Re: The Adbot's Revenge!
(For the sake of not causing problems, no one ever left the location they landed at - these guys got here before you could.)
As Copper and Co. conversed about living arrangements and prepared to leave, a small troop of people in military fatigues, only four in all, came up the strip. As they got closer, it was easy to tell they were from the forum, and all armed. Their weapons were the easiest detail to notice, as said armaments were currently pointing at the group. Or, to be more accurate, pointing at Sparky.
The apparent leader of the troop was a young male, and didn't seem to fit in his uniform. The attack on the forum had significant casualties among the military, and it could be expected that this would lead to ranks being shuffled as the military tried to reorganise itself. This man - if he could be called such - was an immediate example of that, likely not being much more than a recruit before the attack, and now seemingly being in command of his own squad.
Or may just look like that normally or just be uncomfortable in the rough clothes, but the other possibility is more interesting.
"We have a prisoner?" he said to Copper, one eyebrow raising. Apparently, she was, unfortunately, correct about who would be expected to give answers.
<Insert reply from Copper explaining Sparky's presence here. No, really... Copper, would you terribly mind making one? I don’t want to put words in another’s character’s mouth, if I can’t help it.>
"Why did no one report his presence before? Never mind, take him to a cell. I do not care how friendly he is, we can not have a wraith walking around the forum right now. I think we have got an intact cell somewhere." The prison is one of the places that the hive had targeted, while it still had the ability to target. Probably thought it was a military complex. You note that he talks very carefully, not even using contractions – as if deathly afraid of doing so, which doesn’t help him seem less green. It also makes him rather painful to listen to. "...And try to make sure no one kills him. The anti-wraith sentiment is rather strong right now." The forum being blasted might have something to do with that. The looks the other three soldiers were giving him seemed to indicate that they'd be quite happy to turn him loose in a mob of haters... but they would follow commands. Hopefully.
"We are going to need reports from everyone involved. Including non-squad members, I am afraid. We have only got one room set up for you, but we only have one person that can take your reports anyway, so that is hardly a hindrance." The other three soldiers lead Sparky off to the prison, while he leads the group to the command bunker, and to a hall outside a room. There are some benches, but nothing else - the people waiting will have to amuse themselves, it seems.
"Go in as he calls you in, explain yourselves, and go out." the man who had led them there states. He stands there for a minute, before apparently realising that he had other things to do, and walks away.
One at a time, you are called into the room by a man's voice. The interior is bleak and the only furniture is a table and two chairs - one is empty and for you, the other seats a bald man in a black suit. The table has a small recording device on it, which the man turns on before he begins talking. The man himself seems sour, stuffy and pompous, and has the unusual ability to make you want to punch him in the face. He can't seem to turn it off, either.
He asks you a repertoire of questions so large that the sheer volume would be annoying, without even considering what they’re about – namely, everything you did on the mission, during which he takes the opportunity to second-guess and provide ‘better’ solutions at every possibility. He makes annoying comments about how you shouldn’t trust enemies, berates you for loosing not one, but both commanders, not going back to get Burrito when he radioed in (despite how suicidal that would have been), and lots of other things besides. Anyone not originally on the team is constantly pestered with covert accusations of being a spy, slipped in wherever possible. Tsuki has it worst, as in her interview the man takes the time to imply that she let herself get raped… it would seem he is a professional asshole. The man responds to violence by cowering, for all that he may try not to show it. Whether the violence is physical or simply from a violent nature, or appearance, does not seem to be important – he avoids questions that are likely to get him hit and stops being such an ass when people seem to be getting angry enough to attack him (this causes Grave to fair better than most).
On completing all interviews, another soldier arrives and allows them to leave, telling them as she does, to not “let Woolsey get to them”. Knowing he was unfortunate enough to be born with a name like that gives you a better understanding as to why he’s such an ass. The soldier stops Shrike before she leaves, telling her that she’s needed to help Siphon and that they need to know where they can find her – the place is still very chaotic, and it’d be too easy to loose one person. The soldier gives her the location of a hotel to stay in, where the military can reach her when they’re ready to fix Siphon.
Six hours later, three soldiers came knocking on Shrike’s door, taking her to the bunker, into a room that contained both Sparky and Siphon. The stone-Siphon was chained to a bench, there were several guards (who were giving Sparky looks that were not in the least bit polite), and some equipment. The petrification spell is removed by a spell caster from the forum, and Sparky and Shrike begin their work on his mind.
Afterwards, when it is done and Siphon has been shown to be reasonably stable, they are let loose – even Sparky gets his freedom, thanks to a combination of Siphon’s bequest and the gratitude given for saving their commander. Sparky uses his newfound freedom to go to his dart, stating that he had something to check on. It’s not something Woolsey would have recommended, but then, most of the forum’s high-ups aren’t tight-asses like him.
Siphon, despite being sane, is a changed man… wraith… man-wraith. He is immediately sent to give his recount (to Aika, thankfully, he probably would have killed Woolsey), and tells of the location of the super-hive. Realising the danger such a hive would possess, Aika requests more information – but Siphon can give none. Instead, he volunteers to go scout the hive. At first, Aika declines the request, but Siphon pushes for it, and Aika caves. He leaves a short time later, and his disappearance is only told to the rest of the group some time after he left. A few hours after that, soldiers start looking for the squad’s members, (except for Siphon and Burrito, obviously,) and fairly quickly round all of you up. You are sent to the bunker for the third time, and are now waiting outside a room for your second time today (or maybe more, depending on what you were doing).
[Assuming this gets the go-ahead from Burrito, feel free to post anything from what happened to you in the interview, all the way to when soldiers take you back to the bunker. To help, here’s a short recap of events: soldiers take you to an interview with Woolsey. If you want to RP that, well, you’re strange. =/ But, if you do want to write something up for it, you should recount everything that happened and have him chastise you for any actions that weren’t triple checked with the forum or led to a bad conclusion. (Don’t kill him, though; remember he has to survive to do interviews with everyone else.) You’re let out for 6 hours - feel free to RP what happened in that time amongst yourselves. Shrike is then taken from her hotel and fixes Siphon. About two hours later, everyone is told that Siphon’s gone and is taken to the bunker for the new briefing – that’s a solid 8 hours of time at home for everyone but Shrike… you might want to spend some of it sleeping, since I can’t remember the last time the party rested. When everybody’s ready, I’ll start working on the second half – again, assuming the first half gets approved.]
