Subject: Re: Genesis Crisis: Resurgence IC Sun Jul 02, 2017 12:18 pm
Peterny - Old Guards Prison Nadenka Orlov
Nadenka was surprised by the reaction from Alexei, she thought she would be laughed at, or being called as hypocrite as no one could be actually selfless. Alexei reaction to her statement was kind of mediocre, and Nadenka was not really sure how she should take this.
She cleared throat, "Anyways, what do you think? Can you manage it?" she asked Alexei, "You probably need to learn fast, I won't be here forever you know." She smiled weakly, but there was no gloominess on her face.
Even Farrington renamed him in the last minute, Belobog did not show any sign of surprise and just embraced it like it was his name
Belobog gave polite gesture of greeting just like ordinary Kaddathians' soldier would do. The defeat had made Belobog study their body gestures and imitate to its perfection.
Well, he was supposed to be in disguise of Old Guard after all.
When Maxim was talking with the High General, Belobog quickly looked at Alina Grey for her weapon, and her pose. For the person who alone with enemies, she looked pretty confident.
It was either she was confident with her skill, or she had back-ups. In any case, Belobog patiently waited and observed.
Payne Celebrity Composer
Posts : 6261 Join date : 2013-07-13 Age : 33 Location : Sitting alone outside a door that someone else kicked in. I'll wait for all eternity. Won't you invite me in?
"Because Rise seems convinced I should just tell you th..." Marcus let the thought trail off, eyes wide. What was it about this girl that made it so easy to be honest with her? He'd almost just let the whole thing slip because telling her things just came naturally. She'd make a hell of a reporter if this was the case for anyone. They'd just spill all of their secrets.
"You're nosy." Marcus grumbled to cover up his fumble. Sure, he wanted her to know, but now wasn't the time, and this dust mite nest definitely wasn't the place. "Did you know that?"
So, the bodyguard wasn't really a bodyguard, or at least that wasn't all. Alina remembered Jane mentioning one of Farrington's tells from an old poker game. His voice rose an octave for the first second when he told a lie.
The other man was even more a mystery though. Nothing about him said 'doctor', aside from the title Farrington gave him. No, the faceless nature of his presence said 'spy'.
"Aren't you just the cutest?" Alina responded, with humor. "While I appreciate your preparedness, our medical staff will look into the young lady's heritage. It's not that I don't trust you, but..." She paused for a moment, giving Maxim a wide grin. "Well, I don't trust you."
She took a small canister with a needle and a trigger on one end from her pocket, sitting it on the table beside Ariana. "You may have your doctor inspect it for you, if you'd like, but before we proceed further, our staff will require a fresh blood sample."
"He carries himself like a commander, not a soldier." Keynes responded, keeping his eyes on Maxim. "I don't suspect that he'll do anything here, not while he's in the hot seat."
"If anyone is going to cause a fuss, it'll be the bodyguard. I wouldn't want to brawl with that guy, and we both know that's saying a lot." He chanced another glance at the man introduced as Lieutenant Alderson before punching a key on the desk beside him.
"Soldier reference. Command rank and file. Alderson. Lieutenant." The computer hummed to life for a second before responding.
"No record found for Lieutenant Alderson."
"Two records found for surname Alderson."
"Ranks, full names, status', and current orders."
"Major Steven Alderson, retired, honorably discharged at age 50. Captain Matthias Alderson, deceased, last ordered to former Commander Chastenay's security detail."
Keynes raised an eyebrow in Lecarde's direction. It was possible that the two could be the same, but he somehow doubted it.
Prisma*Illya Paramount Pagemaster
Posts : 34037 Join date : 2013-07-11 Age : 33 Location : The Black Versailles
Subject: Re: Genesis Crisis: Resurgence IC Tue Jul 04, 2017 12:56 am
Caltha - Bunker - Rise -
Rise brightened up at the sight of James. She shut the cabinet she'd been perusing through and smiled.
"Hey, I see you got the lights working again," she said. "I think we're okay in here. We're definitely stocked up for a while, but it's all canned stuff."
She held up a dusty can and sighed.
"It definitely won't be my finest work with nothing fresh for ingredients, but it can't be helped," she said.
Maxim smiled lightly at Alina's sharp quips, but Farrington glared daggers at her.
"I see your manners haven't improved," he growled. "You're delusional if you think we're going to allow you to do anything to High Lady Adalia."
Maxim took the needle and inspected it carefully. There didn't seem to be any issues with it, and he didn't peg Alina a the type to try assassinating the young girl.
"It appears to be safe enough," he said.
"Absolutely not," Farrington said. "You don't have the authority to demand-"
"Enough!"
Ariana slammed the table and stood to her feet, her eyes flashing. Both Farrington and Maxim fell silent and stared at her. Well, this was unexpected...
"Alina Grey, I came here to speak with you as equals," she said, holding herself tall. "And I resent your treatment myself and my advisors. My father always respected you as a woman of character and conviction, but you fail to hold yourself to that standard."
She pulled up the sleeve of her uniform and tilted her chin upward.
"I will take your test. I am the daughter of High General Arzei Adalia, and I will prove myself to anyone who doubts me."
Maxim gazed intently at Ariana. If he didn't know the truth, he might think she really was that late Adalia's daughter. When the situation called for it, she could assume he mantle of High Lady quite convincingly. He didn't give Farrington enough credit for coaching the girl.
There were more important things at hand though. He had more than enough audio for a voice profile. Now, he needed to move to phase 2, which might even save Ariana's charade for a little longer.
"If you don't mind, I need to excuse myself to the facilities," he said mildly. "I must admit, I'm not sorry for an excuse not to watch this. I find needles quite distasteful."
Lecarde frowned as Keynes tried to get background on the lieutenant Farrington had introduced.
"You think Farrington lied?" he asked. "Why? What would he gain from that?"
He couldn't imagine the young man's identity being anything consequential. Lecarde looked back to the meeting, where the scientist was attempting to excuse himself.
"Would you like to escort him?" Lecarde asked Keynes. "I'd be wary of letting him move about unsupervised."
_________________
~Vae Victis - The Black Lily Blooms~
NoIn-LoKi Celebrity Composer
Posts : 5052 Join date : 2013-08-19 Location : home
Subject: Re: Genesis Crisis: Resurgence IC Wed Jul 05, 2017 4:33 am
Caltha - Bunker - Lenka -
“Yes…?” Lenka asked encouragingly when Marcus stopped mid-sentence. He looked a bit stunned, much like a deer caught in headlights. What was with him? Sometimes she felt, Marcus was lost for words when he was around her. And other times it seemed he couldn’t wait to talk to her. Boys…
Well, Marcus seemed determined not to say anything else. That was fine. For now. She could just talk to Rise later and find out what they had been talking about.
“It’s called curiosity,” Lenka replied and grinned. “And it’s an important skill to have when you want to become a reporter.”
“It’s fine though, I’ll let you off the hook for now.” Clearly she wasn’t going to forget about it.
They continued to sweep the dirt and dust into piles.
Lenka sighed. “I really wish there were some windows we could open to get some fresh air in here…”
---------------------
- James -
“Good work,” James nodded towards Luke.
