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Post by Hiroko Agueda on Nov 27, 2022 23:47:54 GMT
Hiroko was operating in an accelerated fight-or-flight mode, and so the sudden chaos and confusion in her own team, rather than causing her to slow down or try a more measured, diplomatic approach, only accelerated her combat-honed instincts.
She nodded as Lorie and Sigi at least seemed to have practical instincts, and Hiroko very quickly approached the Black SUV with an exorbitant number of cup-holders, her elbow already ready to smash into the black glass. Her senses were already screaming on high alert, and she could intercept the un-encrypted walkie-talkie radio signals of the human security, looking for them even now. It did not occur to her that surrendering, and facing the penalty for being caught by Con Security, would be far less of an inconvenience than the course of action she was now engaged upon.
Athena's sudden arrival and ethical objections did give Hiroko momentary pause. "You are correct, Volunteer Velgear. I am in breach of mission protocol. However, it is paramount that we safely extract. As your Section Leader your safe rendezvous to our safehouse is my top priority. To put it in a compress form- We need to leave, now."
Despite Hiroko's desperate, almost manic energy to control the situation she had herself set spiralling out of control, things had already taken on a life of their own, and to her astonishment it seemed that Volunteer Lixue was now going AWOL.
"Volunte- Cao Lixue! You do not have authorisation to operate independently! Remain with the group!"
It was a futile plea and an order that Lixue clearly intended to disobey. She could try to force the hacker to obey, but her self-preservation instincts reckoned that would go poorly. More, security was already converging on the car park. She did not have time to contain this insurrection.
"Know that if you do not report to the safe-house in the next 12 hours you will be declared a Deserter and subject to maximum punitive measures up to and including a court martial and summary execution." She said, anger clearly now biting into her voice.
Unable to prevent Lixue from doing what she want, she prioritised the safety of the remaining team.
Smashing her way into the SUV, she jiggled the handle, and let them into the spacious, cosy interior of America's no.1 choice for commercial and personal travel. Unable to take the time to properly appreciate the chrome finish on the panelling, she hoisted herself into the driver's seat, her instinct making her reach for controls that weren't there. She quickly recalibrated, and put the gear stick into reverse.
"Worry not, Volunteer Velgear. You will not be held responsible for this situation. Additionally, I estimate a 65% greater chance of safety and timely arrival at our destination if you stick with our group. Volunteer Winter, you have performed excellently. Please make sure yourself and Volunteer Zetros board the vehicle with alacrity. Quickly, please."
A door at the far end of the car park swung open, and an overweight human in a security outfit came gasping out, clearly making a break for the controls that would close the blast doors main exit.
Hiroko restrained herself from summing her weapon and putting a charged shot in the controls or the security man, and instead focused on the crude steering wheel and peddle-operated internal combustion engine.
"Hold tight. I will now accelerate. Safety is guaranteed if you affix one of those seat belts." She indicated vaguely, her attention now tunnel-visioning on the car park exit ahead.
"Feel free to use non-lethal and non-magical means to distract the guards."
With that entirely open-ended and vague direction, Hiroko put her foot to the peddle, and floored the SUV, no longer thinking about Lixue- though a report on her insubordination would be drafted later- or much at all except reaching the safehouse as quickly and -mostly- as safe as possible.
