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Post by Moe on Aug 31, 2017 14:55:44 GMT -6
In the world, there exists two cities. It doesn't sound like much, until you take into consideration the cities are the size of entire continents. The two cities are on opposite sides of the world, and are very, very opposite in nearly every aspect. Glimmer is a city of hope, one where all citizens, no matter the species, live together in peace. It's a city of magic and mysticism, blooming with life.
The other city, Olympus, is where this story takes place. A thousand years ago, the world fell into disaster. Much of it was destroyed, and while Glimmer blossomed and rebuilt, Olympus was ground zero. From the ruins, sprang forth an artificial intelligence. He rebuilt the city in his own image, creating robot citizens and banishing humans into the underground. Over time, the citizens of Olympus grew to believe humans were extinct; they had caused the cataclysmic event that destroyed the world they knew, and destroyed themselves in the process. Apollo made sure nobody knew the truth about humans, and had many secret officers to ensure all organic life remained underground.
"I know the story, already. You've told it, before."
"Shh, this time I'm telling it different! Anyway, big scary robot dude made things go boom and hired me to make sure the human race stays underground. What he doesn't know is that I'm also squishy and I'm playing him. Ugh, you totally ruined the setup!"
"Heh. Sorry." the woman's voice teased. "This may be my first supply run, but I do know a little about Olympus."
"I know." Mark sighed. "Just...not everything. There's a few things I've kept to myself, to protect you and Tiffany. As far as Apollo knows, I'm just a rogue from Glimmer who no longer wanted to live alongside humans. As far as my family knows, I'm just running supplies to the underground refugees in Olympus."
"Secrecy is understood." the woman said. "But one thing I don't get," she added. "We've been running these supply caravans, for decades. Why can't we just take the refugees back to Glimmer, with us?"
"Because the area Jasmine's base is in? Barely even a fraction of what's down there. The underground spans across the entire city, possibly even across the Expanse. We can't move that many people, without the city taking notice. Besides, even if we could manage that, which we couldn't, where would they all go? We'd have shelters spilling over and people left homeless. And even if that wasn't an issue," he added. "Once Apollo learns about Glimmer, he's going to extend his reach. He destroyed the planet once, and he'll do it again, if he learns there's another city out there. This isn't just about revolution, it's about saving the entire planet. Or, what's left of it."
"And how are we going to do that?" Ikuki leaned over Mark's shoulders.
"I...don't know. Yet. I'll figure things out, as we go." Mark shrugged. "First priority is getting this caravan to Jasmine's, getting supplies to people, and me reporting in to Apollo. Once I get orders from Apollo and proceed to not do them, I'll meet back up with you guys and we can work something out, from there."
Ikuki nodded, acknowledging that her husband, like always, had no idea what he was doing.
The caravan rolled across the desert floor of the Expanse, a massive desert on the outskirts of Olympus. The only life out here was hostile wildlife and sand pirates, so the vehicles were heavily armored. The entrance to the underground was just outside the city, and out of Apollo's sight.
As they rolled inside the tunnels, the harsh desert sunlight vanished as they were met with a cold, sickly dark. The underground was what remained of the world before the cataclysm,a city underneath a city. There were ancient ruins of skyscrapers and vehicles scattered about. The citizens ranged from wearing rags to scrap armor they had salvaged from the surface. Not all of them were human, either. Apollo had a secret genetic experimentation lab that he sent captured humans to. They were mutated beyond recognition, and not all had the fortune of escaping.
"It's so...dreary." Ikuki spoke, breaking the eerie silence.
"Yeah. And this isn't even the half of it." Mark responded.
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Post by Madaraki on Sept 7, 2017 22:29:36 GMT -6
There had been ten of them when this little venture had started out.
And now there was just one.
She pressed herself flat against a wall, hardly daring to breathe as several metallic forms floated by. Their sinister red optics swiveled and adjusted diameter as they moved, each one scanning a different range of the light spectrum for a sign of their quarry.
Eventually, they passed on and she was able to move once more. Letting out a hissing breath that clicked as it dragged on, she flipped to the opposite wall in the small alleyway and slid into a narrow crevice, dropping into darkness. Her eyes -able to see much better in the darkness than those of humans- adjusted to the relative change in light as she half climbed, half fell down a narrow, winding hole.
She thought briefly of a piece of ancient Earth mythology she'd once heard about; the Great Sant Nicol Claws, a fat human who wore red and could slide down the exhaust pipes of houses.
She dropped into a chamber and stood, stretching before she looked around. It was a spherical cave, seemingly with only one entrance; the narrow hole she'd fallen in through. That was odd; according to briefing, she was supposed to be at the junction point for one of the rumored subterranean access points.
Unless the entire notion of a surviving human colony under the city was indeed just a rumor.
She'd pulled out a datapad and was so busy poring over readings and charts that she almost didn't see the hulking form approaching.
