[14:35] <@GM_Jericho> Wyoming, Eastern Rockies. April 15 2053, 20:58
[14:41] <@GM_Jericho> The majestic sight of the Rocky Mountains in the far distance, framed by the thick green pines, was rather detracted by the biting cold of the foothill winds. Even with their thermo-gear, it was complainingly cold, and the six cadets who had made camp on the lonely hill made sure to repeat it over and over again. the U.S.C.P, the United States Cadet-Train Program, was hosting its yearly...
[14:41] <@GM_Jericho> ...war-games. Over a hundred young soldiers scattered over an area of fifty square miles, armed with army-surplus survival gear and a single objective. To avoid capture at the hands of their Instructors at all costs. They had been divided into teams of 6, as was how most of US operations were in the modern times, and each had an arm-band they were to guard with their life. Simulated war-time...
[14:41] <@GM_Jericho> ...conditions meant eager volunteers fired blanks that echoed over the mountains, and sweeping drones constantly harassed the cadets with light and sound.
[14:44] <@GM_Jericho> "It's fucking cold!" Said Cadet Arnold Palner, for probably the eight hundreth time tonight. The others around the small thermo-heater they had activated nodded. Gary had a map out, and was tracking their hike through the mountains they would take tomorrow. As well as any paths they could scamper off if caught, and what they would do if they were separated. Gary was like that, very smart...
[14:44] <@GM_Jericho> ...guy. Kind of a dick though, he'd probably trip someone up if it meant escape from their Drill Instructors. He was a winner.
06[14:52] * Durant_White is one of the few who hasn't complained much about the cold - he's still huddled close to the heater though, quiet as ever. He had considered offering to share his body heat, but given the circumstances, it would have been a complicated issue. Instead, he looks between his teammates, occasionally glancing at the map to check their plans.
[14:53] <Durant_White> He was more concerned about morale than the plan, though. Flagging motivation could lead one to stumble and fall, and he would be down a comrade.
[14:55] <@GM_Jericho> No worry of that, all of them seemed high and with it. "Hey, dog-soldier!" Cried the dark girl in the tree, keeping first watch. "You got anything to add to this ah-so scholarly conversation?"
06[14:59] * Durant_White looks up at her, no offense (nor amusement) on his face. "...It is cold." A short pause, and then, "If you get too cold, I'll keep watch." Not a lot of words of course, but he was usually to the point about things. It was probably the most he'd spoken all evening, though.
[15:04] <@GM_Jericho> Jones cracked up at that, her bright laugh falling down upon the rest of the team. Gary pulled out a light-marker, illuminating their route. "Alright guys, I think we have tommorow wrapped. Kridid has his Rappel suit, so expect some spider-man bullshit from him." Instructor Phillip Kridid, ex-US operations. The new branch of war. He always loved to fuck with the Cadets, and bringing a suit...
[15:04] <@GM_Jericho> ...that gave him the maneuverability of a damn bug was just one way he would get his kicks out of this survival mission. Fun guy though, probably less so when he came barreling down on micro-fiber lines to kick you in the face and tag you out.
[15:06] <@GM_Jericho> "I haven't seen Archie, so he's probably manning the drones. We'll have to watch out. Those will be up all night. Durst and Mahoy work as a pair...I think they're mounted."
[15:06] <@GM_Jericho> "On what, fuckin' horses?"
[15:07] <Durant_White> "...Probably."
[15:08] <@GM_Jericho> Gary shrugged, looking at the lone dog snuggling to the heater. "What do you think, White?" Gary asked, Durant always had the clearest head. "We got six days, and eight people who are better than us on our asses, and fifty squared to hide in. What do we do?"
06[15:25] * Durant_White glances up at the sky, frowning in thought. "It's a simple game of survival. If we stay low and quiet, the other cadets will be easier targets. The worst have probably already been picked off, I'll estimate around 40, due to either lacking hiding places from drones or simple carelessness. The rest are just as aware of our situation as us."-
[15:27] <Durant_White> "Avoiding the drones means sticking to the trees. Avoiding the calvary means staying off the paths. The problem is that doing both of these puts us in line for the hardest instructor to avoid." He gently pulls out the map. "During the first day they probably just went wild and picked off whoever they could, but now that it's a stealth game, they'll have to make their searches systematic."-
[15:29] <@GM_Jericho> Gary had been thinking the same thing, the map outlined with short trips to the main road for a few miles for speed, then diving back into cover. The roads he picked out are also surrounded by thick copses, there was a lake they were approaching. The glow-pen marked all of this with a dull green light.
[15:31] <Durant_White> Ah, Gary. Of course. "The problem is we have no idea what their patterns are, how they overlap and where they vary. We could stay low until one of them passes over, but we would have to be extremely well hidden. Especially if it's Kridid. He taught us all the tricks we're using here, so he knows how they work."
[15:32] <@GM_Jericho> In the far off distance, the constant staccato of gunfire could be heard, tracer rounds lighting the night sky as automated turrets simulated war-sounds for the cadets. There was a stomping in the distance, and then the safety call. Sarah and Dick were back from scoping the area.
