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Post by Vo Kshaa on Mar 7, 2015 23:56:16 GMT
Vo joined Belle in their battle, drawing enemies' attention from her and from the arkfall, where the other part of the team was dealing with the artillery unit. He quickly caught Belle's tactics on attacking bombers and troopers, so he concentrated on Viscera. His radiation Breacher combined with his EGO enhancement was good at armor piercing and the Blaster had a good aim to hit the less armored parts of their body, like the head and arms when they tried to shoot their most powerful weapons. Their huge heavy armored body was actually their downside, as they could not catch him with their heavy blows and he was always one step ahead of their each move. When the Viscera engaged their blur attack, he positioned himself closer to the base and rolled to the side so that they dart past him to where Taffer met them with a fully-charged shot from his Lightning Rifle to their most vulnerable spot and then finished them off with his Typhoon rifle and the base's defense turrets.
Suddenly he heard Taffer' voice, "Vo, I've got an injured team member being transported back to base. I'm going to meet them, so mop up without me. You're doing great, keep it up". He quickly checked his teammates' conditions and found out the one severely injured was Lady. He trusted Taffer to handle the situation, do the best thing he could do now is not to let any Volge from the hill to get to the base. He attacked the last two Visceras and made them run in circles between two rocks. One of the Visceras managed to hit him with his Blur attack while he was firing at the other one. That hit him off balance, but then one of the scrappers jumped in and pushed him away from the Volge's finishing blow. That gave Vo precious seconds to recover, and he did not repeat his mistake again, constantly monitoring both viscera's position and movement on his HUD. When both of them was finished, he didn't waste time to find his ATV which was probably destroyed by that time, he merely straddled the scrapper and pushed him to run up the hill where Belle just finished off her enemies.
He maintained a safe distance in case here rage has not faded yet, and sent her a voice message, "Belle, we have Lady injured and Atticus is on his killing spree inside the arkfall. Let's get back to base and see if we can help!"
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Post by Erika Widowmaker on Mar 8, 2015 1:46:49 GMT
The mini-gun on Erika Widowmaker's Mech whirled on empty as the last Volge artillery blew up, although its crew had preceded it minutes before during Atticus' rampage and just before he sliced his way into the ark fall. Erika considered following Atticus despite his warning to the contrary but Sandy said with conviction, "Better not! If Lady is hurt, than he won't be seeing friend from foe right about now!"
As the former Director of Internal Security for the Votanis Collective, Erika had read the file on the infamous Harbinger of Death, Atticus Batman, and it was full of examples of incredible violence, but nothing of this magnitude. She had seen Lady Christianna looking adoringly at Atticus, but had assumed it was a one-way street. Older man wanting an easy sexual conquest, young teenage girl drawn to power, she had seen that scenario play out in the political arena of the Collective may times, and thought it contemptible but seemingly a force of nature. Erika had tried to stop her young military attaché from falling "in love" with Erika's own son the senator for that very reason. The age difference wasn't nearly as great as between Atticus and Lady, but it was enough, and her son, the esteemed Senator Kaele had dumped the young Castithan woman within a week after she had willingly given herself to him. An intelligent and promising officer, Lena Marr had never been quite the same since.
Evidently this wasn't the same thing at all! Atticus must really love Lady as much as it was obvious she loved him, and now he was in a killing rage over her perhaps fatal injury. Erika genuinely liked Lady, seeing a great deal of potential there and an independence of spirit lacking in most of the Castithan women Erika met in the Collective. Erika wondered if there was anything she could do to help Lady, consulting her EGO's psyche, Sandy, since that psyche had once inhabited Lady's EGO before residing in Erika's.
"Well," Said Sandy slowly as if in thought, "I COULD go over there and find out why Minx isn't answering or operating at peak efficiency. I'm worried about Lady, as repairs should have begun immediately, and I don't see them being done at all. The problem is, if I go over there, it takes a lot of energy, and it will leave you defenseless and bereft of my services.'
Erika chuckled at that, commenting "I'm hardly defenseless as I fought and survived many, many, years before I even knew such a device as an EGO existed. Anyway, I'm merely guarding the hole into the Ark fall, protecting this exit for Atticus if and when he chooses to take it, or at least until Taffer gives me orders to the contrary. I sense you have, as humans say, another shoe to drop!"
