Eva: Greater Berlin - Mini 5/4/11

<Darkling> Pilots! You're at the base today, running through some regular checks. Most of that is already over with, and you're just sitting around in your plugs waiting to hear what's going to happen next.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> ". . ." He needs to laminate a book at this rate. As it is he rests back to relax, eyes closed.
Rasia salivates on herself, wearing the tight plugsuit. She sits up, straddling the saddle-like structure that takes the place of the standard seat in her plug.
<Darkling> On screen you can see Lit talking with the Vice-comm. You've met him a few times now, and he's practically a twin to Lit other than not have a beat up face. They even act the same.
<Darkling> Right now however, they seem to be debating something heatedly.
Rasia growls quietly, as agitated as can be expected from being stuck in a small place.
Wilhelm_Faustus sighs.
<Darkling> Lit's hand slams down on a console. "-are if you don't think they are ready. They nee-" it cuts out again as he throws his hands up.
Rasia frowns. "Bad things." She comments, simply enough.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> Is the aryan even paying attention?
Rasia bares her teeth. "Hey!"
<Wilhelm_Faustus> An eye opens. "...what?"
<Darkling> Lit hangs his head. He looks slightly defeated.
Rasia points at the two arguing men.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> He shrugs, and closes his eye.
<Darkling> He leans over the comm and hits a button. "Pilots, I think that'll be all for today." He looks back over his shoulder at the Vice-comm, glaring.
Rasia nods, moving to extricate herself, rubbing at the padded knees of her suit.
<Darkling> Of course, just then, a siren goes off.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> His eyes open lazily.
Rasia perks, muscles pulling taught.
<Darkling> Lit looks back at the Vice-comm again, and the speaks up. "Looks like I get my way after all. You're going outside the dome."
<Darkling> "Ready the pilots for launch!" The comm cuts out again, men are scrambling everywhere.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> He wraps his hands around the controls, adjusting himself in the pilot seat.
<Darkling> The hiss of pneumatics and machines grinding fill the air as locks are released and the Aesir are moved into place.
<Darkling> "We're detecting a possibly five bogies on in the Wastes directly around the north of the base."
Rasia leans forward again, closing her eyes. For a moment, she almost manages to look meditative. Pensive.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> He looks to the little screen with her image in it, watching briefly. Then he reaches out and uses gestures to move the image just out of his view.
<Darkling> An image from one of the surveillance cameras flickers on screen.
<Darkling> A loud click, and then the Aesir are rushing up towards the surface at an immense speed.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> He winces, body hunching under the weight.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> force*
<Rasia> Rasia, conveniently, merely has to lie flat.
<Darkling> They come to rest outside of the Dome. Snow whips around, but it's mostly clear. They can see scuttling off ahead, shapes matching the image they were given, brown and red blobs in the snow.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> ". . ."
<Darkling> One of them is slamming it's weight almost uselessly into the side of the dome ahead of you, it's about the size of a tank.
<Rasia> Unit 01 immediately slumps forward, and lands on its hands with a rumble, tail uncurling from between its legs. Its mouth is as sealed shut as Wilhelm's, but why are its eye-ports so long? "Haa~"
<Wilhelm_Faustus> A few steps forward to clear the launch restraits and Null Drei actually lifts into the air. Not very far, enough that its feel can hang free and still not touch the snow. Perhaps it was arrogant like its pilot, too good for walking.
<Darkling> The Troll continues, blissfully unaware of the Aesir, as another runs up to join it, plowing headlong into the dome base at full speed. The dome shudders slightly, small cracks appearing on it's impact location.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> Null Drei stretches out a hand, aiming for the small cluster of Trolls.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> Golden hexagons shift in the air, shimmer, rotate, then fire a condensed blast of energy from the palm of the outstretched hand.
Rasia flinches, Unit 01 jerking with it. Unexpected.
<Darkling> The Trolls shudder before the blast, and are made black smears against the dome wall.
<Darkling> You've got the attention of the others... there's three more incoming now.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> He snorts, smirks.
<Rasia> Sighting more prey, Rasia smiles, and Unit 01 leaps forward. The ground shakes, more than it should even for something of that size, as Unit 01 lands on one unfortunate spawn, crushing it with a muffled roar.
