Dark Tiberesy

by **Spiritcurse** Mon Apr 09, 2012 12:22 am

[22:47] <@Spiritcurse> You disembark from the truck after several hours of travelling, only to find that the situation is no better outside. The sun beats down relentlessly, and the sand whistling through the air does little to improve your mood. Your commander, Brother Jake, climbs down from the drivers seat and gestures you towards a small village to the south.
[22:47] <@Spiritcurse> The trickling of water betrays the presence of a small river to the west, over a sand dune, but aside from that, all you can see is dust, sand, and stone in every direction. Only the village and the thin track you drove in on show mankind still has any foothold here. There is a small tiberium patch to the northeast, thankfully far enough away to not be a threat.
[22:49] <Kite> "I hate this heat..."
[22:49] <Kite> Is the first thing Mira says as she walks out of the truck.
[22:49] <Dorian> "Really? You think this is bad?"
[22:50] <Dorian> I crack my neck, and step out of the truck, checking my weapon to make sure it's fully loaded and opperational.
[22:51] <Codex> A pasty looking man jumps out of the truck, surveying the surroundings quickly and quietly.
[22:52] <@Spiritcurse> Your weapon shows no signs of deterioration despite the sand and heat in the air, and it registers a full ammunition count. Surveying the area shows nothing out of the ordinary for a yellow zone wasteland - heat, dust, sand, and a few minor patches of tiberium dotted about.
[22:54] <Dark> I swing my gun over my shoulder as I look around "Least its better than being stuck in a van any longer"
[22:54] <Kite> "I can agree with that."
[22:55] <Codex> "I suppose, aye. So where to, Brother?"
[22:55] <@Spiritcurse> "The village there, we've got a stronghold. There's a temple a few clicks away, should have orders for us ready to fax through."
[22:57] <Dark> "Rogee" I nod "They better have a bar somewhere..."
[22:58] <@Spiritcurse> "We've probably got some in storage, might even be cold. Get this job done, then we'll relax."
[22:58] <Dark> "Yer yer"
[22:58] <Dorian> "Remind me again, then. What're we doing?"
[22:59] <@Spiritcurse> "Getting to this base, they'll fax through some orders. Apparently giving them to us before we set off was a security risk if we were captured."
[23:00] <Codex> "Let's get a move on then."
[23:00] <@Spiritcurse> Approaching the village, you see the Brotherhood's temporary base - a mostly intact building with a generator wired to the side and a flag hanging from a window ledge. Another tiberium field can be seen from here to the east, and the river on the west is visible, a small bridge allowing passage across. You also see a few buildings around the bridge, and another dirt track leading north. The occasional crack of gunfire gives away the fact that you might not be the only faction with a presence here.
[23:00] <Dark> I bring my gun into a ready position and nod without a word
[23:01] <Dark> "Well that looks welcoming"
[23:01] <Dorian> "Goddamn it, I need more cybernetics."
[23:02] <@Spiritcurse> "Right, that's not exactly what I expected. Get inside, I'll follow your lead."
[23:02] <Kite> Mira readies her gun as well as she follows his orders.
[23:03] <Dark> A click the safty off my gun and follow with a simple "Roger"
[23:03] <@Spiritcurse> In the gloom inside, you spot another two soldiers nervously holding assault rifles - they're probably even greener than you. You can hear groans of pain from deeper in the building, presumably a makeshift medical centre. The gunfire is dampened in here, and soon becomes barely noticable.
[23:07] <Codex> I look around the room as I enter, checking for blind spots and vantage points as I do.
[23:08] <Dark> I walk over to one of the guards and give a brief salute "Whats the situation?"
[23:08] <@Spiritcurse> The guard shrugs, "Not too bad, apart from the pathfinders, but we'll get them". Jake dismisses the guards with a nod and turns to you. "They've got the fax here, want it?". One window faces outside, back through the way you entered - presumably why your opening the door wasn't answered with bullets.
[23:09] <Dark> I nod and take the fax
[23:10] <@Spiritcurse> The fax reads an upsetting message - "The Brotherhood requires this village. You will cleanse it of the heretics, locate their EMP weaponry, and disable it. Peace through power." Jake quietly walks away, leaving you to ponder your objectives.
