Re: The Great Belligerency [Round 2: New Shambhala]
11-08-2010, 04:37 AM
Originally posted on MSPA by slipsicle.
The extra-dimensional jolt of the round transition woke the girl from unconsciousness; the anomalies caused by the Door to Everything had easily overwhelmed her mortal mind, despite all its technological enhancements. She caught the tailing end of the Executor's introduction before a patio materialized around her, looking out across a beautiful sea of architectural wonders. Towers rose and curved fluidly, some changing shape visibly as their flexible interiors rearranged to accommodate their user's needs. Rivers of glowing pearls wove their way between the buildings, each a vehicle, each unique, each a proud exclamation of their driver's individuality, never confining themselves to the rigid gridlike network of most transportation highways, instead belaying the naturalistic influences of the city itself. The setting sun kissed the tops of the lowest towers, before abandoning them to the slowly creeping darkness, heralding the coming of night.
The girl smiled. This was her kind of round.
She turned and began walking. Within moments her adaptive hacking software had infiltrated the city's network, and maintenance schematics of her immediate location superimposed themselves on her view. She moved through the membranous surface of the window/wall combination separating the patio from its parent habitat.
Reinhardt.
He answered readily.
I was expecting you.
Good. Now that the message is out, we probably won't get any replies for a while. So until then, I am yours to command.
Reinhardt smiled. He turned, and began to walk out of the observation room, finding himself on a catwalk of sorts.
I see in this city great potential. Its value as a tool to further our cause will undoubtedly be unmatched.
It is for this reason that I intend to conquer this city.
The girl placed her palm on a keypad. Tiny filaments were extruded from her skin, like silvery hair, penetrating the keypad. It beeped, and as the girl walk through the door, out of the habitat, and into a long, white, curving hallway, a corner of her mouth rose in a slight grin.
Your ambition is admirable. I shall assist you. This city, like all sufficiently advanced human cities, has a "cloud" of information pulsing through it. From the moment we arrived I have gained access to this cloud, and the information contained within. I have since been trawling the more mundane, day-to-day communications between its regular citizens. I've only just touched the surface, but from what I can tell, there is little to no discontent throughout the city. Minor squabbles about funding for various research projects, citizenship passes and the like. Nothing we can use to put you to the top.
Fortunately, I have had extensive experience in manufacturing problems.
The girl squatted suddenly in the hallway, and her probing fingers revealed a well-concealed access hatch, leading into the underworks of that sector. She jumped down the ladder, landing and rolling gracefully. She allowed her momentum to carry her forwards, and broke into a run through the well-kept maintenance corridors, approaching her usual blur-like speed with ease.
The citizens of this city are fiercely loyal to the Administration; a group of fifteen high-ranking academics. If we are to engineer your takeover, we have to find a way to paint you as a force of good, on the side of the Administration. The best scenario would be one where we put your tactical expertise to use.
She stopped at a seemingly arbitrary location, and pried open another access hatch, emerging into a small locker room, with one occupant. Given that it was evening, most of the lights were off. The dossier she'd assembled on this room indicated she'd caught the tail end of a shift change. She crept out from the darkness, surveying her target. His physique was a bit more solid than her slight figure, and he was a good six centimeters shorter than her as well. It would have to do.
The man was rummaging around his locker for something, still in plainclothes, when she snapped his neck. Moving quickly, she laid him out on the floor, pressing a finger to his neck briefly to get a better read on his bone structure, before straightening and looking down at him.
At first nothing happened. Then, gradually, her body began to... shift. Bones lengthened, grew in volume, and moved slightly all along her body. Her shoulders broadened by a small amount, and her stature became slightly more squat. Her hips narrowed, and her face took on slightly more masculine features. She was still, quite obviously, a woman; she could not change *that* much. But she would fit into the man's custom-made uniform and, on passing, resemble him.
She also looked nothing like she did previously.
She turned, and gathered the man's tools and uniform from the locker, and continued explaining her plan to Reinhardt.
I shall create a rebellion, from nothing, which you will then stamp out. We're pressed for time, given we don't know how long it will be until another contestant dies, so I'm not going to be able to do this they way I'd usually prefer.