<Darkling> The other two spawn back away from Unit 01 slightly, before launching themselves at it, bouncing off invisible barriers that shimmer ever so slightly when they come into contact.
<Rasia> Having little time for such silliness, Unit 01 raises its front feet, and smashes them both in a single, mighty blow.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> ". . ." Well then.
Rasia growls, inside her plug, pulling the corpses apart, unable to eat them.
<Darkling> "Good job pilots." Lit's voice comes over the comm, his jovial face beaming at them.
<Darkling> Looks like it's becoming night fast, but... wasn't it just after lunch?
<Wilhelm_Faustus> He lifts his gaze skyward.
<Darkling> Both Units gaze skywards actually, even without being told. You can see the Black Moon sliding across the sun, going from a partial eclipse to full, and partial again. It sits in rest on the other side of the sun now.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> ". . ." His grip tightens on the controls.
<Darkling> It's not responding.
Rasia utters a tense growl, eyes narrow.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> He blinks, looking around for error messages, then gives the controls another push.
<Darkling> Still not responding. It's still hovering though.
<Darkling> Unit 01 is, however.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "...respond damn you." He mutters, forcing the controls again.
<Darkling> Lit comes back on over the comm. "What's going on? We're getting no readings from you Wilhelm."
<Rasia> Unit 01 turns, Troll fluids splattered on its hands and face, giving Null Drei a dangerous look. Its tail perks.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "...Null Drei's controls aren't responding." His voice is admirably still calm and controled.
<Darkling> "We're detecting no more Trolls or other threats, so we're sending a squad out to get you. Rasia, stay with him."
<Darkling> Unit 03 remains perfectly still, other than it's slight hover above the snow, staring up into the sky.
<Darkling> ==============Switch Scene===============
<Darkling> *knock knock* There's a slight rapping at your bunk Corrin. One of your fellow recruits is standing over you.
<Darkling> It's Ivy, or Recruit Hollander as she's better known. "You ready? Today's the day you get shipped out."
<Darkling> She's all smiles, though you know she wanted to be the one who got picked for this assignment.
<Corrin> "Ready and willing." Corrin says, sitting up as he does so.
<Darkling> "Oooh! You're so lucky!" She looks more excited about this than you. "Hurry up, the Commander is waiting for you in the mess hall." And she scampers out of the room, long black pony tail dashing after her.
Corrin quickly grabs his tag and sprints to the mess hall at top speed. Keeping the Commander waiting would be unthinkable.
<Darkling> Running down the hall he nearly collides with a man he's never seen before. You only get a slight glimpse of him, but he's in all white, and disappearing around a corner now.
<Darkling> Commander Ashley is standing in the mess hall talking to the other recruits: Hollander, Hunter and Smith. Only Hollander has been given an assignment like you. The other two get to stay back at the base.
<Corrin> "Sir!" Corrin pants as he skids to a stop, attempting to straighten. "Reporting..as ordered."
<Darkling> Ashley looks down at him. "Late, as usual." You hear someone in the distance snicker about Ashley being late for something too, or that it's that time of the month again.
<Darkling> Smith giggles despite himself at this.
Corrin stiffens. "Sorry, sir. Won't happen again, sir."
<Darkling> A glare from the Commander cuts off the giggle and he turns to you Corrin. "You're right, not under my watch at least. You're being shipped off to Berlin today." The man has to work hard not to smile at this, either from pride or joy.
Corrin nods, doing his best to keep his expression blank. It doesn't quite work, and the net result is akin to lockjaw.
<Darkling> "And Hollander, you're off to..." He looks at a clipboard. pausing.
<Darkling> "Huh, doesn't say. You're escorts will be here shortly. At ease until then." He wanders off a bit to talk to another man, leaving the four of you alone.
<Darkling> Smith and Hunter immediately start a game to see who can punch each other the hardest. It's a wonder why they weren't getting sent off.
Corrin has a silly grin slowly spread across his face once the Commander isn't looking, despite his best efforts to suppress it.
<Darkling> "So!" Hollander appears in your face again. "How's your German coming along?"
Corrin immediately stops grinning.
<Darkling> "That good huh?" She doesn't stop smiling.
<Corrin> "Stuck on conjugations..." Corrin says quietly, then hastily changes the subject. "Hey...good luck."