He walked over to Rise and squeezed her shoulder comfortingly. “Yes, the lights and the security system. And the internal air flow. Though I haven’t turned that on yet, given the layer of dust everywhere…” James explained.
“I don’t know how long Keynes intended for us to be here, but if this turns out to be a more permanent stay, we will get some fresh ingredients,” he promised Rise and gave her shoulder another gentle squeeze.
“Besides, you’re a great cook. I’m sure you can work your magic with this.” He smiled at her.
---------------------
Peterney - Old Guard HQ - Kurik -
That question earned him a chuckle from Nick. “I’m not surprised you noticed that,” Nick said. “Jonah doesn’t like to talk to people. Actually, I think Jonah doesn’t like people. Period.”
Leonora interjected. “He’s a bit of a loner and rebel. But he does what Sergeant Connor asks of him.”
Kurik could tell that this raised Jonah high in her regard.
“And it’s good to have a wild card around,” Nick added. “At least that’s what Connor says. Then again, he isn’t one to strictly follow all the rules.”
A stern look from Leonora silenced Nick.
“Do you know why he joined the Old Guard?” Kurik asked. He was genuinely curious what prompted a loner type like Jonah to join the Old Guard.
“Not specifically,” Leonora said and pointed to the entrance. “But you can ask him yourself.”
Sergeant Connor and Jonah approached. “All quiet,” they reported. And with the same procedure they closed the entrance again.
They continued on and the next 4 stops continued much in the same fashion as before. Nothing exciting happened, but Kurik got used to the routine. It was simple, but effective.
At the end of the shift, they returned back to the barracks.
“What is your schedule now?” Kurik asked.
Sergeant Connor looked at his watch. “Two hour break, then training for a few hours,” he explained. “Depending on your shift, you can grab lunch or dinner. And then a few hours downtime to sleep.”
He now addressed the whole squad. “I expect to see you in the gym in two hours. Meanwhile I’ll write up the patrol report.” And with a hand gesture he dismissed them.
“Are you going back to the control room for that?” Kurik asked, but Connor shook his head. “No, that one has privileged access and is only open to operators and the rank Captain and above unless you were invited. I’ll be going into my office.”
For a moment Kurik thought he would leave without saying another word, but the Sergeant surprised him by turning back once more.
“It was interesting having you around,” he said and extended his hand. “I really hope whatever you saw today will help make this facility even more secure. We can’t afford any mistakes.”
Kurik shook his hand. “Thanks for letting me come along. I know the circumstances are a little odd. I will try my best.” And with another nod, Connor left.
Quickly, Kurik changed back into his normal attire and then made his way back to the control room that Annabelle and Lorrin had shown him earlier. There were definitely a few things he wanted to look up.
Luke grinned at James' complement. It was a good feeling that he was being able to help Aegis in somewhat.
When James got to Rise and started talking to each other, Luke smiled at the two. Perhaps, he felt little envious of the two; Luke could already see Rise finding new energy to stand up strong.
Perhaps, Luke with Mark was like that, too? No, not exactly. Even though, Luke finds Mark's presence entertaining and lively, he never felt that presence would be so strong that it would help him to be lifted up like that.
To be fair, all this happening taught Luke to grow out of Mark's presence and be even stronger. Does that mean Mark isn't important in Luke's life? No, Mark is still important friend of his. However, Luke learned how to be full of optimism without strong presence of Mark.
Luke smiled faintly, "I guess that's why that monkey tried to push me in finding a love..." Said Luke, talking to himself quietly.
Luke then he realized something important; he had to make a call. Luke took out a phone, looked at the signal. Perhaps due to the generator working, it looked like he had the signal. Weak, but a signal, he could make a call.
He looked at the kitchen, Luke smirked. He did a good job of cleaning it off and looking at James and Rise, he felt like he was not necessary.
"I got to make a call, I think I will clean up the hallway after that."
Said Luke, smiling faintly and he let the phone dialed to the number as he went out.
The receiver picked up the phone, the receiver sounded concerned, but at the same time hopeful. Luke smiled weakly at the voice, Luke was not so sure if it would do her good to hear that her boyfriend was lying on the bed and doing nothing...
But he had to tell.
"Yeah, I found Mark and he is okay." Said Luke, "He is going to be taken care by the government facility for now, but when he wakes up. I left him a note to call you." The girl started to cry in relief and said thank you. When the girl stopped her crying and sounded much lively, Luke smiled. "I got to go, and I am going to be busy. Please take care of Mark for me." Said Luke in lighter tone and after hearing the girl replied, he ended the call and sighed.
Luke gave out a smile faintly, somewhat feeling happy that the girl had not given up on his friend and knowing that she would be waiting for him... it made him smile and relieved.
"I wonder what would be like to keep on fighting and living... knowing that you had someone waiting for you....?" He pondered as Luke remembered all of his fighting.
He never fought with the idea that someone was waiting for him, but all his fighting was to keep himself alive... He fought all his foes to survive...
Would he have turned out differently if he had fought two, no, almost three years ago with different mindset?
Luke leaned on the wall, sighing. Somehow, a tune came to him. He started to hum as he walked toward the hallway.
Spoiler:
Payne Celebrity Composer
Posts : 6261 Join date : 2013-07-13 Age : 33 Location : Sitting alone outside a door that someone else kicked in. I'll wait for all eternity. Won't you invite me in?
Subject: Re: Genesis Crisis: Resurgence IC Thu Jul 06, 2017 12:18 am
Aegis
- Marcus -
"Yeah, I guess I can't argue with that." Marcus responded to Lenka's correction about curiosity. He didn't get the feeling that she'd let the subject go, but maybe he could be okay with that. After all, he'd have to tell her at some point, just not now.
"I think if there was a window for you to open, it would just kick up more dust from the breeze." Marcus chuckled as he continued to sweep between the bunks. Speaking of which, he glanced at the barren pads again.
"Do you think you can find some sheets and pillows? I'm sure they're around here somewhere, and I think I've got dust mountain under control."
Alina raised an eyebrow at Ariana's outburst. Apparently, the girl did have some backbone. Unfortunately, her efforts were misguided. "No, you came here to look down on me from a pedestal that I'm not sure exists." Alina responded with a wry smile. "If you wanted to meet as equals, you wouldn't have pulled the stunt with the emergency broadcast network. So, don't pretend to be offended about the hand you dealt yourself."
Her gaze briefly drifted to Maxim as he was leaving. A doctor that couldn't stand needles? That was a misstep, if she'd ever heard one. But had he done it intentionally? She hadn't taken him for a fool. So, that meant it was a mind game of some kind. The question was, how clever did he expect her to be? Keynes would definitely have caught it too. So, she could feel confident that it would be dealt with, either way.
Maintaining a straight face, she turned her attention back to Ariana, who had pressed the needle to the heel of her hand. The slow, red trickle of blood filled the vial, as it applied a mechanical suction, and once the receptacle was filled, the needle retracted, spraying the wound with a coagulant to stop the flow of blood.
