paranoid about her abilities, or if he had intended to lure attackers into thinking that Strickens warehouse held some item of great value so as to lure them into a cunning trap she didn't know. Didn't really care to think about. All she really knew was that her 'house' could contain her at awakened levels, and that her bed only had to be changed a few times per week. She never really saw or spoke to the maintenance crew, always being out on a mission, or more often than not being heavily sedated by the time they arrived. When she finally did wake up, soaked in sweat from dayterrors, she could at least breath a sigh of relief. She was back in the one place in her life where she could feel a modicum of comfort, a fresh set of clothes waiting neatly folded by her side. A crate labelled simply 'incinerate' stood in one corner of her home, where she had been instructed to place any items she picked up during her temporary departures. Standard procedure, use and discard. They could never be too careful. What if the items where contaminated? What if she failed to realize her place? She was a tool to be brought out in emergencies, and a large part of her agreed with that statement. Either way, they never let her keep anything for too long. In truth, she only really had one item she could call her own, one item the previous Branch Chief had not dare take from her.  An old cassette player, a heirloom of sorts of the family she never had, of the life she might have once led had things not gone as they did. It still played the old music hauntingly. At the press of a button, she could regress into memories not even her Lifeline Sensor with all of its hidden chemicals could trigger. She sat in her room, rocking back and forth in the cold and the dark, ignoring for as long as possible the flashing red light that meant she had a message waiting for her, the sole reminder in her isolated existence that Life was not finished with her yet. Just waiting for the debrief here! Decided to get the Orbital Defence power as it was listed as well, leaving me with one XP left.
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Apr 2, 2016 10:10
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(Recap: One of Stranger's identities is Nick Lavine, nationally famous triathlete. His Lois is Scott Davis, his rival in the triathlon: he's sexist, crude - and probably Stranger's best friend) [Stranger] - ER:59% (Condition: 5/5, Awakened) Later on in his sparse quarters, Stranger paced in the darkness, oddly concerned about calling Scott. Scott had left a few messages on what Stranger thought of as "Nick's" number - nothing too pressing, but Scott seldom made the effort unless he wanted something. No messages would have been the expected, one message mere variance, maybe two because he had seen something funny or rude online. Three? For Scott, that could mean anything from him griping about (another) missed race to... he couldn't offhand think of any time the man had left him three messages in a row. Two texts and a missed call - no voicemail. He checked the first text. quote:hey Nick where u at shits startin - unless u duckin out on this one too pissant chikn fuckr quote:yo Nick something's up we heard a boom now everyones freaking out - terrist attack near yokota you ok dude? quote:Hey Davis, nice to hear you care man! The only explosion I heard was in my gut, dude - I gave myself one hell of a case quote:I'm fine, except for my pride - the nurse was hot af but I don't think the sounds coming out of me endeared me too much to her! quote:jeez thought you were dead and id have to win all our races by default instead of just mad fastness like i normally do --- Stranger didn't have much in his room. No bed - if he felt like he needed sleep, he'd just run and jump into one corner of the room and adhere in place, maybe dampening the sounds around him if he felt like it. No clothes - not much need for him, of course. No lavatory - for reasons best left unstated, it simply wasn't required. He did, in a fitted, brushed metal case, have his Royal Velvetone Portable Typewriter. He kept his manuscript in there too, but he couldn't bear to think about it right now. So instead he sat on his chair (steel, uncomfortable, good enough) and stared at his mirror. Large, spotless - and equipped to display data from UGN databanks, if he so desired. He did so desire, right now. He settled into place, letting his features shift between the faces he had seen during the fiasco. That hot-headed young fellow - Ruby Phoenix. The two who had bound him during the hangar fight - Yuri Volkov and Poison Orchid... That mysterious woman who had shaken Stricken so much. He ran through them in sequence, trying out their faces, their voices, reading any files he had access to. Next time around, he wouldn't be fighting blind. Next time around, he'd have them fighting themselves. (Rolling (d10) Infiltrator + Corruption Bonus = 19) to learn some more about these guys. Rolling mostly for fun rather than any particular desired mechanical benefit!) Dog Kisser fucked around with this message at 22:22 on Apr 3, 2016 |
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Apr 2, 2016 17:41
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Hey, Orion, did you ever hash out the mechanical details for my special of masking an attack with mirror images? [Back Alley] - ER:25% (Condition: 5/5, Awakened) Back Alley frowned as they brought out the few items that weren't destroyed. A perfectly good outfit, gone. And worse, his car keys! He turned towards Ra'id, "I hate to do this, boss, but I gotta ask you to reimburse me for this one. I gotta head back home, make sure nobody thinks I'm dead. I'll make some calls, see if I can't find someone who knows any of those jerks, and come in for debriefing later. Deal?" Now, how to get Jezebel out of here without keys? Back Alley pondered this before inspiration struck him. "Hey, stretchy guy! Come with me, I need ya for something." A few minutes and a finger(?) jammed in the ignition later, Jezebel was off. - - - Lucas entered his apartment, thanking his landlord for letting him in as he closed the door. He snapped his finger and pointed at his sound system, sending a perfectly practiced sequence of infrared light into the receiver. (Yet another silver lining.) As his stereo blared away, he set himself towards making a delicious omelette, which he enjoyed immensely. (He often wondered how some of the others put up with all this without superhuman senses enhancing everything.) He spent a moment pacing around the apartment, thinking of his next move. poo poo was going to get real(er) soon, so Lucas judged it prudent to engage in some practice while he still had the opportunity. He wrapped his hands up and moved over to the worn punching bag he had hanging in the corner. - - - After an intense workout, Lucas stood in the shower, eyes closed. Unlike the other UGN agents, Back Alley was not formally trained, relying instead on self teaching. However, he was given the email of a veteran Angel Halo, who operated somewhere in North America, to ask for advice from. Lately, his mentor had been recommending that he train in the shower or on rainy days, as the refraction from the falling water made things more challenging. He shifted the wall through the ROYGBIV pattern, before trying to color as many individual tiles differently as possible. Confident that he had done enough practice for now, he turned off the water and stepped out. Hmm, what about some kind of vest today? - - - Cleaned, groomed, and dressed, Back Alley lounged on the couch, going through his cell's list of contacts. His talk with Jared had gone about as well as it could have gone; he was pissed initially but calmed down once Lucas explained that he was involved in the Yokata Incident. He told Jared that he spent all night in quarantine because of a chemical spill or something and answering questions for police and government reports. Jezebel could even be seen in some of the news footage! All in all, one of the better excuses he had used, more or less the truth! For now though, Back Alley was speaking to his various contacts and sources, trying to figure out if any of them had ever seen or known any of the False Hearts. Gonna roll [d6]Contacts: Nightclub Owner with Excellence to gather some info on our terrorist buddies. If Overeds are anything like vampires, they fukken love nightclubs! I rolled a 9!
