Asphodel Quest Log: Team Juliet

[ascens]

who; Team Juliet (Emile, Raimi, Anon, Quorra, Noble Six)
what; FETCH QUEST
where; somewhere on Asphodel
when;
warnings; tbd

Comments

[evaskullface]

"That's a goddamn pineapple," says Emile in an accusatory tone as soon as he gets to the rendezvous point.

Naturally, the pineapple Hypatia berates him for focusing on irrelevant information and explains the situation.

But still. Pineapple.

He sighs and sticks it on his grenade belt.

"You get squished, ain't my fault."

[traceurmonitor]

Anon came partially equipped anyway - he'd thrown on the hooded black half-robe he'd picked up while he was Salarian, and slipped the blue-tinted sunglasses he'd grabbed while he was a troll into it - deciding to just grab a belt with some climbing gear and a machete.

It'll be more useful than his disc, at least, but maybe not by much. Better than nothing.

Also, that is a pineapple. On the tall one's belt.

"... Is it supposed to talk?"

Also hi.

[fuckinghubble]

This was crazy.

All thoughts considered, Raimi had no reason to be here. His desire to place himself in the lines of immediate danger had never been a seducing force to him, but here he was.

Next thing you know, he'll go Evel Knievel out of the blue.

That'd be a sight to see.

Crazy.

In spite of having an abundance of supplies and weaponry at their disposal, Raimi took only what would be useful to him -- such as the weather gear, which seemed by far more appropriate than his wardrobe more suited for Coast City winters.

"That is indeed a pineapple." He nodded to Emile's belt while fitting some leather climbing gloves over his hands. He noted that Anon was here -- but no Quorra. "Just one more."

[isoalgorithm]

Quorra wasn't far behind. To say that she'd been stir-crazy lately would be inaccurate - she'd spent over a thousand cycles with Flynn in the Outlands, with only the occasional reconnaissance mission to the Grid to keep her occupied. In contrast, the station offered the closest thing to freedom she'd ever known.

But still. A chance to visit the planet? A chance to help? She wasn't about to pass that up.

"Pineapple? Is it a snack?" One moment she wasn't there, the next she was, hovering by Anon's shoulder like an over-large Bit with a much wider vocabulary. Her eyes traveled to the spiky thing on Emile's belt and widened a little. "It doesn't look very edible. Or friendly."

[hyperlethality]

"It's still a pineapple. Seems harmless enough," Six inputted after everyone else. This Spartan was, at least, armed to the teeth: a magnum on her thigh, a Fuel Rod on her back, a shotgun attached to her lower back, and a fully armed DMR sat comfortably in her hands. Oh, and there were the knives, of course, but Spartans always had a good reason to be cautious.

Their current environment looked to be proving her right.

Noble Six glanced at everyone around her. Aside from Emile, she hardly knew any of the other three. Still, now was the time for some teamwork. But first.

"Plans?"

[evaskullface]

Emile nodded at everyone once they were all gathered, pineapple attached ridiculously (or awesomely? Hard to tell) to his grenade belt. Except for some food, he hadn't grabbed anything from the supply pile. He had everything he could possibly need with him, from his kukri knife to his shotgun to an energy sword hilt at his waist and his recently-acquired Spartan Laser on his back.

"Yeah, I guess Hypatia's join' us in a damn pineapple for our entertainment tonight. Don't eat her or I'm takin' our credit payment outta your ass. Everyone ready to get on the shuttle? It's automated, but Six, I want you at the controls in case of any interference."

[traceurmonitor]

Considering the information in the guide Hypatia provided - and yes, he did skim it while picking through the supplies - Anon is glad he decided on the extra clothing he'd brought. Light is bad, mute the glow with black cloth! Easiest thing ever. Though he's looking over the weapons that the two larger ones are carrying. He doesn't know what they are, but they look dangerous.

"Going down with us to retrieve information," Anon comments. As for eating... well, that's easy. He doesn't. Problem solved. "Have all items required. We should go."

If they delay more he might never find the information that he is looking for.

[fuckinghubble]

Oh. They had another one. He didn't know, but... This was good. Raimi sure as hell wasn't about to complain -- another one carrying big guns was always a welcome addition to this madness.

"I assumed the plan was to get the data disc -- and, of course, not get killed." He made it sound like a cakewalk, but he knew better. Raimi included that last bit with a slight sense of insincerity to help lighten the mood. At least, however light one can possibly make of the situation.

