Lapin
One Two Three Four Five Six Seven
< Internal Monitoring Data
Originating Station: Hub Uplink Dispatch 2587.2344.0060.8888
Consistency Checking: Central Core 0000.0000.0001.1111
Continue:
>
Vito: Ok, Ready to play, what am I looking at here ?
Sarge: Gimme a mo to suit up properly Vito, Don't want to go walkabout wearing nothing but a smile, heck may not even be air behind some of those doors and I want to come out of this still breathing.
Vito: Amen to that... You take your time. Whole board shows green anyhow, anything clever enough to sneak in without going beep deserves to frag us. Survival of the fittest...
{{Incoming LocalNet Communication:
To: Hub Uplink Dispatch 2587.2344.0060.8888
From: Central Core 0000.0000.0001.1111
[service request: Priority, Central Core, Overlord.
Life support grid upgrade request:
Origin: L1 (Minimal emergency)
Destination: L3 (Full support)
Received:}}
Sarge: Not going to touch that one, caveman. Not going to even look at it. Speaking of which, cast your eyes over this fine array of instruments. Neutrino pulse scanner here, line monitor there, seismics, sonics, and bio's in that window. Here's the power flow graph and that I think is the nanolathe checksum light repeater. So by my guess that's Geb's own private uplink channel so she'll know if anyone starts fiddling with things.
Vito: Jesus fuck, she paranoid much ?
Sarge: One reason we're all still alive. Be nice to her, we still owe her a lot for what she did on the skimmer, and waking up that spooky Door thing ? Totally off the scale. Can't even think of what to say to her about it.
{{LocalNet Communication:
To: Central Core 0000.0000.0001.1111
From: Hub Uplink Dispatch 2587.2344.0060.8888
[Life support grid upgrade request:
Atmosphere recycling Granted: 2587.2344.0060.1220
Temperature control Granted: 2587.2344.0060.1221
Nutrient replicaors Granted 2587.2344.0060.1225 (initialisation delay, 1024s)
Biological integrity maintainance Granted 2587.2344.0060.1225
Lighting control Granted: 2587.2344.0060.1227]
Send:}}
Vito: Yeah, gets us out from under the nickel plated heel of mech opression Ok. But what kingdom are we in now my liege ?
Sarge: Yep, you got it Vito. We're way outside our usual ops range here. No enemy contact, but also no backup, no way of knowing where we are, or what's out there. Which is why it's time for me to go find out. You ready ?
{{Phased neutrino pulse detected}}
Vito: As I'll ever be. three second line drop in 5.. 4.. 3.. 2.. 1..
(Sound identified: Hold off laser barrier pylon Interupt alarm.))
Drop
Sarge: One baby elephant, Two baby elephants, CLEAR, Three baby elephants
(Sound identified: Hold off laser barrier pylon initiallisation sequence.)
Vito: Line up, settling... Solid.
Sarge: Ok Vito, goinna give it the same once over you did earlier, then branch off to take a peek at the doors. Radio comms up.
(Modulated Radio signal detected:)
Sarge: Reading me ?
Vito: Loud and clear. Audio, check. Bio-signal check. Location ping, Hmm, sort of check...
Sarge: Sort of ? How "sort of ?"
Vito: Lot of signal hash from something, but I've got you down to a few meters.
Sarge: Signal hash ? How the fuck do we get signal hash on a military locator frequency ?
Gebren: Given that power in this place is up and running, and there's no signs of decay. My guess is some automatic system else is using it for data traffic.
Sarge: Hi Geb, guess that means you're back with us again ?
Gebren: Yep, crash alarm sequence if the line went down. So yeah I'm awake, pretty damn fucking awake as it goes.
Sarge: Cool, how's your head ?
Gebren: 99+% coherent, still a last few sectors to check just in case. But basically I'm back and I'm ready to rock and roll.