I shall instead assassinate a member of the Administration, staging it such that the blame is pinned on a heretofore unknown rebellion. The security forces of this city are inexperienced in the ways of actual combat; they deal mostly with corporate espionage charges and soothing hurt feelings between hot-headed academics. Which is why you will rise to fill the gap this city never knew it had.
She straightened her visor, looking at herself in the mirror. She'd have to do something about her hair... but other than that, the outfit was complete. The sleek blue-and-orange coveralls of a maintenance worker fit her new figure perfectly, and the red visor covering here eyes and ears further obfuscated her actual appearance. She made her way over to a hygiene station to fix her hair, and continued.
I will be the leader of this rebellion, and will communicate to you, using this link, anything you require to fulfill your role. Likewise, should you need an act of sabotage to conveniently prove that you are needed or somesuch, let me know.
Oh, and, Reinhardt,
A new image, which had been idling in the corner of her vision, brought itself up into her view. It showed a rather out-of-place looking armored man stomping through a well-manicured alleyway, approaching a rather empty street, down on the surface of the city, far below the sweeping towers.
You may want to find something a little more... period-appropriate.
Reinhardt made a face.
I concur.
There's a clothing store not far from your current location. I'll create an account for you, tied to your DNA... uh, basically you'll be able to just walk in, find what you want, and walk out without any trouble. I'm programming the broach with its location.
Reinhardt felt the unmistakable tug of the broach on his mind, leading him towards the store.
There is one more thing. I've just intercepted a priority call to the security branch of Laboratory District 7b. There has apparently been an explosion and subsequent hull breach in the area. No doubt caused by one of us. On that vein, we'll both have to take advantage of opportunities presented in the inevitable chaos sowed by the the other contestants. I've already begun inserting rumors of terrorism into the local data flow.
Very good. Continue with your reports and your plan, for now. I believe I can take it from here. Allow me to get a feel for this city's people, for a while. I must lay my own groundwork before I begin my rise to power.
He could almost sense the girl beginning to protest.
Do not worry. Like you, I have done this before.
The girl begrudgingly acknowledged, and fell silent. The two collaborators continued on their respective paths.
The extra-dimensional jolt of the round transition woke the girl from unconsciousness; the anomalies caused by the Door to Everything had easily overwhelmed her mortal mind, despite all its technological enhancements. She caught the tailing end of the Executor's introduction before a patio materialized around her, looking out across a beautiful sea of architectural wonders. Towers rose and curved fluidly, some changing shape visibly as their flexible interiors rearranged to accommodate their user's needs. Rivers of glowing pearls wove their way between the buildings, each a vehicle, each unique, each a proud exclamation of their driver's individuality, never confining themselves to the rigid gridlike network of most transportation highways, instead belaying the naturalistic influences of the city itself. The setting sun kissed the tops of the lowest towers, before abandoning them to the slowly creeping darkness, heralding the coming of night.
The girl smiled. This was her kind of round.
She turned and began walking. Within moments her adaptive hacking software had infiltrated the city's network, and maintenance schematics of her immediate location superimposed themselves on her view. She moved through the membranous surface of the window/wall combination separating the patio from its parent habitat.
Reinhardt.
He answered readily.
I was expecting you.
Good. Now that the message is out, we probably won't get any replies for a while. So until then, I am yours to command.
Reinhardt smiled. He turned, and began to walk out of the observation room, finding himself on a catwalk of sorts.
I see in this city great potential. Its value as a tool to further our cause will undoubtedly be unmatched.
It is for this reason that I intend to conquer this city.
The girl placed her palm on a keypad. Tiny filaments were extruded from her skin, like silvery hair, penetrating the keypad. It beeped, and as the girl walk through the door, out of the habitat, and into a long, white, curving hallway, a corner of her mouth rose in a slight grin.
Your ambition is admirable. I shall assist you. This city, like all sufficiently advanced human cities, has a "cloud" of information pulsing through it. From the moment we arrived I have gained access to this cloud, and the information contained within. I have since been trawling the more mundane, day-to-day communications between its regular citizens. I've only just touched the surface, but from what I can tell, there is little to no discontent throughout the city. Minor squabbles about funding for various research projects, citizenship passes and the like. Nothing we can use to put you to the top.
