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Manni

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  1. "You have been chosen to take part in a rather important..." the AI began speaking with a foreign but seemingly high brow accent before they paused to consider the words they were about to say. "....Experiment, the result of which will have a large bearing on Altech's Future. Now, before you ask, there are things that I cannot disclose to you at this present time due to my agreements...no, my programming. Question dealing with subjects such as my employer/designer and the exact nature of the experiment are examples of subjects that I am not permitted to answer." *This...was interesting, especially the mysterious slip of the tongue and the AI's choice of words...if they indeed an AI construct. Now, in Altech, AIs and robots were quite a commonplace thing and quite advanced but there were still certain things that they were not permitted to do or become as part of the law of the land. This was mostly to allay concern of humanity being made redundant by machinery and also to allay fears of not being able to appropriately distinguish between an organic and artificial intellgience. Whether Soma would make much of this was up to them but if they did, they might consider not raising the issue as there were certainly a large information assymetry between the two and goodness knows what kind of information this AI or whoever this was had. Soma might feel they may need to tread carefully in this strange environment, given that they really did not know what they were getting themselves into.* "I see you have been familarizing yourself with the Hero OS and have selected your primary loadout. That is good to be prepared. Now, in the immediate, I will be helping you further familiarize yourself with the Hero OS' other functions such as the Shop and your task for today." *Now while the hammer shaped weapon didn't look threatening as it was comically large and almost game peripheral-like (plasticy toy), the fact was...it was a deadly serious weapon and could actually do damage...and kill someone though it doesn't look like it. The AI looked calmly and unfazed at Donovan, though it would be impossible for Donovan to tell as the expression on the helmet never changed. Which might make Donovan ask what kind of AI construct looked like this? Seriously? Looked like something out of a kid's cartoon. The AI readied itself for close combat, as it looked around the area for 'things it could use'. Now the AI had 'instructions' to take it easy on Donovan and not to mess them up too badly. After all, they needed them and whomever else got the HERO OS alive and well. Its instructions didn't prevent the AI from having 'fun' with the candidate and if they showed them a few tricks at the same time, it would be fine wouldn't it?* Alright, it's GAME START! the AI seem to think to itself, as they started on the offensive by starting to run straight at Donovan, seemingly intent on directly attacking him head-on. Now, this would be normally a stupid idea given that this person's hammer was at a small range disadvantage versus Donovan's sword, which was slightly longer. Also, given the height difference, you would think the AI wouldn't be able to reach Donovan that easily. However, the AI was moving a fair bit faster and was more agile on their feet than one would expect in such a bulky and unwieldy suit. How would Donovan react to the AI's upfront approach? The AI's eyes were seemingly looking straight at him, but Donovan could not be sure if they were eyes or just part of the design of the suit, like a mask. A few steps before the AI would reach Donovan and probably get hit by Donovan's sword, it didn't something unexpected. It jumped! And quite high at that! It appeared that the frontal assault idea was a ruse! But for what purpose? Now Donovan could still seemingly attack the AI as it was seemingly wide open...
  2. "Steak's good actually, I feel like some protein." Angela replied. Admittingly, she hadn't had a good steak for a while, as she usually was a bit too busy to enjoy the finer things in life. Angela still really didn't know what to make of Katsumi, whether the way she was acting now was just an act or if this was how she was usually. Though it didn't really matter as far as what their job would entail, Angela preferred if it would be the latter. Of course, when it came down to things, Angela hoped the girl could be serious and get the job done. From what she read in the girl's file, that wouldn't be too difficult as long as it involved explosives. And given what Katsumi was going to be given, that wouldn't be a problem either. "Anyway, we really should get this show on the road. Driver, if you would..." she said, as she 'buckled up' with the seat belt. "You best secure yourself too, unless you feel tossed around like a doll. I'd recommend it, if only so you don't damage yourself or the car. I hear the Consortium doesn't take well to employees that wilfully damage company property." *After making sure that Katsumi was secure and it took a bit with all the fidgeting and all that, they were on their way...quite quickly as the person driving was a bit of a speed demon and though they never crashed any vechicle they drove, it didn't mean that other people on the roads were safe...from themselves.*
  3. Characters for Use with the Utopian Curse RP.
  4. From the album: Manni's Characters for Utopian Curse

    WORK IN PROGRESS! Character Identity Information Name: Cassandra Sexi'zatazi Age/Date of Birth: Due to her ability to reincarnate endlessly, only she knows how old she is. Gender: Female Religion: Was Once a Creation Goddess, yet that was a long time ago. No one believes in her as that anymore. By the Utopian Church, she is the End Incarnate. Species: In her home Universe, she would be considered of High Elven Stock, a genetic close match with this Universe's Sexi'zatazis for some reason. However, there may be more in her genes than what is expected. Origin: A Parallel Universe to this One, From a Planet Called Faerun. Time Taken: From Calendar Year 1432, supposedly. Speciality: Cooking Master Physical Appearance Height: 183cm Weight: 70kg Eye Colour: Blue Eyes Hair Colour: Blond Hair Physical Description: What else can be said about this Sexi'zatazi woman who looks like a traditional elf ripped out of a Dungeon and Dragons game, with patently unrealistic proportions? She certainly has the looks of an elven woman, with the long blonde locks of hair and piercing eyes. Her body, sculpted by the gods and eyed by many to her displeasure, is of typical elven female stock. With a flat stomach with firm abs, long shapely legs, wide hips and a plentiful rear end, it appears that the Dungeons and Dragons game she was taken from was one lovingly crafted. However, there are a few imperfections in her body. Such as the obvious bags under her eyes and several obvious scars over her body including her back. Personality, Traits and Abilities General Overview: This woman is quite the emotionally unstable wreck and a rather pitiful being...though pity is not what she wants. She actually wants non-existence though no one can yet provide her with it. While she can pretend for a time to be stable and happy and functional, the fact is that she might not be. Perhaps she is just a pleasure doll, destined to please everyone and yet never herself until the very day she breaks. Perhaps she is just bringing this on herself, having made a Universe full of life...and having it taken away by her own creations. No one has gotten close enough to her to see what exactly lies in her soul...if she even has one. She says she hides her 'true self' from everyone but the fact is that she doesn't really know what her 'true self' is anymore or if there was one to start with. Strengths, Skills and Abilities: Magic: Her magical abilities are actually quite something, beyond her peers back in her world and beyond what Cassandra (Version B) is capable of. She has a wide arsenal of spells at her disposal but she hardly ever has a chance to use them. Given that she feels that she's not