"The main benefit is hiding the identity of the bodyguard. Which suggests that information about the man is a priority. Either they don't want us to know what he's actually capable of, or his name would raise potential red flags in a meeting like this."
Keynes nodded to the exiting Maxim. "My thoughts exactly. He's definitely up to something." He said as he reached for the panel to open the door. "Keep a close eye on the bodyguard. Something about this whole situation doesn't smell right."
With that, Keynes stepped into the hallway, assuming a stance by the door that suggested he was a guard. No sense in letting the man know who he was dealing with. When Maxim exited the room, Keynes tapped the door beside him twice, signaling to a non-existent other guard that he was leaving his post, and followed the "scientist" down the hallway.
Nadenka giggled, "You know, I can't really help you much if you ask me in that way." Said Nadenka, "Listen carefully, okay? I will pronounce one by one." She smiled and she started to pronounce Russian alphabets one by one.
When she was done, she smiled playfully. "So far so good? Or do you want me to pronounce it for you again?"
Belobog curled his lips, he got the vibe from Maxim that he wanted Belobog to stay here with the Old Guards...
Besides, they do not know that Arusians are involved at all, so most important person at that moment was the child. If Belobog make any move, it would only be making it easy for his opponent to find out something was wrong.
Maxim should know this too, and yet, it seems like Maxim had different plan. Belobog crossed his arms, he had complete trust in every Maxim's actions and orders, but sometimes Maxim put Belobog to a situation that forces him to be flexible.
It should be other way around, isn't it?
In any case, Belobog tightened his lips, and looked most displeased. He was after all, the security personal for Old Guard. He had to make sure Alina and perhaps others to believe that he was with what Farrington said.
Prisma*Illya Paramount Pagemaster
Posts : 34037 Join date : 2013-07-11 Age : 33 Location : The Black Versailles
Subject: Re: Genesis Crisis: Resurgence IC Sat Jul 08, 2017 4:44 pm
Caltha - Bunker - Lenka -
Rise smiled at James and gave him a playful poke in the side.
"Of course I can," she said. "I was taught by the best."
Speaking of mundane magic, she sighed and surveyed the dustiness.
"It's too bad there isn't a strain of cleaning magic. That would make this a lot easier," she mused. "Oh well."
Rise went back to rifling through the cabinets. Well, on the bright side, the dishes and utensils seemed in good shape. She'd be able to start cooking right away, then chip in with the cleaning once everything was heating up.
Luke left to do some cleaning in the hallway, so she waved James a little closer and grinned.
"By the way," she asked. "How would you feel about Lenka dating?"
Ariana glared at Alina after her rebuttal. The anger helped her ignore the tiny prick as the blood sample was taken.
"It's you looking down from your pedestal at me," she snapped, thrusting the syringe back. "Acting as though you're some kind of paragon of leadership. You're only standing where you are because you murdered my father, a father I never even got to meet because of you."
She forced herself to hold back tears. She thought she could face Alina as an equal, show her that she was every bit as strong as her father. But all she could feel now was anger and pain and humiliation as she faced her father's killer, knowing that to her and all those she tricked into her service, it was Ariana who was somehow the bad person here.
Maxim surveyed the man who appeared just as he entered the hallway. He wasn't surprised in the least at the idea that the room was probably being monitored. He was, however, momentarily surpised to see Keynes. Maxim had studied his profile extensively, along with the other members of the so-called "Aegis."
"Ah, thank you," he said, smiling. "No doubt I'd get hopelessly lost before I stumbled across a bathroom."
Maxim let Keynes lead him down the hallway. smiling placidly all the while.
"You'd think after all this time, we would have developed something less barbaric than needles," he chatted breezily. "I mean, we have taken great steps to improve the process, but I still find it a bit unnecessary. Never touch the things, if I can help it. Fortunately, I mostly stick towards analysis."
They stopped in front of a bathroom, which was as sparse and spartan as the rest of the facility.
"Oh, here we are," he said, chuckling. "I think I've talked your ear off enough. Excuse me then."
He slipped inside the bathroom and locked himself in a stall. He'd need to be quick, or he'd arouse suspicion. His fingers flew across his com as he synced together Alina's voice profile.
Nadenka recited the pronunciations of the Russian alphabet, and Alexei repeated them back. Although it was his first time, he did rather well. The pronunciations of the language felt oddly natural for his voice.
"Hmm, I like this 'Russian,'" he mused. "What else can you teach me?"
_________________
~Vae Victis - The Black Lily Blooms~
Nexius Noteworthy Novelist
Posts : 6861 Join date : 2013-08-19
Subject: Re: Genesis Crisis: Resurgence IC Sun Jul 09, 2017 7:50 am
Peterny - Old Guard Prison Nadenka Orlov
"Whaaaat?" Said Nadenka, surprised. Her face quickly became pink and but she quickly cleared her throat as she realized 'this Russian' was not addressing her, but the language itself.
"Well I can teach you some words and sentences... tell me what you want to say, and I will write it for you." She quickly found her composure, and she sighed. "And the language has a name, you know? Saying such statement, while you are actually with a Russian, it's really misleading." Said Nadenka, then gave a weak laughter. "I can't believe I actually made such mistake! Perhaps, teaching you a Russian brings back old memories of mine."
She sighed again, but this time, her sighing was more of a relief, and relaxed. "You are quite alright for a stoic guy, Alexei. Then again, how many girls cry because of you?" She asked playfully.
NoIn-LoKi Celebrity Composer
Posts : 5052 Join date : 2013-08-19 Location : home
Subject: Re: Genesis Crisis: Resurgence IC Sun Jul 09, 2017 8:23 am
Caltha - Bunker - Lenka -
Lenka sighed. “I guess you’re right,” she replied.
She followed Marcus gaze to the barren beds and nodded.
“Yes, I think I saw some near the supply closet,” Lenka said and bounced off. After looking through two wrong doors, she finally found what she was looking for and a short while later, she returned to the bunk room with fresh linen for the beds.
“They smell surprisingly fresh considering the state we found this bunker in,” she said and set them gingerly down, careful not to set off any dust clouds.
“I see you haven’t been swallowed by your dust mountain,” she said with a grin. “When you’re done, can you give me a hand with these sheets?”
------------------------
- James -
“I know,” he said and gave her kiss on the temple.
He watched as Rise rifled through the cabinets, trying to figure out how to make himself useful when she waved him over. Her question caught him off guard.
“Huh?” James looked a little dumbfounded. “What brought this on?” he asked. As far as he knew, Lenka had had a boyfriend before and he tried to stay out of it as much as possible. But of course, Lenka being as chatty as she was, he knew more about her dating life than he actually wanted.
“I mean she’s dated before and I probably heard more about it than I ever wanted to,” James grimaced.
“Did she meet someone?” he asked after pondering for a few seconds.
Last edited by NoIn-LoKi on Tue Jul 11, 2017 5:59 am; edited 1 time in total
Nexius Noteworthy Novelist
Posts : 6861 Join date : 2013-08-19
Subject: Re: Genesis Crisis: Resurgence IC Sun Jul 09, 2017 11:02 am
Caltha - Bunker Luke Jaron
Luke cracked his knuckles, smile on his face with the confidence as he saw all the dusts. "Ha, this reminds me of old days." Said Luke, remembering his young days that he had to clean up the whole dusty houses that his family had on hills and mountains.
