Chapter Two: Into the Maelstrom

[Kaerri]

Elinor was as curious about the situation as Shirley, and her own mind was equally full of unasked questions. Getting out of the mech? Taking off your helmet? Toph, are you going crazy over there? But they remained unasked. Crazy or no, Toph was the pilot on the spot, and Elinor wasn't about to second-guess her without more info.

Which was shortly incoming. Colors shifted and the thing that had been talking to Toph, without moving, suddenly became visible, like a chameleon that wanted you to see it. Elinor's eyes widened and her fingers itched for the firing controls, but she held back, even before Toph's asking her to. If this thing had meant to attack, it could've done so anytime (and after Toph's helmet was off would've been a perfect time). She shifted her weapons to point slightly away from it for appearance's sake (reaiming would take just a thought's worth of time, after all), but kept her attention on the whatever-it-was. It could still change its mind, or there could be more of them waiting in plain sight like it had done. "You say so, Muppet. Don't forget to tell it about our three boys, too."

 

[Purr]

He then begins to systematically search the room, looking for ways to keep moving.

He, too, performed a sweep of the room, looking for anything that could be a door control or alternative exit route, an air vent, maintenance hatch, anything.

Cpl. Booty did the same. For Zentraedi, there were three ways out of this room - two identical-looking blast doors, one about 300 feet to the left of the sitting corpse, the other about 500 feet behind the corpse. Finally, there was the armored blast door in the ceiling that Mario had opened. That door was now closed.

For humans, there were indeed three air vents. Each were about 70 feet above the floor and tucked away into corners. Two of them were on the same walls as the door while the last was in the direction the sitting corpse was facing in an otherwise blank wall. The vents were far too small for humans to fit in between and like probably all things in this mysterious and enormous place, they were made of superstructure (mega-damage material).

As the A.T.A.C. tankers finished their survey, Mario's having taken twice as long as the others due to his wrecked but oh-so-slowly improving condition, MechaKitten sat on Mario's shoulder and watched everything. The walls, the computer console, the Wild Cards, everything but the corpse, for its tale was done.

However, there was a new tale spinning far above the heads of the three tough soldiers and dinky metal feline.

KA-BOOOOM!! KA-BOOOOM!!

Suddenly, the ceiling above the A.T.A.C. Wild Cards shuddered! The computer console lit up in a bright burst of red and green lights. The computer let forth an angry-sounding blare of alert. A heartbeat of a moment passed. Then all hell broke loose above...

BOOOM!! BLAM!! KA-BLAMM!!

Booty and MechaKitten's eyes immediately went to the door Mario had opened. The horrible commotion - a series of explosions that did not seem to be stopping - was coming from up there whence the A.T.A.C. Wild Cards had come.

There was only one thing it could have been...

*​

Spoiler: OOC solely for your amusement

Moments before....

...UNBEKNOWNST TO THE WILD CARDS...

...the entire company of the Scavengers were up at the hole now. Below the burning "Hidden Base Here" sign, they had met the end of what little patience they had. Every last one of the Scavengers were awake and up (including the ones Herc had choked out) and they were doing only what they knew to do.

"HAY!" One yelled from from the oversized loudspeakers mounted on his hideous Tomahawk/Spartan Frankenmecha. "I'VE HAD ENUFF OF DIS SHIIIIIIIT! ASC AIN'T TAKIN' OUR GOODS!"

"Dat's right!" Another shouted. "Dem muddufuckus done robbed da robbers! Dey took Frankie's shit!"

"Fuckin' A right!" Yet another aimed his guns high. "Let dose flyin' bitches come back! We'll fuck 'em all up, yo!"

"Hey, hey, hey, now... Cut dat out." It was the pilot of the Toma-tank. He was speaking calmly and reasonably. Cockpits, torsos, and turrets turned with uncertainty to the sound of their leader. "Just lissen ta yourselves, you guys.... You sound filthy! All that profaaaaanityyy!""

The rest of the company stared in confused silence at the Toma-tank. They looked at each other then back at him.

"C'mere." The Toma-tank stepped forward to the hole and the door that the Wild Cards had succeeded in entering earlier. At his word, the other eleven Frankenmecha stumbled and cranked forward. "Now da ASC got the jump on us, right? So what'd dey do? Dey buzzed us. Dey knocked out our guys. Dey took our stuff. ASC even went inta da base before us so dey could get all dat fine salvage dat's gonna ta make us gazillion-aires - an' here you guys are bein' so ruuuuude!"

The bright spotlight mounted on the Toma-tank's shoulder illuminated the door the Wild Cards had traversed their way through.

"Well, when I was a kid, yanno what my momma used ta say, don'tcha?" He looked at his fellow Scavengers. "If you can't say something nice..."

Those twin 155mm guns aimed down the hole, the leader screamed maniacally, "... JUST GO BLOW THE SHIT OUTTA SOMETHIN'!!"

KA-BOOOOM!! KA-BOOOOM!!

At the report of his smoking guns, the shrieking Scavengers laughed and cheered and danced and fired down the hole as they began to blow their way into the base...

...and with the leader in the Toma-tank leading the song, they sang...

(Mood music)
"Ain't No Rest For The Wicked" by Cage The Elephant for Borderlands Original Soundtrack


They sang...

"Oh, there ain't no rest for the wicked,
Money don't grow on trees.
I got bills to pay,
I got mouths to feed,
There ain't nothing in this world for free.
I know I can't slow down,
I can't hold back,
Though you know, I wish I could.
No there ain't no rest for the wicked,
Until we close our eyes for good".

The explosions continued, the ground shook, and the great armored door went through hell.

Meanwhile... back down below in the base with the A.T.A.C. Wild Cards...

*​

"If there is no alternative, then I shall attempt to Traverse the door. You'll need to talk me through it, though. You've had more experience."

The computer console above your heads lit up again. You found yourselves staring upward. It took will to tear your eyes from the awesome power that caused the ceiling to tremble. As Booty heard the explosions coming down like Floridian rain, he took one look at Herc and exclaimed, "If you needin' Mario teachin' so we can get outta here, Fat Booty be prayin' you a fast learner, mon!"

*​

From Fat Gandalf's...

I would like green dice for my Xeneobiology roll, please. Does this creature appear to be all organic, or does this appear to be partly metallic?

Toph's megasuit hissed pleasantly as Toph placed her helmet over her head and repressurized the suit. Instantly, a bit of breath-fog that had covered her helmet's viewports cleared as the climate control system engaged. Toph descended into the heart of her Ajax and sheathed herself inside the state of the art transformable veritech. Once returned to her cockpit, Toph took another look at the creature she was communicating with. It appeared to be completely organic. There were no apparent metal, plastic, or synthetic materials of any kind.