capable (even of dying) and nothing good comes from her, she doesn't use many or any of her spells. Which is unfortunate, as her magic is quite powerful. However, there may be another reason she doesn't use them. Reincarnation: Yes, this Cassandra also can reincarnate upon death. Her reincarnations, like the other, retains all the knowledge and skills that she got from previous lives. What she has retained through her reincarnations, no one is certain of. Reality Ending Curse - All the Evil in the World: Considered by the Utopian Church as the Original Sin of Creation, Cassandra mysteriously bears this curse on her soul. No one exactly knows how this curse functions...and no one knows because once unleashed, no one survives. Likened to an all consuming black hole that nothing escapes, this 'curse' is said to destroy anything and everything once unleashed. According to Cassandra herself...if you get to to talk about it, is that most of her abilities have gone into preventing this evil from ever leaving its place inside her and destroying everything. Ever-Expanding Reality: The Counter to the Reality Ending Curse, this ability is tied to Cassandra's nature as an ex creation goddess. It is said that this is the very thing that keeps the Reality Ending Curse from escaping and ending reality. As the Reality Ending Curse can be characterised as an ever expanding black hole, the 'seal' that holds it should counter its nature. This technique creates within Cassandra an ever-expanding internal 'reality' that expands at a rate tied to the rate at which the Reality Ending Curse expands, thus maintaining an equilibrium of sorts. How long can she maintain this equilibrium though is a question that has not been answered. ??? - An unknown ability linked to Cassandra's nature of an ex-creation goddess. She has never made mention about this ability to anyone, so no one knows what it is. Weaknesses: Magic: Seeing that she puts most of her energy into keeping the so-called Reality Ending Curse from ending reality, people will generally not get to see what she is capable of. Reincarnation: Generally not useful in staying alive, as its effects are mostly post-death. However, if she does die in another universe other than her home one, she suspects that she will return to her 'home universe' where she does not want to be. Reality Ending Curse: The only real 'weakness' of this ability is that there is no obvious way to stop it once unleashed. The only way to stop it is to kill the host before it is unleashed. However to kill this host requires the use of a weapon that kills deities at the very least. Ambitions (Hopes/Dreams): To start off with, this woman will have very few dreams or hopes except for perhaps finding a way to cease existing. To help this woman regain some sense of purpose may be handsomely rewarded....or it might not. Hobbies and Interests: Singing Cooking Learning Observing Nature Personal Sexual Information Sexual Orientation: While this woman will tell you at first that such a question is hardly relevant, the fact is that the woman does not really remember the last time she's had something of a relationship and thus can't really honestly say. She does want to be loved, though she suspects that may never happen. Turn ons: - Sex with someone she loves deeply. - Intimacy in general - She enjoys the arousal of others, especially those she loves. Turn offs: - Certainly does not like vore, gore and necrophilia. - Certainly does not like being abused. Breast Size: E cup? Sensitivity: While her 'pain receptors' don't seem that active when it comes to pain, they are when it comes to pleasurable stimulus. In fact, it seems they are quite hyperactive when exposed to pleasurable stimulus. She is actually quite a sensitive girl (to pleasure) and her reactions to it are quite unusual. She might not react quickly for the first few attempts but keep trying and you might get a surprise. Additional Sexual Information: While she apparently does like being dominated and is usually submissive, there are times where she may not like it. She is rather uncertain of what her preferences are due to evidence of severe abuse and neglect. History Awards/Commendations: None. Considered the End Incarnate by the Utopian Church. Criminal Record: Being the End Incarnate by the Utopian Church. Bio: It is known that this Cassandra Sexi'zatazi was born on the planet Faerun in the 1300s of the Church's New Calendar to two heretics normal High Elves in a cultist outpost peaceful village north of Sylvenhold, that does not exist anymore as it was purified burnt to the ground in 1432. Her summoners parents were the town healers heretical scum of this damned place of evil, whom dare praise the name of the False Goddess whom worshipped a different god to the Church. The god they worshipped, in secret, was a minor deity known as the Light-bearer. While the Light-Bearer most likely never existed and was most likely a relic of an earlier era, the contents of the writings of and about the Light Bearer seemed to resonate with believers of all sorts. Considered by the Utopian Church as a manifestation of the False Goddess and thus heretical, no one actually knows the origin of the Light Bearer's works. Cassandra's life started normally enough, her birth was not marked by any dire omen or anything though the date was not auspicious. According to the Church though, her birthday marks to the exact day of the Great Fall where the Great Ancestors fell from the heavens due to the machinations of the False Goddess. The Church however was not influential in the Sylvenhold region until at least the 1350s. Up to then, Cassandra had a rather peaceful though boring life with her parents. However, after the Church became more established in the 1370s, things in Cassandra's life started to change. She started to have strange dreams about things and events that were inexplicable, things that she could not know of. Her dreams were detailed to a point that they were almost like vivid memories. What did her dreams concern? Many things though she hardly talked about them. Why? Because what the dreams contained scared her. She also started to hear things not of this plane of existence. Were they gods or the whispers of the world? She did not know but she knew not to mention it. Such things like this were not talked about for good reason. After all, only those chosen by Utopia would have these gifts and there was NO WAY someone like her could be chosen. That was not all that occurred, her magics seemed to grow exponentially strong as she grew...stronger and faster than her High Elven peers. Her parents, while pleased with her progress of her studies and her control of the magic arts, became increasingly concerned by her strange behaviour and her seemingly distancing herself from everyone. Her parents often tried to get her to open up but to no real avail.
  5. *Cassandra thought if Alez knew what she had done, she wouldn't be saying that at all. From what she had seen of Alez, she was acting mostly exactly like she did in the 'old days'. Although nowhere near as skilled and as vicious as Cassandra had to be in her line of work, Alez did display the same kind of zeal and belief in her 'higher power'. Unfortunately for Cassie, her belief in her higher power didn't really amount to anything. The fact was, even if she was still faithful to the cause she once believed in, the moment her 'god' decided her part in its plan was over would mark her end. In her universe, where the current god got to decide the value of everything, nothing was innately valauble...all was expendable and a tool for her 'god' to use as they saw fit. Her life and her 'worth' in her universe had, by that logic, always been conditional and never was secure. Whether she deserved 'love and support'...was up to her 'god', whom it seemed didn't have to justify itself to anyone or anything except itself. In her universe, where god was the centre of all value, perhaps no one but god mattered.* "If you think it's going to help, then please go ahead." Cassandra replied to Alez uneasily. "Just keep in mind...that you may not like what you will find."
