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Post by Man on Jul 17, 2014 2:43:50 GMT -5
The Doctor was standing by the monitors, reviewing the information as Ivan spoke in case they had missed something, but it was all there. He commenced the procedure for filing their data in their respective documents when he felt his heart skip a beat. His tail stuck on end as he rest his hands over the controls to try and take a breather. His heartbeat began to rise and a sharp pain was felt coursing through his veins like tiny needles rushing through his bloodstream. "Aaahgh..." he tried to suppress his cries but the pain was too great. His slitted eyes soon watered and his knees bent lower and lower as he gave in to the paralyzing pain. Finally, with a cough of blood gushed over the controls and the monitor, The Doctor collapsed on the ground and squealed with utter agony. That's when Ivan heard him and turned to see his most trusted colleague weeping on the ground. He was a silent man, never showing much thought or emotion. He was the type to suffer in silence, yet the fact that he could not remain silent any longer gave perspective to the petrifying throb he felt throughout his body. Head pulsating, veins sticking out, secretive liquids expelled from his scales as a defense mechanism, the lizard-like being was suffering from something he had never felt before. What did he expect them to do!? Ivan thought with rage. Forge it? Perhaps it would have been for the best, but then what would he do when they found out the information was not real? No, lying would not have been a good alternative, it would have just saved them time. However, their examinations take place at the atomic level of one's structure. It's not his fault the Vennor was so strong! The scientist clenched his fist.
"Stop this! We're doing the best we can!" he growled.
"Well then, I hope your best is enough. I will give you the antidote as long as everything goes as planned, otherwise your dear doctor will be the price for your incompetence. Your life isn't the only on the line here Ivan, whatever goes wrong when and if we take Anri out is all on you. And trust me you will wish you were dead. Until then I suggest you get another doctor, one isn't currently bleeding from the inside before this one dies."
At this point, Anri returned from the other room and rushed to The Doctor's aid. He asked what had happened, but Ivan's gaze lowered to the ground helplessly. Biting his lips so hard he begins to bleed, his body quivers with bitterness and animosity. If only I was strong! He thought. If only I had power! Nobody would rule over him and tell him what to do. Nobody would stand against him and his aspirations, nobody would threaten his friends, nobody... The scientist sustained deep hatred. This was by far the worse Nesu had done since they met and it would not end there. For as long as he worked under him, the scientist would be subject to his torturous schemes until the light escaped his eyes. But alas, he was a weak man incapable of causing any harm to anyone. The fire burned out as he realized how useless he was. The Doctor was dying and he could not do anything about it, except watch. He gazed at the Vennor, his eyes now hardened and full of hatred. "Don't worry about it, just do as he says," his voice cold.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 17, 2014 3:21:14 GMT -5
With Anri now bent over the trembling scaled man his mind went blank of what, if anything he could do. Anri had been trained with many times during his time in the service even as a field medic but this... this was not something he was skilled enough to know what to do, there was no signs of any external wounds or even any ripped clothes, whatever had happened was an internal problem, had he had any signs of illness before hand? No... he seemed fine but fine was a long shot from what he knew about this creature, a normal day for him could have been an ill day for another. What could have caused something like this too happen too him so quickly, he had only been inside that room for less than five minutes and he had come back too this!
Anri's question came with no response from Ivan other than the shaking from his fists he was mute, was the same thing happening too him as well? Was he next?... comparing from what Ivan was doing too that of the doctor it didn't seem that they had the same condition... Ivan seemed... to be in a rage... not sick. What had Nesu done? It was the only thing that could have made sense here, Ivan was not a violent man, he was a man of science not one with ruthless taste for blood, especially not from a person whom Anri assumed they had been close. Spending so much time together in a lab you either hated the people you worked with or considered them a close friend.
It was Ivan's voice that broke through the silence of the room like a hot knife, though the tone of his voice was not the happy, pleasant voice Anri had grown accustomed too. It was cold... with hate and sadness, like that of a man who had no other options and was at his last straw, a deep pool of despair enveloped him. If Anri had not been pissed off before he was now, the doctor was a quite man but he seemed too be a good one if that, he had a way of telling much about a person before he ever talked too them and he could tell that about the alien.
"What? Killing innocent people get you off is that it?" Anri yelled too the speakers.
"Not by a long shot Anri, I had to make an example to Ivan... he needed to know first hand just how important this mission is too me... to us as a growing company. And that man is far from innocent, but then everyone is that room is. There is a reason I hire certain people Anri. So, because they are weak, and other because others make them weak. Do you know which you are?"
Not innocent? What was he talking about? Just who was it that he was crouched over now? A master criminal? Or just person that got caught up in the flow of life. Then again... Nesu was right about him... Anri wasn't the purest guy around, he had killed... many times, even for cash... was that was life was worth? A bundle of money? What about Ivan? What did he have on him, no one would willingly work this such a crazed man, he was insane! Nearly killing someone just to make a point!
"I swear once I get my hands on you-"
"And by that time I will have my hands around that sweet little girl of yours, or did you forget that, hmm?"
"You are my pawn and I do with you as I see fit, keep that in mind. Anri... as much as I need you I am not above making another example of someone else too show you your place. I think I could use a drink...have any idea's where I might be able to get one Anri?"
"You....wouldn't-" Anri's voice wavered.
"And yet my car is already warming up. NOW, you have two options laid out before you. You can either do as I say and be helpful in my operations, or act against me. But might I remind you... I'm more than positive my men at the bar could take her before you walk out this room."
Anri's eyes grew wide as his mouth held on its hinges, there was no words to come from his mouth not that he had any idea what too say. It was as though Nesu had a knife to his neck and one wrong movement it was game over, at least it might have been. She had been the best thing that ever came into his life... was there even point to life after wards without her....
"Yes sir...." The words pained him to say, not just his pride, or his honor but his very being seemed to quiver at the sentence, with all the hate burning in his chest his words were cold like that of Ivan's... he knew how the man felt now.
"Splendid! Now with that out of the way...." In an instant the doctors breathing being to return to normal as his body went limp as he passed out on the floor.
"Worry not... he'll be fine, at least for now." Though Anir couldn't see the man he knew he was smiling at his own words.
"Great... the team is ready to strike. Now Ivan, I will be needed you on this mission as well. As strong as Anri is there are a few things I need your expertise for. There are many defense and some not so friendly obstacles that you shall come across, Anri could bash his way through them, true, but he can't hack through firewalls in their systems to get to the vault. Every technical issue Anri comes across will needed to be handled by you." He gave out the orders.
"And for the sake of your own identity you also will wear a pair of clothes I've set up in the back room. This way every one in the operation will look the same, so no one can be traced back too me if caught on camera. And trust me, if I am found out, your lives will also be exposed. And I'm sure that attention will not be one you shall favor." It didn't take a genuis to understand what it was that the man was talking about... one slip up and that was it for all of them, Anri had no idea what it was that Nesu held over Ivan and the doctor but it must have been bad if they HAD to work for Nesu.
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Post by Man on Jul 17, 2014 4:28:11 GMT -5
Ivan observed the steam rising from the Vennor's body as he became agitated and enraged by the man who had them both on reigns. I see, he thought. Anri has a girl he cares deeply for, that's why he's stuck with this man. Unfortunately, Ivan's job was to keep it that way and -in case the Vennor turned against them- find how to neutralize him. If it were not for this girl he cared so much about, Anri could walk right up to Nesu and tear him to shreds. Perhaps, that was the key to freeing himself. Because the scientist was weak and he could not challenge Nesu or his group, maybe he could use others to do it for him. But in order for that to work, he would need to find out who this girl was and how to hide her from danger. Only then would all hell break loose and the prick would vanish without a trace. Meanwhile, they would have to go along with their orders and do as he says.
Hearing his name, he looks at the ceiling with a perplexed look. What could they possibly need him for? "A vault?" he inquired, "Are we breaking into a bank?"
"No, a casino.We will be infiltrating the Heart of Alpha. Now go get dressed. The van is waiting for you outside of the building. You will receive further instructions once you are there." The speaker buzzed off and Nesu was gone.
Ivan snarled. What? He thought. He's doing everything for money. Then again, what did they expect it to be? There was no greater ambition for a business man other than money, but the extremes to which he ventured in order to get it. The lives he ruined to further his own selfish ambitions. Nesu left a swirling void of dread and despair at his wake without even showing his face. Anri and the scientist were both left with great regret and pain, with great desire to destroy Nesu and everything he treasures.
"Well, let's get to work..." he says, walking towards the back room. The hatch slides open and he find himself in a dark room with weapons lying all over the place. Inside he found a pair of clothing as Nesu had indicated, similar to Anri's; a long black shirt with matching pants and an odd helmet. The clothing fit him perfectly and the helmet felt like it clicked in place when put on his head.
Hello, and thank you for purchasing the TH-10X Nova class helmet, I am your AI. Who may I ask I am addressing today?" A voice came from the ear piece in his helmet.
Ivan remained silent.
"Hello, and thank you for purchasing the TH-10X Nova class helmet, I am your AI. Who may I ask I am addressing today?" the voice repeated.
...
"Hello, and thank you for purchasing..." the AI repeated but Ivan was not listening. His gaze was set on the back of the dark room.
In the Gamma Slums, a small boy cried to himself in the corner an alley. Back in the day, there were numerous gang fights for the control of the slums. Worthless. Meaningless. Alpha Prime was ruled by Prometheus Zex and Beta Minor by the Icejin King, Arctic. The Slums, however, founded by an unknown benefactor it was territory free of anyone's rule and everyone wanted it. They thought it meant something to have power over a dump like the Gamma Slums, but they were nothing but the Omega Collective's Anus. His foolish father was one of those colored gang members who strived for control. He wasn't sure whether it was meant to bring his son a better future or just his egotism taking over. He liked to think it was the former so he may have peace of mind. But now the fool was dead and his mother committed suicide afterwards. They had not thought about the one they would leave behind, the weird child nobody wanted to get near because of his blue and red eyes. Ivan was born with heterochromia and was deemed an outcast because of it. Now that his parents were gone and he was an orphan, it would not be long before he vanished from the universe without making a name for himself. On the other hand, the boy had shown commendable intellect from a young age; word spread like wildfire. The populace would hunt him down to make the boy their little pet, he was a jewel that must be possessed and they would turn over every rock and stone to find him. He was nothing but a freak to them.
Suddenly, a shadow was cast over the sobering child and he glanced up to find a petrifying man gleefully smiling down at him. But he knew that kind of smile, there was no kindness in it at all, only greed and vanity. "Why, how hideous," he said. There was no way the boy would walk with a man like him. The very first words that came from his mouth were so demoralizing, but he promised the boy something none other had. The man lay his foot on the boy and watched him squirm under his wrath. "You have a strong will to live, don't you boy." He struggled more to try and break free but he was too weak to do anything. The man leaned lower to meet him eye to eye and whispered. "What if you had a second chance? What if you could change your fate?"
"Hello, and thank you for purchasing the TH-10X Nova..."
"-Ivan. My name's Ivan..."