"HHHHK NYIK CHTHOCO-mmph!" she shrieked as one hand clamped over her mouth. She immediately tried to bite it, but her mandibles only scored faint lines in the metal. Caught by the robots, that-
"What are you?" the voice said as the hand released her and the towering metal figure backed away. "You're not a robot..."
"Well most of me's not," she said, gesturing to a right arm that appeared to be gilded shards of metal floating in an arm-shaped aura of pinkish light. The faint glow lit her golden eyes and as she focused, intensified to illuminate the rest of the chamber. She was humanoid, though that was where her similarities to humanity ended. She appeared to have purple flesh that showed through the narrow gaps of a gleaming white exoskeleton. The plating around her mouth was fragmented enough to allow some facial expressions, though even something as pleasant as a smile looked faintly menacing. her golden eyes were far larger than a human's, and their lids closed from side to side.
The being who had approached was no less strange; an eight foot tall giant of a man that appeared to be made entirely of dull blue-gray metal. As she watched however, the plating began to retract and seemingly fold out of existence, leaving behind a merely seven foot tall man with pale, nearly gray skin clad in what was surely a redundant suit of close-fitting woven body armor.
"You're not human," they said at the same time.
"I'm more human than you," he said first. "You...are not even of this world,"
"Nope!" she said brightly. "Karinagurikara Tolvurkathrachapon, junior pilot and fifth year physiology student at the Aberantine Extraplanetary Academy! Our ship was shot out of the sky here, and luckily a few of us managed to fly before the rest of the robots got us!"
The towering man stared blankly at her. "Wat?"
"I like it," she said, brightening. "Wat. Anyway, what's your name?"
"Not as freely given as your's," he answered sharply, apparently trying to regain some of the footing in the odd conversation. "For the time being however, you may call me Steppenwolf."
"That's like one of those ancient Earth bands we learned about in Early Human History," Wat said, still maintaining that odd cheerfulness.
"You're saying 'we'," he said. "What happened to the others who were with you?"
Karinagurikara reached back into one of her pouches, pulled some things out, and threw one of them over. As he caught it, she stuck the other one in her mouth and chewed absentmindedly.
Klaus stared down at it. It was purple, somewhat soft, and...flexible?
"Is this a finger?" he asked blankly, staring at the alien with renewed suspicion and just a hint of revulsion.
"That's the captain's left little finger," she said, sounding pleased with her ability to identify it so easily. "I've got his index finger right now."
"I'm going to wish the robots had finished the job," he grumbled, kneeling down and gripping a small rock. Grunting slightly, he lifted the heavy looking door, revealing that the rock was itself a cleverly disguised knob. "Well, let's get going," he said. "I'm assuming you came here to see if there were any humans left..."
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Post by Banshee on Sept 11, 2017 18:36:12 GMT -6
No sooner than the sounds of shots being fired, bursts of dirt and debris flew into the air in a vicious manner. A large rocky pillar was struck with a loud crack; falling aimlessly towards the ground and heavily crashing onto the sandy world surrounding it. Its weight created a burst of thick clouded dust, covering the scenery within. However thick as it was, shots continued to be fired and could be seen traveling in a rigid path.
"ALERT. YOU HAVE ENTERED RESTRICTED TERRITORY. YOUR ELIMINATION IS IN PROCESS." Shouted the pack of reinforcement robots as they continued to fire at their nemesis.
"I'M GONNA WRECK YOU!" Shouted a more-sentient being as he chased after Tex. The word, Jet was printed on his chest plate. "And it will be without mercy!"
Tex dove over a fallen pillar and skidded down a slippery sandy slope. In her hands, she held a bag filled to its brim with materials that she swiped. Tonka was right beside her, doing his best on keeping up with the thin framed robot. When she leaped over a large cement wall, he had to use his rocket boosters to clear it.
"You know, for Jasmine's son. You're not very clever on infiltrating enemy bases." Tex said to him. "Much too noisy."
Tonka tripped and rolled down another sandy slope, colliding into a broken down vehicle from some time ago. When he struggled to get up, Tex reached down and forced him to stand. Then proceeded with dragging him after her. "It's not my fault that they had so many cool devices to swipe." He snickered at her. "Some of which may be useful for you! Hopefully we can get your portal ability working soon. So then our jobs would become much easier."
"FREEZE SCUMBAG!" Jet appeared before Tex and Tonka, stopping them in their tracks.
"It'd be nice if your Mother was here." Tex said to Tonka as she stood before him, shielding him from any possible shots Jet could fire.
"Aww look at this! How cute! A robot protecting a disgusting fleshbag. I'll kill you both." He aimed his sniper right at Tex's head. However, his attempt to intimidate Tex failed as she remained standing, glaring right back at him.