  6. *Inside the video file, once Takeshi decided to view it, was actually the same video that all Authority Security Force users of the Hero OS got upon getting it. It was known as the 'Induction Video' by most and was made the the Consortium, much like most Arm Computer related technology. In the Induction Video, there was a representative from the Consortium with one of the high ranking officials of Authority's Security Force attending. It was quite a high production value video, it must be said with all the bells and whistles. Takeshi could pick and choose what sections of the video he wanted to watch, much like a Blueray movie. In the video, the representative of the Consortium was talking about the HERO OS product and the related product, the Game Images (GIs for short). Now, if Takeshi was up-to-date with his news, he would know that the Consortium had won a large government contract to help develop a new 'defense program' a year ago and it seemed from the video that this was the result. It appeared that this "Hero OS' update was in limited release for security and police personnel. From the sounds of it, this was not so much a live 'beta-test' where there were still bugs but a full release prodcut specifically made for the Security Forces, including police personnel. As the video continued, the various functions of the Hero OS were described and demonstrated. As it turns out, the Hero OS does a few things more than the ordinary OS that Arm Computers have. For example, the Geo-Location and 'Map' capabilities have been changed and modified to allow for real-time information on sighting of threats to be uploaded and tracked. In other words, if anything bad in MegaCity 1 happened, those with the HERO OS would get a notification on the threat, its location and its nature and be able to track it in real-time. Another example of the functionality of the Hero OS was access to a special 'App' Store, linked to the Game Images. It turned out that one could purchase special functionality and quality upgrades for the Arm Computer and the Game Images from this Store, which was unusual as most Arm Computers were not easily upgradable.* *Also, the video would speak of the Game Images or GIs for short. It seemed that the GIs were essentially kind of like a specialised 'loadout' or configuration that people could use to defend themselves with. It seemed to be some sort of advanced technological development that allowed for rapid deployment of armed units to react and respond to threats. There were limited livedemostrations of the technology in the video, showing how the GIs functioned and what exactly they did. The operation of using the GI was quite easy, almost idiot-proof despite how mindbogglingly compelx the actual technology was. From the video, Takeshi would learn the basics of how to use a Game Image and that there were more advanced tutorial features in the Hero OS product, under the How To Guide section in the OS GUI itself. It appeared to offer advanced simulations and helpful advice on how to use the OS and the GIs.* *The text file...was probably the oddest bit of the update. Not only was the file encrypted and asked for a password...but the strange thing was that it gave a hint of the password in plain text. The password hint was 'What you value most'. Inside the text file appeared to be a letter from someone, addressing Taekshi by name.* To Takeshi, I would have loved to have done this in a less obtuse and mysterious manner but circumstances have prevented me from doing so, please accept my humble apologies for this. By now, you would be wondering how you have received this 'Hero OS' update and why tomorrow, you will receive your first Game Image at work tomorrow. Unfortunately, all I can say to you now is that you have been chosen by myself to partake in what I hope will be an ultimately fulfilling experience, one that will have drastic and major ramifications for Altech. There are those that would have me stay silent and do nothing in the face of what is and will occur and my conscience will not allow me stand by and do nothing. I cannot say much now, even though you must have many questions about this. What I can say is that you must trust and belief in yourself, no matter what happens after tomorrow. If all goes well, I will contact you again and perhaps be able to answer some of your questions.  *However, there was something else on the end of the text file that was not written in the same manner as the rest of the text file. In fact, it didn't seem to be the same author at all.* gOd iS nO lOnGeR iN tHeIR hEaVen. tHe bAsTaRd's sPaWn cLaIm hEaVeN'S mAnDaTe tHe cHiLdReN tHiNk tHeY rUlE, bUt tHeY aRe bUT puPpETs oN fAtEs sTrInGs.
  7. *Cassandra looked at Alez sadly as it looked like she would have to utter words that she hated so much...that this situation was entirely her fault. She was the cause of not only this being's suffering but many others that would invevitably come after. It was her turning her back on the divine plan that was given to her, where she was the Eternal Hero of the world, that caused this being's present and perhaps future suffering. It was her rejection of her 'god' that led to this...but what else could she do, given the information she had? Given the 'truth' of her universe, as she now knew it?! That she had killed the 'god' that created the universe over and over again, without remorse or regret...with no knowledge of what she was doing? That she was just a toy in some game that her 'god' came up with? How could she just do nothing and continue as she was, given who she was and what she knew?! There was no alternative in her view to this! And yet...why did she feel such regret and doubt about it? Even if she knew the truth, did it really mean anything? Was it worth damning everyone she knew to perhaps an eternity of suffering?* "The being here...suffers because I live..." Cassandra said to Alez honestly. "Because of what I did, she and everyone I know and knew...will suffer. Perhaps eternally." *Perhaps it was as Helheim had said on occassion, Truth was but one small flickering flame, attempting to light up the void of the world. Perhaps it really didn't matter to anyone and because of that, it meant nothing. Certainly, that was the reverse of what people said and what they knew...but what do we really know? Did mortals or even herself really know anything? Did that even matter? This...bothered her to no end. But, in the end...she knew that she was going to have to continue on for now even if she didn't want to. There was still something she had to do.* "I'll try to explain on the way..." Cassandra said as she held back tears. "That is, if you still want to come..."
  8. *The AI really did not care for the look that this girl was giving her, though it didn't really bother them all that much. Most people often gave him that look when they started out...and he had to admit not many had the fortune of getting much further than that. Now, he could easily count the number of 'candidates' that survived the 'initial campaign' with the fingers on his hands and not many beyond that made 'it' to the 'next stage'. Though he was not going to say anything about it as he was bound by his word to not reveal it, he almost felt sorry for this person. So young and naive...but he knew that the supposed 'innocence' of this entire place came at a cost that they would never know...unless they fought and if they did make it...would they regret it with their lives? Who knew at this point in the game? The AI kept an eye on this person as they looked through the catalogue of weapons they had to select from. While they picked their weapon relatively quickly and the AI thought that they picked well for their type, the AI wondered why they were taking a bit longer with the customization options. Were skins that important of a choice for this person? As they selected their skins for their weapons, the AI was about to say something when the woman spoke first. The AI didn't really care much about the nickname, it wasn't anything more than a small jab. However, they were more interested in the fact that they wanted to know about the 'money' system of the Hero OS. The AI instantly figured that this person was of a mercenary attitude or at least one addicted to the 'finer things in life'. "Well Miss Gold-Digger, the currency of the Hero OS Shop is Induls and you get those by defeating enemies that the Hero OS tracks for you." The AI began saying, "And doing all the usual things like completing missions given to you via numerous sources and basically doing jobs around the place." The AI clicked his fingers again and a comically oversized and almost 'toy-like' handgun appeared in his right hand. The AI cocked his handgun and then said, "Well then, let's get started with the training. I should mention that this...is a live fire exercise so you best be prepared." *Whether Angela would be any worse for wear for having to handle Katsumi would have to be seen to be believed. At the moment, Katsumi did not seem anywhere near as bad as the stuff Angela had to deal with on the 'frontlines'. Yes, that includes the rumoured 'Outsiders' who are rumoured to be still in existence in this place. While Angela was doubtful that the 'Outsider' threat still existed, given what she knew, she knew that there were a lot more dangerous beings on this planet...like other humans. While she wasn't privy to super top-secret details, she figured she knew enough to know that the perceived 'Outsider' threat was nothing more than hearsay and the stuff of folklore. Though, whether she actually knew enough was unfortunately out of her league though she would have no way of knowing. She saw the short-statured Katsumi scoot closer to her on the leather seats of the vehicle and sling her closest arm up over her shoulder, probably as some sign of affection. When she heard the question that came out of Katsumi's mouth, it took a fair bit of self control to stop herself from bursting out laughing. That question was so out of the ordinary to almost be funny...if only the girl meant it as a joke and Angela had a feeling the girl was actually serious which made it ironically more funny.* "Hold your horses, girl!" Angela said with a smirk. "You just stepped up to the plate and you already want to go steal second base? A bit early, isn't it?" *Then again, given what Angela read in the girl's file, perhaps this shouldn't have been unexpected. No well, no matter.*
  9. *Cassandra's body tensed up the moment that she felt Alez put her arm arround Cassandra, an automatic response that needed no thought from Cassandra herself. She had grown unused to affection from others, especially strangers. All this time being alone and having no one else to rely on had taken its toll. How Alez would take this was out of Cassandra's hands, though it wasn't because Cassandra hated Alez or something along those lines. Cassandra didn't move or show a response for a few moments after Alez draped her wings around Cassandra's body, it seemed she wasn't sure how to respond to this. Maybe this would be considered odd to Alez but for Cassandra, expecting warmth and goodness out of anyone without a reason for it was asking too much at best and a trap at worst. It didn't mean that Cassandra didn't appreciate the gesture but she was genuinely conflicted about whether to accept it or not. Did she really deserve that kind of attention? Especially after what she has had to do over the lifetimes she's lived and died? Cassandra looked a bit conflicted as Alez let her go but listened to her when she started to talk about her magical pendant. Apparently, it served as some sort of teleportation device to Alez' homeworld. Now Cassandra could understand why Alez would make this offer to her, given the way she felt and the way she must appear to Alez but she also couldn't help but feel a bit insulted. Cassandra wasn't about to let such a trivial thing set her off though, not when something much more pressing was ahead. She thought for a moment on how to respond to Alez and her offer. She decided to answer honestly and firmly. "I'm sorry Alez but for me, running away from this is not an option." Cassandra replied to Alez. "I can't back down from this and...I can't let her...the one that made this Domain...suffer any longer..." Now things were becoming more clear. It looked like Cassandra knew the being whom made this Domain and seemed to indicate that they had history together. It was also apparent that whomever made this Domain, according to Cassandra, was suffering as well but from what?
