Take measure of the other passenger, and anyone else on the transport. See if there's any boxes or visible equipment loaded.
There's no equipment you can see aside from your personal effects-it must be in the cargo hold.
Looking about, you see two bored looking guards, both armed. An older guy and a younger one.
There's also a woman, one with a keen and searching glance. She's questioning the guards, seemingly randomly, with a small air of amusement.
((Ironyowl can describe his characters physical look to you if he likes. Otherwise assume she's nondescript or just mysterious))After what seems like forever, you hear the aircraft slow to a stop, it's powerful VTOL engines suspending it in the air-within a moment, you descend into Xcom HQ...
Upon departure, you are immediately greeted by a French looking woman with red hair-her name tag says 'Abello Laome-French Liaison'
"More recruits. Wonderful." She says in a sonorous voice, taking note of your identification papers, and signing something on a clipboard.
"...now, I know you are expecting red carpet treatment here, but I am not a tour guide. In fact, I would like to test you-right now-and see how good you are.
No chance of a poison well, you see. Are you up for it?"Her entire stance and tone of voice is challenging-goading, even. She might even be interested in you personally. Do you agree to her proposal?
=====================================================================================
"So, what do you think of the aliens?" Aria asked Delorean conversationally. She suspected the answer would be amusingly brutal, if he felt compelled to say anything at all.
"How's the wife?" she turned and asked De'moley. He seemed... less interesting, which gave her less conversation material. Likely not a ruthless sociopath at all, in fact.
Conversation?
Delorean measures you for a moment, but briefly. You get the feeling he had already read you as easily as you read him.
"Well Ma'am, you and I both know Aliens don't exist." He says, smiling slightly.
"...But, speaking hypothetically, they'd be sort of like of everything else I've spent my life fighting against-just another enemy. There's always another one, you know. Doesn't really matter where they would come from-the stakes are always high.
Doesn't matter if you're defending Earth or a little refugee camp in Somalia. You do your best. That's all you can do." He finishes, leaning back.
...
Joe seems a bit surprised when you speak to him. He certainly makes a habit of avoiding eye contact.
"...uh, how...yeah. I haven't seen her in awhile, is all. Deployment got extended when I got...recruited...I just miss her, is all. What's it to you?" He says in a defensive tone of voice.
You chat a bit more before the aircraft lands, disgorging you into Xcom HQ.
((if you want to continue the conversation, we'll do it in flashbacks))Upon exiting the craft, you see a French woman with bright red hair-her name tag says 'Abello Laome-French Liaison'. Interesting. France has only just signed the Xcom Accords to let their soldiers join-she must have been here before all of that, of her own volition.
"More recruits. Wonderful." She says in the faux-sultry voice French women seem to practice, taking crisp notes on a polished stainless steel clipboard and checking your identity. You notice she double checks yours.
Before you can talk, she does
"...now, I know you are expecting red carpet treatment here, but I am not a tour guide. In fact, I would like to test you-right now-and see how good you are.
No chance of a poison well, you see. Are you up for it?"You can tell she's trying to goad the man beside you into accepting-a bit of pressure, a bit of slack. You use the same yourself.
Will you take the bait yourself?
=====================================================================================
Await decision.
You chat a bit more. The man eventually apologizes-the weapon is not quite done yet, though..
"I could offer to show it to you..." He says.
You feel a rumbling in your pocket before you can answer. Oh-that must be your PDA. You've got a message waiting!
=====================================================================================
Maybe go down to the Experimental Weapons Testing Range.
That's a good ide...
*bzzt*Hmm, got a message on your PDA.
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Attempt to divine the nature of the dialogue that is on the screen. See if you can find a way to shut off the power loader from the terminal. Keep one eye on the loader, and stop what you're doing if it comes too close.
Acting like the worlds most obvious Ninja, you creep ahead and try to get a good look at the screen.
@H#@$E$@!$L*$!#PM!$#)_!E#$($H!#(#E!)$#L!)($#)!PM#_!#($E)#&#$_!!