Then there was a loud zap and the backside of Jet had sizzled. He collapsed onto the ground with a thud and behind him, stood a small sandy haired woman with thick goggles on.
"You two took too long." Jasmine scolded them. "We need to hurry back home. We have company soon."
It felt like an hour for the trio as they headed home. They had to take alternate paths, undercover routes, and any possible roads to lose any stalking robots. Once they arrived home, Tex swiped the bag from Tonka and dropped the luggage on a work bench.
"So as a Scavenger..." Jasmine said as she parked herself on top of another table and stuck a piece of bread in her mouth. No respect the woman had, as she spoke with her mouth full. "You did poorly, as you alerted the Reinforcement team of your whereabouts. It's a good damn thing that I have tracking placed on your gear and on Tex. Or else, you both would've been scrapheap on the Overworld's ground."
"I know Mom. I'll try to be more careful next time." Tonka sighed as he tended a wound on his shoulder. He winced when the cleaning solution stung. "We got what we went for. And repairs for Tex--well she's self sufficient so I don't see how we completely failed."
"Oh you two passed on getting the item. But you guys suck at being sneaky. Well, practice makes perfect. Just stop playing with killer robots." Jasmine shrugged as she patted her son's shoulder and Tex's. "Great work nonetheless. Now clean yourselves up before out visitors come. No need to be bleeding over them." She then took her sleeve and dabbed away some leaking liquid from a wound on Tex's side.
Tex shied away and entered another room to go fix herself up. All the while, Tonka wandered over to a medical kit on a counter top. "So who's the visitor?"
"Let's just say a poor sap who found his way to become a friend." Jasmine snickered.
"Is he more of one than Dad is?"
"Oh no, RJ's the biggest poor sap on the planet. Mark is just a poor sap." Jasmine laughed. "He's bringing some of his own pals too. So we'll see what's really going down."
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Post by Moe on Sept 11, 2017 22:49:20 GMT -6
The caravan was nearing its destination. A large stop filled with people to help distribute supplies, so graciously donated from Glimmer. Most of it was food and medical supplies, as anything too big or requiring electricity could alert the folk upstairs. Many people were just glad that humans from another city were helping, but others were angry that they weren't helping enough. Occasionally, there was a small riot or protest going on, but never anything so severe that Hyper X had to intervene. At least, until today.
Something was...off, with the usual protesters. They were violent, screaming and clawing their way through the crowd. Their eyes didn't seem focused on anything, and none of them spoke, just made growling and snarling noises. It looked and sounded like something straight out of a zombie movie.
"What the hell?" Mark said. He was fully suited and ready to head out to meet Apollo, but the riot was certainly curious.
"They aren't usually this violent." A red-headed officer spoke. At least, what counted for officers, down here. A barricade had been put into place, but she and her team weren't quite sure how long it was going to last. "I mean, this shithole has seen its share of violence, but this is different."
"Rachel. Classy as always." X said, less than excited to see her.
"Nice to fuckin' see you, too. By the way, you should probably tell your latest squeeze not to get too close to the uh...protesters." she gestured to Ikuki, who was calmly walking toward the violent crowd.
"She's not- Ikuki, what are you doing??" he started to argue, but noticed that Ikuki had, in fact, made a break for the rioters.
"Something is not right." she said, talking to herself. "I feel no emotions. No anger, no sadness. Nothing. To be a riot, one must feel." she held her hand out, to one person who was snapping their teeth and snarling at her. So far, the barricade was still holding. "These people, they are not doing this of their own free will. Something else is causing it."
"A virus?" X said, pulling her away from the "zombies".
"No. If it were a virus, I would feel their pain. I feel nothing. Absolutely nothing."
"You're gonna feel something, if that barricade gives way with you being too close." Rachel emphasized.
"As much as I dislike agreeing with exes, she's right. We don't know what's causing this or how long that fence is going to hold them, and I would rather you not be here when it goes down." he said, walking her further away from them.
"Supplies are being distributed, and we're headed to Jasmine's place. If anybody here knows what this could be, it's her. After that, I'll report to the big guy and find out what his plans are."
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Post by Madaraki on Sept 25, 2017 20:44:37 GMT -6
"So what did happen here?" Wat asked as they descended through the sloping tunnels.
"It's a long story," Steppenwolf answered as he lumbered ahead.
"That's what you said when I asked how you got all metallic," she said. "Is everything down here a long story?"
"Usually."
"Everything but your answers," she grumbled. As used to cramped spaces and catacombs as she was, Karinagurikara found herself itching for a good open space where she could spread her wings again. She'd already spent the entire portal-jump to Earth with her wings retracted, and staying low to avoid the sentry drones and other robots hadn't helped.
She looked at the walls instead, noticing that they seemed too regular to have been excavated by any natural force and seemed to have been dug by machinery. She wondered just how long it had taken to set up this supposed underground civilization, and whether humanity had come to accept its new living conditions or if there would perchance be an uprising of some sort while she was here.