"Hello Ivan, I will be your AI if you have any questions today or in the future. The basics uses of the TH-10X helmet are ten way communication, alien to alien language translator and HUD display for externet viewing, and video messages."
"Very well..."
"Good, and as always," the last part came out as a recording of Nesu's voice, "make sure you do what I ask." Ivan grimaced. That last sentence made him irk with rage. Looking down at the weapons Anri had tumbled down to the ground, he searched among them for something which could suit him. Perhaps the Vennor had no need of such primitive tactics, but Ivan was a weakling and guns would be of utmost use for him. Finally, the hatched opened once again Ivan revealed himself to the Vennor. He looked just like him, except he collected two pistols for either side of his waist, three grenades lined at the back of his belt, and a sniper gun strapped to his back. He wore gloves and fighter boots to help with friction since he was dealing with very dangerous and potent weapons. The scientist never thought he would be dressed for war, and perhaps he would not be needing any of it for his assigned task, but he needed to make sure nothing went wrong. Anri was his key to freedom.
"Let's go," he said walking out of the room and entering the next. The aids stopped and stared quietly and frightened. "You!" the scientist commanded. "Go help The Doctor, he's in the other room."
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Post by Deleted on Jul 17, 2014 9:35:59 GMT -5
(Just a note man it is actually the heart of alpha, a casino that we are breaking into, a simple change, and no harm done)
Anri was lost in a sense of rage and loss, he had fallen right into Nesu's hands and there was nothing he could do to break free from his iron grasp... Diagon had been right when he said not to trust him but he really had no choice at the time, with all the attention he had brought with him on the station it was only time before something of sort was too happen but it might have been better than what he was going through now. At least maybe then it would have just been his neck on the line and not those he cared for.... Anri hadn't taken notice that his hands were clinched into tight fists until the pressure was so great that it was causing his hands to grown numb with the lack of blood flowing too them. Not wanting to lose the use of his hands before the big mission did he loosen his dead tight grip as the color quickly returned too his hands once more, but the tingling sensation lingered still.
Lost in his own thoughts Anri had only heard part of the conversation but heard enough to know that Ivan would be accompanying him into the mission, normally Anri would have protested the idea not for the sake of the man's safety but for the fact Ivan was not one anyone could call combative, after all he was a scientist and not a war born creature such as Anri was. However Anri was done talking with Nesu, he couldn't have any more slip ups even though his mouth wanted to scream out at the man it took all he had and more too keep his mouth shut with a bolt. Not speaking out was more painful for Anri than actually being punched over and over again, with every word he kept bottled up it was like someone was striking him in the stomach with no sight of stopping in the near future.
The man was correct in one manner though a technical specialist would come in handy, Anri really had no idea of what he might be going against and with how much that was on stake of the success of this mission he would need all the help he could get as much as he hated the idea, causing his pride to bleed ever more, by the end of this day would he even have a scrap of it left to his name? The real question was did it really matter any more? He wasn't on Riva anymore did any of the pride he had back there didn't matter anymore, no one he knew from his home was here, barley anyone knew him or what he did in his past, as long as he had Mika that's all that mattered right? ... Anri would take Ivan's help... it was the best plan, he wasn't strong but Ivan was smart, even smarter than Anri himself he could see it, even if the man himself couldn't. There was things the man knew that Anri hadn't even come across in his studies yet, and with his own lab he could know more in a few days than Anri could in a month. It would be handy too keep Ivan in his back pocket, his guide against what they might face, after all with working with Nesu for so long he probably knew a few tricks of the trade.
With the speaker cuting of rather quickly Anri looked up from the doctor and towards Ivan who was not in the best of moods, his face flushed with anger, his body seemed to shake with every small movement he made. Anri was curious as too what he was thinking, he must hate the man just as much as Anri did, and he had put up with the man for much longer than he himself, just how and why was still a mystery too the alien. It had only been a few months and the need to burn the man at the stake was overwhelming, Ivan must have the patience of an elder if he could put up with him for so long. Before Anri could say anything it was Ivan that spoke up but his words seemed too lack any actual want too do the task and Anri understood, force labor produced the worse results in people.
With that Anri stood up away from the doctor and watched from afar as Ivan made his way back into the small armory finding the clothes that had been laid out for him just as Anri's had been. There wasn't too much to say between the two of them now, tensions were held so high even if they were on the same side of the battle field, Anri had given some trust to Ivan but with just how long and close he worked with Nesu it was hard to not know if he would betray him in the end. It was a strange pact they had been forced into, and the trust was uneasy, Anri wished to have trust towards the man but something was holding him back. Doubt? There was no way of knwoing just how loyal he was too Nesu, even if the man treated him like crap some people thrived off that, needing someone to treat them in such a manner but that preson clung too them, their anchor in their world, showing them what they should be and how to live their lives, Stockholm syndrome in a manner of speaking. He had seen it a few times in the military ranks but it usually didn't last long after it was reported.
Watching Ivan for a few minutes the man seemed to be lost in thought as he looked down at the similar helmet that Anri wore, what Nesu had done earlier must have set in hard with him, Ivan looked completely out of it now. Anri wanted to call out too him but he thought it best too let the man have a moment of inner thought after what he had just seen happen to his friend, though he was curious as too what he was thinking of. The lost blurry look in his eyes seemed to notion that whatever he was thinking about it wasn't something he would willingly share even if he asked. Giving a small sigh Anri walked up to the closet wall and rested his back against it getting lost in his thoughts as well, mostly just trying to imagine what he might be going up against in such a large building, there would be many guards.... suddenly the imagine of Mika popped into his mind completely destroying any plans he would ever think of now. Her sweet soft smile, smooth checks and bright purple eyes... she was beautiful which was odd sense they were nothing like each other. Him a plated steam powered beast and her a scaly skin reptile creature, just an odd pair but it worked... thats when the thought of dying flashed into his mind. Death wasn't anything new on his mind but he had always come out on top... but it seemed as though if the job didn't kill him them Nesu surely would or make it so that he would want too be dead.
---few minutes later---
Folding a small piece of paper up did Anri place it into a small pocket on the side of his pants as he turned at the sound of Ivan walking out from the armory door. It almost like as if had transformed into a commando, weapons strung across his body, ready too go to war, at least that's what it looked like. Giving him a command as he walked by Anri cocked his head too the side, let one person tell you want to do and they all start doing it. Sighing with a mixture of annoyance and anger he followed Ivan out as he barked orders at the rest of his workers to aid to the doctor. The Ivan Anri had seen before seemed to have all vanished from the man's body, he wasn't sure who he was dealing with now but it appeared as though Nesu had pushed him much further than he intended too.
Making there way through the hallway and layers of the base the conversation between the two of them had been empty, not a word spoken since the chamber with the glass tank, so much had happened in such a short time, things had been much simpler, and then Nesu had to go and poke the fire, creating a fire storm for a lot of people. Anri wondered just how much easier is life could have been if he had just chosen to snap the man's neck when he first met him? He might not have been on the station anymore but at least Mika and Diagon would have been safe not to mention Ivan and the doctor would be freed from their bonds... which reminded Anri, why was it he worked for Nesu.
"Ivan... why do you work for that prick? I know he's got wealth and power, which can be intimidating especially after seeing what he did too the Doc but I would have snapped the man's neck long ago if I was in your shoes, and ya I know your not the strongest guy... what does he have on you? What can be so important that your willing to risk your life on too work for this guy?" Anri asked generally interested to hear what he had to say.
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Post by Man on Jul 17, 2014 17:01:18 GMT -5
The scientist clad in weapons walked past his colleague without a single glance. His head remained high and straight towards the task at hand. Although part of his thoughts remained with the reptilian man, all he could do now apologize to The Doctor as he groveled in the bloodstained floor. Anri followed him as requested, perhaps a little shaken by the scientist's sudden change of personality. Ivan was far too depressed to care, but he was thankful that the Vennor would put up with his behavior. The lab aids stood on end, standing in military-style salute. No one had ever seen Ivan dressed the way he was and much less equipped with weapons. The man was known to be a man of science. He had no interest in the mindless effort of fighting and the fact that he was taking guns and grenades to a stealth hi-jack showed his inexperience in the field. A true military official would laugh hysterically and ridicule him, who looked as though he were going out to war instead of sitting in front of a computer and giving out orders to those infiltrating. In only an instant, the mellow atmosphere was changed to one of dread and conspiracy. Ivan's fingers obtained a feat of power he had never exercised, but they worked well with his harsh and demanding tone. All he had to do was call out a name, give an order, and they did as he was told. The aids rushed to The Doctor to help him regain his strength. They would be divided in teams; one to monitor his current health, another one to keep him alive until the mission was over, and a third to try and find a cure for his predicament in case things went wrong. Suddenly, the scientist could understand why Nesu loved being in control and manipulating those around him. It was invigorating. However, he would not condone his actions because of it. Desire was a sin. The man had no right to decide who lived and who must die. The power of authority twisted people's minds like a drug, they could not stop, and they just wanted more power, more wealth, more influence.
Ivan continued to rage across the room and the lab workers stepped aside as they approached, walking through door after door. The hatch always opened regardless, but now it felt as though they opened because of him. It felt like a mist of aura was secreting from his skin and ordering everything around him, bending it to his will. It felt like that same aura forced the hatch to open like psychokinesis, yet they would have opened anyway because they were designed that way. The sensors built at its top detected their arrival and acting accordingly. It wasn't until Anri spoke his name that the man snapped out of his psychotic metamorphosis and halt at the foot of the door. His words made him quiver, just the thought of having to explain and listen to himself admitting it and realizing all over again that he was useless, his words stuck to his throat as he tried to spill it out. "It's because... he saved me...."
"Grab him!"
Huff! Puff! Huff! Puff!
...
The boy ran for his life as if the devil was chasing him, and perhaps it was. This was all he could look forward to; living as a slave to the gang who managed to catch him and doing all of their dirty work, or escaping and living within the shadows. Life expectancy wasn't very long. Soon enough he would collapse and submit to their will or commit suicide. At this point, death was a greater fate than that of their lap dog. They made him do terrible things to innocent people, but the boy had a strong will to live and a great sense of hope that everything would turn out for the best. And so he ran, he ran and ran, moving between obstacles to obstruct their path and setting traps along the way. He hated it. He hated how weak he was and how the strong claimed others like an object they must possess. If only he had power, nobody would ever tell him what to do. Unfortunately, he was a frail little boy and all he had was a set of vials hidden in his pocket. Taking one out as he continued to run, he observed the purple liquid shaking in its container by the abrupt motions. "This one," he thought to himself. The boy soon after ran into a dead end, a wall at the end of the dark alley. The wall was carved with stepping stones he had placed himself in case he ever needed the escape route, but although he tried to climb it with all his might, his arms gave in to his weight and the boy dropped back to the ground. Before long, the group that was following him surrounded him at every corner. There was no place to run. The boy closed his eyes and yelled out of desperation. He didn't want to go back. He didn't want to live their life. He hoped that perhaps a miracle would occur and his body would inflame with inexplicable power. In the Gamma Slums they had heard of those types, the ones who gain power through sheer will and ascend past their boundaries. Ivan was not such being. Tears in his eyes, all he could do was slam the purple vail to the ground and watch the compressed liquid transmute into a cloud of gas. The gas itself was harmless, but it provided him with coverage while he thought about what to do next. He coughed, suffocating under his own concoction while he searched through the other vials in his pocket.
