Re: The Great Belligerency [Round 2: New Shambhala]
06-03-2011, 10:36 PM
Originally posted on MSPA by Dragon Fogel.
Cole put down the aircycle, and Ambrose walked over to a nearby wall.
"This camera," she said absentmindedly, as she plugged a cord into it. "It's where the trail stops. I think it's been hacked. If I poke around a bit, maybe I can see where the hacker's signal came from."
Cole stood around impatiently.
"Fine. Just as long as it leads me to Reinhardt."
***
The alert caught the girl off guard. Someone was tracking her, even with the city in a state of chaos? That was potentially dangerous. She did not wish to be exposed.
Checking the camera feed, she saw a young girl attempting to break through her encryption systems. A quick check revealed that this hacker was one of Minotaurus' associates; in fact, her vehicle had been sabotaged earlier as a precautionary measure.
And furthermore, the insect man was with her. He had been designated as one of the girl's opponents; that meant it was critical to keep him in the dark if at all possible, in case he acted against her in a later round. It was unlikely that Ambrose Lom would find anything particularly incriminating, but the girl did not wish to take the risk.
Fortunately, there was a squad near their location. They took orders from Reinhardt, of course, but there was little need to go through him; that was what voice manipulation programs were for, after all.
She sent the orders promptly, and noted that the insect-man needed to be taken alive if possible; it was essential that he be interrogated. Of course, the real reason for the order was that Reinhardt's control of New Shambhala would be jeopardized if the round suddenly ended.
She then set up some scrambling routines to trigger on the offchance the hacker accessed the camera before the troops arrived.
Business was taken care of. She found herself wondering how Phil was doing. He'd likely be going for lunch about now.
She headed off towards the lunchroom to find him.
***
"Damn! I'm in, but this system looks like a mess. There should be a signal to follow somewhere, but it may take me some time... Whoa!"
Suddenly, the ground shook beneath their feet. Cole almost reflexively copied an ant in order to hold himself firmly to the ground; Ambrose grabbed a nearby post.
"What was that?" Cole asked.
"Well, we don't get earthquakes up here. That's got to be an engine failure. That's... bad. Especially with this Vanhart guy running things - I doubt he's going to organize a proper evacuation." Ambrose sighed. "I'm not even sure what to do now."
"I do," Cole replied. He looked at the aircycle; it had been overturned by the tremor.
"How do you start this vehicle?"
"What? I don't understand. It's too dangerous to actually use..."
"Never mind. Just press whatever buttons you need to press, except the last one. Then show me which one it is. And be quick!"
She obeyed.
"And after that, I'd just pull this switch," she said.
"Good. Now brace yourself. This is going to hurt a bit."
He suddenly picked her up with one arm; she screamed as the bioelectricity shocked her, but she was too weak to escape his grip. Cole quickly removed his hearing organs to avoid the distraction, then flew up to the nearest stable rooftop.
He put Ambrose down for a moment, and looked to the ground. A group of soldiers soon arrived, examining the abandoned cycle.
"They're not exactly quiet," he said, mostly to himself. "All those footsteps..."
He flew down a bit, and just as the soldiers noticed him, he fired a strand of web downward.
It struck the switch Ambrose had pointed to before. A small tug on the web flipped it.
The aircycle started up, then exploded. Cole flew back up.
"I imagine they have a separate evacuation shuttle for VIPs," he said to Ambrose, picking her up again; she didn't scream as much this time, though the shock still made her wince. "You'll be on it. Reinhardt won't."
A voice spoke to him in his mind.
Finally found you.
"Ah, I was wondering where you'd gone. I'm going to kill Reinhardt now. I believe you may know where he's headed?"
***
"You want us to maintain the lockdown at the ports, sir?" the soldier exclaimed incredulously.
"Yes! We cannot allow these alien terrorists to escape, at any cost!" Reinhardt shouted. "We have to show right now that we will stop them at any cost. Only one shuttle will be leaving, and only those who have my full trust will be on it. Understood?"
"...I understand, sir."
"Good. Spread the order. And fetch the young lady, will you? She has been a valuable ally, I wouldn't want her to be left behind."
He paused.
"But don't bother informing Girnham of the evacuation shuttle. Tell him to hunt down threats still in the city. That is all."
"...Yes, sir."
There was a pause, as Reinhardt turned away.
The soldier reached for his gun. This madman was the one they had allowed to lead the city? He'd only made things worse! And now he was going to let the city die!
He raised his pistol.
Reinhardt turned as he heard the gunshot. He saw the soldier collapse to the ground, a hole fired through his helmet.
"How inconvenient," he said to himself. "Now I'll need to issue the orders all over again."
Cole put down the aircycle, and Ambrose walked over to a nearby wall.
"This camera," she said absentmindedly, as she plugged a cord into it. "It's where the trail stops. I think it's been hacked. If I poke around a bit, maybe I can see where the hacker's signal came from."