06[15:33] * Durant_White perks up a bit. Time to hear what they had to report.
[15:34] <@GM_Jericho> Sarah, the pretty blonde, shouldered up the goggles around her face. Dick was in the rear, whittling with a knife as they rocked. "He-hey. You guys aren't dead!"
06[15:35] * Durant_White just sort of stares. Of course I'm not dead.
[15:37] <@GM_Jericho> "Well, Kruger's camping over the hill. We can actually see him." Sarah pointed towards a hill with a lazy finger, the goggles getting tangled in her hair. All-purpose. "They can see us. If either of us get picked off the other will know it without getting discovered. Had to trade a candy bar for that though."
[15:37] <@GM_Jericho> "He's got a decent group. I think it'll be us and them in the end."
[15:40] <@GM_Jericho> Richard was nearly as quiet as Durant, but not for the same reasons. He was a jar-head, not much in there. Great instinct though. "They'll get caught tonight." He said decidedly.
[15:41] <@GM_Jericho> The two sat around the lightless thermo-heater, warming their hands. "Fuckin' cold."
[15:42] <Durant_White> "...Probably." He looks back at the map. "I wish they wouldn't, though. More bodies out there means less chances of it being us." As gently as he took it he hands the map back to Gary. "Once you're warm enough, we need to find some place to hide. Somewhere where the branches aren't big enough for Kridid to use effectively, preferrably." But was there any such place nearby...
[15:47] <@GM_Jericho> They had chosen a decent camp already. A sort of overlook in tree cover. "They've covered their bases pretty well." Arnold said, picking up a rock and hucking it over the small cliff. Only twenty or so feet down. Easily climbable if they needed an escape. "I don't Kriddid will be working the nights though. Best to stick in the trees. Archie can have the drones up 24/7. Have you seen how wide...
[15:47] <@GM_Jericho> ...his eyes are? Poppin' out of his dome."
[15:53] <Durant_White> "True." Kriddid going at night would be a literal nightmare to avoid. Best to avoid the constant drones than the chance of a literal boogeyman. Without further words, he heads for his sleeping roll, prepared to grab a nap before it's his turn on watch.
[15:58] <@GM_Jericho> He was lulled to sleep by his companions constant snark and story swapping. The squad settled in for the night, bundling tight to fight against the Wyoming cold. Slowly, Durant felt sleep take him, as the night sounds grew soft in his ear. His sleep was restless, and uncomfortable, until he was shaken quietly  awake by Dick.
[15:59] <@GM_Jericho> It was still dark, the stars a twinkling sea in the sky. Dick had his Gogs on, and had their other pair clutched in his hands. The cold seeped into the open sleeping bag, biting at the boy's bones. "Durant...your turn. Something's up too."
06[16:01] * Durant_White resists the urge to hide inside the sleeping bag, silently emerging from the warm cocoon. "What is it?" Waking up is the worst, really.
[16:03] <@GM_Jericho> The smaller boy thrust the pair of Gogs into Durants hands. "Kruger's camp." He pointed to a spot on the hill. Even without the magnification and night vision of the units, Durant could clearly see a swarm of red lights descending down upon the spot where Kelly Kruger and her team had stopped for the night.
06[16:04] * Durant_White holds up the goggles anyway, just to see what exactly is going on. "That's a shame."
[16:07] <@GM_Jericho> "S'worse. Really bad." Dick muttered, looking worried. Durant can vaguely make out the waspish outline of...whatever was going down. There was quite a few of them. They flitted and buzzed, hunched backs and fat bottoms. "Archie's drones are blue."
[16:08] <Durant_White> "..." He squints. "Were any red drones mentioned? I don't remember..."
[16:12] <@GM_Jericho> "I dunno." A classic Dick saying. "I don't like those." He said simply, heading towards his roll. "Your turn for watch." Was his last message, climbing into his sack. Not a thinker, Richard.
[16:15] <Durant_White> A dog's dilemma. Technically, Kruger's team was none of his business. He was here to protect his own team, and get them through the night safely. On the other hand...He climbs up into a better position before looking through the goggles again.
[16:20] <@GM_Jericho> The swarm descends through the the trees, but the red glow remains for a little longer, before dispersing with a flash, all darting in different directions, little red dots that slowly fade away. None come towards Durant's camp. He can't penetrate the trees on the hill, nor catch any sight of the people there. Strange things. The instructors had thought up worse, of course.
[16:20] <@GM_Jericho> The sounds of fake gunfire continued to ring out, the occasional siren blaring over the empty mountains. There was one thing that was missing.
[16:21] <@GM_Jericho> If those were drones, where was the hum of engines?
06[16:24] * Durant_White slowly lowers the goggles. Had the instructors seen it? Was it some sort of ploy? He quickly scans the rest of the field, looking for any other oddities.
[16:28] <@GM_Jericho> Nothing met his scope, not any flash in his perspective. As quickly as it had came, the strange phenomenon had left the night quiet, except for the occasional sound of a far off coyote, yipping and howling at the moon. Durant felt chilled, and it wasn't from the cold air. It was going to be a very long night...
