Exodus: Beyond Eden Chapter 1: Into the unknown [IC]

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

"Hmm, I guess." she said stuffing the muffin into her face. A few crumbs fell everywhere. She wasn't really trying to be ladylike at all. The next thing she said with her mouth full of muffin. "It is a simple name, that is good."

"I don;t like my name, too billowy, silly. So, no I won;t tell it to you. I am only ever Vixen to you. And you best remember that." She slumped back a little, seeming to actually relax for the first time. She really didn't like people, so she was on edge the entire conversation up until this point. But she felt safe enough now. Still wasn't thrilled with Garen being here, but she wouldn't drive him away.

She resumed shoving muffin in her face, it probably looked silly, somebody who was known for being cold and scary, just sitting there shoving her face full of muffin.

[Aurorix]

Zero saw no point in staying in the tent anymore seeing as it's just silent. He headed out of said tent and began to wonder around the camp. Hopefully he'd find something interesting or just the barracks. He really didn't care, though he only really cares about one thing on this journey. After wondering for a while he came across a place that looked like a medical area. Seeing as he was tossed into the air before it wouldn't hurt to get a quick check up.

[Sutoratosu]

Zero

What the met the foolish and still injured Soldier when he entered the tent was a rather foreign sight; A large, strange white device stood in the middle of a small decontamination area. Just four white walls and the machine were the things to keep him company as a red lense scanned him from atop the apparatus' arch. The beam of light tingled on his skin as it hovered all around him, moving up and down his body before finally returning to the eye... and he felt a sharp pain in his rib cage the minute the light had passed over it.

"Considerable Injury Detected," A woman's voice called to him from seemingly everywhere. "Consciousness detected as well. Please, stepp forward and if you are able to, hold your arms out to your sides and face forward. if you are wearing a helmet, do not remove it or any part of your exo suit until decontamination is complete. If you are not, close your eyes and mouth and do not inhale."

[Notus]

Big raised an eyebrow, at this rather cold greeting, but got his helmet on and followed the instructions. "Oh hey. Is this to eat?" he joked as the machine decontaminated his Exo-Suit. "Now really, hope this thing get's it's job done fast."

[Aurorix]

Zero did as he was told and stepped forward. He spread his arms out and waited for the person to say it was clear. Though her first words rung through his head 'Considerable Injury Detected,'. Had he really been hat careless? He was glad he showed up, though a little bit worried about his condition. His face didn't show it though, it was expressionless though you couldn't see it due to the Exo-suit's mask blocking any vision of his face.

[Sutoratosu]

((OCC: For those still in the tent who are sitting around and haven't posted anything since you were dismissed for the night by Stone, you have until the next time I update to get some response in and do something, or else I will force you all into a situation requiring interaction from you in the next update. it's kinda ridiculous that out of ten or so players, barely half have done anything during this interaction scene and almost no one has said anything in response to my inquiries as to what's going on.))

Big & Whit

The spray mist enveloping Big's exosuit began to recede as the decontamination ran it's course, leaving the soldiers visor heavy with a dark red liquid so opaque that he could barely see his own two hands through it, let alone that his entire suit was coated in the stuff. A moment after the spray mist was halted another one began, this one a clear, cloudy solution that mixed with the bloody substance on his helmet's view port like mud before evaporating cleanly, not leaving even a single trace of either chemical.

"Decontamination complete," The AI confirmed in her strangely melodious voice that had doubtlessly misled more than a few male soldiers before. "You may enter the premises." at the opposite end of the sterile zone a rippling began in the air as a crimson hexagonal pattern began to hover against the back wall, making the very clear boundary of a force field similar to an Exo-suits. As Whit and Big watched the pattern began to split in half into the shape of a door way, flaps visible through the rectangular breach. obviously this was the way into the Mess.

Zero

"Decontamination complete," Zero heard the AI chime as the sprays stopped and at the back wall of the sterile area a bright crimson hexagonal pattern rippled for a few seconds in the air, revealing a rectangular breach in it. Two tent flaps lay closed beyond the break; obviously this was the entrance into the Medical Center.