[23:10] <Dark> "EMP? Nice..."
[23:12] <Codex> "If it pays, it pays. I hope they don't ruin anything remaining here with them EMP's mind, I'd love to get my hands on some tech."
[23:13] <@Spiritcurse> You notice that the guards and Jake have suddenly become conveniently unavailable.
[23:16] <Codex> "So, what do you make of this?" I address the room.
[23:17] <Dark> "Orders to test us. We succed then yay for the brotherhood, we die then call in the next batch of gruntmonkeys"
[23:18] <Codex> I survey the room again, searching for anything remotely useful.
[23:19] <Dorian> "Heartening."
[23:19] <@Spiritcurse> The room contains little save a few sofas, a fax machine, and cigarette ends.
[23:21] <@Spiritcurse> You also spot a few rounds of ammunition under a table, roughly enough for 3 clips.
[23:22] <Codex> I bend over and scoop the rounds.
[23:23] <Dark> "So you going then? Or do we have anything better to do?"
[23:23] <@Spiritcurse> You hear a few more shots, then the rumbling of the fax machine going - it appears to be printing a scan of the local area. You hear an elated yell from upstairs.
[23:24] <Codex> I rush for the stairs.
[23:24] <Dark> I draw my gun and follow, grabbing the scan and stuffing it into a pocket as I do
[23:25] <@Spiritcurse> Upstairs, you see a group of men in non-combat jumpsuits laughing and high-fiving each other around a computer. "We did it! We managed to get a scan past their EMP!"
[23:30] <Codex> "They must be off at the moment," I mumble, taking in the room and checking out the computer.
[23:30] <Dark> I relax slightly as I nod "Wonder what their up to to make them turn it off"
[23:31] <@Spiritcurse> The computer displays a variety of code and radar scans you can tell are the marks of a highly skilled hacker, or a lucky one. The leader turns to you, and after emitting a stream of technobabble, finishes with "... and we think we've made it vulnerable. You look like the hired muscle, go drop them?"
[23:32] <Dark> "How did you make it vulnerable?"
[23:33] <Dorian> "Same way you make anything vulnerable. Shoot at it until it dies."
[23:33] <Dark> "I like it"
[23:33] <@Spiritcurse> "We managed to inject a small worm into it's processing. It's still blocking higher-level functions, but previously it was shutting down our augs and weapons." By way of explanation, he points to a cyborg in the corner, who appears to be curled up in a ball and muttering prime numbers.
[23:35] <Dark> "Or that..." I sigh before turning "lets get over there before they got over whatever confusion losing the EMP will put them in. Hit them whilst they are busy"
[23:35] <Codex> A breath a small sigh of relief. "Let's go drop at least one before they have enough time to undo this man's work."
[23:36] <Dorian> "Let loose the dogs of war? By which I mean copious ammounts of high explosives?"
[23:36] <Dark> I click a round into my gun and grin "Hells yer"
[23:36] <@Spiritcurse> "Thanks guys, we'll try to get Mike back to sanity. Or use him for cryptography - he's doing 18 digits and he hasn't been wrong yet."
[23:37] <Dorian> "Nice."
[23:37] <Kite> "I'm impressed."
[23:40] <Kite> "Well are we going to go do this, or just stand around watching the machine chant numbers?" Mira says as she begins to head downstairs.
[23:40] <Dark> I follow, heading out without a word
[23:41] <Dorian> "I was hoping someone would say where we can get some explosives" I say, looking around.
[23:41] <Codex> I raise an eyebrow.
[23:41] <@Spiritcurse> "Best I can offer you is a logic bomb" the hacker says, before giggling childishly.
[23:43] <Dorian> "Oh, great." I sigh, before walking out.
[23:43] <@Spiritcurse> Downstairs, you notice a back door leading straight into the line of fire, or the front door that at least grants you some degree of cover.
[23:45] <@Spiritcurse> You also hear the gunfire cease for a short while, after the screams of a soldier outside cease with a gurgle.
[23:46] <Dorian> "Front door or back, which do we-ok, who's the idiot who got shot?"
