(Untitled)

[acts_of_gord]

They're about two days away from the assault on the dead zone gene worm, and Gordon still hasn't figured out his exit plan. True, they could go with what worked for Shephard, or they could try an alternative variant, but he'd like to have something a little more reliable lined up if possible. He needs time to brainstorm, so he's slipped off to

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[slayer_fray]

"Go for the brain," says Mel, who is unsurprised that someone's asking about something she has first hand experience of. She's Mel.

[acts_of_gord]

Gordon glances up at that. "I'm not sure where I'd find it in relation to where I'm likely to be," he says, "but that does sound like a good idea. You've done this before?"

[slayer_fray]

Mel nods, and slumps down into the nearest chair, giving his brainstorming a cursory glance. "Swallowed by a giant caterpillar demon summoned by my twin brother to birth all the demons back into this plane o' reality and change the world as we know it."

Matter-of-factly. It's just her life.

"Didn't wanna have to deal with stomach acid."

[acts_of_gord]

Several of the ideas appear to involve attempts at overcharging or otherwise upgrading various explosive-payload delivery systems. One involves a sheet-metal shield and a pre-deployed portal gun.

"Guessing it worked, then," says Gordon. "No demons here. Just an oversized, gengineered, half-cyborged lifeform being used as a chemical conversion plant. The only person who's survived going up against one says he used everything up through his rocket launcher on the outside and it didn't even flinch, but high explosives or heavy firearms down its throat or in its stomach cavity worked."

[slayer_fray]

"If you're getting high explosives into a place," Mel advises, "best not to be in that place when it goes off."

[acts_of_gord]

"My thoughts exactly," Gordon says. "What kind of a weapon did you use to get to the demon thing's brain, if I can ask?"

[slayer_fray]

For answer, Mel unslings the scythe from her back.

"I dug."

[acts_of_gord]

The weapon gets a long, thoughtful look. That's a hell of an edge that thing's got. The other end looks a little basic, being stakey and all, but...

....

... yeah, he's not gonna think about how that stacks up to the crowbar. He's just going to nod. "Impressive," he says. "Custom make?"

[slayer_fray]

"Originally," she guesses. "Now it's an antique. There's this whole thing about destiny and toy. You buy that?"

It's a genuine question. 'Do you believe in destinty' completely changes how Mel explains herself.

[acts_of_gord]

Gordon considers this for a while. Eventually he says, "I don't know. I've got people back home who talk like that about me. Do I have to believe them if I say I believe you?"

[slayer_fray]

Mel shakes her head.

"Some days I don't even believe that about me," she says. "I just kinda like saving the world. What kinda explosives you gonna use?"

[acts_of_gord]

"Dirtybombs," Gordon says. "Handheld, combined-liquid-explosive dirtybombs- grenade size, essentially. We'll probably be packing a lot of them together and rigging them up to a timer. The blast radius on just one of the things is enormous. Packing multiples together should give us a suitably enormous explosion, and what the explosive alone doesn't do to kill this thing, the strontium isotope we're using will."

[slayer_fray]

"No way of getting one in without having to get yourself out?"

Mel might be having thoughts.

[acts_of_gord]

"Right now it's unlikely," Gordon says. "The gene worm's being force-fed with a pipe inserted into its throat, and by 'pipe' I mean something with a diameter of about two and a half meters. We need to ensure that its masters don't just shut down the pipe valves along the way before the payload arrives at its destination."

[slayer_fray]

"Right."

Makes sense. And as they're gonna need chemsuits anyway... "...what about the usual exit?"

[acts_of_gord]

"We have no idea where it is," Gordon is forced to admit. "No human being alive's ever actually seen the rear end of a gene worm. Corporal Shephard's data all comes from fighting one that was only halfway in Earth's reality- he destroyed a small one before it could come all the way through the portal from its native dimension. If the intestinal tract isn't too long, I suppose I could take a stab at it. The HEV suit is airtight and generally good at protecting against corrosives and most hazardous chemicals, so long as the helmet stays on."