Whats that word in the gibberish? Hmm.
...
You can't wonder about it now-the power loader is beginning to turn in your general direction. While it's no doubt designed for crate duty, it could probably tear you limb from limb all the same.
It only takes a moment to open the program you're looking for-'Power Loader Remote Control'. You turn off it's ambulation and sensory input first, then deactivate it properly. And breath a sigh of relief as it clatters to a stop somewhere behind you.
The terminal stops spitting word salad almost at the same time-the red test becomes green. You see a message pop up.
I am the Kingmaker AI system. Welcome to my terminal. How can I help you?
Before you can answer, you feel a buzzing in your pocket. A PDA message?
=====================================================================================
Alexendre takes the seat just opposite hers, and crosses his hands on the table, still grasping his drink.
"I was wondering what a smart woman like you was doing in an institution like this. You seem intelligent enough to stay out of deaths way, so why are you here?"
The woman seems a bit taken aback, but seems to take the question as a challenge. She wrinkles her nose and smiles-an impossibly cute gesture, one you're sure is completely unintentional.
"...well, I've done the math. Math doesn't lie. The greatest probability states we're going to lose.
All that was missing from the original equation was me. Therefore, I hypothesized the only way to shift the odds was to change the equation by adding a new variable. Myself. If my skills and technical expertise serving Xcom shift the odds in our favor, even by the smallest amount, then how could I not choose to come here?
Personally? There's no where safe anymore, Alexandre-I'd rather face it head on. Rather than sit somewhere and wait for the world to end..." She says-her voice rising in confidence. She's not good with people apparently-but when it comes to her job...
You're interrupted at this time by your ringing PDA-and so is she. Kathryn seems annoyed at the introduction, but plucks hers from the table and reads it.
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Bureaucrat. Lake knew his type- they hired out Hawke for whatever job was on the table., but thankfully he had little to do with them there. They just talked to the commanders, and the orders filtered down to him. Looks like here things are different- he'd have to keep learning as he went.
Lake didn't much like bureaucrats. He favored him with a curt nod.
"Lake Taladar, but I bet you knew that already. You have a lot of those things? They don't seem safe to keep around. Looks like that one was mostly neutered, at least. They must be bred to blow when they get pissed off, because he sure didn't like being poked in the eye either."
Say above
The man utters a laugh authentic as a wooden leg.
"We wish! We found that one in the dufflebag of a suspected Alien Cultist-I'll forward you the dossier later-and he's not really talking. Literally. The Techs did a bunch of scans and kept it in cold storage for a month or so, maybe thats what kept it from being lethal. They were afraid to poke at it.
But at least it worked out, right? "You do wonder.
There's a 'bzzzzt'ing noise in your pocket...your Xcom issued PDA has a message. Somehow, escaping a conversation with this guy seems an attractive option
=====================================================================================
Check the time for real.
Having finished his food and drink, and checked the time, Ed leans back and sighs, satisfied.
"Um... this may seem like an odd question, but are there ever any combat exercises around here? A soldier needs to keep himself sharp."
Maggie speaks up.
"Well, there is the.."*bzzzt*
Hey, you're Xcom PDA is ringing!
"...that. I'm guessing by the fact everyone in the room got one at the same time, that's a VR training call from Miss Abello. She's as mean as a rattlesnake...but keeps you sharp, so I hear."=====================================================================================
Everyone receives the following message on their Xcom standard issue PDA'sXcom agents, new and old-I have a new program in the VR room prepared for all of you. A suitable test of your strategic, teamwork, and combat skills. All challengers should report in the hour-we'll be running a marathon session, 24 hours long at maximum, so make sure you are well fed and hydrated.
Attendance is not mandatory-but I'd very much like to see you here. Xcom agents will receive notes to their superiors on their performance-or lack thereof.
~Abello Laome
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Topic: Roll to X-com/On Base RP Thread (Read 21948 times)