Sarge: Sweet. I'm seeing what you meant about the boxes Vito, it's a warehouse. Fuck only knows what's they're storing, but there's a lot of them... Ok, Heading over to take a peek at our friendly neighbourhood hole in the universe generator.
Gebren: Sarge ? Wait up a moment, are any of the boxes marked ? Symbol stream, barcode, ID number, anything ?
Sarge: Nothing visible to my eyes. You notice anything Vito ?
Vito: Just a kind of itchy texture on the electros, like a really close grain PCB
Gebren: Crap, probably some kind of IFF ciruitry. No way to tell what's in a crate unless we know how to ask it nicely.
Sarge: Could always just open one and take a peek, Geb. You never know, might be a pair of ruby slippers in just your size
Gebren: I wish, I'd click my heels together and leave you fuckwits to the Wicked Witch so damn fast...
Sarge: Gods above I've missed you Geb
Gebren: yeah yeah, you and your little dog too...
Vito: What the fuck are you two yabbering about ?
Sarge: Forget it Vito, you had to be there. Anyhow the Door... Looks pretty much as we left it, not melted, exploded or just plain missing. Screen, well screen's got a lot of lovely scribbly little thingies all over it and... ah... Ok, sending video.
Vito: Suit cam linked, data coming in.
Sarge: You seeing what I'm seeing guys ?
Vito: Yeah, blinky letters an some kind of ticker.
Gebren: The ticker's a countdown, the rest, hang on a moment. Oh that's not good. Not good at all.
Sarge: More of the details Geb, less of the portents of doom, and keep it simple so people who think at normal speed can keep up ?
Gebren: Ok I think someone's trying to open the Door, same as we did. But they've not said please, so it's locked in their faces. But only until the ticker runs out and then they get to try again.
Sarge: Fuck, we know any other rude bastards in the universe ?
Vito: Just the Mechs.
Sarge: Jesus Cocksucking Fuck. Ok Geb how long before we hear the clatter of little metal feet.
Gebren: Couple of hours yet Sarge, even if they get it right first time. Ahh, 4 hours 22 minutes.
Vito: Dig in or run Sarge ?
Sarge: Run, we're good at it. Run and look for allies. Geb, get that Nanolathe hot and start it munching on Ari's suit. Get her back up and running ASAP. Vito, Get your suit plugged in and weapons serviced, Ari stays out until I get back. I'm heading for the nearest door out of this room.
Gebren: On it.
Vito: Ok Sarge. Keep the commentry running so we know if you get et by a goblin ?
Sarge: It's a Grue Vito, eaten by a Grue... Anyhow, the door, small d. Looks like an ordinary every day open/shut door, handle looks like a door handle, size about right for One Of Us. No sign of locks, no light from the other side. Opening door the first.
Gebren: STOP!
Sarge: What ?
Gebren: Check for traps first. Roll on your spot hidden...
(Sound identified: Laughter)
Sarge: Geb, when I get back you are so fucking dead. Vito, poke the "thinks she's so damn funny" little techno witch for me will you, poke her good!
(Sound identified: Laughter)
Vito: Do it yourself, I'm busy, damn freaks the pair of ya.
Sarge: Ok, point though. Scanning door the first for electricals, and... Nada. Zilch. Nothing, Opening... Into a corridor, dark, sonar says 30 meters long, probable side passages. No movement so far.
Vito: You taking it Sarge ?
Sarge: Couple of junctions I think, just so I can say I've really been exploring before we do this mob handed and angry.
Hey Geb, got a couple of symbol streams here on the wall, more of that eye watering Elder crap. The spooky thing is they're just a little below eyeline height and written neatly in white on green. Whoever this is meant for had eyes pretty much like little old human-basic me...
Gebren: Yeah, best guess is the Elders were pretty similar to us. Oxygen breathers, same kind of height/width ratio, visual response, and level of dexterity. No idea about much else on their physiology though except that they've been missing for a few thousand years.
