Chapter One: Binary Nexus

[Sherwood]

Mario shoots Shirley a grin.  "That's what you get for rescuing me, LT!  Its your punishment for pulling my bacon out of the fire!  Haw haw!  Seriously, you shouldn't be down on yourself.  You had the right stuff out there when we, and by 'we', I mean not only myself but those Tactical Corps guys and the school kids, needed you to step up.  I'll trust in you, ma'am."  He then turns to look at the Colonel.  "Sir?  Just had a thought, are we going to have any artillery or air support if things get nasty?  Being able to call in a missile strike on a hard target might be a life saver."

 

[Purr]

Mario's words got a smile out of Shirley. "Yeah, I guess that's what I get for playing the 'hotshot' card! The ol' Mackenzie bad luck never dies! Ha ha!"

"Sir? Just had a thought, are we going to have any artillery or air support if things get nasty? Being able to call in a missile strike on a hard target might be a life saver."

Colonel Sharp gave Mario an odd look. "Corporal, you and your team are infiltrating a Zentraedi base to retrieve the stolen Veritech Hover Tanks inside. I'm afraid artillery and air support are useless inside of a closed-in base like the one you'll be entering. That is, unless you like the idea of trying to destroy the base with you inside of it?"

 

[Sherwood]

Mario nods.  "Hadn't thought of that part of it, sir.  Guess that's why you make the big bucks, right?  But, once we have snagged the VHTs, I could stand to see a Phalanx or two dump their missiles into the place.  Sir."

 

[Captain Hesperus]

Hercules frowned uncomfortably as a worrying thought entered his mind. He raised his hand and spoke up.


"Colonel, sir. I think there's a problem.", he said, his big voice echoing through the cavernous chamber, "See, my experience is completely in Destroids, The Monster to be precise. I came to Florida, to Eglin, to learn how to pilot a VHT. I have spent only a month or so behind the controls on the ranges, but none in actual combat."


He curled his fingers back into his palms and slowly lowered his hand.


It had been a worry that had nagged at his mind since the talk of them going into active duty, seemingly imminently. Hercules wanted to go, but he was now scared that his lack of experience would make him a liability to his squad and the success of the mission.


"With all due respect, I don't know if I won't hold everyone back."

 

[Psychie]

Toph gives Shirley a smile and a thumbs-up.  "Don't worry.  You'll have a gold star next to your name by the time we are done with this for doing such a good job.  Besides, you'll be commanding the absolute very best pilots out there as we go in, am I right or am I right?"  Turning to speak directly to Colonel Sharp, she says, "Sir, I respect your opinion greatly.  If it will be better for the mission for me to take on a Valkyrie, I'll do it.  Just to be clear, though, I am more comfortable operating a Ajax."  When he tells her the condition to self destruct to make sure it doesn't fall into enemy hands, she nods, feeling some level of her anxiety fade.  "I can do that, sir."


Looking back at the captured Zentraedi equipment, Toph rubs her hands together in anticipation for the effort to come.  Focusing all of her attention on the device, she briefly giggles at the thoght of trying to do a Vulcan Mind Meld with it, then brushes aside that thought.  Time for focus, girl.  You've done this before with the pistol, so you know what to expect.  Flex those mental muscles!  She then places both hands on the surface of the object and begins her mental dive into it, looking for some way to open it up and reveal its contents.

 

[Purr]

"Hadn't thought of that part of it, sir. Guess that's why you make the big bucks, right? But, once we have snagged the VHTs, I could stand to see a Phalanx or two dump their missiles into the place. Sir."

Colonel Sharp kept his grin but he shook his head. "Now there is an idea a corporal and a colonel can readily agree on. However, what happens to the Red Zen base after you're out of there is up to The General. And I don't mind telling all of you - he hasn't even hinted at what he wants done post-mission."

Toph gives Shirley a smile and a thumbs-up. "Don't worry. You'll have a gold star next to your name by the time we are done with this for doing such a good job. Besides, you'll be commanding the absolute very best pilots out there as we go in, am I right or am I right?"

"Thanks a bunch for the vote of confidence." She sighed and gave voice to her worry. "It's just... General Steel keeps throwing me curve balls when I didn't even know I was at bat! If this is his way of keeping us on our toes, it's working - at least on me!" She turned to Col. Sharp.

"How do you work under him, sir?"