Kenshin

"You could be doing that far better, you know?" Kenshin heard a female's voice from over his shoulder as he worked on his drone. A blonde haired Girl no older than he was stood eavesdropping on his work, eyes lit up with the reflection of the welding sparks, seemingly oblivious of basic safety requirements like smocks and Welding mask, wearing no other gear than her Exo Suit, slate grey, signifying a Government Agent, and even then she didn't have the helmet on. The warm orange glow of the sparks illuminated her face, framed in the deep golden locks of her loose worn hair and revealing a band of freckles running across the bridge of her straight nose. Her lips were pursed as she went on. "And your upgrades are honestly shotty at best, and on top of that it looks like you went with a near full offensive overclock for this when this model's size and capacity is far more suited for a supportive one in the field." Her bright green eyes flashed a little in the light as she looked at the young hacker, a look somewhat in between pity and conceit there, as if she wondered if the fool even knew what he was doing. "You have worked with drones before, haven't you? or are you one of those wannabes who starts out with hacking and then moves up to Operating these and modding them, thinking it's going to be a piece of cake just because you know computers?"

Vixen & Garren

"I am only ever Vixen to you," The Sniper and Scout heard a perfectly mimicked version of Vixen's voice ring out from a nearby tree top, though the darkness obscured whatever could be making it. "And you best remember that."

"You're not killing any of my men, Quiet." Another voice, this one sounding perfectly like Bane's, rang down from another tree top, a click and hissing sound came soon afterwards as whatever was doing this also mimicked the noise of a Tactical Sword locking mechanism being disengaged, the tone of what came next had a resolute edge to it, as if the owner wouldn't hesitate to resort to absolute force. "You try, and you'll find this blade so far up your hamster hole that I'll be able to give you a frontal lobotomy with it. I won't show any mercy if you threaten them. they're just Grunts in all of this, they're lives are worth more than being taken because they happened to be on the wrong side of things." The sound of something leaping from branch to branch came about in the noise of rustling leaves and creaking tree branches. But there was still no sign of whatever the hell was up there.

"W-well, my name's Garen. Garen Forrest," was the next thing the two heard from where they sat, a perfectly mimicked version of Garren's own voice talking this time. And this one sounded closer than the others, almost as if it was right behind them, breathing down their necks and sizing up their position...

[Notus]

"Jeez that almost made me lose my apetite." Big said while walking to the tent's entrance. "Almost." He stressed, playfully.

[Felicity]

"It'd be better if you didn't." Whit agreed, a shade of a smile haunting his lips. "Anyway, this is the mess area. Feel free to dine on whatever you want, if that appetite is still around." Whit said as he went to collect some food for himself.

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

"Don't make any sudden movements" Vixen said under her breath. She wormed her hand slowly to her boot where the hilt of a knife could be seen if one was looking. She pulled it out, but promptly hid it in her sleeve. She waited for a second, breathing, watching for any sudden movements, she would act as soon as anything happened.

[Aurorix]

After the mist lowered and he noticed the entrance Zero went into the medical area.

[Sutoratosu]

Vixen and Garren...

"Don't make any sudden movements," The thing behind them said in Vixen's voice, growing closer and letting out a low growl as it entered into sight. In the what little light was in the area from other places in the camp they could see the beast clearly, Dark brown fur, Bipedal with lengthy, slender arms that rested it's beefy fists upon the ground as it crept forward in a crouch like gait. It's face was wrinkled on the bridge of it's broad, flared nose, it's entire face black as night and fangs that looked sharp enough to tear prey apart like butter protruding from the thing's bottom lip. It's eyes glared at the two, empty pools of black sitting in seas of white.

"You try, and you'll find this blade so far up your hamster hole that I'll be able to give you a frontal lobotomy with it." The Chimpanzee said in Bane's voice, nodding at the knife he saw glinting in the Sniper's hand, as if challenging the woman to try attacking with it. "Jace? Jace," It continued, this time in an unfamiliar woman's voice. "you have to stay focused right now... I know the feeling you probably have right now, but-"

"She dies, and I kill them all," Something in the treetops picked up from where the one before Garren and Vixen left off, this one in Bane's voice. "Every single god damn one of those fuc-" Their was a scream that sounded like it had come from a monkey, cutting off the one in the trees before it could finish it's mimicking. A sharp snap and aggressive roar that sounded primal and guttural like it had come from a sasquatch rang out. More rustling came from the trees like earlier, albeit this time far more violent as the mangled body of a creature looking just like the one before the two came tumbling down to the earth like a thrown stone, skidding across the dirt before coming to a full stop at the Scout's boots, it's head turned sharply to left, face frozen in a permanent look of shock and fear that had likely been there just prior to it's neck having been snapped like a twig.

