Colossus By Design: Season 2 - Log 78

[March 17, 2166]
[Alpine Allie's Bar]
[The Alps]
[European origin continent]

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Alpine Allie's. A quaint little bar in the European Alps that served as the scene of one of the most gruesome murder incidences to date. However, after no evidence turned up as to the identity of the killer, further compounded by the lack of a significant police presence near the area, the case was ultimately dropped, quietly fading into obscurity.

The bar, now cordoned off, serves a different purpose. Within its walls, a strange group of rather aged men and women, all quite scraggly and unkempt in appearance with tattered clothing that gives off the look of the common homeless person.

There are about fifteen of them, with one particular man, sporting a short snow white beard and red jumpers underneath his brown hole-filled jacket; he appears to be the leader of the group, being the one to tend to the others behind the bar, serving them drinks from the rack behind him. What's most interesting, however, is the smashed-up synthetic on the floor, completely disassembled and and stripped of its vital components.

The old man behind the bar clears his throat, prompting the others to turn in their seats to face him.

(Cevat Lockhart): My friends..... welcome. I'm sure you're all eager to know why I've called the Storm Covenant's leaders to this place.

Some of the group start to chat among themselves, whilst others still merely nod to each other in response to Mr. Lockhart's statement. The white bearded man merely holds his hand up in the air, snuffing out the chatter, leaving nothing but silence, everyone now attentively awaiting what he'll say next.

(Cevat Lockhart): As you know, we've been in hiding for many years. The Children of Monsters was shattered long ago by the heretics, and we've been running from the law ever since. However..... a new opportunity has arisen.

One woman, dark-skinned, with wrinkles so thick you could barely make out her eyes, is the first to speak up out of the old men and women present. The others around her are somewhat surprised to see her stand up from her seat.

(Rosalind Price): I'm sorry, Lockhart, but what exactly is this new opportunity? I mean, most of us are much too old and frail to be of much use. Hell, our bodies can barely sustain our transformations into our beast forms as it is.

(Cevat Lockhart): Perhaps. But one of our scouts managed to intercept a key exploit in our enemies' plans. Specifically..... the Order.

At the mention of the Order of Homo Novus, the entirety of the group is sent into heated discussion, with plenty of emotion thrown around and arguments being made all over the place. This time, though, Cevat Lockhat picks up a shot glass, slamming it into the bar table underneath him; this stops everyone else mid-conversation, although the lead speaker's hand is left slightly cut and bleeding.

(Cevat Lockhart): As I was saying...... the Order of Homo Novus has been our greatest threat in recent times. Nothing but cheap imitations of our former glory. We've managed to discover a vital component of their ongoing well-oiled machine. Before I tell you all.... does anyone else have anything to say?

The room is silent, everyone looking at each other briefly before turning their attention back to Cevat.

(Cevat Lockhart): Good. Now, if you'll all turn your attention to the wall at the back of the building.

Mr. Lockhart presses a switch underneath the bar; this activates a holographic screen on the back wall of the building, prompting everyone to turn towards it. The screen shows a slideshow of images, showing a heavily mutated member of their movement attacking a group of scavengers in the ruins of New York City, ripping them to pieces and feasting on their remains.

No one even bats an eyelash at the gruesome imagery, instead showing curiosity more than anything. The last image is that of some of the salvage that the scavengers collected, mostly the power cores of the security drones that patrol such quarantine zones as well as other vital components in their makeup.

(Cevat Lockhart): These scavengers are the key to slowing the progress of the Order's plans.

(Rosalind Price): Yeah? And why's that?

(Cevat Lockhart): It seems that the Order has hired scavenger groups such as these to salvage specific components from advanced security technology in the various quarantine zones across the ruins of the former United States. One of our scouts intercepted this particular group, and snuffed out their operation. All we need to do is find more of these operations, and eventually we can trace them back to their source, the Order's own base of operations.

After Mr. Lockhart is done speaking, every single member of the Storm Covenant present stands up, throwing their balled-up fists into the air in synchronized triumph, the telltale salute of the Children of Monsters.

(All): FOR THE COVENANT! FOR THE COVENANT!

(Cevat Lockhart): My brothers and sisters..... war is coming. Very, VERY soon. We must be ready.