[IC] MnM 3e - In the Shadow of Imperator: Deadline

[mrdent12]

Diego Gonzalez
HP: 1
CND: -1 toughness(lasting damage)
Form: solid

She cannot be allowed to keep what was collected. Praetor Null was clear about Dr. Sokolov gathering information on us. If she will not fear disobeying Praetor Null more than Dr. Sokolov, once we all assemble again and save Costas she will need to comply with our masters command or learn what happens to those who disobey him., simply retorts to Diego just as if he was saying the sky is blue.

"No, you are needed more than I am in this mission. I will create the diversion, I will be able to handle the Stronghold scum, and could escape before their reinforces arrive." He turns to Diego. "I trust my assessment is in accordance with yours, Sanders is far too valuable to be left in the hands of the enemy."

Diego thinks for a moment before responding. "While I do not doubt you are more than capable of handling the soldiers and Sanders is certainly a valuable soldier, there is other considerations. If the corporal stays behind, She can likely evade capture and possibly secure us an entrance back into the city. She can also disguise the diversion as something other than an attempt to escape the city. If you attempt to escape after causing the diversion and there is even the slight chance you are followed they may be able to track us with satellites or long range drones.", says Diego in a cold analytic voice. He needed to remember to use a tone that sounds remotely still.

I do not know what awaits us, but the risk of us splitting up in the face of it or being flanked is too great. We may have had our disagreements, but we are still teammates and you are possibly the most powerful among us in a fight. We will also be able to move faster.", adds Diego.

[Camus]

Hitori considers what Diego says, and finally exhales. "Very well, I defer to your superior tactical insights."

[Sakuro]

Like returning home after a long vacation, and remembering where the phone is, Iona is able to discern a means of sending an encrypted message to her patron's suite. Even though she has never done it before, the action feels as familiar as remembering. After it is sent out he receives a notification that the message has been received by it's intended recipient though there is no immediate respond from Dr. Sokolov.

Going back to her study of the unnatural storm progressing towards Hadron City Iona is able to determine that whatever is pulling off the storm's mass is located near the eye of the storm. Broadening her satellite view, and attempting to determine where all this meteorological stuff is being displaced to, she discovers an number of freak weather phenomena appearing over the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Unnatural appearances of very violent storms that peter out quickly with no valid reason for their development or rapid dispersal.

It is a fair assessment. Colonel Costa's chamber wouldn't have any viable samples for the reasons you mentioned.

The Corporal's big brown eyes move back and forth between Hitori and Diego as they discuss what course of action to take. Diego might have said she wasn't anyone's superior, but that was an untruth, and regardless of his words Sander continued to treat the two men with deference. Once they came to an agreement on how to proceed she finally spoke up to answer concerns posed by Diego earlier on.

"There is no easy way to get in or out of the city. I'll work on a plan to get the two of you back inside though. Here. Use it once when you're ready to come back into the city then trash it."

At the word 'here' Sander fished a small black rectangle of a cellphone from the pocket of her brown leather jacket. This she offered up for one of them to take.

[mrdent12]

Diego Gonzalez
HP: 1
CND: -1 toughness(lasting damage)
Form: solid

Diego nods at Sanders. "In my native form, I am not sure I can hold the phone. I still do not have as much control as I would like yet. You may need to hold the phone Hitori.", begins Diego looking to Hitori. Turning his attention back to both of the people with him, Diego looks around. "From what I saw, the gem looked powerful if that was its true appearance and feeling. So, I am not so sure what we will be bringing back. If it saves the Colonels life and the city though it will be worth it. We are in your hands with the bst point of egress from the city. If you also know what might be out there security wise it would be helpful as well. When I entered it was dark and I was not gifted with my current talents.", says Diego.

[Supernaturalist]

Iona
HP:0
Cnd: Normal
PP:0

Iona takes in all the storm-data provided by the computer, and pauses every so often to ponder a technicality. After making several "mental notes" about questions for Dr. Sokolov upon his return, she turns her attention back to Colonel Costa in her make-shift cooling-chamber.

What will you do if her 'rescue-team' is delayed? You'd better have some plan. Tensions are already guaranteed to be high upon their return. Do not compound them with the death of the Colonel.

