"Yeah, that was mostly a joke."
First of all - an equipment check. Try to include my own frame into it.
Afterwards throw one of the luchadore skeletons at the LANDSKNECHT, if my equipment check decides they are weapons-grade (fakedit: oh, those are the corpses of the three guys that were on top of my LUPUS). If they aren't - let's try out my ladle on the most dangerous piece of equipment it has.
Most of it's the same, it's based on the frame that killed you after all. I'll summarize the old details for you.
It's a 00-LANDSKNECHT/AF, core is protected with reactive armor that erupts with proceesed sugar. Can be a real problem if it gets on your cameras.
Legs are blackbox with energy thrusters. Durable, stable, agile and low latency. Arms are LUPUS of course.
Time for the changes. The head is now LUPUS as well, so it's got the full sensor package, not that it matters much when you're this close and have nowhere to hide.
Still it's more durable so it might not be as easy to blow it off like last time, plus the camera functionality's greater.
Chaingun's been replaced with two heavy cannons, they're both loaded with high explosive anti-armor rounds.
They've replaced the pre-Fall tech with things that are equivalent. So the gateway weapon now runs on blatant magic that shouldn't even exist.
It's still its most dangerous weapon, in between its high output, volume of fire and sheer versatility.
And instead of having an FCS unit, it just has a crystal ball that can tell the future. Yes, really.
The good news is this new frame of yours, the AF01-DIRUS, and no that isn't an actual NEE frame, is better than the old one. Well, overall at least.
It doesn't have any of the electronic warfare hardware, but none of that would be too useful here anyway. It has no actuators to speak of and is
animated through magic. So it can still move even if they pump it full of holes as long as the cockpit's fine. It's tougher than it looks as well
since even if you shatter the bones, they'll still stay in place, it isn't like there's anything holding them in place right now anyway.
One extra feature is that it can purge individual parts. The purgable parts in question being the head, limbs, and the entire front half of the core.
Yes, that includes part of the cockpit, so you'll have no screens at all if you that, though you'll still be able to see through the gaping
hole in your frame. Thankfully, it doesn't eject any of the controls.
You've got three sets of flares each of which are able to force your opponent's weapons to target them. Yep, they look like your old squadmates. Real classy.
Bear in mind that it doen't prevent them from just physically bashing you though.
And then of course there's that greatladle. Yes, greatladle, like a greatsword. Believe me, I didn't coin the term.
Firstly, it literally sucks the life out of everything nearby in order to power itself. Oh and it can cause death with its very touch,
though that effect can be resisted, still wouldn't recommend licking it or anything like that. It automatically wreathes itself in a corrosive aura when swung,
making it even more lethal against flesh, and capable of damaging inorganic substances as well. Oh and on top of that, the aura is discharged at the end
of the swing in the form of a blast of dark magic. Again, it corrodes things. So if you aren't too confident in melee, you can just rely on that.
Then again, you seemed pretty happy shoot-punching it in the face last time.
Still want to swing at it? Or going to try out the ranged attack?
"... rest in peace."
James sighs, then heads further inwards, perhaps trying to determine what caused this damage.
You reach the end of the administrative area, the cubicles giving away to desks sealed off behind clear plastic in their own little rooms. There's blood as well, not as much as before. Still, there are still several corpses lining the way to the door at the back. The doors that had been flung wide open. So, guess not everyone died then. Hooray for them. That just leaves the bodies to bury, probably not your thing really. You're an engineer-slash-action-hero, not a gravedigger after all.
Besides, you have far better things to be doing now, like dragging human remains out of the bellies of the four beasts that stand before you now. Violently if need be. You know that sculpture,
Unique Forms of Continuity in Space? Well they look like that, albeit canine and formed of gleaming steel. You've seen parts of them before, littering the ground of the lobby in haphazard piles. The surfaces of these live specimens are constantly rippling almost fluidly as they stalk towards you bearing the bloodstained blades they have for teeth.
"When we get back, all of you are spending time at the target range. I guess it's time to test out the new toy R&D gave me." Beirus says over the squad channel.
Let's try that gout of plasma thing. Sweep it across the flock. Then try to get to cover.
[LTAR vs. MDEF: 5 vs. 3] With a deafening roar, blue-hot plasma erupts forth from your weapon. It isn't so much a jet, as much as it's a continuous, barely directed explosion. The blast shatters the flock, the rapidly cooling plasma devouring bird and rain alike. Unfortunately, you can't actually do much aiming when firing it, mainly because you can't see shit thanks to the burning radiance, so your sweep is pretty much made half-blind.
The four surviving birds, the ones on the fringes of the flock that managed to scatter, swoop around the blast, diving at you.
[MDEF vs. LTAR: 7 vs. 4] You dive backwards, the glass doors of the apartment resisting but ultimately shattering as your exoskeleton slams against and then through it. Sickle-like talons swipe at you, leaving lingering arcs of electricity in their wake, but ultimately failing to hit you.
Now that you've gotten a much closer view, a view that is probably a bit too close for comfort, you can see that they're made entirely of ice and vapor. Their torsos are skeletal, with their backs missing, exposing the blade-like tentacles that emerge from behind their thick sternums. Their wings are wreathed in miniature clouds, while their discharge-wreathed talons look like a set of sickles.
You are currently sailing backwards through the air into an apartment lobby, accosted by a shower of glass and a few homicidal ice birds. Wat do?
