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Post by Wolfram von Eschen on Sept 13, 2016 6:46:03 GMT
"Mondlicht und Rosen," said Wolfram von Eschen. "Oder Mondlicht ohne Rosen. We don't have any roses here, except you, mein Kind. But we do have lot of moonlight indeed. As for your request..."Wolfram von Eschen rubbed his chin with his emanciated palm, because he was a bit...confused by the nature of Belle's unusual wish of getting rid of every single memory from her mind which didn't involved combat behaviour.
"Von den Lösungen ist keine korrekt. Of the solutions, none is correct," he muttered under his Roman nose. "You are asking me to arrange an amnesia case for you instead of curing one. A retrograde amnesia, to be precise...By that I mean inability to retrieve information that was acquired before a particular date, like...erm...tonight, for example.
I could say that we are what we know or remember or believe what we know and remember, so are you really sure about what you want, mein Kind? Really, REALLY sure? Besides - it could be really dangerous. Amnesia is usually caused by brain damage...or disease...or some sort of psychological trauma. Amnesia can also be caused temporarily by the use of various sedatives and hypnotic drugs. The latter would be probably a safest possibility, but..." Wolfram sighed before continuing:
"There is no such a thing as completely erased data. Let me tell you about palimpsests - parchment scrolls or books, from which the text has been scraped or washed off so that the page can be reused for another document. But if you have proper skills and measures, you can restore the original text. Or to become more closer to a modern mind for the sake of better understanding we can use another example...Have you tried to clean the hard disk of your computer? Probably you have. You can't wipe it completely clean and that applies to most of data storing devices from the beginning of human culture. Except paper of course...
But that would be only a temporary memory loss and there won't be a guarantee that your memories will be totally erased because the original text refuses to be erased and human mind is more flexible than artificial data storages, so...There will always be remains of it under the layer of new memories and sometimes they just pop out unintentionally and usually when it's least expected. So there won't be any guarantees, mein Kind. As I said before - body remembers. I bet that if I asked what are you doing right now, you couldn't answer me right away. But yet you are doing some sort ballet exercises and you are doing them professionally. Part of the original Belle Starr which refuses to die mein Kind. And if you ask how I happen to know about thy ballet, then I can answer - I remember times when ballet was part of a civilization." Wolfram smiled at his distant memories and became serious again when he said:
"Wiping your memories would also be a really hard task for me because...Ich bin Arzt, kein Henker. I am a Doctor, not a hangman. Although sometimes these two professions weren't that different at all. After decades long experiments on myself when I tried to flush my memories with alcohol, without much success, I realized that I don't want to forget even that kind of things, because when I am able to remember the difference, I can remain to be a Doctor." Wolfram von Eschen released one more sigh and leaned both his thin hands to his redwood walking cane.
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Post by Belle Starr on Sept 14, 2016 2:35:06 GMT
"Thank you Doctor", Replied Belle Starr, shaking her beautiful blond head slowly, as she laughed melodiously before adding, "I guess I was looking for an easy out, but I should have known better! I never had an easy out in either of my realities, at least if my journal in this reality is correct! I'll just have to reconcile my two realities, one memory at a time! From what I read in the files the Protectors have on me at Fortress Kshaa, I did it once before with my inner Volge were-beast, creating a peaceful co-existence between it and my real personality!"
Belle sighed as she looked into the distance from the balcony at Topnotch Toolworks, watching the mist come off the Pacific Ocean to the Bay Area mainland, remarking to Dr. Von Eschen as she did, "I guess as memories go, finding out you have classical ballet training is not so bad, all things considered! Anyway... thank you Wolfram - I hope you don't mind me calling y'all Wolfram - I surely do appreciate you helping me get some perspective on this personal problem! Now y'all better get some sleep, as I'd like to get you and Dr. Orion out of here in the morning in case the Volge attack! Of course, that is up to the two of you! I won't force y'all to evacuate if you don't want to!"
Unbeknownst to either of them, the Volge on the nearby mountain began to disappear five by five, until by the time sun rose on the horizon none were left to be found there.
*****
The sky lit up in strange colors of yellow and grey as Belle made her way through the cold rain to her home in the Red Rocket Station. It once had been a filling station for motor vehicles of all kind, but now large mole rat holes and cracks with brown grass pushing through the hard surface peppered its concrete driveway. The soft whir of the sentry guns Belle had built all along the the roof's edge to defend her home pointed their guns at her until their software recognized her, then began their rotating surveillance again. Her German Shepard dog, Vo padded up to greet her, as her robot butler slash sentry hovered over on noisy jets to greet her as well, so she pet the former behind the ears and praised the latter on doing such a good job, but then asked, "Codsworth, is everything okay? Where's Pepper? She's usually greeting me with a hug and a kiss by now? I hope she's not working in the back on her Tato patch, because I think that's a radiation storm following me home, and we are running low on RadAway chems."
"Pepper Wright is fine, mum, if you'll excuse my double entendre," Replied Codsworth, his three eyes rotating on their stems is a dizzying counterclockwise movement, "I believe she is waiting for you in your boudoir!"
