|
|
Post by Erika Widowmaker on Feb 22, 2017 18:51:30 GMT
As her brother Atticus Batman began to wander away from the group and towards the general direction of Fortress Kshaa, Erika Widowmaker turned to Lu Kshaa ordering, "I must follow my brother, so please get the Durango out of the sink hole and follow me when you can." "Shouldn't I go help him? He looks like he needs medical help," Said Medic Jameson as she bandaged her own head wound. "He does... but you might not survive the encounter," Replied Erika grimly. Picking up the two pieces of Atticus' sword cane and placing them in her belt, she holding her LMG at the ready as she followed him at a discrete distance. He walked slowly until they were no longer in sight of the other Protectors, but then he yelled out in agonizing pain and fell to his knee. As Dinara his EGO psyche called out to Erika and her EGO psyche Amber in turn tried to assure Dinara, Erika shouldered her LMG and ran forward to where he had fallen. It is often forgotten just how incredibly strong the seven foot tall Irathiant woman but in one of her first meetings with the Protectors long before they were called that she had beat down a steel door inside their aircraft with just her bare hands. Erika prided herself on keeping herself in shape exercising every day and maintaining her self-image of the perfect warrior woman. She came to her brother, picking him up in her arms armor and all and cradling him like a lost child turned and began heading back to the others. ***** Not very far away at Fortress Kshaa in the rooftop garden of Ralph the cook, Sandy Bell looked at the second-time dead Zombug impaled on her pitchfork before tuning to her lover Volodja Uljanov before silently mouthing, "What the Hell?" "Strange," he said. "I know how unintelligent it sounds, but I assume that something weird is going on right now. First tomatoes. Now this killer bug attacks Tim. What might happen next? Attack of the Killer Tomatoes perhaps?" Sandy grinned, exclaiming excitedly, "Sounds like a mystery my dear Sherlock!" ***** Far away to the north of San Francisco in their criminal hideaway, Marcel Lestrange said to his lover Lena Marr, "Boche likes to drink brandy! Lot of them like to drink brandy, so if they become suspicious then they can not be sure who was the real target. Our only problem will be the fact that lot of them like to drink brandy, so we must find a way to keep their greedy paws of the spiced up baby bottle, meant for that old goat! Am I correct, Honey pot? You may always correct me if I am wrong and improve my ideas. I am not mind." Lena rolled her unblinking sky blue eyes heavenward and placed one chalk white forefinger to the corner of her lush lips in thought which was her wont, before replying, "We put a note on a bottle from a distant friend- wasn't he a friend with that bookie in Alabama - maybe he wasn't a bookie but a book seller, don't remember, wasn't important to me at the time I heard it - anywho, from that guy? The note should say, 'This ancient brandy will enhance your lovemaking with Chloe and should not be shared! Have fun old chum! Signed Whatisname,' then have some messenger deliver it to him from Paradise! I don't know..." Lena grinned wickedly saying cheerfully,"What I do know is what else I think I should mix into the formula: Pheromones that will make him irresistible to all women after he drinks it! Or is that overkill? What do you think Pooh Bear?" ***** Far to the south of the Diabolical Duo's cabin back in the San Francisco wasteland near the Mutant District, a small human sized cloud busied itself making a grove of apple trees grow around another new oasis it had created.  |
|
|
|
Post by Atticus Batman on Feb 23, 2017 13:29:28 GMT
It is often forgotten just how incredibly strong the seven foot tall Irathiant woman but in one of her first meetings with the Protectors long before they were called that she had beat down a steel door inside their aircraft with just her bare hands. Erika prided herself on keeping herself in shape exercising every day and maintaining her self-image of the perfect warrior woman. She came to her brother, picking him up in her arms armor and all and cradling him like a lost child turned and began heading back to the others.
As Erika carried me back with me putting a hand around her shoulder to help keep me stable in her hands, I said quietly to her, through my pain, "I am sorry for being a burden Sister Dear. I am glad that I finally have a sister and that I have my children. However I know everything my actions resulted in back in Australia and...I know that I would make those same choices again if I had to even if it guaranteed the same results because I truly thought they were the best command choices at the time. ___ However I really miss Lady, and causing her death and killing Sandy's unborn child are truly the two first regrets I have ever had, and I know I can never be forgiven for them....
....but I also know that my children need me to be there for them. So I will continue to try to be as good a father to them as I can. Even if I am NOT the parent that they deserve, for I am the only one they have now. I just hope I can truly be at least half the father that Lady thought I could be. I love and miss Lady...so much that I could have sworn I heard her scream when you sunk the Durango but...but .....but she isn't coming back is she? If she was, wouldn't she have already reappeared by now?!
You keep telling me to have faith because everything will work out and I have tried. I really have Sister Dear, and will NEVER lose faith in Lady and am hoping that she is just being fashionably late as you women tend to call it, and I can even have faith that Volodja and Sandy may one day forgive me for the harm that I have done to them----but I can not say the same for myself....I am just so sick and tired of being sick and tired. I am glad you are here to help me with the children as I doubt I could do it by myself, but I feel like I am just a liability now. However I did do what I could to fight the zombie creatures when we were attacked back there, and Dinara assures me that after I gave into my 'instinctual' side that I truly was helpful, I didn't try to attack any of you, and that when the threat had ended that I willingly chose to walk away from the battlefield and back towards the Fortress. All I know is that when I regained consciousness, I knew that I had to get back home and make sure my children were alright. So Dinara and I assume that is what my 'instinctual' side was thinking when I started the walk."