As dangerous as the latter seemed, she was fairly certain participating in a revolt to liberate an entire race would earn her some sort of impressive award back home. Maybe a full global ceremony and a living Runduluk of her own to hunt down and devour.
They emerged into a large room. Not that big, really, but after what felt like hours in the tunnels, Wat was just as happy to unfurl her wings, bunching her vest up to her shoulders and taking to the air. Sure, twelve feet wasn't exactly 'soaring over the distant ground below', but it felt glorious nonetheless.
Steppenwolf glanced up at her, any irritation hidden behind the rigid plating of his armored face.
"Look just because you've never flown in your..." she stopped as a pinkish glow surrounded the metal giant and he lifted gently up to her level, remaining in a standing posture. "Show-off," she grumbled.
"Restraint," he said simply as the glow vanished and he dropped to the ground with a dull clank. Moving forward, he pushed a concealed rock whose location he obviously knew. A hidden door slid open, revealing a well-lit metallic cylinder beyond.
"Oh god it's even more cramped than the tunnels," she said, buzzing to the ground and retracting her wings to step inside.
Steppenwolf stepped in behind her, the door hissing shut behind him as the elevator began to descend. As it moved, she noticed that the interior of the tube itself was glass and the surrounding shaft outside was metal.
They dropped into a dim light and she drew in a clicking hiss of surprise.
The elevator was half embedded in a rock wall at the far end of an immense cavern whose other end she couldn't see. It was lit from above by a circular disc embedded in the ground that provided a faint swirling light. It wasn't nearly the same as sunlight, but it at least kept people from bumbling around in near total darkness.
It also served to highlight the cobbled disrepair of the city; much of it looked as though it had once been devastated and ruined, and the people who had taken up residence there had only effected the most essential and rudimentary repairs. Topped skyscrapers formed makeshift bridges, catwalks were strung between various buildings, and other structures on their sides seemed to have been repurposed in their current position.
She didn't know whether she should be impressed with the ingenuity or horrified at the situation.
"So just to be clear, you guys are totally planning an uprising to overthrow the robots, right? I mean, a 21st century Earth band did several albums about that sort of thing."
"This is an ill-suited place for such discussions," her companion said.
"It'd be cool if you did though," she continued. "You could be all 'Cut, guts, fire, wood. Air, quick, bubble...."
"Do you ever shut up?" he asked.
Several minutes later the elevator reached its destination and the door hissed open. Steppenwolf rumbled out, eyes fixed firmly ahead and ignoring the bug-girl behind him who leaped out, continuing to sing the song she'd started in the elevator. "Mega maaaaaaaaaaaaaan~~~~"
Her shrill singing immediately caught the attention of several crazed looking people at the far end of the street.
At least a dozen angry humans with vacant stares turned in her general direction.
Steppenwolf cracked the knuckles of one hand with a series of ringing clanks. His eyes were glowing with a familiar pink aura as he stared them down. "They don't seem to be fully in control of their actions," he grumbled, glancing between the affected humans, the barricade they'd been trying to breach, and several familiar figures beyond.
"Does that mean we shouldn't kill them?" Wat asked, sounding almost disappointed. Steppenwolf noticed that she had drawn a short metal shaft from a clasp on her belt and pressed a button, activating a brilliant green energy blade.
"Put that away and fly over to the people on the other end of the barricade," he said.
"You gonna hog all the fun?" she grumbled, not yet shutting the weapon off.
There was a rush of air as Steppenwolf took off at a run, pink aura glowing again as he approached them. For a moment, it looked as though he planned to bowl them over before one foot stamped into the ground, cracking the pavement in several areas as he leaped.
He came down on the other side of the barricade with a crash, splintering another section of the road. Seconds later, Wat buzzed down next to him, the saber finally stored back on her belt. She immediately ignored her escort and jogged after the people who had begun moving away from the barricade.
She popped up between Mark and Ikuki, glancing between them with a huge grin. "NEW PEOPLE! HI!"
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Post by Banshee on Oct 8, 2017 6:55:41 GMT -6
Tonka froze for a moment as he thought over their conversation. A depressing sigh followed by a sorrowful frown appeared, devouring all sign of happiness from his face. He slowly turned to his Mother as she began tinkering with her newest project. A weapon for her arm, perhaps? Tonka was unsure as to what it really was, as she wouldn’t tell him. Then again, he also wondered if she even knew what she was trying to make.
“Mom?” He asked as he walked over with his newly bandaged shoulder. She didn’t turn to him when he addressed her, but he knew she was listening. So he continued to talk. “Do you miss Dad at all?”
She paused and turned to him. Her face frozen with utter disgust that he even asked. “Of course I do. Why would you even ask me a question like that?”
