 2072: Game World, IC thread for 2072: Recruitment always open! |
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 Sep 25 2013, 04:48 PM
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#2426
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Dragon  Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 4,258 Joined: 9-March 10 From: The Citadel Member No.: 18,267  |
@E:Tribes
[September 1, 2072 22:xx; Mechanicals’ Complex, C&C] Osha Although the others in the control room have turned their backs on you and Bit, Cam’s clockwork fairy has risen off his shoulder on her fibre optic tether and is observing you with beady glowing eyes. The large AR screens are filled with information, assessments, deployments and a host of other seemingly meaningless data. You note with some concern that the amount of people on the wall is worryingly thin, but that it represents the bulk of the Mechanicals fighting force. The hit and runs have taken a toll, a toll you’ve seen in the bloodied bodies through the clinic this afternoon, and it looks like the perimeter of your tribe is almost non-existent now, Cam relying on what’s left of the sensor network to warn of anything coming from anywhere other than the mall to your north. Spindle is muttering to himself under his breath, mutters punctuated by a strange chitter, and then a shriek as his shamanic mask manifests about him. The air next to him shimmers and blurs, enough to tell you that the spirit he has summoned is powerful enough to warp the real world from the astral. He sags into a chair and hangs his head panting and were it not for the seeming ineffectual nature of his actions during the attack you might almost feel a pang of something for this weary form. [September 1, 2072 22:xx; Outside the Fre∑dom mall, Puyallup] Sprogget <<@Sprogget [Jazz]: Sprogget? What? These fraggers aren’t exactly taking me out to dinner! Shit, I gave myself up to them so that they’d leave…they want a techno called Summer and they’re too stupid to know I’m not her. If you’ve got a way out that won’t risk the tribe then I’ll go for it but you’d better be damn sure it will work otherwise I’ll haunt you until the end of your sorry days! They’ve got a Dissonant called Winter with them so I don’t want to stay connected for long in case they shut me down. If something goes wrong find Summer, find out what the hell this is all about…but we need to protect the well, we can’t let them in here again…>> |
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Sep 26 2013, 01:28 AM
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#2427
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Neophyte Runner Group: Members Posts: 2,162 Joined: 14-June 10 From: San Diego, CA Member No.: 18,704 |
E: Tribes
[September 1, 2072 22:xx, Outside the Fre∑dom mall, Puyallup] PAN - Hidden ; SIN - Maximilien Danton This is becoming incredibly more complicated... First things first, however... "Merci beaucoup, mon ami anonyme," Gemeaux replies as he takes back his commlink and replaces it. "I shall have to ask you for your name later, as I think it best to finish my original goal of placing the repeater. It may not be as pressing as before, but I do not like leaving a job undone. After all, bonne renommée vaut mieux que ceinture dorée.." <<[Gemeaux]: Vivienne, my dear, are you all right? He did not hurt you, did he?>> <<[Vivienne]: Everything looks normal. However, I appreciate your concern.>> <<[Gemeaux]: That is always good to hear. The word is given, my dear. Wires on and weapons free.>> <<[Vivienne]: Understood, Gemeaux. Activating them now.>> He holsters La Reponse and moves towards his destination, hoping to place the repeater before the rest of hell decides to break loose... |
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Sep 26 2013, 03:22 AM
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#2428
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 619 Joined: 12-October 12 From: Calgary, AB Member No.: 56,960 |
@E:Tribes
September 1, 2072 22:xx; Mechanicals’ Complex, C&C CMT Clip: Response 1, Signal 3, System 1, Firewall 1; Active; SIN: Florence Darkwind (R4) @self:Pulling out? That bunch with Jazz is the whole lot, and those Tanks|APCs are their transportation? The count looks about right. But that should mean that any military magic support is pulling out too! The previous information is out of date, so Oyl calls the watcher sprites back to her. They are going to have some new jobs to do! @self:Spindle really exerted himself on that one. Wonder what he called? Shifting her perception to the astral, she has a look at the spirit, then for good measure assesses Spindle's condition after the summoning, before shifting perception back to the physical world. She is not really satisfied with the result for Spindle. So he's tired. Like that is news. She would like to get the results from a more detail Diagnose spell, but to do that she would have to touch him. In the current circumstances, walking over to put a hand on his shoulder could get some bad reactions all around. @self:Since Cam has that tek-toy watching me, I might as well make use of it. He should know that those fake glowing eyes are not going to bother me. I could shift to snake, and give him a good stare right back, and even mimic that pose on the teather! Tilting her head, and shifting her posture with the question, she asks, @Cam[Oyl]: "obstacle ganger or military mage"? @self:Knowing where the military force is right now, I can send messengers direct to people! She puts a hand on Bit's shoulder, and whispers, @Bit[Sprogget]: “Wait, get me a map showing the mall and surrounding infrastructure, plus the hole, APCs, military group position and movement direction, and identified ganger locations and recent movement”. @self:If we last the night, I need to ask Sprogget to get me a subvocal microphone, one that I can put on|off easily for shapeshifting. @Cam[Oyl]: "Sending spirit messengers to mall". When the map window opens in her view, she expands it to a good size, then gets the attention of the first watcher, @WatcherSprite[Oyl]:“Find {Nimbus} at the Fre∑dom mall. Show him {this} image, and speak this message to him: ‘Message from Oyl. Time is {current time}. Military on the way out of mall taking Jazz. Spined Drakes about to be coming in. Your repeater being deployed. Requesting reply, at least acknowledgement. Waiting one minute’. After delivering message wait one minute for a reply, then return here and tell me the response”. @self:Hard to explain to a watcher about sleeping, and VR, so have to try to get a reply to know if the message was successfully delivered. She repeats the process 3 more times, sending duplicate messages to eBreeze, and 2 others she expects to be involved with the Fre∑dom equivalent of their own control centre. @self:No point in trying to send a message to Prospero this way. Even if a spirit could find him, he spends all of his time in virtual. The chance of him noticing the spirit is vanishingly small. Although … Sprogget asked me to research mana sensitive biology. Something he is toying with for enhanced offline records security for the hospital I think. Anyway, the GloMoss, that would be easy to grow with the standard hydroponics, that he seem to like for his project would also make a good astral doorbell. Tek could monitor the moss, and trigger a standard sensor signal when disturb by mana. A sprite hovering there would work just fine, so Prospero's tek could notify him about a magical visitor. Note for later. Messages, or at least the messengers, sent, she gets Bit to continue the information feeds. She is concerned about all that missing perimeter, especially with that note about potentially unreliable sensors. @Cam[Oyl]: "Coordinate. Patrol with my spirits?". @self:He may be an idiot about some things, but he is the one handling the whole picture here. Let him assign sections, so he knows where the extra is. No point in trying to do this solo. Wishing she was in the circle at her lodge, but knowing that it was not really necessary, Oyl decides one more spirit might be useful, even if she does not know yet what she is going to ask it to do. With her current summoning skill, that means it will not be very powerful, but the plant is an aspect of the Great Mother. It is usually the most receptive to her wishes, and has some useful abilities. Visualizing the small cactus that is sitting in the lodge, she carefully feels the mana around her, pulling its astral aspect to her. A small spirit cooperates, and agrees to perform a single service, within it's limited abilities, when she asks. Meanwhile, it hangs around in astral. |
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Sep 26 2013, 03:55 AM
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#2429
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 619 Joined: 12-October 12 From: Calgary, AB Member No.: 56,960 |
@E:Tribes