Hold your head still for a moment ? Yep, got it. Same stream as on the Door "Center of the wheel, Sky-joined, sending outwards" Ok, next one down.
Sarge: Got it ?
Gebren: Not sure, couple of symbols here that I've not got in live memory, checking the book.
Sarge: Keep it for later Geb, I'l glare at the other three and keep walking, you can watch the recording as and when.
Gebren: May as well do it now Sarge, Ari's suit is going to take a while to cook and so long as the light stays green I'm sat around with my thumb up my ass until it's done.
Sarge: Ok, following left hand wall, How's my locator ping Vito ?
Vito: Hashy, but still there, discriminator's fucked so it's not going to get any better.
Sarge: Crap, dead end. Pitch fucking black out here, sonar says dead end 2 metres in, probable space beyond a thin wall.
Vito: Suit lights in these always were fucking awful, I never even use mine.
Sarge: Great for you Vito, can I borrow your implants for a while ? Wish I could see what I was fucking doing. A crap, now the sonar's wigging out on me. Fucking piece of shit. Oh lord. Let there be light...
{{Incoming LocalNet Communication:
To: Hub Uplink Dispatch 2587.2344.0060.8888
From: Central Core 0000.0000.0001.1111
[Service request: Priority, Central Core, Overlord.
Life support grid: illumination 60% Keyword "Let there be light."
Received:}}
Gebren: Oh fuck. Oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck...
Sarge: Holy crap, did that happen like I think it just happened.
Vito: Should be learning now Sarge, ask and you shall receive...
Gebren: Oh jesus fuck, guys, erm, shit.
Sarge: Spit it out Geb, wassup ?
Gebren: The symbol streams Sarge, third one down, couple of new ones but the context matches and, you know we were talking about a temple earlier, Oh fuck...
Sarge: What ? Speak to me girl. What ?
Gebren: Balance point of the focus, He who controls all things. Or I dunno, Middle of the middle, One who is lord over all.
Vito: So ?
Gebren: Guys, I think we've found God.
< Internal Monitoring Data
Originating Station: Hub Uplink Dispatch 2587.2344.0060.8888
Consistency Checking: Central Core 0000.0000.0001.1111
Continue:
>
Vito: Ok, Ready to play, what am I looking at here ?
Sarge: Gimme a mo to suit up properly Vito, Don't want to go walkabout wearing nothing but a smile, heck may not even be air behind some of those doors and I want to come out of this still breathing.
Vito: Amen to that... You take your time. Whole board shows green anyhow, anything clever enough to sneak in without going beep deserves to frag us. Survival of the fittest...
{{Incoming LocalNet Communication:
To: Hub Uplink Dispatch 2587.2344.0060.8888
From: Central Core 0000.0000.0001.1111
[service request: Priority, Central Core, Overlord.
Life support grid upgrade request:
Origin: L1 (Minimal emergency)
Destination: L3 (Full support)
Received:}}
Sarge: Not going to touch that one, caveman. Not going to even look at it. Speaking of which, cast your eyes over this fine array of instruments. Neutrino pulse scanner here, line monitor there, seismics, sonics, and bio's in that window. Here's the power flow graph and that I think is the nanolathe checksum light repeater. So by my guess that's Geb's own private uplink channel so she'll know if anyone starts fiddling with things.
Vito: Jesus fuck, she paranoid much ?
Sarge: One reason we're all still alive. Be nice to her, we still owe her a lot for what she did on the skimmer, and waking up that spooky Door thing ? Totally off the scale. Can't even think of what to say to her about it.
{{LocalNet Communication:
To: Central Core 0000.0000.0001.1111
From: Hub Uplink Dispatch 2587.2344.0060.8888
[Life support grid upgrade request:
Atmosphere recycling Granted: 2587.2344.0060.1220
Temperature control Granted: 2587.2344.0060.1221
Nutrient replicaors Granted 2587.2344.0060.1225 (initialisation delay, 1024s)
Biological integrity maintainance Granted 2587.2344.0060.1225
Lighting control Granted: 2587.2344.0060.1227]
Send:}}
Vito: Yeah, gets us out from under the nickel plated heel of mech opression Ok. But what kingdom are we in now my liege ?