He leaned against a desk and slouched. “Ever since…that outbreak in town… We haven’t even seen him. Do you think…he…”
That’s when Jasmine slapped her wrench onto the table, jittering everything around. “RJ is capable of handling himself. I didn’t marry him because he was a damsel in distress. I married him because I know that he is not only, a damsel, but he is perfectly capable of handling himself. I have no doubt in my mind that he is somewhere safe.”
Tonka snapped at her. “How do you know that, Mom? He hasn’t contacted us! Not you. Not Tex. Not me. Not even Arrow who just spits up bubbles whenever she has milk in her hands.” He paused for a moment, then quickly apologized for raising his voice. “Sorry for yelling Mom. But…I just… Why? Why wouldn’t he contact us? Out there?” He walked over to a barred window and pointed outside it. “People are going insane. They’re losing their minds! Something is turning humans into mindless minions who stare at walls, expecting some Godforsaken miracle to happen—or something! What if he became one of them!?”
Jasmine calmly stood up and walked over to her son. Normally, her hotheaded temper would’ve gotten the best of her and a shouting match would’ve ensued. Instead, she placed her hands on his shoulder and pulled him into a hug. In which, he returned a hug to her. “Tonka…” She pulled back and looked him in the eyes as she moved his bangs away from his. “Your Father is fine. He’s born in a family full of assassins, some not so great—but nonetheless, he knows how to fend for himself.”
She looked over at her contraption that she was messing with earlier. “This? I am working on a major project. One of which, this piece is very valuable. I need to test it of course, but time will come for that.”
“What is it? It looks like some sort of reactor.”
“It’s a secret.” She winked. “Can’t tell anyone because then it’ll foil it all. But I’m waiting for the right moment to show it. Just—not now. As company is coming.”
“Are…you going to go on a mission again?” He frowned.
“Yes. And this time? I’ll make sure that I come back with all limbs.” She pounded her metallic forearms with certainty. “Plus, you and Arrow won’t be alone. Auntie Nina is coming—“
“She terrifies me.” He winced and backed away. “Couldn’t it be Danny? Or Stephanie? Or even..a dead roach? Hell, even Tex would be nice! Or Violet!”
“Nina is an assassin of great skill. She’ll teach you how to be a bit more badass in battle. So it’ll benefit you. Just listen to what she says, and she won’t try to put you into a sleeper hold.” Jasmine said as she walked back over to her project and picked it up. “Besides, Violet is malfunctioning and not dependable. And I’m stealing Tex for the mission. Gotta test some things out on her before the reveal.”
Tonka had gotten distracted with a rambling Violet in another room, to hear the subtle hint that Jasmine gave. Tex had told her to “rust off” but Violet complained about how dirty Tex was and insisted that she were to get some sort of acid bath. Tonka snorted a laugh before turning to Jasmine, who had already cleaned up her mess. “Okay Mom.. But I am staying here—listening to the topic in mind. Because if anything happens, I am coming to get you.”
“Oh you’re such a knight~” She poked his nose and perched herself into her make-shift chair, kicking back and popping another piece of bread into her mouth. “Now we wait.”
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Post by Moe on Oct 20, 2017 22:55:41 GMT -6
“So, do you think it’s mind control?” Ikuki said, looking back to the barricade.
“No. There’s no possible way to control the minds of that many people. Every thought, every movement, every basic bodily function would have to be manually controlled.” Mark responded.
“This looks more like biological weaponry, like a virus or genetic engineering. We can’t know for sure, unless we get closer… and I don’t want to get closer, without more information.” He continued to rattle off.
He was so deep in his thoughts and theories, he didn’t notice their new friend.
“Um, hello?” Ikuki smiled, nervously. “Are you a local?"
"...No, her biology is entirely different from the locals who've adapted to life, down here." Mark said, in-between his prattling about genetics and zombie-ism. "I wonder if the rabies virus survived the Cataclysm and mutated? Dang, should've gotten a blood sample."
"Uh, that's his way of saying hello." Ikuki said, to the newcomer. "At least he acknowledged you." she joked. "So, do you know what all that ruckus is, over there?" she pointed to the barricade.
"DNI!" Mark shouted, having not noticed the two girls talking, at all.
Ikuki blinked.
"Direct neural interface." Mark elaborated. "It's basically connecting a brain to a computer. An individual couldn't possibly mind control a group of that many people, but a computer could. If they're connected to some kind of remote interface, that computer could alter the minds of hundreds of people, at once."
"Apollo?"
"I didn't think he knew about the colonies, down here. At least not enough to consider them that much of a threat. I'll have to go over it, when we get to Jasmine's."
"We are at Jasmine's." Ikuki said.
"We are? When did that happen?" he blinked, then looked over to Wat. "Who are you?"