|
|
|
|
Post by Marcel Lestrange on Feb 23, 2017 14:23:59 GMT
"Marvellous!" exclaimed Marcel Lestrange. "I knew that you have EXCELLENT ideas. The old man receives a potency boost from this old friend who wants to help him. With friends like these...You knw the rest." And he grinned. Then he kissed lena tenderly but passionately while he was thinking. "I do think that we should avoid adding pheromones into the aphrodisiac, though. I love that idea a lot, but I do not want to make things too easy for the old Boche and hand everything him on the silver plate," he explained his reasons. "You see, Honey Pot. If we add pheromones into the mixture, then he might become someone like...Hugh Hefner - a human male who lived before Pale Wars and established a lifestyle magazine and was surrounded by young beautiful women even in his old age. I am afraid that post apocalyptic world is not ready to have another Hefner...yet. Poor girls deserve a chance to say "No" to horny old goat. I like to imagine how that old goat chases after women and makes complete fool of himself. Running after skirts is good for his heart, and being turned down after winding himself up, will be good for his arrogance..." And Marcel added a quote from the FRENCH author:  |
|
|
|
Post by Erika Widowmaker on Feb 23, 2017 17:42:37 GMT
Erika Widowmaker listened silently to what her brother had to say, having assumed much of it. However, one thing did disturb her: Erika had heard the scream too when the Durango plowed through the small glowing cloud and the scream did indeed sound familiar, although she wasn't sure it sounded like Atticus Batman's deceased wife or not. In fact, she wasn't sure she had ever really heard Lady Christianna scream or if she did, she didn't remember hearing her. Lady might make a sound in surprise but she always recovered quickly and Erika never saw her scared, and this scream was definitely one of sudden almost animal-like terror. Whatever had happened, Erika didn't want to get her brother's hopes up that Lady might still be alive, for she agreed with him that if Lady was still alive, she would move Heaven and Earth to get back to him and her children. Way too much time had passed for that to occur Erika sadly concluded.
Just out of site of the other Protectors, Erika put Atticus down and handed him his cane to keep him stable to allow him to go back to the others under his own steam knowing Atticus was a proud man; then she reached into her fatigues' breast pocket and handed him the dull blue pendant that he had given to Lady, saying sadly, "I heard the scream too but... Misty found this weeks ago, but didn't know it had belonged to Lady and I just found out she had it right before this mission. The stone was always glistening when Lady wore it because it held a piece of the your Grid essence that you shared with her. Now its dull and... lifeless. Dear brother, I think we have to come to terms that Lady is never coming back to us."
Erika embraced her brother, holding him tight hoping this would not cause him to emotionally backslide, but also knowing that she would not willingly lie to him, for she already had one family secret that she kept to herself to protect him.
*****
Just out of sight of Erika and Atticus, Belle Starr and Vo Kshaa walked side by side to investigate the zombie battlefield with Belle resisting with all her mental might the urge to grab his hand and hold it tightly, when suddenly she had an idea that she voiced, "Maybe we should take some cellular samples or even one of the bodies to Dr. Orion? We might get a clue what reanimated these corpses, and if it likely to happen again or is just a freak accident! Either way, we need to warn Ara Shondu and Law Keeper Cooper what's going on hereabouts!"
*****
In the rooftop garden atop Fortress Kshaa, Sandy's curiosity was aroused so she suggested to Volodga Uljanov as she looked at the Zombug impaled on her pitchfork, "Maybe we should take this mystery to Dr. Orion, along with a soil sample around the tomatoes, and cuttings from them as well. I guess if you are Sherlock Holmes that makes Orion Dr. Watson, leaving me as... Inspector Lestrade," Sandy grinned which was refreshing to Volodja, for she hadn't much since their unborn baby's death weeks ago, then she remarked, "Not the best role, but a cop and a soldier are more similar than you might think, so it's fitting."
Then on sudden impulse, Sandy embraced Volodja tightly and kissed him, lost in a moment of bliss before she remembered again their mutual loss.
*****
The very force that was responsible for reanimating the Zombug and the Raider Zombies as well as brought Ralph the Cook's tomatoes back to good health and creating several flowering oases where there were none in the San Francisco wasteland was totally unaware that it was a source of consternation to so many people. The small cloud just continued to make plants bloom as it passed on it's way to the Mutant District, not sure why it was going there but drawn there as if by instinct none-the-less. When it got there, mutants began to shoot at it from all directions. As the bullets flew harmlessly through it, it floated a foot off the ground as if wondering what to do next. Suddenly, a mutant berserker insanely charged it, striking at the cloud with a cleaver in each hand until it was a the center of the cloud.
The small cloud was not harmed by the insane hacking by the mutant, but it did begin to glow becoming so bright that one could no longer see the mutant inside it. The bright light disappeared and the cloud moved on towards the center of the Mutant District, leaving behind a very scared and confused human EMC soldier completely cured of all afflictions. With the mutant's gunfire drawn to the cloud, the now cured EMC soldier ran away from the mutant district as fast as his legs could carry him. |
|
|
|
Post by Lena Marr on Feb 23, 2017 19:45:02 GMT
Lena Marr pouted when she heard Marcel say nay to her idea of adding pheromones to the brandy concoction of Super Viagra they had planned for old Wolfram Von Eshen. Lena LOVED chaos even though most of her crimes had a calculated purpose that was usually the death of someone. Lena loved that a side effect of her actions usually led the so-called agents of order, the law keepers and other authorities like the Protectors, into total and absolute chaos. Lena was positive that there would be delicious chaos if every woman met by the good doctor in Fortress Kshaa wanted to have his baby!
Lena dramatically sighed in resignation, for she had not long ago decided that Marcel was the brains of the diabolical duo and she the brawn, and even if she didn't realize that wasn't completely true, that they really shared both roles, she would acquiesce to his wishes when push came to shove, saying with a sudden wicked grin, "Whatever you want Pooh Bear! It's your plan anyway! But it would of been fun!"
Lena kissed him passionately perhaps to show there was no ill will but mostly because she wanted to, for she loved him with all of her black little heart, then skipped to the elevator of their hideout to go one floor up. The area on the second floor was outwardly their living and eating space, but was really so much more. There was a hidden walk-in safe and safe room behind the refrigerator that swiveled outwards, an armory behind a sliding two-way mirror, and her personal laboratory and workshop behind a bookshelf that was drawn upwards with the push of a hidden button.
