(Untitled)

[acts_of_gord]

Alyx posted her recruiting memo on the chat... thing... that Shephard brought them the equipment for. That's fine. Gordon is good with that. He's not sure how many people here use that service, though, which is why he's sitting down at one of the tables with a big piece of oak tag and a black magic marker and trying to decide exactly what needs to

Comments

[unbreakableben]

"The dreaded blank page stare, I know it well," says a large guy in pseudo Air Force fatigues who's eating a plate of paradoxes at a table nearby. Ben would have read and responded to Alyx's recruiting memo if he were the technology type of guy but since he isn't, he has no clue what's going on.

[unbreakableben]

"I'll keep my eye out for him," Ben says nodding. "So what kind of aliens you got? Please tell me they ain't shape shifters."

[acts_of_gord]

Gordon shakes his head. "The Combine are a lot of things, but they aren't shapeshifters," he says. "Combine Empire, also called the Universal Union. The majority of their armies are cyborged organisms from races of all the different dimensions they've conquered. Got a lot of heavily modded human soldiers in the arsenal, too. The Combine themselves, as far as we know, are a race of psychic maggot-like creatures the size of a city bus. We've seen them demonstrate several kinds of telekinesis and the ability to light up every nerve in the body with pain."

[unbreakableben]

"Wow...that's something all right. I've been trained to take pain but are we talking broken bone kind of pain or kidney stone? Are the human recoverable?"

[acts_of_gord]

"Not kidney stone level, but it's up there," says Gordon. "As far as the modified humans go... no. Not to my knowledge. By the time the Combine are done with them, there's more alien hardware installed in their heads than actual gray matter, and most of their digestive system's been removed and replaced with equipment that has to be hooked up to a Combine nutrition delivery system. Their blood's barely recognizable as blood. When the Combine modify someone or something, the first thing they do is ensure dependency of their target."

[unbreakableben]

"So I guess it'd be a mercy to let them go then?" Ben's killed before and he knows it's necessary sometimes. He still is uncomfortable with it though.

[acts_of_gord]

"If it were me," Gordon says after some thought, "I would want someone to put me down before I could be forced to hurt anybody else."

[unbreakableben]

Ben nods. "You've got a point there and I have to admit I'd want the same. So what kind of ordinance you guys got? Or would that be a better question for Sergeant Major Shephard?"

[acts_of_gord]

"Not as much as we'd like," admits Gordon, "but then again, against something like the Combine, nothing is really enough. Most of our better weaponry comes from defeated Combine installations- pulse rifles, RPG launchers, a couple of helicopters fitted with pulse cannons and aerial drop mines. We've also come into possession of a number of small nuclear warheads-" He indicates something roughly the size of a child's head as he says this. "And an assortment of dirty bombs. Haven't got a delivery system for the warheads, just remote detonation systems."

[unbreakableben]

"You know, back in college I could through a football a good 60 yards," Ben says rubbing his chin in thought. "With my powers on, I could probably clear a mile, at least. Depending on the weight of these warheads and how aerodynamic they are, I could be your delivery system. Assuming I'm not piloting a bird at the time."

[acts_of_gord]

"The warheads were originally designed for firing from a shoulder-mounted pneumatic launcher," says Gordon. "From what little I know of the Fat Man launchers, they were a design cross between a PIAT and a Davy Crockett nuclear rifle. The woman who delivered them to us said it was generally assumed that the user would be wearing power armor, but if you've really got that kind of range..."

[unbreakableben]

"It'd likely be more strategically sound to put together a few launchers as it's never a good idea to only have one source of artillery but if all else fails, I have that range. I can practice here with dummies to make sure my aims good too. I was a lineman in college but still had a wicked arm."

[acts_of_gord]

Gordon nods. "I don't know how many of our people would be willing to use the launchers," he notes. "Fair warning. But I'll see if we can acquire a few, just in case. And I'll see about getting you a dummy device of the right make and weight."

[unbreakableben]

"Sounds like a plan. I'll keep an eye out for Shephard," Ben says standing to leave.

[acts_of_gord]

"Thank you," says Gordon. "I appreciate the assistance."