  10. Description: After meeting in less-than-ideal circumstances, Alez and Cassandra had teamed up to put a stop to Mr Enron's plans and to find out whom or what they are working for. In their search for Mr Enron, they find themselves inside a Domain of a being from Cassandra's home universe, one sent to start Cassandra's 'punishment'. *Cassandra looked a bit aggravated on the outside, her expression rather grim and perhaps a bit apprehensive. Though, that was nothing compared to how she was feeling on the inside. Internally, she was hurting inside but she was not hardly showing it on the outside. That was due to Cassandra's own training and experience but even that...did not seem to help her cover up every single thing she was feeling at this moment. She knew this place, she had been here before. Though she knew that this place no longer exists now in her universe, the area and planet that this place was is much further along in time than here is, this place was once real...even if it only exists as part of this Domain. The Domain itself, which could take any form the owner wishes it to take, was a power given to special beings...chosen by the god of her own universe. She knew that fact rather well...given she used to have powers like that. That was quite some time ago, a lifetime ago in fact. Cassandra used to be much more powerful than she was now, given that she was meant to be the embodiment of the 'Eternal Hero' of her home universe. This 'Eternal Hero' was god's chosen warrior, whose sole mission was to defeat Evil in all of its incarnations. Her job was to defeat Evil whenever and wherever it would appear in her universe, slaying it was the point of her existence and she would reincarnate again and again to defeat it again and again. That WAS her life and all the lives she had previously were devoted to the task of killing this Evil...even if it kept inevitably coming back. She did her job without question nor complaint over her lives and gave her life to the cause when it came to it which it usually did. However, something changed with the present life she is living...she found Helheim...or Helheim found her and that changed her fate forever. No longer was she the chosen warrior, destined to win against Evil. No longer was her destiny to fight the 'good' fight against Evil. No...her destiny was no longer so simple...if it ever was. Now, she was no longer part of her universe and the use of the current god of her universe for her was now zero. She could no longer serve the purpose god gave her and thus was now useless and unneeded. The current god of her universe, whom she served so willingly and unfailingly over those lifetimes...no longer wanted anything to do with her. But why? As it turned out, her lives before this one were based off lies. Many lies, so many lies. Though she thought she knew how things were...she actually didn't know anything. Helheim had revealed the truth to her, that she had been deceived for all that time. That the god that she had served for all those lives...was not the god that created her world. The Evil she had been killing all this time...was the god that created the world and started life. Her life...before then...was just a sham, a false but convenient and appealing story for mortals and herself to consume. Her role...nothing more than disposing of the inconvenient past for whatever designs the current god had for the world. But that was history. Here, in this Domain, was someone she once knew very well...and was once someone she could call more than just a friend and comrade...someone she had cared for when they were alive together and even beyond that time. Yet...Cassandra suspected...nay...knew that their reuniting today would not start or end well. It could only end in tears.*  "I never thought...I would see this place again..." Cassandra said softly, her words wavering. "This place no longer exists in my home universe, you see. Though this is no illusion. This is someone's Domain and they will not allow us to leave unless they are...dealt with." Cassandra's voice stumbled, betraying her emotional state to Alez. That she was definitely suffering.  