Furthermore, the creature possessed eyelids, a thing many insects did not. It winked with a body language style that Dr. Kirin recognized - it knew what light-heartedness was for that was what that brief wink displayed. Its chitinous armor was most certainly equal to superstructure - Toph would have bet her medical license on it. It just looked too tough, too formidable.

So... this appeared to be a naturally mega-damage creature just as a Zentraedi was. While its pincers appeared capable of grasping and crushing, those strange trios of digits at its pincer-"elbow" joints seemed to be finger-like in their dexterity. Plus, it was clearly a master of patience and immobility. Despite Toph's penchant for perception, Toph might have walked past it a dozen times and never known it was there.

There, in the tall greenery, it may as well have been an Earthly praying mantis of immense proportions, except that it was communicating via "text" inside Toph's mind. That communication continued now.

"The two humans with me are allies and friends, so please do not attack them. There are, however, twelve other humans out here in assorted mecha that are definitely not allies, and they would most likely attack you on sight, so do not let them see you. Do you understand human speech, or just Meltrandi? Or does it matter, since you seem to be able to communicate with your mind?"

Self will not attack human fighting "skins" correction: fighting "carapaces." Correction per Self.

As Toph Kirin thinks, This One comprehends, for Toph Kirin is Meltrandi. What could be better?

Self comprehends human speech. Self finds speech in any form incredibly slow and inefficient; Our mouths cannot replicate it. Why speak at all when one can instead think?

Query: You have not been enslaved and serve humans of your own free will? There was a pause. Conclusion via consensus: Alert! Though born of Meltrandi, Toph Kirin is not allied with Meltrandi! Then the creature examined Toph's Ajax as if with new eyes. Conclusion via consensus: Alert! Toph Kirin is allied with...

At that moment, the "text" stopped. Toph heard a voice in her mind.

"...Armies of the Southern Cross representing the peoples of Earth."

Everything inside Toph told her the voice belonged to a strong-willed woman. It was every bit as strong-souled as Toph's mother. That voice belonged to a Meltrandi. Toph was certain.

Then the voice ceased and the "text" resumed. Yet with these came another pause followed by words that appeared in Toph's mind hesitantly.

Query: Does Toph Kirin...

...see Meltrandi as friend? Or foe?

She shifted her weapons to point slightly away from it for appearance's sake (reaiming would take just a thought's worth of time, after all), but kept her attention on the whatever-it-was. It could still change its mind, or there could be more of them waiting in plain sight like it had done.

With the vast greenhouse as jungle-like and alive as it was, Elinor's brain surmised that there could be a lot more and there would be no way of knowing. There were simply too many places to hide. Indeed, one could have housed a number of Veritech Hover Tanks within with no one the wiser.

However, Elinor could not shake the feeling that she was being watched...

*​

Game Master note for all

Spoiler

Heya folks! Just so we are all on the same page... with the A.T.A.C Wild Cards inside the base and the T.A.S.C. Wild Cards miles away and inside the town of Milton, neither is aware of what the other is doing. The T.A.S.C. unit cannot hear or see the Scavengers and the A.T.A.C. unit remains without radio contact for outside help.

 

[Sherwood]

Just to clarify: the vents on the walls, if the outer cover was blasted away, would they then be big enough to fit us in our armor?

 

[Sherwood]

Mario points up at one of the air vents. "Up there. If we blast the cover off, we can use our jump packs to leap up and make our way thorough the base like mice in the woodwork until we can find our missing hover tanks. Lets take that vent there and see what we can find. It's either that, or Herc can Traverse the door. I still vote for the vents, though."

 

[Psychie]

Toph answers carefully as she regards the strange insect. "I am also a member of the Army of the Southern Cross, defending all the people on this world, including the Meltrandi and the Zentraedi that have agreed to be a part of our system of government. I am not enslaved, and I voluntarily serve the Southern Cross military as a mecha pilot. Any Meltrandi that is willing to be peaceful and not attack the civilian population of the world can be a friend and ally of mine, but I will take up arms against anyone, human, Zentraedi or Meltrandi, that would hurt the ones that I am charged to protect." She looks around, keeping an eye on her sensors to watch for any signs of the scavs. "Please tell me, are there others of your kind on this world? Where do you come from, and how did you get here?"

 

[Purr]

Spoiler: Instrumental Mood Music

"Combat Drop" by James Horner for the Aliens Motion Picture Soundtrack

The moments went by as the A.T.A.C. Wild Cards continued to plan out their next course of action all the while enduring the constant bombardment from above. The shaking of the ceiling, the flashing lights from the Zentraedi computer console, and pummeling noises of God-knew-what causing it all made for a tremendous amount of distractions for the trio of tankers. As if there were not enough going on, the computer console's blaring alarm was joined by yet another sound. It was a voice.

A demanding male voice filled with authority came over the speakers at the console. Hercules and Fat Booty could not make out the harsh words, but Mario could.

Spoiler: Zentraedi words

"LV426! A breach attempt has been alerted in your area! Report!"

When the corpse did not reply, the voice repeated itself. Finally it shouted, "Station! Reply!"

The voice spoke out three times, each time it was loud with command and urgency. But after the third time, the speakers went silent. A sensation of dread filled the gigantic room. Booty's wild eyes went from Hercules to Mario. He was clutching his weapon and in combat stance. He aimed at the doors.

It did not take a soldier to guess something big was up.

*​

Spoiler: Mood music

"Come To Me" by Vangelis

...Any Meltrandi that is willing to be peaceful and not attack the civilian population of the world can be a friend and ally of mine, but I will take up arms against anyone, human, Zentraedi or Meltrandi, that would hurt the ones that I am charged to protect."

The alien creature heard all and in the listening it remained unmoving - a beautiful monument of perfect stillness in the evening-shrouded greenhouse. It was eerie to watch this incredible display of patience. And patience it most certainly was.

One moment Toph Kirin, Toph saw the words flash across her mind. We are drawing consensus.

The wind blew across the town tossing dust and little else down Milton's quiet streets. The moon seemed to gaze down shining its soft light upon the skins of each of your mecha. Then Toph read...

Consensus reached. Though Meltrandi, you are a protector of this planet Earth. We are protectors too of a different kind as you will see.

She looks around, keeping an eye on her sensors to watch for any signs of the scavs. "Please tell me, are there others of your kind on this world? Where do you come from, and how did you get here?"

These things cannot be answered now though our great curiosity is mutual. Our purpose for contacting you must come first.

Elinor and Toph watched the large fore-pincers of the creature dip down and behind it. It seemed to be recovering something very gently. It was as if this thing were tremendously precious. Then the creature turned and the moonlight displayed what it carried.

It was a cocoon. About seven feet long, three feet high and wide, wrapped in shining rainbow threads that glowed faerie-like under the lunar light. The creature placed this before Toph's Ajax with a gracefulness and poise that strongly resembled reverence. Once but a few meters from the feet of Toph's Ajax, the creature reached forth with one open pincer. With a sure slicing motion as keen as any samurai's sword, the cocoon lifted open revealing what was inside.