As she opened the front door to the main room of the station, angling herself behind the small counter to where their makeshift bedroom lay, Belle smiled warmly thinking about Codsworth's statement, as the bedroom was hardly more than a couple of sleeping bags lain together on the floor of what had been the station managers office; hardly the romantic image that the term "boudoir" conjured in the imagination. Still, even though Belle had more substantial bedrooms and beds in each of her twenty seven other settlements and in Diamond City, this was the one she called home, not in part because this was where her true love Pepper Wright was located. As Belle entered, Pepper was already lounging on the sleeping bags reading the latest edition of the newspaper she printed in Diamond City and now which circulated throughout Belle's colonies. Besides her ever present newsboy cap, Pepper was only wearing her skimpy cut-off bluejeans with her bare-midriff skintight black t-shirt with scarlet Xs stenciled where her nipples were located - Pepper's idea of both seductive wear and a joke on the men who would ogle her when she wore it in public; for Pepper was a one-woman girl, and Belle considered herself lucky that she was that woman, even though Belle herself sometimes strayed during adventures, having several lovers throughout the Commonwealth. Belle knew it bothered Pepper to no end that Belle would sometimes take other lovers, but Pepper always kept silent about it, even when she once caught Belle leaving in the morning the bedroom of a club's torch singer in the ironically named Goodneighbor, although it was clear from the expression on her face that she extremely disliked it. Luckily for Belle, Pepper accepted Belle for who she was, both her good qualities and her bad, and that was just one reason why Belle loved Pepper in turn.
A look of concern grew in Pepper's brown eyes as she jumped up and began helping Belle strip off her light armor, then Kevlar clothes underneath as well, saying, "Let's get those wet clothes off you before you catch your death! What would you do without me to look out for you!"
"Probably die of Pneumonia, although I can think of much better ways to go," answered Belle, her smile growing wider and her blue diamond eyes sparkling with mischief as she in turn unbuttoned the top button of Pepper's short shorts, then zipping them down to her already moist crotch, letting gravity take them the rest of the way down Pepper's curvaceous tanned legs to her ankles, where she casually kicked them aside. As the rest of their clothes quickly fell to the floor, the two beautiful women embraced, wet from both the rain and their own excitement as their nude bodies melded into one. Belle and Pepper kissing long and passionately until Pepper nonchalantly reached back with one hand, flicking the light switch on the wall off and everything went to black as they dropped to the plush sleeping bags as one.
*****
In the morning's early light, Belle found herself laying on the mountain, naked, cold, and alone in the dew covered grass. The fog had just begun to dissipate, and as she sat up on the grass strewn slope, she shivered as she grasped herself, her pale athletic arms crossed tightly across her ample breasts seeking warmth from her own curvaceous body. She felt an overwhelming feeling of loss, and she was pretty sure she knew "why" as she muttered, "Damn, it was a dream!"
As Belle drew her shapely legs under her and slowly stood up, she queried her EGO psyche, "Alfred, where am I and how did I get here?"
When he answered, Alfred did not sound like his normal arrogant self, but sounded confused, "Our radar places on that mountain near Topnotch, but I don't know how we got here. Last I remember, we were on the balcony at Topnotch on guard, and you were talking to Dr. Von Eschen. I think you said good-night, but... I'm not sure, and my records end with you speaking to him about his and Dr. Orion's evacuation... Could the old scoundrel have hypnotized us and had his way with you? I'm doing a body scan of your vagina, and don't see any sign of sexual activity," Then he added dryly, "For some time, I might add."
Belle's rose petal lips turned down in a pretty pout as her blue diamond eyes scanned her surroundings looking for some indication of what had happened, but only found trampled grass all around her from the recent Volge incursion, then replied, "I'd rather you didn't! Anyway, I don't think Wolfram is that kind of person and he's old as Methuselah! I just hope he isn't hurt or anything! I don't see him naked on this mountain with me, so I guess that's a good sign!"
Belle couldn't help but giggle at the thought of old Wolfram Von Eschelon standing naked with her on the mountaintop, all pale white and wrinkly, cold from the morning's cool dew, then a blush rose from her swan-like neck up to her freckled cheeks, and as she felt the heat of it, her brow furrowed in puzzlement as she thought to herself, "Since when did I get embarrassed by thoughts of nakedness, let alone an old man's nudity? Must be my old self surfacing! Anywho, it's time I got back and found some clothes! Hopefully my clothes and SMG are still on the balcony!"
Belle engaged her EGO power of blur, and raced back towards Topnotch Toolworks, hoping that by the time she got there, she could switch to cloak and sneak back into the complex without being seen dressed in nothing but her birthday suit.
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Post by Wolfram von Eschen on Sept 19, 2016 18:12:11 GMT
Top-Notch Toolworks had lot of advantages, like beautiful view, but it also had one major flaw - it wasn't built to serve as a guest house or a hospital, although the main hangar was full of sick and wounded who waited Eren Niden to take care of them. It was a workshop and lacked guest rooms, so Doctor Wolfram von Eschen made a gentlemen agreement with Doctor Orion and their chauffeur and bodyguard Geronimo to share single bedroom so Chase Loneheart and Iri Sewuel could have a room of their own. Belle Starr got herself a private bedroom too.
"Amici," said Wolfram von Eschen sitting on his mattress and lifting his bony pointing finger so it pointed towards the ceiling. "Aqua et Panis est Vita Canis. I know that you don't speak Latin, so I will translate that sentence to you. In English it means: "Water and bread is a dog's life" At least that's what they said. By "them" I mean medieval students who preferred wine or beer to water and decent piece of meat to bread. You may wonder why I brought out the topic, so I am hurrying to satisfy your curiosity. We missed our lunch...and our supper and now I am hungry as a wolf. And I don't like to sleep with empty stomach.