September 1, 2072 22:xx; G’Eye node, Fre∑dom mall, Puyallup Bionode: Res 4(5), Sig 2, Sys 4, FW 3; Hidden; Biofeedback Filter(4), Analyze(3), Command(1), Edit(1), Scan(1), Sniffer(3), Spoof(1), Stealth(3), Shield(1), Tacsoft(2), Simrig(1) [ Spoiler ] @self:What would Dissonants want with a well? It would not work for them. @Jazz[Sprogget]: <<Sorry, reference to an ancient children's story with a grandmother eaten by a wolf. OK, Find Summer, but I'd rather have your help doing it. Winter Dissonant.>> @self:Great, now I have seasonal puns running through my head. Let's get summer to spring a surprise, so that winter takes a fall. Summer is Summer, and Winter is Winter, and never the twain shall meet. Make this fast, in case lose the connection. Prioritize. Sprogget passes Jazz the grating location reference information, relative to the entrance/exit hole in the wall. @Jazz[Sprogget]: <<Not sure, but figured you would be dead, or shortly wish you were if they got you out of here. Grating to sewers just outside the mall. Scrapheap trying to get there to open in time. Drag your feet here to give him time. Distraction planned. Try to steer this bunch to get close. Intel since jamming started: Captured Spined Drake says weird ones, that's plural, working with military, seems this bunch. Weird could be Dissonant. I encountered Dissonant rigging drone. Too strong for me in matrix, but sprite kept attention long enough to destroy drone and dumpshock him. I don't think going with them is going to protect the tribe. 2 APCs where you are headed, perimeter around much of mall by Spined Drakes. APC's currently have driver plus 3 passengers between them. One laying down when I looked. Maybe matrix/magic overwatch, maybe the one I dumpshocked. The gangers are now ALL moving toward the hole blown in the wall, more than I thought there were members. Suspect the whole gang is coming through as soon as you are hauled out. Figuring to move back in and take over again? That reported to my C&C. Someone in mall sent visiting merc out with repeater to get past jamming. Jamming stopped before he got clear. No contact even without jamming. Repeater being placed as we speak, hoping the damage done means the optical link is needed. Apparently some magical support with military. You know we encountered mage wearing Spined Drakes colors North East of mall earlier.>> @self:Like maybe an hour ago! @Jazz[Sprogget]: <<Any idea if wireless side of the repeater will come up hidden? Access ID? Alternate way to contact your C&C now that I am this close? That should be all for me. You?>> Sprogget waits, letting Jazz control the disconnect when she is ready. |
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Sep 26 2013, 04:16 PM
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#2430
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 869 Joined: 8-March 02 Member No.: 2,252 |
E:Tribes; Scrapheap
September 1, 2072 22:xx, the sewers under the Fre∑dom Mall, Puyallup From watchin' da trids ta bein' 'n one. Scrapheap shifted his shoulders and glared towards the skittering noise, his low-light vision just picking up beady eyes glaring at him before retreating away. Crouching, he slipped the AK on it's sling around to his back, then pulled his low-light flashlight out of his pocket and hefted the bolt cutters in the other hand. The tight beam of visible-to-him light showed small lumps of dessicated filth, but no puddles of anything recent or waiting devil rat hordes. It took him a few seconds, but the ork scavenger got the schematic to overlay his vision at a low opacity, and he headed off in in the direction of the hole and the grate he was supposed to open. |
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Sep 26 2013, 04:34 PM
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#2431
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Dragon Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 4,258 Joined: 9-March 10 From: The Citadel Member No.: 18,267 |
@E:Tribes
[September 1, 2072 22:xx; Mechanicals’ Complex, C&C] Osha Shifting your gaze to the astral you are met by the baleful stare of one of the more powerful spirits you’ve ever seen. The hulking rat form, a beast spirit you judge, is standing on its hind legs, towering over Spindle and Cam, waiting for its master’s bidding. Spindle is clearly suffering from the summoning and from his roiling aura you suspect the damage he has done to himself is significant. Whatever his intentions are he clearly wants a dangerous tool at hand… "Obstacle ganger or military mage? Sending spirit messengers to mall" Cam frowns at you and your whispered conversation with Bit "We believe the principal threat is a military mage. Our intel is that the Spined Drakes have an adept lieutenant calling himself Skyfall but no mage. Their numbers have shot up radically though so who knows if that still holds true?” Moments later your watcher returns, slipping seamlessly into the crook of your arm and looking up at you ”Found him. He said thank you and that the er, thing, should be working about now…” and indeed there is a jubilant shout as one of the techs established communications with the mall… "Coordinate. Patrol with my spirits?" “Since when have you started asking me what you should be doing?”. Cam replied acerbically "Our perimeter is weak here” he points out a place on the eastern edge of the mall "I’m focusing our people between us and the mall and that breach on the west side but if the drakes decide to swing round the back of the mall we won’t know about it until they are knocking on our door here…it’s where the initial attacks came from and the sensors there are skragged” You just have to hope that’s a genuine threat, surely Cam wouldn’t be so petty as to send resources out there just to keep you out of his hair? [September 1, 2072 22:xx; Outside the Fre∑dom mall, Puyallup] Gemeaux Rapidly ascending the crumbling staircase in the building you’d previously identified as being a good location for the repeater you try very hard not to pay attention to the semi imminent signs of collapse. It’s not the same as the hell hole in Chicago but this building clearly hasn’t had the right sort of tlc to keep it structurally sound. The walls are damp with mildew and the footing is slippery but at least you are out of the ash…at least you are until you make it out onto the precarious roof and gingerly make your way to the parapet that offers the best view of your target point on the mall. <<Gemeaux [Vivienne]: The indicators are green, I am establishing the connection to the Fre∑dom node as you asked…there is some interference from the storm but I have sufficient bandwidth for text communication and limited voice>> Scrapheap Hustling through the sewers following Sprogget’s map on your AR display you can feel the adrenalin coursing…you are going to appear underneath the noses of a squad of soldiers and aren’t they going to be surprised? Sprogget <<@Sprogget [Jazz]: Ok, so when I see that grating open I’m heading for it. Scrapheap had better be there or it won’t be a pretty drop! Just give me the word, I’ll be waiting!>> |
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Sep 26 2013, 05:10 PM
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#2432
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 619 Joined: 12-October 12 From: Calgary, AB Member No.: 56,960 |
@E:Tribes
September 1, 2072 22:xx; G’Eye node, Fre∑dom mall, Puyallup Bionode: Res 4(5), Sig 2, Sys 4, FW 3; Hidden; Biofeedback Filter(4), Analyze(3), Command(1), Edit(1), Scan(1), Sniffer(3), Spoof(1), Stealth(3), Shield(1), Tacsoft(2), Simrig(1) [ Spoiler ] Sprogget agrees that the risk of a Dissonant shutting things down, or just noticing then alerting these guys is quite serious. That was the point of adding the stealth controls in the first place. With the existing instructions, the dragonfly can follow along by himself, without anyone looking over his shoulder. Breaking in again before Jazz says anything, Sprogget adds, @Jazz[Sprogget]: <<Oh, I am calling from a sensor heavy dragonfly drone close to you. {Here} is access. G’Eye has been modded with stealth RFID signals to enable/disable wireless. {This} will turn wireless off, and {this} on. Turn it off soon as I have a chance to get out.>> @self:Really do not want to get dumped! @Jazz[Sprogget]: <<He will keep close enough, that you can turn back on if/when needed. Good ECCM too, to help get past the blocking around here. That should keep him from being noticed, unless someone gets close enough with a NLJD.>> @self:Or he is clumsy and gets spotted visually, or bangs into something and is heard, of course. @Jazz[Sprogget]: <<From the new mall doorway, without jamming, you should almost be able to reach me direct, and there will be another drone close enough to one hop relay .>> @self:Banjo better be close enough for a new UWBR scan to give LeO good targeting information by then. After seeing her customized drone in the loading bay, Sprogget is fairly sure technical short hand will not faze her. He does not even bother to reply to the comment about the drop. If Scrapheap is not there, the grate won't even be open. @Jazz[Sprogget]: <<Full burst of weapons fire on one of the APC's should pull the trigger on everything. Move with that even if the grate is not open. Scrapheap could wait till then to shove it.>> |
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Sep 26 2013, 07:04 PM
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#2433