Spoiler: What Lay Inside

(Image credit: vmbui - DeviantArt)

She seemed to be in perfect health. Her breathing was slow and rhythmic. She may as well have been sleeping for all the movement she made.

The alien creature stood to its full height now - it seemed to grow to some fifteen feet high, now half the size of Toph's Ajax in battloid configuration. Then it looked outside to Elinor. It seemed to look directly at her cockpit.

Inside Elinor's mind, something broadened, opened softly and naturally like a blooming flower in spring. Elinor saw word-like pictures by the hundreds then by the dozens then less and less all coupled with the strange quiet sounds of something buzzing and rubbing rhythmically. From where they came, the farm-girl-become-test-pilot could not tell. But they were there!

Kzyzh aqppa zQQmgaaa

Moments ticked by. Elinor could feel her heartbeat in her ears. Then the shapes began to meld together like threads in a tapestry.

nPII sssEHHnta qal

Then they merged into something her mind seemed to recognize. Letters!

Success! Communication established. Human language: English-American.

This One has no unit designation for human in fighting carapace.

Something drew Elinor to look at the creature and she did. Toph and Elinor both saw the creature slowly waving one pincer as if in greeting to Elinor. Then it motioned once again to the person in the cocoon. With a swift motion, it both held the person still while slipping the shiny cocoon out from under that still form. It placed the cocoon lightly on its back. It did not move once there. Then it returned its attention to both Toph and Elinor. When it communicated, both Toph and Elinor saw perfectly every word in the clarity of their own minds.

This One presents to Toph Kirin and Toph Kirin-ally, Mistress...

Then both Wild Cards heard a word inside their minds. The word was delivered by a strong-sounding woman. The word was, "Neqel." Then the text resumed.

Mistress Neqel's unit designation was formerly... 'Corporal Neqel Amherst. Armies of the Southern Cross.' Self believes Mistress Neqel wished to be returned to your forces. However, during combat, Mistress Neqel was struck with Zentraedi gray-gas and fell unconscious. She will return to her former state in time. We humbly request Toph Kirin or allies of Toph Kirin return Mistress Neqel safely to Armies of the Southern Cross. This is the purpose of our making contact with you.

Query: WIll you comply?

While this was taking place, Elinor and Toph saw that Shirley was communicating on another radio channel entirely. Getting her attention, if needed, would be a simple matter of alerting her back to the squad channel. Meanwhile, the valiant features of the Meltrandi-become-Earth-Protector lay there in the moonlight with the creature standing above her protectively.

It seemed willing to stand there forever...

 

[Sherwood]

Mario calls out, "Heads up! The Zentraedi know that there is a security breech in this area! One way or another, we have got to move! Lets hit those air vents and get out of here before we are overrun by giant Red Zens." He takes a pick of one of the three vents, already feeling the pain in his head from the upcoming leap to get to them. "There. Lets hit that one. Heck, hit them all to keep them guessing which one we took to get up there."

Decision made, he raises up his rifle and fires a burst into the vent cover, hoping to do enough damage to blow the thing off.

Spoiler

+6 to hit, damage of the weapon is 1d4x10+5. Once a hole large enough to jump up into is made, I will spend a Action Point to go to my Save vs Pain to keep on my feet.
Lets go with a green die for my to hit roll and my Saving Throw.
Ammo: 4 shots left in the current magazine, 9 magazines left

 

[Captain Hesperus]

The sound of the harsh alien language through the base's comms was about as ominous as you might expect when everything around you is designed for giants. As the base comm went silent, Mario sprang into shaky action, indicating one of the vents to be annihilated by their gunfire.
"Looks like a plan.", Hercules replied, leveling his weapon at the vent Mario was targeting.
Finally, we're on the move, he thought to himself, I just wish we still had comms to the others.

 

[Psychie]

Toph gently reaches out with her mecha's hands to pick up Neqel. "I would be happy to take this one back with us. Either that, or we can call for a medivac to come and get her, that way she will be out of the combat area and not at risk where she can't help to defend herself." She kicks over to their squad channel. "Mack, we have a ASC pilot recovered. Do you want us to keep ahold of her, or should we call for a pickup?"

 

[Kaerri]

Success! Communication established. Human language: English-American.

This One has no unit designation for human in fighting carapace.

Something drew Elinor to look at the creature and she did. Toph and Elinor both saw the creature slowly waving one pincer as if in greeting to Elinor.

Elinor's eyes widened as something new, neither human nor machine (and she'd only just gotten used to those!) spoke into her head. This day was just getting weirder and weirder! But to someone born and raised in the South, it was only natural to be polite to those who were polite to you, and this thing, whatever it was, had been plenty polite so far. "Elinor Hall," she replied to the question implicit in its statement, spelling it out visually in her head as she spoke aloud.

While this was taking place, Elinor and Toph saw that Shirley was communicating on another radio channel entirely. Getting her attention, if needed, would be a simple matter of alerting her back to the squad channel. Meanwhile, the valiant features of the Meltrandi-become-Earth-Protector lay there in the moonlight with the creature standing above her protectively.

It seemed willing to stand there forever...

Elinor called Shirley's attention back to the squad channel. "Mack, it looks like our new... friend? Ally at least. Anyway, he-she-it found that corporal we were asked to look out for, and came to us to get her home." She paused when Toph picked up the unconscious corporal.

She kicks over to their squad channel. "Mack, we have a ASC pilot recovered. Do you want us to keep ahold of her, or should we call for a pickup?"

Elinor looked appraisingly at the mantis-person and at the mini-Zentraedi in Toph's Ajax's hands. "I'm for keeping her with us, myself. Our buddy there said she was hit with 'Zentraedi gray-gas' and passed out, but if she wakes up anytime soon, she might know something that can help us out here. And we ought to be able to keep her safe enough in a backseat."

 

[Psychie]

Moving her mecha's hand slowly, she brings the sleeping woman up to her cockpit and once more cracks the lid. "I'll get her strapped in nice and safe in my second seat." She looks down at the sleeping woman, trying to figure out why she looks so familiar to her. Its almost like I know this woman

 

[Purr]

She kicks over to their squad channel. "Mack, we have a ASC pilot recovered. Do you want us to keep ahold of her, or should we call for a pickup?"

"Mack, it looks like our new... friend? Ally at least. Anyway, he-she-it found that corporal we were asked to look out for, and came to us to get her home."

Shirley closed up her conversation and returned to squad channel. In the gloom of the night, the Red Baroness still in Guardian mode turned and began walking in Elinor's direction, its black GU-11 gun pod at the ready. Shirley then came over the squad channel with tone mixed with curiosity and impatience. "O.K., Elinor, between the horn and the guard duty, I've had enough waiting. Just who in blue blazes are you waving at in that greenhouse? What friend?"