  11. *Cassandra looked a bit aggravated on the outside, her expression rather grim and perhaps a bit apprehensive. Though, that was nothing compared to how she was feeling on the inside. Internally, she was hurting inside but she was not hardly showing it on the outside. That was due to Cassandra's own training and experience but even that...did not seem to help her cover up every single thing she was feeling at this moment. She knew this place, she had been here before. Though she knew that this place no longer exists now in her universe, the area and planet that this place was is much further along in time than here is, this place was once real...even if it only exists as part of this Domain. The Domain itself, which could take any form the owner wishes it to take, was a power given to special beings...chosen by the god of her own universe. She knew that fact rather well...given she used to have powers like that. That was quite some time ago, a lifetime ago in fact. Cassandra used to be much more powerful than she was now, given that she was meant to be the embodiment of the 'Eternal Hero' of her home universe. This 'Eternal Hero' was god's chosen warrior, whose sole mission was to defeat Evil in all of its incarnations. Her job was to defeat Evil whenever and wherever it would appear in her universe, slaying it was the point of her existence and she would reincarnate again and again to defeat it again and again. That WAS her life and all the lives she had previously were devoted to the task of killing this Evil...even if it kept inevitably coming back. She did her job without question nor complaint over her lives and gave her life to the cause when it came to it which it usually did. However, something changed with the present life she is living...she found Helheim...or Helheim found her and that changed her fate forever. No longer was she the chosen warrior, destined to win against Evil. No longer was her destiny to fight the 'good' fight against Evil. No...her destiny was no longer so simple...if it ever was. Now, she was no longer part of her universe and the use of the current god of her universe for her was now zero. She could no longer serve the purpose god gave her and thus was now useless and unneeded. The current god of her universe, whom she served so willingly and unfailingly over those lifetimes...no longer wanted anything to do with her. But why? As it turned out, her lifes before this one were based off lies. Many lies, so many lies. Though she thought she knew how things were...she actually didn't know anything. Helheim had revealed the truth to her, that she had been deceived for all that time. That the god that she had served for all those lives...was not the god that created her world. The Evil she had been killing all this time...was the god that created the world and started life. Her life...before then...was just a sham, a false but convenient and appealing story. But that was history. Here, in this Domain, was someone she once knew very well...and was once someone she could call more than just a friend and comrade...someone she had cared for when they were alive together and even beyond that...* "I never thought...I would see this place again..." Cassandra said softly, her words wavering. "This place no longer exists in my home universe, you see. Though this is no illusion. This is someone's Domain and they will not allow us to leave unless they are...dealt with." Cassandra's voice stumbled, betraying her emotional state to Alez. That she was definitely suffering. *Continued in the Following Side Story -
  12. *As Cassandra opened the door to the vault and the server room, both Alez and Cassandra were engulfed in a strange light as the world around them disappeared. Even Cassandra had to shield her eyes from the strange light, as they taken from this world into another. It seemed that whatever force that Mr Enron was messing with were quite well equipped. Both Alez and Cassandra had now entered the Domain of some powerful entity and what was about to happen would certainly be a lot stranger than the events that had preceeded this. As the light they were engulfed in started to fade and their other senses started to take over, both of them would tell that something was radically different in their surroundings. For one, they could smell...fresh air and feel the cool night air on their bodies. It seemed that they were outside...but that was impossible as they were supposed to be inside a building and a vault to be specific. Cassandra opened her eyes to take in the new surroundings, quickly looking around for the door they entered in...but it was not there. There was no door and they were certainly not in a modern building anymore. They were in the great outdoors, on a grassy slope which was slightly wet with the moist night air. Cassandra immediately frowned and surprisingly looked a bit nervous. Her mind was screaming at her to run...and run far away but she knew that was impossible. She knew she could not run from this and even if she wanted to, there was nowhere she could run to. Both Alez and Cassandra were stuck in this Domain, a portable distortion in reality that powerful entities liked to use and tailor to their use..until they found its Master and successfully killed it. Cassandra took a deep breath and smelt the air...and instantly recognised where she was. But that was impossible...this place no longer existed in her world, where it belonged when it existed. It was from another time, in the past, in her wide universe in a place that no longer existed. The smell of wild flowers and this fresh air...yes...this smell was nostalgic. Yet, she was not enjoying it as her heart sank. She knew this could only mean one thing: her 'Punishment' was now beginning in earnest. It appeared that the force that ruled her universe and created her...now knew she was compromised and could no longer serve them and thus her 'use', value and her part in the 'Divine Plan' was now void. Now, her Punishment for 'betraying' 'god' and the rules of her universe was now beginning in earnest...and what that would entail would test her perhaps beyond what she could manage. Cassandra looked around for Alez and saw that she was nearby and seemingly okay, if a bit disorientated. For some odd reason, that relieved her even she also knew the girl was not exactly the best at fighting. Why was she feeling relieved? Perhaps she know realised how alone in the world she was...* "Alez, are you alright...?" Cassandra asked Alez, concern obvious in her voice. But she was trying to hide her own fear and nervousness. If she was right...and the signs now pointed to yes, she knew that she would need to take Alez a short distance from here towards a small outdoor theatre which was nearby this location. Even now, Alez and Cassandra would be able to hear wonderful music and the sounds of joy and laughter.
  13. *As the world around Soma disappeared, a new one formed around him. No longer was he in his office at work but it looked like he was somewhere near the centre of Patrioit's Park, where the Amplitheatre was and where the statues of the heroes that died during the Outsider War were. It looked like an excellent reconstruction of Patriot's Park by the look of it, apart from the fact there was no people here. Everything like all the seats, water fountains, rubbish bins, paths, lights and utilties were all where they were in the 'reali world'. Whoever made this had done a really good job in modelling it. This was very odd, as Patriot's Park was always full of people and life. Here, he could not hear any signs of life. There didn't seem to be anyone here but himself. For a few moments, silence would reign in this strange place. Suddenly, his Arm Computer let out a beeping noise as it projected a screen out in front of him. It stated that the 'Game Field Stage' had been automatically selected for him for the sake of convenience but if he wished to change the 'Stage', he could do so by saying 'Stage Select' and using motion controls (via swiping and pressing the projection in front of him) to select a new stage for himself. Of course, the screen made obvious that he could skip this step by making an appropriate voice command. After selecting an appropriate stage, if he chose one or stuck with the one he had, the projected screen in front of Soma changed to a new one telling him that he would notice that he had now 'transformed' and that his clothing was now changed. The computer gave Soma a few moments to register this as the screen on his Arm Computer changed to something like a status screen like those found in shooters. It was then that the Arm Computer projected a new screen explaining that he was about to meet an AI character that would help him learn about how to use the functions of his Arm Computer.A few seconds after Soma read the screen completely, the projection ended and the screen disappeared. It was then that something really odd took place. A giant treasure chest, the kind you would find in an RPG game, phased into existence a few metres in front of Soma. Now, the treasure chest was SO big that it towered over Soma, as it was a few metres in height! It didn't look like it was immediately threatening to topple over or anything, it being flat on the ground. However, before Soma got to react, his Arm Computer indicated that he was receiving a phone call from somewhere. Now, usually when one receives a call from another person on the Arm Computer, it would have Caller ID on it. However, this call did not have anything on it, not even a number! Assuming Soma would answer it, which he should, he would get a rather strange call.* "Hello Soma, I am the AI that has been assigned to help you." the AI started the conservation politely and seemingly professionally. The voice seemed male and a bit too formal though. "I'm calling you from inside the chest I've been mysteriously spawned it. I don't know if this is someone's idea of a joke but it's preventing me from doing my job. So if you would kindly back away from the chest...just a metre or two would do, it would be appreciated. Please stay on the line." *Assuming Soma complied with this strange request and backed away from the chest, which he would hopefully do, something even weirder happened. A few seconds after Soma backed away, the front of the chest mysteriously...was cut diagonally in half and the bottom half of the diagonal cut started to fall forward towards Soma...but it never reached him as it quite quickly disintegrated into 'light'...as did the rest of the treasure chest! Inside the treasure chest stood a figure, who looked like some sort of person wearing a knight's armour* "Sorry about that waste of time but this looked like someone's attempt at a challenge. But as I always say, there's is nothing I cannot cut."
  14. *As Katsumi got herself and the rest of her stuff into the vehicle, the woman put Katsumi's 'contraband goods' into the back, in a large secure box where there was no chance of getting things lost, stolen or...inconveniently exploding. Since that was done and the box secure, the woman entered the car through the same door that Katsumi got in through. She wasn't too surprised that Katsumi chose to sit nice and close to her, seeing that Katsumi was treating this as a date. Though the woman had to admit that Katsumi was not her type, being too young and all, there was something endearing about the way she was acting. Well, apart from the weapons and the explosives and the extensive criminal record the girl had...* "What's for lunch?" the woman repeated to Katsumi. "Well, what did you feel like? You should know you will be getting VIP treatment at least for today so we can get whatever we want." *The woman was actually being rather honest with this. The Consortium treated its employees relatively well and especially those doing rather dangerous work like these two. The woman, who was also a Game Image Tester like Katsumi was going to be, knew that this was like fringe benefits for their job which could be quite dangerous at times. While she had been doing this for some time, she still got nervous doing assignments. This was probably, for her, one of the more easy assignments she had been given. She thanked her 'lucky stars' for that.* "Anyway, my name's Angela and I'll be your handler and mentor...I guess you could call it?" the woman said politely.