Sarge: Yep, you got it Vito. We're way outside our usual ops range here. No enemy contact, but also no backup, no way of knowing where we are, or what's out there. Which is why it's time for me to go find out. You ready ?
{{Phased neutrino pulse detected}}
Vito: As I'll ever be. three second line drop in 5.. 4.. 3.. 2.. 1..
(Sound identified: Hold off laser barrier pylon Interupt alarm.))
Drop
Sarge: One baby elephant, Two baby elephants, CLEAR, Three baby elephants
(Sound identified: Hold off laser barrier pylon initiallisation sequence.)
Vito: Line up, settling... Solid.
Sarge: Ok Vito, goinna give it the same once over you did earlier, then branch off to take a peek at the doors. Radio comms up.
(Modulated Radio signal detected:)
Sarge: Reading me ?
Vito: Loud and clear. Audio, check. Bio-signal check. Location ping, Hmm, sort of check...
Sarge: Sort of ? How "sort of ?"
Vito: Lot of signal hash from something, but I've got you down to a few meters.
Sarge: Signal hash ? How the fuck do we get signal hash on a military locator frequency ?
Gebren: Given that power in this place is up and running, and there's no signs of decay. My guess is some automatic system else is using it for data traffic.
Sarge: Hi Geb, guess that means you're back with us again ?
Gebren: Yep, crash alarm sequence if the line went down. So yeah I'm awake, pretty damn fucking awake as it goes.
Sarge: Cool, how's your head ?
Gebren: 99+% coherent, still a last few sectors to check just in case. But basically I'm back and I'm ready to rock and roll.
Sarge: Sweet. I'm seeing what you meant about the boxes Vito, it's a warehouse. Fuck only knows what's they're storing, but there's a lot of them... Ok, Heading over to take a peek at our friendly neighbourhood hole in the universe generator.
Gebren: Sarge ? Wait up a moment, are any of the boxes marked ? Symbol stream, barcode, ID number, anything ?
Sarge: Nothing visible to my eyes. You notice anything Vito ?
Vito: Just a kind of itchy texture on the electros, like a really close grain PCB
Gebren: Crap, probably some kind of IFF ciruitry. No way to tell what's in a crate unless we know how to ask it nicely.
Sarge: Could always just open one and take a peek, Geb. You never know, might be a pair of ruby slippers in just your size
Gebren: I wish, I'd click my heels together and leave you fuckwits to the Wicked Witch so damn fast...
Sarge: Gods above I've missed you Geb
Gebren: yeah yeah, you and your little dog too...
Vito: What the fuck are you two yabbering about ?
Sarge: Forget it Vito, you had to be there. Anyhow the Door... Looks pretty much as we left it, not melted, exploded or just plain missing. Screen, well screen's got a lot of lovely scribbly little thingies all over it and... ah... Ok, sending video.
Vito: Suit cam linked, data coming in.
Sarge: You seeing what I'm seeing guys ?
Vito: Yeah, blinky letters an some kind of ticker.
Gebren: The ticker's a countdown, the rest, hang on a moment. Oh that's not good. Not good at all.
Sarge: More of the details Geb, less of the portents of doom, and keep it simple so people who think at normal speed can keep up ?
Gebren: Ok I think someone's trying to open the Door, same as we did. But they've not said please, so it's locked in their faces. But only until the ticker runs out and then they get to try again.
Sarge: Fuck, we know any other rude bastards in the universe ?
Vito: Just the Mechs.
Sarge: Jesus Cocksucking Fuck. Ok Geb how long before we hear the clatter of little metal feet.
Gebren: Couple of hours yet Sarge, even if they get it right first time. Ahh, 4 hours 22 minutes.