[16:28] <@GM_Jericho> ------------------------
[16:31] <@GM_Jericho> The sun rose high as the squad trekked upwards, higher into the foothills. They were on a deer path now, away from the main roads. They had a close run in with Archie's drones, Annabell and Mable. The two large fat robotic units had flown over head, their engines roaring as their wings flickered. They looked like great big beetles, their weapons dangling like legs from the bottoms. Everyone...
[16:31] <@GM_Jericho> ...had hit the dirt, but they hadn't been spotted. Dick had made no mention of the strange occurrence last night, and was as silent as always.
06[16:34] * Durant_White replays the scene over and over in his mind. They had been completely silent - not like the drones they had avoided just this morning. Had technology advanced that much? And why use it turing a cadet training mission? All the more reason to be his normal, quiet self, keeping his eyes on the path ahead.
[16:35] <@GM_Jericho> "Shit man." Arnold made decent pace, his pack shouldered as his boots trundled over the rocky terrain. "I thought the beds back at the barracks were bad."
[16:36] <@GM_Jericho> "I liked it, Arnie." Countered Jones, patting his shoulder hard enough to send him tumbling a little. "Got my back straightened out from this damn pack. We're trouncing the instructors. They haven't even found us once yet."
[16:37] <Durant_White> "...Did any of you see anything strange on your watch?" Might as well ask.
[16:45] <@GM_Jericho> "Nope." "Nadda." I saw a deer, five points!"
[16:45] <@GM_Jericho> The only one who raised an eyebrow was Gary. "Why, what happened?"
[16:47] <Durant_White> "Kruger got found by..." he hesitates. "It seemed like red drones. But there was no noise that I could hear from the camp. Then they just...dispersed. I didn't see them for the rest of the night."
[16:50] <@GM_Jericho> The guy's eyes narrowed, but he didn't voice anything else. Durant could see those gears in Gary's head working. "Something the instructors cooked up, keep going."  He said. Gary was clearly not voicing his true thoughts. Probably for reasons that would help Gary. He wasn't really a 'team' player.
[16:53] <Durant_White> If he truly was a 'dog' soldier, his ears would have flattened. The instructors didn't need magic tricks to scare the cadets. Like Gary though, his thoughts were kept to himself. The only difference was that now, Gary was being watched.
[16:56] <@GM_Jericho> They traveled for a little longer, the minutes turning into half an hour. Gary perked his head to the sky, eyes narrowed in that snaky way. He raised his scopes and slowly began to fall to the edge of the pack. Durant heard something in the air, like a bad wind. A vibration that traveled from above, a buzzing.
06[16:58] * Durant_White perks up instantly. "Get to cover! Now!"
[17:02] <@GM_Jericho> The command was followed instantly. The squad scattered into the perks, taking cover close to one another. Except for Gary, who went the other way, deeper into the woods. Jones beneath a rocky outcrop, Arnold in a ditch, Dick took cover next to Durant. Sarah was under a fallen tree, goggles covering her pretty eyes. The droning grew louder, but still was incredibly soft. It wasn't mechanical.
06[17:04] * Durant_White makes sure the rest are well hidden enough and takes notes of Gary's direction before hiding himself, eyes lifted to the sky.
[17:06] <@GM_Jericho> The ground darkened with shadows, as dots grew bigger over the treeline. Sarah saw them first, and she let out a cry that turned blood to ice. "Bosses!"
[17:08] <@GM_Jericho> Boss, a shortened word for bio-organic soldier. What happens when the nerds of yesteryear turned into the scientists of today. Engineered out of growth-vats, they were a terror weapon. Utterly lethal, they had no off switch. The only way to stop them was to kill them. They were more living bombs than anything else. They shouldn't be here, they couldn't be used for training.
[17:10] <@GM_Jericho> These were buzzers. Great ugly wasp-like creatures the size of dogs. They filled the air, their many red globular eyes glowing with bio-luminensce. Designed to invoke the most primal fear, their chitin was sleek, black and orange. Their thoraxes fat and hanging low from their bulbous tips were giant stingers. They had the faces of giant, hungry wasps, mandibles clicking with antenna sweeping...
[17:10] <@GM_Jericho> ...the air. Despite having no intelligence, something in those dark shapes invoked a feeling malevolent will. As if they wished to cause pain.
06[17:11] * Durant_White starts thinking, eyes rapidly darting around. Was this what had happened to Kruger? Shit. How did Gary know they'd be out here? And more so, how could he protect the rest of the team? If they just flew on, it would be alright...
[17:15] <@GM_Jericho> The red flashed. Sarah paid the price for her exclamation. The swarm descended, she broke cover and run. They were fast, faster than her. On humming wings they swooped like birds, one collided into her back. She let out a single shriek. Where the hell was Gary? Certainly not in. "Sarah!" Cried out Jones, breaking rank too. She ran into the open, knocking the great wasp that had pinned the...