"Where is he?" one said.
"Don't let him escape!"
Taking out a red vial, he aimed at the group as they blindly bumped into each other coughing in the purple gas. He thought about it thoroughly. "Why am I hesitating?" the boy thought. If he didn't do it they would catch him, if he didn't do it there would be no end to the chase! The boy grimaced with utter annoyance, snarling like a dog his fingers pressed around the glass of the vial with almost enough force to crush it in his hands, but then that wouldn't help him at all. Succumbing to his conscious, the boy turns to the wall which was supposed to be his brilliant escape route and tossed the red vial at it. Taking cover, the vial exploded upon impact and created a large hole through the wall where he could squeeze through. "Not today..." he said, taking one last glance at the gang members he was leaving behind.
"You have a strong will to live, don't you boy."
"What if you had a second chance? What if you could change your fate?"
Ivan clenched his fists beside him as he stared steadily at the ground. "Nesu saved me from a life not worth living. One more day and I fear I might have cracked, but then he appeared and he gave me a chance to realize my own potential and make a name for myself. Thanks to him I was able to build this entire laboratory and hire all of these workers. Thanks to him I can live out my dream and enjoy a life with meaning. However, defying him now would mean revealing my association with him. If anyone were to find out, my career would be over and I... I just can't go back to that place... If I do... I might as well cut my own throat."
His gaze rose to the passage ahead with tears swelling in his eyes. "That's why... we must do as he says."
Without another word, the scientist continues to walk towards the elevator so they may descend to the bottom floor and reach the van that has been waiting for them outside. If they took any longer, Nesu would call again and something bad would surely follow it.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 17, 2014 18:56:32 GMT -5
Anri wasn't usually the one to follow in someone foot steps but Ivan almost seemed to be in auto-pilot, the engine was running but the driver was no where to be found, it reminded Anri of shell shocked victims in way, stunned, distant, out of it from their normal self; the only difference here was that the commands he was giving too all that came within hear shot of him. Anri hadn't known Ivan for very long but he could tell what was going on was not something usual from the look of his lab aids, they did as he commanded but there was a pause at the beginning, no one seemed too know what was happening at the moment, just knowing there was a state for alarm. It wasn't until the few that entered the room that any idea of the situation kicked in as they saw the doctor laying in a small pool of his own blood, a sight that put any of the alien on edge. Idea of what had happened began to rush through their minds, anything from Ivan hurt him, too the new guy roughed him up. In the end everyone's thoughts all came back to the same source of hate among the lab, Nesu. What had happened this time? The risks of working under Ivan had been that he worked for Nesu and the man was unpredictable but nothing like this had ever hit so hard too them before. Before it had only ever been stories of his misdeeds but now they were staring at someone they all knew so well, and for so long, death happened a lot but not often too someone they knew. Following the orders they had been given, the medical devices where set up as the crew even brought a bed for him to lay in while another one cleaned the blood away from his body. It was unknown just what he had, or know much longer he would last so they tried to make him as comfortable as they possibly could.
Door after door they walked through the facility the dim lights leading the way past every computer, tank and miscellaneous room. It wasn't until Anri and stopped to ask Ivan just why he was doing this that they man frozen in his place, his words wavered as the distant look appeared once again in his eyes as he was going into deep thought once more. Had it not been for the short time limit they were on Anri would have indulged the idea of letting the man think but they had a schedule too adhere too otherwise everyone was lost to either of them, Nesu was not a patient or forgiving man, and they needed every second of what precious time they had. Placing his hand on Ivan's shoulder he gave his body a quick shake which was enough too pull him out of traced like state. Learning some what about Ivan past it became clear he held great gratitude towards the man for the new life he had given him but one could only be so thankful up too a point for his life became like this. Processing Ivan's words Anri shook his head slowly understanding what he had been told, but was it really worth all of it, too give up his dignity, be treated like shit and then watch helplessly as your friend is stricken down next too you. There was a fine line of just how much a person was willing to take but where was Ivan's? Was he going to wait until the doctor was dead to do anything? Would it matter at that point?
"You didn't trade your old life off for a new one, he just simply gave you a nice coat, a lab, and some fine polishing; nothing has changed just your point of view. Your not much off better here than where you were at before. Is it really living your dreams if your stuck under the thumb of someone else constantly?" Anri would have said more but there was no time for it, he hoped his words would have some effect on the man but he couldn't sit down and have a therapy session with him.
As Anri finished his statement he walked past Ivan towards the elevator but at Ivan's last words he looked over his shoulder and gave a wicked grin, Anri was planning something but he couldn't say more... there was no idea who was listening in on their conversation. The mic on the helmets had on the whole time so it was possible that Nesu himself was listening to every word they said, that being the case it wasn't safe to say anything however visual displays where still in the safe area.
The elevator ride down was quite between the two of them, there wasn't really much to say anymore, their peace had been said but Anri did have one favor to ask of Ivan. He hadn't known much about the man and his trust was slowly growing for him with his display of hate for Nesu, but he knew there was a good person under all the control and hate. Reaching into his pocket did he pull out the small piece of paper he had placed in there earlier, holding it with both of his hands he looked down at it as if he could see the font on the inside of the paper.
"I know you don't owe me anything but could you do me favor?" Anri asked, with a slight pause.
"There is a woman who works down at the docks, her name is Mika, she owns a bar, the Iron spicket. I don't know what I'll being going up against in this job... I'm strong but I'm still mortal, pump me with enough shells and I'll die just like everyone else. Or heat me up too much and I'll fry like a bug under a magnifying glass... what I'm trying to get to here is... if don't make it out alive could you give her this?" Anri pushed the flooded paper over to Ivan in hope that he would take it.
"It just says a few things I wished I told her... you know that mushy shit chicks like... that and what ever I get from this job, all that money should go towards her, I can't take it with me once I'm dead can I? I have all the confidence that you'll make it out one way or another, you're a survivor Ivan. Just look how long you survive Nesu's wrath." Anri ended his words as the elevator came to a stop at the lower most level.
With his normal long strides Anri stepped out of the elevator and into the a large open dock bay, obvious this point of the building was way below that of the main lobby and the streets above. It made sense though to call them down here instead of taking off from the street, the city was full of monitoring equipment and them walking out like they were now, it would be simple to trace them back here and then Nesu. With this area being controlled by the man the only cameras down here belonged to the man himself and this was his operation. Off in the distance of the room there were large crates of who knew what being taken from a off loading ship into a small trucks for distribution across the city, the boxes where similar too those he had seen in a factory where he took his first job from Nesu, if they were from the same people then Anri knew that the man was shipping in thousands of weapons. Just what was he planning, it almost looked like he was getting ready to go to war. Anri wanted to ask Ivan but he doubted he would say anything or even knew about it, he seemed shocked by the fact that an armory had been placed inside his lab in the first place, what else did Nesu do without telling him.
With the van sitting not but twenty feet away with its engines running Anri made his way over too the small ship and waited as the door opened upon his arrival, he had been expecting there too be a driver at the helm but he saw no one... looking back and forth he called out to the ship.
"Is this an automated flight?"
"Correct sir, I have been programmed with the directional flight plan to the location [CLASSIFIED INFORMATION], arrival time will be twenty minutes. Please take a seat and enjoy your ride- Rrrrrrrr! Shhhhhhh.... This damn thing working?" It was Nesu voice that came out over the speaker.
"If I say no will you go away?" Anri growled out, having grown sick of hearing the man again.
"Silence. Now take a seat so we can start the job."
Shrugging his board shoulders Anri ducked his head and crawled into the ship, finding it a bit small for his height but the leg room more than made up for it. Waiting for Ivan to step in the door would close behind him as the ship would began to take off from the ground leaving a wave of dirt fluttering below on the docking platform.
"Now that you are on the way we shall being going through a quick debriefing of what you will be facing up against. Now there are two squads in this attack, Anri and Ivan you will be the infiltration team while the assault time will be out side the casino working their way inside to distract the guards and police forces. While I control a great amount of power in the slums my reach is only so far into Alpha, I would have bought off them but they are more afraid of Zex than I, but they shall learn. Once the assault team is attacking that is when you two will be dropped in on the roof top; Ivan, this is where your skills will be greatly used. The building has automated defense turrets and a electrical field to prevent anyone from landing on the roof with out access, hack the buildings fire wall and get those codes, readjusted their target parameters, or just shut them down, I don't care. Next step will be go head down through the level of the casino until you've reached the main floor. As much as the guards and police will be focused on whats going on outside the place has a full staffed personal army all working for the casino and Zex. Anri I'm sure you know what too do here. After Anri as taken care of any armed forces on the first level you will need to reach the lower levels of the building. This can only come through one of two ways, either Anri can melt through the ground with his heat abilities or through a large security door near the back of the building. Either way is dangerous as the blue prints we have only show the first floor, we won't know anything else about the lower levels until we reach them. If you decided to melt through the ground you'll be flying blind into enemy territory but it could be faster than hacking a door and taking a normal path. After that point we will play everything by ear, I'm sure the radios will work under the thick slabs of metal but every thirty seconds your radio will change stations so that no one can track our locations or listen to our conversation other than for a few seconds. Keep your sentence short when using the radios." During the whole ride Anri had been listening to Neus, he had kept quite as he envisioned the building and plan in his mind, it would have helped if he had an actual picture too go of off but his mind would be his greatest help here.
"Any questions?" Anri thought on it for a second but there was really nothing else he needed to know, the above surface levels seemed easy knowing what they were up against but the lower levels were still a mystery for any of them, though he did wonder just how they knew all of this so well?
"Ya, I have one. Just how do you know all this? I would think that such plans about the building would be pretty hard to get, if not impossible."
"Practice makes prefect Anri." His words took Anri back a few inches.
"Just how many times have you done this?"
"This will be my third time, with every attempt I get a little closer."