Well, not many traveled there and as he was one who had to do all the cleaning and such, this was not a challenge to him.
Luke couldn't help, but chuckled when he had remembered his mischievous actions when he cleaned up such dusty places. Dust bomb came to his mind, a non-lethal trick that made his father and himself covered in dust.
In any case, after a good chuckle, Luke picked up cleaning tools and started his work on the hallways and the hall.
Luke soon remembered his father giving him the lecture about how cleaning dusty places could entertain one's boredom and how it would also help one to find peace.
Well, for Luke, however, it had made him mischievous. With the broom on his hands, he started to swing his broom like a stand mike,
"I try to find the words when you walk by Words just can't explain the way I feel inside My friends keep sayin you're untouchable And I can't help feeling invisible"
"I'd do anything to catch your eye So you could see me in a different light Tell me what's it gonna take cause I wish you would notice me If you could only give me just one chance I could be the one and here I am What's it gonna take to understand Wish you would notice me Notice, notice, notice me Notice, notice, notice me
Then Luke spun the broom, catching it and sang.
You've got a light that never seems to fade I'm drawn to you and I can't look away We come from different places, girl I know But two worlds colliding could be beautiful
"I'd do anything to catch your eye So you could see me in a different light Tell me what's it gonna take cause I wish you would notice me If you could only give me just one chance I could be the one and here I am What's it gonna take to understand Wish you would notice me Notice, notice, notice me Notice, notice, notice me
As if he had all the music playing around him, he kept on singing,
"I wonder if you know how amazing you are You leave me breathless You didn't even try but you stole my heart And I don't want it back-"
But before he could finish the song, somehow the broom slipped, and it led Luke to make a fall. Hitting his back head hard to the ground, he stood up and rubbed his head to ease the pain.
Perhaps he shouldn't be too much passionate on singing and do more cleaning. Luke became pink and embarrassed, he was glad that there was no one to listen and no one to see that. He quickly got back to cleaning the hall, and hallway. Fortunately, as he was such an efficient cleaner, the place looked neat and good.
Spoiler:
Nexius Noteworthy Novelist
Posts : 6861 Join date : 2013-08-19
Subject: Re: Genesis Crisis: Resurgence IC Sun Jul 09, 2017 2:33 pm
Kaiser's Complex Belobog Volkov, "Belo"
Belobog was very surprised of the girl's action; the girl got guts, she probably was braver than the man he had spared with...
Okay, perhaps that was giving the girl too much credits; however, the girl showed such determination, Belobog could not believe that he had better respect for her than Farrington.
Whatever the case, Belobog gave displeased look at Alina; a silent security officer who looked very displeased by how his 'Lord' was being treated by Alina, a traitor.
Payne Celebrity Composer
Posts : 6261 Join date : 2013-07-13 Age : 33 Location : Sitting alone outside a door that someone else kicked in. I'll wait for all eternity. Won't you invite me in?
Subject: Re: Genesis Crisis: Resurgence IC Mon Jul 10, 2017 1:22 am
Aegis
- Marcus -
Marcus allowed himself a breathe a sigh of relief as Lenka exited the room. And he immediately regretted it when another puff of dust made him sneeze again. Letting out a grunt of annoyance, he set himself back to the task of pushing all the offending particles into piles.
The good news was, he'd gotten a grip on his emotions by the time Lenka got back. The bad news was, the tickle in the back of his throat wouldn't go away anymore. "It may not have swallowed me, but I'm pretty sure I've swallowed my fare share of it." Marcus responded with a half-cough.
Pushing the rest of the pile against the wall, Marcus pressed his toe against the lever he'd found, causing a small portion of the wall to open up and suck the dust in. Such a weird invention. Handy, but weird...
"Let's get this done, and hopefully, we can find some fresh air somewhere."
"A fact that I'm still not convinced of." Alina responded as she pressed the sample into a bin beside the door. The computer hummed to life for a moment before displaying a progress meter, which slowly filled in as the genetic sequence was transferred to the research lab. "We'll know soon enough though."
"In the meantime, why don't we discuss the former High General?" Alina stepped back to the table, pulling out the seat at the end and dropping into it. "You seem convinced that I killed him, and while I'll admit that the thought crossed my mind, in the end, he took his own life."
"In a way, he served his own justice, though I think death weren't harsh enough punishment for his crimes."
Behind her, the computer beeped, letting her know that the data was done transferring. Now, it was just a matter of waiting for the results.
"Understandable." Keynes grunted, as he lead Maxim down the hall. "Some people aren't meant to get their hands dirty." He motioned to the door for Maxim to enter. "There are times when I wish it had been so for me."
"But, in the end, I am who I am because of the things I've been willing to do. Be sure to remember that, doctor." As the other man disappeared into the room, Keynes leaned against the wall. There were two feet of stone on any other side of the bathroom. So, the only way out was the one the man had used.
Prisma*Illya Paramount Pagemaster
Posts : 34037 Join date : 2013-07-11 Age : 33 Location : The Black Versailles
Subject: Re: Genesis Crisis: Resurgence IC Tue Jul 11, 2017 1:11 am
Peterny - Old Guard Prison - Alexei
Alexei scratched his chin thoughtfully. What would be a useful phrase to learn?
"I need help?" he suggested. "That's always useful."
Nadenka seemed a but flustered about something, which he couldn't figure out. Then she lectured him on saying misleading statements.
"I thought the language was called 'Russian,'" he said, brow furrowed. "Now you're confusing me."
She seemed to relax a bit and made a surprising comment about girls crying over him. Had any? He thought he'd made it clear that he wasn't interested in attachments.
"I've only ever been involved with women casually," he said. "They knew that too. At least, I think I made that much clear."
Falling in love, marrying, children... None of that had seemed to have anything to do with him, not back in Arusia, down in the bowels of the earth.
Ariana glared at Alina, still with her cold, high-and-mighty attitude and casual dismissals. But then she decided to talk about her father, and Ariana straightened up, watching the other woman intently.
"Don't listen to anything she has to say," Farrington advised. "She has no interest in telling the truth. It's in her best interest to discredit High General Adalia."
Ariana turned to frown at him.
"I want to hear what she has to say," she insisted before turning back to Alina. Alina admitted that she'd wanted to kill her father, and Ariana bit her lip.
Then Alina said her father had killed himself. Ariana felt her face drain of color.
"That's..." she murmured. "That's not true. I don't believe it."
Why would he have done that? Why would her father take his own life that way?
"Of course it's not true," Farrington growled. "Lies meant to justify her actions, that's all."
Yes. Yes, why should she trust this usurper's word?
Alina's voice profile was easy to synchronize. Maxim smiled and entered the message to send, along with the a very important set of coordinates.
Perfect.
He stood and flushed the toilet behind him, then exited the stall to wash his hands. By the time he'd rejoined Keynes, the wheels were already in motion.