Col. Sharp thought a moment. "Day by day..."

It was the best reply he could think of.

When he tells her the condition to self destruct to make sure it doesn't fall into enemy hands, she nods, feeling some level of her anxiety fade. "I can do that, sir."

Colonel Sharp nodded agreeably. "I know you can, lieutenant; you're Hiro's daughter after all. That means something to old farts like us." He shot Stein a mirthful smile.

The Professor rolled his eyes as if to say, "Yeah, yeaaaaah..."

Shirley piped up, the glow in her voice returning. "Someone is going to have to sit me down and tell me all about this Hiroshi fellow! His name just keeps coming up!"

"Yeah!" Reggie and Booty agreed.

MechaKitten just sat curled on Herc's shoulder as he watched Toph.

(Game Master note to all.)

Spoiler

I'll post what happens when Toph traverses with the Zentraedi device after Cap'n and I get this Herc-thing figured out. Feel free to keep posting in here as we work it out. =)

 

[Purr]

"With all due respect, I don't know if I won't hold everyone back."

Col. Sharp could only grin knowingly at these words. He raised his voice a bit so everyone could hear his reply. "Corporal Papadopolis, you are wondering how you are going to do in the heat of combat. Almost all of you are." He pointed at Herc's fellow Traversers. "Thoughts like, 'Am I going to lock up at the first sign of real combat?' 'Am I going to let all of my new buddies down?' 'How am I going to do under fire?' It's a serious question. Serious as a heart attack."

Col. Sharp told you with his tremendous, battle-born confidence. "I am here to tell you all - don't worry about it. Just remember your training."

"Just do that and you'll do fine. Heck, you guys don't think I was born a full bird, do you?" He tapped the brass on his shoulder. "I'll share something with you all - I wondered that same thing waaay back when I was Private Sharp. A baby tanker. Born with a rattle in one hand, cadillac in the other." He chuckled as he referenced the A.T.A.C. nickname to the VHT fire-control stick. "I asked the same question. I got the answer I just gave you. And I say again - I am here to tell you - it works. I wouldn't be here if it didn't. Really."

 

[Sherwood]

Mario nods in firm agreement.  "Yesterday was my first combat mission ever, firing my first shots against a live target that was trying to kill me.  I could have froze up, I could have run away.  But, when it came time to get into the middle of the fray, I didn't even think twice about it; I just went.  Everything was automatic, just like in the sims.  You have the advantage that you've actually been in a fight before, even if it was just throwing shells downrange at a target you never get to eyeball yourself.  And from what I've heard from Reggie about what you did do yesterday, you won't have any problems at all when it comes time to suit up and make it happen."  He reaches up to place his hand on his fellow tanker's shoulder.  "Hell, if you told me that you weren't a bit anxious or downright frightened at this, I'd mark you down as completely mental and watch my back around you!  Courage is not being fearless; its doing what has to be done despite your fear."

 

[Kaerri]

Shirley tried to smile back to his encouragement, but it wouldn't come.  "Oh... my... gosh..."  Shirley's shoulders sagged.  She had not seen this coming.  Pushing her black curly hair aside, she looked into the faces of each of the people whose lives she was now responsible for.  Worry and doubt lingered in her eyes, but none of it was directed toward anyone else in the room.

Toph gives Shirley a smile and a thumbs-up.  "Don't worry.  You'll have a gold star next to your name by the time we are done with this for doing such a good job.  Besides, you'll be commanding the absolute very best pilots out there as we go in, am I right or am I right?"

Elinor grinned and nodded.  "What she said.  Handpicked team, ya know!  Don't you worry, ma'am.  We'll do you proud."

It had been a worry that had nagged at his mind since the talk of them going into active duty, seemingly imminently. Hercules wanted to go, but he was now scared that his lack of experience would make him a liability to his squad and the success of the mission.


"With all due respect, I don't know if I won't hold everyone back."

Elinor shrugged, but her eyes were sympathetic.  "Seems we're mostly all in the same boat.  Like Zuko says, at least you've seen combat.  I haven't, yet.  Well, not real combat, just testing.  Which ain't to say it's not dangerous, but I'm thinkin' it's different when people who don't like you are doin' the shootin'."


She looked at the colonel and smiled.  "Y'all trust us to do this right, and we trust each other, an' that's what it comes down to for me.  I won't let any of y'all down."

