Facility, Codename: Last Resort

[Pale]

Re: Facility, Codename: Last Resort

366... had been busy. A minor tactical error, one might say. On the approach of the Juggernauts, the Operative had taken the opportunity to quietly slip away, use the same vent system to circumvent the opposition.

She'd just been sneaking into position to take out the Overminds when Adria opened the hatch... and hadn't been quite as lucky as some. Luckier than the Fallen who were flushed into deep space without a pressurised suit, though. After the first few seconds of disorientation, the Operative had recovered enough to catch a communications array, and yank herself back into contact with the hull.

It took some time for her to find a viewport - in the end, she settled for one right at the bottom of the ship, not far from the engines.. but once she did, the Operative was inside in seconds - simply vanishing, and re-appearing once more on solid ground.

Voices nearby catch her attention.. a captive, tortured, it seemed. Sticking to shadows, with her suit shimmering to match the steel-grey of the halls, 366 gets closer for a better look. Her reconnaissance reveals a grim scene. Fallen strewn like scattered bowling pins, the walls smeared with gore, and the Unit she encountered earlier, closing on the insect scout. She had to intervene.

"Unit! Stand down, you are attacking friendlies!"

The voice comes from nowhere - the Operative wasn't risking revealing her position by stepping into the light.

(Ask, and ye shall receive.)

 

[SiphonTalvesh]

Re: Facility, Codename: Last Resort

"I think it would be best to let him regenerate on his own. We have no idea what trying to tamper with his biology could trigger."

She keyed her radio and replied to Michael. "Understood, do you intend to use the maneuvering thrusters to land in an open area?"


((The ship CAN be landed, provided a large enough space can be found unoccupied by people.))

 

[lurker]

Re: Facility, Codename: Last Resort

Free from the injuring claws- though bleeding from a large amount of wounds, including several sickening cracks in the smooth carpace, like a nut after a nutcracker- Xer barely was able to get up again, instead staring in horror at the mad machine, scooting herself back slightly, her wings buzzing weakly, almost completely ripped off...

 

[Keylo]

Re: Facility, Codename: Last Resort

The "order" had an unusual effect on the conflicted mind of the Unit, causing her to stop pursuit of the insect scout who had been hallucinated as the person chiefly responsible for her modifications to confront the voice that had commanded her.

"Order receiv- NO! I refus- I will not..."

Clutching her head in pain as her newly regained "free will" fought with her programming for control over her mind, which was still in bad shape from the mental attacks by the Hivemind.

"Mental sta- No! I refuse to be locked away again! I will have m- Orders mus- GRAHHH!!!"

Energy field fluctuating dangerously, the internal conflict within her mind continued for a period of time before seemingly coming to a stop as her hands fell to the sides of her body. It seemed that she has finally regained her sanity, as the screaming and maniacal talk had ceased. That was, until she pointed her blade towards the direction where 366's voice had come from.

"You... you're here to "collect me" again, aren't you? Took my eye last time didn't you?"

A close look into her eyes showed that although the insanity had lessened, it was still strong enough to make her "imagine things". Evident from that she incorrectly associated 366 with the "retrieval squads". (although they were similar in nature)

"Allow me... TO RETURN THE FAVOR."

Extending her sword beyond the limits of stability granted by the field, Ava's swung the unstable blade almost like an extra long whip. Albiet, a whip that could still cut through most things, evident from the fact she managed to cleave one of the corpses on the ground through with it despite the weapon's nature as she struck where she thought the voice had come from.

It was obvious that there was no real use in talking while her mind was in such disarray. The only way to bring her back to her senses at this point was to force the original consciousness, which had become corrupted by the built up hatred, back into dormancy by knocking her out cold... A task easier said then done.

 

[Pale]

Re: Facility, Codename: Last Resort

Years of combat training, not to mention the lab incident, had made 366 an opponent not taken out so easily. As the Unit malfunctioned, she'd expected something. An attack, an explosion, anything. She'd always thought removing the personality a mistake..