"I hope I didn't keep you waiting," he said with an awkward chuckle. "I'm sure bathroom duty can't be the most glamorous job. Let's head back then."
Captain Santana looked up from the paperwork on his desk as the display on his desk lit up with a communication.
"Captain, this is High General Grey," the voice said, one Santana would recognize anywhere. "I am currently engaged in negotiations with the Old Guard and have received word from our spies of the Old Guard's current headquarters. Send a battalion immediately to attack the base while their leadership is still in Caltha. If we can take out their headquarters, we may be able to force a quick surrender before more war rips apart this land. I'm counting on you, Captain."
The message ended, and a set of coordinates appeared on screen. These coordinates... they were right by Peterny!
The message was unusual. Most communications sent, even by the High General, were face-to-face and not recorded. If she was making a quick message while engaged with the Old Guard leadership, it would make sense that she would need to act quickly.
Santana studied the coordinates, then punched the button on his own com. His lieutenant answered immediately.
"Send your best squadrons to these coordinates immediately. We've found the Old Guard."
_________________
~Vae Victis - The Black Lily Blooms~
NoIn-LoKi Celebrity Composer
Posts : 5052 Join date : 2013-08-19 Location : home
Subject: Re: Genesis Crisis: Resurgence IC Tue Jul 11, 2017 7:17 am
Caltha - Bunker - Lenka -
Lenka gave a short laugh. “Yes, if we can find a way outside,” she said. “Otherwise, getting fresh air will be difficult.”
They went to work with the beds with great efficiency. Lenka was surprised Marcus, being male, wasn’t a total incompetent when it came to making beds.
“You’re not too bad at this,” she said. “Is that something you learned at the orphanage?”
--------------------------
- James -
“I don’t know. I never had the chance to meet him and it was over pretty quick,” James looked at Rise and blinked after a few seconds. He remembered the drama at home when the short relationship had ended. Lenka communicating her feeling freely to anyone whether they wanted to listen or not. Back then she later admitted that it probably wasn’t true love and James remembered feeling… relieved? Because he didn’t have to think about if they were good enough for his little sister.
“What are you telling me?” he asked. “She met someone here? In this group?”
It didn’t take a genius to figure who that left.
“You’re saying she’s interested in Luke or Marcus?”
James sat down and ran his hand through his hair. “Really? That’s not something I want to deal with,” he groaned.
--------------------------
Peterney - Old Guard HQ - Kurik -
Kurik was sitting at a table in the command centre. There was a light frown on his face as he studied a set of plans. They displayed the routes of the old mining tunnels and he compared them to the new layout of the headquarters.
He wasn’t alone in the room, Annabelle and Lorrin were also present, quietly working. They had already discussed some ideas and changes after Kurik had gotten back from his shift with Sergeant Connor and he found that Lorrin especially was receptive to his ideas. Annabelle…not so much. Maybe she still mistrusted him or maybe she simply didn’t like him. It was very hard to tell with her.
Finally Kurik looked up from studying the plans and maps. “Are you sure these are all the maps you have?” he asked Lorrin.
The Captain looked up and nodded. “Yes, that’s everything I know of.”
“Hm..” Kurik frowned. “I’m not a miner, but this doesn’t make sense.” He waved Annabelle and Lorrin over.
“See this?” he pointed at the geographical map of the region that showed the different geo-layers where the suspected resources could be found. “There’s a vein of valuable minerals, but no tunnels on the map. With the scarcity of this material, there’s no way they wouldn’t have tried to extract it,” Kurik said.
“I see what you mean,” Lorrin said and looked at Annabelle. “We should send a team down there to inspect it.” Annabelle nodded and looked at her schedules.
“I’ll send squad 10,” she said and stood up.
Lorrin leaned back in his seat and placed his feet on the table. “You know, I wonder how many tunnels we missed. And what that could mean for the integrity of our base.” Then he grinned. “At least we know all the known entrances and the outside areas are well covered.”
Kurik nodded, not quite convinced.
“I should probably go report to General Ramirez and General Thorne about these concerns,” he finally said and stood up.
“Have fun,” Lorrin said with an amused smile when Kurik left.
Slowly Kurik made his way from the command centre towards the offices. He didn’t know which General he should talk to first, but since he’d been around the companies that General Ramirez commanded, it seemed appropriate to speak to him first.
Nexius Noteworthy Novelist
Posts : 6861 Join date : 2013-08-19
Subject: Re: Genesis Crisis: Resurgence IC Tue Jul 11, 2017 9:18 am
Caltha - Bunker Luke Jaron
"Whew, I'm beat." Said Luke, finished up cleaning the hallway and the main hall. It looked like all these years of cleaning dusty dojo, log houses and rooms paid of big time.
Luke grinned, satisfied with his work and also being proud of himself for doing it alright alone. Then he looked around a bit, making sure there was no body again.
Luke had his mischievous smile on him again, [color=#4863A0]"While everybody is enjoying each others' company, I guess I should entertain myself a bit."Said Luke, then he grabbed the broom that was doing nothing.
Luke remembered a song he had practiced for some street performance he was planning to go.... A performance that he could not do so because of all this happening.
Luke smiled gently, and hold broom like a guitar, "You feel like a candle in a hurricane/Just like a picture with a broken frame/Alone and helpless/Like you've lost your fight/But you'll be alright, you'll be alright/'Cause when push comes to shove/You taste what you're made of/You might bend, 'til you break/'Cause it's all you can take/On your knees you look up/Decide you've had enough/You get mad, you get strong/Wipe your hands, shake it off/Then you stand,/Then you stand" Then Luke changed his grip on broom and just like before, he held it as a stand mike, "Life's like a novel With the end ripped out/The edge of a canyon/With only one way down/Take what you're given before it's gone/And start holding on, keep holding on/'Cause when push comes to shove/You taste what you're made of/You might bend 'til you break/'Cause it's all you can take/On your knees you look up/Decide you've had enough/You get mad, you get strong/Wipe your hands, shake it off/Then you stand,/Yeah, then you stand" Then he got caught up in the moment, "Every time you get up/And get back in the race/One more small piece of you/Starts to fall into place/Yeah~" Then Luke sighed, ending the song rather quickly as he felt little embarrassed by himself singing like as if he was performing in front of the people.
Spoiler:
Luke just sat down on the floor sighed in relief that no one was to catch that. However, he was still pink, thinking, perhaps he ate something wrong today or something... Or perhaps, he wanted to cheer himself up?
Luke shrugged it off, and stood up. Perhaps it was time for him to search where other places need a hand. Then suddenly remembering Rise and Marcus' conversation, he decided to passed the room where Lenka and Marcus would be... Feeling he shouldn't really be interrupting those two, he decided to go to kitchen, then as he about to go to kitchen, he felt like he shouldn't disturb Rise and James, too.
Luke rubbed his neck, feeling like a kitten who had lost a place to play. He walked further, and then he ended up in the shower room and such.
He was kind of relieved, and he started making soap and all to clean the place up so that everyone could use some good bath.