@techmage
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Post by Lorie Zetros on Nov 30, 2022 2:14:02 GMT
"Let us just say that aus Schaden wird man klug." From harm one grows wise. It was a pithy old proverb. The modern Mid equivalent would be something like... misery builds character. Or something like that. But it seemed that Lorie was attempting to imply that though she might have gotten into trouble, it had wisened her enough to get out before things got too bad? Her eyes moved over to Sigi's choice of vehicle. It gave off an aura of robustness. Its hardy armed origins explaining why it was so. "A fair and practical choice, Sigi. A primitive war carriage it is, then."Other section members had other ideas, however. For example, the medical officer going by the name of Cao Lixue went for something far more likely to blend in. It wasn't quite Lorie's style, seeing as it would serve more for a stealthy approach rather than this bombastic one, but in theory, she could understand why someone would choose it. The two options, after all, were to either bug out as strongly as possible - exemplified by the black beast - or draw as little attention as possible. She even changed up the colour of her hair. Yes, a completely stealthy approach. What would Lorie have done in this situation were she in charge? Well for one, she would not have had the concerns of the cybernetic section leader. It was likely that her resignation came from the fact that they all saw what Volunteer Cao had done to the shuttle earlier. But even without the issue of being hackable... what would she have done? As someone who only adhered to the rules when convenient, she probably would have done the same. Minus the threats that came with the post-script permission. Sure, you could talk all you wanted about how rules were there for your own good, but that was coming from a modern Midchildan perspective of practicality. She did not grow up in that kind of environment. Rules in Belkan nobility were certainly for one's own good. But sometimes, the very good that certain rules protected were... fluff, mostly. Things like proper dinner table manners to prevent embarrassing someone above your station. They weren't always applicable. Which was why after her exile, Lorie quickly built a habit of eating with little compunction whenever she was completely alone. A separate set of habits compared to dining in company. This was just one set of rules she considered more of guidelines when convenient and applicable. Of course that was all theoretical at this point. She wasn't in charge, after all. So all she could say before Volunteer Cao went off to leave them with the commoner car was, "We will see you at the safehouse, then."It seemed the choice had already been made for them, however. The section leader smashed the reinforced window like it was nothing and made her way inside, all while Volunteer Velgear went on a short outburst about breaking Earther rules and making themselves more visible in the process. For one, stealth was kind of out of the picture right now. Whether or not the rest of the team agreed with her point, Volunteer Cao had already stolen a second vehicle. Was there a chance of escalation if they went ahead with the black beast? Sure. But when stealth had just flown out the window like it did, speed was the second best option, given the section leader's decision. Putting as much distance between themselves and any pursuers. The safehouse would posses the appropriate equipment to refurbish the window, for example. And the Cleaners would eliminate all evidence that the truck had been stolen at all, including flying it back to the spot where it had been stolen. After all... Lorie looked up into the night sky. The average Earther couldn't see it because of the built-in stealth spell. But thanks to her Volunteer status, the recon drone hovering overhead with its digital eyes on them stuck out to her like a black fly in a bowl of cream soup. Had there been an option to contact the safehouse for rapid extraction, they would have said something already. The disgraced noble put a hand on the shorter girl's shoulder and put it simply. "Unfortunately, we don't have the time to call for help. Right now, getting to the safehouse comes first. From there, something can be done about this."She gave Sigi a nod, as if to call her over to follow into the truck, and walked past Athena, taking her place in the shotgun seat. Were this a merc job, she would have had her device ready to fire off conjured projectiles at any targets that might get in the way. And she would have shot at the guard too. Except that would have been overkill, because he was a puny normal who couldn't even use a basic shield spell. Even the Bureau's lowly troopers had that much going for them. Lorie strapped herself in on the section leader's orders. And, hiding her face behind a newspaper as they neared the fat guard, picked up a half-finished cup of soda from one of the multitude of cup holders. Given the numerous genetic enhancements built into the average Belkan house's heirs, it was no challenge at all to determine where his face would be using nothing more than her hearing, smell, and feeling of the wind. Nor would it be a challenge to hit him with a projectile, even though both parties were moving at different speeds. With a flick of her wrist, the cup flew out of her window, and splattered the guard's face with sticky saccharine substance, the sugar no doubt burning his eyes as they rushed past the parking lot gate. [942/6928/7] Hiroko Agueda Sigi Winter Cao Lixue Athena Velgear
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Post by Athena Velgear on Dec 3, 2022 5:10:59 GMT
"I understand, Section Leader. We've already come this far after all," The older woman was already aware that she was in error, and that would have to be enough for now. It was also rather nice that even a magical android could develop something suspiciously close to concern for her comrades, and what appeared like a faint hint of regret. Well, it was not unusual for such things to happen, given the ubiquity of Device AIs and Unison Devices. What was unusual was that the Section Leader's emotions seemed to be built from a human base then suppressed, as opposed to the AI standard of such expression being programmed to emulate humanity and thus being exuberant from the beginning.
Athena, of course, didn't show it on her face when addressing Hiroko, and as the Archon also tried to reassure her, she also climbed into the black SUV and went straight to the back. The others were still trying to reassure her, which was welcome, but the young Elite still felt like the other Volunteers were being somewhat condescending towards the humans of Earth. Sure, the Bureau could easily undo all the damage they had dealt today, they could fix the window and return the van, they could heal the hapless nerd Hiroko kicked and modify everyone's memory to make it like it never happened, but the way they did things like that on "less advanced" worlds - with impunity and lacking any sense of accountability - showed that they treated such people as ignorant and inferior, as if their lower level of technology made them any less human than the carjacking mages launching an infiltration of their home planet. The Bureau should have learned their lesson with the Three Aces, but given the chance to do over on a world very similar to their Earth, they chose to do exactly the same.
Athena's thoughts were only proven when the Archon flung a sugary drink at the pursuing guard with the approval of the Section Leader, the Belkan's obvious disdain for both made clear. So instead, as the stolen SUV made a phantom joyride into the night, the young Duelist simply activated her inertial damper and gazed at the cityscape out her window, entranced by the lights her comrades saw as primitive. She didn't see a backward civilization looking at them, but rather one filled with hope for the advancing future.