That is why I propose a little raid to the kitchen and then we arrange ourselves an unexpected party. We can't tell to our hosts: "And just bring out the cold chicken and tomatoes!" as Gandalf said to Bilbo Baggins. It's a late hour and they already fell asleep. If you wonder who are Gandalf and Bilbo, then they are characters from the book, called "The Hobbit" which was quite popular when I was young. I do hope that there still is a preserved copy of the book somewhere, waiting to be rediscovered. I know that sneaking into other's kitchen for a midnight snack is not a habit of mine, but we don't want to wake up our hosts and bother them with our demands, so we are going to grab something to eat and retreat here. Who's with me, Meine Herren?"
All of them were hungry, so Geronimo volunteered to sneak into the kitchen as long someone is going to keep watch. Operation was successful and soon they all were busy with eating in their room. Full stomach makes sleepy and first one to yawn was distinguished Doctor Orion because he had roughest day. That is why Wolfram ordered lights out and added: "Hopefully you don't snore too much, Meine Herren."
Falling asleep wasn't that easy though. At least for Wolfram who writhed and wriggled on his mattress, listening noises of the night. Orion's snoring wasn't the only noise, Wolfram heard. Actually that sound of snoring was somehow most relaxing one, Wolfram heard. Creaking noises of moving doors, footsteps in corridors were much more eerier than Orion's snoring concerto.
"Are you asleep Geronimo?" Wolfram finally whispered, because Geronimo's sleeping place was only one to be unnaturally silent.
"No, Sir," was his quiet replay. "All these noises I hear, are quite alerting."
"Same here. What could cause those sounds? Burglars perhaps? I think that I should go and check. We have ladies here after all. I know that they are able to defend themselves, but better be safe than sorry. And we have some patients here as well and they are quite defenceless, so I feel responsible for them. Just let me get my cane..."
"Allow me to look around, Sir. I am a scout, trained in hand to hand combat. And I have this." Geronime flashed the blade of his army knife. From politeness he didn't add that he was much younger than rest of his room-mates, so if there were burglars indeed, then he was the only considerable opponent for them.
"All right," Wolfram. "I will hold the fort: Just report back as soon as you can."
Springs of Geronimo's mattress made quiet "ping" sound when descendant of North American Indians rose and sneaked out of their bedroom. Wolfram von Eschen squeezed his waking cane while waiting Geronimo's return. Only Doctor Orion had undisturbed sleep and he kept snoring as he was sawing trees. Finally the door squeaked and Wolfram rose his cane above his head, just in case he has to hit the intruder with it.
"Well, Sir," whispered Geronimo. "Our hostesses are asleep. So are all the patients."
"Sehr Gut," muttered Wolfram. "And rest of us, guests?"
"That's the strangest part, Sir," replied Geronimo. "Ms Starr hasn't slept in her room."
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Post by Belle Starr on Sept 22, 2016 16:23:10 GMT
Using a combination of blur, hide, then cloak when her EGO recharged, Belle Starr made it with her modesty intact to the balcony at Topnotch where she had been sentry. She found her clothes, under clothes, and weapons haphazardly on the ground there where she had apparently discarded them, although she didn't remember undressing at all. Quickly donning her gear and picking up her Dancing Lady SMG and Demon Hunter pistol, she went to the communal dining room, and after scrounging up the fixings for pancakes, made enough for herself and any other hungry soul who might come in. Belle didn't feel tired, although she supposed she should, but in fact felt quite invigorated.
As Belle ate her delicious pancakes covered in a blueberry syrup she had found in the kitchen cupboard, she pondered several questions. What drew her naked to the nearby mountaintop that the Volge had occupied? Where had all the Volge on the mountaintop gone? How did she not remember any of the previous night's occurrences after talking to Wolfram von Eschen? Who might she question to find out what happened during that blank time in her memory? The biggest question in her mind was why she had this lingering feeling of loss ever since she awoke alone and nude on the mountain top. At first she felt it was the dream she had about Pepper and her home in the Commonwealth, based on a false set of memories but which still felt real to her, and the loss of that happiness she had gained in that false reality. Now with reflection, she wasn't so sure that was the cause of the disquieting feeling that she had somehow missed her chance. Her chance to do what, she didn't have a clue.
Belle's EGO psyche, Alfred, still didn't have any record of what happened either, so he was no help in remembering. However, by the time she had finished her last bite of pancakes, she had dismissed the whole event as curious but not important. Belle considered herself first and foremost a pragmatic woman, and would only worry about the event if it ever repeated itself. Although she had never been a sleepwalker in either of her two realities, if she had suddenly become one, she would deal with it like she did with most dilemmas in her life: decisively and definitively. For now, she had enough to think about, what with the upcoming expedition and Iri's sudden illness, for she wanted to be as useful to her new friends and team mates as was humanly possible.