  15. *Cassandra was a bit surprised at the girl's answer, thought her facial expression did not change. She wasn't quite sure what kind of answer that was, if it could be taken as an answer at all. It seemed this girl was tied to some sort of 'higher' power by the sounds of it which would explain the girl's faith. Cassandra was not exactly comfortable getting into those matters, as her experience taught her that those of faith don't take kindly to any perceived affront to their faith. Not that her words would change anyone's mind, no matter what truth they held (if any). She just hoped the girl knew what she was getting herself into with her faith in her 'higher' power and what obligations she owed and was owed. At this time, Cassandra was not about to start a theological fight especially ones she had no chance of winning. All she would say in response in Alez was, "Okay then. As long as you are prepared for whatever may occur." As the two women approached the vault and that mysterious server room, Cassandra and Alez heard the strange music. Cassandra scowled, a hypothesis about what was going on solidifying in her head. From what information she gathered before coming here and today's events, she could surmise that Mr Enron was definitely working with forces beyond his paygrade and was probably not aware of how dangerous the forces he was messing with were. Cassandra was of the opinion that Mr Enron was as good as dead at this point, if they did not deal with him then his 'employers' would deal with him once their use for him had ended. When Alez asked about what is going on and who they were dealing with, Cassandra looked at her and said, "I have an idea of what's happening but I don't think I'll be certain until after we find Mr Enron. From my experience, Mr Enron is merely serving as a useful toy for the force behind this and I don't think he's the only one involved. This force...is certainly not human and not of this world, if I'm right. Hopefully I'm not right because if this force is whom I suspect then I have more work to do then just tonight." *When they both arrived at the door leading to the vault, Cassandra turned to face Alez with a serious expression on her face. It looked like they arrived at their destination.* "Once I open this door, it will be too late to back out so if you have any doubts, say them now and turn away otherwise..."
  16. *Cassandra nodded in agreement to Alez' concern about Mr Enron's possible security measures, which could be numerous for all she knew. It was strange that Cassandra did not really encounter much resistance on her way here, it started to bother her a bit and made her concerned that something was amiss. She had yet to encounter humans here and that made her wonder if perhaps Mr Enron had sent them away in expectation of something or someone. Well, whatever the case was, she was not going to get her answers standing here...and she reasoned that they might encounter some other forms of resistance while here. Fortunately, Cassandra was prepared to fight. With a click of her fingers, she summoned another weapon from wherever she was keeping them. This time, it looked to be a modest looking katana of sorts but as one would have figured by now...looks were quite deceiving. The katana Cassandra was now using was a well-enchanted weapon used to kill demons and other such monsters, though one would not be able to tell what kind of enchantments it had just by looking at it. Was it powerful? Perhaps only Cassandra would know and she didn't seem interested in this current time in sharing her secrets. When Alez told her where Mr Enron's location most likely was, which was with some sort of powerful entity, Cassandra looked at her and asked, "Are you prepared to fight, if it comes to it? From what you have told me, I get the feeling Mr Enron is not alone in that room and that whatever is in there won't exactly be happy to see us." Cassandra followed the Celestial girl as she glided towards their new destination, feeling a bit odd as she was not usually in the position of following someone. Not that the feeling meant anything but it was certainly different than what she was used to. As they walked towards the vault room, where Mr Enron kept his valuables, both of them would start hearing something odd. It sounded like someone was playing a stringed instrument of sorts like a violin or something along those lines. The closer they got to the vault room and the server room at the back, the louder the sounds got. Yet, there was something about the sounds that was unsettling. Sure, it sounded like music but the effect it had was unlike normal music. Perhaps it was just the creepiness of their surroundings or the that it was night but each time a string was plucked...something about it would send shivers up the spine of normal people and the more they heard, the more unsettled they would get. Would it affect these two? If it did, Cassandra was not showing it. She just looked straight ahead and kept moving forward, towards the source.
  17. *Cassandra was waiting where she said she would wait for Alez while the other did their scouting. As she waited for Alez to return, while she didn't expect to be long, she took a minute to gain composure. She figured she wasn't going to have time to relax when they went after Mr Enron, Cassandra was expecting some sort of conflict to occur. Whether it would be Mr Enron or something else she and Alez would be facing, it didn't take too much thinking to see that some sort of conflict here would be inevitable. Now, for Cassandra, the situation was more unusual than normal because she was fighting along side some one else. Usually, when she fought, she fought alone and only had to think about herself. To fight along side someone else meant she would have to consider people and things other than herself, which she honestly was not used to doing. To be fair, she found fighting alongside others a potential disaster if only because of an unsual reason. That reason was that if her allies died while fighting with her, she would count their deaths as her responsibility. Now, one would think this to be highly unusual, if not selfish for her to think this. Given her past as a deity, it made sense for her to feel guilt for the death of others under her 'care'. When Alez returned to the room, Casandra noticed the obvious change in the girl's form, especially the ethereal nature of the girl's body. She raised an eyebrow and then reasoned that perhaps, given the girl's present ethereal nature, walls and such would present her with no difficulty. That would be quite a handy ability and one Cassandra herself lacked.* "I will do my best to follow you to our mutual destination. Just be aware that I cannot walk like you do, through walls and such." Cassandra told the girl, making a self depreciating joke.
  18. *The woman scanned Katsumi with the device, the output from the scanning device would be displayed on the person's Arm Computer. The device obviously picked up the grenades that Katsumi had but also the switchblade, meat cleaver and handcuffs. The woman took a cursory glance at the output on her Arm Computer, seeing that Katsumi had those items on her. The woman sighed a bit before speaking to Katsumi. "You know, bringing handcuffs on a 'first date' is a bit much don't you think? Especially since I'm not exactly enarmored for snuff and BDSM. If you would kindly hand those over, along with your melee weapons, we can get on with our trip." It appeared that the woman had expected Katsumi to carry explosives of some sort and goodness knows what else. Maybe she read some sort of dossier on her or something, which would indicate that they had been watching her for some time. "As for 'our' date, we'll get to that when we're at our destination. Meeting over lunch would be preferable."