"Pomogite mne(помогите мне)" Said Nadenka, and she curled her lips at Alexei's comment. "Well, the language that Russians used was called as russkiy yazik. From what I know, some part of the world did use similar language as us, so we had to differentiate ourselves from them." She sighed, somewhat pink, she cleared her throat, "In any case, just don't say things that might misleading. I am not speaking to you face to face, you know? 80% of human communication is done by body language, and without 80% of that communication, it's really hard to understand your intentions." Then she laughed hard as Alexei talked about his women, "Poor you, you never had real woman to mess you up!" Said Nadenka, "You probably are bad in the bed as well." Said Nadenka playfully.
Now, the enemy general was talking something interesting.
Belobog read somewhat in Nadenka's file that the death of the previous High General was tragedy. But, just like all of her files, it was encrypted with weird shapes.
Belobog looked at his enemy with high interest. Eager to find out more about how the general actually ended his life.
Payne Celebrity Composer
Posts : 6261 Join date : 2013-07-13 Age : 33 Location : Sitting alone outside a door that someone else kicked in. I'll wait for all eternity. Won't you invite me in?
"I think I heard something about an elevator." Marcus shot back as he fluffed a pillow and tossed it onto a freshly made bed. "So, I'd guess that's the only way to reach said fresh air."
He chuckled at her surprised comment as he began putting the sheets on another bed. "You could say that, yeah. Depending on the home's funding, there were times when no one was around to take care of us. So, the older ones had to learn how to take care of the younger ones. It's the only way we survived, and while it forced some of us to grow up too quickly, I think it gave us all some perspective. You know?"
Marcus shook his head as he grabbed another pillow. "Don't let me ramble about it too much though."
"If you have no intention of listening to me speak, I don't suppose those negotiations of yours are gonna get very far, now are they?" Alina responded to Farrington's outburst, her voice cold and cutting now. Still, the girl seemed receptive, and that was a start.
"I can't make you believe what you don't want to." She said, leaning forward and resting her elbows on the table. "All I can do is state the facts."
"When faced with the end of his reign, my predecessor decided that if he couldn't be High General any longer, I wouldn't be either." Her lips curved in a sad smile as she thought back to that day. The brick and mortar coming down around her still echoed in her ears, but that had been nothing compared to what followed.
With a shudder, she continued, unsure of how long she had paused in thought. "He brought down the north wing of the castle on top of us both. The only reason I walked away was that I had my friends with me. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for him. There was a time when I'd considered him a friend of my father's at least, if not my own. Now, I'm not so sure he was even capable of friendship."
"But let's not dwell on such sad thoughts. Shall we?"
"Tell me, why wait so long after the fall of the administration to make your claim?"
Something about this wasn't right. The "doctor" was far too enthusiastic about something. His grin said that he'd just gotten away with murder, but Keynes knew that the man had done no such thing in the past few minutes.
"It may not be glamorous, but a job is a job." Keynes responded, leading the man back down the hall. Something in him wanted to plant a knife in this snake, but that would be too convenient, and he wasn't even sure why. Murder wasn't exactly something he contemplated on a regular basis. This all felt too cloak and dagger.
When they reached the conference room again, Keynes opened the door and motioned for Maxim to enter.
Prisma*Illya Paramount Pagemaster
Posts : 34037 Join date : 2013-07-11 Age : 33 Location : The Black Versailles
Subject: Re: Genesis Crisis: Resurgence IC Thu Jul 13, 2017 1:45 am
Caltha - Bunker - Rise -
“You’re saying she’s interested in Luke or Marcus?”
James sat down and ran his hand through his hair. “Really? That’s not something I want to deal with,” he groaned.
Rise giggled at James reaction, partly out of amusement and partly out of nervousness. Maybe he wasn't going to take this well after all.
"Actually, it's more like they're interested in her," Rise said, grinning. "At least, Marcus definitely is. Completely smitten. Luke... well, he's a bit of a harder read. I think he might be, but then again, he's kind of socially clueless around everyone."
Ariana listened, stunned, at the idea that her father had really destroyed himself in the end. Was that true? But then, even if it was, perhaps he just wanted to ensure that traitorous usurpers like Alina and her minions would be stopped. That would be a heroic thing to do, to sacrifice himself to ensure Kaddath's safety. Yes, that would be just like him.
"Ariana and her mother were kept hidden safely away from the Capital and the public eye," Farrington said, glaring at Alina. "It took quite some time to track them down, especially since Ariana's mother had died already and left her to fend for herself. Nurturing her back to health, informing her of her background and current events, as well as mustering loyal supporters, can't be done overnight."
Ariana glanced at him, the back at Alina.
"We're not here to talk about the past," she said. "We're here to talk about the future. We might as well be direct here. Do you have any intention of resigning the throne?"
"I admire your dedication," he said. "It's true that we can't all determine our lot in life, and sometimes the best we can do is to face it with the best of our efforts."
As they reached the conference room, Maxim paused and reached a hand out.
"It was a pleasure to meet you, however briefly," he said.
Alexei cocked his head, brow furrowed, as Nadenka proceeded to lecture him about making intentions clear and body language and communication. He grunted, not sure why she was so hung up on the matter.
Nadenka laughed at his mention of women and seemed to doubt his sexual prowess. Maybe she was sincere, or maybe just teasing. Either way, he chucked and shrugged his shoulders, not the least bit put off.
"Maybe, but I don't think they kept coming back for the conversation," he said.
_________________
~Vae Victis - The Black Lily Blooms~
Nexius Noteworthy Novelist
Posts : 6861 Join date : 2013-08-19
Subject: Re: Genesis Crisis: Resurgence IC Thu Jul 13, 2017 10:26 am
Caltha - Bunker Luke Jaron
Luke had to take off his shirt, so that it would not get wet. As Luke made bubbles and all, Luke realized that the place was definitely designed for single sex. In other words, it was implying that when females are using it, males should wait until all females are all done... Or else it was going to cause a problem.
Luke shook his head, the consequence of such complication sound too much for him to comprehend.
However, being alone and how each cleaned mirror showed his scars, Luke sighed. He smiled weakly, "That's a lot of scars...." Each scars, it reminded him of how many fights he got out barely. It reminded him that many times he could have ended up dead, but somehow he found a way to survive.
Luke bite his lips, those scars also reminded him of how many times he had to take others lives as if it was nothing.
Was there even a guilt in his mind? Perhaps regrets, but nothing more. Luke knew and had accepted now that he would do that again if he was pushed into such situation again.