[17:15] <@GM_Jericho> ...blond girl down and bending over, swinging a knife wildly. The swarm closed in, like a claustrophobic blanket.
[17:17] <Durant_White> Damn. Durant leaps into the fray, slamming himself bodily into the nearest wasp. "Run away!" he barks above the noise, shoving the insect down. "Get Sarah and run! And capture Gary!"
[17:20] <@GM_Jericho> It was utterly disgusting. The chitin felt like warm metal, it was slightly hairy. Wherever bare skin touched Durant fell a dull burning, as if this things very presence was toxic. It shifted and wiggled, its great body turning over to try and snap with large mandibles, its thorax thrusting like a fencer's sword.
[17:27] <Durant_White> Pure instinct and adrenaline let him grapple the beast, though he feels bile rise in his throat and fear cloud his disciplined training. He kept it pinned though and slammed what he could into it - a knee, his fist, an elbow - until it cracked and splattered beneath him. He grabs the stinger of it before scrambling to his feet, panting harshly. Please, please let the team be running.
[17:31] <@GM_Jericho> Richard was helping Jones, both of them tugging Sarah away. She herself was looking delirious, blood pooling from a hole in her winter clothes. The sun flashed and jittered, blocked by the multitude of insect bosses.  A big one went straight for Durant, stinger outstretched....
[17:34] <Durant_White> Can you parry a stinger with another stinger? Time to find out!
[17:38] <@GM_Jericho>  Well, no. It exploded in the air, covering the boy in ichor.  *Pop* *Pop*. Like sickening balloons the horde was thinning, their numbers shot out of the air by the arrival of Durants saviors. A greater roar overtook the gentle humming of the bugs, that of a heli, its doors thrown open to allow a small platoon of soldier access with heavy mod-rifles.
[17:39] <@GM_Jericho> Expertly, the wasps were shot out of the air, as the heli-carrier lowered itself to  above the tree line, men rappelling down. Dressed in full combat gear, their AAs whirring to life as they brought bullets down in a storm of lead.
[17:40] <@GM_Jericho> "Holy shit! Holy shit! Holy shit!" Jones yelled, over and over again, as the Bosses turned to attack this new threat.
[17:41] <Durant_White> Oh. This also works. Works pretty well, in fact. Sensing he is best used elsewhere, he rushes back to his squad, keeping their heads low and checking Sarah's injuries.
[17:42] <@GM_Jericho> Sarah is currently foaming, her eyes rolled up into her heads. The wasps were made for terror weapons, and presumably this made their wounds even worse. Her front was soaked with blood, and she was very pale.
[17:48] <Durant_White> He may not have been a medical professional, but you don't exactly foam out of fear. He looks at the nearest member of his squad. "Tell them to get a medic here now!" Heedless of his own bruises and the stinging in his limbs, he took Sarah into his lap, keeping her head up as he turned her around and sliced down the back of her uniform with his barely-used-if-ever knife. Time to inspect the
[17:48] <Durant_White> injury and, god forbid-
[17:48] <Durant_White> possibly suck the poison out if any remained. But with her so pale, who knows what could be done with his limited knowledge.
[17:51] <@GM_Jericho> A hole had been punched into her lower back, the size of three fingers. Dark red lines angrily zigzagged from the puncture, and a yellow, gooey, noxious glop was leaking from the wound. The soldiers landed on the ground, dispensing wasps so easily, it was almost horrific to watch. Like practice the swarm was slowly shot out of the air, the ground thick with their brackish blood, the air...
[17:51] <@GM_Jericho> ...reeking and burning nostrils.
[17:52] <@GM_Jericho> A helmeted soldier took up position across from Durante, carrying a case marked with a red cross. "Cadet White?" He asked, through the speakers of his armor.
[17:54] <Durant_White> He did his best to remove the remaining poison, trying not to show panic on his features. He spits the disgusting goop to the side before looking at the soldier. "Sir?"
[17:59] <@GM_Jericho> He instantly was pushed away. "Okay, first off kid! What the fuck. That is in no way how you treat a snake-bite. Let alone!" He opened his case, showing a multitude of vials and tools. "The sting of a Boss Type-AZ3 Cazi. Second. You're wanted up there." A ladder had been deplored from the heli-carrier. "Get going, NERV'll wrap this up. Your friend won't die with me." The soldier's armor was...
[17:59] <@GM_Jericho> ...unique. Down the left shoulder to the torso was a single red stripe, unbroken and thick.
[18:00] <@GM_Jericho> He pulled out a syringe gun, filling with mixtures. "Gahh, I hate this type. Rots from the inside, venoms a mix. Also applies an acid." Durant's tongue was on fire with pain, and a sickly rotten taste.
[18:01] <@GM_Jericho> Sarah was beginning to seize slightly, her head elevated by another soldier beckoned over by the medic. The men seemed to be almost milling about now, assuming a rough position in case of more.
[18:02] <Durant_White> He wasn't upset at being shoved off, more hesitant about leaving Sarah than anything. The horrible taste was nothing compared to losing a member of his team, much like the bruises and the burning elsehwere. Still...an order is an order. He spits out some more remaining venom before going up the ladder, occasionally glancing back at his team.