Iona takes a careful look at the cryogenic chamber, and her mind begins to theorize. I wish Peter were here to help. Ah, but that is water under the bridge. You need to figure out some way to 'overclock' the cooling for as long as possible. It might be necessary to buy a few more precious moments of time. Better safe than sorry.

Iona returns back to the computer interface and looks for any schematics on the cryogenic chamber currently in use. She begins searching for info on the actual cooling-mechanism in an attempt to determine if it is technically possible to run the mechanism at higher than recommended specifications.

I hope it doesn't come to this. Even if possible, many things could go wrong.

[Sakuro]

Once one of you takes the phone from Sander she lowers her hand to her side once more. She cast her gaze outwards, watching the movement of traffic and the actions of Stronghold units while she talked. There was an aggitation to her. She didn't like remaining idle so close to the check point. The longer you loitered, the more likely it was you were to be seen as suspicious.

"There are drone patrols, pursuit vehicles on standby, and motion sensors off of the roads. You will want to stick to the road until you are about a mile out."

She paused for a moment, and though about Diego's apperant request for a suggestion for their actual exodus from the city. Not just what was beyond the check point.

"As for getting out, you could jack someone's vehicle, ID, and appearances while I provide a distraction. I don't know if you have difficulties with that … but one of you may be able to get away with hiding in if you make your exit fast. Before they can do a search of the vehicle."


With some time Iona is able to find the schematics to the original cryogenic container the Dr. Sokolov allowed Iona to make use of. But when she compares the design to what Colonel Costa is contained within, the differences are drastic. Perhaps half of the original remains as it was. The rest is Iona and Peter's improvised construction of a device that can both contain the energies coursing through the Colonel, and provide cooling for her body. One way or another, this construction will not last long term. Iona is able to make a number of theories for way to push out some extra cooling power, at the expense of burning out the equipment faster. But she will need an engineer to help bring her scientific possibilities into the real world ...

Iona and Peter cobbled together something out of an Ascension chamber and the cryo-unit, creating an unholy amalgamation of the two. There are no schematics for this thing in the lab's computers, because the two of you just smashed two things together on the fly. This piece of equipment is already working beyond intended purposes. If you had a HP, I'd let you spend it, when the time came, to Jury-Rig some extra juice of it. But there would be a Technology check with a DC so high that Iona wouldn't be able to pass it even with a 20. With Iona and Peter working together … you would have a chance.

[mrdent12]

Diego Gonzalez
HP: 1
CND: -1 toughness(lasting damage)
Form: solid

"There are drone patrols, pursuit vehicles on standby, and motion sensors off of the roads. You will want to stick to the road until you are about a mile out."

She paused for a moment, and though about Diego's apperant request for a suggestion for their actual exodus from the city. Not just what was beyond the check point.

"As for getting out, you could jack someone's vehicle, ID, and appearances while I provide a distraction. I don't know if you have difficulties with that … but one of you may be able to get away with hiding in if you make your exit fast. Before they can do a search of the vehicle."

Sensing her unease at talking for too long where they were, Diego kept it short. "We should be able to find a vehicle. The disguises should not be too difficult either.", adds Diego. With a tone as one speaks to an equal in combat, verses the normal tone he uses on others of a more assertive leader, Diego adds one more thing before signaling to Hitori to head out. "Stay safe. Once we get the vehicle, we will head towards the gate as if leaving the city. Whatever distraction you can afford us should be sufficient to bypass too much scrutiny. Is the phone secure enough to signal you we are close in a text of some form?", says Diego.

Once out of earshot of Sanders, Diego looks at Hitori. "Does your appearance changing work for anyone? I suspect it will be easier for me to hide if needed. Finding two people who we can take the appearance of should also be simple enough. Once we find a vehicle, we will hopefully be able to get clear of the security perimeter. If there is a place to hide the vehicle, it may also serve as a way back into the city. To be safe, whoever we assume the identities of, we should probably kill and dispose of the bodies if you feel like a snack before heading out. Better to not have two people who look the same on the cameras. Even the simplest of Strongholds men or AI will pick that up quickly.'", says Diego looking around for potential camera dark spots to do the swap and lure a motorist as they walk.