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Post by Sigi Winter on Dec 13, 2022 2:16:59 GMT
While the others were arguing over the morality of stealing a primitive vehicle from an uncivilized planet that didn't even belong in their universe, Sigi was trying to figure out how to get everyone in the car without outright shoving them in. Lixue made off in her own vehicle for some reason, but Sigi figured she could handle herself. The technology here was basic enough that Lixue wouldn't have any trouble controlling just about anything she came into contact with after all. Thankfully, the others finished their argument quickly and the Section Leader promptly smashed in the window of the large vehicle she had pointed out. She didn't have the heart to tell Hiroko that it had already been unlocked, so she focused on making sure Lorie got inside safely before sliding in next to her.
"Thank you for your praise, Lady Hechingen." She added, slightly out of breath from the whole ordeal. She wasn't physically tired, but it had been a long time since she had had such a stressful mission, and she was ready to be back at the base and relax. She noticed a sugary drink in one of the cup holders, and reached for it eagerly. Before she could grab it, however, Lorie's hand lashed out and flung it out the window at a security guard. Sigi let out a defeated whimper, and strapped herself into the seat belt. She prayed silently to the Sanktkaiser that the vending machines at the safehouse didn't have a huge markup.
[259/2827/7]
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Post by Hiroko Agueda on Jan 23, 2023 23:33:53 GMT
Wiping sweat- Robots don't sweat, and Cyborgs really aren't supposed to either- from her brow, Team Leader Agueda was white-knuckle gripping the steering wheel as she accelerated down the Kamisama Highway, traffic a series of high-speed obstacles moving the opposite direction to her. It wasn't much different to navigating a meteor shower in a trans-shuttle, really. Though why so many humans insisted on driving towards her was slightly concerning.
The tires shrieked as she narrowly avoided a collision with a large divider that split the highway. These ground-based traffic systems were so primitive. She'd been able to perform much more smooth manuevers in a standard Grav-car.
"Eighty KPH...that's...my systems are temporarily running over capacity. Does anyone know if 80 kilometres per hour is too fast or not fast enough for Earth traffic?"
She was more talking aloud than addressing her team, but it didn't matter. She had a goal in sight and was determined to reach it, whatever the cost. The distant whine of sirens of approaching law enforcement vehicles was a problem she had already factored in. Most likely in pursuit for the altercation at the Convention. But these foolish humans didn't know who they were dealing with.
"Everyone should hold on. I am engaging evasive driving mode."
Slamming her foot even harder to the pedal, she pushed this poor creaking metal gasoline-driven rattle-box to its limits, pushing up to 120 KPH, whatever that meant. Objective markers became a blur, and the level and intensity of moving traffic to avoid was becoming exponentially more difficult even for her heightened senses.
"I estimate safe arrival at a transfer point in...three minutes. We will ditch the vehicle mid-transit, and swim the rest of the way there. If we all exit when I give the command, we will be able to land together in the Bay as we cross the upcoming bridge. I believe all of you are capable of swimming? If not, I authorise the minimal use of mana to sustain breath while submerged."
They were all looking at her like she had gone insane, she recognised. But she was stuck. She didn't have time to engage sophisticated psychology parameters to deal with their insubordination and hesitation. They had to reach the Safehouse.
Raised voices and commotion in the back seats told her that the others were not taking the developments in this getaway very well.
For a moment, she broke tunnel vision on the road ahead to turn to speak to them, but as she did so they crashed through a thin, flimsy wooden barrier surrounded by red lights. Red lights? She snapped back to watching the road. She had to focus.
A brief, barely perceptible flash of information, now urgently processed. Red Lights lining the road. A sign? BRIDGE UNDER CONSTRUCTION. Ah.
She was already considerably past the sign, and heading at great speed towards an unfinished bridge.
At least pursuit seemed to have slackened, and the danger of oncoming traffic had been evaded. Significant progress, by her estimation.
Still.
"Revised estimate. Terminal exit point is less than a minute away. My apologies."
The commotion only got louder. Well, it had been nice being a Team Leader again while it lasted. No, that was factually inaccurate.
"I wish to register a formal complaint that this mission was a bad idea from the-"
They ran out of bridge before she ran out of words.