There was a fully functional and fully stocked chemical lab in Lena's workshop, because she worked often with poisons as a professional assassin. Lena began to go to work immediately on mixing her super-Viagra concoction to which to dope the unsuspecting Dr. Von Eshen. Lena then took a vintage bottle of brandy from the kitchen mixing her formula into it carefully in the lab, then pouring a small amount into a cup so that the contents were at their original level in the bottle and resealing the top so that no could detect that the bottle had ever been opened. Having also been a spy, Lena was a master of deception not only as to disguising herself but as to hiding objects in plain sight as well. One never knew when a sniper's rifle needed to be hidden on a rooftop as a communication antennae, or a bomb had to be hidden as a flower pot, and Lena was a master at such camouflage.
Lena took her chalk white pinkie dipping it in and tasting the treated brandy in the cup, making sure there was no telltale aftertaste to her Super Viagra drug, but realized that she still had to discover if it was potent enough, so throwing her long lashed sky blue eyes heavenward as she put an alabaster forefinger to her lush lips thought, "I still need to experiment to see if it works."
Lena snapped her fingers, opting for the open staircase rather than the slow elevator holding tightly the shallow cup of brandy as she skipped two steps at a time rushing downstairs yelling between giggles, "POOH BEAR, I HAVE A REFRESHING BEVERAGE FOR YOU TO TRY!"
Needless to say, neither of them were seen for the rest of the afternoon... or that evening either... or even until late morning of the next day!
|
|
|
|
Post by Vo Kshaa on Feb 23, 2017 23:09:11 GMT
"It's a great idea Belle," Vo replied as Belle suggested taking samples for Dr. Orion, "If someone can determine if something unusual was done to these bodies to make them act like this, it's him."
He looked around searching for something that could be used as a bag to put the body into and walked to Lu's Hellblazer. The truck was already chained to the remains of the building next to the sinkhole and Lu had descended with a steel rope so that she could use Hellblazer's rear winch to pull the Durango out of it. Vo found a big folded sheet of tarp in the body of the truck and went to the edge of the sinkhole to ask Lu if it was okay to use her tarp to wrap a decomposing body in it. He thought she might be upset with it because the tarp was big enough to cover the whole truck with it and that's what it probably was used for. But contrary to his expectations Lu just waved at him and sent an EGO message saying that he could do anything with it while she was obviously concentrated on something else as she was sitting in silence next to the front bumper of the Durango and staring at it.
Once he got some sort of permission from Lu, Vo wrapped a body which was less damaged than others and then also packed some bones from those of skeletal types. After he thought he collected enough samples for Dr. Orion to investigate, he said to Belle, "As for informing Ara and Cooper, I remember Taffer was going to contact the Lawkeeper too, so we can contact him and see if he can connect us with Cooper."
Vo contacted Taffer and connected him to their group channel as he informed his friend on what a strange phenomenon they had observed and asked him if he could apprize Cooper o that too.
"As for the Lawkeeper," they heard Taffer's voice in the channel, "It's sort of funny story that happened today. I've contacted him to have a little chat about the recent events and the suspected involvement of our Batman in them, and found him under crossfire as the poor guy was trapped at a roadblock which looked as a trap set specially for him. You all probably know it's a bad idea to try and trap our Lawkeeper so as you may think with a little help from me he had cleared the road. Alas, his Cerberus was severely damaged, so I volunteered to tow it to Bug'n'Chug for repairs. Now as his roller got stuck there, I offered to give him a lift on my Titan… yes Coop, it's my Titan, let's not get into unnecessary details please. So yes, we're going to Overpass now so that our brave Lawkeeper could question those witnesses personally. But now I think we can make a detour so that he could see your strange phenomenon with his own eyes."
"Just don't touch anything please," They heard Cooper's voice.
"Well, we've just took one body for research and a couple of bones from the other," Vo said to the group channel, "And we're pulling our roller out of the sinkhole. There are plenty of other bodies to inspect here!" He added hastily as he heard Cooper cursing and threatening to put them all to jail.
"Calm down Coop," they heard Taffer's voice, "We both know our Fortress has the best specialists in Bay Area. It will be the fastest way and that most effective. Of course we'll be sharing the results with you and Ara."
"Oh and while we are at it," Lu suddenly chimed in, "Does the Lawkeeper know if it's possible to find a Grazbi plant in Bay Area?"
As the only thing Cooper could answer was "What. The. Fuck," Taffer had to calm him down again. "Hey do you remember what this plant was used for before the Raiders found a way to produce morphine from it?" he asked.
"Yes. Irathients used to make some sort of hallucinogenic powder thy used in their rituals," Cooper replied.
"You know, Lu is Irathient, so it's pretty possible…"
"Not on my shift," muttered Cooper.
"Okay people, I better hang up before you say enough for our Lawkeeper to decide to lock us up finally," Taffer said laughing before he disconnected from the channel.
"I think we better go home before the Lawkeeper arrives," Vo said to Belle, "Atticus seems to be not in a good mood for questioning. And while we are at it, the memories you shared with me was probably the first thing I remembered because they surfaced up at the very first session of memory restore process Shirra had with Em Dash. In fact, they gave me a good start in what I managed to recall about us. The part with the glass coffin was in fact I've never forgot probably because I've never thought you were the reason why it happened to me. At the same time, that episode helped me to learn more about myself and of course to find out I have a sister!" He went silent for a moment as he did before then suddenly said, "And now I remembered I still haven't said something important about myself I learned just before you arrived on the Vigilant!"