Shirley got to Elinor's side. She flipped on her low-light instrumentation and looked inside. She saw Toph's Ajax carefully handling something or someone important, likely the missing corporal.

"We have Amherst? Muppet, before I make that call, I need you to check her out doctor-style. Find out what kind of condition she's--"

Then something waved her way. She turned cautiously. And that's when she saw it.

"CHRIST ON A SURFBOARD!!"

It was a gigantic space mantis. Like a praying mantis on steroids but far, far larger. At first, Shirley did not believe the thing was real but its wave and odd pose convinced her that what her eyes told her was real. Upon this realization, the Red Baroness jerked backward like a living thing in shock.

Reflexively, she faced it straight-on,; the best position for a Valkyrie in Guardian mode in terms of releasing guns, lasers, and missiles. Inside the cockpit, Shirley's blue eyes seemed to have forgotten how to blink. Her heart hammered in her chest as she stammered in confusion. Her surprise and fear rising, the surfer-girl in her came to the fore.

"Wh-- Who-- Whoaa! I knew bugs got hella big in Florida, but this is downright gnarly!"

The gigantic insectoid waved again as it had when Elinor had first seen it. Elinor's Georgian farmgirl background had served her well. Shirley's upbringing watching all those damned old black and white movies in the middle of the night of giant insects eating whole cities and human populations was, unfortunately, now working against her in more ways than one. She had to stop herself from targeting it. Then things became even stranger.

Elinor and Shirley's machines were close enough that with the aid of the moonlight, Elinor could see Shirley grabbing her helmet and shaking her head rapidly from side to side.

"Dudes!" Her singer's voice shook over the radio but the guns on her Valkyrie remained still and silent. Even in the clutches of fear, her voice was melodic. "H-hey, dudes? W-what's goin' down here, guys?! I'm-- I'm starting to see freaky images in my... my head! God, it's in my head! Jesus!!"

*​

He takes a pick of one of the three vents, already feeling the pain in his head from the upcoming leap to get to them. "There. Lets (sic) hit that one. Heck, hit them all to keep them guessing which one we took to get up there."

Decision made, he raises up his rifle and fires a burst into the vent cover, hoping to do enough damage to blow the thing off.

(Parenthesis mine)

Meanwhile, in the gigantic dark room deep below the surface of Florida, Mario aimed his laser cannon carefully and released. As always, there was no kick to the machine; just point and click and don't blame the laser if you missed your target - it was more accurate than you were or so the ASC heavy gun trainers were fond of saying.

This time, favor shined on the young tanker. The bright blasts nailed a corner of the intended air vent and struck it perfectly with a loud explosion. That single burst, perfectly placed, bent the cover in such a way that even Herc would have little trouble entering if he were careful.

A soft whooshing sound from Mario's left and he saw Herc lift off into the air easily. The Tactical Jump Pack could carry even someone Herc's size over double the distance required to reach the vent some 70 feet above their heads. The not-too-graceful Greek stumbled a bit upon impact, but once there, he was able to enter the 20 foot by 20 foot square-shaped shaft easily.

Cpl. Booty stormed up beside Mario. The shaking of the ceiling and the blaring alarm continued. Fat Booty pointed upward toward the vent, his burly voice sounded tense. "Best get to steppin', mon! Somebody gonna be here any minnit! Me right behind you!"

Booty's comment was right on the money. By chance, Mario looked toward the computer monitor just in time to see a warning in Zentraedi - something about a nearby blast door having just been accessed. Then as Mario's attention returned to the 70 foot leap, his hand neared the jump jet control. As it did, something in his body and brain uncontrollably shuddered. It was the recent memory of the awful pain he had just recovered from and not fully at that.

Still, in a moment like this when it was a choice between freedom or certain doom, despite the risks there was only one thing for Mario to do...

Spoiler: Mood music

"Jump" by Van Halen (because I just had to, that's why!) =)

He double-tapped the finger control for the jump jet and shot upward at great speed...

 

[Psychie]

Toph raises up her hand as she yells, "Don't shoot! Don't shoot! Its a . . . well, its friendly enough, and thanks to it, we have our missing pilot. If it wanted to, it could have snacked on me a long time ago."

Time to examine my patient. As the pink haired pilot begins to strap in her unconscious passenger, she checks her vital signs and . . . . "Holy crap! Aunt Neqel? Guys! This lady is my mom's best friend! I've known her all of my life! What are the odds of this?" She breaks open her medical bag, trying to get a better understanding on the condition of her patient. If she can see no obvious injuries, she will try some smelling salts to see if she will wake up.

Spoiler

Lets try some blue dice for my medical roll, please. Medical Doctor of 82%

 

[Kaerri]

While Toph attended to her patient, Elinor attended to her squad leader, though she kept a wary eye on their surroundings and did her "attending" via radio. "Hang in there, Mack! I know it's weird, but this whole day has been weird, right? Just one more thing to report back to Hitomi and Professor Stein. Won't they love hearing about this?"

 

[Purr]

(Mario, Herc, and Booty)

(Mood music and a disclaimer. =) )

Spoiler

Heya folks! I am on a Chris Rice kick at the moment. I really enjoy his songs, his down to earth peacefulness, and his wonderful messages so I hope you don't mind this next post with Rice providing the mood music for all three scenes here. =)

"Clumsy" by Chris Rice. Because everyone feels like this sometimes... =)


Lyrics
You think I'd have it down by now
Been practicin' for thirty years
I should have walked a thousand miles
So what am I still doin' here?
Reachin' out for that same old piece of forbidden fruit I slip and fall and I knock my halo loose
Somebody tell me what's a boy supposed to do?

I get so clumsy I get so foolish
I get so stupid And then I feel so useless
But You're sayin' You love me
And You're still gonna hold me
And that You want to be near me
'Cause You're makin' me holy
You're still makin' me holy, yeah

I'm gonna get it right this time
I'll be strong and I'll make You proud
I've prayed that prayer a thousand times
But the rooster crows and my tears roll down(again)

Then You remind me You made me from the dust
And I can never, no never, be good enough
And that You're not gonna let that come between us
('Cause)

From where I stand
Your holiness is up so high
I can never reach it
My only hope is to fall on Jesus

I get so clumsy I get so foolish
I get so stupid And then I feel so useless
But You're sayin' You love me
And You're still gonna hold me
And that You want to be near me
'Cause You're makin' me holy
You're still makin' me holy, yeah

Then as Mario's attention returned to the 70 foot leap, his hand neared the jump jet control. As it did, something in his body and brain uncontrollably shuddered. It was the recent memory of the awful pain he had just recovered from and not fully at that.

Still, in a moment like this when it was a choice between freedom or certain doom, despite the risks there was only one thing for Mario to do...