Cole stood around impatiently.
"Fine. Just as long as it leads me to Reinhardt."
***
The alert caught the girl off guard. Someone was tracking her, even with the city in a state of chaos? That was potentially dangerous. She did not wish to be exposed.
Checking the camera feed, she saw a young girl attempting to break through her encryption systems. A quick check revealed that this hacker was one of Minotaurus' associates; in fact, her vehicle had been sabotaged earlier as a precautionary measure.
And furthermore, the insect man was with her. He had been designated as one of the girl's opponents; that meant it was critical to keep him in the dark if at all possible, in case he acted against her in a later round. It was unlikely that Ambrose Lom would find anything particularly incriminating, but the girl did not wish to take the risk.
Fortunately, there was a squad near their location. They took orders from Reinhardt, of course, but there was little need to go through him; that was what voice manipulation programs were for, after all.
She sent the orders promptly, and noted that the insect-man needed to be taken alive if possible; it was essential that he be interrogated. Of course, the real reason for the order was that Reinhardt's control of New Shambhala would be jeopardized if the round suddenly ended.
She then set up some scrambling routines to trigger on the offchance the hacker accessed the camera before the troops arrived.
Business was taken care of. She found herself wondering how Phil was doing. He'd likely be going for lunch about now.
She headed off towards the lunchroom to find him.
***
"Damn! I'm in, but this system looks like a mess. There should be a signal to follow somewhere, but it may take me some time... Whoa!"
Suddenly, the ground shook beneath their feet. Cole almost reflexively copied an ant in order to hold himself firmly to the ground; Ambrose grabbed a nearby post.
"What was that?" Cole asked.
"Well, we don't get earthquakes up here. That's got to be an engine failure. That's... bad. Especially with this Vanhart guy running things - I doubt he's going to organize a proper evacuation." Ambrose sighed. "I'm not even sure what to do now."
"I do," Cole replied. He looked at the aircycle; it had been overturned by the tremor.
"How do you start this vehicle?"
"What? I don't understand. It's too dangerous to actually use..."
"Never mind. Just press whatever buttons you need to press, except the last one. Then show me which one it is. And be quick!"
She obeyed.
"And after that, I'd just pull this switch," she said.
"Good. Now brace yourself. This is going to hurt a bit."
He suddenly picked her up with one arm; she screamed as the bioelectricity shocked her, but she was too weak to escape his grip. Cole quickly removed his hearing organs to avoid the distraction, then flew up to the nearest stable rooftop.
He put Ambrose down for a moment, and looked to the ground. A group of soldiers soon arrived, examining the abandoned cycle.
"They're not exactly quiet," he said, mostly to himself. "All those footsteps..."
He flew down a bit, and just as the soldiers noticed him, he fired a strand of web downward.
It struck the switch Ambrose had pointed to before. A small tug on the web flipped it.
The aircycle started up, then exploded. Cole flew back up.
"I imagine they have a separate evacuation shuttle for VIPs," he said to Ambrose, picking her up again; she didn't scream as much this time, though the shock still made her wince. "You'll be on it. Reinhardt won't."
A voice spoke to him in his mind.
Finally found you.
"Ah, I was wondering where you'd gone. I'm going to kill Reinhardt now. I believe you may know where he's headed?"
***
"You want us to maintain the lockdown at the ports, sir?" the soldier exclaimed incredulously.
"Yes! We cannot allow these alien terrorists to escape, at any cost!" Reinhardt shouted. "We have to show right now that we will stop them at any cost. Only one shuttle will be leaving, and only those who have my full trust will be on it. Understood?"
"...I understand, sir."
"Good. Spread the order. And fetch the young lady, will you? She has been a valuable ally, I wouldn't want her to be left behind."
He paused.
"But don't bother informing Girnham of the evacuation shuttle. Tell him to hunt down threats still in the city. That is all."
"...Yes, sir."
There was a pause, as Reinhardt turned away.
The soldier reached for his gun. This madman was the one they had allowed to lead the city? He'd only made things worse! And now he was going to let the city die!
He raised his pistol.
Reinhardt turned as he heard the gunshot. He saw the soldier collapse to the ground, a hole fired through his helmet.
"How inconvenient," he said to himself. "Now I'll need to issue the orders all over again."
There's no reason for this | Or this | Death is inevitable | You can't challenge fate | The smallest change | I'm overwhelmed
I'm serious | It makes perfect sense | Easy as ABC! | I can't even explain it | Cleaning up someone else's mess
I suck | I rule | I've got it made | Really, I'm serious | This bugs me | It's all lies | I want to believe | Beauty is a curse
I'm serious | It makes perfect sense | Easy as ABC! | I can't even explain it | Cleaning up someone else's mess
I suck | I rule | I've got it made | Really, I'm serious | This bugs me | It's all lies | I want to believe | Beauty is a curse