[18:05] <@GM_Jericho> Waiting in the chopper was a man with dark glasses who looked a little air sick, biting his lower lips, and a soldier without a helmet. His hair was shaved brown, and a comm-screen crossed over his eyes. The man in dark sunglasses and the fine suit seemed to be muttering something over and over again. "Cadet White?" Asked the armored man, clearly in charge.
[18:07] <@GM_Jericho> At that, the suited man jerked out of his mantra. "Ah, Mister White. Please. No time to explain, sit down and get buckled in. I'm horribly sorry this had to happen to you."
[18:08] <Durant_White> "Sir." The next set of orders is followed automatically, buckled in securely. "...Will my team be alright?"
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[18:10] <@GM_Jericho> "Don't worry about it Durant. May I call you Durante. I'm Mister Devault. Call me David." Said the slightly green passenger. "Over there is Major Reikoff, he's busy. Your team will be fine.  NERV  is sorry for the pain they've been caused, and will do everything to make sure this is set right."
[18:10] <@GM_Jericho> Slowly the heli-carrier closed up, lifting higher into the ground. From where he was seated, he could see a lone figure emerging from the woods towards the carnage. Gary. Fucking Gary.
[18:12] <Durant_White> And that is when Durant nearly jerks out of his seat, the passive look on his face split into a snarl. "Him! He knew those damn things were coming! You can call me anything you like if you catch that cadet!"
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[18:16] <@GM_Jericho> "Calm down Durant. Cadet Nechitz had nothing to do with this incident." Devault laid a calming hand on White's shoulder. "Besides. You won't see him again. Probably." Gary turned and looked up at the flying helicopter....and then gave a small, smirk and raised a thumbs up straight at Durant. Motherfucker.
[18:18] <Durant_White> He temporarily plays with the idea of breaking out of the heli and suicide-bombing Gary in a quite literal way. "He knew. He even heard them before me."
[18:21] <@GM_Jericho> "We'll look into it." Devault made a motion towards Reikoff. "Now, I'm sure you must be very confused. But, to keep things short. You've been reassigned, Durant. For a very special duty. At NERV." NERV, that mysterious super para-military organization that had become more country then joint operation.
[18:23] <Durant_White> "...I see." He finally tears his eyes away from the window, looking to Devault. "My training isn't complete, you know. I am still a cadet."
[18:25] <@GM_Jericho> "We're quite aware. Its unfortunate, but things are getting real. We'll explain more once we reach the proper clarence area. For now, try to calm down, and I'll answer any questions you may have." Devault leaned back into the seat, pulling out a bottle of rattling pills and taking a few discretely. "Air sickness." He said, still tinged with that sickly color.
[18:26] <@GM_Jericho> The heli-carrier roared, as its engines twisted to flight mode, the VTOL flying over the beautiful sight of the Rocky Mountains. Fifty Squared miles passed below, still full of White's fellow cadets.
06[18:27] * Durant_White settles into his chair, his gaze falling to his feet. After a few silent moments, he looks back up to Devault. "Why me?"
[18:28] <@GM_Jericho> "You have a certain quality that is required for an action I am not qualified to explain to you. I'm sorry if thats confusing, but there's an info-lock. Until we reach a certain space around NERV's base. I can't say anything. But, we want you because you are a very rare individual. Its the same reason you were attacked."
[18:30] <Durant_White> He frowns. "Kruger's group was attacked first. I didn't know it was those things..."
[18:40] <@GM_Jericho> "Yes...we're trying to figure out why. Those types of Bosses function on a pheromone identification system. You had something in your possession that labeled you a foe."
[18:42] <Durant_White> "...I think Sarah traded them something." He sighs, putting his head in his hands. "...How long until we arrive?"
[18:43] <@GM_Jericho> "Five hours. It's a long ride. Get some rest, if you can."
[18:44] <Durant_White> He falls into silence, staring out the window until the pain and exhaustion catch up with him. As long as his team was safe...he could sleep.
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Session Time: Tue Jan 15 00:00:00 2013
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[15:11] <GM_Jericho> New Jericho 1st District. Philippines. January 15 5:43 PM
[15:18] <GM_Jericho> The Band, as it was colloquially known, was a ten mile strip of undeveloped land surrounding the Terminal Front of NERV's main base. Although the underground portions surely extended far beyond the foothills, to sub-bases and city passages, like a hill of giant termites that had turned the whole tree into their nest, this protective area of empty space was another of Jericho's mighty walls. ...
[15:18] <GM_Jericho> ...And it was here, on this particular hill, caught beneath the shadow of the Inner Walls, that Iris found herself staring at a memorial...or rather a memorial's chosen spot. Represented for now only by cordoning cones and bright orange beacon markers, construction would begin in the next month. For now, nature remained in control, the tall grass still in the warm tropical air. Birds...
[15:18] <GM_Jericho> ...chirruped and sang. The sky-line was in the distance, and beyond that the Outer Walls, which leveled evenly with the great sky-scrapers of the world's third biggest 'military-run' city.