...and he did it. At a double tap from his fingers, the Tactical Jump Pack thrust Mario off of the floor and upwards, flaring briefly like some giant firework.

Whoosh!

Suddenly, Mario was brought from a safe standstill to a blood-rushing climb far faster than any part of his body desired.

It was important to note that in terms of raw punishment, Mario had had one hell of a past 48 hours. Outnumbered and outgunned with innocent lives on the line, Mario had endured the fist-clenching stress of battle near Mile Marker 25, he had twisted his ankle painfully, he had been blown skidding down the highway saved only by his megasuit, he had lasted and somehow succeeded at the Assembly, been struck in the chest from a not-exactly-perfect landing during the Wild Card's hot drop into this combat zone near Milton, he had reached into the deepest depths of his considerable willpower to traverse not one but two alien doors, and soon after there was the sudden jump jet blast after that that had sent him sprawling, and now this. One thing had to be said of the Italian-American tanker - he did not relent to pain easily.

But now as he rocketed toward the hole in the air conditioning vent made by his own perfectly-placed laser burst, his body protested violently. For a moment, blackness threatened to close in his vision on all sides as the blood from his head fled and was forced downward into the rest of his body. Still, he fought, breathing heavily and trying so terribly hard to just stay on target, just make it to that hole and the safety it seemed to grant.

So could anyone blame him if, in a moment, he felt a bit clumsy? He not only made it into the hole and into the mega-damage duct inside and behind the blasted vent, but due to him firing the jump jet too hard, his acceleration caused him to bounce off of the 20 foot high roof inside the duct?

BAM!!

Gravity took its toll and downward he came, flailing, and again, too fast for comfort. Finally, he was about to hit something else, Mario did not know what, the floor maybe. It was big. But he knew something was there that might stop him from damaging himself further. Turned out that something was actually a someone...

Hercules happened to be standing near the very spot where Mario was near to face-planting as he fell from the ceiling. If Mario hit, he was going to hit hard. The big Greek looked up and saw that this crazy scene also included a certain wide-eyed MechaKitten who seemed at the moment surgically attached to Mario's left shoulder. Together, the pair was hurtling towards a world full of pain...

What does Hercules do?

*​

(Shirley and Elinor)

(Mood music)

Spoiler

"Smile (Just Want To Be With You)" by Chris Rice.


Lyrics
How far are you, how close am I
I know your words are true and I don't feel them inside
Still I believe you'll never leave
So where are you now

You're all I have, You're all I know
Your breath is breathing in my soul
Still I am gasping, aching, asking
Where are you now

'Cause I just want to be with You
I just want this waiting to be over
I just want to be with You
And it helps to know the Day is getting closer

Every minute takes an hour
Every inch feels like a mile
Til I won't have to imagine
And I finally get to see You smile

My journey's here, but my heart is There
So I dream and wait, and keep the faith, while You prepare
Our destiny, til You come back for me
Oh, please make it soon!

'Cause I just want to be with You
I just want this waiting to be over
I just want to be with You
And it helps to know the Day is getting closer

Every minute takes an hour
Every inch feels like a mile
Til I won't have to imagine
And I finally get to see You smile

I just want to be with You
I just want this waiting to be over
I just want to be with You
And it helps to know the Day is getting closer

I just want to be with You
I just want this waiting to be over
I just want to be with You
And it helps to know the Day is getting closer

Every minute takes an hour
Every inch feel like a mile
Til I won't have to imagine
And I finally get to see You

Every minute takes an hour
Every inch feel like a mile
Til I won't have to imagine
And I finally get to see You smile

Toph raises up her hand as she yells, "Don't shoot! Don't shoot! Its a . . . well, its friendly enough, and thanks to it, we have our missing pilot. If it wanted to, it could have snacked on me a long time ago."

"Hang in there, Mack! I know it's weird, but this whole day has been weird, right? Just one more thing to report back to Hitomi and Professor Stein. Won't they love hearing about this?"

Though it was not the intent, these words stung Shirley somehow. She was supposed to be the one to help and lead, not the one who needed the damned help. Yet here she was, her hands on her shaking head, feeling surprised, helpless, and completely out of her element.

Dogfighting in the Red Baroness in a lightning storm against Male Power Armor? She was ready for it. Dropping a full payload of tens of thousands of pounds of explosive, burning death from the air in "danger close" proximity to friendlies who literally prayed for life below her? Shirley was your girl. Having an alien establish contact inside of her brain without so much as a "Knock, knock, may I come in?" It led Shirley's considerable imagination to uncomfortable and frightening places, for what could she do against an opponent who could do this? Shirley felt she had no training, no background, and no tools whatsoever to take this challenge on. Instead, she felt as naked as if she had been sunbathing on the Red Baroness's fuselage.

Still, Shirley fought to find comfort and meaning in her teammates's words. "A team is there for each other," her father, Jamal, had said on many an occasion. "All for one, one for all. Just like the Three Musketeers with them funny little hats."

"Easy for you to say!" she had responded. "You've been leading troops for years, dad! What's the secret?"

Shirley's father chuckled in a way most of his troops had never seen him do before. "You know I give my people hell. But when things get too thick, I just remember to find something to smile about. Like your momma's face. When the devil comes, baby-girl, just smile. Try it sometime."

Surfer Shirley decided to try it. This challenge? It was like a barrel. She imagined she was in a swimsuit on a board in the cool blue surf in the wide Pacific Ocean where the water curled and the wind caressed. This was just one big barrel to ride. She could make it through. She read the words filling her head from something, someone, whatever in the Milky Way this things was, and she did more than try not to shoot the alien or simply hang in there.

Shirley tried to communicate back inside her head. But before she sent the first word, let the first feeling take her, or try to throw off the leaden chains of fear that were trying to shackle her spirit... Shirley took just a moment. She took a deep breath. Then another. She looked at the creature waving to her from inside the greenhouse.

And from behind her glassy helmet, she gave it a big smile.

In return, the great alien insect ceased its waving. It looked back down to Cpl. Amherst in Toph's Ajax's hand, now near her open cockpit. Shirley waited for Toph's call. She wanted, no, needed to know the corporal's condition before she made her own call about whether or not to have her medevaced back to Eglin. Until then, Shirley did not want to disturb Toph in her medical work.

While she waited, Shirley looked back over to Elinor. "Hey," she called Hall. "Thanks! I needed that." She pointed toward the graceful insect. "So... Bruce Leanne," she tried to kid, "they grow 'em that big in Georgia, too?"