Really, with his appetite and how utterly sick to his stomach he was feeling, the last thing on Raimi's mind is taking a bite out of a fucking pineapple.

"Ready whenever you guys are."

Hell if he was going to go in first.

[isoalgorithm]

Although everyone else seemed to be carrying an entire arsenal, Quorra opted, in the end, to go with what she had with her - her disc and her baton. She was hoping she wouldn't need either, but common sense told her not to expect an easy time of it. She hadn't been around for very long, but she'd learned in that time not to trust this place. Or places near it.

She eyed the others curiously - except Anon, of course - hanging back while she waited for them to get underway. To her credit, she hardly fidgeted impatiently at all.

"Let's go!" she said, trying not to inject too much enthusiasm into her voice. This wasn't supposed to be a picnic, after all. But maybe they could all have one afterwards.

[hyperlethality]

"Understood," Six responded after everyone gave their piece. With a nod and a gesture to continue on, the Spartan headed inside the shuttle first and firmly seated herself at the pilot's seat at the front.

She glanced over her shoulder to watch as everyone shuffled inside and strapped themselves in. Once everything was set, Six turned back and began to start up the shuttle.

Which, after an immediate activation, went to auto-pilot almost instantaneously. Six carefully watched all the monitors displayed in front of her. It would look like the ride would take a few minutes.

[evaskullface]

Emile noodded in satisfaction as the shuttle seemed to be flying down to the surface as intended. The atmosphere near their designated landing zone seemed, even from this high up, to be stormy.

"Everyone got a rebreather for when we get out? Don't trust the air unless you got a scanner or me or Six here says it's okay. Lot of volcanic activity down there."

A few minutes pass and the shuttle's instruments begin to mark their destination, a carbon factory still more or less covered up by the storm.

"Hope it ain't hot enough to roast pineapple down there."

[traceurmonitor]

Anon is ready to be down there almost as soon as they get onto the shuttle. It's not overeagerness, not really; he just hates being in small spaces where he can't move.

Limitations of his coding.

"Will be all right," he replies to the skull-faced one. The good thing about being a program is the fact that he doesn't have to breathe.

After that he does quiet again, perking to watch the descent.

[fuckinghubble]

"No worries here." Raimi lied, of course. He was far from worry-free.

Deep breaths, maestro. He at least had the oxygen equipment to help him with that much. There was no use in freaking out right here and now, not when it was his choice to be here.

He kept his eyes fixated on his wearable. Unlike his laptop, he could at least have a screen to focus his attention on while mobile -- serving as a relatively useful distraction. His brain raced, though, powering on full force at a speed too fast to pull the breaks even if he had that luxury.

Raimi didn't even bother looking out when he felt the shuttle reaching to a steady, gradual halt.

[isoalgorithm]

Quorra spent the shuttle ride straining for a glimpse of the planet past their pilot, but her position in the back prevented her from actually seeing much. Eventually she slumped back in her seat and settled for watching her companions instead. She knew only a couple of them - Anon and Raimi - and as for the others, they were as much a mystery to her as what awaited them when they landed.

She laughed at the mention of the atmosphere, perhaps a little inappropriately. But like Anon, she didn't have to breathe. "No worries at all," she echoed Raimi, glancing over at him with a smile, which faded somewhat when she saw his expression. Everyone seemed so...intent. This clearly wasn't just an exciting outing for anyone except for her.

She sighed a little to herself and sat back, closing her eyes and trying for inner calm. She'd never been very good at it, but twelve hundred cycles of trying to learn from Flynn had helped. A little.

[hyperlethality]

"We've arrived," Six announced once their ride slowly slid to a halt. The engines died down, and she soon slipped out of her seat and walked toward the entrance of their shuttle.

Rifle in hand, she tapped a few buttons and the shuttle's doors began to open. Once enough space was given, Six hopped out, immediately landing with her weapon aimed at their surroundings as she surveyed the area.

Dilapidated. Dangerous. But nothing so far jumped out at the opportunity to try a hand at the new arrivals. The Spartan straightened slightly and gave the "go ahead" signal to the rest.

[evaskullface]

"Go ahead," Emile said aloud for the benefit of the rest of the group. "Let Six stay in front, and turn on your wearable if you want to see where we're going."

A few drones ran in the background, seeming to ignore them. After a little ways, the pineapple made a command at one of them and it began to lead the team down to a lift.

"Place could use some cleanin' up, if you ask me."