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Apr 5, 2016 06:51
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Sorry for slow posting, been busy couple of days. I'll be posting another "fast forward" post soon. By the way, those of you who suffered injuries from the previous fights can go ahead and clear those out. The UGN's medical facilities are more than adequate for everyone to get patched up. Blood Bath Normally those clearances would require tests, scheduled at least a few weeks in advance. Fortunately right now UGN's bureaucracy is in such a state that they'll pretty much stamp any form you put in front of them right now. World-threatening disasters will do that. Sci-Ops clearance in hand you gain access to reams of formerly classified documents. Hours spent poring over your own personnel files, your family's medical and financial records and anything that might indicate what the hell is going on. You find the telltale signs of your family members receiving Tempest pay-offs and now that "family get away" conveniently timed with one of your missions makes a lot more sense...it must have been when they received Tempest training! You're busy adding up the amount of money per month your wife spent on the trains...you're sure if you can just figure out the pattern you'll figure out when all of this started...when someone shows up telling you that you're needed upstairs for a debriefing. It's also apparently 10 AM. You don't remember quite how long you've been doing this. Stricken You're not quite sure how long you spend in containment. No doubt everyone else is very busy, trying to find out what happened and how to stop it. Saving the world. They'll get you when something needs to be disintegrated. A loud BRRRRRRRRRRRTTTTTT sound and a flashing red light jerk you out of your musical reverie. It's the "visitor alert", signaling that someone is coming. The alert is set to give you a 10 minute head start. For normal people it would be to make sure you have time to get dressed and presentable. For you it's there to make sure that you have time to "dial down" your abilities and don't accidentally peel the first layer of skin off someone's face when they walk in suddenly. The UGN agent that peeks in is one of the veterans, they're collected enough not to appear nervous or jumpy around you. But they still display the trademark tension of a dangerous person in the presence of someone more dangerous. "Miss. You're needed upstairs." Stranger It takes some digging, mostly to get permission (or in some cases "permission") to access the appropriate files, but you eventually get the complete files on False Hearts Cell 234. Cell 234 operates somewhere in the general environs of City N, but information on them is minimal due to their relatively limited engagements. While many other False Hearts cells are more driven by lust for power, wealth or their own bizarre ideologies, cell 234 is more low-key. There's been the occasional small-scale stuff...enough to catch UGN attention but rarely enough to demand the UGN send in other Overeds and risk an escalating confrontation. After all, if an Overed decides they need to rob a store its much easier to let it happen, throw together a quick cover up and pay for the damages than to send in another Overed agent and end up with the whole city block in flames. Encounters with cell 234 have mainly involved their agents teaming up with other False Hearts cells for larger operations. Current theory is that they mainly operate as a mercenary cell. The known members are: *Ruby Phoenix: The newest and youngest member. A Salamandra Overed with an overwhelming preference for fire...to the degree that there are no records of him actually using cold manipulation. Ruby Phoenix is rash, violent and prone to escalate encounters...all traits you can certainly confirm yourself. He's normally kept in line by the more senior cell members. Beyond his ability to simply burn things to the ground he's got few notable skills and since his powers manifested (catastrophically) in middle school he is poorly educated. One note from a previous agent indicates that Phoenix seems to have an incredibly passionate loyalty to his Cell, despite not getting along very well with any other members. *Poison Orchid: Orchid has been confirmed to be a Solaris/Orcus Cross-Breed, with a specialization in using her combined powers for manipulating plants and other living beings. She is also an accomplished scientist. Before defecting to False Hearts she was one of the top researchers on the Renegade Virus...in fact she more or less wrote the book on the Renegade. Unfortunately her research seems to have eventually convinced her that the Renegade virus was semi-divine, sent to humanity to usher in a new stage of evolution. Her knowledge of the Renegade and her Solaris powers make her exceptionally talented at triggering the virus in others to transform them into Gjaum (and more rarely other Overeds). She's largely considered to be the most dangerous known member of the cell. *Yuri Volkov: A former Russian soldier who left the service under unknown circumstances (although its believed that he served them for several years with his Overed powers). He is a Chimera/Black Dog cross-breed and is exceptionally dangerous in hand-to-hand combat. Yuri worked for a few years as a super-human mercenary before signing on with Cell 234 on an apparently permanent basis. Although dangerous and perfectly willing to kill civilians, soldiers or agents if need be Yuri is seen as more level headed and less prone to senseless slaughter than his companions. He has also killed more Overed Agents than any other member of the cell...he is believed to be naturally resistant to Corruption by the Renegade, allowing him to draw more deeply on his powers than most without losing control or going Gjaum...something he's perfectly willing to take advantage of when fighting Overeds. *The Fundraiser Known as the "Fundraiser" because this Overed's identity is a more or less complete mystery. However, several distinct false identities have been identified. His nickname comes from his tendency to infiltrate high-class parties, fundraising events, political events, awards shows and other places where the rich and powerful gather. He then uses (presumably) Solaris-based manipulation powers to convince his "targets" to part with large sums of money. His victims rarely have clear memories of why they "donated" such large amounts and are just left with the vague conviction that it was "for a good cause". The Fundraiser is very slippery and so far has managed to avoid direct confrontation with any UGN forces, slipping away through unknown means. His abilities are thus mainly a matter of speculation. *Cell Leader: Based on the behavior of the other Cell members (and the standard format of False Hearts cells) its believed that there is a fifth member, the leader of the Cell, a completely unknown Overed. Although current theory is that the young Balor Overed who appeared during the confrontation at Yokata may be the unknown leader. If so, this is her first appearance "in the field". Examining the Cell's activities and files one thing becomes clear: the events at the Air Base are extremely out of character for them. None of them, even unstable ones like Poison Orchid or Ruby Phoenix, have been known for grand attacks like this or any sort of agenda that would explain their attack on the air base. Although like all False Hearts agents they're technically classified as "terrorists" they've always behaved more like common criminals at worst...superhuman criminals but not the sort who'd assault a military base head on or get involved in biological warfare. Started this post before Roland made his, I'll try and include a response for that tomorrow.