In particular, Diego kept an eye out for marks who didn't seem overly innocent yet not important enough to raise red flags leaving the city. Unfortunately, that ruled out Stronghold soldiers or security personnel. Going after children, mothers, parents, and the like who were innocent was counter productive. Sometimes it was needed to go after some people who looked like they wouldn't be missed such as junkies, drug dealers, or people who could roam the city unaccosted by security yet clearly not he savory sort.

[Supernaturalist]

Iona
HP:0
Cnd: Normal
PP:0

Iona sighs at the immense difficulty of altering the jury-rigged cooling chamber. She looks up from her computer screen and eyes Reaper. All the while she contemplates swallowing her pride and asking Peter to return.

Is there no other way? What if the rescue-team returns in time? Peter's aid would be unnecessary. If he does come back, how can he be kept from trying to secretly acquire more information from the laboratory?

The young cyborg leaves the computer-console and walks back to the instrument-panel on Colonel Costa's cryo-chamber. Iona checks all the pertinent data on the panel before making her calculation.

How much time do I have before the Colonel's body-temperature reaches catastrophic energy-levels? I need to make sure that Peter has at least a couple of hours to work. I could request that he remain upstairs in the med-bay lobby until he is needed. Of course, he may tell me to "pound sand".

OOC: Ok, Iona will try to speculate about how much time the Colonel has left. She wants to leave Peter enough time to do the necessary alterations. Of course, she doesn't want him hanging out in the lab with to much free time. That's when AR hands begin to wander, if you know what I mean. She'd like him to wait upstairs in case he is needed.

After taking a few minutes to formulate just what she wants to say, her head turns to Reaper. "You're sure to think I'm flakey for what I'm about to say, but that cannot be helped. Would you be able to leave and find Peter? Hopefully he has not strayed too far. Tell him he may wait upstairs in the med-bay lobby. He may be needed to make some life-saving adjustments to the Colonel's chamber. If he wants any food - or if you want food too - there's some in the cafeteria area on the main floor. Would you be willing to do this? It's not for me, but for the Colonel."

[Sakuro]

Sander's eyes flicker from Diego to the phone that she'd given him, then back. A single shake of the head was given.

"It isn't secure. Just a cheap prepaid burner. Every time you use it, it is a risk. That's why I advised using it once and trashing it."

When Diego gave the que to set out, the corporal slipped out of the car, leaving the keys in the ignition, and moved down the other end of the alley they were parked. The last you see of her is the dark haired woman turning a corner. Then she is gone.

Diego and Hitori talk amongst themselves for a while. Minutes pass with no noteworthy activity. Then, out of nowhere, the lights around the temporary wall, and those mounted on the armored personnel carriers at the check point all go out. Hitori can still see the human-food moving around. Their heat patterns visible. He could almost taste their lives waiting to be devoured. Diego's vision did not change, but he noted the intensity of light from their varied sources vanish and he could see the reaction it garnered.

While there was some confusion, specially amongst the civilians who were waiting for their chance to leave, Stronghold's people were disciplined and their conduct was orderly. Some people began filing out of the back of the APCs and moving off down a side street on foot where Diego could see some smoke rising. In the meantime those remaining behind were occupied with keeping the civilians from panicking.

Diego and Hitori have their distraction. Feel free to narrate yourselves clear of the city.

When Iona makes her request, Reaper stares at her with machine-like eyes. Initially there is no response. Then she begins stalking towards Iona, only stopping when two of the cyborg's robotic bodyguards interpose themselves between her and the Ascendant of War. At that point Reaper reaches a hand up to her left ear and removes the earbud that had been resting there. This she holds out to Iona like a tiny microphone for her to speak into.

"Ask him yourself."

Try not to use Reaper as a middleman for now. Nareik is dealing with RL and I want to keep puppetting PCs to a minimum.