Fortunately, I have had extensive experience in manufacturing problems.
The girl squatted suddenly in the hallway, and her probing fingers revealed a well-concealed access hatch, leading into the underworks of that sector. She jumped down the ladder, landing and rolling gracefully. She allowed her momentum to carry her forwards, and broke into a run through the well-kept maintenance corridors, approaching her usual blur-like speed with ease.
The citizens of this city are fiercely loyal to the Administration; a group of fifteen high-ranking academics. If we are to engineer your takeover, we have to find a way to paint you as a force of good, on the side of the Administration. The best scenario would be one where we put your tactical expertise to use.
She stopped at a seemingly arbitrary location, and pried open another access hatch, emerging into a small locker room, with one occupant. Given that it was evening, most of the lights were off. The dossier she'd assembled on this room indicated she'd caught the tail end of a shift change. She crept out from the darkness, surveying her target. His physique was a bit more solid than her slight figure, and he was a good six centimeters shorter than her as well. It would have to do.
The man was rummaging around his locker for something, still in plainclothes, when she snapped his neck. Moving quickly, she laid him out on the floor, pressing a finger to his neck briefly to get a better read on his bone structure, before straightening and looking down at him.
At first nothing happened. Then, gradually, her body began to... shift. Bones lengthened, grew in volume, and moved slightly all along her body. Her shoulders broadened by a small amount, and her stature became slightly more squat. Her hips narrowed, and her face took on slightly more masculine features. She was still, quite obviously, a woman; she could not change *that* much. But she would fit into the man's custom-made uniform and, on passing, resemble him.
She also looked nothing like she did previously.
She turned, and gathered the man's tools and uniform from the locker, and continued explaining her plan to Reinhardt.
I shall create a rebellion, from nothing, which you will then stamp out. We're pressed for time, given we don't know how long it will be until another contestant dies, so I'm not going to be able to do this they way I'd usually prefer.
I shall instead assassinate a member of the Administration, staging it such that the blame is pinned on a heretofore unknown rebellion. The security forces of this city are inexperienced in the ways of actual combat; they deal mostly with corporate espionage charges and soothing hurt feelings between hot-headed academics. Which is why you will rise to fill the gap this city never knew it had.
She straightened her visor, looking at herself in the mirror. She'd have to do something about her hair... but other than that, the outfit was complete. The sleek blue-and-orange coveralls of a maintenance worker fit her new figure perfectly, and the red visor covering here eyes and ears further obfuscated her actual appearance. She made her way over to a hygiene station to fix her hair, and continued.
I will be the leader of this rebellion, and will communicate to you, using this link, anything you require to fulfill your role. Likewise, should you need an act of sabotage to conveniently prove that you are needed or somesuch, let me know.
Oh, and, Reinhardt,
A new image, which had been idling in the corner of her vision, brought itself up into her view. It showed a rather out-of-place looking armored man stomping through a well-manicured alleyway, approaching a rather empty street, down on the surface of the city, far below the sweeping towers.
You may want to find something a little more... period-appropriate.
Reinhardt made a face.
I concur.
There's a clothing store not far from your current location. I'll create an account for you, tied to your DNA... uh, basically you'll be able to just walk in, find what you want, and walk out without any trouble. I'm programming the broach with its location.
Reinhardt felt the unmistakable tug of the broach on his mind, leading him towards the store.
There is one more thing. I've just intercepted a priority call to the security branch of Laboratory District 7b. There has apparently been an explosion and subsequent hull breach in the area. No doubt caused by one of us. On that vein, we'll both have to take advantage of opportunities presented in the inevitable chaos sowed by the the other contestants. I've already begun inserting rumors of terrorism into the local data flow.
Very good. Continue with your reports and your plan, for now. I believe I can take it from here. Allow me to get a feel for this city's people, for a while. I must lay my own groundwork before I begin my rise to power.
He could almost sense the girl beginning to protest.
Do not worry. Like you, I have done this before.
The girl begrudgingly acknowledged, and fell silent. The two collaborators continued on their respective paths.