[23:47] <@Spiritcurse> Annoyingly, and given your slightly superior rank, contrary to regulations, the stricken soldier does not identify himself.
[23:47] <Dorian> "Bastard."
[23:48] <Codex> I draw a concealed gun. "Back door. No jokes. Quick and quiet." I say this as I aproach the back door, ready to open it for whoever wants to go first.
[23:48] <Dark> I again check the load of my gun and follow
[23:50] <@Spiritcurse> You spot two snipers at the end of the road. One is drinking from a canteen, the other one appears to be laughing and miming a man who's just been shot in the neck. The man lies next to you, face down in the dirt and blood.
[23:51] <Dark> I creep over to the man and search him. After all, he aint needing his stuff anymore
[23:52] <Dorian> "You see any creds, I got dibs."
[23:52] <@Spiritcurse> You find an AR-70 Raptor with 8 clips of ammunition, a chip of 23 credits, and a watch. His armour is undamaged, but would take a while to remove.
[23:53] <Dark> "Feck off"
[23:53] <Dark> I take it all save the armour, nodding in satisfaction
[23:53] <Codex> "The rifle is mine." I mutter, looking to the snipers ahead, attempting to cross the road and get into cover to proceed forwards.
[23:54] <Dorian> "Ok then, calling the armor." I grab the corpse, drag it back indoors, and begin stealing his armor.
[23:54] <Kite> Mira rolls her eyes and simply mutters, "Men..."
[23:54] <Dark> "I toss the gun to you but keep the ammo, credits and watch
[23:54] <@Spiritcurse> Given that they appear to be distracted, you figure you could probably make it to within 20 metres without danger.
[23:55] <Codex> I quickly check for additional enemies whilst running forwards, hoping to dive into cover if they so much as look in my direction.
[23:55] <@Spiritcurse> None appear, and given the lack of sniper bullet biting into your flesh, none seem to be lying in wait for you.
[23:55] <Dark> I am much more steady with my approuce, keeping to cover and keeping crouched
[23:56] <Kite> Mira goes about it the same way as Kreel does, keeping to as much cover as possible.
[23:56] <Dorian> "Good luck with that, I'll be along." I say, getting into my shiny new-ok, shiny, one-previous-owner armor.
[23:57] <@Spiritcurse> Each of you get within about 20 metres before you run out of cover. From here, only a short sprint and a layer of barbed wire keeps you and the GDI pathfinders apart.
[23:57] <Dark> I level my gun, using a sticking out piece of cover as a stand and pick a target
[23:58] <Codex> I sit behind cover and hold a hand out to the rest of the party.
[23:58] <Dark> I glance to him, waiting to hear what he has to say whilst I aim
[23:58] <Codex> I curl one finger in. Then another. It's a countdown.
[23:59] <Dark> I nod and resume my ain, licking my lips in anticipation
[23:59] <Kite> Mira does the same as she notices the countdown.
[23:59] <Dorian> I start to try to catch up, my pistol at the ready.
[00:00] <Codex> Three fingers. Two fingers. One thumb. I pop up from cover and aim with the pistol.
[00:01] <Dark> I dont pop up, remaining in my aiming postion as I pull the trigger
[00:12] <@Spiritcurse> As the cyborg's attack fails and a grinding noise is heard, Krell's attack rips through the armour of a soldier. He staggers but stays standing, just.
[00:13] <Dark> "FOR THE BROTHERHOOD!"
[00:14] <@Spiritcurse> The soldier whirls towards the noise in terror, only for his face to have an unfortunate encounter with a bullet from one of the technicians. He drops to the floor, screaming in agony, but alive.
[00:15] <Kite> Mira quickly hides behind cover after shooting slightly annoyed she didn't kill him.
[00:17] <@Spiritcurse> The other soldier is no more fortunate, but manages to stay standing with only a few muttered curses as one of your bullets strikes him in the arm.
[00:17] <Codex> I fire two shots, hoping to take them both down quickly.
[00:17] <@Spiritcurse> The injured soldier crawls towards the door of the building, moaning in pain. The other one lines his scope up with Krell for half a second before letting loose an attack.