  19. *The figure that came out of the pipe looked at Donovan curiously, though it was kind of hard to tell if that was the case given that Donovan wouldn't be able to see the person's expression under all of that suit. Donovan would have to guess how the other was acting based on their body language and what they said.* "So you're the one that THEY chose, huh?" the figure said to themselves mysteriously as they checked Donovan out. "Well, I guess we'll see if they made the right choice. Anyway, on to introductions! I guess you can call me 'Mighty Action X' for now!" the figure said, performing a pose for seemingly no reason at all. Perhaps this really was a game character or some sort of weird AI. If so...what kind of person designed this?! "Right, now we need to get you armed up and get a bit of training into you before you start." *It was at that point that an update came up on Donovan's Arm Comptuer screen, saying that the Game Armanent(s) had been unlocked and to pick a primary weapon. A new 'touch screen' projection came out of the Arm Computer, showing him the options he had to select. From the looks of it, they had quite a selection of small arms to choose from. She could also choose to go single handed or dual wielding as well. Once he chose their weapon, the comptuer would tell them she could customize the 'skin' or appearance of their weapon at any time at no cost. *It was then that the projection did mention what the figure just said and indicated that the Shop option had been unlocked. It looked like the Shop option used a different currency than what Donovan was used to, so that the money he had at the moment in the 'real world' had no bearing on what currency they had at his disposal in the Shop. It could be advantageous or disadvantageous. The computer also mentioned that the currency for the Shop was a special currency for itself and the Hero OS. After Donovan picked his primary weapon and his preferred cosmetic skin, the figure calling itself Mighty Action X then snapped their fingers...causing rather strange block to appear in random places in the area, some even floating in the air!* "Right! Now, let's start off with some of the basics shall we." MIghty Action X stated as he raised his right arm into the air, his hand wide open as if to grab something. Suddenly, a strange looking hammer-like weapon phased into existence into their hand and he lowered his arm. "We're going to spar for a little while, so you can get used to how things are done here."
  20. "Well, I didn't expect a CIVILIAN to be the recipient of one of the New Generation Game Images but I guess beggers can't be choosers." the figure snarkly replied back, the man's voice being clear despite there not being an obvious opening for his voice to escape from the insides of his suit. "Especially since I didn't choose. Anyway, let's get this over with." *The diminutive figure somehow managed to snap his fingers, despite how clunky his hands looked, and almost immediately objects like crates, barrels and various other 'decorations' littered the immediate area. The setup looked like a shooting gallery kind of scenario, but where do they start from...and most importantly where were the targets. The figure looked back at Ruby and said simply, "Now the best way I can teach you how this all works is by practical experience. Before that, let's get you geared up with your primary Game Armanent (GA) out and have a bit of a test-play with it. Consider yourself lucky that you get a choice with this generation, I certainly didn't get that." *It was at that point that an update came up on her screen, saying that the Game Armanent(s) had been unlocked and to pick a primary weapon. A new 'touch screen' projection came out of the Arm Computer, showing her the options she had to select. From the looks of it, she had quite a selection of small arms to choose from. She could also choose to go single handed or dual wielding as well. Once she chose her weapon, the comptuer would tell her she could customize the 'skin' or appearance of her weapon at any time at no cost. The figure in front of her then told her, "Try not to take too long with that, will you? I can't say I have a lot of time here. Oh yes, should mention that the skins are cosmetic only. Anything that alters and changes functions like mods and such cost and can be bought from the Shop." *It was then that the projection did mention what the figure just said and indicated that the Shop option had been unlocked. It looked like the Shop option used a different currency than what Ruby was used to, so that the money she had at the moment in the 'real world' had no bearing on what currency she had at her disposal in the Shop. It could be advantageous or disadvantageous. The computer also mentioned that the currency for the Shop was a special currency for itself and the Hero OS.*
  21. *As Alez looked for signs of Mr Enron in the building and the surrounding area, she would note that there appeared to be nothing out of the ordinary out the building. Everything seemed pretty 'normal' as far as normal goes for beings like here. There were not many people on the streets at this hour, unless they had business being out this late. In this kind of neigbourhood, one would be wise to keep one's head down and doors locked...especially at night. Alez wouldn't be able to sense anything weird out there at the moment, as there wasn't anything to sense out there. She would also see that there was a private underground and secure carpark under the building that Alez and Cassie were in. If Alez looked there, she would find his car there and see that he hadn't been to it yet. It seemed that he hadn't left the building at all! Yet, if she looked around for him 'normally', she would never find him! Though obviously Alez' search method was FAR from normal so she would be able to find something. In fact, she would find something totally abnormal! In the back area, where her pendant and other valuables were stored, there was something very strange back there. Alez would be able to sense that Mr Enron and SOMETHING else was there. In that room where that computer and servers were, she would be able to sense something obviously wrong there. However, unlike other places, she would not be able to see into the room. It was as if there was some giant blot in the room, blocking her from seeing the content of the room. Perhaps this would suggest to her that some really evil thing was in the room, a powerful thing. Hopefully, this would dissuade her from entering the room. At the same time, Cassandra was waiting in Mr Enron's office, wondering where Alez had gone off to. She felt some sort of magical 'phenomenon' occur outside the office, just around the corner. Cassandra had the idea that Alez had done something to make her scouting easier, though she hoped that whatever that girl did, Alez would still be careful. Cassandra hoped the girl would note run straight into a fight, given what she had seen of Alez' capacity to fight. Then again, perhaps the girl was tired or conserving energy or perhaps faking it.*
  22. *Inside the video file, once Soma decided to view it, was actually the same video that all Authority Security Force users of the Hero OS got upon getting it. It was known as the 'Induction Video' by most and was made the the Consortium, much like most Arm Computer related technology. In the Induction Video, there was a representative from the Consortium with one of the high ranking officials of Authority's Security Force attending. It was quite a high production value video, it must be said with all the bells and whistles. Soma could pick and choose what sections of the video he wanted to watch, much like a Blueray movie. In the video, the representative of the Consortium was talking about the HERO OS product and the related product, the Game Images (GIs for short). Now, if Soma was up-to-date with his news, he would know that the Consortium had won a large government contract to help develop a new 'defense program' a year ago and it seemed from the video that this was the result. It appeared that this "Hero OS' update was in limited release for security and police personnel. From the sounds of it, this was not so much a live 'beta-test' where there were still bugs but a full release prodcut specifically made for the Security Forces, including police personnel. As the video continued, the various functions of the Hero OS were described and demonstrated. As it turns out, the Hero OS does a few things more than the ordinary OS that Arm Computers have. For example, the Geo-Location and 'Map' capabilities have been changed and modified to allow for real-time information on sighting of threats to be uploaded and tracked. In other words, if anything bad in MegaCity 1 happened, those with the HERO OS would get a notification on the threat, its location and its nature and be able to track it in real-time. Another example of the functionality of the Hero OS was access to a special 'App' Store, linked to the Game Images. It turned out that one could purchase special functionality and quality upgrades for the Arm Computer and the Game Images from this Store, which was unusual as most Arm Computers were not easily upgradable.* *Also, the video would speak of the Game Images or GIs for short. It seemed that the GIs were essentially kind of like a specialised 'loadout' or configuration that people could use to defend themselves with. It seemed to be some sort of advanced technological development that allowed for rapid deployment of armed units to react and respond to threats. There were limited livedemostrations of the technology in the video, showing how the GIs functioned and what exactly they did. The operation of using the GI was quite easy, almost idiot-proof despite how mindbogglingly compelx the actual technology was. From the video, Soma would learn the basics of how to use a Game Image and that there were more advanced tutorial features in the Hero OS product, under the How To Guide section in the OS GUI itself. It appeared to offer advanced simulations and helpful advice on how to use the OS and the GIs.* *The text file...was probably the oddest bit of the update. Not only was the file encrypted and asked for a password...but the strange thing was that it gave a hint of the password in plain text. The password hint was 'What you value most'. Inside the text file appeared to be a letter from someone, addressing Soma by name. The letter said the following...* To Soma, I would have loved to have done this in a less obtuse and mysterious manner but circumstances have prevented me from doing so, please accept my humble apologies for this. By now, you would be wondering how you have received this 'Hero OS' update and why tomorrow, you will receive your first Game Image at work tomorrow. Unfortunately, all I can say to you now is that you have been chosen by myself to partake in what I hope will be an ultimately fulfilling experience, one that will have drastic and major ramifications for Altech. There are those that would have me stay silent and do nothing in the face of what is and will occur and my conscience will not allow me stand by and do nothing. I cannot say much now, even though you must have many questions about this. What I can say is that you must trust and belief in yourself, no matter what happens after tomorrow. If all goes well, I will contact you again and perhaps be able to answer some of your questions.
