Re: Birds Rising on a Pillar of Rocket Exhaust [AAE IC #256]

On Thu, 08 Dec 2011 16:47:55 -0800
Patrick O’Shea Sent
AAE In Character List Post Number: 256

> On Tue, 6 Dec 2011 22:53:27 -0600
> Zia Sent
> AAE In Character List Post Number: 255
>
<Snip!>
>
> “Now, whom else could I ask for assistance, and what should I ask for?
> A nice complete dossier on our enemies might be good. Even better, a
> way to prevent being digitized; from the screaming, that seems to be a
> painful process as well as a fairly permanent one.” She muses out
> loud, her circuit-Trump now taking shape with far fewer squawks and
> sparks as it nears completion.

“I sense a soul in search of answers.” From where he was working, Cam glanced at the Amberite, easy smile on his face. “And I could use a break from tech work.”

[Reactions/idle chitchat, if any.]

“It’s kind of maddening, in a way. There’s no real name level monsters like we used to get. Usually, it’s a mix of Cogs, though they’re getting rare. Easy to pick out, they look like humanoids in silver jumpsuits with bronze faceplates. Their faces can flip up and fire energy bolts, sometimes they carry lances. Dangerous in large numbers.

“Dreadtroopers…that was the first, and so far, main force that Soar-On threw at Earth. They are robots, partially autonomous, limited modular abilities; Bill’s running a comm system we stole off a scout ‘trooper. Big difference between them and the Cogs is…” Cam tenses slightly, as a memory chases across his face. They shoot. A lot. And Soar-On doesn’t mind sacrificing a battalion if it wipes out a potential problem.

“Sorry. I was five when they wiped out my village. We were all ninja, but between an army of blaster-wielding robots and aerial bombardment, we never had a chance.”

“Anyway, the digitisation bit we can handle; low level energy field can block the effect of the beam on a single person. There’s a unit built in on Evan’s Rider Belt, and we have a few spares we can hand out to anyone needing them. Only problem is that they don’t stop anything else.”

Elsewhere in the Godphoenix.

“Okay,” the former Ranger closed up a console on the bridge. “I;ve wired the field generators into the power supply. As long as you don’;t run out of gas, you should retain hull integrity and be able to function in space. Just need a few more things from supply, and we’ll be able to-”

There’s a sudden, six-tone beeping noise. Billy turns white, reaches into a pocket, and pulls out what looks like a watch. THumbing a control, he says “Who…hello?”

The signal is horrible, ripped through with static and sounds of explosions and, behind it, a reverberating…electronic hum. Still, the sound of a woman’s voice cuts through it. “Billy? Is that-” another explosion. “Ireland. He’s coming down…zzrkt…Na Nog….Knows where…krrrktmm…Zeo Crystal…-tearing the island apart!”

The connection dies out. Billy is silent for a second, then looks at whoever else in in the room with him. “Cam and I need to get something. Then we’re leaving.

“And we -are- coming with you.”