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Apr 5, 2016 07:50
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Let's see, if I'm recalling the sort of thing you were looking for with your mirror power here's some suggestions: *Simple version: Awakened, 1 EP. You can use a mirror image to distract a foe while you attack. Since your opponent can't see you coming they can't use Traits based on things like dodging or parrying, at least without powers or abilities that would let them ignore the illusion. *Roulette Version: Inhuman, 2+ EP. You create 3 illusionary duplicates as part of an attack or defense and your opponent must choose (randomly rolled assuming they lack some ability to pierce the illusion) which of your duplicates is real. If the opponent picks correctly the power provides no benefit, if they choose incorrectly you can double your roll. Each additional EP gives you an extra 2 duplicates. Some attacks (such as Detonation) or defenses (force fields or similar) may simply ignore this. Back Alley With a bit of basic info on the attackers provided by the UGN you manage to pick up some info on the Rogue Overed...or at least two of them. The woman, Poison Orchid, and the hulking Russian have been seen out and about at a few of the seedier places in town. It's hard for those two not to get noticed, especially because the Russian has left a few thugs who decided to harass Orchid hospitalized. In general the two mainly seem to have been...recruiting? They've mostly showed up, talked to a few of the customers at places like karoake clubs, nightclubs and bars. Then after a few conversations they'll leave with some or all of the people they talked to. No one's been able to provide any clear information on what exactly is being said but it never seemed flirty or even very friendly...but whoever they talk to ends up going along with it. In general they've been recruiting among the young to middle aged...wallflowers and the socially inept, the hangers on who never get on stage or on the dance floor themselves. They've also been seen around the Black Box, a very exclusive bar for an extremely exclusive type of clientele. When you think of Japan "international mercenaries" rarely spring to mind, but where there's a demand there's a market and in City N that market is the Black Box. It's a gathering place for soldiers of fortune and their clients. Mainly it caters to organized crime groups like the Yakuza or business moguls looking for extra-legal levels of personal security. As the name implies, security is very tight and you can't get any direct info on who they may have talked to in the place. All in all it's not a pretty picture. Will try and make a main post and maybe an IRC appearance later tonight.
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Apr 5, 2016 20:46
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Okay, this takes place the morning of the 2nd day after the attack on Yokata. We haven't heard from Transient People recently so I'm going to assume a few things on Ex Machina's part over the past couple of days and, like the little bit of downtime we just had, we'll have everyone dictate the orders they've been given rather than waiting to have them handed out. General Events The past 48 hours have been tense...the UGN has always known that keeping the lid on the Renegade virus is a delicate situation and at any moment the world could be rocked by the revelation of Overeds and Gjaum living among us, but this is a whole other ballgame. The Schism virus could, even by accident, utterly destroy civilization if unleashed and right now, no one has any idea where it is or what False Heart's plans are. Everyone at the City N headquarters is ready to hear the call to battle at any moment...or even worse to find out that the worst has already happened and that Schism is spreading unstoppably through the world. Contingencies are being made, simulations run and worst-case-scenarios prepped. It didn't take long for UGN researchers to dig up as much information as possible on the members of the False Hearts cell (We'll assume that Ex Machine knows all the information I already provided to Stranger) and all possible surveillance teams have been alerted with descriptions of the Overeds, US scientists and possible signs of a Schism outbreak. One of the most stressful elements of this whole affair has been coordinating with other UGN bases. Over the last few years each UGN facility has grown more and more independent as they adapt to the needs of their particular region of responsibility. Much of Ex Machinas time has been taking up with teleconferences between different UGN bases in Japan and abroad, discussing (in other words: arguing heatedly) the best ways to respond to this disaster, whether or not national governments should be alerted and even whether this situation called for a cessation of the Renegade cover-up. It was eventually decided that for now they should work under the assumption that there is a significant chance that False Hearts is moving to destroy or contain Schism rather than using it directly and thus the UGN should not take any irreversible steps like revealing the Renegade to the general public. Each branch will remain on high alert and focus all available resources on trying to locate and track these False Hearts agents. Tokyo branch in particular will focus on trying to maintain a vigilant watch on all travel out of Japan, hoping to ensure that the False Hearts are unable to leave the island...although admittedly with Overeds this is a difficult task at the best of times. As Branch N has had direct experience with both the False Hearts cell and the Schism virus the current plan is for you to serve as the first-response strike-force for any operations in and around Japan, barring the clear and present threat of a Schism outbreak. Important Meeting In an official state of emergency, briefings are held constantly. Mostly they've been updates on the arrival of Tempest personnel in Japan, reams of surveillance updates and prepping of large scale quarantine measures. However, today's morning briefing has some more urgent news. Agent Yamanaka hurriedly gets through the preliminaries before turning on a projection screen. "This briefing on Operation Black Death will be short as urgent events have come to our attention. As we are still attempting to establish a priority level for these situations I will present them chronologically." A image comes up on the screen, a stocky man. Balding, ill-fitting suit. He has a vaguely unsavory look.  "This man is an Overed, believed to be a member of False Hearts Cell 234, a compatriot of those who assaulted Yokata air base. He is known by the nickname 'Fundraiser'. The documents in front of you contain a more detailed list of his activities but in short he is believed to be a Solaris Overed who primarily uses his powers to gather wealth, which we believe is funneled towards Cell 234." The image changes, showing an extremely luxurious hotel. Everyone recognizes it as the Palace, a five-star luxury hotel in downtown City N. "Tonight The Palace is hosting an event for the Kamashiro group, celebrating the engagement of the chairman's brother. The guest list is full of the rich and powerful...including "James Watson" a 'philanthropist' who is believed to be one of the alias's that the Fundraiser has used, although we cannot confirm this prior to his arrival. The data mining we've used to confirm it is included in your packets as well" "Normally we wouldn't follow up on such a slender lead but if this James Watson is the Fundraiser and he does appear at this event...which will be happening in 6 hours...then it may be the first potential contact with a member of Cell 234 since the Yokata incident. The importance of further intelligence goes without saying. The operations department has decided it is worth pursuing, with the support of Overed agents if possible". Shinya pushes his glasses up his nose and moves on in the presentation. A list of names, locations and dates scroll across the scene. "This is a list of all False Hearts agents who our currently in containment by the UGN and Tempest. Since the Yokata incident we have, of course, pursued a vigorous interrogation regime to see if we can find any information related to the attack and the Schism virus. Although truth is always elusive when dealing with False Hearts, we now believe that the incident is not part of a global False Hearts agenda. None of the agents in containment had any knowledge of Schism or indeed any major operations within False Hearts. If this information is correct then it means that the attack on Yokata was orchestrated and carried out by a small sub-set of False Hearts, possibly even Cell 234 alone." "This is fortunate but it also means that we have a problem. The cell structure that False Hearts employs means that each cell has contact only with a small number of other linked cells and none of the False Hearts we have in containment belong to adjacent cells. In fact, we believe that most cells that have had contact with cell 234 in the past have collapsed due to corruption, UGN confrontation or other factors. There is one exception..." The projector shows an unusual pair: a tattooed young woman wearing an eye patch and an older, gruff-looking man.   "These two are overeds, going by the nicknames 'Bullet Time' and 'Carnage'. Together they make up Cell 163, a small, two-person operation which mostly works with organized crime for special enforcement missions, kidnapping and assassinations. Due to limited intelligence we cannot say for sure what their Syndromes are but the woman is an expert marksman and the man is likewise extremely dangerous in hand-to-hand combat. What's more they are known to have worked in conjunction with Cell 234 several times in the past, supplementing their own skillsets with help from 234. They could be an essential source of intelligence on Cell 234 and their activities." "Of course I would not be showing you this if we did not already have a lead. Our data mining leads us to believe that they are currently employed by the Kou-Ou society, guarding a facility that we believe is being used to produce Sapphire, a Renegade-derived chemical stimulant. Obviously we were already discussing the possibility of disrupting this operation at some point in the future but that is no longer our primary concern...but an assault on the facility could be used to draw out these two and hopefully provide us with the opportunity to coerce or persuade them to share information on Cell 234." Images flicker across the screen showing the facility from several angles, including satellite shots. Agent Yamanaka flicks the lights back on and the projector off. "Our final situation is more immediate and I have not had time to prepare any materials on it. Approximately 30 minutes prior to this meeting we received reports from our Tempest liaison...as of midnight last night all communication with Carrier Strike Group Five has ceased. Carrier group five consists of the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan and her escorts on permanent assignment to defend Japan. Both Ronald Reagan and her accompaniment of seven destroyers were on patrol in the Pacific but all outgoing communication has ceased and all attempts to reach any of the ships by radio have failed. The US has already attempted contact by aircraft but the surveillance plane was lost shortly after they made contact." "Satellite photos show that the carrier group is still in formation and still seaworthy. This implies either some form of mass mutiny from the entire group or interference by someone capable of suborning or defeating an entire carrier group without actually damaging any of the ships. Needless to say, Tempest suspects Overed activity and given the recent attack on Yokata they believe it might be Cell 234. They have currently covered up the loss of communication but they don't believe the cover will hold if they need to send in equivalent force to try and regain control of carrier group five. As Tempest's limited Overed resources are strained by their preparations for possible Schism attacks they are requesting aid from the UGN to confirm the presence of hostile Overeds and hopefully drive them off to regain control of the carrier group." Agent Yamanaka bows to the assembled group "That concludes this briefing on Operation Black Death. Please advise the operations department of your plans for these issues ASAP." oriongates fucked around with this message at 09:53 on Apr 6, 2016 |
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Apr 6, 2016 06:00
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whoooo boy that was a long post. Here's the gist OOC: we've got three missions, all of which must be handled more-or-less immediately to be worthwhile. All of them are relevant to the situation in one way or another. Since we can get away with splitting the party in a PBP game feel free to divide yourselves among the missions...but also keep in mind that none are strict "musts". If you choose to focus entirely on one or two of the three missions, that's fine. NPC forces will attempt to handle any missions that the PCs don't and may or may not get results from them. To cut through all of Yamanaka's verbiage, here's the run-down: *Try and pin down The Fundraiser at a classy high society event. *Attack a crime syndicate's super-drug factory to try and convince or force a pair of Overeds to talk to you. *Figure out what the hell took over an entire carrier group and if you can get it back. Everyone assign yourself to a mission (and of course feel free to discuss among yourself who would be best suited for what).
