Re: The Phenomenal Fracas! (GBS2G6): [Round One: Afterparty]
07-24-2010, 07:13 PM
Originally posted on MSPA by SleepingOrange.
The scientist was probably fairly startled by the appearance of the menacing four-armed monster, but it wasn't a patch on the utter shock Laguja was feeling. It hadn't felt the approach of a mind, and even as the cackling metallic thing filled Muriegro's vision, there was no trace of thought that the pincushion's magic could find. It was an incredibly disturbing experience: even animals and monsters had primitive-but-obvious minds, and there were even ways of detecting and communicating with plants, but it was as though this Sadie thing wasn't even there. Jaguja briefly considered that perhaps it was an illusion, but an exploratory read of the local magic dismissed the possibility. In the several nonplussed seconds the divine weapon and its puppet lost by wondering at this ineffable mystery, Sadie had advanced quite a bit. "SADIE WONDERS WHAT THE LITTLE MEAT CREATURES ARE DOING IN HER BUILDING. SADIE SEES THAT THE ARE NOT FROM THE LOCK BUT SHE THINKS SHE HATES THEM ANYWAY. WOULD YOU MIND DYING, MEATY LITTLE TRESSPASSERS?"
Riko stared at the bizarre chortling robot that was even now approaching. It was a strange combination of extremely-advanced parts and inelegant designs, coupled of course with its clearly-erratic programming. It seemed to be artificially intelligent (or at least artificially insane), which coupled with its primitive construction gave the impression of something created by an amateur designer with access to materials above his skill level or perhaps an experimental or in-development version of something. Either way, it was obviously dangerous and unstable and probably merited further study. "... WOULD YOU MIND DYING, MEATY LITTLE TRESSPASSERS?"
Laguja wasn't sure what to do. The mindless thing before it was clearly intent on violence, and the way its (her?) metallic, pointed claws glinted in the reddish light hinted at a great talent for it. Given that there was no way the pincushion could exert its most effective magic on something with no apparent brain, it would be forced to use its flashier, less powerful spells; this, in turn, would be hard to keep hidden from its accomplice and force it to exert more energy and concentration constantly altering the man's memories. It wasn't even really an option. Nor, Laguja suspected, was having Muriegro attack whatever that Sadie thing was; it seemed doubtful that the knife could penetrate her metallic plating, and even if it did the real damage was in the poison. There was little reason to believe the poison would affect the steely apparition. The priest took a few cautious steps backward, but had nowhere to retreat but to the elevator.
Riko, on the other hand, took more initiative: he pulled out a thin flask of some clear fluid; Muriegro didn't recognize the characters, and Laguja had know idea what HCl (12M) was supposed to mean, but they assumed it was somehow dangerous when the scientist hurled the flask directly at the oncoming monster's chest. "SILLY MONKEYS THINK THEY CAN BEAT SADIE HA HA HA HA SADIE WILL SHOW WORTHLESS SILLY MONKEYS WHAT THEIR INSIDES LOOK LIKE HAHAHAHA HA HA SADIE WILL SHOW THEM THEY CANNOT HOPE TO TOUCH HER WITH THEIR STUPID ACID AND THEIR DULL KNIVES." As the flask approached the maniacal machine's chassis, one of her spindly arms moved at lightning speed to intercept it; slender digits grasped the neck, delicately and precisely latching on without shattering the thin glass. Her arm arced back in a circle, maintaining the projectile's momentum and releasing it at the peak of her swing to send it flying back towards Riko.
The chemist cursed himself for assuming such a poorly-programmed machine would lack the sensors or the ability to react to such an obvious attack. The sheer fact that it was moving so quickly and coordinating that many limbs should have indicated that even if its higher logic programs were faulty, its basic motor ones weren't. He took a flying leap that was really more like a panicked dive to the right, hiding behind one of the sanguine pillars; he was slightly relieved to see his backwards companion had the sense to do likewise with another pillar on the other side of the room. The flask of hydrochloric hit the floor exactly where they'd been standing a moment ago and began hissing as it reacted with whatever material this place was made of. They had been lucky Sadie was still as far away as she was, or they wouldn't have had time to dodge at all; as it was, it was a near miss.
Riko ran over his options in his head. Retreat didn't seem like a viable option, as the robot would doubtlessly pull open the doors to the elevator and maul them before they could get away; fighting her at close quarters was likewise foolish, judging by her size and accuracy. That left either using up one of his precious potions to augment himself or the priest to a point where they could actually overcome the psychotic machine or testing one of the probably-unfinished weapons he happened to have on his person. Neither option was very attractive, but as Sadie pounded closer, screaming and laughing, he reasoned that being eviscerated wasn't particularly appealing either.