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Post by Man on Jul 18, 2014 18:44:56 GMT -5
The Vennor's words rang through his mind, and although there was some truth to it, the scientist did not entirely agree. If you looked at the surface then he was completely right. There was no difference between his life in the Slums and now; the only variables were the physical objects he now possesses. His laboratory, the lab, the aides, it was much more comfortable than before but he still worked for a low-life prick, he was still someone's little hound. He ran away from his pursuers, but he only landed in the hands of the worst scum in the entirety of the Omega Collective. He was still being exploited for his talents and if he were to defy him, then his friends and himself would be threatened and nearly killed like The Doctor just a few moments ago. It was only a matter of time before it was too late and somebody really did die. However, he disagreed with the Vennor. Nesu didn't just give him a glorified bone to chew on, he gave him an opportunity to build a name for himself and rise up in the social latter. In the Slums, there was no prospect, no possibility of ascending to a better life-style. He would forever be a nameless thug, chained to the will of those above him. Now he was Ivan, the prestigious scientist, chained to the will of those above him. Nesu was no longer his only benefactor, Lord Zex had recognized him and invested in his laboratory so the Collective may grow in the field of sciences. After he became affiliated with the top dog of Alpha Prime, Ivan attempted to free himself from the past and leave Nesu behind. Unfortunately, that machiavellian snide was more cunning at this aspect and forced Ivan to continue working for him. How? It was simple. If the scientist defies him, not only will those around him suffer, but his association with Nesu would be revealed. Promptly after discovering this, Lord Zex would most probably disassemble his laboratory and send the scientist back to the Slums where he came from with no hopes of improving his life-style.
Ivan was grateful, that was for certain, but his limit had been reached long ago. It wasn't anything big, it was the accumulation of deeds forced upon him and the cruel way Nesu treated all of them. If he could he would have taken him out by now, but the scientist was a weak man and all of his experiments were monitored by the man to make sure he wasn't scheming some kind of betrayal. Ivan wanted to destroy Nesu and free himself, but not at that cost, not if it meant he had to go back. After all, even if he did somehow adjourn any ties with the man, he would still be under the thumb of Zex. His experiments would all be to please Zex so he may grant them more funds and the laboratory can remain aloft. Because science doesn't generate a direct product they can't produce their own income, they needed to connect with other organizations who can use their information to create something useful to the population and then sell that product. Therefore, they relied on sponsors and philanthropists, rich folk with lots of money they knew not what to do with so they dump it in science -not really caring whether something good comes out of it. That was the way of the world. In order to live out your dreams one must sacrifice their time to first fulfill someone else's dream. Everything was structured around a single person standing at the top of the building. Someone will always be working for another unless they were wealthy men with power and influence.
The Vennor walked past him towards the elevator and looked back at Ivan over his shoulder. He grinned. Ivan wasn't sure what that meant, but it seemed like the Vennor had some kind of scheme up his sleeves. He followed into the elevator and promptly after the hatch behind them closed shut and the circular floor began to descend towards the bottom floor. Dim light ostensibly rise up as they went down, they were lined down the vertical wall with a predetermined distance in mind. It was engineered so -just as the first light bulb become too far away, another light bulb would rise just in time before it became too dark to see, and so the room flickered on and off, changing its level of brightness continually throughout the duration of their trip. The elevator area was not used for much other than travel, so they had no need to waste resources on keeping it completely lit up. It would have been an inefficient use of energy. Submerged in the silence of their trip down, the scientist considered returning the question. The Vennor knew why he was working for Nesu, but Ivan didn't know Anri's reasons. On the other hand, he his own hypothesis concerning everything he had heard until now. Nesu kept mentioning burning down a bar, and then he mentioned a girl.
Nesu's words repeated itself in his mind like a recording, "There is a reason I hire certain people, Anri. Some because they are weak, and some because others make them weak. Do you know which you are?"
Obviously, Anri was not weak. If there had been doubt before, it was now completely gone thanks to their analysis report. Which only meant there was a certain person Nesu was holding against him. A girl, a girl who worked at a bar. Yes, that must've been it...
Suddenly, Anri calls his attention as he takes out a piece of paper from his pocket. Ivan remembered briefly seeing him with that same piece of paper when he came back from the armory Nesu had hidden in his lab. It felt so odd to see him acting so humble as he extended his hands to give him the piece of paper. His emotions were written on it, it was a personal matter and somehow he was able to entrust such a thing to Ivan, the man who was giving Nesu all the points to take him out. The guilt was killing him, the scientist takes the letter from his hands and looks away, fighting the tears of regret. The Iron Spicket, he thought. He knew of that place, he's never been there though, he wasn't the type to drink and he would shame any man who claimed to be scientists while holding a glass of beer and gulping it down their throats. All they had accomplished with that simple act is kill off invaluable neurons they would be needing dearly by the time they were old fools clinging from the edge of Alzheimer's. Oblivion, that's where they were headed, but that was neither there nor here. The Vennor had opened his heart to him and gave him just a little piece of his soul so he may rest solemnly, knowing his message was delivered safely to that very special person -and it was killing him. His hands clenched tightly, he felt the need to tell the Vennor exactly what was in store for him.
"Anri..." he said, but his voice was more like a whisper, a failed attempt as the elevator came to a stop and he was already walking out the door. It would have probably been for the best, as Nesu could be honing in on their conversation by assessing the helmets given to them. These weren't tools meant to aid them in the infiltration as much as they were a way to spy on them and keep them in check. The scientist followed behind the Vennor, storing the letter in his breast pocket. Walking out of the elevator, the scientist gasped, dumbfounded by the docking bay, he thought they were headed to the lobby. Knowing nothing about these sneaky procedures, he would not be one to think it logical that walking out of the lab dressed the way he was would be too obvious and invite the military to his door. That would be one of those scenarios where the blatant stupidity of his actions would not have been realized until it was too late and then he would shake his head in denial of his dense reasoning. But he would have never expected to find this under his domain. To think this is how Nesu had been sneaking in all of those weapons, where exactly was Ivan or any of his staff while this took place right under their noses? Suspicious crates were being mounted on trucks from a loaded ship, though he had no idea of its contents.
Shivering, he followed the Vennor into the van, the door opened as they approached and was soon revealed to be an automated flight. The AI informed them of a flight plan and urged them to take a seat. They would arrive in approximately twenty minutes, not too bad he thought. Then Nesu's voiced buzzed in, "- Rrrrrrrr! Shhhhhhh.... This damn thing working?"
Anri countered with a snide remark, but the man dismissed it quickly and ordered them into the ship. Ivan took one step inside and peered into the vehicle, taking everything in before going inside and taking his seat next to the Vennor. The door was closed shut and he found it to be quite spacious inside, although he couldn't speak for Anri. Promptly after, the ship's began to take off from the ground, leaving a wave of dirt spreading below on the docking platform. Nesu began explaining their mission plan.
Ivan began making a visual of the schematics in his mind, as he was sure Anri was doing the same. He pictured a large building labeled 'Casino', which was in fact, The Heart of Alpha. There were two squads, the assault team would distract everyone by forcing their security to focus on them while the infiltration team, Anri and himself, whom would be dropped off at the roof of the casino. The scientist jerked up straight as he heard his name being called. The first part of the mission relied on his ability to hack into the system's firewall and get the codes to gain access to the rooftop without getting shocked by the electrical field or plummeted by the automated defense turrets installed on the roof. Honestly, he was sure the Vennor could just drop down and tear those turrets apart with his own bare hands, but he understood the reasoning. Making him do that would defeat the purpose of an assault team existing. They were meant to keep their presence unknown. If Anri were to go down and make a big commotion, all eyes would be on them. After deactivating the turrets, they were to go down throughout the level of the casino until they've reached the main floor. Anri would take down any guards in the vicinity and then they would decide whether to melt through the ground or through a security door at the back of the room. It seemed they had no idea where exactly the vault was located, once they reached the bottom floor they would split and communicate through the radios. The entire prospect had the poor scientist's heart pounding. He had never been trained for these kinds of things and for some reason his young self never thought he would find himself riding atop a sketchy vehicle next to a Vennor while taking orders from some manipulative business man.
As the debriefing ended, the forum was open for questions and while the two of them discussed how Nesu had all of this information, Ivan's mind was thinking over the plan several times, searching for any flaws or details left unclear. That's when he realized, Nesu told them how they would get in, but how would they escape?
"I have a question," the scientist said. "What's our escape plan in case something goes wrong? Once we get what we came for, how are we planning to transport all of the money and leave the building?"
His questions were simple. Once they reached the vault, where would they store the money and how would they evacuate the building. There was only so much a scientist and a Vennor could carry, and then they had to go through the entire building holding the bags of money as they attempted to reach the rooftop and climb onto the van. They would be larger targets, difficult to not see. And even more so, what if something went horribly wrong and they needed to escape the building? How would that work? Nesu focused a lot on getting the job done, but he offered nothing of their safety.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 19, 2014 1:45:04 GMT -5
Silence was shared between the two of them as they listened to all of what Nesu had too say, either one of them making plans the best they could with the information they had been given but Anri could already see the faults with what information they had. While the info gathered from the first levels of the casino was plentiful it was the levels below the structure that left him with an uneasy feeling, covered in a thick vale it wasn't sure what they might face down there. Turrets and men with guns was one thing but flying blind through enemy fire was another, it was possible that whatever lay below was something that no one would have been expecting, maybe even something that Anri himself would have issues fighting against. It was a rare case that the Vennor had ever come across someone that stood up too him when it came down to combat but it had happened before. Even with the support of Ivan, the odds were very fuzzy when it came do too their success rate and lets face it, the man was a genius but even with the array of weapons he held at his disposal he lacked anywhere near the power that Anri packed in his punches. He was sure the man's technical skills would come handy when facing any machines that they came across but when it came down to blood and flesh even with the guns he wasn't sure how well Ivan would fair. Unlike the scientists back on Riva who were trained in the act of fighting as well as test tubes and beakers he wasn't sure if Ivan had any skills when it came down to weapons. It was one think to carry a weapon but as to actually being able too use it was a completely different matter, sometimes it was the threat of seeing a weapon that would make people back away at the sight of it but from the sounds of it these people were well trained and willing to kill... Anri wasn't sure that Ivan had the nerve or the back bone to kill someone. Anri being the all around well trained solider he was had spilled more blood than he was willing too talk about but the ability to kill something and not care was a trait that many did not carry in their genes.
While Anri had kept a causal demeanor about the whole thing Ivan on the other hand looked as though his heart was going to rip from his chest any second, never have done something such as this it wasn't surprised but shinned poorly on how well this was going to fair. This was not a place for a person like him, Anri doubted the young alien had ever done anything like this, watching it on the T.V's was one thing but to actually being out in the fray and spray of bullets was more than enough to drive people crazy, not all were capable of being foot men, where death was just part of their life. Would he break even before they arrived? Should that be the case things would become seriouly more difficult for the rest of them but Anri wasn't going to let that happen, they had to succeed ... there was no point to living if they didn't. His home would be gone, everything he held near would vanish and once again he would find himself alone...in the darkness of the vast vale.
When asking for any questions Anri was not pleased with Nesu's response but then again he hadn't expected much better, in all he was impressed by just how many times the man had done this, but then again it wasn't his life on the line but disposable pawns that would do his bidding at the chance to make it big, who knew just was down there deep within the vault... riches beyond their wildest dreams, a treasure trove fit for a king? The ideas where endless but the goal was still the same.
It was Ivan's question that sparked interest from Anri as he leaned in awaiting Nesu's response, hopping the man had a better plan than them trying to walk out of the vault with dozens of gold bars stacked in their hands. While Anri would be able to lift such a weight it wouldn't have been ideal with bullets raining down on him, and Ivan. Where as he had a protective shell wrapping around him body Ivan wouldn't fair so well with lead being fired upon him, and Anri couldn't do both acts a the same time, either fight or carry the loot. Just what would the plan be once they reached the vault and took whatever it was that lurked inside of it.