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Post by Chase Lonehart on Sept 22, 2016 22:31:44 GMT
When he had arrived a year ago, he found the only thing he could for something private. The closest place he could find was a vacant shack near Heaven’s Gate dock. He had kept a great distance from his father and sister for years, and yet no matter how much he ran, he couldn’t help but feel that they were no more than a few minutes walk away. He didn’t care for either of them, as both were monsters that he was trying to avoid. And he had succeeded in avoiding feeding off of a living person. He did on occasion drink fresh Pow blood, but he was able to push it to every two weeks instead of daily like his father and his sister had come to expect from him. Surprisingly enough, it did have an effect that differed from his kin: by starving out whatever the disease was, it resulted in him being able to stay outside in the daylight for at least a three hour period. By feeding on a regular basis, it lead to it to allow for a sensitivity to daylight that lead to burning skin and blindness.
Even though he was able to stay out in the daylight, he chose to stay indoor during the daytime, primarily because the starving out of the disease lead to him feeling weak to the point where he was worried that he’d fall over and be unable to move and leaving him vulnerable. He checked his chronometer, seeing that it was still a short time to sundown. He knew he’d be able to walk around at dusk, but he couldn’t shake that feeling. He worried every day that his sister or father had found him, and they were looking to bring him back into the fold. And it scared the hell out of him.
————————————
Vick had come into the room and informed him of the Volge’s actions, and with Iri’s infection, it didn’t leave a good feeling for him. He was torn with what to do. If it has been his father, he know what to do. Family first, Volge second. But this was a major Volge problem that appeared to needed to be addressed.
“Trust your gut, my son,” Jebediah told him. “I would have handled one problem at a time. And I couldn’t even be sure if it would be the right choice.”
Chase tried to process, try to weigh pros and cons. He had never had this kind of responsibility before, and he willing tripped headlong into it by setting up the Cowboys here in the Bay. And it was time for him to make his choice.
“Vick, you and I are going to check out these Volge, see what’s going on. Iri, stay here with Eren. Everyone else, stay here, keep an eye on Top-Notch. If we need you, we’ll call you.”
Chase kissed Iri’s gloved hand, pulling out his Thunder. He headed for the doorway, with Vick following. He continued on down the spiral stair case, and across the main room, heading out onto the balcony to spot Belle and Wolfram talking in a room.
“Vick and I are heading out. Y’all stay here, keep an eye on things.”
Chase didn’t wait to hear a ‘yes sir,’ taking the ramp at quick speed to get to his Challenger, as soon as he climbed in, he popped open the passenger side door for Vick to climb in.
“This is a nice car,” the Irathiant told him as he climbed in and closed the door behind him. “I’m more of a Ford person, myself. Learned how to drive stick on a ’73 Ford F-100.”
“My education was with a ’71 Challenger. And it still applies,” Chase replied with a smirk, as he turned the key and the engine caught on the first turn.
Chase backed the Challenger down the ramp until hitting the road, following Vick’s instructions to where they could get a good view of the Volge from a distance without having to worry about being seen by them. Using his rifle’s scope, he watched as they stood facing towards the direction of Top-Notch. A part of him wonder if it had anything to do with Belle, as she had Volge DNA spliced into her genome in some sort of Frankenstein experiment by her father.
“So, boss,” Vick began. “I’m sorry about Iri’s condition. Worse timing, eh?”
“It’s an age old-story with me,” Chase lowered his rifle and turned to look at the Irathient Texan. “I was born with the worse timing.”
——————————————
Iri watched as he left her there, knowing he was concerned about her and that he needed to address the problem at hand with the Volge. It was odd that they would just show up and not attack and then go to a spot and just stay there. Iri made her way down the spiral staircase, finding Eren looking at something under the microscope. Eren must have heard her approaching, turning to look at her.
“You should be resting,” she told Iri, turning back to the microscope.
“I’m fine. Is that my blood your looking at right now?”
“No,” Eren replied. “This is the blood sample that you prepped earlier. The sample from the dead Irathient. By the way it looks, you and he have something in common.”
Eren moved out of the way, motioning to Iri to have a look. She looked into the view, seeing the thing of horror, what appeared to be a virus that she had never seen before. It sent a chill down her spine, knowing that it was the same thing that was in her blood as she watched. Iri began to remember that woman in red, the one she chatted with at the Crater. She knew she needed to find her, to find out what it was that got her infected. But she decided to wait until everyone was asleep to do so, allowing Eren and Rosa the use of their room again. She had to carefully sneak by the Crosby brothers and hadn’t figured out how to get past Belle. Iri didn’t find Belle on the balcony, so she figured that the human was answering nature’s call, giving her a chance to get down the ramp, borrowing an ATV to get to the Crater. They were on their final hour, last call, when Iri arrived, her not finding the woman that she was looking for.
“Hey,” she stepped up to the bar to ask the barkeep. “Did that woman I was talking to last night turn up?”
“Yes, she did,” the barkeep told her. “She said if you need to talk to her, you can find her at the hill overlooking KTAM.”
Iri felt uneasy about the whole thing, but she knew that needed to find her. She was hoping that she was a witness to whatever it was the bit her. Finding the source of the disease could help in providing a cure. She got back on the ATV, heading out towards KTAM.
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Post by Wolfram von Eschen on Sept 24, 2016 10:39:19 GMT
Every meal is equally important meal of the day. At moment the most important meal happened to be breakfast. Wolfram von Eschen sat behind the table, holding an egg in his slim palm and measuring it with his grey eyes. His other hand held table knife, ready to cut it's tip off, allowing spoon to dig in.