@techmage
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Post by Lorie Zetros on Jan 24, 2023 23:16:54 GMT
There was definitely something off about the traffic here. Even Lorie, who had mostly ridden horses and swoops, had spent some time in the lest privileged areas of Administered Worlds, with their tight regulations on air travel. Most Administered citizens drove ground cars thanks to that, and only the privileged as herself would ever grace the wheel of a grav car - or the handlebars of a swoop, for the matter. Ground traffic was very different here. One could even call it a mirror image of what she was used to. The Section Leader also seemed to be cool on the surface, yet at least slightly addled underneath, as she continued to go against the reverse traffic flow. Discussions grew heated, and in that rising tension, what with the sirens coming up from the distance and all, they suddenly found themselves on the way to a bridge to... well... nowhere. It cut off. At times like this - well, at most times, really - Lorie was proud of her Imperial heritage. Because magic aside, and the Section Leader's instruction to jump and cast a flotation spell, the princess believed there was a better alternative. One that could make use of her sort's enhanced genetics and physique. That she wasn't the only one here also meant it would be... relatively speaking, easier, given the vehicle felt quite heavy, and was going quite fast. She didn't know what the speed limit was on this planet, and there was no legal speed limit on Vindler, but she had seen signs on Midchilda for 100... something. Assuming Midchilda used a comparable unit of measurement, then this was over that speed limit. The exact rate, however, was ephemeral. She could very well use her instinct to wing it. That, she was certain of, given past experience. "Sigi! Follow my lead! The stag stops here!"Time seemed to stretch. Not to a standstill, but good enough that the truck now moved at a slightly jogging pace she could overtake with a big enough burst of speed. She had done this many times before, enough to doge mana bolts or even deflect them with her sword. But this skill was truly honed on the swoop tracks. Lorie pulled on the door handle and swung it wide open, diving without hesitation into a roll. In the fraction of a second, she had gotten back to her feet and was running, slowly overtaking the truck. Up ahead was the renovating bridge. She couldn't see Sigi from her angle, but she had seen enough of her new vassal - instantly standing up against fleet guards in the cafeteria - to know she would follow. The disinherited princess grabbed the corner of the truck's hood, fingers covering the headlights as she used it as a springboard to launch herself ahead. There was just enough room for her to turn around, brace her heels against the asphalt, and slam her palms into the oncoming vehicle. If her guess of its weight was correct, the worst that would happen was it would push Sigi and herself by maybe a couple dozen metres before stopping a safe distance from the bridge's end. And she was confident it wouldn't even come to that. [533/7461/8] Sigi Winter Athena Velgear Hiroko Agueda
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Post by Sigi Winter on Jan 27, 2023 1:45:27 GMT
Sigi had been on a lot of rough rides in her career. Maybe it was how low to the ground they were compared to a drop shuttle, or maybe it was the rapid weaving through countless other vehicles, but this was probably the roughest transport she had ever ridden in. Thankfully, the section leader seemed to know what she was doing. She doubted many others could have threaded their way through so much traffic at these speeds without hitting anyone. She must have forgotten that personal vehicles on Earth were usually incapable of flight, however. It was easy to forget how primitive some of their technology was.
Sigi wasn't worried about the crash. Anyone equipped with a device could easily withstand hitting the water from this height, and they all had their seatbelts on too. Still, it seemed a shame to destroy the car after they had commandeered it without asking. Lorie apparently agreed, as she signaled to Sigi and jumped out of the car. It had been a long time since she had worked with partners, but years of drills at the Church had hammered a muscle memory into her body that didn't require her to think when given orders. With one hand she unlatched her seatbelt, and the other popped open the door opposite Lorie's. She twisted herself free, rolling out the door and onto the concrete bridge.
For a split second, Sigi disappeared from view to the others in the car as it hurtled on toward the edge of the bridge. She dug the balls of her feet into the concrete, coiling her leg muscles then explosively releasing them and sending herself shooting past the car. She hooked a hand on the front fender as she passed by, twisting again to position herself at the front next to Lorie.
She grunted as the full weight of the massive vehicle bore down on herself and Lorie. Were she trying to destroy it, this would have been easy, but stopping it while doing minimal damage to the surroundings and not killing everyone inside took a lot of effort. They skidded across the bridge, sparks flying from their boots. The drop at the end of the bridge was rapidly getting closer, and she wasn't sure if they would stop in time. Sigi cried out above the squealing tires, and pushed just a little bit harder. Just as her heels were about to go over the edge, they all finally came to rest.
Sigi collapsed onto the hood of the car. It was hot, and probably would have burned her if her field spell wasn't protecting her, but that was way too close for comfort. "Is everyone ok?" She gasped, and lifted her head to look through the windshield. "I'm a good swimmer, so if anyone needs me to carry them I can."
