TSW: Yeffim's Tale (Part 1) & Enter Robin Evans.

[21:41]	IcePickLobotomy	Yeffim: The civil is over, your side has one. And what do you get for it? Stationed in the arctic circle in northern Siberia, dealing with bears, tigers, and bandits. You poke your head up past the commanders hatch of the BMP as your patrol group comes to a stop unexpectedly.
[21:42]	IcePickLobotomy	Wind and ice claws at your face, and some moonlight shines down through a gap in the cloud cover. The roar of the engines barely audible over the wind.
[21:43]	IcePickLobotomy	The trees are more sparse here, hardy furs capped in white.
[21:45]	Yeffim	A low growl precedes the grizzled man closing the hatch and sinking back into the red lit interior of the vehicle. If any of the soldiers thought to ask him for any information he gained, they did not voice it.
[21:46]	IcePickLobotomy	"All clear captain-comrade. The gunner thought he saw something to the north."
[21:47]	IcePickLobotomy	The radio crackles to life, distorted by static, but still understandable.
[21:48]	Yeffim	"Tell him to keep looking. No harm in fretting over nothing this far north."
[21:51]	IcePickLobotomy	"Roger that Captain-comrade. Moving to next way point." The BMP lurches forward. A few of the men whisper to each-other, but other than that they are quiet, nervous. Something out there feels off, wrong. A atmosphere of tension and malevolence has hung over your patrol for the last 3 days.
[21:53]	Yeffim	"Concerns to express, comrades?" His look is not malevolent, but could make a dead plant wither further. It was a bit of an inborn talent he possessed.
[21:55]	IcePickLobotomy	The men look to each other, and it falls on the sergeant to speak. "No sir?" he sounds unsure of himself "But . . . well we are not superstitious men, but this feels. . . Sir something about this feels wrong. We." He takes a bracing breath "We think we should turn back. It's not as though Command would know unless one of us told them, and, well, none of us think being here is a good idea."
[21:58]	Yeffim	"Let it be known that any man who wishes to disobey direct orders may return home. All you need do, is step out of the military granted vehicle, and relinquish any and all vestments that the government has provided you. Shall I tell the driver to stop?"
[21:58]	IcePickLobotomy	"No sir." It's hard to tell what face he is making behind the face-mask, but he doesn't sound surprised. Or happy.
[22:01]	Yeffim	"Whatever is out there is nothing more than anything we've dealt with before. The fact that weather conditions are worse than normal merely has you jumpy." Though he too could feel the aura of strangeness,the captain was clearly appealing to the men's  pride in their unit to bolster morale.
[22:01]	Yeffim	Whether he believed his statements or not was up to debate, and entirely irrelevant.
[22:03]	IcePickLobotomy	The men nod, trying to take solace in your words, but clearly failing. The next few hours pass without incident. The feeling of dread increases, your men begin to fidget, some nervously checking over gear, or whatever their quirks would be. The inside of the BMP is unbearably stuffy, thick with diesel fumes. Your radio crackles again, thick with static to the point where you have to strain...
[22:03]	IcePickLobotomy	...to hear them. "Sir! Check outside, there's someth-" It cuts out with a sharp squeal of feedback before the feed cuts off.
[22:06]	Yeffim	Lunging to his feet, the captain nearly hit his head on the hatch before he threw it open while barking for his radio operator to restore contact. Fighting the snow and biting wind, he fought to see in the direction of the front of his convoy.
[22:07]	IcePickLobotomy	Outside the storm has intensified, it'd e pitch black outside, or it should be.
[22:10]	IcePickLobotomy	In front of you, the cloud is light up by a brilliant green light, waves of distortion, like static on a tv-screen, ripple outwards from it. Slowly, a massive shape begins to rise from the ground. It's humanoid, but crowned with a set of 6 jagged horns, and harsh angular skin. Slowly is turns to face you, and 7 baleful green eyes stare you down. It takes a single step forward and your world...
[22:10]	IcePickLobotomy	...shakes.