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Neophyte Runner Group: Members Posts: 2,113 Joined: 24-January 13 From: Here to Eternity Member No.: 70,521 |
@E:Tribes
[September 1, 2072 22:xx; Mechanicals’ Complex, C&C] Crow Shifting uncomfortably in the rubble, Crow raises his hands from the Ares Alpha to wipe flecks of ash from his goggles, leaving a messy smear that the nano-clean™ self cleaning coating takes care of in moments. His vision momentarily unimpaired he risks another short glance over to the APC's as they idle waiting for the troops to emerge with their prisoner He rapidly updates his AR overlay with current enemy and now friendly targets and settles back down behind cover, making sure to not leave any exposed parts silhouetted for the APC turrets easy pickings. Far above him in the swirling and eddying mire that is the barrens storm clouds, a shadow flits and it's raucous cawing is lost in the sound of the winds as they howl by. I hear ya Jack, nothing be done about it now though, just keep eyes open for the signal, if that drone can make a big enough dent in them things then we can pick out it's innards. Spirit's alive, now I'm THINKING like a carrion bird ...today gets better ! He looks up and across the short distance to where the Mechanical, Sprogget sits in his adapted monocycle, barely able to make out his features he can't tell if he's calm or stressed to the max. << @DrakeHunters [Crow} : "Hope this plan works Chum, Scrap I got you topside when this drek hits okay? if they don't take the bait I got some "persuadin" of my own ya hear!" >> Not his most motivational of speeches as they go, but even after such a very short time it feels strange to not have company close and watching his own back, Damn, thought I was coping with this solo bull-drek he thinks to himself while giving a physical 'Thumbs Up' to Sprogget before realising that in all probability .. he can't see it |
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Sep 27 2013, 03:36 AM
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#2434
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 619 Joined: 12-October 12 From: Calgary, AB Member No.: 56,960 |
@E:Tribes
September 1, 2072 22:xx; Outside the Fre∑dom mall, Puyallup Bionode: Res 4(5), Sig 2, Sys 4, FW 3; Hidden; Biofeedback Filter(4), Analyze(3), Command(1), Edit(1), Scan(1), Sniffer(3), Spoof(1), Stealth(3), Shield(1), Tacsoft(2), Simrig(1) [ Spoiler ] Finished the quick exchange with Jazz, Sprogget shifts his attention to the slaved Banjo node. Starting to give instructions, he notes that Jazz is not slow at shutting off G’Eye’s wireless system, as the node vanishes from his view. @self:Good, that is safe as it can be from detection for now. LeO is going to need some extra work, but he can at least get Banjo moving the right way again. He can fine tune it in just a bit. Banjo is going to need a location where the UWBR can see the APCs, but this time looking inside them is less important, so the looking can be done through a wall or 2. Inside a building seems the best option, and the infrastructure map shows a couple of possibilities, that are also close enough to the breached wall and sewer grating to have them in view as well. For now though, Sprogget just gets him moving toward the general area, with instructions to avoid notice from the moving Spined Drakes. He is likely going to have to get past some of them, to get in position in time. Over top a roof or two probably. The storm up there both a risk and a benefit. Banjo in motion, he joins the C-D Owl drone. LeO also should get closer, for the best chance at hitting the APC where it will hurt the most. He has more leeway than Banjo for the distance though, and should be able to stay behind the gangers moving the same direction. Good thing too. They both have some built in skills for working on the sly, but Banjo has also been painted in camouflage colors for urban night work. LeO has more general coloring. Nothing flashy, but just not as good in the current situation. The angle is going to be the important thing, and after getting LeO skulking after the gangers, he brings up the above ground infrastructure model for the area around the APC parking location, out to a couple hundred meters. He inserts the data from the UWBR, showing the exact position of the APCs, then adds to that different colored virtual light sources at the location of each of the vehicles, and at the grating. The light for the grating (green) he spreads out, turning it into a bar that covers the area he wants to be able to target, where he wants to keep the squad members, or any adventurous ganger, away from, while Jazz and Scrapheap get a head start below. 10 meters long and 2 meters high at ground level. The size that LeO's data on the Ares Alpha says can be suppressed with autofire. After a quick mental visualization, he splits that into 2 thin, green, two meter high vertical bar lights at the ends of the previous large bar, and sets them blinking slowly and alternately. Only one on at a time. The light for the APC with the extra occupant (blue), he narrows to a point, and positions as close as he can to the suspected weakness. The actual pinpoint target. The final light (red) is positioned at the turret of the other APC. Anything that light shines on could be in a lot of trouble, once the gunner realizes he has a serious target. Sprogget doubts it is going to be available, but the perfect location would be where the initial (blue) target can be seen, but neither of the others, with a short movement bringing the grate (grate) into view, without exposing to the attentions of the (red) machine gun on the second APC. Finding that is not easy. Looking for it is. He adds one more thing to the model. A virtual curved wall, visible but insubstantial in the model, with a starting radius of 150 meters, centered on that first target. Setting the infrastructure in the model to be mostly transparent to him, but not to the virtual lights, he looks for the places on the wall with the right color and pattern. What he wants is a place that is only blue, immediately beside a place that is solid green, with no red on or between them, at an edge that is completely shadowed, so LeO can approach unseen, and quickly hide again. What he needs is a place that has blue overlapping or beside the green, blue beside yellow is good too, as long as the APC is really dead Any red is bad, so orange, purple and white are also bad. Orange, and LeO will not last long shooting at the grate. Purple or white for the initial shot, and he better move quick or there will not be a second shot. He slowly shrinks and expands the wall, watching the edges of the shadows cast by the transparent buildings, looking for the viable options. Closer in there is easier targeting, and better chance of hitting. Further out it is easier to hide, and harder to hit. The APCs are close enough (uncomfortably so) to the grate, that a spot to be able to shift targeting from one to the other is not hard to find. Any of several vertical building edges will do fine. How far the shift needs to be mostly depends on how close LeO is to that vertical edge. With limited time to choose, he goes with a starting location that is purple, blinking to white, that a shift of a couple of meters turns to solid yellow, just above a solid black edge. The first shot will be from a position visible to both APCs, and one probable edge of the squad. If he can shift sideways before the second APC targets and fires, the grate is nicely visible, but so is the first APC. It had better be dead. Moving further in the same direction shifts to solid green, so if the damage done delays response a little, he is golden as far as the 'big' guns go. The location is the edge of a flat roof that has a structure, building mechanical systems, on it, providing the needed vertical shadow. 135 meters from the APC, 143 from the grating. As long as LeO stays below the edge, none of the main targets of interest will have line of sight during the approach, and the building should be enough to stop anything if he gets a chance to retreat. Depending on how solid the mechanical systems are, bullets might come right through the roof structure, but at least the shots will be blind. He gives LeO the destination location, and time constraints. It is not far, but he is going to need to shift sideways some, from the current path following the gangers. LeO turns and picks up speed, and Sprogget moves back to help Banjo pick the final vantage point. Either of the initially selected buildings would do, and Sprogget quickly picks one based on where the gangers are currently, and the line of sight to the APCs. Timing the move carefully to minimize exposure to the gangers, while staying out of sight from the APCs, they accelerate, up and over a building, and decelerating hard coming through an opening in the destination building, just before the next ganger comes past the intersection a half block away. It should have been a window, but there was no glass, and not much of a frame. The storm winds were no fun, but they had been able to choose the angle ahead of time, to minimize the cross currents and shear. Inside, Sprogget leaves Banjo to explore using only the passive sensors, and pick the