Luke managed to force a smile, then he started to sing. "Oh~ oh oh/ there's a place/ that I know/It's not pretty there and few have ever gone/If I show it to you now/Will it make you run away?/Or will you stay/Even if it hurts/Even if I try to push you out/Will you return?/And remind me who I really am/Please remind me who I really am~" Then Luke grabbed one of the cleaning tool and started clean up the soap as he sang, and time to time, he used it as a mike. "Everybody's got a dark side/Do you love me?/Can you love mine?/Nobody's a picture perfect/But we're worth it/You know that we're worth it/Will you love me?/Even with my dark side?" Then he made a quick spin and moved to the another area. Like a diamond/From black dust/It's hard to know/What can become/If you give up/So don't give up on me/Please remind me who I really am~" Then Luke spin the tool like a mike, "Everybody's got a dark side/Do you love me?/Can you love mine?~/Nobody's a picture perfect~/But we're worth it/You know that we're worth it/Will you love me?~/Even with my dark side?~" Then just like last time, he was too caught up in the moment and started to sing passionately,"Don't run away/Don't run away/Just tell me that you will stay/Promise me you will stay/Don't run away/Don't run away/Just promise me you will stay~/Promise me you will stay~" Then, he took a deep breathe, he was reaching one of climax "Will you love me?/Ohh~" But alas, it looked like he was not meant to finish the song as he slipped and then pushed the button to turn on the shower.
"What the-" He realized it too late and when he finally turned it off, Luke was soaking wet. Luke sighed, but grinned. "Maybe I should take a shower, first?" Said Luke, remembering some cool military uniforms hanging around in the closets near the shower. "Besides, lady first is old school" Said Luke undressing himself and turning on the warm water to get himself to have a bath.
Spoiler:
NoIn-LoKi Celebrity Composer
Posts : 5052 Join date : 2013-08-19 Location : home
Subject: Re: Genesis Crisis: Resurgence IC Fri Jul 14, 2017 5:51 am
Caltha - Bunker - Lenka -
Lenka listened attentively, hearing the things Marcus wasn’t actually saying. He cared for the other kids at the orphanage.
“Oh stop that. You turned out fine,” Lenka finally said. “I’m pretty sure all those experiences made you who you are. It does sound like you miss them though.”
There was a pause while they continued working.
Finally they were done.
“I’m going to find a bathroom,” Lenka said. She turned around and headed out the room.
-------------------
- James -
James buried his face in his hands and sighed. Finally he looked up.
“What?” James said. “Why are you telling me this?”
He suddenly wasn’t sure how he felt about this. What if Lenka was also interested in one of them? Would he be okay with that? After all he knew those two young man. He was friendly with them and started to like them as he got to know them.
“Did you talk to Lenka about this?” he asked. It wasn’t really a conversation he wanted to have with Lenka. Certainly she wouldn’t want to take relationship advice from her brother.
“Is she even aware of this?”
Really among all the things that were happening right now, this was something he didn’t expect to happen.
Nexius Noteworthy Novelist
Posts : 6861 Join date : 2013-08-19
Subject: Re: Genesis Crisis: Resurgence IC Fri Jul 14, 2017 7:15 am
Peterny - Old Guard Prison Nadenka Orlov
"Wow, talk about low standard..." Nadenka replied, unimpressed. "I guess wherever you are from, woman doesn't have high standards, huh?" She commented playfully. "Bet you never thought about properly falling in love or some sort..." She shrugged, then she smiled mischievously "Do you remember any one of them? I mean, come on, one of them must have made you work hard at night? It can't be possible that all women you had met, had low standards..."
Belobog curled his lips, the story was uninspiring and it was disappointing. Maxim entered the complex, and Belobog continued to play his part as Old Guard member steadily.
However, the girl, even though she looked like a leader for a moment, she jumped to her gun too quickly.
The fact that Alina was not chosen as the leader, but the hint that she had been voted for such role....
That should have been a sign that throne no longer exist in the current Kaddath. Then again, one would never know what would happen in future....
Belobog crossed his arms, sitting quietly.
Payne Celebrity Composer
Posts : 6261 Join date : 2013-07-13 Age : 33 Location : Sitting alone outside a door that someone else kicked in. I'll wait for all eternity. Won't you invite me in?
Subject: Re: Genesis Crisis: Resurgence IC Mon Jul 17, 2017 12:34 am
Aegis
- Marcus -
"I do miss them." Marcus responded with a bemused smile. "Most of the time, anyway."
He let the silence linger, but it wasn't weighted like some conversations. It felt... Comfortable? Almost like communication wasn't necessary. It gave him time to reflect, at least until they'd finished putting sheets on the bunks.
"Yeah, I'm gonna go check on how Rise's doing in the kitchen." Marcus said, parting ways with Lenka at the door.
Nothing about Farrington's story rang true. Why would he have needed to gather supporters while Adalia was still in power? That made no sense. The old man was hiding something, covering it up with half-truths and subtle deflections. Still, the girl before her seemed convinced of her own heritage, and for the moment, that was a truth she would have to contend with.
"I don't sit on a throne." Alina responded to Ariana's question. "The position I occupy is one that the public put me into, and that isn't something that I can simply hand over. That would mean undoing all of the progress the current administration has made."
"If the people of this country want me removed from the position they put me into, I will happily step aside, but the era of rulership by the nobles is over. That isn't up for debate."
Keynes stuck his hands into his pockets as Maxim held out his own hand. He stood like that for a moment, eyes locked with the man, looking for answers. After a few seconds, Keynes withdrew his right hand and accepted the shake, squeezing only slightly more firmly than necessary.
"Likewise, doctor. I hope these discussions are beneficial to all of Kaddath."
Releasing Maxim from his hold, Keynes pulled open the door, gesturing for the man to enter. Once the door was closed behind him, Keynes stepped back into the observation room and pulled a packaged cloth out of his pocket to wipe down his hand.
"He knew me." Keynes said to Lecarde, who was still in the room. "I can't be one hundred percent sure, but I'd be willing to bet on it. Whoever this guy is, he's connected."
Prisma*Illya Paramount Pagemaster
Posts : 34037 Join date : 2013-07-11 Age : 33 Location : The Black Versailles
Subject: Re: Genesis Crisis: Resurgence IC Tue Jul 18, 2017 12:01 am
Peterny - Old Guard Prison - Alexei -
Alexei chuckled and scratched at his chin.
"You're not as sweet as you seem to be," he mused. "Wouldn't have guessed you'd try to aim below the belt. Literally."
He shrugged and thought back on the women he'd been with.
"Of course I remember most of them," he said. "My memory's not that bad. But it never meant anything. Falling in love, as you say, was never in the cards. Not for me."
It was hard to think about something like romance in the sterile environment of Arusia. He thought back on Belo and Ehlana. Had they ever had flings or relationships going on? He'd never thought to ask.
Ehlana... Alexei frowned. Right now, she was probably...
An alarm sounded, and the prison went into lockdown. Alexei got to his feet and shot Nadenka a fleeting look.
"Don't worry. It'll be fine."
He headed down the hallway, hoping to find out what was going on.
The Old Guard's base was suddenly filled with the noise of warblers issuing an alert.
"Warning. Enemy detected. All personnel report to your stations immediately."
It struck Kurik immediately that, despite the alert, many of the soldiers seemed temporarily dumbfounded, looking to one another and murmuring as they filed hesitantly toward their destinations.
[OOC: Noin, can I leave the particulars of the attack to you?]
Maxim entered the room as Alina was explaining that she didn't have the authority to simply hand over her mantle.
"Perhaps a special election? Are there provisions for that?" Maxim asked curiously. "It would give the people the chance to decide whose leadership they want."
Farrington glanced at him, then stroked his mustache as he considered it.