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Apr 6, 2016 10:03
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Wraithblade/William Jones - ER: 21% (Condition: 5/5, Awakened) William's eyes did not sway from Tchernobog, which he had been busy inspecting for any possible blemish even since he had gotten it back. He addressed the room in his typical, flat tone. "I can dispatch two by myself, if need be."
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Apr 6, 2016 15:10
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Blood Bath Bohn finishes his cup of red tea and say, "I can 'retrieve' the carrier group with permission for Code Kraken. After all, seawater is chemically similar to blood and it's even good enough to be used in blood transfusion. Seeing the worried faces of some people in the room, Bohn offer the alternative, "Or Code Kami to retrieve Ronald Reagan."
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Apr 6, 2016 15:37
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[Back Alley] - ER:25% (Condition: 5/5, Awakened) Back Alley raised his hand to speak, "I'd like to do the hotel infiltration. I should be able to track down the Fundraiser guy pretty easily; Solaris guys tend to smell a little...off. There's one other thing, though." Back Alley stood up, brandishing a legal pad, "I did some digging yesterday and I managed to get some info on Poison Orchid and her Russian friend." "Seems they've been frequenting some of the sketchier parts of town. Russian's put a couple of thugs in the hospital and they've also been seen around the Black Box. I don't know if all of you are familiar with this particular establishment, but it's not a good place. If there's a bar for mercenaries, the Black Box is it. However, there is something more troubling. Orchid's apparently been recruiting people from various clubs and bars around town, and I'm not sure it's willing." Back Alley took a sip of water and continued, "That's all I have for now. I've told my sources to let me know if they hear anything else about the Cell." paper bag with a face fucked around with this message at 19:39 on Apr 6, 2016 |
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Apr 6, 2016 18:48
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Stricken Corruption: 61 Condition: (5/5 Awakened) Stricken floated into the briefing room in the same way a sullen cloud ruins a picnick. Indeed, her entrance made even the austere swordsman's Spartan attitude feel almost cheerful by comparison. She hovered a few feet above ground in a corner of the room, taking everything in but remaining quiet until the presentation was over. "I assume you want me to destroy the carrier group." She said without a hint of doubt in her voice. "Give me a reinforced rebreather and an hour to work. No one will know what happened." Stricken never really questioned the orders she was given, she simply assumed that the UGN knew best what to do with her 'talents.' In her mind, it wasn't even that unreasonable a request, only perhaps unusual for the sheer scale of the target in mind. But that was why they called on her, she reasoned. Whoever had taken control probably wasn't to keen to give it back and such a large force multiplier in the hands of the enemy, well, that was just unthinkable. If she had her own choice of mission (a thought which would never enter her mind), destroying a drug factory also held its charm. No matter the outcome it would be doing the world some good, although she didn't fancy her chances trying to talk two Overeds down and deep down feared that the fight might spill out into the city again. At least a battle at sea had the advantage of being far, far away from civilisation.
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Apr 6, 2016 20:51
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[Stranger] - ER:59% (Condition: 5/5, Awakened) Stranger listened to the options passively, only speaking up after Lucas. "I'll head to the Palace with Back Alley. I can blend in pretty easily and provide backup, if need be. I can be rather charmant if I need to be, believe it or not!" He struck a coquettish pose - rather unnerving with his full beard and shaggy hair. "Listen, in my time off I found out about those jokers we met out there in the field earlier..." (Going to party with Back Alley for support and spy action, then relaying info I found earlier)
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Apr 7, 2016 03:32
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Ex Machina - ER: 17% (Condition: 5/5, Awakened) Just as the agents began discussing the tasks at hand, a familiar voice rang out, laced with metallic undertones. "It is good to see such initiative from each and every one of you, agents. Given my present circumstances, your capacity for independence is most welcome." Ex Machina's little spider companion, Foucault, descended from the ceiling, attached to a monofilament wire that fairly mimicked a spider's thread. Raising the laser projector on its back, it projected a pale blue hologram of its owner through it. In a word, Ex Machina looked terrible. With his unnatural grey skin and colour-inverted eyes, he had never looked like the picture of perfect health, but the blackened patches on the hologram's cheeks and the clearly rendered bags underneath his eyes made clear that the last few days had not been kind to the Branch Chief, as if the almost total radio silence from him had not been sufficient to tip his agents off. "I will not be joining you directly in these missions. Recent events have forced me to devote myself to working on certain...contingencies, in the event of our projected worst-case scenarios coming to pass. However, that does not mean I will not be able to assist you." Suddenly, an air vent grate came loose, and a mechanical firefly and moth descended, carrying a praying mantis and tick, respectively, both of them robotic. A matching cockroach soon joined them. Soon, the five machines rested on the conference table, each looking at a different agent. "These are Plato, Jakobson, Sun Tzu, Favaloro and Zeno," the hologram said, its gaze briefly lingering on each respective insect. "They will accompany you in your missions and do as much for you as they can. Additionally, they will provide us with a safe line of communication, above and beyond the usual UGN uplinks. Before we begin preparations for your missions, however, I would like to speak with each of you, privately." It scanned each and every one of them, granting them a meaningful glance. "If there is anything you wish to discuss with each other and myself publically, agents, now is the time to speak up." To Back Alley: A new recreation room has recently been unveiled. Put it through the test, and push it to its limits. To Wraithblade: The UGN Training Rooms have been cleared out. Pay them a visit as soon as possible. To Stranger: Stay in motion and keep your shape fluid. We will carry out this conversation on the go. To Blood Bath: Visit the UGN infirmary and enter treatment booth 03. We have much to discuss. To Stricken: There is no safer place for this conversation than your containment chamber. My apologies for this request. ((Sorry for the sudden disappearance guys! This week crushed me really hard. If it's OK Orion, could we take a little bit to do some quick scenes before proceeding to the missions? Shouldn't take very long I don't think.))