He took a deep breath to calm down and continued, "You see, we were developing the vaccine against new Votan-killing virus and there was an episode where I had to test it on myself. The Irathient version of the vaccine worked just fine and almost destroyed the virus, but then it morphed into something that was supposed to infect only Gulanee, and that version got me afflicted somehow. Haele had to share the Gulanee version of the vaccine with me and the only way she could do that was… well, the way energy beings have sex with each other. I was unconscious at that moment and I don't remember how it was happening but the most baffling thing is that it worked. The vaccine designed to work on Gulanee destroyed the Gulanee version of the virus in my body. And in fact, it's not the first time I found myself connected with Gulanee somehow. When I woke up in the Indogene lab in Red Deer, I found out that a Gulanee was imprisoned next to my cell and they made experiments on him too. Then, in Red Deer as well, some Gulanee said that Indogene were not telling me all the truth they know about me. I still don't know how I could be connected to Gulanee at all and If I ever going to solve that puzzle, but I thought I must let you know this. This and the fact I happened to have sex with Haele, albeit I was unconscious and she was saving my life with it, so I hope you forgive us both for that. As for the episode with the tree on a bluff over the Bug'n'Chug, I still can't remember a thing about it. But I hope you'll be with me to support me when I finally recall it if those memories are really as sad as you put it."
|
|
|
|
Post by Belle Starr on Feb 24, 2017 12:27:01 GMT
"...I happened to have sex with Haele..." Vo Kshaa remarked among many other things, but Belle Starr's mind fixated on those six words, fighting unsuccessfully to stop the red blush that traveled up her swan-like neck into her pale freckled cheeks.
"You had... sex... with... Haele!?!?" Belle repeated incredulously.
"Vo had sex with Haele. Told you he couldn't be trusted!" Smugly echoed Alfred, Belle's EGO psyche through the telepathic link they shared.
"Shut up Dad," Thought Belle back to Alfred, but forced a smile as she spoke with a false calm to Vo, "Of course you did! What curious man wouldn't have sex with an energy being if they could - I'm sure it was necessary for some reason - and it's not like I was around or anything! Besides, now we're not a couple anymore, so you owe me no explanation. It's no skin off my nose, so don't think twice about it because I won't! So Law Keeper Cooper is coming now so we better vamoose like yesterday!"
Belle turned on her heel stalking off to the Helllblazer, her mind a whirl with conflicting emotions as she climbed into the passenger seat, turning her blonde head away from Vo on purpose. When she joined her ark hunter clan, she found out quickly that she didn't have a poker face as she lost hand over hand when they played cards for scrip. Her clan leader Somedude took pity on her revealing that her expressive face ALWAYS showed if she had a good or a bad hand. Belle would grin widely when she had a winning hand, and grimace dramatically when she had a bad one, and her clan mates at the poker table had to resist laughing because it was so obvious. Frankly, Belle wasn't sure what emotion Vo would see if he could see her face now, and she'd rather he didn't until she knew herself how she felt about the situation.
"This is what I wanted! The final break from Vo - some indication that he has moved on! If having sex with another woman isn't such a sign than I don't know what is!" Thought Belle to herself, but a second later questioned herself, "Isn't this what I wanted?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Atticus Batman on Feb 24, 2017 13:01:07 GMT
Just out of sight of the other Protectors, Erika put me down and handed me my cane to keep me stable to allow me to go back to the others under my own steam knowing I was a proud man; I slumped slightly when she first set me back on my feet and handed me the pieces of my cane. So she held me up while I put the cane back together. Once that was done, I leant heavily on it as I moved first one foot, then the other trying to get my legs to work again.
Then she reached into her fatigues' breast pocket and handed me the dull blue pendant that I had given to Lady, saying sadly, "I heard the scream too but... Misty found this weeks ago, but didn't know it had belonged to Lady and I just found out she had it right before this mission. The stone was always glistening when Lady wore it because it held a piece of the your Grid essence that you shared with her. Now its dull and... lifeless. Dear brother, I think we have to come to terms that Lady is never coming back to us."
I silently accepted the necklace and put it in a secured chest pocket near my heart in my Arkhunter infiltrator armor. Then Erika embraced me, her brother, holding me tight hoping this would not cause me to emotionally backslide, but also knowing that she would not willingly lie to me, for she already had one family secret that she kept to herself to protect me.
As I embraced Erika as well, we heard Taffer through the group channel but once I heard Cooper in the background I muted the group channel on my EGO so I no longer heard it because I was NOT in the mood to deal with Cooper and knew I would NOT be able to contain my anger if I were forced to listen to him at the moment, and quietly muttered, "Thank the gods for mute so I don't have to listen to that bastard!"
Then I continued to silently embrace Erika a while longer, as I deepened the embrace slightly and finally said sternly to Erika, although she could hear in my voice some sense of relaxation that she hadn't heard in some time and it was because Lady's cherished locket was now safely in my possession until the day she returns for it, me, and our children, "I will NOT EVER give up hope on being with Lady again, as she will ALWAYS be my other half, my better half, my wife and SOUL-MATE. So you can forget about that happening!
However it is good to have her necklace back; for if and when she does come back for it. So please remind me to thank Misty for this and for watching my babies when I get back to the bunker, especially since the twins do appear to enjoy her company and need interaction with more emotionally stable people than me.....and if she held onto the locket this long then obviously she liked it. So___
___perhaps you should take her, or have somebody else take her if you are too busy, to the bazaars at some point to get a necklace of her own or whatever else she wants, at my expense so she knows just how grateful I am to have Lady's locket back. And maybe see if Atika, Belle and Chloe would like to go as well. Belle has been locked away just as long as me, Atika still hasn't really seen any of the sites in Paradise since joining us, and Chloe has been so busy doing all the Command paperwork that has been neglected since I locked myself away. So they may all enjoy a Girl's afternoon out. I suppose you probably think Jameson deserves it as well after all I have put her through.....and Sandy could probably use it as well. Although I doubt Sandy is anymore ready to leave the confines of her room than I have been to leave mine. Not to mention that she may resent the suggestion if she knew it was mine, considering what a monster I was to her. Now I suppose we better get back to the others so that I can get back to the little ones and make sure they are alright."