[15:19] <GM_Jericho> This view was nice....mainly because it was facing away from the massive craters and blighted lands to the south.
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06[15:32] * Iris_De`Lazul jerks her uniform cap more tightly over her head, staring at the construction site-to-be with a stony expression.  "Ashes to ashes, huh," she remarks quietly to herself.  Not a very comforting thought in this situation, when three of the fallen's number had been utterly obliterated.
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[15:35] <Iris_De`Lazul> "Wish I could tell you to rest easy...but I'd be lying, wouldn't I?  And I barely met you..."
[15:36] <GM_Jericho> Not even the slightest trace of bodies. That...thing had been something out of a Monster Flick, the image burned into Iris's mind. Such a base...fear. There was movement behind her, another approaching the barren spot.
06[15:37] * Iris_De`Lazul turns and takes her lighter from her coat, flicking the flame towards the unlit cigarette dangling from her lips.
[15:40] <GM_Jericho> Captain Aho, mobilization Task Force of Sec 2. Brave bastard led mortal men against it, so Iris had watched. His right arm was in a re-gro cast, damaged beyond use as the Cytonite stem cells were pumped in to rapidly repair it. He looked just stony faced as Iris, his face a scowling square jaw, chiseled from rock. "Time to get back on our feet, Ma'm." He said, his helmet visor down, hiding...
[15:40] <GM_Jericho> ...the upper half of his face. It was funny to think she outranked. Operations Director of Section 3, Special Projects. Only had to answer to a few people now, it was a unique feeling to be so high on the chain of command.
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[15:47] <Iris_De`Lazul> "That so.  Gonna be hard with only one Unit..." she exhales, eyes briefly noting the cast.  Painful process, that re-growing.  She'd seen more than a few men end up in body-fitting versions, confined to hospital rooms for weeks at a time for the healing and physical therapy.
[15:49] <Iris_De`Lazul> "You might want to remember I still haven't given them the go-ahead on this.  The Brass is gonna tie itself in a knot once I brief them."
[15:51] <Iris_De`Lazul> Her voice is even and calm for the time being, but Iris feels she owes that to the smoke currently curling around her fingers.  No doubt she'd be needing spares.
[15:53] <GM_Jericho> Normally bed rest and avoidance of physical labor was the doctor's orders with re-gro. The body was wracked with spasms as the body was forced with hyperactivity to heal itself. For Captain Aho, it was hard to tell if it was even itchy. "Consent doesn't apply to NERV, Iris. They want to try a new form of tactics, they have the opportunity with the loss of the previous Squad. NERV removes the...
[15:53] <GM_Jericho> ...second choice when they make an offer."
[15:59] <Iris_De`Lazul> A smirk inches up one side of her face. "Cutting right past the bureaucracy.  No wonder the UN pisses itself whenever the budget comes due." She takes the cigarette from her lips, taking a look at the space where she estimates Aho's eyes are. "Cutting the squad size, I'm guessing?"
[16:00] <Iris_De`Lazul> *lips, and looks at
[16:01] <GM_Jericho> "That's a necessity. We no longer have the units to support that size, and will not have them for several years. No, the addition of an overarching squad tactics commander. You, Ma'm. If I may be bold, are the new tactic. I don't envy the position. Not now." He paused, turning almost mechanically to look at the spot where the Memorial would go.
[16:02] <GM_Jericho> "Do you know the average age of a recruited pilot?"
[16:03] <Iris_De`Lazul> "...I'd hazard about sixteen, from the look of the last batch."
[16:05] <GM_Jericho> The captain gave an impassive nod. "It took half a decade for them to be considered trained...and there wasn't a training period. No time."
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06[16:07] * Iris_De`Lazul returns the burning cig to her mouth. "And the new ones won't even have that.  Might get a trainee or two if we're lucky."
[16:07] <Iris_De`Lazul> "Which is why you need me."
[16:10] <GM_Jericho> "Exactly, M'am. Just be glad that there are three units in near operational states in other facilities. We'll be back to order quickly. It gets bad when we have these periods of down time." That impassive gaze noted the cigarette ashes falling to the ground. "They were good men and women." He said, as a tangent.
06[16:14] * Iris_De`Lazul gives him a slight nod in agreement. "Best we can do is make sure they didn't sacrifice themselves for nothing." She knocks the growing stub of ash from her cig, and fishes in her coat for a moment with her free hand. "Right now, we work from the worst-case scenario: that they're flying in four of the greenest sons of bitches either of us have seen."
[16:17] <Iris_De`Lazul> "...there's a certain advantage to them being kids.  They ain't set yet.  You're gonna have to shove 'em along, but they don't need to learn all over again."
[16:17] <GM_Jericho> "NERV will try to get the best thats been offered. But, with the Index Ratio...pickings are sparse. That's not what we should be worried about. They know we've lost, it'll be like 2044 all over again. It's not hard to track genetic candidates."
[16:19] <GM_Jericho> "NERV makes enemies Iris, they'll be trying to hamstring us. Going after our pool of recruits."