[mrdent12]

Diego Gonzalez
HP: 2
CND: -1 toughness(lasting damage)
Form: solid

Diego spotted two people next to a car in an alley who looked to be partaking in less than above the board business. One was dressed in a stock broker slick suit while the other a jean jacket hoodie with torn up jeans. Based on the hush tones, it didn't seem like business they wanted heard. Next to them was the perfect vehicle. Not too old and not too new as to attract attention from the guards as the duo left the city. Waiting for the diversion to strike, Diego motioned at Hitori with a general motion that could easily be mistaken as an animated way of saying something. When the power went out, it was time to strike.

Silently, Diego got up behind the jean jacket wearing man and with a seamless motion slit his throat with a hand that became a sharp sword making sure to avoid too much blood spatter. Once the other man fell as well, Diego got to work on the next bit of the plan. Shuffling through the dead mens pockets, he pulled other their wallets and any items that looked like papers. In addition, he searched for the keys hoping one of them was the cars owner. Almost as if this was routine for him, he took off the outer garments of the people and once the bodies were handled shifted into whoever Hitori didn't putting the blokes clothes back on.

In truth, Diego had only done a similar exercise once in his life on a dead man. On a few he knocked out, he took their clothes, but killing people used to be so much more difficult for him. Now, people were pawns. If they looked bad, they were fair game as far as he was concerned. In death, they would have a good use for the cause.

Quickly, while the lights were still out, Diego got into the driver seat and motioned Hitori in as well. As they drove out to join the queue leaving the city, the crowds were finally calming down. While waiting Diego gave the vehicle interior a scan. The cushions were a bit torn, stereo looked to be ill fitting, and there was a bag of white powder on the floor of the drivers side under the seat. Pushing it back in, he thought no more of it. Whatever the diversion was, it took enough guards away so that when Hitori and Diego's turn came up the guards waved them on after checking the ID's. At one point, Diego was about to say something to rush things along, but the honking cars did a better job than he ever could.

Sanders was correct about the city outside. Cars moved along, but drones were clearly visible as well as chase vehicles. One slip up, and things would get nasty fast. Having a near god of combat as his travel companion would have alleviated Diegos worries if he had any though. Once far enough out, Diego pulled the car behind the first cover that would hide it and shifted into his mist form.

If I assumed too much in the write up, let me know. Also, let me know if any rolls required.

[Supernaturalist]

Iona
HP:1
Cnd: Normal
PP:0

Though Reaper does not unnerve Iona to the extent that Hitori does, the young cyborg is still uncomfortable as the inhuman Ascendant approaches.

Iona reluctantly reaches out her hand to gently take the earbud from the humanoid-creature's palm. "Thank you." She says softly.

Pausing a moment as if uncertain about what to say, she finally raises the device to her lips. "Mr. Ezima...this is Iona...your comrade, Reaper, has loaned me this communication device to speak with you." She pauses only another moment to give Peter time to respond.

OOC: Whether or not he does, Iona will continue speaking after a few seconds.

"I have concerns that the mission-team might be delayed up until the time that the Colonel becomes critical in her condition. If that were to happen, then I wish to have a plan in place to buy the Colonel even more time, if possible. Granted that time will not be much, but extra minutes might be crucial." She again pauses to let this 'sink in'.

"I believe it is possible to overclock -so to speak- the cryogenic mechanism beyond its designed limit. This may come at a cost of damaging the mechanism as well as other negative consequences, but it may also be necessary to extend the Colonel's life. It is my desire that you return to the first-floor of Dr. Sokolov's facility and await until such time as your skills are deemed needed. You may use the same first-floor resources as you did pre-Ascendancy as long as it does not involve any internal computer access. The detection of such activity will not only draw the cyber-security counter-measures you experienced before, but the external security as well."

Iona looks back into the face of Reaper and continues to speak to Peter. "I realize that Null's Ascendants regard me as a potential enemy at the moment, but this is not about me. It is about saving the Colonel. Will you cooperate in this endeavor?"

[Sakuro]

There are some tense moments getting out of the city. The hum of a passing drone before you make your move on the drug deal in the alley. A Stronghold mercinary moving to close to where Hitori hid his words in the vehicle before his partner waved the two of you through the check point. Just shy of a mile from the city a chase vehicle with fifty caliberse machine gun mounted on it's roof came speeding up in your rearview mirror, only to past you chase down a group of people who had tried to sneak their way off road out of the city. You hadn't even noticed them … but the drone patrols had.