After finally ending the embrace, I patted the pocket that I put Lady's necklace in if for no other reason than to assure myself that I have the Grid piece that is permanently bonded with both me and Lady, just as I feel her and I are permanently bonded as soul-mates, in my possession so I still have at least a part of her with me at all times. Then I started to slowly walk on my still wobbly feet, hoping that by the time we arrive back to the Fortress, if not the Durango, that I will once again be able to walk at least as well as I had been this morning.
When we finally walked back to the others, with Erika staying by my side incase I lost my balance or my legs gave out again, Lu had finished pulling out my Durango and was making sure it still ran. Then Vo and Belle suggested it was time to go, and as Erika and I agreed, I got back into the front passenger seat of my Durango with Erika once again behind the wheel. Once everybody had gotten situated in whichever vehicle they chose to ride back to the Fortress in, Erika started the trip back to Fortress K'shaa with Lu's Hellblazer not far behind us.
During the trip back to Fortress K'shaa, I pulled Lady's necklace back out and looked at it more closely, silently agreeing with Erika that it indeed looked dull and lifeless. However I could barely detect a very feint Grid signature from the locket. So I opened it to look at the piece of my Grid 'cloth' that it contained. Then I removed my right gauntlet and touched the little piece of Grid 'cloth' with my unarmored finger. As I did, it sparked for a split second, which caused me to let out a gasp of surprise. Then I said in a slightly shocked tone, forgetting at the moment that I was with the others, "Wow I think the poor little guy is still alive!"
Then I heard Erika say, "Who's alive brother Dear?"
Hearing her voice made me remember exactly where I was at the moment. So I said excitedly and with much more emotion than Erika had heard from me since we saw Lady's body disappear in the Vigilant's infirmary, "The Grid piece in the locket, Sister Dear!!! I know I overcharged it to act like a pacemaker for Lady when she...was stabbed. So it makes sense that it may have burnt out and died, trying to keep Lady alive back in Australia...but apparently even this tiny little fellow is just as stubborn as your daking brother! For it is still hanging on by a margin! I know it's a long shot but...perhaps I can..."
At that moment I touched it again and concentrated on sending some of my energy into it. After a few seconds of unconsciously holding my breath, it began to once again glow with a feint sign of life, getting stronger by the second. After just a few seconds, I quit the energy transfer and it dimmed to a feint blue glow, but this time did not completely go out. Even better, I was still able to instinctively detect it. So I said still excitedly, "Yes I can, and did! It is re-energized and once again healthy...but misses Lady as well."
Then I removed my finger from the 'cloth' and it quit glowing but remained a nice vibrant blue, and I continued with, "Now it is, how did Orion refer to it when he examined some of my Grid 'cloth' that I wasn't currently touching?...Oh yeah. It is now in a form of hibernation, until Lady or I once again touch it."
Then I gazed at it for a few more seconds, before returning it to my secured pocket. As I sat in silence the rest of the ride, I retrieved a small bottle of rum from my Durango's glove compartment and quietly drank it while I was lost in my thoughts, including the thought that I was hoping that Wolfram's project would indeed be ready to use tonight, and hopefully it did indeed help bring my conscious and sub-conscious back together, or at least stop the sub-conscious late-night killings, so I could remain with my children.
 
|
|
|
|
Post by Volodja Uljanov on Feb 24, 2017 15:01:31 GMT
Sandy Bell's baby blue eyes fluttered open after their kiss and Volodja Uljanov could see pain in them, so he tried to smooth it for both of them by saying:
"This is the very first time in history ever when Inspector Lestrade kissed Holmes, I think, and Holmes enjoyed it very much."
Then he hugged Sandy tight, putting his protective arms around Sandy and holding her against his chest. When they had to break their embrace, Volodja grabbed the pitchfork with the Zombug into his one hand and Sandy's hand into another and added with a gentle smile:
"Poor Ralph. He is so proud about his English lawn. We really must fix the hole. Maybe put a statue there? Or a small fountain? Or maybe even both - a fountain with a statue?"
They walked towards tomatoes and with regretful sigh, Volodja released Sandy so she could gather some soil and plant samples. But he held his hand on her shoulder when Sandy gathered evidence material, so she could feel his presence and offered her his silken handkerchief to use as a soil sample bag. When all was done in the garden, Sandy's palm returned into Volodja's and they headed towards Dr. Orion's domain.
Several moments later Sandy Bell and Volodja Uljanov stood in front of Dr. Orion and answered to his questions about dead Zombug, soil and plant samples. Orion's main question was actually very simple - Why they came to waste his precious time with these samples which look perfectly ordinary? But small Liberata scientist became gentler with every moment and agreed to take a look when Sandy and Volodja described him what was happening.
While small Liberata studied dissected Zombug, Sandy and Volodja stood quietly, arms around each other. Doctor Orion removed his hairy face from the eyepiece of the microscope and turned it towards the couple when he was ready.
"You said that you killed this specimen not very long ago," Orion stated. "Are you sure about that? From what I have seen, I can tell you one thing for sure - tissues of this specimen tell me that this bug was dead long before you supposedly killed it."