[22:11]	Yeffim	slams the hatch shut behind him and grasps his seat. "Hold fast men! HOL-"
[22:11]	IcePickLobotomy	----------------------------------------------
[22:14]	-->|	Rayah (chatzilla@SystemNet-BB02DF0B.hsd1.wa.comcast.net) has joined #METI
[22:15]	=-=	Rayah is now known as Robin
[22:28]	IcePickLobotomy	Date: July13th, 1986. Yeffim, you and Walker were on your way to collect the latest INDIGO candidate. Robin Evans, age 13, female. Lives with her parents and 2 brothers in Greencreek Texas.
[22:30]	IcePickLobotomy	"Oh that's not good." Walker mutters as you are waved to the side of a road by the Texas National Guard equipped in full HazOp gear. In the distance a massive pale of smoke hands in the air, a few helicopters flitting about. A few hundred feet past them you can see a METI Sanitation Team checking over their gear as they prepare to head out.
[22:31]	IcePickLobotomy	"Afternoon sir." the soldier says, his voice muffled by the gas mask "I'm going to have to ask you to turn back here."
[22:35]	Yeffim	"Apologies, comrade," flashing his METI badge without breaking his stride Yeffim stalks past the man, assuming that Amanda will either deal with the formal orders or follow him. Either was acceptable to him, but they had interfered with his operation. Unacceptable.
[22:38]	IcePickLobotomy	He blinks a moment, and you can hear Walker playing peacemaker. One of the Sanitation team members waves you down. "Sir!" he apparently watching your interaction "Captain Darwin, no relation, METI Sanitation Department." He introduces himself briskly.
[22:41]	Yeffim	"Captain. I am Major," he puts emphasis there, "Yeffim Klimenko. What were your orders here?"
[22:42]	Yeffim	"And who gave them? This may be important."
[22:44]	IcePickLobotomy	He salutes briskly. "Colonel O'Neal, North American Headquarters. Orders were standard sanitation, but when we got here viral load was already at atmospheric baseline and. . . well, someone beat us to the sanitizing it."
[22:46]	Yeffim	"Was there any sign of who did it? Any survivors?" Despite being hardened by a life most would consider horrifying, he waited with baited breath.
[22:47]	IcePickLobotomy	"We haven't had a chance to investigate yet sir, we were about to." He offers you a rebreather. "I take it you have business inside?"
[22:48]	Yeffim	"Very important business. WALKER."
[22:49]	IcePickLobotomy	"Sir." She appears at your side, taking a moment to tuck a lose strand of hair behind her ear, looking impeccable as always.
[22:51]	Yeffim	"You were right, this is not good. We have to find the Indigo. Organize the sanitation crew into three search parties and have them search in a widening grid. I want her found, /now./ Find her, do not touch or interact with her, bring me to her when you do."
[22:52]	IcePickLobotomy	Walker nods and quickly begins to organize the teams.
[22:52]	IcePickLobotomy	---------------------------------------
[22:54]	IcePickLobotomy	Robin: The fires have died by now, the town and your house have been gutted by the flames over the night. Now all that's left is blackened ashes and twisted metal.
[22:55]	IcePickLobotomy	You hear the low growl of a engine as a jeep makes it's way down the road. Men wearing gasmasks looking around as they slowly head to your position. They haven't noticed you yet.
[22:57]	Robin	scrunches her face to try and focus on the men "who..." she whispers to herself.
[22:58]	IcePickLobotomy	It's blurry, the ash and smoke still stinging in your eyes. They are clearly armed, if the large gun on the jeep is any indication.
[23:01]	IcePickLobotomy	The jeep trundles past you, they don't seem to see you.
[23:02]	IcePickLobotomy	Yeffim: You see a girl in jeans, trying to hide in the remnants of a burned house. A jeep drives past and your radio crackles "Survivor spotted in the house, didn't see the face, but this is the address of the Evan's residence." Walker's voice says.