[00:20] <Dark> The bullet hits my chest with a blast of white dust and my body angles under the impact but I simply turn back and grin as I raise my own gun back to him
[00:27] <Dark> With a pull of the trigger another burst of three bullets fly out towards the GDI soldier, though two hit the wall behind him, the third hits the man directly between the eyes and the wall he had been stood infront of gets a lovely new paint job as the back of his head explodes
[00:27] <@Spiritcurse> You hear a scream from inside, and two technicians sprint from the building, clearly happy with violence, so long as it isn't applied to them.
[00:28] <Codex> "Nice shot. I call the snip--"
[00:30] <Dark> "Take them" I say simply
[00:34] <@Spiritcurse> You hear the sickening crunch of bone as one technician collapses to the ground, leg shattered.
[00:34] <Codex> I smirk as I consider reloading after that shot.
[00:35] <@Spiritcurse> The other technician stumbles but just manages to keep hobbling away.
[00:36] <@Spiritcurse> The next impact almost knocks him off his feet, but not quite. Even so, he drops to his knees and raises his hands in a gesture of surrender.
[00:36] <Dorian> "Someone, shoot the man."
[00:39] <Dark> "Keep him. We need to talk" Is say cruly as I gestur for someone to take him before crouching over the body of the man i had kiled and searching him
[00:40] <Codex> I wonder over to the sniper, searching for his weapon and any ammunition.
[00:40] <@Spiritcurse> You find several keys and scientific tools, a dozen credits, and a small circuit board in a case.
[00:41] <@Spiritcurse> The sniper has a Pierce rifle, an older piece of kit from a previous war. He also has 10 clips of ammunition for it, and twenty credits.
[00:41] <Dark> I take the credits and keys, and hold up the other items "Anyon got use for these?"
[00:42] <Codex> I quickly take the Pierce rifle and the clips. "Thank you."
[00:42] <Codex> I gesture to the circuit board. "Keep that safe. We'll need to bring it back to them with the computer. Might have some spare parts for it."
[00:42] <@Spiritcurse> Ever the impolite type, the sniper refuses to acknowledge your thanks.
[00:44] <Dark> I shrug and pocket the board and tools before standing to look over to the caputred techys "Lets get them inside to the others, then we can move on to the EMP"
[00:44] <Codex> "Let's be quick about it then, while they still don't have their EMP up.
[00:45] <Dark> "Indeed" I roughlly grap the one that had surrended by the collar and drag him up
[00:46] <@Spiritcurse> With only minimal choking as you drag him, the technician stands and follows.
[00:46] <Dark> "You lot got the other one?"
[00:48] <Dorian> I sigh, "Sure, why not?"
[00:49] <Codex> I approach the one tat doesn't possess knees anymore, looking for some phat lewts.
[00:49] <Dark> "Search him, leave him" I shrug as I drag the living techy back to the base
[00:50] <@Spiritcurse> You find another dozen credits, but nothing else of interest save a few pens.
[00:54] <Dark> Once back in the main room, I throw the techy into a chair and level my gun at him "Now, how talkative are you feeling?"
[00:54] <@Spiritcurse> Inside the main base, you see Jake and the guards waiting for you. "You've done a good job today. You're welcome to take the EMP device yourself, or we can send the lads upstairs to do it, up to you." They turn a blind eye to your 'questioning', instead turning their backs.
[00:54] <@Spiritcurse> The technician stammers briefly, but keeps his mouth shut.
[00:55] <Dark> "Ok then, lets start simple. What were GDI after here exactly?"
[00:56] <@Spiritcurse> "Something about finding some marked, or something. I don't know, I'm just paid to keep the EMP running!"
[00:56] <Dark> "Marked?"
[00:57] <@Spiritcurse> "They didn't say anything else. Just that there were some marked, and they wanted to find them before you guys did."
[00:57] <Dark> "Mean anything to you guys?" I call over to Jake
[00:57] <@Spiritcurse> "Nothing to me. As far as I knew, we were here because their lot wanted to be here."
[00:58] <Dark> I shrug at that and turn back to the Techy "Alright then, anything I would like to know about this EMP?"
[00:58] <@Spiritcurse> "It's not booby trapped, and I'll give you the code if you let me go?"
[00:59] <Codex> I mumble something, before turning to the guys at the computer. "So what significance does that motherboard have?"