|
|
|
|
Post by Sandy Bell on Feb 24, 2017 21:56:36 GMT
Dr. Orion picked up another measuring tool, then touched the dissected Zombug which twitched suddenly making Sandy Bell jump back and say nervously, "You sure that thing is dead Doc?" Orion looked up with his big puppy dog eyes and said reassuringly, "Oh yes, quite dead... or rather dead again. I suspect that this specimen has been reanimated somehow, although I have no idea how. Scientists have wondered about the miracle of life for ages as have philosophers and fiction writers, such as Mary Shelly the writer of Frankenstein and the Sensoth poet Grog the writer of Just like Grog. Biomen like our friend Kaj are considered by some as proof that life can be created by mankind but are not really considered to be a species of their own, as they are genetically engineered humans created to be used as tools. In fact, Biomen are the genetically engineered results of a top-secret project commissioned by the Earth Military Coalition in the year 2000 to combat what humans then considered an alien invasion. It took Earth’s scientists the better part of twenty years to perfect their lab-grown weapons of war." "Doctor," Sandy gently nudged Orion back to the topic at hand, "What can you tell be us about about this... Zombug?" "Besides that it was dead quite a while ago, then according to you two, it was alive, and now it isn't again, very little, except..." Answered Dr. Orion stroking the end of his large handle bar mustache with one small furry hand, adding after a dramatic pause and a big grin, "It has about five times the amount of bioelectricity in its body as the average common skitterling. All living creatures, human and alien, have low-power electric currents that normally flow within nerves and muscles. This little guy has an abnormal amount, but there is something about this bioelectricity that is even more unusual!" "Don't leave on tenterhooks Doc, spit it out!," Exclaimed Sandy with a tiny bit of exasperation in her voice. Having set the stage, Dr. Orion spread his short arms and stated dramatically, "The energy signature of the bioelectricity in our dead little friend here is very similar to... Grid energy!"  |
|
|
|
Post by Atticus Batman on Feb 25, 2017 12:48:35 GMT
After we got to the Fortress, and Erika, Joy and I got out of my Durango, I gave Erika another quick hug. Then I said, "I have to get a mechanic to look at this thing. Then I have to go check on the twins, and contact Wolfram. So I better go. However the three of us will see you at dinner tonight...and I assume you will want to check on me before Wolfram locks me in my holo-training room tonight. So I will see you then as well. I just hope that whatever he is planning is ready by then and does help in whatever way he thinks it will. Just remember that important field trip that I mentioned a little while ago."
Then after her response, I turned and slowly walked over to a mechanic to see about having him give my poor blue pearl Durango another check-up and repair. After that I walked towards my home bunker, noticing that while I was still in quite a bit of pain, I was walking a little straighter and although I was still using the cane for added stability, I was no longer leaning as heavily on it as I walked. When I arrived at my home bunker and let myself in, Misty had the twins in their cribs and was reading to them.
I sat in my chair and waited until she had finished it. Then I said, "Misty thank you for watching them....and for finding and holding onto Lady's necklace for me. I will make it up to you, and if I need a baby-sitter again while you and your father are still staying here, I will be sure to contact you."
After she apologized for not returning the necklace sooner as she didn't know who's it was, I once again assured it was fine for I was glad that somebody who would take good care of it, until it could be return to me, found it. Then she told me watching the children was no problem because she loves children and it gave her something useful to do. Then I got up and walked with her to the bunker's door. After she left the bunker and I re-locked it behind her.
Once that was done, I walked back towards my chair and removed my helmet. I placed it on the coffee table near my chair. Then I walked over to the twins and gave them each a kiss on the forehead before picking them both up and placing them in their playpen so they could play together for a little while. Next I got a bottle of rum and sat back in my chair while the kids enjoyed their play time. While I watched them playing and I sipped my rum, I pulled out my Hailer.
After staring at it for a few seconds as I contemplated what I should say, I finally dialed Wolfram's number. When he answered, I said more calmly than he had heard in weeks, "Wolfram glad you answered. I assume that means I didn't interrupt anything? Anyway, we are back from our little excursion. I am sure the others are interested in whatever Doctor Orion will tell them about the samples Vo brought back. However right now, I am a lot more interested in finding out if your 'therapeutic' holo-program will be ready for me to try tonight....because I felt so useless out there today and am tired of feeling like a useless liability and am ready to fix whatever the daking hell is causing my inability to well...to go back to being the man that my wife knew and loved and that almost everyone seems to miss and want back in Command for some dumb daking reason which I can not fathom as I made so many daking command mistakes that cost so many lives back in Australia!!! Not to mention that when I try to play with my children....I feel so old and pathetic because I can barely move, while they are no crawling all over the place."
While Wolfram responded, I felt a little hand or something push on one of my legs. So I looked down and saw Caprice sitting there. When she saw that I noticed he, she held her hands up so that I would pick her up. So I sighed and leant down and picked her up. Then after Wolfram had finished what he was saying, I said with a little chuckle in my voice, "Speaking of crawling, it seems my mischievous little girl just managed to get out of the playpen. Luckily she chose to crawl over her to me. Apparently Lady was right when she said Caprice would be a daddy's girl. So I guess that means they want some more daddy time until supper. So I better go for now. If we don't see you at supper, then I will talk to you when you come in later tonight to help Erika secure me in my holo-training room for the night... and hopefully so we can try your program tonight to keep me occupied in my sleep."
After hanging up, I set Caprice down on a blanket on the floor near the couch. Then I walked over to the play pen and retrieved Cosmin. Next I set him down by his sister. Then I slowly lowered myself to the ground next to them and leaned back against the couch for support. As I spent time with my babies, I hummed an old song to them that I had heard a while back.
|
|
|
|
Post by Belle Starr on Feb 25, 2017 16:03:25 GMT
Belle Starr sat in silence the whole way of the short drive back to Fortress Kshaa. Once there, she mumbled thanks to both Vo Kshaa for the vision googles and his sister for the ride before striding stiff legged to her quarters. Her closest girlfriend, Erika Widowmaker had arrived in the Fortress' garage earlier, and watched her exit the vehicle, being able to tell just from Belle's body posture and grim look that Belle was very upset, so quickly followed Belle to her jail cell in the basement garage.
As the guards let Belle into her quarters, Erika signaled them that she was in command of the situation as she followed Belle in, asking her as the door closed and locked, "What is the matter Belle?"
"Nothing, it's just finally over with Vo and me! Did you know he had sex with Haele?" As Erika shook her head no, Belle continued in a monotone as she packed a small bag, "Vo said it was to save his life, and I have no reason to disbelieve him, for he's never lied to me before! And it's for the best! What man can have any hope for a future with an infertile weapon of war, for when it comes right down to it, that's all I really am!"