His morning idyll was amended by appearance of beautiful Belle Starr who found herself plateful of pancakes and some syrup. She seemed to have an appetite of a wolf, so Wolfram von Eschen hesitated before saying anything to her, until Belle's first hunger was satisfied. Only then Wolfram von Eschen put down the table knife and turned his grey eyes off his egg.
"Good morning, mein Kind," he greeted politely. "Last night was wonderful. Beautiful view to the nearby landscape and Volges on the top of a mountain. And pleasant and intelligent company. I could say that I slept like a baby after that but unfortunately there were some strange noises in the night-time, so I was fully awake and Geronimo couldn't sleep either. We thought that someone attempted to break in, so my young Indian friend went scouting and discovered no sign about intruders. Maybe you happened to see or hear something, mein Kind. According to Geronimo's report, you had a little night walk yourself. And I believe that you weren't visiting the kitchen to get yourself a little snack, because...well...we know that the kitchen was empty, because...actually it's not that important how we know it. If you remember anything, then we probably are able to figure out what caused these strange noises."
Wolfram von Eschen rolled boiled egg in his hand and continued: "Maybe the answer is as simple as an Columbus' egg. I believe that you have heard that figure of speech, mein Kind. It refers to idea or discovery that seems easy after the fact, like putting an egg to the table to stand on it's tip. Seems and sounds impossible, but..." After saying that Wolfram von Eschen followed Columbus's example by tapping the egg on the table to flatten its tip. When the boiled egg stood on the table, Wolfram lifted it, turned around, removed remains of an egg shell, grabbed a spoon and took first spoonful of boiled egg white.
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Post by Belle Starr on Sept 28, 2016 2:36:00 GMT
Belle sighed realizing that the jig was up before it was ever really down, so she just admitted, "The noises were probably me, so I apologize for disturbing y'alls slumber! I guess I fell asleep while on guard duty and then was sleepwalking, as I woke up this morning naked and on that hilltop that the Volge were on! Now don't have a conniption Wolfram, the Volge were all gone by the time I awoke and my clothes and guns were still on the balcony where I guess I dropped them! Nothing to be alarmed about... unless it happens again!"
George, mechanic and Rosa's newest employee, came into the kitchen to sneak a cup of coffee, but looked like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car when Belle suddenly asked him, "Hey George, have you seen Chase or Iri?"
After thinking for a minute, George shrugged and said, "Last night, Chase and Vick left to scout out those Volge on our nearby mountain, and shortly after that Iri borrowed my ATV to go to The Crater. She must of been mighty thirsty, for she put the pedal to the metal going to the bar, and it had to be near last call by the time she got there."
"Thank you kindly, George, " Belle replied absentmindedly, vaguely remembering Chase saying something in passing to her and Wolfram when they were in deep conversation on the balcony but not seeing Iri leave at all.
As George nodded his head in acknowledgement and left with his mug of coffee, Belle hoped Chase and Vick didn't see her in her birthday suit when they went to the hilltop, but was more worried about Iri given her illness, so turned to Wolfram saying with determination, "I think I better go see if I can find Iri! She should be back by now, but if I don't find her on base, I'm heading to the Crater to see if I can pick up her trail! Call it woman's intuition or just a gut feeling, but I have a sneaking suspicion that something is wrong! Doc, you up for a drink at the Crater if I can't find her here? My Challenger is just down the ramp and I'm buying!"
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Post by Wolfram von Eschen on Sept 28, 2016 9:33:49 GMT
"Free drinks are always tempting," replied Wolfram von Eschen. "So is the company. But I think that we have to send my friend Doctor Orion back to the fortress. His patients need him and unlike me, he actually has patients left. And if it's going to be a longer...erm....story then I take myself freedom to say that one person with the title "Doctor" in front of his name is sufficient enough. Especially when this Doctor has a charming personality, a foreign accent and not very much meaningful functions in Fortress K'Shaa anyway. Good old Orion has at least one of those three traits - the personality - but he has a certain...erm...shortage in two other categories."
"What can I do when some of us decided to prolong themselves as the last minute before the toilet stop," said Orion mockingly and chuckled before adding: "Not my fault that you scared off your all patients. The fact that they run away from your so called "care" shows that they really do have a healthy sense."
Wolfram von Eschen winked one of his grey eyes to his old friend, grinned and marked:
"Should we send Orion back when we stop complimenting each other? Geronimo can drop him off since you offered kindly to sit behind the wheel. I haven't been in "The Crater" for ages. At least I don't remember being there. That time when I wasn't sober doesn't count, I guess, because as I said - I have no memories from visiting that place. Can't promise that they won't remember my deeds there, though," Tall old man grinned again. This time his grin reminded one of a Satyr.
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Post by Belle Starr on Sept 28, 2016 17:06:11 GMT
Belle Starr made small talk with Wolfram Von Eschen the whole drive to The Crater bar, although she couldn't help but notice his white knuckled grip on the Challenger's armrest during the whole trip. Of course, she had to admit she seemed to find and hit as she drove every pothole and every skitterling from Topnotch Toolworks to the Crater. Still, not having driven for two hundred years by her reckoning, she felt she was doing a pretty good job. As she pulled into the driveway of The Crater, barely missing a rancher exiting the establishment and indeed scraping her front fender on a vendor there, she and Wolfram both gave a sigh of relief that the drive was over when she turned off the vehicle.