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Post by Banshee on Nov 24, 2017 20:07:07 GMT -6
Jasmine was totally not standing in the doorway, wielding her infamous red monkey wrench in her hand. Tossing it lightly, it’s rough metal clinked against her mechanical hand. The mechanisms were in good standing, as each time she caught the heavy wrench, everything joint moved smooth as silk. Jasmine may have been standing in a relaxed state but her snicker; revealed something a bit more mischievous, hiding beneath. Behind her, Tex appeared in her human-like disguise.
When Mark expressed that he was confused as to who Wat was, though to be honest Jasmine had no idea who Wat was either, she wanted to surprise him. So with that thought in mind, she tossed the monkey wrench at him. It soared in the air and zipped past his head. Of course, she did have an idea that she wanted to hit him in the side. But a Monkey wrench smacking into someone’s fleshy side, would’ve hurt badly. And to be frank, Jasmine really didn’t want to paralyze the guy in pain.
Tex watched as the wrench made its way over towards the ground. Just before the two forces met, she held her hands out and flicked her wrists. A small portal landed right where the wrench was going to land and the other, just above Jasmine’s open palmed hand. The wrench went through the portal and exited the second one. But the wrench zipped past Jasmine’s palm and landed on the ground beside her.
“…We need to calibrate something.” Jasmine whispered to Tex as she continued to look at the group before her. Playing on with the idea that no one knew that Tex was in fact, a robot, she pretended that she was human with enhanced abilities. Whether or not anyone knew otherwise, Jasmine didn’t care. “Fancy seeing you folks again. Sorry for my assistant not doing a successful show for you. She’s not having that great of a day.”
Tonka glanced at Tex who had wrinkled her face in disgust. He knew how much of a perfectionist she was when it came to being a show-off. Failing was often a deep burn and this was one of those times. Tex quietly lowered her hands, disengaging her portals, and reached down to grab the monkey wrench from the ground.
Jasmine waved the group to enter her home. As she guided them to their meeting room, which was just a portion of her garage, she continued to talk. “Whether or not he knows there’s actually a colony below ground is beyond me. I am sure that he knows there are more of us somewhere. So the attacks on the Over-World have been becoming more frequent, showing aggression and perhaps some form of defensive action. It’s becoming more difficult for my scavengers to grab some loot without being struck by attacking robots. Which I’ll add, are giving robots a bad name.”
“Not to mention the odd behavior that suddenly is arising in our colony.” Davis chimed in as he appeared into the room. Behind him stood, his sister Joe, his son Jr, and an alien friend who calls herself Azul. When Jasmine glanced over at him, Davis and Azul had dropped off some large bags filled with various mechanical bits. “You wouldn’t believe the odd folks that came to us. Made it more difficult to get here.”
“We found a lovely storage place on the Over-World.” Joe said. “We’re going to go back, just wanted to drop off our stuff so it’s less to carry.”
“So smell you folks later.” Davis winked at the group.
“I am sure we’ll see one another again.” Azul winked at the group before leaving Jasmine and them alone.
Jasmine sat down on her work bench and Tex sat beside her. “Sorry about that. My Scavengers are still out doing their job, despite having to face death and fear every day. I give them all credit for doing a good job. And before you ask…” She pointed to the bags that Davis’ group had dropped off. “All this junk they bring back is all beneficial. They bring me junk, I make better weapons and upgrades. And I also work on some of my own projects which are currently under wraps right now. So don’t ask me what they are. Not even my family knows.”
Tex silently crossed her arms and eyed the group. Mark she had forcefully grown to trust. The others, not so much. Jasmine disregarded her distrust in the group and continued to speak to them. “So enough prattling on about silly nonsense. Let’s talk about what we’re going to do about this outbreak and vicious attacks that seem to be coming closer to our colony.”
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Post by Moe on Nov 25, 2017 2:14:15 GMT -6
Mark quickly ducked to the side, avoiding the oncoming wrench. Even though it wasn't aimed directly at him anyway, it was still a reflex action. "Nice to see you, too." he said, dryly, to Jasmine. "You know, I may be wearing a helmet, but it isn't that sturdy."
"It's true." Ikuki added. "I've had to do plenty of patching, on his face. Doesn't know how to stay out of trouble."
"ANYWAY," Mark tried to change the subject. "I won't be staying, long. I need to report to the boss bot, and figure out what the heck's going on, down here. I mean, I have a pretty good idea of what's going on, just not why...or...how, for that matter."
"My best bet is that it's a direct neural interfacing program. Similar to how I connect cybernetic prosthetics to amputees, so that their brain can organically control the new limb. This is just on an entirely new level, instead controlling entire bodies, and it's very likely they're completely brain-dead. The only problem is, last I talked with Apollo, he didn't know the size of the colonies down here. Sure, he knew there were a few survivors, but not a massive underground city. If he launched an attack on this big a scale, then he's either got eyes down here, or somebody is giving him information."