A blink, and the Operative flashes from one point to another with impossible speed, then another, literally teleporting from place to place. She stopped long enough to aim a blow at the Unit's head, before retreating quickly - creating a smokescreen for herself by knocking a conveniently placed pipe valve open.

"Unit! This is Operative 366! You are attacking friendlies! STAND DOWN!"

 

[Tsuki]

Re: Facility, Codename: Last Resort

Hearing a commotion, and being ignored, Lillius went to investigate. She weakly walked down the corridor, using the wall as a brace, groaning quitely with each step. At least she wasn't one to die so easily since she couldn't exactly bleed out, no organs to puncture, no bones to break.

A moment later, she had found where those loud sounds were coming from. It looked to be a menacing Ava and... another someone that had created a smokescreen before Lillius could see who they were. There was also that bug girl that looked to be in bad shape. This didn't look good. She drew her pistol, raising it up, and setting it to stun. Friendlies were in the room, and some unknown. With the smokescreen, she didn't want to risk killing an ally. Hopefully, she went unnoticed seeing as she hadn't done anything to draw attention to herself and she was an infiltration specialist, that had to include stealth, right?

 

[Keylo]

Re: Facility, Codename: Last Resort

Once again the order caused Ava to halt temporarily, as the reconditioned portion of her fought to regain control.

"Authority recogni- NO! You're lying to me! Just like you did last time! I will no- Attempting to st- I REFUSE TO LISTEN!"

Blinded with rage, she failed to even notice the blow to her head as she swung her "whip blade" in a circular sweep, cleaving apart anything that was unfortunate enough to be in her range. At this point, she wasn't even aiming anymore. Merely venting her pent up frustration up to this point, her swordplay had been reduced to wild swings covering large areas, in opposition to even the simple swings her machine-like self made use of. Of course, this comparison was beyond her as the said self continued to fight against her in the corridors of the mind.

"Attempting to remov- NO! Shut up! You're the one that doesn't belong! You and your submissive self! You hate it and you don't even say anything! Don't even think about lying to me. I AM YOU!" "

Dropping to her knees, the energy blade fell from her grasp as she clutched her head in pain. The energy field, designed to react to the will of the user, extended to an abnormally large radius around her, sparking wildly out of control. Scorching everything it touched, things within a ten foot radius of her were effectively fried or supercharged depending on their material. Either way however, it was obvious that she had to be stopped soon. Preferably before she damaged herself or injured another.

 

[Caulder]

Re: Facility, Codename: Last Resort

"There's not enough room for us to land the ship." Michael responds over the radio, a smirk on his face "I'd rather not have our ship burn up on entry."

 

[Tsuki]

Re: Facility, Codename: Last Resort

The chaos was reason enough for Lillius. She carefully took aim with her laser pistol, making sure it was on stun first, and let loose a couple shots at the rampaging Ava.

 

[Pale]

Re: Facility, Codename: Last Resort

It was moments like this 366 hated. Moments where the situation threw everything into conflict, called everything into question. Decision points. Training said retreat - it wasn't her problem, the Unit's rampage would not affect her direct mission objectives.

Whatever remained of Serena, though.. said she had a responsibility. The power to act, the responsibility to act. As a soldier, as a woman, as a human, as an Operative.. she couldn't just stand by.

With a muttered curse, she bounds back through the maze of pipes she'd retreated to. She only had one hope of defeating that energy field.. and it was a slim one. Her EMP emitter, built into the right wrist of her combat suit.... but that was designed for lights, small generators... nothing like this.

Nonetheless, 366 comes through the fog wrist extended, aiming the EMP.. and firing. With luck, she'd shut down the field temporarily... without it.. it was time for desperate measures.

 

[Keylo]

Re: Facility, Codename: Last Resort

The laser pistol shots had little effect on the overall situation, being absorbed by the out of control energy field. The EMP emitter however, was partially successful in stopping the field momentarily, before being fried by the stagnant charge and giving off a nice explosion. It wasn't that EMP waves were uneffective on the field, it was that the area had already become too overloaded by energy currents for the emitter to survive long enough. Fortunately for the rest of the people in the room however, the waves had enough of an effect on the Unit itself, causing it to momentarily shut down as it collapsed in a heap.

