Colossus By Design: Season 2 - Log 132

[May 28, 2166]
[Sanctum of the Da'at Yichud]
[Dohány Street Synagogue]
[Budapest, Hungary]
[Colony State - British Super-Nation]

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Inside the confines of the inner sanctum that serves as the main hub for all Da'at Yichud activity, Set Roth, his young charge, and G.U.D. agent B.J. Blazkowics have just arrived and are greeted by several of the older members of the sect and Jiro Ifukube himself. Whilst these good folks are greeting their guest, one in particular hangs back by the altar holding the Ark of the Covenant. And who might this man be?

Why, none other than the acclaimed leader himself, Maksym Skala.


(Jiro Ifukube): Welcome back Set, Wilma, and young master Oris.

(Agent Blazkowics): Oris?


The young boy next to Set Roth peers out from behind the old man's legs and stares up at the imposingly large Blazkowics.


(Oris Roth): That's me, Oris Roth.

(Set Roth); That's what I was trying to tell you earlier. The boy is my great great grandson, and next in line as leader of the Da'at Yichud.

(Maksym Skala): A task that will require many more years of schooling from me personally.


Everyone looks towards the altar after hearing their sect's leader speak out. The titular man who originally contacted the G.U.D. to propose a working relationship walks down the steps, making his way to the gathering by the entrance to the chamber. As he makes his strides, his followers instinctively move out of the way in respect.


(Maksym Skala): I remember your mother, young outcast. I personally oversaw the decision to not recognize her marriag--


All of a sudden, B.J. Blazkowics gives a nasty right hook to the sect leader's cheek that sends him sprawling to the ground. Several of the present members gather around him to help him back up to his feet. As Set, Jiro, Oris, and the other followers look on with shock, the esteemed agent shows no regrets from this action.


(Maksym Skala): No doubt feelings are sore, then.

(Agent Blazkowics): I learned all I did of this order from my mother, and she didn't spare me her feelings of discontent from that decision.

(Maksym Skala): That's all in the past now, and you're here for other reasons, are you not?

(Agent Blazkowics): That's right. I've given you a piece of mind, so I can cool it for the sake of Humanity.


After recovering from the blow, Maksym motions for agent Blazkowics to follow him; the two head into a door down the left corridor. Once the pair has left the immediate vicinity, the greeters converse among themselves; expressions of uncertainty and indecisiveness now replace their initially friendly and welcoming demeanor.

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[Birao Airstrip]
[Birao, Central African Republic]
[Colony State - African Super-Nation]

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As with many things in the empty city of Birao, its local airstrip has been abandoned by the original inhabitants; the space has been reworked as an all-purpose training camp for the combatant militia of the African rebel organization known as Lion Claw. Currently, those present at the Birao Airstrip are beginning their first field tests for the equipment that the Axis Alliance has provided them as part of a mutual agreement for both sides to aid in each others' war efforts.

The most prominent field test would have to be the XM1 Praetorian Exoskeleton, with the armor system itself being used as a tool to aid in the experimentation of the XM23 MASER Repeater.


(Diablo): Ey, Brute! Hurry up and test that thing!

(Brute): Diablo, I swear to god, if you don't shut up I'll make Swiss cheese out of you with this thing!

(Diablo): What? Don't be ridiculous! You can't make Swiss cheese out of human flesh!

(Brute): DIABLO, YOU MOTHERFUCKER, I SAID SHUT UP!


After initially pointing the rifle-grip MASER cannon at his idiot of a friend, Brute aims the gun at a set of target dummies down range; the mini-gun-based barrels spin up to a rapid pace. Soon enough, the weapon fires off a rapid stream of concentrated MASER bolts; its recoil is so high that, were it not for the exoskeleton keeping the weapon relatively stable, it would likely break Brute's arms.

After just a few seconds of firing, the only thing left of the target dummies are pieces of charred hay and cloth rags. Diablo seems impressed, though that's not exactly a hard thing to accomplish for the somewhat dimwitted young rebel. Brute, his friend/retainer/babysitter, looks somewhat disappointed with the results in comparison.


(Diablo): Hey man, that was pretty good! Better than anything else we got so far!

(Brute): Diablo, you clearly don't understand the art of critique. This weapon and exoskeleton are formidable, but I'm as slow as a turtle in this thing, and the weapon overheats almost instantaneously. I could take huge amounts of punishment, and dish it out, but I can't keep it up for long without either being outmaneuvered or having to wait for the gun to cool off.

(Diablo): Well, why not just ask the eggheads to circumvent the overheating issues?

(Brute): Diablo, that is the stupidest..... Wait a second..... Did....... did you just actually suggest something constructive?


As the more experienced member of this "dynamic duo" contemplates the ramifications of his less-than-bright accomplice actually being able to contribute something productive to their group's cause, several of the "packages" that were boxed up with the other equipment that the Axis Alliance provided begin to move and recombine into Loyalist Mimetics.

These Mimetics are careful to avoid attracting the attention of the members of Lion Claw present at the airstrip as they move into positions in and around the boxes of other miscellaneous equipment to monitor the rebels.