Sandy hesitated only a moment before answering, then replied, "Director, mam, I... may not be able to find my way back if I do this! As I said, it takes a lot of energy, both from the EGO device and from me personally. I don't know how much it will dissipate my essence so... I just don't have the information to even try to calculate my chances of either getting to Lady's EGO or returning here afterwards. I just don't fucking know... excuse my French sir."
Erika thought about what Sandy told her. Erika never thought she could ever care about an EGO's AI, seeing an EGO as just another weapon for her to use, but Sandy had proven herself in the short amount of time they had been together to be something, much, much greater than a mere AI or weapon, so she said, "You do what you feel is necessary to save Lady, but I will not order you to do so, as it is your existence on the line Capt... Sandy. Do not worry about me, as I take full responsibility for my own well-being! And please call me Erika from now on, especially on your return."
With the speed of thought, Sandy was gone. Erika felt Sandy's essence leave, and was surprised at her own reaction at Sandy's absence. Erika was already staring to feel lonely with her gone, but had a duty, so she maintained vigilance on the hole leading into the ark fall, until she was ordered not to.
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Post by Lady Christianna on Mar 8, 2015 2:11:52 GMT
As Belle Starr agreed with Vo Kshaa and they started back on foot to the space ship, Sandy flashed into the darkness of Lady Christianna's EGO, only hesitating briefly before she left to send Volodja a brief message saying, "I love you! Just remember, I-LOVE-YOU, no matter what happens!" As she arrived in Lady's EGO, Sandy sensed nothing but blackness until Of Monsters and Men's music video entitled "Little Talks" started playing.
Once it ended, blackness again took the video's place in Lady's ego. Sandy appeared as her holgram self, white with blue overtones in her crisp EMC officer's uniform, which gave off some light but not much. Although feeling definitely weak, Sandy manifested a flashlight shining it around in the darkness. She was sure that the music video meant something, especially when the young chalk white girl smiled when reunited with the hulking monster at the end, and that ending somehow gave Sandy hope for Lady. Suddenly, Sandy's torch lit up a corner of Lady's EGO, finding a cringing Minx huddled there. Minx was an AI construct that looked like an anime version of Lady herself, and she appeared very dim as she sobbed uncontrollably.
Sandy knelt by Minx, putting a holographic hand on her shoulder and asking, "Minx, what's wrong?"
Minx looked up from her sobbing, then answered in a voice brimming with exaggerated emotion as anime characters often did, "Lady won't let me help her! She ORDERED me not to help her! She ordered me to go, and I can't stop her!"
"Why?" Asked Sandy, shaking Minx's shoulder vigorously to get her attention, as it was clearly that Minx was fading out, like the Cheshire Cat in Disney's movie Alice in Wonderland. "Why won't she let you help her get well?"
"All she says to me when I keep going to her and asking is, 'Betrayed him!', then she kicks me out again! I can't do anyth - ," then Minx blinked out like a light bulb that suddenly burned out its filament.
Sandy took a chance using almost all of the rest of her life energy to send a message to the team's EGOs, saying, "Guys, Lady's lost the will to live, and I think the big guy is the only chance she has to get it back! I don't know what happened, but she thinks she betrayed him in some way, and if he doesn't get here and talk her down real damn soon, I don't think she is going to make it!"
Sandy didn't add her belief that she wouldn't survive either if Lady didn't start recovering soon, for Sandy too didn't have much life energy left, certainly not enough to return to Erika's EGO. Sandy then had a thought! A wonderful crazy thought that just might work! So she contacted Dinara, Atticus' EGO, asking, "Can we get these two in one virtual room if we link together?"
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Post by Volodja Uljanov on Mar 8, 2015 6:07:15 GMT
Sandy's voice sounded very weak and it terrified Volodja. If she was with Lady now, it meant only one thing. She transferred herself over a long distance and spent lot of her energy and she was DYING! Lady was dying. Giant was losing it's mind because of that and Erika was without EGO now. So he decided to do the right thing. Not from point of view of the mission but from human perspective and he shouted: "I am pulling our mechs back. Survival of our people is more important than anything else. Call it a strategic retreat or escape or whatever you want. If Chief don't call us back then I will give that order! And I just did, so lets go! You can blame me later! Erika - you don't have an EGO so you are first to leave! NOW, DAMN IT!"