  23. OOC Note: Yes, this copy and paste job is on purpose! Especially with the structures of the cities! Keep note of this! *As the world around Ruby disappeared, a new one formed around him. No longer was she at home but it looked like he was somewhere near the centre of Rebel's Atrium, where the Amplitheatre was and where the statues of the heroes that died during the Outsider War were. It looked like an excellent reconstruction of Rebel's Atrium by the look of it, apart from the fact there was no people here. Everything like all the seats, water fountains, rubbish bins, paths, lights and utilties were all where they were in the 'real world'. Whoever made this had done a really good job in modelling it. This was very odd, as Rebel's Atrium was always full of people and life. Here, she could not hear any signs of life. There didn't seem to be anyone here but herself. For a few moments, silence would reign in this strange place. Suddenly, Ruby's Arm Computer let out a beeping noise as it projected a screen out in front of them. It stated that the 'Game Field Stage' had been automatically selected for them for the sake of convenience but if they wished to change the 'Stage', she could do so by saying 'Stage Select' and using motion controls (via swiping and pressing the projection in front of him) to select a new stage for himself. Of course, the screen made obvious that they could skip this step by making an appropriate voice command. After selecting an appropriate stage, if she chose one or stuck with the one he had, the projected screen in front of Ruby changed to a new one telling him that she would notice that he had now 'transformed' and that their clothing was now changed. The computer gave Ruby a few moments to register this as the screen on her Arm Computer changed to something like a status screen like those found in shooters. It was then that the Arm Computer projected a new screen explaining that they was about to meet an AI character that would help them learn about how to use the functions of their Arm Computer.A few seconds after Ruby read the screen completely, the projection ended and the screen disappeared. It was then that something really odd took place. Appearing in front of Ruby, a metre or two in front of them was what seemed to be a strange airlock type door. It seemed like something out of a sci-fi movie, those space opera ones with the fancy technology. "Must I do this?" a gruff male voice uttered from the other side of the door, seemingly rather annoyed that they were having to do grunt work today. *A moment later, the door opened and someone walked out of the door, which strangely phased out of existence the same way it appeared. The figure did not look too perturbed by this turn of events, seemingly resigned to have to teach this 'newbie' the ropes. Ruby would have a few moments to take in the appearance of this strange figure, who was around half his height and overly stocky. In fact, it looked like...yes. this person was a small adult human...dwarf size human maybe. They were wearing a ridicuolous looking suit/armour thing that looked like army fatigues one would wear to protect oneself from injuries while skating or blading. It looked really il-fiting but something told Donovan that this was not ordinary stuff. Especially the fact that the figure was wearing his own status screen on his chest!*
  24. *Little did Alez know how close to the truth her guess was that Cassandra was all alone in the universe and how deeply that cut Cassandra. Cassandra was not one to reveal such things though to anyone, least that be the end of her. Not that the end of Cassandra's own life meant anything in the great scheme of things, given her unique circumstances. Not that she would even divulge those to anyone by choice. Despite being a wanderer that tried to do the 'right' thing (if such a thing existed) by those she met, the cold reality was that her actual purpose in life ran completely counter to what she actually did. She was effectively denying her purpose with each act she did, though that was her conscious decision. She was not about to let anyone, not even the being that put her in this position, determine what she did...grand purpose or not. Though...strictly speaking, it took a heavy toll on her. Having to actively fight against her reason of being was tiring, even if it was to benefit everyone including herself. Of course, she would hope to never have to reveal what her actual purpose in life was or have it revealed for her. She preferred to live as if what she was doing now was her reason to be, even if she was essentially lying to herself and the universe. Cassandra looked at Alez and wondered what the girl could be planning with what she said. She was getting the impression that Alez was thinking that Mr Enron was under demonic influence and was perhaps possessed so that exorcising him might work. Now, Cassandra did not know whether Mr Enron was possessed or not as she had not met him. What information she had gathered herself seemed to indicate that Mr Enron was doing this out of his own will and judgement, though obviously he had no real idea of whom they were messing with. Still, this girl seemed insistent on trying to 'save' Mr Enron. Now Cassandra would be the last person to condemn anyone for attempting to 'save' anyone from themselves, given that is effectively what she has been doing all this time.* "I see. Well, I will do my best to protect you while you go about your attempt." Cassandra replied, gently taking the girl's hand into her own.
  25. *As the person on the other side of the line had stated, the vechicle had arrived within a minute or two of the call ending. The vechicle looked rather impressive, pretty much like a rather fancy armoured humvee though better looking (though you would think so given who this was owned by). While there didn't seem to be any visible weapons on it, that was expected as it was still meant to be a CIVILIAN vechicle...well...repurposed military grade vechicle for civilian use. Anyway, the humvee-like vechicle was parked a few metres from the entrance of Katsumi's bunker home. As soon as Kastumi emerged from the bunker, one of the back doors of the humee opened and out a person emerged out of the humvee. They looked quite ordinary enough but something about them seemed off. They seemed awfully unarmed considering whom they were dealing with. Though, if they knew who they were dealing with, then this could a form of misdirection. They were holding something of interest in their hands. It looked like some sort of scanning device. Looks like they wanted to make sure Katsumi kept her end of the bargain and came with no explosives. The person whom emerged from the humvee took one look at Katsumi and told her rather casually, "Come on now, we needn't take all day. Please come over here and consent to a security scan. We need to make sure our trip is uneventful as possible. I don't particularly want to have any unexpected surprises on your trip." Perhaps Katsumi would wonder whom this person was that was talking to her so casually. Was she someone of importance? Was she tough?
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