"Belle, you're so much more than that - " Protested Erika as she grabbed her friend by the shoulders looking intently at her with jade green eyes.
"No I'm not, although I appreciate you thinking so!" Belle interrupted gently prying her friends hands from her shoulders as she continued, "I've been a weapon from the moment my father grafted Volge genes into mine while I was still in Mom's womb to be some kind of super soldier for a war that thankfully never came! I didn't discover that until I came to Paradise, but I must have instinctively known that when I arrived in Paradise and became a hero to the community patrolling the highways and byways and protecting the innocents using my EGO powers!"
Belle went to her desk picking up and looking at the glittering blue compact given to her by Vo, turning it with one hand as she stared at it through the various visions the googles gave her before saying sadly, "I lost who I truly was when I fell in love with Vo and when I first formed the Protectors, when I deluded myself into thinking I could have a true love and a real family! I really have only one choice with my powers and my heritage: To be a hero or a villain - any other considerations just makes the choice harder to implement and puts those who care for me in danger! I chose long ago to be the hero and don't worry it's still my choice despite everything bad that's happened in the past because of it!"
"You've done a lot of good too Belle - we all have despite what happened recently," Pleaded Erika, predicting what was coming next, "Don't divorce yourself from your friends. You need us and the Protectors of Paradise need you!"
Belle smiled warmly at Erika, replying as she put the compact back down on the table before shouldering her shoulder bag, "Thank you kindly for saying so, but I need to find myself again, so I'm going home alone to my little blue trailer in back of the Crater! Then I'm going to Ara Shondu and Law Keeper Cooper to offer my services to them as a Deputy Law Keeper so I can protect the innocents of Paradise as the superhero I always pictured myself to be! Law and order was always more my thing than you guys', and I can't even count how may times I've endangered y'all by insisting on going by the letter of the law! Nobody has a greater respect for you Protectors and your brand of justice, but it's not my brand of justice and I lost my purpose of reinstating the rule of law hereabouts by being with y'all! Besides, I'm only a hailer's call away if y'all need me!"
Erika sighed, knowing her friend's mind was made up before saying with mock sternness, "Just don't forget young lady that a hailer transmits both ways! If you need us, we're there for you - all of us."
"I won't," Belle replied cheerfully as she embraced her friend, kissing her on the cheek before turning to the door.
Belle found the door locked, and turned raising one blond eyebrow but still smiling at her friend.
"Guards, unlock the door and allow Ms. Starr to leave Fortress Kshaa with her belongings," Ordered Erika through the base's intercom, then asked Belle, "What of your Liberty Trooper armors in the closet Belle?"
"Keep them, recycle them, or donate them to a museum, that isn't my identity anymore," Answered Belle before exiting the cell, adding, "In fact, don't call me Belle anymore! From now on, just call me Starr!"
|
|
|
|
Post by Taffer on Feb 25, 2017 21:02:41 GMT
"Now you know it Coop, when I say fasten your belt, I do it for a reason," Taffer said as he quickly examined Lawkeeper's face which had just hit his Titan's dashboard. "This truck can ram a Hellbug Warrior and survive it, but when I hit the brake it takes it as an order and stops. Almost immediately. Now please look straight at me while I'll do a little miracle and make your nose stop bleeding." "Now can you finally tell me what made you give your amazing brakes a snap check?" Cooper asked while Em Dash worked on his nose. "Someone has thrown himself right in front of my truck," Taffer replied, "Look, now he's just standing in front of us. At first I thought it was a mutant as he's wearing an EMC uniform. But then I saw his face… and hit the brakes." "And what's so special about his face?" Cooper asked as they jumped out of the cabin and approached a strange man.  "Don't you see? He’s frightened out of his wits. Mutants have no fear, that's the first thing they have lost when they started to take their drugs. Hello… hm… person? Do you hear us?" "Guess not," Cooper remarked when the man did not reply and just kept staring in front of himself, "Look, he could be just some junkie who found himself an old uniform. This is a mutant territory, so it's no surprise they could scare him…" "Some junkie who wore an old EMC dogtag to the point its chain grew into his skin? I highly doubt it," Taffer tried to flip the dogtag but the man grabbed his hand and pushed it away while he kept staring in front of himself. "No touching it, got it," Taffer said and added to Cooper knocking at the bumper of his truck, "Now we have a guy in a EMC uniform wearing an EMC dogtag and for the whole time we watch him he stays focused on an old EMC truck ignoring everything else around him. Isn't it an interesting coincidence?" "Oh come on!" Cooper spat in front of his feet, "Don't you think he's a real EMC soldier? He's too young to be one. He'll have to be a time traveler too." "That's… an interesting take," Taffer replied as he smiled with corners of his mouth. "But you're definitely right with one thing. It's a mutant territory and it's a matter of time when they detect us here and start shooting. Let's bring the poor guy to safety first. I'm sorry man, but if you tend to not react to what we say to you…" A syringe appeared in Taffer's hand which quickly rose to the soldier's neck. Just a moment after Taffer had to catch his falling unconscious body. "Faster this way," Taffer remarked when he saw Cooper's disapproving look, "Now let's move the guy into the truck and bring him to Overpass. I think I have an idea on who can make him talk." While they were driving to Overpass, Taffer called Sandy through his EGO. "Hello Sandy," he said, "We've just found a strange man in an EMC uniform and with EMC dogtag who looks like he doesn't know where he is. Or WHEN probably. Just thought he could be of YOUR type. Anyway, he refuses to talk to me or Cooper, so I thought a fellow EMC officer could have a better success. I'll keep him in my truck for a while just outside of Overpass. I didn't tell Cooper, but my EGO says she detected a very faint Grid signature. Not as if he was infected more like it just touched it or tried to infect and failed." "Dash, now please tell me, what would be the probability that IF this guy is really an EMC soldier, then he and Sandy could know each other? On the other hand no, don't tell me." |