final location for himself. Time is getting tight. He goes back to help LeO get into position. LeO is almost there, but being buffeted and tossed around by some nasty cross currents and sheer below the roof top. It is probably a bit better once clear of the edge, but that is not helping right now, trying to get stabilized before rising to target and shot. What to do? @self:The arm! Sprogget has LeO reach with the mechanical arm, to grab hold of the edge of the roof. That provides an anchor point, and a little leverage. It is enough. The drone still shudders and shifts in the changing wind, but it is much more constrained now. He will be able to lift, and line up with the target, without swinging about wildly. With the seconds ticking way, Sprogget gives final targeting instructions to LeO. On signal, lift up, take aim, and focus everything as tight as possible into that weak point. If the grate opens, and Jazz goes in, immediately shift over and start suppressive fire around the grate. If the grate opens, but Jazz is not in, but is down, the same, but aim enough higher to exclude her. If the grate does not open, target the matching spot on the second APC. Now just have to wait. Information from the others will control the timing. Crow and Mordred have been keeping an eye on things, and will see anyone coming out of the mall through the hole. Gemeaux has been busy with the repeater. That is active now, he notes, and Gemeaux is maneuvering for position as well. He is going to be a little further away, but should have a good line. Sprogget is not sure, but thinks he is trying for a spot that targets the grate and hole, without being exposed to the APCs. When Jazz is brought out, Sprogget will signal both Banjo and LeO to go active, simply by changing the status on the tacnet of the APCs from pending to live targets. Timed so LeO has enough time to rise and take aim, then fire just before Jazz reaches the point where she can quickly reach the grating. The UWBR will provide extra targeting information on tacnet to give LeO more accurate information. Now it is time to wait. Wait and hope. Hope that Scrapheap can get into position in time. Hope that he can open the grating cleanly. Hope that the path taken by the squad gets Jazz close enough to the grate. Hope that the sudden attack on the APC has the squad, and the accumulating Spined Drakes, momentarily focused outward away from Jazz. Hope that the storm and supposedly poor sensors of the APCs keep them from Spotting LeO before he fires. After that, hope that LeO can get out of reach of the 2nd APC before it can target him, while keeping the squad busy while Scrapheap and Jazz get away from that grate underground. Then after all that, hope that LeO can get out of sight and clear before someone manages to get a good bead on him. He is going to expend most of his ammunition with all of that, and there could be aerial drones launching. Hopefully no more than 2, if enough damage is done to the first APC. Now he waits. He is not real sure about the security of just established link inside the mall. So he does not provide details yet. There is nothing anyone elsewhere can do in the time available anyway. Time enough to do the notifications when the shooting starts. When that happens, he is probably going to have lots of time. The decisions have been made. Once the signal is given, about all he can do is watch. And provide some matrix coverage, although with the strength of that previous Dissonant as a guide, that probably means just pulling the plug so everyone goes dark. That is the point that he will send the prepared message about the rescue attempt in progress. The live sensor feeds will probably tell everything else. People paying close attention to the sensor data and activities could have deduced that something is to be attempted. He sees no point in broadcasting it, risking interception, risking official notice of actions that might be contrary to the established policy. Way at the bottom of his list, he hopes that the combined Mechanicals and Fre∑dom C&C can get something effective going quickly. He would much rather have Fre∑dom for a next door neighbor, than the Spined Drakes. They are much more interesting, in addition to people that are almost, and could be friends. |
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Sep 27 2013, 03:44 AM
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#2435
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 619 Joined: 12-October 12 From: Calgary, AB Member No.: 56,960 |
@E:Tribes
September 1, 2072 22:xx; Mechanicals’ Complex, C&C CMT Clip: Response 1, Signal 3, System 1, Firewall 1; Active; SIN: Florence Darkwind (R4) Seeing the toll that calling that massive spirit has taken on Spindle, Oyl thinks, @self:Need to get him some proper care after this. His policies|biases|priorities are not helping the tribe now|any more, but he is still a tribal member, part of the family. I have to smack Senaka into line sometimes too, when he forgets about everything but the tek. Of course he gets even if I ignore the advantages of using some of that tek. At Cam’s verbal, more detailed response to her quick body language question, she thinks, @self:Good, at least he is answering pertinent questions. Even expanding on it from the context. At the watcher’s report, plus the shout, and Bit’s followup AR indication that they have a connection to the Mall control center, she quickly dismisses all of the watchers. Nimbus has the situation outline, those on duty here can fill in the technical details now, and there is no need to provide additional distractions for others over there, repeating the same message. @self:Those guys|spirits|tools have been busy for awhile. Time to get some fresh, for the next task, so they don't wear out|quit|go away before the job is done. At Cam's tone, she thinks, @self:Ignore, well not quite, that. He is under a lot of strain|pressure just now, and I have|was just chewing him out, even if only for following the bosses instructions. She says sweetly, verbally since he is, @Cam[Oyl]: “Since that will help the tribe right now. We are part of the same team, and I am just another cog in the mechanicals machine, with your hands on the controls”. @self:Let him make what he wants out of what I did NOT say. She, then follows up with an additional nonverbal message, @Cam[Oyl]: "Use available resources effectively". @self:Cam is aware of my limits as a mage, so keeping me away from the military group, and even the bulk of the Spined Drakes makes sense. I would have thought he would want more coverage south of us, in case there are other threats around, but it's his call. Not a time|issue to question|clarify|expand on. He is trusting the sensors too much. Not that there is a lot of choice, with how thin people are spread. She has Bit pause again, while she locates reference points that a spirit can use in astral, to identify the extent of the indicated region to patrol. Ready with those limits, she tugs gently on the connection to the patiently waiting plant spirit. @Plant Sprirt[Oyl]:“Dweller of the planes, here is the service I desire of you. Until morning comes, patrol through {this} region, and immediately report to me the location of each metahumman aura found. Those may move, so report each time they are noticed. I will be sending some watcher spirits to help you, soon and replacements later. Direct them, use them as extra hands and eyes to help with this service”. @self:With all of today's activity, the usual residents|street people should be long gone, or hiding in the deepest basement they can find. That simple spirit will not be able to see all of the people, all of the time. Individuals could get missed, but any group moving around should get noticed before they get too far. The primary patrol established, she goes about arranging watcher spirits to help, sending each directly to the first worker, using the magical link as a reference. Each is instructed to assist, and take direction from the plant spirit. @self:The watchers will only last an hour, so I'll need to repeat that every hour, as long as the patrol continues. Now to get reporting setup. Squatting down to talk to Bit, she carefully modulates her voice to carry to, but not much beyond her, since Cam was disapproving of the previous whispers. @self:She is probably used to it, but there is no need to loom over her. @Bit[Oyl]: “Setup a live astral watch map for that area, with me as the data entry source”. Instead of standing again, she decides this is likely to be a long session, and sits on the floor, leaning against the wall, while keeping her legs back out of the way. @self:Be a lot more comfortable here as a mountain lion, but need full access to the tek. All of us with any sort of magical affinity have done this many times before, in practice and for real. The spirit does not even have to report to a mage, but that is simpler|faster|more reliable. Let’s see, start with the astral reference points … When Bit opens the new 3D map window in her view, she moves the view around, careful checking the positioning and tags for the physical world coordinates of the astral landmarks that she and the spirit will be using to specify the locations