"Well, any landing you can walk away from is a good one," Remarked Belle with a warm smile, then as she exited the car she saw the small blue trailer in back of The Crater that had been her home when she had first arrived in the Bay Area but which she had no memory of, but which reminded her of something she had found since she had awakened from her deep brainwashing sleep, so she asked Wolfram as they walked into The Crater, "You know I found two things things in my quarters at Fortress Kshaa that I felt I just had to take with me although I have no memory of them, but strangely enough, seem to give me great comfort when I hold them! One was a blue gulanite compact, that according to my journal, Vo Kshaa gave me! She - I mean me - must have really loved him from what I read! Real Prince Charming stuff! The other thing was an old set of rosary beads that I can find no mention of in her - I mean my - journal! I gather I was some kind of lapsed Catholic, but I don't feel the beads were mine, as they seem much older than me! Maybe some kind of family heirloom, I don't know!"
As they sat down at the bar and the bartender took their drink orders, her's being a beer and his a brandy, Belle laughed melodiously before remarking, "It's funny the things we do share - the me of both realities I mean! I like the color blue, she liked blue! My favorite number is seven, so was hers! Crazy little stuff that is the same, when the big stuff was so different! The other Belle Starr would be crying in her beer over killing that unarmed mad scientist who brainwashed me, but me - I don't feel any remorse! In the Commonwealth, we never left a live enemy behind! It was a matter of survival, with the only justice being at the end of a gun barrel or a knife point! Y'alls Belle Starr was all about law and order, and bringing the bad guys to the proper authorities! Funny, in the twenty four settlements I was responsible for, I WAS the authorities!"
Before Wolfram could reply, the bartender brought their drinks, saying, "I'll never get used to you not ordering a bottle of Champagne, Ms. Starr."
"Yeah, I guess tastes change," Noted Belle before asking, "Say, have you seen Iri Seuwel? She didn't come home last night, and I'm kind of worried about her?"
The bartender frowned before answering, "Yeah she was here last night just before last call, asking about someone she met here night before last - a pale human woman with long black hair in an expensive red dress. I told Iri that she could find her on the hill overlooking the old KTAM radio station. Funny thing, soon as I told her, Iri left like a bat out of hell, I guess to go find the woman in red, although I don't know what for."
Belle thought she might know, that perhaps the woman in red had something to do with the bite that infected Iri with the disease that was transforming her into... something else. If so, Iri could be walking without backup into the proverbial lion's den - or perhaps already done so, since Iri had at least an eight hour lead on them. Belle felt once again a need for immediacy, so she downed her beer, throwing more than enough scrip notes on the bar, and thanking the bartender for the information. Telling Wolfram to bring his drink with him, she quickly exited the bar to her car, and was soon heading down the highway towards KTAM, not questioning how she knew where it was.
Unbeknownst to Belle, five familiar pairs of alien eyes watched her car weave down the road until it disappeared from view from the cliffs above The Crater. Four Volge Troopers and one Viscera watched Belle and Wolfram disappear into the horizon then kept watching in that direction for some time afterwards until the Volge trooper who was somewhat shorter than the others, turned to one of his compatriots, holding up his hand like it was holding a cup, then motioned with it to his mouth like he was drinking. His companion ignored him, still looking in the direction Belle's Challenger had gone, but the Viscera turned to him and stared at him with what could only be called a cold glare, whereupon all five shimmered and vanished in a teleportation bright light.
*****
By the time Belle and Wolfram drove to old abandoned KTAM station, it was nearly dusk. She thought it was sad that no one had started the old radio station up again, for one of the few creature comforts she had in The Commonwealth was the numerous radio stations in the area and the music they played. Belle knew the memories were false, but she still smiled when she thought about killing Deathclaws to the tune of "Radioactive Mama." As she slid out of the driver's seat of the car, something about the old radio station gave her a feeling of deja vu, although she quickly directed her mind back to the job at hand: Finding Iri Seuwel.
"Listen, you stay in the car while I scout around," Belle told Wolfram, who was in the passenger seat of the car, as she pulled her Dancing Lady SMG from the back seat, "Lock the doors and roll up the windows and you should be safe from any roving bands of mutants. The car is reinforced and the windows have special glass, so you should be bulletproof in there. If something does happen, just use the keys I left in the ignition and drive away. Under no conditions should you come looking for me. If I'm not back by nightfall, drive away. Understand"
Wolfram nodded that he understood, and Belle decided to climb the brick wall around KTAM, to get a better vantage point. As she scanned the area from on top of the wall, she wondered how she knew what she knew about her car, and how she knew roving bands of mutants were in the area, but she again set her mind the the task at hand. Belle thought she saw a pale figure in red standing on the bluffs above the station, but when she blinked, the figure was gone. Still, it was the best clue she had, so she jumped of the wall and began to walk up the hill where she had thought she saw the figure in red.
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Post by Chase Lonehart on Nov 12, 2016 5:55:06 GMT
The ATV made it’s way up the side of the hill near KTAM. She kept her eyes open for anything, like a house or maybe a camp of some sort. But she found an old Dodge panel van, it’s blue paint faded and chipped in certain places, and rust spots covering it like freckles on a human’s skin. She secured the brake for the vehicle, switching the engine of as she slowly began to approach the vehicle. As she got closer, she noticed that the windows were covered with metal from the inside, as if they were intending to block light from outside. Her ears could pick up the sound of an old song as she approached, it being a song about falling to pieces. She stepped up to the side door, not sure about how things would play. She still had a bit of a blank spot about the previous night. Maybe she did sleep with this woman, but she wondered if maybe she hadn’t. She felt her doubts creeping up on her.