<Darkling> "Thanks!" Her smile gets even bigger. "I'm sure you'll do fine. You've got what, two and a half week on that freight ship?"
<Corrin> "Isn't this great, though?" Corrin bursts out. "We're finally going to do what we've been trained for! Our duty to NERV and the human race!"
<Darkling> His outburst gets a few stares from some non-NERV personnel, but also a giggle from Hollander.
<Corrin> "Guess this is it, though..." Corrin says after a long silence.
<Darkling> "Yeah, you're off to Germany, and I'm..." Her smile actually fades a moment.
<Corrin> "You'll be fine." Corrin says hastily. "You're the best trainee of us all. Even the Commander says so. Remember, the marksmanship tests?"
<Darkling> "Yeah." Her smiles is back up. "Thanks Corrin." She gives him a peck on the cheek, just as the Commander is walking back over.
Corrin stands there, stunned.
<Darkling> "Alright recruits!" His booming voice brings everyone to attention except the stunned Corrin. "Your escorts have arrived, you'll be meeting with them shortly. Problem recruit?" He looks right at you Corrin.
Corrin starts. "Sir! No, sir!"
<Darkling> "Then stop gawking like your face froze out in the wastes!"
<Darkling> He mutters and flips a page on his clipboard.
Corrin barely suppresses a wince.
<Darkling> A man in white approaches. You saw him earlier Corrin, but didn't get a good look before.
<Darkling> He's not too tall, thin, slicked back blonde hair, and wearing wire glasses on his face. He talks to the commander briefly in whispers.
Corrin swallows quietly, eyes darting between the Commander and the...near-collision victim as he stands at attention.
<Darkling> "Hollander, you'll be escorted by.. this man." He gestures to the man in white. "If you're ready, you will take your leave at once."
<Darkling> And of course she was ready. She's got her bags all packed and at her side. She beams one final smile at Corrin with a good luck wink, and walks off with the man in white.
Corrin follows the two with his eyes until they pass out of sight, head still facing forwards as he stands at attention.
<Darkling> "Smith and Hunter, you'll report to Lieutenant Chalmers. He's going to run you through more tests to get you as fit as the other recruits."
<Darkling> You're left standing alone with the Commander now Corrin. He eyes you distastefully.
Corrin continues to stand at attention. He and the other two hadn't...gotten along that well.
<Darkling> Finally, after another long, awkward stare filled silence, a larger man comes up to the Commander. He easily outweighs the Commander by double. "Greetins Commander Ashley." He booms out with a salute and broken accent.
<Darkling> "Captain. This is your recruit." He points to you Corrin. "He's your bother now." He gives Corrin one last look, and heads off. Now you're alone with the big man.
<Corrin> "Sir!" Corrin says, almost automatically, not looking as the man who might as well have been God to him for the past four years leaves. "Awaiting orders, sir!"
<Darkling> He stares down at you. His uniform is collared in thick fur. "I am Gorav, captain of the ship Bismark. I'll be takin you to Berlin, and makin sure you learn the language on the way." He places a giant hand on your shoulder.
Corrin doesn't flinch, barely, still standing at attention. His legs are starting to tingle in a tell-tale manner, but he's determined not to show weakness in front of the Captain.
<Darkling> "Aha!" He laughs. "You'll do fine! Grab your bags and follow me."
<Corrin> "Yes, sir."
<Darkling> And so they head down the halls towards the base exit. On their way, a few friendly faces wave goodbye to Corrin, he even gets a loud holler.
Corrin carefully avoids looking up from the floor. The floor tiles are sterile, clean, off-white and chipped from hundreds of feet and mop passes.
<Corrin> *as he passes through the halls
<Darkling> "Bye Corrin!" He can hear Hollander yelling.
Corrin hestitates for a moment, then looks up as he follows the Captain.
<Darkling> He can see Corrin, alongside the man in white, and a large, make that huge flatbed, covered in black sheets and tied down, some massive bulk underneath it. They disappear down a hall as she waves.
<Darkling> And then the Captain is ushering him into an APC, and he's off to the docks. Too bad he forgot his bags under his bunk. This is going to be a loooong trip.
Corrin opens his mouth, then closes it again a moment later. Head bowed again, he follows the man, only looking up briefly as they pass the trainee range.
<Corrin> ...