 

[Purr]

She looked at the colonel and smiled. "Y'all trust us to do this right, and we trust each other, an' that's what it comes down to for me. I won't let any of y'all down."

Col. Sharp liked that and it showed in his expression. "How about I up the ante, troops? First person in your special team here to let someone down gets to join the Ghost Riders and get trained by the one, the only, Hairball. For a month. How's that for incentive to behave?" The old soldier looked around in the hopes that his attempt at humor had the right effect.

 

[Sherwood]

Mario lets out a chuckle.  "Sir, you play dirty, you know that?  I can damn well guarantee that we all will be at our top level of performance in this mission!" 

 

[Purr]

(Spoiler contains instrumental mood music if you like.)

Spoiler

"Burn" by The Cure (from The Crow Motion Picture Soundtrack)
GM note: The lyrics for this song are on the YouTube video are like the music; they're mysterious and pretty wild. =)


Partial lyrics:
Oh it doesn't matter how you hide
Find you if we're wanting to
So slide back down and close your eyes
Sleep a while
You must be tired...

Looking back at the captured Zentraedi equipment, Toph rubs her hands together in anticipation for the effort to come. Focusing all of her attention on the device, she briefly giggles at the thoght of trying to do a Vulcan Mind Meld with it, then brushes aside that thought. Time for focus, girl. You've done this before with the pistol, so you know what to expect. Flex those mental muscles! She then places both hands on the surface of the object and begins her mental dive into it, looking for some way to open it up and reveal its contents.

(Game Master note for all: This scene includes the moment just before Toph's technopathic interaction with the Zentraedi device.)

Toph Kirin placed her hands on the Zentraedi device and found it to be smooth and somehow cold to the touch. The dark green 10 x 10 x 10 foot orb-like thing was like something out of a strange space movie, its sole pink window bright in contrast to the rest of the dark superstructure surface. As Toph began, she felt, or rather sensed, a large person quietly walking up beside her. It was Professor Stein.

He stood with her in this unusual moment like some great guardian ready to help her face the unknown. He did not touch her lest he disturb her; nor did he speak. He simply stared at the alien device with a distrustful scowl only magnified by his thick white beard and bushy eyebrows.

Toph, for what it was worth, had a comforting feeling cross her mind; it felt like her successful use of technopathy upon Hitomi's pistol was indeed a good thing despite the taxing struggle it took for her to achieve it. Yes, it was an act of will. She had forced her way in. That is what it had felt like. It was not at all as it had been when the Anti-Unification League had been threatening their lives at the dojo when Toph's blood had been up, her warrior spirit stirred and alive.

In those chaotic moments, the traversing had been rather simple once she had put her mind to it; hardly a bludgeoning act of willpower at all, but more a matter of gently putting aside the impossible and daring to believe in the unknown. Once belief was met, it had been simply a matter of following Hitomi's instructions and acting on that belief.

One thing was certain - her sense of fight or flight had been terrifically awake at that moment. Indeed, Toph had not known what was going on, if the men were actors or real foes, or if the whole thing had been set up as one big test for her spirit to travel on. But yes, her mind, her senses, her spirit were all excited and free in the challenge of those deadly moments.

Unlike a few moments ago when she was attempting to "commune" with a pistol she had already known intensely, albeit briefly. Here, she was safe and sound surrounded by friends, teammates, and allies without an enemy in sight. How different those two attempts with the very same pistol had been.

Now here she was making her third attempt with The Professor and Hitomi monitoring nearby. Now Toph found her mindset somehow between those first two attempts. Her mind was somewhere between the fluidity of her first success and the hard, hard climb of the second. But perhaps it was because of that latter success recently that something inside of her felt open and able to reach out.

At that moment, Toph did sense that there was something important to learn here - technopathy was a matter of sensitivity. Perhaps that said something about her new team; not one of them were heartless brutes or insensitive clods. They were people who, for the most part, cared about something. Perhaps that something was different for each of them, but that care was present in each of them nonetheless.

Care - it was a trait Zentraedi hardly knew. But for the Japanese, as Toph's mother had discovered so long ago, care was something precious, like a flower to be nurtured and shared and enjoyed. Preferably with someone else. Or so her father repeatedly demonstrated throughout her life. A more caring man she had likely never met.