She lifted her hand, which felt like it was being weighed down with doubts. Iri took a deep breath and then followed through with a knock on the door. There was nothing but silence for a few moments before she did it again, and no response came. Iri leaned forward and putting her ear against the door, hoping to hear more than just the music. Before she could process what happened, the door slid open and Iri felt a grip on the collar of her outfit and felt her feet lose is weight on the ground as she got pulled straight into the van. She hit the inside hard, hearing the door slide close behind her. As she rolled onto her back, she found the woman she was looking for, looking at her tenderly, like a lover whom she hadn’t seen in years.
“I knew you would come back,” she told Iri. “They always do.”
Iri was confused by the comment as she pushed herself up onto her elbows.
“Look, I need to know what happened last night,” Iri began. “I’ve been infected with some sort of virus. I was bitten by something and I need to know what and where it happened.”
Iri was surprised by this woman named Carmilla as she slowly began to crawl over to her, bridging the gap between them.
“You already know what happened, love,” she told Iri, leaning in to kiss her.
Iri tried to pull back, tried to avoid the skin on skin contact, but something was drawing her to this mysterious woman. As their lips made contact, there was something about it that made her feel alive in a way that being with Chase didn’t. The Indogene would have felt some sort of guilt about it if at that moment she were in her right frame of mind. But it seemed as if Carmilla knew Iri’s body as much as she did, and her body wanted this pale human’s touch. She wasn’t sure if it was her anatomy or if there was something more about her, but Iri’s body made it clear that her mind wasn’t in control at that point. There was something divine, if that was the most appropriate word for it, about Carmilla’s tongue on her skin, bringing Iri to the edge of ecstasy quicker than Chase could.
Somewhere in the throughs of passion, Iri couldn’t keep track of when her clothes came off, let alone how much time had passed by from the initial kiss to where Carmilla was kissing the bare flesh of the inside of th Indogene’s right thigh, and working slowly towards her center. The brief ping of pain that occurred inside of her thigh went unnoticed by her, as did the sweet taste of her silver blood on her lips when Carmilla came up and kissed her.
“Stay with me,” the pale human told her.
“Yes,” was the only reply Iri could respond with as she blacked out.
Carmilla felt the hairs on the back of her neck tingling. She knew she needed to leave, knowing that when it came to Indogenes, they were familiar with anatomy just as much as technology. She did feel attracted to Iri Sewuel, but she also knew she needed her help. She started up the van, pulling past the ATV and getting on the road. She saw a white Challenger pass by heading in the opposite direction. She knew that it was them, as her survival instinct was better than most. And she knew where her brother was. Her instant was driving her, and she needed him, just as much as she knew he needed her.
——————————————————————————
Chase used his scope to continue to look at the Volge, unsure as to what the hell they were doing. He finally switched out with Vick, listening to the Texan crack a joke, which was the third non-funny joke he had heard in a row.
“The doctor goes, ‘I this is my thermometer, then where the hell is my pen?!” Turner finished his joke, chuckling at how amusing it was to him. “Come on, boss. That one was pretty funny. I slay people with that one.”
“I’m sorry, Vick,” Chase told him.
“Can’t blame me for trying. I know how difficult things right now. Honestly, I’m surprised you hooked up with an Indo just as much as I am of Rosa and Eren.”
“I’ve heard it all before,” Chase told him. “‘Indogenes have no emotions’, ‘they committed horrible acts during the wars’, blah-blah-blah.”
“I’m not faulting you, though, Chase. I’ve hooked up with an Indogene myself. Man, he was a wild one once we got started.”
“But it’s not as surprising as a human and Indo. I get that one too.”
“Hey, I’m not knocking you or her. The fact y’all found love is a great thing.”
“How could she love me with the horrors I’ve done is something I can’t figure.”
“Whatever you’ve done is probably light in comparison to whatever she may have done in the war.”
Chase lowered the rifle, looking at Turner and knowing that he had no clue of some of the horrors he had partaken. in, some of it still haunting him despite the fact that some of it was necessary for the greater good. After a few hours, Turner took over to keep watch, giving Chase a chance to sleep. He had the same bizarre dream as before. Iri working in a small box garden near a house resting on top of Mount Tam, it looking like things had been reformed and constructed for a nice spot to reside at. Things were even weirder this time around because he some himself leave the house with Iri in town, decked up in her Arkhunter garb. It was was if there were two of them, like identical twins. It was when the one at the garden stood up and turned around did he notice the stomach on her, typical of a woman a few months pregnant. Both Chase and the ark hunter Iri waved and smiled at the one at the garden, as she carried a basket of fresh vegetables in one hand and an auto-pistol in the other.
What also threw him a bit off guard was the fact that he felt something hit him from behind, him looking down to see a male Irathient child and a female Castithan child. Chase patted the Irathient kid on the head and ushered him on towards the Iri approaching them. He gave the pregnant Iri a small peck on the cheek as the Arkhunter garbed Iri brushed foreheads with the pregnant one.