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Apr 8, 2016 05:38
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Stricken Corruption: 61 Condition: (5/5 Awakened) Without another word, Stricken floated out of the briefing room and began the tiresomly well guarded journey back to her holding cell, wherein she would await further instructions.
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Apr 8, 2016 08:41
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[Back Alley] - ER:25% (Condition: 5/5, Awakened) Back Alley checked his watch; plenty of time before the fancy party. He addressed the little robotic insect, "Heh, you got it boss. Hey, Stranger! Meet me in the garage when you're done with your thing." He got out of his chair and left the room, casually strolling toward the new rec room. Due to his status as a reserve agent/informant, Back Alley never really spent a great deal of time at the UGN base. When he was there, it was usually for mission briefings/preparation, check-ins, and the occasional medical examination. Now that he thought about it, he never visited the old rec room. As the automatic doors to the rec room slide open, Back Alley noticed, among other things, that it had a pinball machine! Back Alley immediately went over to it and began to play.
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Apr 8, 2016 17:11
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Blood Bath "One question." Bohn asked, "Is the carrier nuclear powered?" He nods at the answer and left for the infirmary.
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Apr 8, 2016 17:21
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Wraithblade/William Jones - ER: 21% (Condition: 5/5, Awakened) William offered Ex Machina a polite nod, and then made his way towards the training rooms.
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Apr 8, 2016 18:12
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[Stranger] - ER:59% (Condition: 5/5, Awakened) Stranger shrugged and fell in behind Belcry, keeping his shape fluid, dropping the illusion of humanity in his floppy, elastic gait.
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Apr 9, 2016 02:25
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I've been a bit strained for time myself, sorry about that. I've got no problems inserting some in-between stuff between now and the missions. Even the most urgent one (aircraft carrier) is likely going to involve arranging a helicopter or jet to get you most of the way there...the carrier is currently located several hundred miles off shore and Powering Up enough to get their own your own is probably going to eat more Corruption than anyone needs. Oh, and by the way, regarding the aircraft carrier. The US Government would love it if the carrier could be retrieved mostly intact...explaining that level of destruction is going to be quite awkward. That said...it's always up to the agent in the field.
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Apr 9, 2016 04:50
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Ex Machina - ER: 17% (Condition: 5/5, Awakened) ((For the sake of clarity, each individual conversation's been split into their own headings.)) --- Back Alley Plato, the firefly that Ex Machina had put at Lucas' disposition, buzzed above his head for a time, merely watching him play. It was not until he'd scored a million points that it spoke up. "A fascinating game, isn't it?" The strangeness of hearing the Branch Chief's voice coming out of a small robotic insect was at its peak when no hologram accompanied it, as was the case now. "No obscured mechanics, no overly complicated goals, and yet a thrill to play and master nonetheless. We can learn much from the simplicity of pinball in all its forms. I was glad to hear our Human Resources branch deemed it appropriate to bring us a classic Addams Family cabinet." There was a pause to let the words sink in, and then Ra'id continued. "I worry that perhaps I have forgotten certain virtues it espouses as of late. Back Alley, what is your take on this entire situation? You are well accustomed to seeing past the noisy distractions and the flashy lights. Your insight would be much appreciated." --- Blood Bath The very instant the door to Medical Booth No. 3 was shut, Ra'id's tick leapt for the celing and lodged itself there. Moments later, an audible sighed echoed within the sterile whiteness of the booth. "Blood Bath, there is no good way to say this, so I will be blunt: the loss of your family was an unacceptable failure on the part of the UGN, one I consider myself personally responsible for. The UGN's inability to protect your loved ones is my own. On behalf of the entire organization, I extend my humblest apologies." Even through the robotic link, it was obvious how difficult it was for Ra'id to utter those words. "With all the havoc Operation Black Death has wrought, I have been unable to find the time to hold this conversation until now. How well have you been holding up after the airbase debacle?" --- Stranger "I do not know if we should call ourselves most fortunate, or terribly unlucky." The moth fluttered above Stranger's head as the human tide that filled the branch offices flowed all around him. "It is those like us, who have long since forgotten normality or never experienced it that stand to lose the most from this Schism. If the worst came to pass and you lost your powers, Stranger, what would you fall back on? How would you live out the rest of your life?" There was an oddly melancholic quality to the branch chief's voice that Stranger had not heard before. He had heard anger seep into his voice, and determination and satisfaction, but for someone who called himself The Smartest Man Alive, he rarely seemed to enter pensieve states. "We must always be prepared for the worst, after all." --- Wraithblade "Several new training settings have been implemented recently." The praying mantis stood at William's side, staring impassively forward, towards the entryway used for the training room's live challenges. "As one of our best field agents, there are few other individuals better suited to test them out. This will be a good warm-up for your upcoming assignment, I am sure." The doors opened, revealing the darklit, featureless arena which the UGN used to conduct its training exercises. On the far side of the room, five large mechanical units flared to life and began hovering off the ground. Some sort of suppression combot model, no doubt. "These missions are unlike your usual, Wraithblade. Your profile suggests you prefer to operate alone, with only the aid of your handler, but she has been incommunicado for the last few weeks. Do you have any ideas as to what might have happened to her?" --- Stricken A dead silence filled the containment cell, broken only by the occasional sizzle of the chamber's steel floor as it melted down. A faint sound of turning papers could be heard over the chamber's intercoms, but no words. "These records of your field history are most illuminating," the cockroach spoke, breaking the silence like glass. "It appears the last branch chief saw fit to keep you in reserve as an emergency asset only, for high-stakes situations where collateral damage was not an issue. The records on your actions off the field, however, are downright vague. How do you spend your time while not on duty, Stricken?" There was a note of curiosity in his voice, as though this were some kind of puzzle that had strongly gripped him for some unknown reason.