"Glad you ask...." His voice faded as a small panel in the floor opened up as a small platformed came from its depths, resting atop the metal structure was a black box not much bigger than the palm of Ivan's had.
"This is how you will retrieve what is inside the vault. It a beacon in a sense of the word, a one way transportation unit. Activating the device it will scan everything within the room and teleport it out of the building...of course it only applies too materials that are none living."
"So what your telling me is that your precious loot will be saved but your going to leave us out to dry? Do you just expect us too walk out of the building the way we came in?" Anri rose his voice with annoyance.
"That's exactly what I'm expecting. At that point most of their forces if not all will have been diminished too nothing, leaving you mostly safe passage out of the building. Once your cleared of the structure a vehicle will be awaiting for your arrival and take you too a disclosed location. From there you shall receive a part of whatever was taken."
"Great... do you just want to go ahead and shoot me in the head now? Or would it be better if their troops did it?" Anri asked, his words landing with there harshness.
"Anri I'm sure your more than capable of making it out of their... and I'm sure Ivan will succeeded as well, after all hiring in his field of experience isn't something that is easy, nor something I would wish too do... it would simply take too much time, so please make sure he stays alive, I can't be bothered with all that paper work." Nesu's responded.
Things were looking better and better from here on out, not only was their exit strategy poor but it relived heavily on Anri, the young Vennor only had so much endurance until his engines would no longer run and with not knowing just how much he would be facing down there it was all possible that he might not have enough of the juice to fend whatever it was that he came across. It was going to require him to limit his full strength until something that posed a threat were to reveal its self, staying his his transformed state would burn off more power that he could afford to.
Giving a deep sigh Anri turned his head and glanced out the window at the buildings that they past over, looking like a grey and brown blur as they moved away. If the assault team took on enough of the forces for long enough it would mean that Ivan and himself would have a greater success to obtain access to the vault but he was sure a few of them would perish in the fire fight, they were like Ivan when it came down too their strengths but their real skills lay in their abilities with weapons. When it came down to their complete stranger living or himself the choice was simple there, he knew little about them, why should he care? There was someone that needed protection out there and he was the only one that could do it.
"Anyway, it won't be long before you two arrive so prepare any last minute details and Ivan, make sure your ready to hack those turrets as soon, as your in the vicinity they will open fire, and they don't often miss." His sentence came to a close as the speaker cut off, leaving the two once again in silence.
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Post by Man on Jul 27, 2014 13:34:15 GMT -5
"Glad you ask...."
Immediately after, the floor opened up and a panel rose between Anri and Ivan, stopping at the knee with a small black box. The design blended in with the rest of the dark room. Ivan reached out for the black box as Nesu explained what it was. He inspected the box. The device fit in the palm of his hand just perfectly, the edges were uncomfortable to hold, but he fixed that by shifting the cube in his hands and creasing his fingers between the ends. Ivan removes one of his gloves. As a scientist he needed to know how it felt to hold the box even though it might not necessarily help them in any way. The box was uniform and dark as coal, a bit cold to the touch for it was completely made through metallurgical processes. It was rimmed with a plastic material just as dark, a safety precaution to save the wielder from any accidental cuts from the device's sharp edges. Feeling its smooth surface, his fingers wandered into a round curvature -like a ridge-, tilting the device in relation to the dim lights inside the vehicle, he could observe the reflection of the engraved piece and discovered it to be the switch. Just above the switch there was a small little hole, almost unnoticeable if it weren't for his scrutinizing precision.
Fascinating! The scientist thought to himself. He could hear Nesu's explanation in the background, as filler to the multiple conclusions he made and all of the hypothesis forming in his mind one after the other as if he were some kind of machine. However, the truth behind the nature of this device was more awestrucking than he anticipated. Ivan almost wished he had come up with it himself, but then, not if it was going to be used this way. Technology like this should be commercialized. Nesu would make millions by just selling this product to corporations and making it an intergalactic commodity. People would no longer have to transport their goods through vehicles and waste all that time and money spent on gas and menial workers. All they had to do was use this device and have everything transported to its destination by the click of a button. Then again, thinking back to the hidden docking bay they found under his lab just moments ago, they were still resorting to such primitive procedures to transport those crates. Using the cube Nesu presented to them would be the ultimate tool to move their equipment around Alpha Prime without being detected or thought of as suspicious. The more he thought about it, the more curious the scientist grew concerning the odd device. Just how did it work? What will happen to all the loot when it becomes scanned? Through what means does it travel, allowing it to get from point A to point B in such a small time-scale? Nesu said they would obtain their cut once they got back on the vehicle which would wait for them on the roof, so the transportation process must be almost instantaneous.
Regardless, the scientist finally looked up from the cube in his hands, he was sure Nesu didn't bother asking the developer any of these questions. As long as it worked, they didn't care for the nitty-gritty. That's how business men operate. For that split moment of euphorism, Ivan had complete disregard for his own safety. He was mesmerized by the peculiar device Nesu presented to them, and he was just now starting to listen to the argument between Nesu and the Vennor. It appeared there was no real escape plan after-all. They were to sneak in from the top of the building after Ivan hacks into their firewall and then make their way to the vault at the bottom floor. After they retrieve all the loot, they were to go back from where they came from to mount a vehicle awaiting their arrival. Ivan hadn't even been thinking about all the lives being sacrificed and treated as bait in the assault team. Nesu probably promised them a portion of the cut knowing most of them would not survive and then keep the loot to himself. He wouldn't be surprised if the man tried to get rid of Anri and him after the job was done -but he wouldn't, because losing the core assets of his little plan would be too big a cost. The idea just brought into light the thought that Nesu might be sending them on more missions similar to this. After-all, if you're able to steal from The Heart of Alpha, why stop there? Ivan started feeling a little sick, nausea bringing up bile to the top of his throat, but the scientist pulled himself together and swallowed it back down.
The Vennor protested against Nesu's ridiculous plan, but Ivan knew there was no point in trying to change his mind. Once Nesu gave an order, even if it's the wrong one, his pride would not admit he messed up and instead he would blame it on the person's skill or some other poor soul. Nesu was always right. Always. That was he mentality of their organization. Anri could bark and whine all he wanted but it would all end the same; with a silent room devoid of any noise despite the static buzzing from the speaker once Nesu had finally left them alone. The awkward silence was discomforting. Ivan wondered what the Vennor was thinking about and he had a good idea of what it was. They were headed to an impossible mission where his strengths were being put to the ultimate test.
"Sorry..." the scientist uttered lowly, his gaze never left the black device in his hands.
Ivan's grip on the box tightened as his stress levels rose and his heart beat increased. The room suddenly grew smaller and hoter, sweat dripping down his face, it was growing harder to breath. It felt as though someone had put a big block in his throat. Ivan's job was simply to clear the way so the Vennor could enter the building without being spotted, but after that he was nothing but a burden. Anri had to make sure he took out every person who got in their way, while keeping the weak little scientist alive as they traversed towards the vault and back up to the roof. Ivan feared for his life. What point was there to become extremely wealthy if you were just going to die in the end? Regardless, the scientist was still driven to seek out this mission, because returning to the Slums and living the life he had was just a price far too large. He would probably cut his own throat before going back there.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 28, 2014 1:53:40 GMT -5
Anri jerked his stare towards Ivan with question in his eyes, there was no need for the man to apologize towards him it wasn't as though any of this was his doing or fault, if anything he had some respect for the man, it took more discipline and courage for anyone too work for the man in the long term than most people could mange to have in their whole lives. Anri wasn't going down that path though, his work for the cruel and unjustified Nesu would end abruptly after this last job either with the man willingly ending his employment or through force, no one used others too get to the alien and Nesu would soon learn just who his had messed with. The Vennor as a race were vindictive son's of bitches, when talking failed the next step was to make the other suffer under ones owe means and there was much Anri had in store for Nesu. Not only had he forced the alien to work under him by means of force and threats but he had done it too more than just him as Ivan was suffering under his rule as well, not somthing in which Anri could stand by idly and watch. He wasn't sure just how yet he would act his plans out but there was going to be plenty of time in between here and there in which he sought for a plan that would both relinquish Nesu's grip on him and that protect Mika as well... if possible he would try to release Ivan was well but it was not the main objective today. Though without any way to contact Mika without arousing suspicion, any possibilities of doing such a thing were out the window as of now.
"Sorry for what? Your not the one putting us out here, risking our lives so that yellow finned guppy can expand his reign and wealth even further than it is now. If anything I should be thanking you. I used too be the loner that didn't need anyone by my side to complete task but I've learned a lot being away from home. I'm glad that your going to have my back because I feel as though I'm going to need all the help I can get here, as soon as we hit that second floor we are going into enemy territory blind, and I'm going to need someone to have my back." Anri noted as he played with plates that lined his body as he glanced over to see that Ivan was more than a nervous wreck, with the thick band of sweat that had formed on his fore head and shaking hands. Leaning over a few inches he placed his large plated hand onto Ivan's shoulder with a light pat.
"Hey no worries, you're not going into this alone, you got me and not to mention that pretty little arsenal you brought a long with ya. Even though the people we will be up against might been better trained and with armor, everyone is still mortal, they take a bullet to the chest they will crumble like everyone else. We'll make it out of this one way or another, trust me I've fared worse than this and I was on my own, with two of us together we will be in and out in no time." He grinned hoping his words would at least lift the man's spirits some what.
Anri knew all too well that the odds were against him even with the power that he packed but it would be an even more difficult assignment if Ivan wasn't going in fully thinking that he would make it out alive, where his words and been true in a sense he mostly did it to assure that their chances of survival would increase some what. Unlike Ivan, Anri had done many similar tasks before when raiding a compound but never with as few people as they were now. Being nervous was not something that the alien knew of, fear was obsolete in his book, fear only held him back from what needed to be doing; without fear he could go charging in full steam without worry of death, or pain, after all pain was superficial and short in terms of how long life was. In the end they would both become stronger for their deeds here today... that is if they made it out in one piece.
With the ship taking a sudden right the intercoms static would fade as the robotic voice of the ship would come to life once more.
"Gentlemen we are but thirty seconds too the designated location, thank you for flying with us today and please have a good rest of it here on Alpha prime!" It voice chimed in with a tone of joy at its words making Anri scowl as he raced forward with his fist and broke the intercom system.
"Enough of that shit for one day." He shot a puff of steam from his mouth.
As the clock ticked down the two of them would began to hear the sounds of explosions and gun fire down from the streets as it appeared as the assault time had decided to go ahead and get this game started, leaving all the ground troops with their attention drawn away from the ship as it slowed in its approach.
"Alright Ivan your up, be quick, not sure just how long those turrets will take to lock onto us, maybe one warning before they open fire at us." Anri gave a word of warning as he pushed forward too the door and opened it to get a better view of the plazza that they hovered over.