The scientist was probably fairly startled by the appearance of the menacing four-armed monster, but it wasn't a patch on the utter shock Laguja was feeling. It hadn't felt the approach of a mind, and even as the cackling metallic thing filled Muriegro's vision, there was no trace of thought that the pincushion's magic could find. It was an incredibly disturbing experience: even animals and monsters had primitive-but-obvious minds, and there were even ways of detecting and communicating with plants, but it was as though this Sadie thing wasn't even there. Jaguja briefly considered that perhaps it was an illusion, but an exploratory read of the local magic dismissed the possibility. In the several nonplussed seconds the divine weapon and its puppet lost by wondering at this ineffable mystery, Sadie had advanced quite a bit. "SADIE WONDERS WHAT THE LITTLE MEAT CREATURES ARE DOING IN HER BUILDING. SADIE SEES THAT THE ARE NOT FROM THE LOCK BUT SHE THINKS SHE HATES THEM ANYWAY. WOULD YOU MIND DYING, MEATY LITTLE TRESSPASSERS?"
Riko stared at the bizarre chortling robot that was even now approaching. It was a strange combination of extremely-advanced parts and inelegant designs, coupled of course with its clearly-erratic programming. It seemed to be artificially intelligent (or at least artificially insane), which coupled with its primitive construction gave the impression of something created by an amateur designer with access to materials above his skill level or perhaps an experimental or in-development version of something. Either way, it was obviously dangerous and unstable and probably merited further study. "... WOULD YOU MIND DYING, MEATY LITTLE TRESSPASSERS?"
Laguja wasn't sure what to do. The mindless thing before it was clearly intent on violence, and the way its (her?) metallic, pointed claws glinted in the reddish light hinted at a great talent for it. Given that there was no way the pincushion could exert its most effective magic on something with no apparent brain, it would be forced to use its flashier, less powerful spells; this, in turn, would be hard to keep hidden from its accomplice and force it to exert more energy and concentration constantly altering the man's memories. It wasn't even really an option. Nor, Laguja suspected, was having Muriegro attack whatever that Sadie thing was; it seemed doubtful that the knife could penetrate her metallic plating, and even if it did the real damage was in the poison. There was little reason to believe the poison would affect the steely apparition. The priest took a few cautious steps backward, but had nowhere to retreat but to the elevator.
Riko, on the other hand, took more initiative: he pulled out a thin flask of some clear fluid; Muriegro didn't recognize the characters, and Laguja had know idea what HCl (12M) was supposed to mean, but they assumed it was somehow dangerous when the scientist hurled the flask directly at the oncoming monster's chest. "SILLY MONKEYS THINK THEY CAN BEAT SADIE HA HA HA HA SADIE WILL SHOW WORTHLESS SILLY MONKEYS WHAT THEIR INSIDES LOOK LIKE HAHAHAHA HA HA SADIE WILL SHOW THEM THEY CANNOT HOPE TO TOUCH HER WITH THEIR STUPID ACID AND THEIR DULL KNIVES." As the flask approached the maniacal machine's chassis, one of her spindly arms moved at lightning speed to intercept it; slender digits grasped the neck, delicately and precisely latching on without shattering the thin glass. Her arm arced back in a circle, maintaining the projectile's momentum and releasing it at the peak of her swing to send it flying back towards Riko.
The chemist cursed himself for assuming such a poorly-programmed machine would lack the sensors or the ability to react to such an obvious attack. The sheer fact that it was moving so quickly and coordinating that many limbs should have indicated that even if its higher logic programs were faulty, its basic motor ones weren't. He took a flying leap that was really more like a panicked dive to the right, hiding behind one of the sanguine pillars; he was slightly relieved to see his backwards companion had the sense to do likewise with another pillar on the other side of the room. The flask of hydrochloric hit the floor exactly where they'd been standing a moment ago and began hissing as it reacted with whatever material this place was made of. They had been lucky Sadie was still as far away as she was, or they wouldn't have had time to dodge at all; as it was, it was a near miss.
Riko ran over his options in his head. Retreat didn't seem like a viable option, as the robot would doubtlessly pull open the doors to the elevator and maul them before they could get away; fighting her at close quarters was likewise foolish, judging by her size and accuracy. That left either using up one of his precious potions to augment himself or the priest to a point where they could actually overcome the psychotic machine or testing one of the probably-unfinished weapons he happened to have on his person. Neither option was very attractive, but as Sadie pounded closer, screaming and laughing, he reasoned that being eviscerated wasn't particularly appealing either.