[488/3315/8]
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Post by Athena Velgear on Feb 4, 2023 1:48:39 GMT
The SUV started to pick up speed as the Section Leader floored it, asking whether they were going at the proper velocity for their current location. Athena decided to speak up as the resident Earth expert, though she was startled by the incoming (incoming?!) headlights and the vehicle's increasingly erratic course.
"Eighty kph is within standard Earth speeds, but-- Aaaah! We're going the wrong way, Section Leader!" she yelled from the back. "Has your cerebral unit finally overheated?! This- this is madness! This is counterflow! And it isn't cool at all no matter how cool it sounds! Switch lanes! Switch lanes now!"
Alas, Athena was mostly ignored as Hiroko made even more daring maneuvers she dubbed "evasive driving mode."
"EVASIVE MY FOOT! THE ONLY THING YOU'RE EVADING IS THE TRAFFIC RULES!"
And once again ignored.
"I estimate safe arrival at a transfer point in...three minutes. We will ditch the vehicle mid-transit, and swim the rest of the way there. If we all exit when I give the command, we will be able to land together in the Bay as we cross the upcoming bridge. I believe all of you are capable of swimming? If not, I authorise the minimal use of mana to sustain breath while submerged."
Traffic violator or not, space mom was space mom. Athena could swim, and her bag and Device were waterproof at least. Unfortunately, they broke through a barrier and passed a road construction sign, which meant they'd have to swim sooner than expected.
Fortunately for them all, the two Belkans decided to jump out and try to stop the car, and so Athena leapt into action as well. Literally. She climbed over the seats recently vacated by Lorie and Sigi, into the shotgun seat, and grabbed Hiroko in her arms.
"Expand the inertial damper now, Duelist Alliance!"
"Expanding now." the voice of her Device replied while complying.
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Post by Hiroko Agueda on Feb 19, 2023 0:58:27 GMT
What happened next was a blur of magical and techno magical activity that left Hiroko temporarily disorientated. Tunnel-visioned on the end of the bridge, she had been oblivious to the quick thinking and quick reactions of her team, whose presence of mind and creative use of their Devices ensured that neither she or the car they were in plunged at terminal velocity into the cold waters below. Straining magic and material to its utmost limits and casually violating several laws of muggle physics, the vehicle was brought to a moaning, screeching halt, its kinetic energies forcefully dissipated into a surrounding field of magic. Hiroko's neck absorbed the sudden whiplash, sending a misfired jolt of nerves to her already overloading and overloaded neural network. For a hair-split of a microsecond her senses were completely blank. The very next, she found herself smooshed face-first into a rapidly inflating airbag. Less than a metre further on, the yawning chasm awaited. It had been a clutch save of the most literal kind. Blinking, her senses reorienting to the new information, her body still on some level travelling at terminal velocities, she gingerly extricated herself from the airbag and the crash position, stepping out onto the unfinished tarmac and girders of the bridge outside. It seemed like her team had already taken the initiative, and disembarked the vehicle. Miraculously, it seemed they'd also worked together to bring the vehicle to a screeching halt. With no proactive directives running, Hiroko took a rare moment to just...observe, and experience the moment. To really feel the cool air, smell the mixture of scents present in this place. To hear the distant sirens, and admire the glitter of urban lighting surrounding this lonely, darkened bridgeway. Then, she found the appropriate response, and the neural network guided her back to her path. Faulty, flawed and erratic as it was, she remained the cyborg servant. "Impressive. A more optimal resolution was not calculated but you found it nonetheless. However, the shortest route to our safehouse in Kamisama East remains a straight line across the bay. Does anyone have any magical incantations or equipment that will allow us to traverse the distance in height and volume between here and the opposite shore? A simple levitation across the gap might suffice, now that I consider the problem more...openly."It was no apology or recognition of fault, but it was probably the closest she was ever going to get to thanking her team for saving her from further embarrassment and - admittedly minimal- harm. "Volunteer Velgear, an ingenious use of your Device. A heroic combined effort of strength, Volunteers Winter and Zetros, but in future please do not feel you need strain yourselves so unduly."A sudden burst transmission of data reached Hiroko then and there, standing still and unfocused on the bridge. It was from the Safehouse, updating her on the successful arrival of several other volunteers from orbit, and an inquiry as to the progress of their own infiltration. "I have received confirmation that Volunteer Lixue is safely clear, and that a number of others have successfully made it undetected to the safehouse from orbital deployment. Unfortunately, while our cover of stealth was compromised, It has at least opened us up to using more...direct methods to complete our mission."Walking over to Volunteer Zetros and Winter, Hiroko did the smartest thing she had done since the mission began. "As you have all demonstrated ample adaptive ability, I will leave the means and route of our remaining journey in your capable hands. What say you, Volunteers?"Sigi Winter Lorie Zetros Athena Velgear
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Post by Lorie Zetros on Feb 20, 2023 6:36:28 GMT