Bodies laid in slumps over the metal high raise as it was clear that the other mercenaries didn't give many fucks about who it was that came into the sights of their guns, mowing down anything that even gave the smallest signs of life. The limp frames of used be people were soaked in fresh blood that still leaked through their gaping bullet wounds; citizens, guards it didn't look as any care had been placed with their aim, but as Anri looked at the heavy guns they had brought with them it didn't look like taking aim was something for time to be wasted on. For right now all seemed calmed having missed most of the original fire fight, the smoldering craters left over from explosive ranged wildly from the bottom of the stairs all the way up to the door steps of the casino, hopeful anyone caught in the blasts were killed on contact but with the mixed matched limbs that laid scattered across the field he didn't get that impression.
Turning his attention way from the blood bath Anri looked over the rim of the building were he could see the array of turrets that had not yet taken notice of their approach but they will still every much operational at the first signs of attack, awaiting for a target to be placed in before launching their rockets any where. Roating in small circles it didn't take long before the shifting of the turrets could be noticed as they began to aim towards the small civilian vessel, at this point he would imagine that a warning would be given out too them but with his flash of anger had be destroyed the only means to communicate with the warning.
"Hey Ivan, no rush, but I don't think this chuck of metal was made too be used on a firing range." Anri said in his calmest tone as he could.
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Post by Man on Jul 30, 2014 0:44:32 GMT -5
Ivan's eyes closed shut, his grip tightened on the black device more and more as the minutes passed by, a bead of sweat rolls down the left side of his face. The helmet covered most of his head, just a few long strands of hair sticking and covering parts of his face. His hands trembled, his heart beat pounded at his chest, the whole room felt so dark and ominous. His ears listened to the Vennor trying to calm him down. It is true, Ivan hadn't done anything to make Anri work for Nesu. The Vennor got himself in this mess on his own. However, that was not the reason why the scientist apologized. He apologized for being a burden. He apologized because the Vennor was going to have to babysit him throughout the entire mission despite having to take down all of the guards and infiltrate The Heart of Alpha for the loot awaiting them in vault. They were headed to this mission half-blind with nothing but the blueprints of the top floor to guide them, and no one and nothing would aid them in escaping from it.
His eyes shot wide open when the Vennor patted his shoulder with his large plated hands. The scientist winced, although he hid it as best he could. He wore armor, yet Anri's light pat which was meant to comfort him was like taking a hammer and pecking him with it. The Vennor probably didn't have much experience touching other's that were not of his race, taking into account the increased gravity of his home planet, what he thought was a normal amount of force was just a bit too much for the frail little scientist. He didn't know just how many more of those he could take and he needed all of his energy for the mission they were about to embark on. A single suppressed teardrop hangs at the edge of his bottom eyelid; Ivan looks away with a pained expression as he feigns to peer out the window while he was actually hiding his shame from the Vennor. Demonstrating pain was too embarrasing, even for a scientist who admits to be weak, being hurt from a pad on the shoulder was too much for his own pride.
"Yes, you're right..." he stuttered, still holding back the pain. Maybe if he pretended to feel better he could avoid another pat on the shoulder.
Jokes aside, Ivan heard what the Vennor had to say and his words made him contemplate it intently. There was no doubt the man felt fear, and this would probably be the most dreadful thing he had ever done. Usually, Nesu only requested the scientist to make a suspicious concoction for him. Ivan never asked what it was for or why he requested it, but he had a vivid idea of what it was and he lied to himself. He made himself forget so perhaps he could feel a little better about himself for aiding the man in doing what he does. He thought that if he just turn his back and didn't ask questions, then the problem would simply go away. However, this time was different because he was going to be in the front lines and he was about to taste exactly what Nesu does and taint his hands. It was far too late to defy the man. If he was the devil, than Ivan must be his demon for they were now accomplices. The Vennor depended on him. If Ivan gave in to fear now it would not help their situation and he would become an even bigger burden; ensuring their failure and increasing the chance of death.
Staring out the window, Ivan noticed the ship taking a sudden right. The intercoms static would fade as the ship's automated voice came to life. "Gentlemen we are but thirty seconds too the designated location, thank you for flying with us today and please have a good rest of it here on Alpha Prime!" It's voice chimed in with a tone of joy at its words when the Vennor, scowling with contempt, raced forward with his first and broke the intercome system. Ivan flinched, having not expected the violent behavior although he understood it, he was not prepared to was the Vennor dig a hole into the vehicle's controls. It wasn't a very bright move in Ivan's opinion for it could have interfered with their flight and sent them diving down to the ground in zero seconds flat. The mission would be over before it even began. In spite of this, Ivan wasn't about to be the guy to lecture the Vennor about his episodes. That wouldn't be very bright on his part, considering he depended on the Vennor for his survival. Ivan observed with intrigue as steam burst from his mouth in a small cloud and then dissipated. Evidently, the Vennor's blood temperature rises incredibly high when flustered, so high he puffs out steam just as Ivan would puff out condensed air in a really cold environment. The details were worth marveling over.
"Alright Ivan your up," The Vennor said, snapping the scientist out of his little world,"be quick, not sure just how long those turrets will take to lock onto us, maybe one warning before they open fire at us." He had completely forgotten about the turrets. The mission had officially begun, meaning the time for self-pity and hesitation was over. He needed to be quick and make no mistakes; for a second could put them in danger, and a wrong move could end it.
"Right!" he exclaimed, but the moment he did, an ever so unpleasant sense of dread dawned over him as the Vennor pushed the door and opened it. Air rushed into the vehicle and anything which was loose or long ended began to flutter sporadically and out of control. The scientist, clad in a soldier's garment, stowed away the black box device into one of the pockets in his cargo pants and hid his expression of alarm in the back of the ship. "C'mon..." he muttered to himself, "Where is it!?"
It turned out, Nesu never told him where the laptop was. His job was to hack into the firewall, get the codes, and grant them passage to The Heart of Alpha's rooftop. Certainly, Nesu wouldn't have expected Ivan to bring his own computer without even knowing what he was going to do. No amount of forethought would have made him predict that he was going to be doing anything like this throughout his lifetime -or the next. Urgently, he looked around the back for the computer but it was completely cleaned out; there was nothing but an extremely black rug to cushion the metal floor. It wasn't until he reached under the back of his seat that he felt a weird handle and pulled it out that he found it. From one's foresight, it looked like a regular suitcase, but Ivan recognized it to be a those computers used in the military. Relieved, but not so much, the scientist hops back onto his seat, paying no mind into what the Vennor was doing. He was focused solely on deactivating those turrets. He had less than 30 minutes to do it or they would be blown off the sky. He didn't know much about security, but he doubt they would be receiving any kind of warning. He just felt it in his guts that those kinds of things just didn't happen.
Cranking up the monitor, there was a short blue screen with random white characters he couldn't bother to look at as it promptly proceeded to a black screen with a white, single window suspended over its center and a single -extremely annoying message, was displayed over it. "Welcome! Please do as Nesu asks..."
Anri would have probably broken the screen if he read it. Ivan clenched his teeth in anger. "I don't have time for your games, you're wasting my time!" he said, but his voice was muffled by the strong winds leaking through the open door. Moments later Ivan starts the program, all the while thinking that he probably wasted 10 whole seconds in Nesu's foolishness. Once it was ready, his hands moved like rapidfire over the keyboard. If Anri listened carefully, he might even hear the clatter of the keys being banged on the computer despite the thick wind blowing into the vehicle. Multiple windows and barriers, reflected in his eyes, opened up one after the other in the screen. Warning signs, pop ups, viruses designed to stop intruders, all kinds of cyber elements and the scientist had to dismiss them all while writing down the codes to break into the firewall. Once he finished writing down the codes, if it failed or he mistyped a single key, he needed to retype it or try a completely different one and continue with trial and error until one of them worked.
To a programmer, it was as if he were fighting an epic war and he had less than 20 seconds to either kill them all, or sneak up to their leader and strike him from the back; however, to do this he needed to imput numerous combinations and sequences, and there was no real way of knowing which was the right one. All he could do was observe how the system responded with the one he used and use that visual data to immediately change to a different sequences that might work better. But as soon as he thinks he's getting close, the system rejects the other and then he's back at point zero, building up from the ground. Then, he finally realised what was happening. The system was desinged to change its pattern every .5 seconds. It was like a mouse running through a moving maze where the paths shifted and closed doors where it was once opened. There was only one way of overthrowing such a system and that was by typing the right codes in less that .5 seconds -and although that seemed like an impossible thing to do, Ivan was the protagonist of this story, so inexplicable things were bound to happen. Time's running out and steam is now rising from Ivan's pore -or so it felt like that, the keyboard was on fire and his hands moved without faltering. It was almost as if his hands had a mind of their own and they each worked independantly, knowing exactly what the other was trying to do and completing each other's sentences in order to get the job done as fast and efficiently as possible.
There were less than 10 seconds left, the turrets had begun to shift as they detect the ships presence. "I got the code!" Ivan exclaims, his voice muffled by the breeze but he doesn't stop, he continues to type like a digital freight train. It was almost as though he were about to ascend into another level of power, as if he had developed his own distinct aura of binary codes flowing through him like a flame. The strong winds tried to suffocate the flame and burn him out, but it's suppressive nature only strengthened his resolve and ignited the flame anew. At this stage, his hands were starting to get tired, they were getting heavy, he sensed their tendency to quiver and just drop lifelessly beside him, but he fought that urge to give in and pressed on with all his might. Veins were popping up on his flesh, his red skin turned purple, the turrets just about locked on the vehicle when he lifted one final finger high into the air and his eyes slanted on that last key so he doesn't mess up. The intercom voiced as best as it could despite it's thrashed state.
"W.rn.ng! .ar.i..g! T.rgt Lk.d.wn! T.rgt Lk.d.wn!"
The turrets had targeted their vehicle and they were a split second away from shooting them out of the sky. At-least, that's what the automated ship was trying to warn them about as the red emergency lights flashed frantically, but Ivan paid no mind to any of it because it was all going to end now.
"You...! are...! Disable!" he yelled out through the thick wind as he rammed that last finger into the keyboard so hard it might have poked through it if he had a quarter of Anri's strength. Regardless, the job was done after the 30 most intensive seconds in their lives. 30 seconds never felt longer for the scientist than today and his arms finally dropped to his sides as he huffed and puffed for air, giving the Vennor a nod, confirming that they were good to go. He wasn't sure how Anri was planning to get down, he could probably jump on the roof, but his rough landing would defeat the purpose of their infiltration tactics. There was a ladder wrapped up just below the door from where they could climb down. Ivan screamed as loud as he could so the Vennor could hear him. "I changed the code!" he said, "We have 30 seconds to get down to the roof and into the building before they reactivate! This way, reinforcements can't land on the roof and surprise us from behind!"