|
|
|
Post by Sandy Bell on Feb 26, 2017 9:01:57 GMT
While they were driving to Overpass, Taffer called Sandy through his EGO. "Hello Sandy," he said, "We've just found a strange man in an EMC uniform and with EMC dogtag who looks like he doesn't know where he is. Or WHEN probably. Just thought he could be of YOUR type. Anyway, he refuses to talk to me or Cooper, so I thought a fellow EMC officer could have a better success. I'll keep him in my truck for a while just outside of Overpass. I didn't tell Cooper, but my EGO says she detected a very faint Grid signature. Not as if he was infected more like it just touched it or tried to infect and failed." Sandy Bell's blue eyes opened wide as she heard Taffer's EGO message, not sure if she was ready to venture outside of Fortress Kshaa yet, but duty was still a strong motivation for her despite all that had happened so she was determined to try. She relaid the information to Dr. Orion and Volodja Uljanov before grabbing tightly the latter's hand and asking, "Will you come with me please?" After hearing his answer, Sandy excused herself to her quarters to change. When she had retrieved her EMC belongings from an old storage bunker near Mount Tam, Sandy had no only retrieved Kabule's bullet that had almost killed her but also her dog tags and several of her old EMC Captain's uniforms that were sealed in storage in such a way as to preserve them perfectly. After showering she changed in silence, unable not to smile and admire herself in a full length mirror for the uniform still fit like a glove after all these years. Putting on a Magnum sidearm and the EMC dog tags around her neck, she went down to the garage just in time to see Belle Starr's bright white Challenger tear out of the garage. Soon she was in a Challenger of her own being chauffeured to Taffer's location and wondering about this new mystery and if it was related to the one of the reanimated Zombug. ***** When Belle Starr left her quarters, she walked with purpose to where Vo Kshaa was still standing next to his sister and her Hellblazer truck, smiling warmly and hugging him not as a lover but as a friend, whereupon she said, "Vo, I know I didn't answer you earlier when you said you love me, but know I'll always love you too, but I don't know either of can ever truly understand what that word means for us until we find out who we are as individuals! You need to get your memory back, and I'll help you in any way possible! If you want to go to that hill above Bug 'n Chug, I will go with you no matter how painful the experience may be! If you need to find out what your connection is to the Gulanee, I think you may have to go to Red Deer and the Gulanee Empire beyond, and if you need my help, I'll be pleased as punch to go with you!" Belle broke her embrace with Vo, her lips pursing with determination before stating, "But I need to find out who I am too and what my role in this world is now! Somewhere along the way I lost my identity, and I can never truly love another until I learn to love myself again, which I don't at this time and place, so I'm heading back to my little blue trailer to get some perspective and get my head together!" Belle smiled warmly at Vo gesturing a thumb and pinkie of her right hand by her ear while saying with forced cheerfulness, "You have my hailer number, so give me a call if you want me! Father is still being a real jerk, so I'm not sure he'd let an EGO call from you through! See y'all later buckaroos!" Belle sat down in the driver's side of her bright white Challenger, swinging her long shapely legs in before Vo shut the car door for her. She noticed Sandy Bell enter the garage in an EMC uniform, wondering briefly what that was about, but dismissing the thought in place of one that was just glad to see her aunt out of her room. Belle jauntily waved with a toothy grin to Vo and his sister before tearing out of the Fortress Kshaa's garage in her favorite vehicle towards the Golden Gate Bridge.  |
|
|
|
Post by Volodja Uljanov on Feb 26, 2017 12:10:52 GMT
There are moments when words aren't necessary. Especially when you is with someone who's heart beats in the same rhythm as yours, so Volodja squeezed Sandy's hand for a moment and nodded silently as a sign that he will accompany Sandy on her road trip. After Sandy went to change, Volodja lowered himself enough to reach Dr. Orion's ear and whispered something into it. The investigation was important but in current phase, the main focus was on the samples anyway, so Volodja shook hairy hand of the small Liberata Doctor and wished him good hunting. Soon he was fully equipped and rode Sandy's Challenger out of the garage and then out of the Fortress, touching Sandy's hand from time to time while driving and switching gears. Somewhere else more than few words were used when Wolfam von Eschen explained to Broderick Smythe what were his expectations about the labyrinth. And some pokes with Wolfram's walking cane. And more words like. "No, no, no, dear Broderick! Atticus Batman is not a chimpanzee or a toddler, so no matter how tempting it might be, we are NOT going to use the Geometric Peg Board to unlock the first door."  ![]() Wolfram explained patiently: "I know that it might be simple task and could give Herr Batman's cognitive capabilities a nice warm up, but it's way TOO simple for him. You are on the right path, though. Instead of that overly simple game we are going to use THIS:  "What's that, Wolfram?" asked Broderick Smythe. "Two almost identical pictures. What he is supposed to do with them?" "I see that you are too young to know that these kind of "find all differences between two drawings" games were quite common when I was about your age, my boy. They are simple enough to give Herr Batman a nice mental warm up. He just has to find the correct amount of differences and insert that figure HERE (Wolfram von Eschen pointed his forefinger towards the virtual codepad) to unlock the door. His perception and counting abilities are going to wake up. All you have to do is place those pictures next to the door and write him a description of his task..." "I see," said Brody, looking at pictures. "The correct answer is..." "Shut up and work my boy!" said Wolfram von Eschen. "Write a description like: "Two pictures are here, Almost looking the same, But yet they differ about. Right number of differences Tapped in here, Will open the door and let you out. That is a beginning of the journey. Then he enters the labyrinth and there will be..." "Monsters!" shouted Brody loudly. "Lot of them!" "Few of them, my boy. Just enough to keep him entertained. Killing is not exactly the most complicated thing to do to keep one's mind busy, so put only few there while he precedes to the next door. What have you chosen?" "These," said Brody and grinned widely.  |
|