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Apr 10, 2016 10:57
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Stricken Corruption: 61 Condition: (5/5 Awakened) "Not on duty?" she asked as if the word held no meaning to her. "I'm... in here? Waiting for my next assignment." Ex Machina could clearly see in the myriad of files he had access to that there might be weeks or even months in between her various deployments, which made sense in consideration to her destructive nature. Security footage of the containment area showed a simple shipping container in the corner of a large warehouse, hour after hour, day by day going by with nothing of note occurring. Once a week, suspiciously coinciding with a delivery of heavy sedatives from one of the local hospitals, armoured engineers would enter the compound and preform routine maintenance as well as delivery of a large metal supply box. At delivery, the one from the previous week would also be taken away. Every three months the entire container would be replaced with an identical copy. This pattern repeats as far back as Ex Machina can bother to trace it, with the only exceptions being all the usual hubbub surrounding high-stakes operations albeit with excessive security measures, and various (conspicuously unsecure) sightings of her leaving her cell corresponding to 'Annual Leave' in her files. At these times, she would usually return within a few hours or two days at most. Not the usual time-off of other Field Agents, then. A period of silence follows, before the girl continues, addressing the air itself with a nochalance that suggested she was more used to faceless conversation than the opposite. "Sometimes they would send me to liquidate inconveniences, if that is what your asking. I think most of it was off the record though. Was that why you called me here?"
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Apr 10, 2016 11:48
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Ex Machina - ER: 17% (Condition: 5/5, Awakened) "...No. This is not about your fieldwork. We will discuss that subject eventually, but not yet." There was something different about Ex Machina's voice now. Though his voice was perfectly even, his words were almost hesitant, as though they might break under excessive strain. "This is about your life outside your assignments. Who you are, outside of your work and official activities." There was a pause. "If you would, indulge me for a moment. What are your preferred hobbies, Stricken?"
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Apr 10, 2016 11:59
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Stricken Corruption: 61 Condition: (5/5 Awakened) "I..." she said, not really parsing the question. She thought for a moment, looked to the music player reverently resting on her weekly supply box, close to her bed. Her home. "Sometimes I'm allowed to listen to music?"
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Apr 10, 2016 12:06
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[Stranger] - ER:59% (Condition: 5/5, Awakened) Stranger was taken aback by Belcry's candor, but otherwise did not visibly react as he walked. UGN staff, long since used to Stranger's antics, barely spared a glance for him as he walked against traffic, reflexively copying the features of those he brushed past. "I... I wondered that myself, sir. Never mind what I'd do with my life, who would I even be then? When we were hit with Schism, I felt like I was losing coherence, melting like wax. Would I even survive it? And if I did, would it revert me to 'normal'? Whoever that person was or would be, they're a stranger." He kept walking for a moment longer, then turned a corner and lay back against the wall in thought. "If the unthinkable did happen and I had to live my life out in the mundanity of a single shape, I think there'd probably be an... adjustment period." He chuckled. "All the regular sorts of things people take for granted, all the things I have to learn to do to impersonate my targets and falsify to pass for human in my daily life, I'd have to learn to do for real. Even things like sleeping or eating or - heaven forbid - using the washroom are things I have to remember to do, and do them voluntarily. I'll probably have a panic attack trusting my body to beat its heart on its own." He kept turning to the moth as though it was a person - which, in a sense, it was, he supposed. Ra'id's own alien intelligence was extremely comforting to Stranger in a way that was difficult to express - with him, he didn't have to pretend that the myriad spectrum of human experience mattered or had meaning, didn't have to protect his feelings. He understood. "If I lost my powers, I'd probably fake being a person - like I normally do - until I became one. What else could I do?"
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Apr 10, 2016 13:52
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Blood Bath - ER 19% (Condition: 5/5, Awakened) "Aside from losing my Morpious power to the Schism virus and my family to the Renegade Virus... I am coping it pretty well, sir. The self-enacted accelerate course of grief states helps keep the corruption in check." Bohn rubs his new field medic ID, "I highly recommend others to perform such emergency mental procedure in potential future outburst." Bohn might seem to act calm, but his brain is speeding through various possibly of this summon. A mere consolation from the boss? Or did you pick up on his investigative activities in regards to his family? Does he feel Bohn's loyalty is waning and possibly might go rogue in his pursuit of the truth behind of family's involvement as Tempest agent and turned into gjaum in Yokata Air Base? Yet he almost immediately run over by many trains to forcibly awakened to his power and recruited to UGN AFTER his family dissipated? Of all the free agent on the field, Ex Machina assigned Bohn to this mission that reveals the Black Death conspiracy... Someone planned all this... Is it Ex Machina? Or Someone manipulated both groups to make Bohn sees his gjaum family! But for what reason? To come into realization of the secret involvement between both group? A third party? False Hearts? The amount of money per month that his wife spent on trains to various False Hearts spot, is she a False Heart double agent? Triple agent? Do False Heart have something to do with trains? The conspiracy goes deep and dark... Like a train tunnel. Bohn say with hesitation after awhile, "I haven't been sleeping well as expected from the stress, but nothing to detriment field performance." Nyaa fucked around with this message at 14:34 on Apr 10, 2016 |
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Apr 10, 2016 14:05
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Wraithblade/William Jones - ER: 21% (Condition: 5/5, Awakened) William sidestepped and tapped several of the training robots with the flat of his blade, causing them to deactivate as he mulled over the question. "Alice is often unnecessarily loud and..." "..." "...chummy." A further handful of robots, as well as a few pop-up sentries were felled. "However, she has always shown due reference to authority and the chain of command." The final robot of the round went down with a decisive stroke. "I'd assume she felt her involvement unnecessary with a higher authority directly taking part in the operation. No need for her to order me if you are present." "She usually comes to see me after operations, but our current circumstances do not really allow for such... luxury."