As these thoughts meandered through Toph's mind, the use of technopathy, or rather the unseen barrier that was between Toph and success, eased.

*
​

(Game Master note for all: This scene includes Toph's technopathic interaction with the Zentraedi device now.)
Toph's thoughts drifted into and away from her becoming sensations, transforming into feelings, as the technopathy took hold; the naked skin of her bare hands pressed against mega-damage skin of the Zentraedi device. The device seemed to open itself to her mind. In but moments, the option to open the thing became hers to use or discard. She had placed her will inside of the thing and it obeyed her.

During this dreamlike connection with things unknown and outside of her, she became aware of just how dreamlike this sensation was. Yet, as any child in his or her bed can tell you, from dreams come nightmares.

Toph became immediately aware that this was a cage. There was some form of gas inside that kept most creatures out cold. However, this cage, for that was its intended purpose, was not empty. Something was in there. Worse still, it now knew about Toph.

And it hated her.

*
​

(Game Master note: The following scene contains what is happening outside Toph's mind. It includes everyone present in the Big Bunker. That's you guys. =) )

(Mood music for this little scene...)

Spoiler

"After the Flesh" by My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult from The Crow Motion Picture Soundtrack.
Because this song just jams and screams danger! =)

CRACK!!

Suddenly the sound of something smashing against the glass of the Zentraedi device was heard by all. Eyes turned to the source of the violent sound; there on the pink glass was a massive splash of near-shattered mega-damage glass. By the time the realization that something was inside the the Zentraedi device - and it wanted out - it was too late.

CRASH!

An explosion of pink glass followed by a white gaseous cloud burst from the Zentraedi device as sharp shards shot across the room. It was free. On four legs, with a sleek body recognisable as some kind of alien feline, the thing leaped out of its prison.

"No!" shouted The Professor. Without hesitation, he put himself between the danger and Toph. But from within the cloud, the creature struck him with its shoulder as it landed. The Professor, despite his great girth, flew off of his feet with the ugly sound born of terrific impact. He landed heavily on his back some twenty paces away. He groaned once. Then he did not stir.

The MechaKitten, still perched on Herc's shoulder, immediately rose on all fours into a battle stance. His defiant hiss was born from unmistakable recognition. The loud challenge needed no translation:

ENEMY!!

The Enemy hissed back at MechaKitten. Now, free of the white cloud, you could see its appearance clearly:

(Spoiler contains pictures you should see.)

Spoiler

(Image credit: Digitsweb.com )


(Image credit: Mecha Journal )

Then The Enemy charged straight at Toph with hellish ferocity and fangs opened wide...

(Game Master note to all.)

Spoiler

Roll initiative in Fat Gandalf's; I'll discuss how to do so there. =) )

 

[Purr]

MechaKitten leapt from Hercules's shoulder and onto the electronic table. He raced between the shining monitor towards The Enemy, the hate in his electronic eyes mirroring the hate The Enemy clearly had for Toph. The Enemy had not yet seemed to notice the little creature.

The Enemy raced towards Toph with reflexes that rivaled her own. Using its powerful hind legs, it leapt from the armory floor straight at her in the lightning-fast display of a true hunter.

(Game Master note for @Psychie.)

Spoiler

The Enemy is attempting to pounce on Toph using its superior mass and momentum to its advantage. How do you want her to act? Please respond in Fat Gandalf's. I'll roll that white die for Toph again unless you state otherwise.

 

[Purr]

(Spoiler contains a short video to fit the mood. Safe For Work [though you will likely get people's attention if they hear it.])

Spoiler

Let's start this little battle scene with these sounds, shall we?
This is very close to what The Enemy sounds like as it attacks Toph... (The Enemy sounds meaner.)

The Enemy struck at Toph in a flash of motion. As she propelled herself sideways, the alien feline tore at her with its sharp fangs, coming so close it tore the clothing away from her midsection. Only Toph's reflexes and combat training saved her from being disemboweled. It snapped its teeth and barrelled into her with its full force, striking the human-Zentraedi with just the right timing and precision to knock her off of her feet. She landed on the floor. All she saw was The Enemy's teeth and claws as it bore down upon her.

Toph found one of its paws upon her belly. She found herself immobilized by its mass and technique. Its fangs bared wide again and aimed for the flesh on her throat.

Then the strangest of things took place...

(This scene continues in Chapter Two: Into the Malestrom.)