The Chimp sizing up Garren and Vixen redirected it's gaze upon finding it's mate dead on the barren earth now, catching only a glimpse before whatever had struck now crashed down onto him from above a flurry of broken branches and fluttering leafs. A black shape stood and leaned down, wrapping it;s hands on opposite sides of the head and twisting sharply, letting out another snap as the Chimp's neck first resisted then gave way, turning to left so completely that it was nearly a 180 degree break. The beast dropped the mimic's corps to the ground, glaring at the Soldiers. It's nostrils flared arrogantly as it seemed to size them up, and as it took it's time they could notice it looked near exactly like the thing they had just witnessed it brutally dispatch, albeit larger, more heavily muscled along the arms and legs and torso, and eyes that gleamed a bright brown in the darkness. The only other key difference was the fact... that this one had a thick, electronic collar around it's throat the color of Scarlet.

"Perimeter secured..." It said in a voice sounding exactly like Commander Stone's. The hoots and hollers of chimps could be heard as the remaining pack members fled unseen, having watched their Alpha get killed as if he were nothing but mere fodder compared to this behemoth of a Talker.

Zero...

​The First thng Zero noticed when he stepped inside was a large Primeape with a pitch black coat pushing a cart filled with medical supplies, walking right past the man as it made it's way to the other part of the Medical Area, a scarlet electronic collar around it's neck was visible from the glimpse Zero had managed before it disappeared into a private area and another set of flaps. The inside of the Tent was just as white and sterile looking as the Decontamination Area, various pieces of Medical equipment and computer terminals set up in stations ringing the walls, a large aisle running down the middle of the place. Cots were set up all along the perimeter of the wall, each one accompanied by it's own Med station.

It seemed that there were no staff here though... except for the muscular black primeape that just reentered from the private area, no longer pushing it's cart. The thing noticed Zero this time, stopping to stare at him with what seemed to be curiosity, the light of the machinery glinting off his fangs and light brown irises as he gazed at the Shock trooper expectantly. As to what he was supposed to do, well, it seemed the Primeape felt that Zero should already know.

[Flux]

Garen removed his hand from the hilt of his hunting knife. He almost laughed upon finding his hand there. He had instinctively reached for his knife despite having two pistols at his sides.

He looked to Vixen. "Do you think Commander Stone actually has some sort of communication equipment attached to this thing? I wonder if he can hear us. It seems more likely to me that it's just mimicking him, as the earlier creatures had done to us."

That brought to mind the voices that sounded like Bane's. They sounded like more pieces of the conversation he had overheard, but there was still a good chance that they weren't. Who could know how long these things had been picking up lines from camp?

[Aurorix]

Zero looked at the ape with slightly confused. "Hey, ummm... do you know where the doctor is here? I came for a check-up and would you mind getting him?" He asked, hoping he understood what he said. Something about the monkey seemed strange to him, like he was the doctor. Though, with what he's seen today, it wouldn't surprise him.

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

"No idea." Vixen said shoving the knife back into her boot. She sighed heavily as she looked upon the muffin that hit the ground after she dropped it. She only had so many of those, it wasn't like she could visit her cousin anytime soon, though one's life is a bit more important than a bit of sentimentality, she couldn't help but be a bit miffed by it. "Waste of a good muffin though." she said out loud.

[Flux]

"Waste of a good muffin though."

Garen gave a light chuckle. He couldn't tell if it was supposed to be a joke or not, but it was comical either way. He turned to Vixen again, his face becoming more serious.

"I wonder what Bane was talking about..." he muttered. "You heard what the mimics said. 'You're not killing any of my men, Quiet.'"

He sighed. "I don't know about you, but I find it kind of hard to trust Quiet after hearing that. He's not really all that likeable to begin with, from what I've seen of him..."