"No... I will not..."

Field shrinking itself back to a faint glow around the experimental soldier, it appeared that the danger was over for now. With a little luck, the reconditioned Ava would be in control by the time her body resumed operating. However, the fact didn't change that the mental damage she has incurred was still present, and that they had the possibility of causing another incident similar to the one that had just occurred...

 

[Pale]

Re: Facility, Codename: Last Resort

366 exhales.. and with her left hand, sheathes the blade she had readied, prepared to inflict more.. lethal damage, if that should be required. After a moment to ascertain that the Unit was no longer an immediate danger.. the Operative turns away, to face the wall.

For a moment... the visored gaze rests on the stump of her right hand. An occupational hazard in wrist-mounted weaponry, and in her combat suit - damage to it, meant damage to her. Concealing her hand from the room, 366 stares at it intently for a moment.. then turns back to Ava.

Reaching down with both hands, the Operative rolls the prostrate Ava over, and checks carefully for a pulse. She glances up, as she does.. fairly certain that there had been someone else involved in the firefight.

"You can come out now. She's out cold."

 

[lurker]

Re: Facility, Codename: Last Resort

The bugirl looked over at the inoperative warrior, her eyes still terrified as she was pressed against the wall, dark red blood here and there on her body. "I...Is she safe?" she asked weakly.

 

[SiphonTalvesh]

Re: Facility, Codename: Last Resort

After a while Adria finally spoke. "Alright, I'm going to head out and have a proper look around the ship, take inventory and all of what we have here still. Radio if you need anything."

With that she heads out.

 

[Tsuki]

Re: Facility, Codename: Last Resort

Lillius stowed away her weapons and approached the others. She took a glance at the other three. It was quite the easy situation to assess. "We need a medic down here, ASAP." Though a medic couldn't do much for the goo-girl, the bug-girl and Ava could obviously do with some help.

((Wow... a room full of people in horrible condition o.o))

 

[Pale]

Re: Facility, Codename: Last Resort

366 turns her visor onto Lillius for a moment... ascertaining she must have been the one firing the shots.

"Good job back there. And yes, Xerberus. It's safe."

Despite her injury only a moment ago.. the Operative raises her right hand to her ear for a radio communication.

"This is 366. I have Xerberus, Ava, and Lillius with me in the Engine block. We'll be arriving at the bridge shortly - at least two of our party need a medic."

With that said.. the slim Operative bends to slip her arms underneath Ava, and bodily lift her from the ground.

"The closest teleporter.."

An inclined head.

"Is that way. We need to get to it, and get to the bridge. Let's move."

And, first to take her own advice, she paces from the room.

 

[Caulder]

Re: Facility, Codename: Last Resort

"Melissa, report to the Bridge immediately." Michael says over the radio after hearing 366 "Where the hell have you three been all this time?" he asks back to 366 over the radio

 

[Pale]

Re: Facility, Codename: Last Resort

366 comes through the teleporter to answer Michael in person. One gets the feeling the Operative was more than a little pissed.. and carrying Ava. She pauses to place the Unit against a bulkhead, then turns back to her commanding officer.

"Try asking the fool who flushed me out into space."

 

[SiphonTalvesh]

Re: Facility, Codename: Last Resort

Adria meanwhile had made her way to what she suspected was the actual engine room of the ship. The large glowing core in the center sort of solidified that. This also meant she could look up the ship power supply and find out how much they had left.

Calling up various schematics and programs, she eventually found the source of power.... and let out a low whistle upon seeing what it was. "Michael, this is Adria, I'm in the engine room. Your not going to believe what I just found is powering this ship."

 

[lurker]

Re: Facility, Codename: Last Resort

Soon following the operative came Xer, still looking a sorry sight,though able to limp effectively enough to move.