of any detected auras. The spirit can not read street signs, or GPS, or anything else from the physical world. But it can provide some distance and bearing to known landmarks identifiable from astral. That is enough to approximately plot encounters, and errors tend to cancel out, narrowing the estimated location of any stationary target over time. Moving contacts are less accurate, but anything suspect is going to have Cam trying to match to other information. Next the boundary she supplied for the patrolling spirit goes in. Now she is ready to add information Cam has available for real time decisions. Each time the spirit reports a contact, she creates a new standard, automatically timestamp icon. The landmarks, approximate distance and bearing information is filled in, along with any close by astral shadow details. That places the icon in the live data, accessible by anyone with the access, that wants to see it. The system is set to automatically do a best fit from the provided information to match to probably physical world infrastructure location. The main information is enough to get close, but often the little local details can be used to narrow the location, to put it on the correct side of a wall for example. The system also automatically shows a shadow around the contact, showing the current level of confidence in the location accuracy, and flags / rejects nonsensical information, in case of errors entering the information. Normally people looking at the results, configure their own view to fade out the older contacts, keeping the latest prominent. But sometimes all history information is shown, to look for movement patterns. Once enough information is available, the system also starts tentatively linking the various information sources, trying to match the estimated times and locations with information from visual reporting, plus direct and triangulated sensor information on multiple bands. Right now, the area she is working on has minimal reliable multiple source information, with the perimeter people mostly elsewhere, and the sensors trashed earlier. That is not helping her accuracy information any, since there is so little information to connect things to. Still, any group movement or concentration is likely to be spotted. This all goes through her mind as she enters the information for the first contact reported by the spirit. Checking the icon location, she finds a fairly large shadow. Expected, since the system needs a bit more information, to establish a base for the accuracy of the landmark reference points being used. It does show high up though, probably the top floor of one the little used buildings. @self:Spotter, or some idiot looking for a ring side seat to the action. Well he|she|it is tagged now anyway. Between filling in patrol contact information data, she continues to monitor, with Bit's assistance, the overview of the activities and events occurring in real time. The contacts need to be filled in promptly, but they are intermittent, leaving plenty of time to keep current. |
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Sep 29 2013, 01:41 PM
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#2436
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Neophyte Runner Group: Members Posts: 2,162 Joined: 14-June 10 From: San Diego, CA Member No.: 18,704 |
E: Tribes
[September 1, 2072 22:xx, Outside the Fre∑dom mall, Puyallup] PAN - Hidden ; SIN - Maximilien Danton Gemeaux breathes a sigh of relief when Vivienne tells him that the repeater is working. He tries to send a message to Monsieur Collot in order to test the device as well as notify his current employer of the good news. He switches to French when speaking with his "countryman"---well, his original's countryman at least. <<@ Monsieur Collot [Gemeaux]: Good news, my friend. I have met with the eclectic band that calls themselves "the Mechanicals." The one called Sprogget was kind enough to include me in his group's tacnet. I am sending you the information that I have now. I am uncertain of the abilities that you "technological sorcerers" possess, but perhaps you can find a way to join the conversation from afar, yes?>> While he waits for the technomancer's reply, Gemeaux begins carefully picking his way back down the building. He considers tossing a grenade to collapse the stairway behind him, but decides against it for fear of disrupting the repeater. Climbing up the building once was enough. Doing so a second time---and without the benefit of the stairway---would be...undesirable. <<@ Mechanicals [Gemeaux]: L'appareil est en place---forgive me, the device is in place. I have informed my employer, and you should have contact with him soon. Am I correct in assuming what I am seeing and hearing over your tacnet is that you are planning an impromptu and nearly hopelss assault? Why, I am quite experienced with such things! L'attaque est la meilleure défence!>> |
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Sep 30 2013, 06:14 AM
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#2437
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 619 Joined: 12-October 12 From: Calgary, AB Member No.: 56,960 |
@E:Tribes
September 1, 2072 22:xx; G’Eye node, Fre∑dom mall, Puyallup Bionode: Res 4(5), Sig 2, Sys 4, FW 3; Hidden; Biofeedback Filter(4), Analyze(3), Command(1), Edit(1), Scan(1), Sniffer(3), Spoof(1), Stealth(3), Shield(1), Tacsoft(2), Simrig(1) [ Spoiler ] That the repeater is functioning is excellent news. That the frenchman seems excited by the prospect of trying to take on the forces before them less so. @Drakehunters[Sprogget]: <<Assault? Maybe, but the goal is actually a rescue.>> Thinking about what little he knows about french attitudes, he adds. @Drakehunters[Sprogget]: <<A damsel in distress. A full win is as you indicate all but impossible at this time. Fortunately, that is not required for success either. A small distraction, and short delay while making good the escape is enough. The initial distraction is prepared, but any extra to keep the main forces minds off of the escape will of course improve the chances.>> Sprogget feeds Gemeaux the simplified simulation of the hoped for sequence of events. Jazz exiting the mall surrounded by the squad. The approach to the grating, Banjo's role to provide extra targeting information, [b]LeO[b] attacking the APC, the squad reacting to the external threat, momentarily ignoring Jazz, opening the grate from below, and Jazz going down through it, LeO providing cover to keep any from following, long enough to get clear, then trying to get clear himself. With support from their small team, to either assist LeO in keeping the grate clear, or taking out any trying to stop LeO. |
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Oct 1 2013, 11:52 AM
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#2438
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Dragon Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 4,258 Joined: 9-March 10 From: The Citadel Member No.: 18,267 |
@E:Tribes
[September 1, 2072 22:xx; Outside the Fre∑dom mall, Puyallup] Drakehunters / Tank Killers With as much prep done as possible, the tacnet buzzing with coloured tags and visual cues, you all tensely wait for the soldiers to emerge whilst fighting the wind tossed ash that is now beginning to buzz with static charge. The lightening sheets across overhead with a deafening roar, the light lends a surreal quality to the scene, like one of those antique stop motion horror flicks from a couple of centuries back… you see the gathering gangers flinch instinctively. The first of the anonymous soldiers climb out of the breech and then you can see Jazz being dragged unceremoniously between them. She’s not actively fighting them but she also isn’t making it easy…then again the two hulking forms, probably orcs, who are gently assisting her have no trouble manhandling her thin frame. As the targeting parameters meet LeO’s instructions the drone rises above the parapet and takes precious milliseconds to align the shot. Whoever the gunner is in the APC has to be given credit for alertness as the turret begins to spin round towards the aerial threat but in the speed of the matrix the mechanical system is ponderously slow. The shriek of hypersonic rounds split the air and at first the hollow spang seems anticlimactic except that the soldiers react dramatically, clearly seeking the active threat. Smoke begins to plume from the downed APC, disappearing into the laden air. A hatch springs open and a desperate looking figure claws its way out, silhouetted by the hellish glare of flames from inside… Sprogget With some satisfaction you see LeO confirm the kill…the vision mag piercing the gloom to show you the armour plates near the neck of the turret broken and twisted. Before you have time to exalt in your victory LeO’s sensor grid goes wild as you receive first one then a second active radar paint. One of the signatures originates somewhere to the north of the mall, about fifty meters from LeO’s position, the second comes from above…the crazy bastards must have an overwatch drone up there in the lightening cloud somewhere…it must have been summoned in as you are sure you’d have seen it if it was circling the mall… [September 1, 2072 22:xx; Mechanicals’ Complex, C&C] Osha There is a flurry of activity and you distinctly hear Cam say “What the hell is he doing…?” and you have a moment to wonder just what little brother is up to “Frag, he’s attacking the APCs? Damn looks like he killed it!” There is an awed moment before Bit distracts you with the new information one of the other techs has spotted “New contact here and here. Radar paint. There’s nothing visible on the sensor feeds so they’ve got some sort of cloaking or the sensors are compromised. Ah, Nimbus has just confirmed that’s where the signal for the Disonant Winter originated, seems like there are more players in the game…” |