[23:04]	Yeffim	Robin: A tall thin man, conspicuously wearing office attire, down to the black tie, approaches you. One of his eyes is a lifeless milky white and scars flow across his face, his arms, his hands. All over he is a ruin, and he addresses you. "Are you Robin Evans?"
[23:05]	Robin	"Sometimes" she whimpers.
[23:06]	Yeffim	"And as of now?"
[23:07]	Robin	"yes."
[23:08]	Yeffim	"Good. Are you harmed?"
[23:09]	Robin	shakes her head.
[23:10]	Yeffim	"Excellent. If you will come with me, we can get you some water. Perhaps take you to a...nicer place?"
[23:12]	Robin	"ok, I don't wanna be here anymore."
[23:16]	Yeffim	"Walker, I have Evans. We'll meet you in the street. Come with me, please." With that he walks out of the burnt out house and into the street, apparently assuming Robin will follow him.
[23:17]	Robin	she debates a second before following.
[23:18]	IcePickLobotomy	Yeffim: You think you hear Walker say "Oh God." under her breathe, but you you're not sure. A moment later the jeep pulls up. Robin, a woman in a dark-blue business skirt, als wearing a gas-mask, steps out from the jeep. "Robin Evans?" She asks with a sympathetic smile, and a much softer, more human, voice than the man. "I'm Captain Walker, we're here to help you."
[23:21]	Robin	nods to the name and says nothing in response.
[23:22]	IcePickLobotomy	She takes a moment to pull of the gasmask and put on a pair of glasses. "Well, we should get going then?" She motions to a empty seat in the jeep.
[23:23]	IcePickLobotomy	*off
[23:24]	Yeffim	On the ride back, Yeffim drops his veneer of civility to interrogate the traumatized little girl. "Did you see who did this? Who burned the town?"
[23:24]	IcePickLobotomy	Yeffim: You see walker grimace before she puts a reassuring hand on the girl's shoulder.
[23:25]	Robin	"We decided it was for the best."
[23:25]	Robin	has watered eyes
[23:26]	Yeffim	"Your parents did the right thing, Robin."
[23:28]	Robin	She stares at him slightly confused "We didn't tell them, we didn't tell anyone."
[23:30]	Yeffim	"Hm. Walker, I believe that perhaps you should talk to her for a bit." Leaning back in his seat he gives the stand-down order to the rest of the search parties.
[23:33]	IcePickLobotomy	She shoots you a unappreciative glance before pulling Robin into a hug. "I know it's a lot to take in right now, so you don't need to say anything right now, but I'm here to listen if you want to say anything." She says softly.
[23:35]	Robin	"Why is no one mad? I thought everyone would be mad."
[23:37]	IcePickLobotomy	"Because right now we're both glad your alive."
[23:37]	Yeffim	"Of course not, rebenok. You've done well, and we have need of you. There is no reason for anyone to be angry with you."
[23:38]	Robin	"oh"
[23:38]	IcePickLobotomy	"What the Major means to say is that. . . There's a very important job that we want you to do, something only you can do."
[23:39]	Robin	"oh" she says as she looks back to her lighter.
[23:40]	Yeffim	"We'll tell her more about this later, I think, Captain."
[23:40]	IcePickLobotomy	"Agreed." She gives you a worried look and mouths 'This is Bad' over Robin as she pulls the younger girl into a tighter hug.
[23:42]	Robin	*click*
[23:42]	Robin	*click*
[23:42]	Robin	*click*
[23:42]	Robin	*click**
[23:42]	Yeffim	"It is nice. Where did you get it?"
[23:42]	Yeffim	gestures to the lighter in Robin's hand.
[23:43]	IcePickLobotomy	Walker takes a deep breath and look at Yeffim with pleading eyes. She wants you to help her. You don't know how.
[23:43]	Robin	"I... its ours... from home."
[23:44]	Robin	8click*
[23:45]	Yeffim	A look of dawning revelation comes over Yeffim's face. Needless to say, Walker finds it deeply unsettling. "You have done well, child. Do not question your resolve."
[23:45]	IcePickLobotomy	-----------------------------------------------------