Eventually the two of you make it past the Stronghold security net. Behind you, you can see Hadron City. From the outside it looked like a fortress on lockdown. Finding some cover to conceal you stolen vehicle you plan the next leg of your trip, now free of Stronghold's pervasive security. Diego can tell that the Eye is a considerable distance to the east and you have already spent four hour working your way through the Under City, the streets up Hadron City, and making your exodus. Your time, or rather Colonel Costa's, is limited.

Whatever means of travel you eventually settle on employing, be it your own mobility or that of a vehicle's, your trip is not interrupted as long as you do not go out of your way to draw attention to yourselves. In time you are traveling through east Kansas farm lands and daylight is beginning to show on the horizon as the sun rise has just begun. Through fields of corn and down dirt roads Diego feels himself being draw to a specific farm. A specific field. Out in the middle of it, somewhere … and below.

Travel time will be dependent on your method of travel. Going under your own power will be slower than going by vehicle, given that Diego would slow Hitori down. Also bear in mind floating around as a speeding nanite cloud, or a man running fast as a car is something that will draw attention. Trying to be sneaky while using your movement powers will slow you down.

There may be long term repercussions for whichever method you use, but nothing will prevent you from reaching the farm.

[mrdent12]

Diego Gonzalez
HP: 2
CND: -1 toughness(lasting damage)
Form: solid

Diego had hoped the gem would be close once they got out of the city. Hope doesn't always work out though. Going in their native forms was fraught with risk. Amongst other things, it meant exposing themselves to the rest of the world and possibly ending up as tabloid fodder. The headline wrote itself Monsters around Hadron City?. It was the last thing the pair needed right now and Diego would prefer to keep their new forms quiet. They still had a vehicle though. Also, they had fake ID's and forms. After witnessing the drone pick up the people leaving the city illegally, he had two reasons to be thankful to have a vehicle now.

Driving where his gut told him, Diego couldn't help but think back to his childhood in Kansas at the art gallery. While he traveled a bit, but his latter years of youth had been spent sometimes just driving aimlessly for hours hoping to see something interesting. He never did. Just like with the drive to find the gem, the landscape looked the same. Somehow, knowing what his new true form was capable made driving even more tedious. Too much was on the line though to let his annoyance get in the way of saving Colonel Costas. He could only imagine the annoyance Hitori must feel.

Sun rise signaled a new challenge. In the dark, they could maneuverer. In the day light, Hitori dropping his ruse or Diego adopting a more powerful form would not only attract tabloids, but the military or Stronghold. Neither would be good. Parking the car just far enough away from the farm yet not in a spot that would draw too much attention, Diego scanned the horizon for any signs of people and routes of access to the field.

Perception 16, Military Expertise 17 are probably the most appropriate skills here. Didn't imagine expertise spy craft would be applicable here. If I am wrong, the expertise becomes 23.

[Sakuro]

This would be a matter of Perception.

Also, I have no idea when corn does and does not grow. I just want the aesthetic, and tactical value, of fields of corn stalks. Suspension of disbelief please.

The farm is well away from any paved roads. A dirt road gradually shows signs of gravel until reaching the drive way of the farm house. The house is a two store structure. To the east is a barn and a cattle pen that is currently empty. While the front half of the property is farmland, the back is mostly open grazing land with some trees further off. There is a car and a truck in the driveway, in front of the house. Though it is early there are some lights are on up at the second floor of the house. But it is the away from the structures, and out in the middle of a corn field that Diego feels himself being drawn to.

[EnigmaticOne]

Peter Ezima
HP: 1

Peter was surprised at the sudden turnaround. But not unwilling to see if he could milk it. "'That you get to leave with your lives is my compromise.' It's what you said, Iona. I offered a cleaning of the slate and cease of espionage, but you were the one who threatened violence that could have endangered Colonel Costa to begin with. As such, here are my terms. You will take Reaper with you and destroy the nanite samples you've collected. After she verifies this, then I will enter the first floor and wait as you request."