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Apr 10, 2016 18:12
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[Back Alley] - ER:25% (Condition: 5/5, Awakened) Back Alley miscalculated and the last of the machine's metal balls fell down the drain. Still, he had managed to get enough points for a high score, being one of the first people to play a game on it. As he entered his initials, he spoke to Plato, "I used to play a lot of these when I was a kid, but I saw less and less as I got older. This country has a bunch of pachinko, but it's just not the same." "I gotta tell ya, boss, it's not a pretty picture. I didn't know that Poison Orchid specialized in the virus. Those people she shanghaied are probably all Gjaum now, maybe what they're testing Schism on. I've come closer to becoming one of those things than most, I think, and nobody deserves that, much less being experimented on. We gotta stop them." His business with the Addams Family concluded, he walked over to the rec room's cooler and got himself an ice cold soda, "Was there anything else, boss? I gotta get ready for the mission. Nice rec room, by the way." When his conversation with Ex Machina was over, Back Alley walked to the UGN parking garage and waited patiently for Stranger.
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Apr 10, 2016 21:14
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Ex Machina - ER: 17% (Condition: 5/5, Awakened) --- Back Alley "There is one thing." The firefly landed on the car and stood quite still. "We have intercepted several messages belonging to one Jared Norris, asking about your absences, mentioning a need to talk with you. Voice analysis suggests he has some important matters he wishes to talk with you about. Do you consider yourself overtaxed by the UGN's requirements as of late?" There seemed to be something more to it, but the firefly did not seem ready to say it just yet. --- Blood Bath "Field performance is not all that matters, agent," the tick pointed out. "Unlike some of my colleagues, I do not believe in the value of creating the most efficient, most unhappy killers in the world. We fight for a better tomorrow. If no such thing awaits us, then what use is there in fighting?" There was a pause. "But I digress. I have been looking into our archives. I believe it may be possible to reconstruct the sequence of events that led to your family's capture, and discover who was responsible for it. Did you have any enemies in your past life? People who might have had reason to hurt them?" --- Stranger "A difficult question to answer, for sure." Even though Stranger could not see the branch chief, he could hear him nod in response to his arguments. "Were I in the same position, I would focus on any stable pieces of my life that survived the transition. Persistent friendships, obligations, desires. These would certainly have good arguments to be seen as the core of my true personality, if even the most radical of changes could not destroy them. Is there anything like that in your life?" The crowd started to thin out all around them, as they climbed a staircase leading to the upper floors. In spite of the UGN's best attempts to avoid it, the most talented agents and handlers had ended up securing the top placings, figuratively and literally. Due to their higher level of freedom and responsibility, more classified matters took place there, and so only a trickle of people filled up the corridors. --- Wraithblade "I see." There was a brief silences, as the mantis tapped one of the robots with its claws. "A reasonable explanation. Quite logical as well. Let us begin the second round of testing." There was a hiss of steam coming from all directions, and the lights diminished further. In the near-darkness, Wraithblade could hear things shifting all around him (more robots, no doubt), but not make out their shapes. Cloaking technology, perhaps? "If I told you you no longer require a handler, what would you say?" The question was quite distracting, particularly because of a sudden whoosh in the air, as a scythelike blade cut through it very close behind him. --- Stricken "And nothing else?" This time, the disbelief in Ex Machina's voice was evident. Compared to his usual monotone, hearing the Branch Chief voice his surprise was not unlike watching a rock pick itself up and walk. He drew a deep breath, and when he spoke once more, his voice was full of barely restrained indignation. "I had thought as much, but I wished to prove myself wrong. The UGN has kept you around, not as an agent and employee, but a disposable weapon. This is unacceptable. Such gross violations of human rights are what makes our detractors question whether we are any better than False Hearts. Even our most unusual agents do not deserve to be caged and kept under chains. Every UGN director is responsible for managing the resocialization and reeducation efforts of their agents, so that they may be able to lead fulfilling lives in spite of their duties to the world. But anyone living under these conditions can scarcely be said to be living at all." He drew a deep breath to steady himself and continued, this time a little more calmly. "There is far too much we need to cover, and not enough time to handle all of it. We will have to focus on the barest essentials for now. Stricken, the first thing all human beings are given upon birth is a name. Would you prefer to be assigned one, or take one of your own?" Transient People fucked around with this message at 21:36 on Apr 10, 2016 |
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Apr 10, 2016 21:28
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Blood Bath A hint of bohn's BURNING INTEREST is shown on his face when Ex Machina changed the topic to the Suddenly, Bohn turns his head slowly toward the tick in slow motion with the most shocking expression, "... The Train Driver!" He said with absolute certainty. Nyaa fucked around with this message at 21:50 on Apr 10, 2016 |
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Apr 10, 2016 21:48
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