[Ragnar]

Kenshin pulls up his welding mask and shows his face as soon as he heard a girl's voice."Shouldn't you be introducing yourself first before you bash other people's work?" Kenshin greets the girl with a sly smirk on his face as he stops working and wipes the oil off his hands with a cloth.

"anyways I'm Kenshin if you must know, and yes i happen to be a legit engineer and the machine that you've just insulted along with me is B.O.L.T, my trusted companion and the only friend i need in this place." Kenshin said as he feels the surface of the drone as the engineer shows a strong bond between him and the machine. "its a working model, but i can assure you it is battle ready, its parts are interchangeable as i can transform it in multiple forms, whether its supportive or combative.." Kenshin pause and sighed. "but alas.. its exterior is a bit crude and outdated."

"I've been finding pieces of scrap metal on this lab to rebuild my drone, but sadly all are dented and i don't think it last a day.." Kenshin looks around the place." you said i can do better.. please enlighten me if you must." the engineer said to the freckled girl.

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

"Quiet is an upstart. Though, given the circumstances, I am sure many believed I wanted Zero to die. So, It is hard for me to say he is in the wrong when I suggested leaving Zero behind before. I don't know but too many here are way to green, not cut out for this. So, you must excuse my prudence. If it is people like me or Quiet keeping the others grounded in reality, it is needed. There are too many hero types in this group, too many. And if they all get themselves killed no one will be saved. Even if they hate me, I must watch them and keep them safe. Maybe Quiet intends the same, but in the way he knows how. I am not saying he is right, but I am not saying he is wrong either."

Vixen sighed. "I don't want anyone to know this Garen. I am not here to be anyone's friend. It is better they revile me and think I could care less about them."

[Sutoratosu]

Kenshin

The young drone expert rubbed her temples upon hearing Kenshin saying he was using scrap metal, of all the things she had heard of noobs doing... This was likely the dumbest screw up yet. "There's your first problem right there..." she sighed, taking the electronic welding torch out of Kenshin's hands and shutting the thing off before tossing it to the ground. "You're using metal to try to reinforce and shield it; when a far more lighter and efficient solution would be the same Exo Shield tech used in these suits and on star ships." She again pursed her lips as she glanced down at the drone lying on the table before Kenshin, pieces of scrap welded onto the thing in a fashion that suggested the person using the torch was either insane or had taken no consideration for the thing's weight capacity, or possibly both. "Just... just get up and move away from the drone..." she sighed, shaking her head in utter disappointment. "The thing is botched at this point with all the excess weight you've put on; Top of the line T2 Hover Drives would be needed just to get it in the air, and you can't juryrig it for higher grade tiers with the small power capacity this one has..." She took her gaze off the pitiful failure and looked back at Kenshin. "I'm sorry, but as it is now, this thing is utterly worthless. You're better off simply extracting the computer drives and software memory banks and implanting them into a new model, and no, simply soldering off the metal you've added on isn't an option unless you feel like destroying it completely; A plasma torch would be far too powerful and end up cutting right through to the circuitry."

Vixen and Garren

"but for a few," The two suddenly heard from yet another mimic in the trees, this one talking in Quiet's own voice; obviously this one had been too stupid to flee with it's pack members. "I'm afraid I will have to eliminate them. The danger of them simply being pawns of the Council when the time comes... well, you see my reasoning here. Especially the sniper, Whitt, as I'm sure Stone has apprised you of the Roster change... He's cold, soulless even-" The mimic's speech was cut short and morphed into a simian roar as the thing dropped from the tree tops, fangs brandished and mouth opened wide to take a bite out of Garren's face from above. The only thing that saved him was the Guard Talker picking up a nearby broken branch and flinging the limb with as much power as it's arms could muster, impacting the side of the Chimp's face like a freight train and caving in it's skull as the beast fell off it's course in the air and tumbled to the earth, twitching as blood and grey matter leaked from the grievous wound. The collared Chimp walked over with a look of disgust and gave this mimic a complimentary lethal neck message like he had the other two. A sharp snap echoing out as the Mocking little furry bastard was finally put out of his misery.