*​

(Neqel and Toph)

(Mood music)

Spoiler

"Deep Enough to Dream" by Chris Rice. This song just takes me away. "Do I really have to wake up now?" =)

Lyrics

Lazy summer afternoon
Screened in porch and nothin' to do
I just kicked off my tennis shoes
Slouchin' in a plastic chair
Rakin' my fingers through my hair
I close my eyes and I leave them there
And I yawn and sigh and slowly fade away

Deep enough to dream in brilliant colors
I have never seen
Deep enough to join a billion people
For a wedding feast
Deep enough to reach out and touch
The face of the one who made me
And oh the love I feel and oh the peace
Do I ever have to wake up?

Awakened by a familiar sound
A clumsy fly is buzzin' around
He bumps the screen and he tumbles down
He gathers about his wits and pride
And tries again for the hundredth time
'Cause freedom calls from the other side
And I smile and nod and slowly drift away

Deep enough to dream in brilliant colors
I have never seen
Deep enough to join a billion people
For a wedding feast
Deep enough to reach out and touch
The face of the one who made me
And oh the love I feel and oh the peace
Do I ever have to wake up?

'Cause peace is pouring over my soul
See the lambs and the lions playin'
I join in and I drink the music
Holiness is the air I'm breathin'
My faithful heroes break the bread
And answer all of my questions
Not to mention what the streets are made of
My heart's held hostage by this love

And these brilliant colors I have never seen
I join a billion people for a wedding feast
And I reach out and touch the face
Of the one who made me
Deep enough to dream in brilliant colors
I have never seen
Deep enough to join a billion people
For a wedding feast
Deep enough to reach out and touch the face
Of the one who made me
And oh the love I feel and oh the peace
Do I ever have to wake up?
Do I ever have to wake up?
Do I really have to wake up now?

"Kelly..." His voice was ghostly thin and beneath it she could almost hear a tone beneath it. The sound of the universe or a note caught up inside her, resonating and magnifying with nowhere to go but out. "You have to listen..."

And as she fell away from dream into darker depths or daylight, Neqel was left with an unsettling feeling. Almost a memory, like the one she'd had earlier today when gassed, remembering an alien observer to a battle from so long ago. She'd missed something. Something important. Something she needed to know. Something Richard perhaps had known, or maybe it was only her trying to tell herself with the only face she could never ignore.

Neqel received the message. His message. Perhaps it was sent so that Neqel would not wind up like Richard - taken too soon from wife and family. If Neqel died here somehow, where would that leave their sons and daughter?

Something inside Neqel's dulled and dimmed senses felt the odd sensation of travel as though while her mind and body had gone different places, they were still quite connected. Then there was a comforting feeling of being wrapped up inside, say, a soft warm shroud followed by a blackness that knew no chaos, no aches, no pain. Like a sharp and shining blade sunken in its own sheath, there was no need of Neqel the Warrior in this place. Just... Neqel.

Then she was traveling again. Smoothly. Easily. Not like walking where the body was in a tiny battle for balance every step of the way, but moving in such a way like a cloud crossing against the starry sky. It was like flying, free and effortless! Almost like floating through space without the need of a Queadlunn-Rau. And yet, she could not help but feel as if she were not doing the flying but was instead a passenger on a trip to the unknown cradled in the arms of something larger.

Then the motion had stopped. There was another freeing feeling like being pulled out of a safe, thick blanket, one she had not known she had been in. There was a sensation of openness as if she were a flower and her petals had gently burst open wide and now she was free to bloom.

Thus open, written words, silent and reaching to be understood, seemed to try to make their way into Neqel's mind. Neqel could see them like dreams through a fog.

...str... .e.e.?

A moment of time passed. And then...

...t.ess ..q..?

The more Neqel strained to peer, the more the fog began to lift. Soon, she saw the words clearly.

Mistress Neqel?

It was Unit One. Please return to us. Consensus reached: It seems someone from your past has returned to your present!

Neqel's eyes fluttered open. She did not realize where she was except she was most certainly not in the place she was in when she fell unconscious - the air was too fresh, too clean. But the female face before her did not belong to Unit One, but instead the only pink-haired, pink-skinned Meltrandi Neqel had ever known who was born with human blood in her veins.

Toph!

Neqel was drowsy. Deeply drowsy. But when you go through your years with but a handful of people you trust in life, you learn quickly how to identify them. Thus, Neqel knew Zyorna's daughter's familiar face and voice even if she had not seen it in years. It was Toph the half-Japanese, half-Meltrandi. Neqel's ears confirmed all when she heard as though from afar...

...Neqel? Guys! This lady is my mom's best friend! I've known her all of my life! What are the odds of this?"

From her initial diagnosis, Doctor Kirin had discovered that Neqel's blood pressure was low, her breathing deep and steady, her vital signs strong, and her skin was unusually warm. Not hot, but comfortably warm as if she had just exited a nice relaxing bath. Just the kind of diagnosis that would tell of someone under a state of hibernation. What level and influence, Toph could not tell for she lacked the equipment. No matter. As the moments passed, Toph noticed her Aunt Neqel's eyes flutter in sleepy confusion, she knew that Neqel's body was slowly waking up. And taking its sweet time in doing it.

College books and computer screens had taught Toph that there was likely going to be some disorientation. This would eventually follow by a real need of both food and water. Just because Neqel's body had been down, it did not mean it was not busy. By the time Toph had the smelling salts from her kit in her hand, she realized she had a decision to make.

Sure, the ammonia in the smelling salts would cause Aunt Neqel to breathe easier and possibly waken faster, Toph's own education seemed to ask - was this better than allowing Neqel to wake naturally? Neqel's body, Toph soon ascertained, was not rising to a wakeful state from sleep, but hibernation.

The call to make, of course, was Toph's.

What does Toph do?

 

[Psychie]

As Toph examines Neqel, she is busy reporting the condition of her patient to Shirley and Elinor. "I don't see any reason for her to be unconscious; I'm guessingit's either a side effect from getting transported by our new friend or she was hit by some kind of knock out drug. Her vitals are low but steady, and at this point I would argue to let her wake up on her own instead of trying some stimulants, unless there is a real need for her to be woke up right now. Besides, she would probably be disoriented and might get violent until she realizes that she's safe and with friends." Done with her exam, Toph carefully straps Neqel into the second seat of her Ajax, making sure that the straps are snug but not too tight. All the while she works, she speaks to her aunt in a soothing voice. "It's ok now. Let your little Muppet take care of you like you used to take care of me when I was little. You are safe with me, Aunt Neqel."

Slipping back into her own seat, she makes sure that she is ready to fly. "Ok. We have a dozen scavs in some messed up redesigned mecha out there, trying to get to our team. We are seriously out numbered and out gunned, but when has that ever stopped us from doing something crazy? What's the good word, LT? What are we going to do about those bozos?"