"Perhaps..." he murmured. "What do you say, Grey? If you're so for the people, I'm sure you'd be more than happy to get their input."
He smiled, seeming to consider the idea further as he played with the briefcase he'd brought with him.
"We might even be able to offer you some assistance, as a sign of good faith. I understand you've been having some considerable issues to deal with as of late. Resistance to strain silencing, anti-strain movements, and then the Redcapes..."
Lecarde looked up as Keynes reentered the room, still seemingly focused on the doctor.
"It's highly likely that they've done intel on High General Grey's advisors and briefed their party before arrival," he said. "I'm not sure that's particular cause for concern."
The doctor seemed so mild-mannered and unobtrusive, particularly next to Farrington and Ariana Adalia. Lecarde was far more interested in them right now.
_________________
~Vae Victis - The Black Lily Blooms~
Nexius Noteworthy Novelist
Posts : 6861 Join date : 2013-08-19
Subject: Re: Genesis Crisis: Resurgence IC Tue Jul 18, 2017 12:55 am
Peterny - Old Guard Prison Nadenka Orlov
"HA! You wish, I am not a sweet girl, I mean, I could be, but I am definitely a woman with a class." She crossed her arms, in all mighty, smiling mischievously "Hey, with the future so uncertain, the girl got to have her entertainment. For guys, they usually boost themselves about their night life, so why not?"
When Alexei said about how he remembered them, and yet not falling for one. Nadenka smile was weaken, "You know, Alexei, sometimes, love comes at you like a thief. It comes and takes, and sometimes it hurts you inside, and sometimes it makes you lighter than feather... I hope you don't take too long to fall for one, cause if you never have fall in love, you haven't lived to your fullest."
Then an alarm went off, Nadenka quickly stood up, trying to look at Alexei. The man said it will be fine, still, Nadenka commented, "You better comeback alive and kicking, or else I will find you wherever you are in afterlife to scold you in Russian." It had humor, but her voice was definitely serious.
As Alexei disappeared from her sight, she bite her lips. She could not help, but speculate that Kaddath Army found this place, especially with the army protocol she lived with, it was obvious... However, to attack the base this soon and directly? Nadenka had not much of interaction with the High General, but it did not sit well with such theory. Nadenka hoped it was her mind just trying to come up with conspiracy theory that Kaddath wants to kill all of them..... Nadenka hoped its not Kaddath's attack...
Nadenka hoped it's not a justified massacre.....
NoIn-LoKi Celebrity Composer
Posts : 5052 Join date : 2013-08-19 Location : home
Lenka wandered out into the hallway and looked around. There had to be a bathroom somewhere.
At the end of the corridor, she opened the door and was surprised by the sound of running water. Someone was already here. To the left, she saw the bathroom stalls while the shower door lead to the left.
Lenka looked around. The room looked already cleaned up, which was a relief. Lenka didn’t really fancy cleaning a bathroom with a full bladder. That decided it then, she opened the door to the toilet and when she was done went back to the main bathroom to wash her hands.
When she turned the water off and was about to exit the room, she suddenly heard a voice and stopped. Someone was singing. It was a faint sound through the rushing water, but it was definitely a song.
---------------------
Caltha - Bunker - James -
When Rise reminded him how similar this situation was to what their own had been, James smiled.
“It’ll work itself out,” he said and stood up to grab his laptop.
Then Marcus came into the room. Impeccable timing. James threw Marcus a long look before he opened up the laptop and began to type a few lines.
“I’ll try to check in with Keynes,” he said. “Let me know if you need any help preparing the food.”
---------------------
Peterney - Old Guard HQ - Kurik -
Kurik closed the door behind him. He just came back from a less than productive conversation with General Ramirez. Though the General was receptive to some of the suggestions Kurik had made, he was surprisingly unconcerned with the still unexplored tunnels.
He had gotten back to the barracks, when suddenly an alarm sounded through the whole complex. It seemed to surprise most of the soldiers.
“Hey,” Kurik raised his voice to gain the attention of those in the room. “You have your orders. Get to your stations. Follow protocol.”
His loud voice seemed to rattle most of them from their daze and they moved faster, filing along with more precision and determination. Meanwhile Kurik hurried to the command centre, bursting into the room without knocking.
“What’s going on?” he asked Annabelle and Lorrin who looked startled at his appearance.
It was Annabelle who caught on first. “Intrusion detectors went off north east of the complex. I’m sending a team to the entrance to prepare while two more squads are circling around to come up from behind.”
Kurik approached the monitors. “Do you have video surveillance?" Annabelle nodded and pulled up the cameras. “They just sent up a drone. Video should be coming up any second.”
The monitors flickered to life. Kurik looked surprised at what he saw. The Grand Army of Kaddath? From the sound Lorrin made, he wasn’t the only one who recognised them.
“Tell them not to engage,” Kurik said and pulled up the maps he had studied earlier.
“Why not?” Annabelle asked. “In a moment we have them cornered before they can even break the door down.”
“It’s a trap,” Kurik said, but Annabelle just scoffed. “Trust me. This is way too obvious. Do you really think they would accidentally trip your sensors? No,” he shook his head. “They know what they’re doing. That’s just a diversion.”
He could see, Annabelle was still hesitant, but then Lorrin took the com from her hand. “This is Captain Davidson. Squad 11 and 12, pull back. Your orders are to just observe.”
Annabelle seemed furious about his intervention, but Kurik didn’t have time to think about it. His mind was otherwise occupied. How did the Grand Army find them? They didn’t stumble upon the base by accident. He doubted they had even been looking actively for them.
“What now?” Lorrin asked. Apparently he had decided to trust him for now.
“Their approach is from the north east. That would be the most vulnerable entrance, but I’m sure they also have a topography map,” Kurik said and pointed at the tunnels in the south. “These tunnels are very close to the surface. If they can breach them from above, it leads directly into the complex and they don’t have to deal with any closed doors.”
“I’ll go,” Annabelle suddenly said. She looked determined. No, actually, she looked mad. Apparently she didn’t like to be played for a fool. Lorrin nodded.
Annabelle grabbed her com and her gear and hurried out of the room. They could hear her barking orders all the way down the hallway.
There was a short silence, then suddenly.
“They have already breached the south tunnels,” Annabelle sounded breathless through the com. “Get me reinforcement ASAP!”
Lorrin jumped into action. “Squad 4 and 6 move to the south tunnels,” he coordinated his men towards Annabelle’s position.
“How did they find us?” he finally voiced out loud the thoughts that had been in Kurik’s head for some time. Kurik shrugged. “I don’t know. We can figure it out later. More importantly, we need to prevent them from breaching any further.” Lorrin nodded.
———
Meanwhile outside the north east entrance.
“Captain to base.”
“Here base. Speak.”
“We have approached the entrance,” the Captain in charge of the outside attack reported. “We have yet to be attacked, but aerial recon has taken place.”
“Be patient, Captain,” his commander replied and looked at the map. “They will come. They can’t afford not to respond to a threat. When they do approach, lethal action is authorised.”
Sun Jul 02, 2017 12:18 pm