Then he got out from his mech, rushed to raging Atticus, found him inside Ark where he was tearing everybody apart, grabbed his shoulder (although he knew how it might affect his anatomy) and shouted: "Get a hold on yourself you Fool! You raging won't make things any better. Lady needs your strength, not your weakness! So we are MOVING BACK now. You and me together and we keep covering Erika! Kill me later if you want, but now you will do what I say to you. Understood? Whatever we can do to save them, means that we must be by their side so start to move your giant butt! You will be first and I will cover our leave."
Saying that he started to suppress remaining Volge while Atticus begun to make his way out.
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Post by Erika Widowmaker on Mar 8, 2015 6:23:38 GMT
Now Erika Widowmaker was torn as to what to do! Did this Volodja Uljanov just get a battlefield promotion? What about Atticus still in the ark fall? There were Volge stragglers fleeing the ark fall through the hole Atticus had created, and she was picking them off with her space age Gatling gun as they came out, but she knew she would run out of ammo soon. Her mind said strategic retreat. Her heart said go in and help her team mates. As always, she went with her mind, and said to the others in a calm tone, "Strategic retreat seems like a sound idea, all things considered. Gentlemen, I will wait five minutes to cover your withdrawal, then I'm headed back to the launch site. Widowmaker, out!"
Meanwhile, the space ship had re-landing once the Volge artillery was eliminated, making the pickup zone safe again. Belle Starr waited anxiously outside the airlock to the cargo bay, scanning the horizon with worried blue eyes for her teammates.
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Post by Volodja Uljanov on Mar 8, 2015 6:32:20 GMT
"We are on our way, Erika! When we are in open, we form a triangle. You will be in front and we are few steps backwards on both of your side so we can see everybody and everything in the field. If anyone will have to take fire, then it's me. I have my ego and mech in working condition. I will hold Volge back if needed."
Volodja's mind was calm and concentrated although his heart was burning from worry and fear. Not for himself but for Sandy. She was willing to sacrifice herself again so other's can live. But she deserved her life too. And she had more right to one than a lot of living beings in Universe.
"Don't you die on me, Sandy," he begged in his message to her. "We are getting closer with every step and Sophie is ready to give you energy you need. Just don't die! Or I will have to die too and come to look for you, but I doubt that I will be granted a ticket to Heaven so I never find you."
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Post by Atticus Batman on Mar 8, 2015 6:38:00 GMT
As I feel something on my shoulder, I spin around and as my blade comes to Volodja's throat, I realize what he sad. As I stand there with my blade to his throat I say one questioning word in a rage filled almost inaudible growl. "LADY?!"
Volodja responds with, "Yes Giant! She needs you! Snap out if it!" Then doing the only thing he can thing of, Volodja Slaps me across the back of my head and says, "Listen to your Fool for once!!!"
I lower the blade, as my glow turns to a dull green. Then I look at my surroundings. "I KNOW I said leave and not to come for me! However I promised I will be back for Lady, and I will! Get in your mech and I will follow! And you are the fool! NOT ME! "
As Volodja goes to his mech, I run back to where I ditched mine, beheading the Volge trooper looking at it. Next I hop back in it. Then I grab my guns, as well as my makeshift sword. Slinging the gatling over my mech's shoulder, I follow Widowmaker and Volodja back towards the rendezvous point with the ship, as I give the final order. "Full retreat! Everyone back to the ship rendezvous NOW!"
As I leave the ark, Dinara responds to Sandy. "Yes I think using that open link Lady's and Atty's EGOs, I guess that's still us, share we can but we got to get him away from the Ark! The Teacher has Atty somewhat calmed, so Kakusi and Kabule may be able to push Kakusi into control of his body again. However that will make him defenseless for a minute. So we got to tell Sophie to make sure Lady's teacher can get Atty to a safe spot first!"
Dinara then contacts Sophie. "Um hi Sophie! Atty is following Mr. Uljanov now. Sandy and I have a plan but you need to have your teacher get Atty out of fire first!"
Dinara plays a song over the link her and Sandy share, so both Atticus and Lady can hear it.