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Oct 2 2013, 03:43 AM
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#2439
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 619 Joined: 12-October 12 From: Calgary, AB Member No.: 56,960 |
@E:Tribes
September 1, 2072 22:xx; G’Eye node, Fre∑dom mall, Puyallup Bionode: Res 4(5), Sig 2, Sys 4, FW 3; Hidden; Biofeedback Filter(4), Analyze(3), Command(1), Edit(1), Scan(1), Sniffer(3), Spoof(1), Stealth(3), Shield(1), Tacsoft(2), Simrig(1) [ Spoiler ] As soon as LeO goes active, to target the APC, Sprogget sends a blind message to Jazz and Scrapheap. @Jazz,Scrapheap[Sprogget]: <<Starts in one second!.>> Then sends the prepared message to C&C, tagged as time critical, tactical information. @C&C[Sprogget]: <<Rescue attempt initiated. Jazz prepared to exit into sewer during distraction.>> Immediately, his attention shifts to the view being provided by Banjo. Not to the targeted APC. Everything that can be done, has been done there. His interest is in the grating, and the soldiers guiding Jazz. Willing Scrapheap to get that grating moving, as soon as the soldiers attention goes to the attack. @self:Come on Scrapheap. Now|immediately|instantly! Get it open so Jazz can jump|dive|drop in. The kill confirmation is a very satisfying confirmation. @self:Yes! There was a weak spot there! The radar paint from new sources though … @self:What!? Where? 2 more? That one up top must have a death wish. I've been keeping everybody below rooftops, except for quick hops. Lightning seems to like|be attracted to|prefer electronics! LeO must|has to stay in position for a few more seconds, or this could be all wasted! At least he can dodge some, if that is more than a sensor platform up there. Oh, for a friendly lightning bolt about now! No one seems to have good line on the ground target, except LeO, but that one in the air. Everyone should be able to point at that. Sprogget flips the radar on DR full active, and points it high, to where that signal is coming from. @tankKillers[Sprogget]: <<If that top side drone takes out LeO quick, Scrapheap and Jazz won't have much of a chance. Painting with radar.>> He then gets DR moving, away from the others, switching the dog brain from covert ops, to defense. @self:No one to run over here, so full defense, if we get targeted. My meat is just along for the ride! Hope those temporary repairs hold up long enough. Now, that other radar source. Expecting that there will be a hidden node associated with that threat, he feels the Resonance, pouring what is in reach into his scan complex form, then reaches toward where the tacnet is showing that radar source. He can not see it. Frustrated, he is about to get some help from a sprite, when he has a thought. @self:We have a live connection with the mall again. Maybe someone there can help. @C&C[Sprogget]: <<Forward to Fre∑dom C&C: Attempting to neutralize drone about {radar source location}. Available matrix assistance? .>> @self:This could get messy fast. See if I can prepare a bit of extra failsafe. Linking the biomontor and jammer to DR, he sets up a variant of the deadmans switch already active on the the other tacnet nodes. If the biomonitor shows him to be unconscious, activate the jammer at full power, set to explicitly block his bionode, the monocycle, and any gear either of them are carrying, then cut active sensors and attempt to disengage from any pursuit, while getting his meat back to the shop, 'at best speed'. Once close, deactivate the jammer through the skin link, and report status to both C&C and Oyl. @self:If I'm out, tacnet is down, and DR's sensors are not going to be doing anyone any good. With that setup, he releases the damaged sprite that had helped attack the dissonant, it cannot help here, then reaches into the resonance finding and molding it into an assistant that can find that node for him. What he ends up with only provides a single task, but that is all he needs. @MatrixScanner[Sprogget]:“I desire|need|want you to very quickly find the hidden node that should be {radar source location}”. |
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Oct 2 2013, 05:00 AM
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#2440
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 619 Joined: 12-October 12 From: Calgary, AB Member No.: 56,960 |
@E:Tribes
September 1, 2072 22:xx; Mechanicals’ Complex, C&C CMT Clip: Response 1, Signal 3, System 1, Firewall 1; Active; SIN: Florence Darkwind (R4) Thinking about how powerful the spirit is that Spindle called, and how wiped he seems to be now, Oyl thinks, @self:He exceeded his usual limits. That is not just tired, he accepted physical damage to call that. Is rat starting to feel cornered? Still not sure it is a good idea to approach Spindle, she considers getting Cam’s recommendation on taking a few minutes with the medkit, and maybe some mana to help him. Things she is actually good at. It would mean being distracted from the spirit patrol reports for a few minutes though. Then things start happening around Sprogget’s position. @self:He is doing WHAT!?! He totaled one? If he survives, I’m going to kill him myself! There is NO way he can take on what the displays are showing there, with what little he has with him. Then more bad news. @self:More? And more info saying sensors might be lying? A Dissonant? How strong? One drone?|contact in the air? Then finally something that makes sense. Bit shows Sprogget’s message about Jazz and the Sewer. @self:Killing that APC was a distraction? That is some distraction! It got *my* attention! Now, where is Jazz? And brother, you had better be getting your hoop *away* from there, and not wasting any time doing it! She has to force herself to turn away, to fill in another report from the spirit, then non-verbally says to Cam, @Cam[Oyl]: “I should check Spindle injury”. giving him information to prioritize, and allocate. He should know how little attention is really needed to feed the astral patrol reports into the system. There is nothing she can do for Sprogget and his group from here, but Spindle is right here. |
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Oct 3 2013, 11:22 AM
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#2441
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Neophyte Runner Group: Members Posts: 2,162 Joined: 14-June 10 From: San Diego, CA Member No.: 18,704 |
E: Tribes
[September 1, 2072 22:xx, Outside the Fre∑dom mall, Puyallup] PAN - Hidden ; SIN - Maximilien Danton Gemeaux chuckles. <<@Sprogget [Gemeaux]: Mon frère, I have no intention of losing. I find the best way to approach these events are to cry out le mot de Cambronne and defy both charlatans and chance alike. However, I am intrigued by the mention of a damsel in distress... Please, continue...>> As he communicates via commlink, the assassin slips his sniper rifle from his shoulder and prepares for the unavoidable adventure that surely is to come... |
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Oct 3 2013, 05:16 PM
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#2442
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 869 Joined: 8-March 02 Member No.: 2,252 |
E:Tribes; Scrapheap
September 1, 2072 22:xx, the sewers under the Fre∑dom Mall, Puyallup Scrapheap's lungs burned as he settled in under the assigned grate on the map. He'd misjudged the distance of a crumpled section of the sewer and had nearly fallen further into the ancient waste removal system, but had managed to get a grip on a solid pipe in the wall to drag himself back up. A couple scrapes buzzed angrily from where he'd dragged along the concrete, but he pushed them away and listened hard for any activity above him. Hearing none, he snapped the bolts holding one side of the rusted grate to it's frame with a grunt of effort. The bolt cutter was re-purposed to an impromptu brace to hold the grate in place, allowing the ork scavenger to swing the assault rifle back into his hands to wait for the fireworks to begin. He didn't have long to contemplate the utter insanity of what he was doing there, as barely 30 seconds passed after he set the cutters to hold the grate before the tramp of heavy feet overhead pushed even more adrenaline into his system. Then the now-familiar roar of the heavy assault rifle attached to Sprogget's drone filled the air, and there was Jazz's feet above the grate. Scrapheap snarled and smacked the brace with the butt of the Kalashnikov, bringing the compromised grate down with a screech of tortured steel. |