[16:20] <Iris_De`Lazul> Something in her face changes, the hardness surfacing again.  "Is that what happened in '44?"
[16:24] <GM_Jericho> "Yes Ma'm." Aho answered, giving a curt nod. "We're prepared this time. The losses will be less."
[16:27] <Iris_De`Lazul> [Then it was elimination and not capture...] "...walk with me, Aho.  They didn't bother briefing me on this," she says in a clipped tone, looking over to the road.
[16:34] <GM_Jericho> He followed behind diligently, his footfalls heavy.  "You haven't received the full reports. NERV has enemies on the ground as well as in the Sky. Man kind never plays well together. There are many who would either like to see NERV weakened, or outright fail. I'll give a summary. The three most dangerous human groups to NERV are the greater UN alliance, the Heaven's Gift terrorist cult, and...
[16:34] <GM_Jericho> ...the entity slash organization  50-I
[16:36] <GM_Jericho> "In 2044 when we first opened the Section 3 Special Project division, many attacks were made upon our operations and people, myself included." They obviously failed. "The biggest hit was the exacting extermination of our Pilot recruitment pool. It was decimated by these groups separate, but overall combined efforts."
[16:39] <Iris_De`Lazul> The stub of Iris's cigarette is dropped and crushed underfoot. "Meaning NERV or its overseers have a security issue.  'Fraid this just raises more questions than it answers for me, Captain."
[16:41] <GM_Jericho> "NERV is not a sealed organization. We've managed to keep a lid on the worst keep secret. An entire city watches our Units fight on the horizon and the world at large doesn't know." He responded, hands still on his side arm, almost in a stance.
[16:41] <GM_Jericho> "Be glad we manage that. We can't deal with every invading agent."
[16:42] <Iris_De`Lazul> "And yet you picked someone who spent the better half of her life taking orders from the UN to lead your new soldiers.  By all accounts I should be hostile to you," she says neutrally, the last of the remnant smoke leaving her mouth.
[16:44] <GM_Jericho> "You should know better than anyone NERV's ability to obtain what it requires. Psych-profiles, personality prediction. I myself gave recommendations. We know exactly what kind of person you are, Ma'm. The kind we need." He responded flatly, his face hidden by that damnable helmet. One would swear the good Captain was on emotional inhibitors, how little he was affected by the irrational.
[16:48] <Iris_De`Lazul> A shadow of a smirk returns to Iris's face. "I guessed as much.  Especially if you're dealing with Heaven's Gift...I've lost some damn fine men to them."
[16:49] <GM_Jericho> "Ma'm with all respect, you've only seen the tip of the iceberg of that cult. And they're only ranked #2 on the threat list, beat out by 50-I."
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[17:05] <Iris_De`Lazul> "Tell me about 50-I first then.  You can fill me in on what HG's been stirrin' up after."
[17:10] <GM_Jericho> The man gave a curt nod. "50-I is the least known piece moving against us. It has no members, no trail to follow, no central base of presence. We only managed to catch the name off one of our administrators...before he committed suicide. We can however, trace its involvement. 50-I uses individuals not related to them in any way to accomplish its goal. They will target a person who is most...
[17:10] <GM_Jericho> ...likely to complete the action, and through coercion, bribery, threats, or persuasion convince them to carry out the task. We have no information if 50-I is a single individual or a group working together."
[17:11] <GM_Jericho> "We have a general warning threat given to the entire NERV force. If you are contact by an unknown source, you are to immediately report it to your superiors. You are to ignore anything you are told by this source, and to not listen to it..This has only minor success, as you can imagine."
[17:13] <GM_Jericho> He scowled harder, if that was possible, letting go of his sidearms handle and raising his hand to place it on the re-grow cast. His boots crunched on the ground as they headed back towards the jeep.
[17:15] <Iris_De`Lazul> "...it's an almost pure unknown, is what you're saying." Iris has a feeling she might need that second cigarette sooner than expected "Could be a black project, could be another terrorist group, could be a memetic psychosis for all we know."
06[17:15] * Iris_De`Lazul slows her pace slightly. "You've been pushing yourself too much."
[17:16] <Iris_De`Lazul> It's a simple statement of fact, bereft of any accusatory tone.
[17:18] <GM_Jericho> "All of those things are possible. Their funds are limitless, and they seem to target exactly the right individual. We have discovered over fifty cases of this tactic. Office workers have turned mass murderer, and officers become turn-coat." He shook his helmeted head. "Negative, Ma'm.  I'm working."
[17:20] <GM_Jericho> He stood resolutely by the car, waiting for the Operations Director. He made no mention of whatever pain he was in, of what he was feeling, of why he was even here.
[17:21] <Iris_De`Lazul> "It or they enjoys the paranoia, I'm sure..." she mutters briefly.  Not that Aho's attitude helped her nerve much. "I'm assuming you were instructed to come find me?" Iris asks, opening the driver's side.