 

[Purr]

Shirley thought a moment the sighed. "Well, we've buzzed 'em, we've taunted 'em, and now that their lances are formed up, we have a four-on-one situation. We take them on in the open, which is pretty much all there is outside Milton, and all of us plus your aunt there are gonna get blown out of the sky. Annnnnd..." Her Valkyrie's free hand motioned toward the insectoid who was craning its neck in an effort to see everything that Toph was doing with Cpl. Amherst, "...may I remind everyone that we're still in a first contact situation here?"

Shirley slapped her thigh. "Chicks, if you've got ideas, I'm all ears!"

 

[Purr]

Meanwhile, as Toph finished belting Cpl. Amherst into her Ajax and lowered the both of them into the steely mecha's chest, the alien insectoid continued to watch. It rose up to its full height and seemed to grow as it lifted itself out of its smallish sitting position - the creature was some fifteen feet tall! Its eyes appeared to glow a faint yellow as it tried to peer inside. In accident, it bumped its head once against Toph's canopy.

"I don't see any reason for her to be unconscious; I'm guessingit's either a side effect from getting transported by our new friend or she was hit by some kind of knock out drug.

Toph saw words cross against the fabric of her mind. They came from the insectoid.

Toph Kirin. Your assessment is partially correct. Mistress Neqel's state was induced by the Zeki-Zentraedi gray-gas. Previous consensus has concluded that victims of this weapon should return to full awareness on their own. The counter-agent to gray-gas remains as yet unknown. Avoidance is key.

Query: Is Toph Kirin certain of Mistress Neqel's safety in this fighting carapace? She seems so... vulnerable.

Unbeknownst to all save Neqel, it made another attempt at contacting the Meltrandi warrior. This time, Neqel heard the message clearly. The gas, it seemed, was slowly making its way out of her.

Mistress Neqel?

Neqel became slowly aware that she was now breathing recycled air. For one long moment, her brain, playing a trick on her, made her forget all about Earth and the ASC and even her children. For that moment, Neqel's body seemed to think she was piloting a Queadlunn-Rau through the depths of space along with countless fellow Meltrandi warriors.

Then with a soft gasp, her eyes opened completely. Her Meltrandi immune system was fighting and fighting hard as always and it was winning. Reality returned with a vengeance. Neqel found herself, micronian-sized, seated in the top seat of a mech and surrounded by controls she could not readily identify. She sensed another seat below her and a pilot inside of it. Groggy, but certainly awake, Neqel saw more words form inside of her warrior's brain.

Mistress Neqel? Toph Kirin has placed you inside of her fighting carapace. Query: Is this satisfactory? Is there some way This One can be of further assistance?

 

[Epiphany]

Consciousness returned, though not without its surreal moments. The feeling of the Queadlunn-Rau stayed with her a moment and when reality reasserted itself, Neqel found herself a little disappointed. It'd been an easy life. Full of honor and glory and battle. Purpose was clear. Orders were always provided.

Then memory returned with reality and Neqel gasped slightly, rousing fully. Richard. Her children. Her adoptive homeworld. These things meant more, for they hadn't been given to her. She'd earned them. Chosen them. Kept choosing them and experienced the reward of deepening relationships, of growth, of love and change. She hadn't been built to change. But that just made Neqel's choices wholly her own.

"I'm fine, Unit One," the blue-haired Zentraedi said, her voice hoarse with lapsed hibernation. "I'm..." She blinked. "Toph Kirin? She is a friendly. She's also...what is she doing here?"

Stirring in her cockpit, Neqel realized she was strapped into the mecha. Belted in, not a prisoner but a passenger. The feel of the mecha lacked the vibration associated with flight. So she spoke up.

"Toph? Is that really you?"

 

[Purr]

Spoiler: Instrumental Mood Music

"The Tali Suite" by Jack Wall for Mass Effect 2 (all of the Tali Mission themes combined into one track from a fan from the look of it).

Gravity took its toll and downward he came, flailing, and again, too fast for comfort. Finally, he was about to hit something else, Mario did not know what, the floor maybe. It was big. But he knew something was there that might stop him from damaging himself further. Turned out that something was actually a someone...

Hercules happened to be standing near the very spot where Mario was near to face-planting as he fell from the ceiling. If Mario hit, he was going to hit hard. The big Greek looked up and saw that this crazy scene also included a certain wide-eyed MechaKitten who seemed at the moment surgically attached to Mario's left shoulder. Together, the pair was hurtling towards a world full of pain...

...and pain is exactly what they got.

Hercules made no move, baneful or beneficial. Mario and MechaKitten bounced off the floor and past him like a pair of basketballs thrown by Hover Tank. The two struck and rolled and twisted and bounced and skidded and more, all the while their worlds turned upside-down and sideways until they came to a stop some 40 feet from the hole Mario had created with his rapid-fire laser cannon.

Mario lay on his back like a discarded ragdoll. He did not know where his laser cannon went except that it had made it up into the ducts and was in here somewhere, just not in his hands. MechaKitten looked as if he saw swirls of shiny stars and rainbows and catnip and a dozen other things all circling his confused little head.

"Reeewrrwrerrr? Reeeewr! Rrrf... Mewf... Meef..." Mario's ears heard. But his mind saw these words inside.

Who boppeded us? Lemme at 'em! I'll... I'll... Oooh me head...

Mario felt a MechaKitten stumble up onto his chest. A moment later, a teeny pink tongue was affectionately and slowly licking against his face-plate.

"Mrowr!" Mario heard.

You haz to get up! Mario read.

Thoomp! BOOM! Thoomp! BOOM! Whoooosh! He heard from outside the blasted grate. Two weapon discharges, grenade launcher if his ears were working, followed by two explosions, then the hushed thrust of a jump pack.

Looking over, Mario saw the entrance to the ductwork he had created. The black and gray ductwork continued farther down some 50 feet then sharply turned right. At all times, the square-shaped realm was 20 feet high and 20 feet wide. The superstructure that had made up the ductwork was hardy like a mecha's frame.

Mario looked out toward the entrance. For the slightest moment, he thought he saw Booty's head and flailing arms outside of it before they fell. There was another woosh and this time Cpl. Booty made it up into the hole.

"Mario! Fat Booty was waitin' ta catch you if'n you fallin'. Booty did good on your idea, too - shootin' de otha two vents an... what'choo doin' sleepin' at a time like dis?" Mario could hear the slight teasing tone in Booty's voice as the bigger fellow made his way over to Mario and took a look at him. He was about to say something else when the unmistakable sound of a Zentraedi blast door opening came from outside and below the vent. All with no tanker Wild Cards to be found. They had made it into hiding just in time.

The sounds of gigantic armored feet, the rustle of gear, and strange guttural growling made their way up to the Wild Cards. It was followed by the voices of two halting, hate-filled voices of Zentraedi. The pair spoke their native tongue. Of the Wild Cards present, only Mario could understand it, but understand it he did.

Spoiler: Translation of conversation from Zentraedi

"LV-426 has been destroyed!"