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Oct 3 2013, 05:34 PM
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#2443
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 619 Joined: 12-October 12 From: Calgary, AB Member No.: 56,960 |
@E:Tribes
September 1, 2072 22:xx; G’Eye node, Fre∑dom mall, Puyallup Bionode: Res 4(5), Sig 2, Sys 4, FW 3; Hidden; Biofeedback Filter(4), Analyze(3), Command(1), Edit(1), Scan(1), Sniffer(3), Spoof(1), Stealth(3), Shield(1), Tacsoft(2), Simrig(1) [ Spoiler ] At Gemeaux's response to the rescue information, Sprogget thinks, @self:Ah!. Apparently that did strike a cord. @Gemeaux[Sprogget]: <<The … rogues … captured one of our friends in the mall. They should be bringing her out through the hole marked on the tacnet very soon now, apparently intent on carrying her away in one of those APC's. I believe my drone will be able to deprive them of one of those, while providing a distraction to allow her to vanish underground. Another member of our group is hurrying to be able to open the door for her. Then it is a matter of keeping the soldiers busy long enough for them both to get clear. Tacnet will show when the distraction is starting.>> @self:This is someone apparently very used to weapons, stealth and killing. He better already know without being told not to jump the gun, and spoil the surprise! Probably be insulted if I tried to tell him his business. |
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Oct 4 2013, 04:04 PM
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#2444
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Dragon Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 4,258 Joined: 9-March 10 From: The Citadel Member No.: 18,267 |
@E:Tribes
[September 1, 2072 22:xx; Outside the Fre∑dom mall, Puyallup] Tank Killers The tacnet suddenly lights up with new threat indicators and you watch in some disbelief as an area of parking suddenly moves…something that you can’t quite see is shunting aside burnt out wrecks and other debris and is accelerating towards the mall. A jet of flame heralds the rocket that springs out of nowhere and surges towards LeO’s location… At the breech the gangers are floundering under this unexpected turn of fortune, the soldiers are less phased and are making for the remaining APC when Jazz suddenly drops out from between them… Sprogget There, you have the node, nodes in fact…you notice in passing that Jazz has dropped into the grating, it’s working…at least until the section of car park where the nodes are comes to life and starts towards you. And then LeO dispassionately reports a radar lock and you see the missile homing fast on the AR window that represents LeO’s POV… [September 1, 2072 22:xx; Mechanicals’ Complex, C&C] Osha Before you can start to treat Spindle his rapidly aging form drops into a couch and you feel his essence wing free. His astral form is a much truer reflection of this man than the husk before you. His rasping voice is the same, but stripped of the honey that he usually uses when he wants his own way. ~Your fool of a brother has kicked the wasp’s nest. Now we need to go and resolve this before he gets stung and brings them down on us! I did not want this fight, now there is no choice. Understand this, he may be family but there will be repercussions for this. There is always a price!~ He and the hulking rat spirit streak away north leaving you with a parting word indicating he’d been listening to your exchanges ~Forget the patrol, send what resources you have to the attack or that mage will run rampant~ |
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Oct 5 2013, 05:35 AM
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#2445
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 619 Joined: 12-October 12 From: Calgary, AB Member No.: 56,960 |
@E:Tribes
September 1, 2072 22:xx; Outside the Fre∑dom mall, Puyallup Bionode: Res 4(5), Sig 2, Sys 4, FW 3; Hidden; Biofeedback Filter(4), Analyze(3), Command(1), Edit(1), Scan(1), Sniffer(3), Spoof(1), Stealth(3), Shield(1), Tacsoft(2), Simrig(1) [ Spoiler ] @self:Yes! There is a node, several! And Jazz made a clean break. Way to go Scrapheap! Come on LeO, stay alive, keep them busy for just a little longer. What the frag is THAT‽ The nodes are moving with it! Radar lock‽ Missile‽ Drek! Knowing it is probably too late, he still has to try. Sprogget sends hasty instructions to the slaved node. @LeO[Sprogget]: <<Emergency power straight down, now!>> @self:If he can just get below the edge of that roof … Then survive having half a building fall on him if the missile hits the edge … @self:That blur|distortion… Magic! He mentally adds a tag to the tacnet for the still not really seen moving area. 'Magic Effect'. |
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Oct 5 2013, 05:46 AM
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#2446
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 619 Joined: 12-October 12 From: Calgary, AB Member No.: 56,960 |
@E:Tribes
September 1, 2072 22:xx; Mechanicals’ Complex, C&C CMT Clip: Response 1, Signal 3, System 1, Firewall 1; Active; SIN: Florence Darkwind (R4) Even as she is aborts her movement towards Spindle, obeying the directive to get what she can to the attack, Oyl is thinking about what some previous items mean. @self:Spindle already knew about the mage, and had at least some indication of the power. Otherwise, he would not have had that monster spirit already prepared. Kicked a hornets nest did he? Did they have enough information to know that's what it was? Did you give him your information? That hording of everything, from everyone, including information from the tribe, has got to stop! If that spirit is any indication, there is no way I can get effective forces into that. I am going to have to use throw away spirits, and just keep calling and sending more! My poor spirits! Every time the mage takes the time to smack one of mine, it will give Spindle and his beast a little more time. I need to MOVE. She barks at Cam, who would not have gotten the astral message. @Cam[Oyl]: “Patrol aborted, Spindle's orders”. Starting to reach for mana, she quickly puts her body on almost auto, to get clear of any people in the room, and get settled for a potentially extended and exhausting session. She is officially 'on duty' now, so she takes one of the chairs at the active consoles. She is too busy now to talk much. Cam is going to have to figure out on his own what is happening. Spindle's body slumped over, her sharp retort and unfocused look should tell him everything he needs right now. Even her near unconscious choice of chair is informative. If not, he should not be coordinating things here. The patrolling spirit only offered a single service, so it is no longer of any use, and she dismisses it. Job complete. Then she gathers herself to call more, repeatedly, as long as she can function. |
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Oct 7 2013, 10:56 PM
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#2447
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 619 Joined: 12-October 12 From: Calgary, AB Member No.: 56,960 |
@E:Tribes
September 1, 2072 22:xx; Mechanicals’ Complex, C&C CMT Clip: Response 1, Signal 3, System 1, Firewall 1; Active; SIN: Florence Darkwind (R4) Pulling the 4 watcher spirits back to her, Oyl thinks, @self:Damn Spindle anyway! He could have waited a few seconds. Rat often hunts in packs. That would have made it a lot easier to give targeting instructions! She gives curt directions. @Watcher Spirits[Oyl]:“Find and report to me the location of the physical body of a mage|not physical adept who may or may not be actually home|in the body right now”. She gives each watcher a different starting location. @Watcher Spirits[Oyl]:“You|watcher 1 start here|{apcs location}|, you|watcher 2 start here|{Sprogget’s location}|, you|watcher 3 start here|{Winter’s location}|, and you|watcher 4 start at the middle between the other 3. Go now”. @self:First one back, or first one disrupted gives me a location! That done, she feels for the form of another plant spirit in astral. It comes to her easily, offering to do a single service and taking minimal effort. @Plant Spirit[Oyl]:“I apologize|feel sorrow for the danger|damage that I need|must|am required to send you to. I need you to use all of your abilities and powers to do as much damage as you can to the physical body of a strong|high level|powerful mage, as fast as you can, until he is unconscious. He may be {out of body} when you arrive”, @self:I feverently hope! @Plant Spirit[Oyl]:“but attack the mage’s body regardless. Defend and protect yourself from others as best you can while doing this. You will find the body …” Waiting for the watchers to do the locating, @Plant Spirit[Oyl]:“{THERE}! Go”! She cancels the searching being done by the other watcher spirits, giving them all new instructions. @Watcher Spirits[Oyl]:“You 2, your focus|person|entity|champion is {Spindle’s aura}, for you other 2, it is {beast spirit aura}. They should be in astral near {mage location}. Go there and attack|distract any that are attacking them, in the astral or physical planes. If none are attacking them, do the same to any that your individual|entity is attacking”. Everything available is active now. She keeps track of what is happening through the mental links, and waits, ready to immediately replace any spirit that is no longer able to continue. The watchers at least, she can re-target, if that seems advisable. Changes for the plant spirits instructions will need a new spirit. |