With their combined efforts, the large truck of military descent skidded to a stop, a perilously short distance from flying off the bridge and into the water. Even the duelist Elite had cast a spell to ensure the safety of everyone who was still aboard. It was a good team effort, though if one were to personally ask Lorie on her opinion, she would give most credit to her perceived quick thinking. But alas, the Section Leader instead hurled praise in declaratives and gave her own observation of the events that had just transpired. That didn't mean she left them without opportunity, however. After receiving an update concerning Volunteer Cao and the other teams intended to arrive at their designated safehouse, she went on to request their more active participation for the remainder of the trip. Stealth was gone, but that also opened up avenues to be just a bit... flashier. This wasn't the sort of situation to call for something as draining as a Temporal Field. No, they were sure to have low key spells at their disposal still. Lorie briefly looked up to the night sky, noting the blue streaks that shot past every now and then. More shuttles and their cargo, no doubt. At least they weren't behind schedule. She then turned her gaze down, to that unfinished bridge that would have been very handy should it have been complete. Well, there was a way. She turned back to the Section Leader. "Our family is highly proficient in manipulating photons," Any Knight worth their salt was capable of conjuring up solid mass useful for combat. Be it a temporary enlargement of their weapon for a heftier strike, or the summoning of projectiles to soften up a distant foe before closing in, Belkan magitek was not afraid to physically hurt its targets. This enthusiasm resulted in the ban of mass-based weaponry in today's Midchildan hegemony. But House Hechingen set itself apart by controlling something... subtler. No, they didn't refrain from converting mana into physical particles, unlike the modern policies. Photons, the elementary particles of light, had no mass, under most circumstances. But if you knew how to work with them in just the right way, especially with the aid of mana, well... Quite a lot of things were possible. "During our prime, we connected our fief worlds with a network of 'bridges' called Bifröst." The disinherited princess turned to face the gaping maw at the bridge's end, and stabbed the asphalt with the tip of her Device. "Hofud, Erschaffen."The sword acknowledged the command, in a subtly snide tone one could pick up if they were paying attention, and glowed a bright gold. Soon, this golden sheen spread downward into the asphalt, then across the chasm in patterns reminiscent of tapestry. When it was finished, a sheet of golden light fashioned with old Belkan runes bridged the gap between the two incomplete ends of the construction project. There was a hint of elegance in its structure, as if whoever made it took some time to deliberate on its architectural merits on top of its practical ones. Lorie turned back to face the rest of the team, her face only betraying a little smirk of satisfaction in her handiwork. If there was one legacy her entire family was proud of, it was the Bifröst, and consequently, their reputation as builders. "That causeway will last about two minutes, Section Leader. More than enough time for us to cross, and no time for the Polizei to see it before it dissipates. We should make haste."Curtsying lightly and giving Sigi a nod of acknowledgement for doing half of the work in stopping the car, she opened the passenger seat to see that it was currently occupied. Lorie maintained her stoic disposition. It wasn't the first time a bedrock person had inconvenienced her before. And it wasn't the first time this had happened in front of someone important either, to whom maintaining appearances was crucial. So instead acquiescing to her baser instinct of just throwing Athena out, years of training prevailed. "Well done insulating the passengers, Volunteer Velgear. Now we can continue on our way to the safehouse. We wish to take seat again."[704/8165/9] Sigi Winter Athena Velgear Hiroko Agueda
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Post by Sigi Winter on Mar 7, 2023 23:16:55 GMT
Sigi brushed herself off, then breathed a satisfied sigh. She doubted she could have stopped the car without destroying it if Lorie hadn't been there, and it felt good to work with others again. She really wasn't looking forward to the swim, though. Judging by Gungnir's temperature readings, they wouldn't freeze to death in the water, but not by much. She started doing stretched to limber up for the swim, when she noticed Lorie's sword begin to shine.
"WOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Sigi couldn't contain herself as the golden bridge stretched across the gap. Stopping the car was impressive enough, but Lorie continued to show what a real high class noble Belkan was capable of. Where Sigi could destroy just about anything she came into contact with, Lorie was able to create something from nothing. "It's so pretty!" Her eyes sparkled as they reflected its brilliance, and she had to force herself to turn away to get back into the car.
Sigi reluctantly slid herself back into the back seat and buckled herself back in. As beautiful as it was, the bridge was not the most subtle way to cross the gap, and Sigi assumed they would be trying to get over it as quickly as possible before anyone took major notice of it. Unfortunately, one of the other volunteers appeared to have taken Lorie's seat. Sigi knew full well how poorly her lady reacted to having her things taken away, but of course someone that didn't know anything about Belkan royalty would probably think she was just being rude. This section was already plenty off the rails even without its members coming to blows, so Sigi felt like she had to do something to help.