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Post by Volodja Uljanov on Mar 8, 2015 6:53:15 GMT
"Heard that, Dinara dear," Volodja replied and continued so Atticus could hear him: "First we save our girls and when they are safe, we can return and finish that what you started. It is getting PERSONAL now. Even for ME! And now we will head to our rendezvous point. Sensors show that girls are there."
Their triangle kept running. Erika was few steps ahead and rest of team followed her. After short run...and shooting some occasional Volge they made it to their rendezvous point, where Volodja ordered Erika to move her mech into their ship right away because they had too many causalities already. No need to risk with a loss of another life. After she was in Atticus and Volodja entered and started to look for Lady and Sandy.
Before they went any further inside, Volodja kissed his mech and said: "Well done baby. I knew you would not let me down. If I was not an engaged man, I would merry you! But this baby is hurt so Chris has to take care for her later. Can't believe that my emergency patch up lasted, but she needs hands of a Master." Then he followed Atticus.
"Giant. You too establish that link now. Sophie will provide you with extra energy to keep them alive. If Sandy dies, then...somebody will pay for it. And I sense the presence of our Castithan friend, so HE has to donate some energy too, even if I have to drag it out from his butt hole." He patted his BMG he was carrying along since start of their mission, but was never used. "Hoped that could become useful. So...Sophie dear - get my shield energy as well if you run out from your own. I can keep it levelled with a help of this technological wonder."
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Post by Atticus Batman on Mar 8, 2015 7:48:41 GMT
Once in the cargo hold, I stow the mech's guns and new sword, so I can make it better later or make a better one when we are back on Earth. I then park the mech in a corner. I hop out and run to my and Lady's quarters because that is where Dinara is registering her location. I get there and see Daiden Simaro standing in the hall near my door, as I walk inside. Doctor Orion is inside Lady's and my quarters with her. After he says what is on his mind and tells me who save Lady, I dismiss him and ask him to wait in the hall. After he walks into the hall, I send Simaro an EGO message. "Simaro, I still think you are an Arrogant Prick, but I will try to trust you from now on. One more thing. I rarely say this, and you will be the first Castithan man that I will say it to, so it is hard but here goes. I owe you my grattitude for saving Lady Christianna. So from one Warrior to another: Thank you for everything that you have done for the team, and more importantly for her." I then end my side of the transmission.
After a few seconds, I sit by Lady and hold her hand, as I once again surrender temporary control over to Kakusi, trusting that he will be as civil as the last two times. Knowing Uljanov will be right behind me, I leave my helmet on, but turn off the open channel on it's comm.
A few seconds later, I appear in the Bora Bora Cabana, Lady and I shared in the holo-training room. After I get my bearings, Dinara and Sandy start playing yet another Rick Astley song in the background.
I sit down as I hear somebody in the bathroom. I hope it is Lady and that she can hear me as I talk.
"Snow Angel, an Earth writer named Edgar Rice Burroughs once wrote, “A warrior may change his metal, but not his heart.” Thanks to you, I have learned that he was right. I was not a warrior I was a killer. Now I am a warrior. I believe what that quote meant is that: No matter who I fight for or what weapons I may choose. I can not EVER change what is in my heart or what it wants or needs. All it wants and needs is YOU! So no matter what you did, or who you may end up with, my heart will ALWAYS be yours. I will always be with you in any way that you want. If you need me you just need to call. I will always be there for you! I give you both a Warrior's promise and a Lover's promise.
I do NOT care what you think you did to betray me! You could never do so! Betrayal is NOT in you! You are MY Beauty! I am the Beast here! So whatever you think you did, it can never compare with anything that I have done or imagined! Look MY Love. I will move Heaven and Earth to be with you, in whatever way you want me. No matter what you choose, I will always be here for you and only you. If you need me, all you must do is call me and I will ALWAYS drop EVERYTHING for you and you ALONE!"
Dinara then plays a song that has been going through my head off and on for the last few weeks. Yet another Rick Astley song. It fills the whole Cabana, yet is also quiet enough for us to talk quietly over it, and still clearly hear it.
While sitting there waiting for Lady to finally come to me and say something, I can feel Kakusi channeling our pent up energies into Dinara and Sandy, and I know that our outer glow has once again disapeared. And the glow of my eyes has finally returned to a calm faint gray/blue.