Vito: Dig in or run Sarge ?
Sarge: Run, we're good at it. Run and look for allies. Geb, get that Nanolathe hot and start it munching on Ari's suit. Get her back up and running ASAP. Vito, Get your suit plugged in and weapons serviced, Ari stays out until I get back. I'm heading for the nearest door out of this room.
Gebren: On it.
Vito: Ok Sarge. Keep the commentry running so we know if you get et by a goblin ?
Sarge: It's a Grue Vito, eaten by a Grue... Anyhow, the door, small d. Looks like an ordinary every day open/shut door, handle looks like a door handle, size about right for One Of Us. No sign of locks, no light from the other side. Opening door the first.
Gebren: STOP!
Sarge: What ?
Gebren: Check for traps first. Roll on your spot hidden...
(Sound identified: Laughter)
Sarge: Geb, when I get back you are so fucking dead. Vito, poke the "thinks she's so damn funny" little techno witch for me will you, poke her good!
(Sound identified: Laughter)
Vito: Do it yourself, I'm busy, damn freaks the pair of ya.
Sarge: Ok, point though. Scanning door the first for electricals, and... Nada. Zilch. Nothing, Opening... Into a corridor, dark, sonar says 30 meters long, probable side passages. No movement so far.
Vito: You taking it Sarge ?
Sarge: Couple of junctions I think, just so I can say I've really been exploring before we do this mob handed and angry.
Hey Geb, got a couple of symbol streams here on the wall, more of that eye watering Elder crap. The spooky thing is they're just a little below eyeline height and written neatly in white on green. Whoever this is meant for had eyes pretty much like little old human-basic me...
Gebren: Yeah, best guess is the Elders were pretty similar to us. Oxygen breathers, same kind of height/width ratio, visual response, and level of dexterity. No idea about much else on their physiology though except that they've been missing for a few thousand years.
Hold your head still for a moment ? Yep, got it. Same stream as on the Door "Center of the wheel, Sky-joined, sending outwards" Ok, next one down.
Sarge: Got it ?
Gebren: Not sure, couple of symbols here that I've not got in live memory, checking the book.
Sarge: Keep it for later Geb, I'l glare at the other three and keep walking, you can watch the recording as and when.
Gebren: May as well do it now Sarge, Ari's suit is going to take a while to cook and so long as the light stays green I'm sat around with my thumb up my ass until it's done.
Sarge: Ok, following left hand wall, How's my locator ping Vito ?
Vito: Hashy, but still there, discriminator's fucked so it's not going to get any better.
Sarge: Crap, dead end. Pitch fucking black out here, sonar says dead end 2 metres in, probable space beyond a thin wall.
Vito: Suit lights in these always were fucking awful, I never even use mine.
Sarge: Great for you Vito, can I borrow your implants for a while ? Wish I could see what I was fucking doing. A crap, now the sonar's wigging out on me. Fucking piece of shit. Oh lord. Let there be light...
{{Incoming LocalNet Communication:
To: Hub Uplink Dispatch 2587.2344.0060.8888
From: Central Core 0000.0000.0001.1111
[Service request: Priority, Central Core, Overlord.
Life support grid: illumination 60% Keyword "Let there be light."
Received:}}
Gebren: Oh fuck. Oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck...
Sarge: Holy crap, did that happen like I think it just happened.
Vito: Should be learning now Sarge, ask and you shall receive...
Gebren: Oh jesus fuck, guys, erm, shit.
Sarge: Spit it out Geb, wassup ?
Gebren: The symbol streams Sarge, third one down, couple of new ones but the context matches and, you know we were talking about a temple earlier, Oh fuck...
Sarge: What ? Speak to me girl. What ?
Gebren: Balance point of the focus, He who controls all things. Or I dunno, Middle of the middle, One who is lord over all.
Vito: So ?
Gebren: Guys, I think we've found God.