The dream continued as he and the Iri with him drove along in the Challenger, making its way through new houses and buildings being constructed, passing through what appeared to be a small town where Bug’n’Chug used to reside as they made their way across a newly repaired Golden Gate bridge, passing through the defunct toll booths and heading into downtown of freshly paved roads. The Dark Matter appearing to keep the area secured as it appeared the local government, the remaining E-Rep and Dark Matter had somehow started working together. Even more surprised was when he saw himself and Arkhunter Iri approach a small building, reminding him of small airplane hangers he had seen only in pictures. A makeshift sign hanging next to it reading: The Lonehart Corporation, Home of the Historical Salvage Group. The Challenger made its way inside, parking itself next to two Cerberuses that appeared to be former military and modified for hauling and towing. They made their way into the office area, where the found their crew in the break room and the storage area packed with recently discovered items, including various works of art. Amongst them the famous Starry Night by Van Gogh.
Chase woke up to find the sun slowly rising, hearing the sound of snoring. He looked over to find Vick still laying and facing away from him, the sound of snoring so loud, Chase was surprised that the Volge wasn’t standing over them and about to tear them a pair of brand new assholes. Chase sat up, finding no sign of the Volge that had been standing there. Chase smacked Vick’s leg, which caused him to snap awake and to whip his rifle around at Chase, and then lowering it after realizing what happened.
“Shit!” Vick swore. “Sorry, boss.”
“It’s okay,” Chase told him. “We’re still alive. But I’m wondering where the hell the Volge disappeared to.”
“You don’t think they headed top Top-Notch, do you?”
“Only one way to know.”
Chase and Vick pulled up to Top-Notch Toolworks, no sign of Volge or attack on the building. They made their way inside, finding everyone having breakfast. Chase looked around to see if he could see Iri, but didn’t find her. He assumed she must have still been in bed, finding everyone munching away.
“So, anything new about the Volge?” Rosa asked him.
“They’re not at the mountain anymore. Don’t know when it happened, but both Vick and I woke up to an empty mountain side. Is Iri asleep upstairs?”
“Actually, she took off after you did,” Eren told him. “We only found out earlier.”
Shit, passed through his mind.
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Post by Belle Starr on Nov 15, 2016 23:19:39 GMT
A cleaver flew by Belle Starr's blond head from behind her as she faced two other menacing mutant hatchet men in front of her. Shooting from the hip, she sprayed the two mutants in front with bullets laced with radioactive nanos that covered them in a neon green goo that kept damaging them long after the bullets did their damage, resulting in their demise shortly after they were shot. Belle then did a perfect pirouette on pointe that would make a professional ballerina proud; a complete rotation of the body on one foot, that took the last mutant by surprise, who she quickly dispatched with a burst of bullets from her SMG.
"Now where the heck did I learn how to do that?!?!" Thought Belle as she looked in vain for the lady in red, although she did find the ATV Iri was driving as described by the mechanic who saw her leave at Topnotch.
Of Iri, Belle followed not far her footsteps to where the tire prints of a large vehicle had sped away; not too long ago as they were still distinct and not worn down much from the wind that swept the hill with some regularity. She also found a glove by where the large vehicle, probably no bigger than a van, had been parked, and Belle was sure it belonged to Iri for she had seen her wearing gloves of the same color and design. Not that Belle was a professional tracker by any means, but she had learned some detective skills from an old Synth named Nick Valentine when she was searching for her kidnapped infant son, even though that whole experience ended up being not real but part of an enemy's brainwashing of her. She had learned some new skills from the experience, but still once she followed the tracks down the hill she lost them.
A flash of bright yellow light in the corner of Belle's right eye made her turn to find it's source. Her rose petal lips opened in amazement as her blue diamond eyes grew wide at what she saw, for in front of her was a Viscera and four Volge troopers, one smaller than the rest. For some reason, she didn't raise her Dancing Lady SMG to give the Volge the same treatment she had given the mutants, but instead kept staring into the blue glowing eyes of the hulking Viscera who towered over her. As Belle lost herself in the mesmerizing glowing blue waters of the Viscera's eyes, she could feel both a mental and physical change occurring within herself. As her persona receded beneath the surface of the glowing sea, she felt another, more bestial one, surface. Physically, she began to feel as if she was getting larger and denser, which she was, and as she looked at her arms, she saw them split the sleeves of her ark hunter's jacket and shirt as crystal blue spikes came out of her forearms and her pale hands turned into massive blue talons.
Just before Belle Starr the human retreated into her subconscious, she realized that this was the Were-Volge within her that was emerging; a mini War Master created by her mad scientist father when he spliced her genes with the various Volge species in her mother's womb to hopefully create a super soldier to fight in the next Pale Wars. That mad scientist's persona was downloaded into her EGO psyche as he died, and it was Alfred's voice she heard cackling manically just before Belle's persona retreated completely, leaving the Beast in total control. Belle's clothes in tatters and her weapons left on the ground, the Beast still had Iri's glove in it's hand. The creature took the glove and held it to it's face as it's ultra-sensitive senses took in all the qualities of both the glove and it's previous wearer. It suddenly turned it's massive head, looking in the direction to where the blue rusted van had taken Iri and the woman in red, before it too disappeared in the golden light of a teleportation beam, shortly followed by the five other beams of her new pack mates, the Viscera and the four Volge troopers.
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