"Attempted breach on HD-116! Micronian mecha!"

"What is this? Damage and holes in the ventilation?"

There was a pause.

"My lord! We have been infiltrated! The Micronians are aboard!"

"Wait! The airlock is closed. How are there Micronians aboard if the airlock is closed?"

"Look there! A message! What does it say?"

"We will read it for you, my lord! It says... "Look here! An opening in your security! Ha ha ha!!"

There was a shuffle of movement. Then more growling and afterward a pause, silent and grim. That time allowed Mario to get his bearings and, if he so chose, to rise once again to his feet. Booty held out his hand, but MechaKitten just kept on quietly licking.

*​

"We are seriously out numbered and out gunned, but when has that ever stopped us from doing something crazy? What's the good word, LT? What are we going to do about those bozos?"

"Chicks, if you've got ideas, I'm all ears!"

Shirley grimaced. What else was there to do? From her perspective, the T.A.S.C. Wild Cards were out of options. If they were going to take on the Scavengers, they might have stood a fighting chance when the lances were apart, but now that they had reunited into a full company, there was no chance. The terrain favored the enemy, the enemy was aware of the Wild Cards presence and probably their rough position while the Wild Cards had no eyes on the enemy.

Shirley sighed, frustrated. She continued to brainstorm for ideas but she was getting nowhere.

Meanwhile, the large insectoid got down from Toph's Ajax and remained motionless. It was very difficult to tell where it was looking for it possessed no eyeballs, just soft wide eyes that seemed to fluctuate in color; once yellow, now greenish. Perhaps it was looking everywhere at once; perhaps nowhere at all but within.

One by one, each of the Wild Cards and Neqel saw new words form before the vision of their minds...

Consensus agrees. Movement in motion.
Binary Nexus 01 merged.
Binary Nexus 02 merged.
Binary Nexus 03 merged.
Binary Nexus 04 merged.
All paths open. Polyphonic Nexus established. Joy and success!

Mistress Neqel, we are now in contact with humans and Toph Kirin! Is this not melodious?

But neither Neqel nor the Wild Cards heard anything unusual. However, they saw this writing in their minds clear as day.

Shirley thought. You mean we're now in each other's heads?! This is rad! I mean, so totally rad! Thanks, uh... what did you call yourself again?

The insect replied. Repeat: Self's designation is Unit One.

Shirley hesitated. "Unit One"? What the heck kinda name is that? Don't you have something... more individual Stylish maybe?

The insect thought. No.

Shirley wondered. You guys want to make our new ally here a nickname? I can't be the only one who thinks "Unit One" is... dull and flat. While we're at it with the questions, Cpl. Amherst? You're in here too? How are you feeling? I'm 2nd... er... 1st Lieutenant Shirley "Mack" Mackenzie onboard the Red Baroness. We're the Wild Cards on a, get this, secret mission.

Shirley added. Guys, fire off the questions; this might be the only chance we get!

 

[Sherwood]

After taking a deep breath, Mario pulls himself up and back on his feet. "Ungh. I don't get paid enough for this shit. Herc, Booty, I just heard the Zentraedi saying that they have found our dead friend in there, and they suspect that there are humans in the base. Time to move." He looks around on the ground for his laser rifle, because he sure as hell not going to be going up against the troops here with just his pistol.

 

[Sherwood]

Mario suddenly comes to a halt. "Waitaminute. Wait a damn minute! Those Zeeks out there said something like, 'The micronians are on board'. I'm thinking that we might be inside a ship and not just a underground base. If that's the case, we just stepped deeper into the woods than I ever though I would be! We have got to keep our eyes wide open and report back ASAP."

 

[Psychie]

Toph's mind is racing with the questions that she has. Unit One, there are many things that I would hope you can tell us. Are there others of your kind here? If there are others of your species here, for what purpose have you come here? Also, there are three other members of our team that have gone down inside the base of the Zentraedi that we have lost radio contact with. Are you able to mentally connect them to us through our minds the same way you just did for the four of us?

 

[Kaerri]

Elinor grinned. "Polyphonic nexus," was it? Wouldn't the professor and Hitomi love to hear about that! Her grin froze for a brief moment when she realized just what "polyphonic nexus" meant -- and then it got bigger. This was way outside anything she'd ever dreamed of, growing up, but wasn't it cool? Who needed to bother with radios when you could talk in your squad's head? That could save a lot of time in combat; Elinor, at least, could think faster than she could speak, particularly when the rest of her body was caught up in the multitude of activities involved in just flying her mech, much less fighting in it.

She nodded, agreeing with Toph's questions (particularly that last one, which echoed her own thoughts about nexus vs. radios). She added one of her own: And can you teach us how to make these nexuses?

While she waited for the answers, Elinor considered Shirley's question, about Unit One's nickname. She wasn't real good at names, herself. But it seemed to her that this critter liked music. The name "Unit One" and the thought of music brought a song to her mind,* but she couldn't think of any names from it, and anyway it was about a robot, not a bug. Unfortunately, now the song was stuck in her head and she couldn't shake it loose to think of something better. Hopefully one of the others would think of something, or something they said would spark different ideas.

Spoiler: * - The song Elinor thought of

 

[Epiphany]

Still groggy, Neqel rubbed her neck and stretched. Then her eyes opened wide as Unit One somehow...joined her mind with the others in some kind of mental tactical net? "Polyphonic Nexus?" she muttered, staring incredulously at the giant insect.

Mistress Neqel, we are now in contact with humans and Toph Kirin! Is this not melodious?

"Yes. Most...melodious." As usual, humoring the strange insect seemed the safest course of action. At least it kept it friendly and not deciding to bite their heads off like her son's preying mantis did back when he was fascinated by insects.

You guys want to make our new ally here a nickname? I can't be the only one who thinks "Unit One" is... dull and flat. While we're at it with the questions, Cpl. Amherst? You're in here too? How are you feeling? I'm 2nd... er... 1st Lieutenant Shirley "Mack" Mackenzie onboard the Red Baroness. We're the Wild Cards on a, get this, secret mission.

Neqel experienced a surreal sensation of a unique kind of disorientation as she tried to match a mental voice to a face when she hadn't actually heard the 'real' voice aloud before. Finally drifting her eyes in Shirley's direction, Neqel cautiously responded. Lieutenant. Please accept my apologies if I've interrupted your mission with my...capture. No concealing the mental bite of distaste flavoring that thought. If I can assist, I will do everything in my power to make your mission and our evacuation successful. Perhaps you or one of your junior officers could explain the tactical situation?

As for nicknames for Unit One, she serves at the pleasure of the Ura-Meltrandi. Sighing a bit at Micronian sensibilities, Neqel borrowed from the most valuable store of Culture in her possession; being a Mom. But if she must have a nickname, I would propose Iris. I believe it means rainbow in one of the older Micronian dialects.