<Darkling> =============Scene Switch===============
<Darkling> Rasia and Wil are both back in the command base, in a small conference room together. Lit's nowhere to be seen and the door is locked.
<Darkling> It's been nearly an hour since they put you both in here.
Rasia fidgets, pacing the room's perimeter in agitation, wearing her scarf and mittens.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> At least he has his book now, up in its usual place where it blocks out most of his facial features.
Rasia growls at nothing, making another lap around the conference room.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> He licks his fingertip and turns the page.
<Darkling> There's not much in the room, a large folding table, a half dozen chairs, a whiteboard at one end and a camera in a corner.
<Rasia> Seems like an hour was about her limit. Going stir-crazy, she grabs the back of Wilhelm's chair and bends it back until he's looking at her. She signs, very simply, 'Wrestle'
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "...pass.Attacking me over a ham was my limit."
<Rasia> A low growl. If nobody intervenes, you're not gonna have a say in it, Wilhelm.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "...as if I wanted to take it from you in the first place." He snorts. "I'd approached hoping we were having something close to an actual converstation."
<Darkling> The latch on the door click, and Lit walks in with the Vice-Comm, and a short woman with wild red hair.
Rasia lets go of his chair, letting it swing back into place.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> The book snaps shut.
<Darkling> Lit sits at the end of the table, the vice-comm beside him, and the newcomer sits directly across from Wil.
Rasia stands, silent, eyes fixed on the new smell.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> He doesn't look nearly as interested as Rasia.
<Darkling> "This is Thurid, the head of our science department." Lit introduces the woman who appears to be studying you Wil.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> The look actually irritates him, visable in subtle ways he trying very hard not to give away.
<Darkling> She adjusts her large, thick glasses that make it look as if her eyes are bulging out of her head.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> ". . ."
<Darkling> "So I understand you lost control of your Aesir today." She states it as a fact, not a question.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "...something akin to that notion."
<Darkling> "And why is that, do you think?" She's pointedly ignoring Rasia, more interested in the boy. Lit and the Vice-Comm are speaking in low tones.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "...he can be tempermental."
<Darkling> "Mmm. I thought you would have better control over such things." She pulls out a notepad from her labcoat and begins to scribble on it.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> That made an eye twitch. "As you and your department should be aware, only so much control can be exerted over something not fully understood."
Rasia hunches, bit by bit. Her hairs were prickling.
<Darkling> "Because of your failure to keep in control, I'm issuing an order to have you, and pilot Rasia, undergo some more strenuous sync tests. We want to see where you failed and why."
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "There was no failure, there was clearly some outside influence that stirred whatever it is still active inside of the creature." He starts to bristle.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Or did you miss the shifting of the Black Moon in the sky?"
<Darkling> "And yet Aesir Unit 01 did not react as yours. Testing is to begin at 1700 today until 2000. You will return tomorrow for more beginning at 0800 hours."
<Darkling> Lit frowns at the mention of such an early time. He so liked his sleep.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "...if you insisit on this ridiculous coirse of action then at least restrict it to myself, leave her out of it." He motions to Rasia.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> course*
<Darkling> Her pen twitches slightly before she continues scribbling away.
<Darkling> She looks to Rasia, finally studying her.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> He sits back, head lowering a bit as he glares across the table. His poker face was gone, replaced with a mixed look of contempt and venom.
Rasia scowls in reply, lips curling behind that scarf.
<Darkling> "Although Unit 01 performed optimally we must be sure such a glitch will not occur again."
<Darkling> She notes no further argument and places her notepad and pen away, standing.
<Darkling> "Vice-Commander. Lit." She nods to each and departs the room.
<Darkling> The Vice-Commander leaves as well to attend to duties leaving them with Lit and the room unlocked.
<Rasia> A quiet crack. Seems Rasia owes NERV an office chair.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> ". . ." He doesn't settle down much, even once she's gone. He stands, grabbing his book. He's waited long enough he hopefully won't run into her in the hall, and storms off. Hes taken all he can stand in the last 48 hours.
<Darkling> Lit sighs inwardly.
Rasia looks around, realizing she's alone with Lit.
<Darkling> "Shall we go see what we can get for food around here fraulein?"
Rasia nods a little. Eating always made her happy.
<Darkling> ==============End===============