[00:59] <Dark> "I thought it would be" I slip him a piece of paper and a pen over the table "Be a good boy now and write it down"
[00:59] <@Spiritcurse> "That one? Not sure, probably just hardwired orders - a high tech key, if you will."
[01:00] <@Spiritcurse> The technician writes a long string of numbers down, then motions to stand. "Am I... alright to go now?"
[01:00] <Codex> "Into a motherboard as apposed to say... a hard drive?"
[01:00] <Dark> "You will stay until we I know this is the real deal"
[01:01] <@Spiritcurse> "Okay." He seats himself, seeming to relax slightly.
[01:02] <@Spiritcurse> "Yeah, plug it in, it'll run some code. GDI tends to use them on high security doors and vehicles, we use them for the same really, plus nukes."
[01:04] <Codex> I nod, ready to send a techy to do our bidding with the code. "Reckon you could run another quick scan?
[01:05] <@Spiritcurse> "Sure, where d'you need?"
[01:05] <Codex> Preferabley to know if anything living is near them EMPs.
[01:06] <@Spiritcurse> "Sure... we're clean. Nothing larger than a cockroach."
[01:06] <Dark> I also pull out the tools and board i had, placing them on the table "You need any of these?"
[01:07] <@Spiritcurse> The Nod technician turns his head to you. "Yeah, can always use tools. Keep the board though - chances are you'll be seeing more GDI locks than us."
[01:07] <Dark> I nod simply and place the board back in my bag
[01:08] <Dark> "Lets get that EMP out then and finish this"
[01:08] <@Spiritcurse> Another Nod technician raises his hand. "Erm... sirs? I'm ready to take it now, if you want." He's carrying a large satchel with some mechanical device inside, and stood by the door.
[01:09] <Codex> "Let's be quick then." I say, reloading my pistol and making for the door, pausing by the techie.
[01:09] <Codex> I look to the party. "I'm happy to provide cover from here." I say, shoulding my rifle.
[01:09] <Dark> I keep my gun ready and stand ready open the door, stepping out first "Suuuuuuuure you are"
[01:10] <@Spiritcurse> He nods and sets off at a light jog, the stachel bouncing against his back.
[01:10] <Dark> I decide to jog a little behind him, looking around constantly
[01:11] <Codex> I follow part of the way, waiting with the rifle, quickly realising it lacks a scope. I poker-face and continue to act like I know what I'm doing from behind a chest-high wall.
[01:12] <@Spiritcurse> You reach the shack at the end of the road without incident, and the technician begins entering the code. A few seconds later, a panel pops open, revealing the innards of the machine, still cracking with electricity.
[01:13] <Dark> "do your thing"
[01:14] <@Spiritcurse> The technician nods, places his satchel inside the machine and presses a button. He then runs out of the shack as fast as he can, shouting for you to do the same.
[01:14] <Dark> "Bugger!" I shout as I follow "I could have done that!"
[01:15] <@Spiritcurse> "Ah, but I'm the most qualified for bomb usage in this base - I can run the fastest."
[01:15] <Dark> I curse again as I run
[01:16] <Codex> "What are you running for?" I shout over as they approach.
[01:16] <Dark> "He chucked a bloody bomb into the thing!"
[01:17] <@Spiritcurse> A blinding pulse of blue light ungulfs your field of vision as you dive behind cover. The loud boom of the explosion is quickly silenced by the roar of the ensuing fireball consuming the oxygen in a path towards the sky, and soon enough, an orange and blue pulse races to the sky.
[01:17] <Dark> As I watch it I suddenly burst out laughing "You are either the worst or best best damned techy I know"
[01:17] <@Spiritcurse> Fragments of metal and stone rain down a few seconds later, miraculously not killing the rest of you. The technician, clearly a professional, giggles to himself and finishes recording it on his phone.
[01:18] <@Spiritcurse> "I know, right? Seven years in university, and I'm blowing holes in yellow zones. Totally worth it."
[01:21] <Codex> "I bet that was fun." I grin.
[01:21] <Dark> "You could say it was...explosive"
[01:22] <Codex> I facepalm. Grinning all the while.