The Primeape guard cast one last glance at Vixen and Garren, it's eyes holding even more arrogance and pride than before. Then without another noise it gracefully scaled a nearby tree and disappeared into the forest canopy, leaving the two standing there alone with the three Talker Corpses...

Notus and Dobby

The mess tent was just as white and sterile as the Decontamination center had been, albeit with several compact foldable tables and chairs arranged in rows throughout the place. Not a soul was inside though, not a soul except for the Man walking around in a Blue Exo Suit signifying a ranger corp operative, pushing a cart and setting MRE bags down upon the table tops along with knives and forks and spoons, along with pitchers of hot water, three per every table. He noticed the two and tossed bags at their feet before going back to his work, a look of boredom marking his face.

"Dinner won't be started for another half hour or so," he said dejectedly, eyes dull and lacking in life or luster. It looked as though he were a zombie in a way. "But hell, it's the same shitty MRE crap almost every single night; all the good shit is back home in Esperanza for the fucking ESFAs to enjoy..." whether the man's apparent depression was other this sad fact or something else though, was unclear. "There's water on the tables, ah hell, forget it, I'm sure you probably know how to prepare these stupid things already..."

[Flux]

Garen nearly jumped as the talker was swatted out of the air right in front of him. He looked at the perimeter guard, uttering a quiet thank you, before turning back to Vixen.

"Well, I think I've had enough of being ambushed by these things for one night. I've been here a while now, so I'll leave you be." He began to walk away, stopping after a bit. He spoke without turning around.

"Listen, you don't have to worry about me telling anybody about this. You can trust me, and I mean that. Integrity is one of the things I value most."

With that said, he began making his way back to camp. Come to think of it, he was a bit hungry. He hadn't eaten since breakfast.

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

Vixen for now walked back with Garen. She didn't know if she could really trust him. She had never put that much trust into one human ever since...... she pushed the thought from her mind. It was too hard to think of him. It wasn't that he broke her trust, but that he died horribly....not from the virus but from her mistakes. The last person that trusted her that completely lost his life. Vixen didn't want an others to die because of her, and she would make sure it wouldn't happen. She had saved Zero twice now. That idiot was staying alive if she had anything to say about it. But, she would would never tell him. Vixen, it wasn't that she didn't care, but that she cared too much. She distanced herself to avoid feeling the pain she did the last time.

"I would rather go to bed, I am tired." she said rather plainly. "You aren't so bad. Thank you. It might be good to have at least one person on the squad that doesn't hate me. Even, I am human."

[Ragnar]

"lets agree to disagree.. first of all, its not like i have a choice, top-notch metal is hard to come by around these parts, i have to make the most of i can with very limited resources i can find and still manage to balance its density..that's is one of the reason i join this expedition, to seek and find materials for my drone" Kenshin sighed. "and lastly, i think my drone's A.I can hold up on its own and can even match one of yours, that is if i can find the proper chassis for it, she'll be an unstoppable killing machine." Kenshin isn't about to give up his first drone that his father that is given to him.

"But first things first. who are you? you seem to know more about machines than my teammates" Kenshin said, a bit glad that someone here knows their tech rather than just stabbing and shooting things like his combat oriented teammates .

Edited December 22, 2014 by typhlosionrulez

[Sutoratosu]

Kenshin

"Im not sure if that's a compliment or an insult," the girl said. "But if you must now, my name is Ester. Ester Gratas. and about you're comment about being able to match one of my drones... Romulus, Remus!" she called out towards the back of the tent, a silent hum coming forth as a diamond shaped craft about the size of Kenshin's own drone hovered up from a table and made it's way to where Sarah stood. Meanwhile from the other direction from a table towards the front, coming to a halt right beside the first one. The twin machines sat there in the air, their red and blue optical lenses both focused on Kenshin and the mess on the table before him.

"You called for us, Ms. Ester?" one of them, the red lensed drone, asked her in a male voice with a tint of a english accent that sounded so clear it was as if it had come from an actual person. The girl smirked as she glanced at the thing.

"Yes," she began. "This engineer here says that he thinks his Drone could match either of you." There was silence for a moment... then both the drones AIs burst out in laughter at the boy engineer, hovering around his work station and analyzing his own drone.