"Oh! Athena, right? You knew so much about the local culture back there! I'd love it if you could sit with me and teach me a bit while we ride back. One of the people back there said I was an OC and I had no idea what to do."
[357/3184/8]
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Post by Athena Velgear on Mar 18, 2023 12:12:26 GMT
Now that the now significantly more battered vehicle had come to a halt, the landing party was now exchanging both acknowledgements and updates on the plan to reach the safehouse. Athena, having hopped out of the door along with the Section Leader, proceeded to join the planning stage after her own offers of praise to the two Knight-class mages.
"That was quite incredible, Lady Hechingen, Sigi! You two really saved us the trouble of explaining where the van went, so thanks a lot!"
Hiroko went on to expound on a few more things. The first was that due to her the team's actions today, among them battery and grand theft auto, stealth was now off the table and they could resort to more direct means to reach the safehouse. The second was that Volunteer Lixue, who had previously left the group, had reached said safehouse along with a significant portion of Hex Hammer's landing parties. Both were good news as far as Athena was concerned.
"We could always fly across the bridge if we're willing to walk the rest of the way--" Athena suggested, but stopped herself at Lorie's explanation of House Hechingen's signature magic and its subsequent demonstration of a glittering golden bridge of photons connecting the two ends of the road, at which the duelist offered a round of applause.
With that, the trip was back on, with Sigi even asking Athena what an OC was.
"I'll be happy to explain more later, but the gist of an OC means that you're an original character who doesn't exist in this planet's media. You're uniquely you, and people liked you for it!" Athena gave a wink and thumbs up to the Knight as the van door closed. "Don't worry about me, guys! The Archon gave me just the place to show off my skills!"
Athena held her arm-mounted Device in front of her, and activated a hidden function as she began to chant. "Gathering wishes become a new shining star! Drive on the path its light shines upon! Duelist Alliance, activate Duel Rider Mode!"
At that command, the Device started morphing as it enlarged, transforming into a futuristic white and red motorbike upon which the silver-haired Elite now sat.
"I'll handle point defense this time! Let's rev it up!"
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Post by Hiroko Agueda on Mar 20, 2023 20:30:10 GMT
The light bridge was an impressive improvisation, the kind of grandiose magic-with-a-flair that she felt she should come to expect more from the haughty Hechingen. Having been given free reign the volunteers had risen to the unexpected challenge, and now all that was left to do was to make a safe evac. Oddly reassured by their displays of magical competence, Hiroko fired up the engine of the borrowed vehicle and- at a far slower cruising speed this time- guided it across the golden bridgeway with nary a bump.
Once clear of the bridge, the shimmering light faded behind them, and Hiroko focused on the road ahead, taking slightly more care and attention to driving this time. Having had a little mental down-time, she was better able to absorb the nuances of the thousands of hours of driving instructional videos she had downloaded off of this planet's internet to teach her neurons. Now she even knew about the significance of red and green lights, as well as driving directions. Remarkably familiar concepts, but ones that somehow had evaded her as she had been busy well, evading pursuit.
As Velgear and Winter lapsed into a high-speed, friendly conversation in the backseat, Agueda gave Hechingen a firm nod.
"Impressive work back there, Volunteer Hechingen. I suspect you will be our Team Leader going forward."
It was as tacit an admission of command failure on her part as she could make. Of course, the final decision of who to blame and how to respond to this mission would be up to Fleet Command, but she rather suspected they would go back to putting her on solo missions, at least for a while.
"Volunteers Velgear and Winter, your contributions were also exemplary. I will be sure to make note of it in my after-action report."
With that, she turned her attention back to the road, even fiddling a bit with the primitive radio-reception device integrated into the vehicle. Filtered radio-waves began playing what could only be music, or something approximate to it.
She recognised the language as English, one of this planet's most common languages, though not native to their present geographic location.
"… We've been on the run
Driving in the sun
Looking out for number one
Kamihama here we come
Right back where we started from"
The tune seemed oddly fitting, and she found herself imitating its naturally catchy rythym as she drove towards their final destination. She anticipated no further problems before they arrived at the Safehouse.
As the stolen Hyundai continued its leisurely, if battered, cruise down darkened suburban streets, A feline creature with bright, luminous green eyes watched as it passed. With a flick of its long, bushy tail, it lept from lightpole to lightpole, untill the vehicle had passed it by.
Most curious....