The scientist had thought it all through while Nesu explained their mission. If they were going to push towards the last floor and then go back up to the rooftop, he needed to make sure they didn't have an army of soldiers dropping down on them from the skies. The turret's passcode was now changed and only an equally adept hacker would be able to infiltrate the firewall like Ivan had and deactivate them. Therefore, the roof was now their weapon and inaccessible to the military. Anyone who got within firing distance would be shot out of the sky without any warning whatsoever. Whenever Anri was ready, Ivan would follow him down the ladder, and once they were on the roof, it would be the Vennor's turn to lead the way. Ivan closed the military computer and held it in his left hand, leaving his right free in case he needed to take out his handgun. He was sure he was going to need it later on, especially if they planned on getting back on the ship through the roof.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 4, 2014 5:37:06 GMT -5
The rapid clicks of Ivan's hands over the keyboard he had found filled the air with the passing moments between the gun fire, screams and shattering skulls though Anri was watching all of gore below them he doubted Ivan was paying any attention too anything over than the green text that flooded the small screen that was placed on the computer. With a single glance over his shoulder back into the seating area he took a good look at the red alien as his finger tips breezed across the keys in such a speed that even Anri's eyes had difficulty tracking just what he was doing; the man may not have been strong or even be able to take much of a hit but damn if his hands weren't fast, after spending as much time as he probably did on computer it was no wonder where his skills came from, now only if he could fight in such a fashion then he could really cause some damage if he so chose too. Beads of sweat had formed at the man's brow with the stress and speed that was piled onto his body, though having dozens of programed death cannons pointing towards one self would make most anyone feel a certain level of fear and nervousness. Even the plated alien held a nugget of concern at whether or not the intellectual alien would be able to work his way through the many systems that lay in his path, Anri was confidant about his chances of surviving a direct blast from one of the turrets but he was sure that Ivan wasn't going to be as unfortunate in the department of having his limbs still attached too his body. Even though Anri thought he would with stand a few cannon blasts he didn't really want to try and risk it all on the fact that he MIGHT be able to survive with all his facilities still in check. If he was too come out of the attack alive he would most likely have taken some damage in the explosion that had come and as it stood this task was going too be difficult enough as it was without the threat of being wounded, he needed every ounce of energy that his body had stored and he couldn't go around wasting it. If Ivan had failed though the mission would have been over as soon as the guns fired, ripping the small civilian vessel to shreds in a manner of seconds , once that happened Ivan would have surely been killed and that would have been the end of it there. Without the man Anri would have been walking straight into a war zone with no back up and no direction other than what limited information that had been provided. End the end without Ivan's help there was no point, it was impossible to know what he might be facing, going against a army was one thing but doing it alone was another.
Turning his head back towards the outside where the turrets position had turned too face towards the two of them; over the shots being fired off below and the slamming of Ivan's hands on the keys Anri could make out the crackling sound of the communication system Anri had hit earlier warning them of a impeding attack if their ship did not vacate the vicinity now. It looked as thought their hour glass had dropped its last grain of sand as the grim reaper was standing with its icy grip wrapped around their necks, waiting for the chilly death to embrace them.
"It's now or never Ivan!" Anri yelled out though his body still faced towards the opening of the door, he wasn't about to keep his eyes off the incoming attacks in case Ivan's attempts at hacking had failed, worse came to worse Anri might be able to block a few shots for just long enough that Ivan might escape from the ship.
At Ivan's words a sense of joy over took Anri as the the turrets that had previously been facing out towards them froze in their tracking movements and dropped forward like they had fallen asleep, in a manner of speaking. Taking notice that he had actually been holding his breath did Anri release the pressure on his lungs as he took in a deep breath of air, filling his body with the much need oxygen.
"Hehe, good job there Ivan. Take a deep breath before your heart explodes out your chest." Anri joked at seeing the sweat the tore down his now purplish face.
"Can't have you passing out here." Anri chuckled as he turned his attention back towards the building top, now that the defense system had been temporarily disabled they could easily make their way onto the roof tops without any further problems, though what lay in wait below in the lower levels was a mystery that still pulled at his mind.
Sweeping his leg out Anri kicked the cable ladder that had been coiled up by the sliding door, while Anri really didn't need the use of it too get down he thought it best so that it heavy weight would not send him falling through the higher levels of the building and right onto the main floor. Taking a hold of the ladder did Anri fling his body out of the ship and quickly scale his way onto the buildings top, once on the building roof he would await for Ivan to land next too him and then he would give the ladder a tug as it recoiled back into the ship as the vehicle would drift away from the building and around the corner too await their return.
"Well with most of their troops held up on the lower floor I don't think they'll send anyone to greet us but lets stay sharp, with how much money this places rakes in it wouldn't shock me to find out they hired more people in the time it takes us to get down stairs." Anri noted as he took the lead and heading towards the only way on and off the roof, a large worn steel door with a spiral stair case that would take them into the highest most level of the building.
Walking up to the rust covered door Anri looked it over calmly, even knowing that they had a dead line to meet he wanted to make sure that the damn thing wasn't rigged to explode once it was opened with out clearance as on the side of the door a small card swipe machine was laying in wait. If it had been any other day Anri would have left Ivan deal with it but it was probably well know by now that someone was indeed on the roof, even the best hackers attempts too get into a firewall would have been detected by a security system and the wealth this place brought in most likely had top notch security, though not good enough to keep Ivan out, them being there on the roof was enough proof too see that. Taking a deep breath Anri pulled his arms back to his side as simultaneously both of his balled up hands would slam into the center of the metal door and the card reader. Like a cannon ball had just been shot out of his body was his hand through the bent door as crumpled pieces of metal were shredded like ribbons away the impact site, while where the card reader had once been was now a destroyed clump of electronics. Taking a grip on the other side of the door Anri's finger sunk into metal as he pulled back ripping the door from the reinforced hinges like it was made of paper. Placing the door gently on its side Anri shook his other hand rid of the electronic scraps as he tunred his head to look at Ivan.
"Sorry, I'm sure you would have done that just fine but every second we have on our side makes our chances better. Maybe next time."
Now that the second obstacle was out of their way they would be able to continue down deeper into the building, though his conquest of the door might have been as rewarding as Ivan's Anri was just starting to get warmed up.
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Post by Man on Aug 9, 2014 14:15:46 GMT -5
Ivan scratched his head with a nervous grin. He was exhausted although he was only writing on a computer, but when you typed as fast as him, even that was quite a workout. The processes and series of thoughts that had simultaneously run through his mind in order to hack the firewall almost rivaled that of a machine. Thinking of multiple solutions at a time and honing down the single answer was a very difficult feat. to perform for anyone. Sweat dripped down his red face and his chest puffed up and down. Barely enough strength to laugh, he chuckles weakly at the Vennor's remark. It would definitely be very counterproductive if the scientist passed out before they even began the mission. He nodded, showing Anri that he was prepared, and the Vennor kicked the cable ladder down so it would uncoil to the rooftop.
Anri was fearless. The Vennor scaled down the ladder in less than a minute, just sliding down on the sides until he reached the end and landed on the building. Ivan followed behind him, stopping at the edge of the vehicle to peer down. Suddenly, he was felt an uneasy feeling twist in his gut. He grinned nervously, which then became a flat out frown the longer he gazed at the bottom of the ladder where the Vennor waved back so he could descend and they continue their mission. However, it was much more difficult and frightening than the Vennor made it appear. He came from a dangerous environment that conditioned his body for worse occasions. If the Vennor fell from this distance, he might break through the roof, but he would be perfectly fine. If Ivan fell... the roof would break into him, and his guts would spread at a five meter radius. The thought of sliding down the ladder only filled him with more dread, and the more he thought about it, the more he felt his feet drifting back into the vehicle.
The ladder shifted and swirled around, perhaps less violently than he thought, but it was enough to make him queasy to the point where he needed to lay down. Regardless, the Vennor was depending on him for this mission and he could feel Nesu's ghost breathing down his neck. It was as if the man's spirit manifested behind him and pushed him off the edge. "Agh!" the scientist yelped with fear, gripping onto the ladder with his life. He was only at the foot of the vehicle and he was already screaming for his poor life as the ladder swiveled in place, his hair fluttered frantically to the wind of the motors. His ears were muffled by powerful gusts and his eyes were closed shut, not daring to look down. Only moments ago he seemed pretty stoic and prepared; with all his garments and weapons, he looked like he was ready to go to war, he felt empowered, he felt as though he could do anything! But now he was hanging by a mere ladder, hell awaiting his arrival at the bottom, all he needed to do was let go.
Paranoia began to strike him. He began to hear these subtle, creaking noises from the ladder's rope. Ivan couldn't help but imagine the threads slowly unraveling and the ladder becoming looser and looser until the point at which it became so thin the cords would snap and the scientist would descend to an uneventful death. He needed to get off the ladder before that happened, he thought. Especially since he had only 30 seconds before the turrets would reactivate and fire at the vehicle. If the vehicle were hit, it would stagger and fall to the ground, taking Ivan along with it as he cries on the ladder and meets his inevitable end. And so, the scientist mustered up all the cowardice in his veins and transmute it into some notion of bravery. In an instant, he regained control over his quivering limbs and began to scale down the ladder one step at a time. Throughout his entire journey from top to bottom, there were droplets of tears hanging from his bottom eyelids. He looked down with haste and worry, calming down just a little as the ground seemed to enlarge before him.
At last, he was at the ladder's end, but there was a considerable amount of distance between him and the ground. He would have to jump at least ten feet from the air, more than he ever thought would be required around his life-time. Trembling with fear, he just needed to make that final leap and it would all be over. By now, the Vennor was probably growing impatient, Ivan closed his eyes and grit his teeth, bracing himself for the fall. Jumping off the ladder, Ivan descends the ten feet and lands on his bum. THUD! He winced, rubbing his he bum as the Vennor tugged the ladder so it would recoil back into the ship and the vehicle would drift away from the building just in time before the turrets reactivated.
Standing back up, he followed the Vennor towards the only entrance on the roof. It was a large, worn steel door covered in rust. Ivan gazed the little he could see from behind the Vennor's figure. He detected a swipe card machine bolted on the side of the door. Once again, his hacking skills would be needed, so the scientist prepared to open his laptop when he heard a hoarse metallic screeching sound. Ivan flinched, looking up from the computer to witness the Vennor's arms embedded through the metal door's center. The door was now bent as crumpled pieces of metal were shredded like ribbons. A moment later, Anri ripped the door from its hinges as though it were paper and placed it gently on its side. Ivan gawked as he flicked the electronic pieces from his arms as though it were nothing but an annoyance.
"Sorry, I'm sure you would have done that just fine but every second we have on our side makes our chances better. Maybe next time." Anri said.