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Post by Volodja Uljanov on Mar 8, 2015 8:01:21 GMT
Volodja pushed BMG-s trigger and light blue cloud surrounded him immediately. All his energy had to go to Sophie and Sandy. That was his first concern. Rest of his worries will become later - he commandeered Chief's position and gave a retreat order, he shouted commands to Erika The Great and Castithan nobleman Daiden, clearly breaking some rules of subordination they were following, and he woke up the sleeping Giant. He assumed that he had to pay for doing all that and cleaning Tim's litter box for the rest of his life was easiest punishment to come into his mind. And once again he reminded himself that after his adrenaline rush fades, penalty of pushing himself too far is about to follow. But they all seemed to be minor problems compared with Sandy's and Lady's one so he kept feeding their EGO-s and asked Daiden to do the same in case it was needed.
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Post by Daiden Simaro on Mar 8, 2015 8:53:39 GMT
This was unexpected and Daiden was not sure how to react so he just nodded silently. Then he turned to Volodja who desperately tried to be the Knight of the Rueful Countenance.
"Well, philosopher, we arrogant pricks have no such habit to sacrifice themselves for others. So I have a better solution. We are on the ship and, you know, this ship can generate more energy than all our EGOs. So I think instead of slow self-sacrificing we just need to use ship's generators to restore her EGO energy level quick and easy, I am sure Haele knows how to do this. And if her EGO doesn't work we can use our med lab to maintain her life while her EGO are restoring. Don't know why keep her in the room when we have the whole lab with so many different fancy devices."
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Post by Volodja Uljanov on Mar 8, 2015 8:57:34 GMT
"You are right about that. Brilliant idea for an arrogant prick! Glad to see you using some sense instead of stupid pride. Lead the way while I keep energy flow going. And let Haele work some miracles. You too are very close, so contact her and explain our medical condition. Giant will carry Lady there, but if you drop Sandy then you will see the raging maniac, I will become to."
Volodja was still in decisive state. Probably he will break later but he did not had the habit of breaking in middle of something important. And he was not to gain this particular one because he had enough problems already.
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Post by Atticus Batman on Mar 8, 2015 9:14:12 GMT
Kakusi, in control of my body, glares arrogantly and somewhat spitefully at Volodja and says in his slow very deep rumbling growl, "I am NOT Giant. Fleshling is with his Youngling! I AM GRID! The compu-lady called Sandy will NOT get dropped while she is in the Youngling. Why must you Earth meatbags be so fucking stupid?!" However, he picks up Lady and follows the pitiful human.
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Post by Volodja Uljanov on Mar 8, 2015 9:19:33 GMT
"You can call me what ever you want, Grid. As long as you fulfil your promise. By the way - do you have a name or should I call you just Mr. Grid? If you are trying to punch me right now you WILL drop her and break your promise," answered Volodja. "So what's it going to be?" He really did not gave a damn about being insulted as long as Grid was following him and helps with saving those girls, he cared about deeply.
Changing compliments like that, they arrived to lab's door and entered. "Are we ready?" asked Volodja. "Do we have a solution? And better answer "Yes" to both my questions. Please (that last word was said with a pleading voice)..."
Then he informed Taffer. He should have done this earlier but first things were...first: "Chief. I pulled our troops back so I will take responsibility for failing our mission. Although guns were destroyed we did not proceed inside of Arkfall very far. We are in the lab at moment and trying to bring Lady back. She keeps rejecting her EGO, so we work on that problem. Giant is inside of her mind. My Sophie provides them with energy at moment. Daiden is also with us and Erika should be...somewhere because she was first to enter the ship after it was landed. Erika's mech is fine, Giant's too I assume. Mine got hit on a back so it needs to be fixed. Better not let me near to mechs again unless you want to see another power trip."
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Post by Daiden Simaro on Mar 8, 2015 9:31:46 GMT
Haele turned to them. Daiden explained their intrusion. "Haele, we need your help. We have some case of nonfunctional EGO here. Can you do something with it?" "Interesting... I've never heard about such thing before. Put her on this cot please. And call dr. Orion, I could use his help too. Yes, this is interesting case indeed. Now please you can stay but be quiet and don't touch the equipment." And Haele started to work moving fast and perfectly precise.
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