[17:22] <GM_Jericho> "That's right M'am. There's too much to attend. They want you to review the files...Pick your team." He said neutrally, getting in the other side. He had lead the charge against Whiskey Tango, he had been on the edge of the blast site. Somehow he was alive...and still working. He was more soldier than Man at this point.
[17:29] <Iris_De`Lazul> There was a selection available, at least.  That was good news, however slight. "I'll be doing so," she says, bringing the rugged military vehicle back into the lane "As for you, Captain, I want you following doctor's orders.  This is a whole new kind of battlefield, I need everyone back up to one hundred percent."
[17:31] <GM_Jericho> "Roger Ma'm." He said, in that guttural scowl of his. Iris had the feeling that no, he was not going to follow whatever the doctor said. In fact, he probably even hadn't gone to a doctor until someone had made him.
06[17:37] * Iris_De`Lazul forces herself not to grimace.  She's seen the type before; they make good fighters, good leaders even, but live teetering on the brink of oblivion. "Take the damn helmet off at least."
[17:37] <Iris_De`Lazul> "I like being able to see who's working for me."
[17:44] <GM_Jericho> The empty visor turned to face Iris, reflecting her face. "Let me define this working relationship, Iris. Although you posses the ability to issue orders to Section 2 as Operations Director, I am the head of Sec 2's mobilized task force. I am not one of your soldiers. I will respect you as an equal as you do I."
[17:45] <GM_Jericho> "...Secondly the blast of the N2 mine has done minimal damage to my vision and while it heals I am using this helmet's sensory input to assist it."
06[17:49] * Iris_De`Lazul stays mute for a few seconds, mentally damning her own attempts at presence. "My apologies, Captain.  I seem to have overstepped my bounds."
[17:53] <GM_Jericho> "Your apology is accepted, Ma'm. You haven't been briefed yet and are still new." He said, giving a nod...it looked sympathetic, maybe. The scowl remained an ever placed fixture on his face. "I look forward to working with you."
[17:57] <Iris_De`Lazul> "The same." Should've offered him a smoke earlier, she muses internally. No point now, there was a lot of work ahead of her. "They're not going to regret their choice."
[17:59] <GM_Jericho> "I know it, you know it." He said, as the jeep started off. "Working with NERV is...an experience, Ma'm."
[17:59] <GM_Jericho> "There is nothing like it."
[18:01] <GM_Jericho> Slowly, they turned down the road, towards the looming Inner Walls. Weapon emplacements lined its ports, and the thick steel and concrete towered over them, like a looming fortress. "The Walls of New Jericho." He said, rolling down the window. "Are always the first sight new people see."
[18:03] <Iris_De`Lazul> "Makes a pretty strong first impression.  Hadn't seen anything like 'em since the Amazon Delta."
[18:06] <GM_Jericho> "They'll be the first thing the new batch sees. The first pilots didn't have them. These were constructed as a measure against them. Not that it works." He rubbed his chin, in thought, the only portion of his face visible.
[18:06] <GM_Jericho> "Whiskey Tango." He said, as if stating the obvious.
[18:08] <GM_Jericho> It had almost become a curse, or some word of power. Iris herself had muttered a few times, staring at the empty spots in the pens, or the blasted ocean from where it had came.
06[18:09] * Iris_De`Lazul doesn't comment on how fitting the name of the city is, automatically assuming it must be obvious. "That thing..."
[18:10] <Iris_De`Lazul> Her grip on the steering sheel tightens roughly, pale marks forming on her knuckles. "Still don't have any fucking idea," she mutters, "bet the eggheads don't either...just what the hell..."
[18:12] <GM_Jericho> "Unlike any other type we ever encountered before. We didn't even kill it." The same little thing was happening to the Captain, his body tightening in restrained anger.
[18:12] <Iris_De`Lazul> A million half-formed ideas race through Iris's mind and are discarded.  Her gleaming eyes acquire a strange coldness as she stares ahead.
[18:13] <GM_Jericho> "If all goes well, we won't even see a Malakhim." A type of the enemy from the sky. Iris had been informed of them. Scouts, checking the damages after every battle.
[18:14] <Iris_De`Lazul> Humans were predictable, humans followed certain patterns.  Even the most frenzied, deranged zealots operated in a way that could be comprehended with enough thought.
[18:14] <Iris_De`Lazul> But you can't interrogate a monster.
[18:15] <Iris_De`Lazul> "Has anyone tried to capture one?"
[18:17] <GM_Jericho> "Several times. All met in failure." He answered. "I have been a part of all of them. It isn't recommended."
[18:20] <GM_Jericho> A ramp down cast the pair into the dull lights as they headed for the garage, lights flickering on as the sunlight disappeared behind them.
[18:20] <Iris_De`Lazul> Made sense.  No reason they wouldn't have already tried that. "I need to see the other pieces of the puzzle..."
[18:21] <Iris_De`Lazul> The statement is made half to Aho, and half to herself.
[18:23] <GM_Jericho> "As soon as you accept, the quicker you can get to work." Aho said. "We're waiting on you."
[18:28] <Iris_De`Lazul> "I need to speak with the Commander about that, then."