"And if he suspects you," another female voice came from behind them. "Then he could easily be using you, to get to us." she said, narrowing her eyes.
"And you are?" Mark snapped back.
"Alice. Came here to drop off supplies. Your conversation intrigued me." She stood up straight, with her arms crossed. She was dressed like a scavenger, but her posture said she was in charge. "You say you're spying on Apollo, but what if he's using you, to spy on us?"
"Impossible." Mark rebutted. "If he were spying through me, he would know about Glimmer and Aeon."
"How do you know he doesn't?"
"I um..." Mark stammered. "Well, uh...huh. That's actually a really good point."
"That still doesn't make any sense." Ikuki piped in. "Why would he launch a massive attack like this, on a city he knows he could easily wipe out? If he's using Mark to spy on us, why wouldn't he go straight for our city? Or even Aeon?"
"That's the million dollar question, then." Mark sighed. "Jasmine, we might have to bump up project 'kick robot butt', a little bit sooner than we planned."
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Post by Banshee on Nov 25, 2017 20:14:37 GMT -6
"Ah, one of the more terrifying and yet, interesting parts of being an advanced AI." Tex said to the group. "Starting off as a mere AI with limited personality and many restrictions; Apollo now has the power to create, control, and destroy whatever he pleases without the need for permission. I'd love to dive into what and how he became so sentient."
Jasmine looked at Tex with some concern. Her interest in Apollo was nice and all, but she also wondered what sort of plans her robot had in mind. Tex was always inquisitive about everything around her. Her AI was always growing by the day, however unlike Apollo, Tex was heavily restricted. But Jasmine couldn't help but feel concerned with her own creation. Could Tex ever be like Apollo in the future?
Jasmine shook her head, ridding the bitter thoughts that began to creep into her mind. "Alas, I agree with Mark. We're going to have to step up our game. Especially now that he's stretching his roots. It won't be long before he finds this colony and it'll be the end of us."
"I wouldn't say all, just most." Tex corrected. "I'll be fine."
"Right... But how on Earth are you going to do that?" Tonka asked as he continued to listen to the adults talk. "You're not geared up enough to fend off a ton or robots and whatever he throws at you! You'll all be dead before you know it."
"See, now this is where us Scavengers come in handy. We may not be the most liked group of people in this underground hell-hole we call a home. But when it comes to prowling the surface, we know more than anyone else. WE have the ability to adapt and use our surroundings to our advantage. Plus not to mention, the Scavengers have some of the brightest folks in town." She pointed to herself, Tex, Mark, and Alice. "If there's something that needs tinkering, we've got the tinkering."
"From my past adventures; I've discovered areas that we need to avoid." Tex pointed at a small make shift map which was worked on each time they entered the Over-World. Areas she talked about, were colored in yellow. "Mostly massive business buildings protected by heavily armed robots. Machine guns, rocket launchers, grenade launchers, you name it."
"So the next question is. How do we do this?" Jasmine hopped off her perch and walked over to the group. At this point, Tonka had wandered away from them, as he was no longer involved with the plans. Jasmine then placed her hands on a table and looked at her fellow comrades. "Sneak attack."
"Going in with guns ablaze, will get us killed. But sneaking about and becoming aware of our surroundings...we will have a chance. And as long as Tex's ability isn't tampered or damage in the process, we'll always have a way to get the hell outta there."
"I have to reserve energy, so I will not be spamming portals left and right to save everyone." Tex then pointed out a bit brashly. "I'm not saving stupidity."
Jasmine let out a wry laugh. Perhaps she could've been a little lighter on Tex's personality? "So far the best route I've seen is right through here. We'll be out in the open for a little ways but once we land in the city, we go a bit to the East. It's overgrown with weeds and whatnot. We can use it all to stay under cover. After that...I'm afraid we're going to have to be a bit creative."
"Forewarning. Apollo has been testing out new frames and designs." Tex told the group. "Originally, the ones we've encountered were slow moving brutes with guns and a simple AI that could easily be confused and over loaded. This particular one that we met today; was human-size with a much faster movement speed. He was also equipped with some heavy duty weaponry and smarter than the others we've seen. Of course, he wasn't as intelligent as me."
At this point, Tex had shifted back into her normal appearance. Ikuki, Mark, and Alice already knew she wasn't human. Jasmine on the other hand bit into a small piece of bread. "Don't get too cocky there Tex. He could be a lot smarter than you think. It could've all been a ploy." She then looked back to the group. "I'll bring some of my tools so I can do some repairs, hacks if needed, or to tinker with any of ours weapons. Though. Anyone have any ideas to add to our stealth mission?"
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Post by Moe on Jan 4, 2018 16:41:09 GMT -6
"I have one." Alice said. "Let's not rush it. We don't need to do this quickly, we need to do it, smart. Apollo is likely expecting us to attack, and if he is tracking us through you," she pointed at Mark, "He probably has a good idea of our attack strategies. And if he's experimenting with new goons, we need to find out more about them."