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Oct 8 2013, 04:29 PM
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#2448
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Dragon Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 4,258 Joined: 9-March 10 From: The Citadel Member No.: 18,267 |
@E:Tribes
September 1, 2072 22:xx; Mechanicals’ Complex, C&C Osha Whilst you work to contain your fuming at Spindle’s obfuscation you send your spirits into the fray, feeling the fear quake of one of your watchers as it approaches the foreign air elemental that is concealing some metal monstrosity. The spirit glares balefully at the watcher but otherwise doesn’t interfere with it as it plunges inside only giving you a brief glimpse of Spindle’s astral form outside as he and his rat spirit snipe ineffectually at the elemental… As your plant spirit approaches you can in fact see that Spindle and the beast are harrying, nipping in quickly and darting away rather than trying to deal significant damage but it is clearly enough to draw the enemy mage as another vengeful astral form emerges…presumably leaving his body unattended for the tender ministrations of your thorny summoning… September 1, 2072 22:xx; Outside the Fre∑dom mall, Puyallup Tank Killers You see the missile emerge from thin air, suddenly designated ‘Magic Effect’ on the tacnet, and streak towards the hovering weapons platform that had just wreaked havoc on the waiting tanks. The damsel has plunged out of sight, hopefully into Scrapheap’s arms, and the soldiers and gangers are reacting like a kicked ant’s nest… LeO plunges precipitously over the edge of the building and then the area is lit by the flash of an explosion…for a moment you are convinced that it is dead but then you get a flickering feed through a broken lens and you realise that LeO is crumpled at the base of the building, barely functioning but never the less miraculously alive Sprogget In the brief moments before LeO makes its desperate evasion attempt you catch a glimpse through the illusion of a silhouette that makes your blood run cold. You could be mistaken but it looked remarkably like an Ares Citymaster and although technically it’s an APC it makes the one you destroyed look like a tinker toy. The feed from LeO flashes out in the explosion and you are grateful you weren’t jumped in. September 1, 2072 22:xx; Astral space outside the Fre∑dom mall, Puyallup Osha As your spirit dodges around the elemental and its battle with Spindle and his beast and enters the metal box you are confronted by fuzzy images of auras that are immediately dismissed as being mundane. Two metal cocoons conceal further auras and it is in one of these that you discover your foe, lying supine and vulnerable to your attack… |
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Oct 9 2013, 12:12 AM
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#2449
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 619 Joined: 12-October 12 From: Calgary, AB Member No.: 56,960 |
@E:Tribes
September 1, 2072 22:xx; Mechanicals’ Complex, C&C CMT Clip: Response 1, Signal 3, System 1, Firewall 1; Active; SIN: Florence Darkwind (R4) Watching through the senses of the spirits, Oyl gets a different sort of birds eye view of the action, limited by what the spirits themselves notice. This is not at all like she is there, and has any direct control over what to look at. What she perceives, is only what the spirits noticed, not what was actually available to the senses. The fear emanating from the one watcher, approaching where the AR had shown a radar source, then confirmed by Fre∑dom C&C as the location of the dissonant, gives her an early hint at the likely location of the mage. Quickly confirmed as the watcher enters the metal structure. @self:A vehicle? Another APC? Spindle outside is a good indication this is the spot too! The plant spirit is a little smarter, a little more observant. It shows in passing a bit more detail about what Spindle and his spirit are doing. The extra aura heading out might be bad news for Spindle, but it is excellent news to her, and spirit she has directed to attack. @self:Aces. With him out, it should take a few extra seconds to respond to an attack on the physical body! Then that should pull attention away from Spindle too. Whipsaw! She pays close attention to what the plant spirit is feeling and sensing, in case she needs to alter the instructions for the next attempt. @self:Mundane auras. More than just the mage in here. How many? More metal boxes with auras inside? Medical life support? No, cocoons, the mage in one, the other? Hiding in a cocoon like that might be good protection from physical attacks, or being tossed around by vehicle movement, but here, it just means the spirit gains that shield from physical attack too! She watches with some glee as the plant spirit pushes into the cocoon protecting, and trapping, the mage's body. Size is not a problem for a spirit. She has no real view, but Oyl can feel the spirit pulling the 'essence' of the cactus plant that it is an aspect of out of the air and mana. She can easily visualize the interlocking spines gripping and holding, as they fill the little space around the mage, slowly squeezing and strangling the now doubly encased body, followed up by direct physical attacks. There is no room to really 'swing' inside the cocoon, but unarmed combat includes choke holds, and other attacks that do not need room to move. @self:That box|trap|cocoon might even protect the spirit from external magical attack! It is a barrier. The spirits found|detected the aura inside, but would there be enough showing to act as a target for a spell? Can an astral form see|perceive|target something inside there, without first going inside as well? I hope not! Any magical attacker should definitely have to be astrally inside the vehicle anyway. Sure looks like this mage was confident in the physical protections, plus being hidden by the spirit. Or the spirit did not offer any extra services to protect it's summoner. Or even that it is unhappy with having to take orders. That powerful of spirit could creatively interpret orders, so that it could ignore my poor little spirits! |
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Oct 9 2013, 12:13 AM
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#2450
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 619 Joined: 12-October 12 From: Calgary, AB Member No.: 56,960 |
@E:Tribes
September 1, 2072 22:xx; Outside the Fre∑dom mall, Puyallup Bionode: Res 4(5), Sig 2, Sys 4, FW 3; Hidden; Biofeedback Filter(4), Analyze(3), Command(1), Edit(1), Scan(1), Sniffer(3), Spoof(1), Stealth(3), Shield(1), Tacsoft(2), Simrig(1) [ Spoiler ] As LeO starts the drastic dive, trying to get some cover from the missile, Sprogget's attention on the apparent launch point is rewarded by a glimpse of a vehicle, before the camera looses LOS. @self:A Citymaster? With missile rack too? Slot! Urging LeO to more speed, and the missle to self destruct, he see that LeO is going to be able to at least avoid a direct hit. The momentary hope cuts off though, as the missile still detonates above Leo. @self:Proximity? LeO is moving away, but is not outside the blast radius. His downward motion is accelerated, pounding him into the ground before he can adjust. There is still a flicker of a signal though, so maybe not quite ready for the drone graveyard yet. Sprogget removes the glitching node from tacnet, sending orders for a full power down, both to reduce the chance of further damage from shorting components, and to make it look dead to anyone looking for signals. Not waiting for the power down to finish, he removes LeO from the slaved nodes list, and tags the nolonger team member icon as disabled. @self:To be checked / salvaged later. If there is a later. Citymaster! He belatedly updates the magical effect tag on tacnet with the information from LeO's final view over the rooftop. Citymaster, missile rack. Not being sure the feed to C&C would have shown it, he sends a quick manual extra. @C&C[Sprogget]: <<Magically hidden Ares Citymaster with missile rack seen {here}>> He instructs DR to keep moving, and to pay extra attention to keeping under cover from any more missiles. After that, he goes back to something he might be able to do something about. Those hidden nodes that match the location of the Citymaster, that the Crack sprite had found before melting back into the resonance it had been formed from. Pouring a little resonance into his existing analyze complex form, he goes through them quickly. Trying to get a feel for what the nodes are, and how powerful the tek behind them is. Keeping an eye out for any Dissonants, after the experience with the rigged drone, and what the Spined Drake had said about 'weird ones'. |
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