[[END THREAD, LAST POSTS ONLY]]
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Post by Lorie Zetros on Mar 21, 2023 13:51:11 GMT
Lorie couldn't help but smile at Sigi's reaction to her little trick. In reality, that was what it amounted to. A bridge was a simple piece of work compared to say, the walls of a city-fortress, or even the impeccable photonic armour that allowed a neophyte footman to fight on even terms with five Cretarian Veterans. She still had a long way to go before she could craft such a magnificent piece of work from her mana alone, on top of her Knight Armour. But it still felt no less good to feel appreciated. Everybody did so in their own way, with the Section Leader - perhaps jokingly? - suggesting that she might get the role next time. Volunteer Velgear applauded and answered Sigi's question from the con, before surrendering the passenger's seat at the drop of a hat. Mainly so she could demonstrate some of her own skill with riding a motorcycle. On this unadministered world, wheels were definitely better for blending in. The swoops and other grav vehicles employed by the powerful and privileged would stick out like a sore thumb. Lorie dispelled her Armour as she relaxed in her little shotgun throne. Behind them, the light bridge slowly dissolved in a shower of sparkles that fell to the river below. She never did hear the sirens of the police, which meant they were making good time. The princess hung her elbow out the window and gazed the passing vista. Yes, this didn't look too different from an Administered World's suburb. More specifically, a very underdeveloped one that still relied on such inefficient types of renewables. As the radio played a mellow song about driving along a highway, Lorie squinted, examining the city skyline. Up on top. Too many wind turbines. Occasionally a squat silhouette covering a long section of the roof. Solar panels, perhaps. What a barbaric state. They didn't even have fusion plants yet, from the look of things. And that was the sort of thing you built when there wasn't enough mana in the area to power a reactor. Then again, given the state of the fleet with all this Red Line business, it wasn't surprising that fusion was probably their next best bet. Mana simply wasn't a thing here. In the darkness of the night, bright blue streaks occasionally flashed by. This little ragtag team had gone in with the first wave. Others were still following. Still strapped in, rather than on the ground. For just a moment, Lorie grasped the true scale of this mission. She was one of two thousand Volunteers. And the Volunteers had ten times as many Bureau servicemen backing them up. What was it going to take to stand out from that crowd and show that old man who sired her that exile was a mistake? She had a vassal now, for one. And if the Section Leader was serious, she did something really commendable tonight. The ones on top would decide. Well, if the ones on top didn't mind, she would take some of her own initiative as well. She learned quite a bit tonight about the potential influence of streaming on this "Glitch" app they mentioned. Maybe she'd give it a try. It would depend on their living arrangements, though. And if they ended up bunkmates, perhaps Sigi could lend a hand as well. Only time would tell. For now, she could just enjoy the view and the radio. It might have been primitive, but at least it wasn't empty. If nothing else, this city didn't look boring. [592/8757/10]
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Post by Sigi Winter on Mar 26, 2023 1:15:38 GMT
Sigi didn't realize she had been holding her breath until Athena stepped away from Lorie's seat without argument. Now that there wasn't much to worry about, she also noticed that she had the whole back seat to herself. She had had quarters smaller than the interior of this car, and the back seat was more than big enough to be a bed by itself. With the car running at much more reasonable speeds as well, she didn't feel bad about not strapping into the seat belts. She quietly laid over on her side and stretched out across the back seat.
Now this was how she had imagined her missions would be here. With the rhythmic vibration of their vehicle against the road and the engine humming in the background, it was like this thing was made to be slept in. The other two would likely be watching the road for any approaching threats or obstacles, leaving her free to nod off as she pleased. She had been working far harder than normal today, and she felt she deserved it.
As she drifted off to sleep, she wondered what would come of this ragtag Section. For once, most of the problems of the mission weren't her fault, and she was glad that the heat likely wouldn't come down to her. If Hiroko was to be believed, Lorie was next in line to lead the section, which made sense given her heritage. Sigi hoped the brass wouldn't be too hard on her though. She was still a big help to have on the team, and if she left Sigi would probably end up having to cover her work.
She couldn't help but wonder if she had knocked something loose in the Section Leader's head when they had sparred before the mission. She had appeared to have been repaired, but who knows how complex machinery like that works. If that was the case, maybe they could just fix her and things could go back to how they were. It was a pleasant thought, even if it wasn't likely, so Sigi chose to hold onto it a while longer.
The safe house itself was an exciting prospect. There would be many more volunteers there, and the ones she had already met were so different than her friends in the church. She said a silent prayer to the Sanktkaiser that she might get to room with Lorie. Maybe they would even be grouped by section and she could be with the rest as well.
As she thought about these, and other things, Sigi quickly drifted off to sleep.
[433/3617/9]
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