"But that also means he's planning on launching another attack down here." Mark rebutted. "If we rush into this, we'll get our butts handed to us. If we wait too long, he'll bring the fight down here. So, either way, we're screwed. The way I see it, it's better to try, than to wait and sacrifice more innocent people."
"You all have good points." Ikuki said. "But that still doesn't answer what we do, now."
"Magic?" Mark shrugged. "If we can get close enough to one of those new goons, you could try to put one of your magic tracking spell thingies on them. They don't know anything about magic, and most likely wouldn't know to recognize a spell."
"True, but I can't guarantee that the spell would stick. I've only ever done it on organic beings, not on a robot." Ikuki said. "I mean, I could practice on Tex, if she's okay with it?"
"Meanwhile, I'll go meet with Apollo and find out what I can. The first thing we need to do, is figure out what's going on with those cyber-zombies and if we can save them. Maybe if one of you can safely secure one, Jasmine can analyze what's going on. I'll try to pry any information I can, out of Apollo. If he knows we're planning an attack, he probably won't tell me much, but there's no harm in trying."
"We'll figure this out. We'll take down that son of a floppy disk before he can hurt anybody else." Mark smirked. He gave Ikuki a quick peck on the cheek, before putting on his helmet and heading out.
Ikuki waved him off, then leaned over to Jasmine. "What's a floppy disk?"
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Post by Banshee on Feb 5, 2018 17:53:12 GMT -6
Jasmine listened to each person say what they thought should be done. She was a rush-in-and-go sort of person but she knew that they couldn't do this with Apollo. And it bugged her. However, Mark was correct on whether or not how fast they should strike. The last thing Jasmine wanted; was more innocent people being plucked off and more children left without families. She lived that life for a while and only knew part of how lonely it felt. Her only response to the matter was a simple nod.
Magic was a good idea. Magic versus technology has always been a war against one another and often times, magic usually won. It was a valid point but Jasmine grew a little weary on the subject. Tex, she feared would end up getting hit with magic and the idea of having to rebuild her AI was not on a favorable list. When Ikuki asked Tex about testing her skills on her, Jasmine went to say something but Tex beat her to it.
“As curious as I am with magic, I don’t think that it would be advisable at this time. However, perhaps when we aren’t in turmoil; then I’d be inclined to experience this.” Tex said to her. After all, she was hungry for knowledge and was willing to take the shot. “We could use magic against Violet. She’s malfunctioning as it is, anyways. You wouldn’t do any damage.”
“We are not using it against Violet. Bad enough I am trying to figure out what her deal is.” Jasmine hissed.
“Maybe a touch of magic will do the trick.” Tex insisted.
“Again, No.” Jasmine flatly said. “As for the cyber-Zombies... Yeah, I’d like to figure out how to stop them. Last thing I need is my husband becoming one. Then we’d have an assassin against us.” She scratched her head. “Do we even know how people are being infected? Is it a nanobot? Or some sort of sound frequency that some are sensitive to? Though, either way. We’re going to have to find the source. Hurting and trapping peons aren’t going to matter much. Unless we can use one to detect the source...” She had started to ramble off as her mind circled around various options. The one thing she hated most, was when too many choices and her answer of blowing it up, wasn’t an option.
Just before Jasmine could respond to Ikuki’s question, Tex had done it instead. “A floppy disk is a type of disk storage unit that was created around the 1970s. It consists of a thin magnetic storage medium that is encased within a plastic casing. Which is in a shape of a small rectangle. Of course, its storage capabilities are no where near as advanced as it is now. But one must be amazed on how fast the human race can advance in such a short amount of time.”
“Thank you Google for answering...” Jasmine said sarcastically.
“I am Tex, not Google.”
“Anyways, yes... Tex, why don’t you accompany Mark for the time being while I prepare myself for our little quest. I need to organize my crew before making my departure.” She waved on her robot before turning away to head into another room. “Be good, and don’t let anyone know that you’re a robot. Or you’ll have the frightened against you.”
Tex made a mechanical sigh, as she already knew the reason to go under cover. Her form changed appearance, turning back into the punk princess that she once was. Then she grabbed a weapon and headed out after Mark.
“Sometimes I cannot help but wonder if we are doing the right thing.” Jasmine said to Ikuki. “I know we used to live on the surface and boy do I want to see those days. But in a way, I cannot help but wonder if this was a plan that someone imagined back before Apollo became powerful. You know? As silly as it sounds, maybe they were trying to hide us for a reason? Hide us from what or who, is another unanswered question.” She shrugged off her own wonderment. “Either way, I want to kick Apollo’s ass. Just because he’s making our lives miserable anyways.”
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