"This?" The red lensed one asked, finally stopping his amused manner. "You honestly think that this, this piece of soldered scrap on the table, can possibly out power me? My electromagnetic weaponry systems could utterly tear the circuitry of this rubbish apart in just a firing barrage time of ten seconds flat. Or I could simply blast it with radiation from a microwave ray, cook it like an oven. And it will never function again no matter how many repairs you make if that were to occur." It's lenses turned to it's apparent colleague in the matter. "What about you, remus? how poorly would this thing fair against either of us?"

"Are you kidding, Romulus, dear friend?" Remus asked, his voice holding a gravelly american accent. "I don;t even have to conduct an analysis, the mere sight of this thing on my sensors tells me that it would be nothing but fodder. I doubt it's AI is even capable of speech, let alone learning through experience rather than having new lines of programing introduced."

"Indeed," Romulus concurred, oblivious of Kenshin standing there as they continued to go on and on about how poorly constructed and how botched the boy's prized drone was. it wasn't until Ester snapped her fingers that the two's attention was drawn away from their little conversation.

"That's enough, both of you..." She sighed. "My point has been more than made at this point." With what seemed like reluctance, the two fell silent and hovered back over to the girl's side, still gazing at Kenshin and his handiwork. "Do you still think that comment could be valid?" she asked Kenshin, jabbing her thumb at the chest of her exo suit. "You see the color I wear, right? I'm not some random person that was pulled off the street in desperation for this mission; I'm a legitimate agent of the Esperanza Government, just like my parents before me. I've been around drones and other AI operated machinery my whole life, I know them inside and out, better than the back of my own hand, so do you really think anything you could make could stand a chance against my arsenal? Romulus and Remus here are among my most advanced creations yet, I've had them ever since I was a kid, been working on their systems and upgrading them for years and years now, to the point where I'm not sure if they're just programed or actually self aware at this point..."

"Ms. Ester!" Romulus said in an exasperated tone, cutting her off. "What shame! to suggest that Remus and myself have yet to attain awareness, conscious of artificial mind, you wound us deeply!"

"Do you see what I mean?" Ester sighed, nodding towards Romulus. "It's honestly too hard to tell the difference anymore..."

[Ragnar]

"Impressive." Kenshin's eyes widens as he admires the two drones, the engineer keeps a straight face as Kenshin isn't good in expressing his enthusiasm towards the two machines, admiring them on how good its design was and how well built Ester's drones are. "It must cost a fortune, considering it's government property.." Kenshin circles around the two drones like a kid admiring that new shiny toy that is on display that everyone wants for Christmas. the boy suddenly stops and turns his attention to Ester.

"also i think you prove your point, i expect nothing less from a top engineer of Ezperanza. logically speaking your drones are far superior than mine, but if you think for a second that i'm going to be intimidated by those two as they make me feel inferior.. that will be the moment i doubt myself as a mechanic." Kenshin stares harshly not at Ester, but to Remus and Romulus as they blatantly insult his creation a few moments ago.

"without the luxury, I've improve my drone completely out of nothing, to help my people during the times when blackout was rampant and electricity was very limited when the virus first hit. b.o.l.t. here was designed as a some sort of a backup generator as it can produce and discharge a sustainable amount of energy." Kenshin said.

"It seems we have the same passion for machines, heck, we even have the same childhood growing-up with them, learning about them. I think we'll get along just fine Est... uhm what should i call you?" Kenshin asked.

Edited December 22, 2014 by typhlosionrulez

[Notus]

Big raised an eyebrow at the man's outburst and then turned to Whit. "Ok then, guess the food is that bad then. We'll have to go hunting sometime, even though the animals around here doesn't strike me as very tasty." The Tank walked to the table and started to prepare his meal. "That's a mistake from our good officers, I think. Good food is extremely important to keep the morale of a troop high, don't you think?"

[Felicity]

Iy's hard to keep morale up for as long as they have, it's a miracle we're all as happy as we are now, as I see it." Whit replied to Big, grabbing his own MRE bag. "In the end, it keeps us from going hungry and that's what counts. Though hunting the native species would be good, givee us all time to practice and get some new kinds of food."