Ivan only nodded, speechless. The Vennor continued to impress him, and he was beginning to think he should start getting used to seeing this man perform such actions on a regular basis. The Vennor's definition of 'normal' was nothing like that of the scientist's or anyone else not from his planet. Ivan wrenched the thought away and brought back his game face. All the frightening and worrysome parts were down and done with now -or so he thought, now they just needed to climb down the spiral staircase and sneak to the bottom of the building to find the vault. Ivan was equipped with a pistol, a sniper rifle, and a handful of grenades; they should do fine. The scientist moved in carefully, looking at the corners and continued as soon as the area was clear of any danger. They would then race down the staircase.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 12, 2014 1:01:42 GMT -5
With the cannons and access too the higher floors now open too the duo there was nothing left to stop them from marching into the depths of the building below, the first few levels of the building had been well mapped out for them, with a clear idea of just what they were dealing with this far it would be a breeze too reach the base floor. Anri had wished that they just could have charged head first into the lobby but it was unknown just how many people would be awaiting for them, but even on the upper floors there would be holdouts that had held behind inside the depths of the building in order to maintain order in case the front lines were destroyed which they had been; completely obliterated due too the assault team. As far as their team was concerned they had done their job, now they would sit back and take pot shots at anyone that was dumb enough to stick their head up over the low bits of cover that lined the distance from the building to the street. If everything went as expected though another force of guards would eventually show up to defend the structure, hopefully they would not bring anything to heavy with them; weapon wise. As trained as the mercs were there was only five of them, eventually they would begin to crumble from constant attacks, and with the wealth that had been built up by the casino they would send almost a limitless amount of troops towards them, as long as their were bodies to be flung out their army wouldn't stop. With that in mind there was an unseen window of time in which everything would have to go down, if assault team was to fault it would mean that Anri and Ivan would not only have to deal with the perils of the lower floors but have a constant rush of bullets at their back side. Anyone that had spent an excessive time in a army or played enough of those holo-shooter games knew that fighting on two fronts was a losing battle. At such a time they would be constantly under fire from both sides and still have to be moving forward at the same time, each bullet whittling away at whatever strength they had left when and if it happened.
Glancing over at where Ivan stood he saw the look of shock on his face at the action of Anri ripping the steal door from its frame, something of which he thought was normal but then again he wasn't very normal compared too most people on this station, the very idea of moving metal under ones strength was a blogging idea without the use of machinery but yet he had done just that with ease. Shooting Ivan a grin the red aliens face snapped back too a more serious look with what else was still at hand, they had barely just started this robbery and there was still much more that they were going to face; as it stood this was the walk in the park compared too what they were going to face next. Though with the automated anti-air defenses offline they wouldn't have to worry about unseen troops landed at their backs, not at least until they reached the first floor were anyone could openly walk through the doors and start shooting at them.
Nodding his head at Ivan Anri took the lead, taking large steps he raced down the metal stair case each of his body movements making the steel frame shake and clang however Ivan kept right on his tail, though the structure of the stairs had been a solid one they had not been manfucated too carry the overall capacity of something that of his weight and size, every foot step sounded as if the metal was warping. Luckily for the two of them the spiral case was not one of which that was very long and soon they found themselves at another door that would led out in the main hallway of this floor. From the look of the door knob it was just as well defended from those without access too penetrating any deeper inside the building, but Anri had his own means of a key card. Before Anri smashed his hand through the door like he had the first time he thought about the door itself, while the material was like playing with clay too him it was considerably strong if these people were using it too protect themselves from anyone attempting to break in. While it was much weaker than his own plates it would provide a well placed shield if Ivan ever needed cover too hide behind, not to mention Anri would be able to bash those that came to close with it.
"Alright step back for a second." Anri spoke not even glancing back over to where Ivan stood, awaiting to see what would happen as of next.
Placing his fingers around the base of the electronic card scanner Anri tensed his fingers causing them to tear into the plastics as they crummpled into a fine powder under his strength, at this point he was sure alarms were going to be ringing off around the building but that was too be expected with the level of security they had around here. Most likely as soon as they broke through the door they would be expected at least some reistance though not nearly enough that it would be much of an issue, at least not for Anri. The thick plates that ran the course of his body had proven long ago that bullets did little too nothing, bouncing off him like a poorly tossed water balloon. Placing his palm against the cool surface of the metal door he cocked his head over his shoulder too where Ivan was standing.
"So... its very likely that there is going to be someone- some people waiting out there for us. As soon as I move the door stick me too like glue, where I move you move, if someone is going to shot you move, and if you see a shot take it." Anri addressed Ivan calmly as if this was just another day too him... which wasn't too far off.
Taking a deep intake of air Anri pulled his arm back and like the door before puntured his arm through the thick metal like it was paper, as soon as the hole was broken a series of shouting could be heard from the suddeness of having the metal door broken in such a fashion. It was in that few seconds of confusion and shock that Anri took the upper hand and bull rushed out into the hallway taking the door with him as he pill drived into two guards that had the misfortune of being at the wrong place at the wrong time. Like a bloodly pan cake the smear of blood traced across the side of the wall from the impact site, not even having enough time to scream before they died. The shock quickly wore off from the rest of guard at the sight but it was only replaced with fear as they finally took in just what they facing, even with the black suit that was pulled over his body it was clear that whoever it was behind the mask was strong and well built. The breif pause wore off as the gun fire began the repeating bullets ricochet of in every which direction as the few troops that were there were quickly learning that their bullets were proving unless on the alien. Scattering off in every which direction bullets went flying into the ceiling and trailing off into other rooms as they tore off into the building. With the shield placed up stretching next too his body there was plenty of room in which Ivan could hide behind and be sheltered from the spray of bullets.
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Post by Man on Aug 12, 2014 20:26:33 GMT -5
The Vennor grinned back at him, showing off his ability to tear the door as if it were as thin as paper. The scientist wrenched the awe-struck gaze to a more serious one and nodded, letting the Vennor know he was ready to continue. Anri led the way, racing down and the spiral staircase. It was much safer than a ladder, Ivan thought, but not as safe when they had a Vennor coming along. Every step Anri took made the stairs crease. Ivan had to jump and walk around the warped footprints left on the steel staircase. Even the hand-rails were crumpled by the Vennor's occassional grasp, as if it were nothing but clay. Ivan glanced with interest, stopping for several seconds to observe intently and then continued to follow the Vennor's trail down the stairs. The small room echoed with the clamor of bent metal, creaking and becoming disformed as Anri advanced. All Ivan was thinking about was the fact that they would have to use these same stairs to make their escape towards the rooftop. They couldn't afford to have it break down so early in the mission.
Stopping at the foot of the stairs, the Vennor stopped infront of a door -similar to the last-. While Anri was busy in thought, Ivan pressed a button on the side of his helmet and a map of the top floor was displayed on his screen. "Fascinating," he thought, observing as the dark glass protecting his face -and identity, presented itslef. The image itself was translucent and inobstrusive to his vision, he did not mind it at all as he could still see Anri quite clearly. The scientist knew he would be implementing this technology soon enough, he just didn't know on what just yet. Focusing on the mission, he studies the map. There was a small red dot blinking on the screen; indicating that they were currently standing on that part of the building. It appeared that the room before them was the main hall. It was a long passage with multiple rooms on either side of the walls. They were located at the far left of the hall, at the very edge, so there would be no one behind them except a wall.
"Alright step back for a second," The Vennor announced, bringing back the scientist's attention, which had been so thoroughly focused on the map of the building.
Anri's head reached for the electronic card scanner and Ivan instantly knew what he was about to do. "No, wait!" he protested, but it was too late. By the time he finished uttering those words, the Vennor had already sunk his fingers into the device and crumpling it into fine powder. As expected, the alarm went off all around The Heart of Alpha, sirens reverberating and red light flashing in the room. Ivan sighed. What was the point of infiltrating if they were just going to charge head on into the building? Ivan could have deactivated the card scanner by hacking into its firmware and had them clear the area silently. They would have gotten to the bottom floor in no time at all, but now everyone was aware of their presence.
"So... its very likely that there is going to be someone- some people waiting out there for us. As soon as I move the door stick to me like glue, where I move you move, if someone is going to shoot you, move, and if you see a shot take it." Anri said. His demeanor spoke a thousand words. Who knew how many times the Vennor had done such a similar thing? The scientist nodded, but he didn't realize just how difficult things were about to get. Was Ivan prepared to shoot and take someone's life away? Was he prepared not to shoot? Would the bullet even hit? It wasn't like he had been trained on the art of gun-wielding. Ivan thought he would just point and pull the trigger, but he would soon find out it was much harder than it seemed in the movies.
Like before, the Vennor rammed his arm through the thick metal. Just as soon as he did, shouts broke out all over. They could hear the rushed footsteps of the people scurrying away and the voices of authority guiding them to safety. Ivan wondered why Anri had been taking so long to rip the door out, perhaps he was actually getting tired. The scientist was about to engage him and see what was wrong, but as soon as he took that first step, the Vennor bolted out with the door and crushed two guards. Anri ran straight into the wall, the bodies falling to the ground as blood was smeared all over the wall from the point of impact. Ivan watched, awestruck and terrified, unbelieving of how fast things got out of hand.
Soon after, the gun fire began. Ivan wrenched the thought away and remembered Anri's words. Stay on him like glue. Without a moment to waste, he ran for cover behind the Vennor's large body and the big steel door which was now their shield -and weapon. Bullets were shot all over the place, clattering against the shield and Anri's armor, all of them deflecting off and piercing through the walls, the roof, and the furniture. There were occasional decorative desks or mahogany tables stationed at the side of the hall with a vase of roses and other exotic plants. They didn't last very long. Ivan focused on keeping up with the Vennor so he isn't struck by the storm of bullets pelting their way. His heart pounded like a racing car and his eyes darted at all directions, making sure they weren't overlooking something.
He couldn't see anything in front of them, for the shield and Anri's body were far too obtrusive for his eyes. He tried peaking off the edges, but flinched back as a bullet promptly struck the blade near his face and he receded into the safe zone. Instead, the scientist glanced at the map displayed over his screen and used it to guide them. The entire room itself was composed of two parallel halls and three other halls connecting them together. No doubt, there would be numerous officers waiting at each corner, they needed to be careful or else they could be surrounded; although Anri would be perfectly fine, Ivan depended on his body and that shield to protect him from the bullets. One hit was all he needed before he is rendered completely useless throughout the rest of the mission.
"The stairs are at the other end of the hall parallel to this one!" Ivan exclaimed through the clamor of the fight, hoping the Vennor could hear him. "Let's clear everyone on this hall and make this our base! We can then block two of the passages to make sure we aren't surrounded. I'll distract them while you sneak around and take them out from the back!" He advised, although the plan was mostly for his own safety rather than Anri's. The Vennor could just walk to the stairs unharmed. The problem with the room was that there were three halls connecting the main hall with the second hall -where the stairs were located. It did not matter which of the three halls they entered; while they would be attacked by a few officers, they would only serve as decoy while troops traveled through the other two passages and trapped them from both flanks. If that happened, then Anri would not be able to block all the bullets and Ivan would die.
On the other hand, if they blocked those passages and Ivan concentrated their attention in one place, then Anri could sneak up on them through the third hall, take them from behind and claim the top floor for themselves. It was risky, and the last thing the scientist wanted to do was separate from the Vennor, but it would also keep him safe from the bullets and increase their chances of success. However, first they needed to deal with the security officers currently shooting at them.
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