Welp.
I'm a dolt.
Anyway, Explore for a bit, look for any sort of production/military buildings that may be of use for looting (Fallout style 
), if I dont
find any join up with one of the groups of soldiers going to bail up their mates under attack from "unidentified units".
Also mutter my previous thought-question about alternate magic use/invoking methods to my handler.
You look around and note down several places as you wander through the street. Three of them in particular stand out: a MAS Corporation Archaeology building, an AMD Technology center, and a facility belonging to Shade Research. But unfortunately, they're utterly worthless because they're mostly filled with useless crap related to blackbox technology from back when humans were on the cusp of godhood, as opposed to anything truly useful such as ceramic mugs. Okay, with a lot of luck, you
might just be able to come across some sort of hypothetical machine that conjures them out of thin-air, but that's a bit of a long shot, sure it'll be like an even better version of Pascal's Wager, but it's still not too likely. Damn it, where are the kitchenware stores when you need them?
No tips, no. But, I will let you know that your magic isn't unique.
Others can take a gamble with the same principles, hedge their bets and refine it even.
But they can't cast anything they desire on the spot unassisted like you.
You know, since you're here, we do have a few menial errands to run.
Just rifling through paperwork and files for an investigation, boring stuff. Safe stuff.
But we'll send some more resources your way if you do, not that much though - it's pretty menial work like I said.
If it doesn't interrupt your busy schedule of summoning magical bears and using them to dig you a deeper treason hole of course.
Ao Shi
To Red: "You are not? Bummer..." Ao sighs dejectedly.
"Guess I have to deal with dissapointing reality. I suppose we could set that place as a goal here,
though I really would like to get my mecha back first. I know you can't tell me details, but can you at least tell
if this magic thingy has word for bullets?"
It would really good to find a word for bullets. d0.
Grab a rifle.
To my good soldiers: "The only place without power you say? Do you happen to have any idea
location of power lines there? Transformers? Fusebox? Monsters plus lack of power equals something is leeching it
right from the source. Destroying it would be rather beneficial, don't you think?"
"Probably, I dunno. But even if I knew I wouldn't tell you anything straight. Messing with you is so easy, being in your head and all! heheh!"She impishly replies while playing with a hallucinatory newton's cradle while what appears to be a childish drawing of a girl in an engineer's uniform, labelled 'Mal' yells ineffectually at her in the background.
[COMP: 12/1] You conjure the shimmering image of a magnificent sword out of purple light. Unfortunately, you currently are not equipped with any firearms that fire swords at people. Not yet at any rate.
"Afraid we don't, sorry. We were just expecting to go shoot the other guys here, no offense."They gesture somewhat apologetically to another soldier
"None taken. We could try fanning out around the research center, I'd figure it'd be somewhere in it or near it. Issue is, well, it's down there."They point down the stairs.
"The place grew past its initial lot, so they just put some of the newer buildings nearby in the city. Where the creatures were we fought are."Rifle get.
"Agh! CRAAAP!"
Just keep running and try to juke past it. If it looks like it's going to catch me, hit it with a 3d 88 ulez and just keep running.
[MDEF vs. LTAR: -3 vs. 6] Good lord, well, you succeed in juking your face into its fist. Which also happens to be the last thing that goes through your head. Messily.
THANKS OBAMABefore the debris from what used to be your skull even settles, you find yourself awakening in the middle of the cathedral, once again dressed in 50's clothing. As if it were all just a bad dream.
>Better luck next time then.>Try another? Or leave?>Your consolation prize:They toss you six revolver rounds. They are inscribed with the same insignia as the matchbox you once had.
+3 EXT points
+3 INT points
[-] Died horribly
[-] Fell for a trap
[+] Effective methods
"I see..."
Go up to "Jimmy" and say, "Hey, having a good time with Natalie these days?"
He looks at you, and for a brief moment you see a look of utter terror flash across his face. It is the look of someone who has just realized that what they thought was a glory hole was actually an irradiated woodchipper. With rusty blades. That are actually just vaguely blade-shaped colonies of spiders. While reading this awkwardly forced and horribly mutilated rhetoric. Point is, he does not look like he's having very pleasant thoughts.
"H-How do you know Natalie?"He blurts out, evidently not doing the best to maintain his composure.
Shoot it up, but don't activate yet. If it actively threatens me, activate all bullets.
"Can... Can you talk? If not, this could get tricky, but, uh." Louder, "I have some authority here. Please don't try to fight.
Okay well this is going to be... interesting.
[UTAR vs. SDEF: -2 vs. 5] You unload your weapon at the beast. Your shot go wild and ricochet off its plating before impacting into the scrap-castles around the room. The creature turns and screeches in a horrible combination of a bird call, grinding glass and tearing steel. It begins moving towards you examining you closely as it does, it's sword-like claws scraping along the ground menacingly.
It cocks it's head as you speak, seeming to lack some inherent understanding of your attempts at communication.
((8/10 bullets used))
Derek runs further down the next set of stairs.
Okay, so, you took cover behind a pillar previously, meaning you can't run forwards. There are two shoggoths flanking you, so you can only run backwards. And it is at that point that something precipitates from the haze. You don't even get a good look at it before you feel a hard impact followed by the feeling of being crushed by the two shoggoths.
YOU DIEDYou wake up next to Winston in the middle of the cathedral.
>Well, sucks to be you.>Next time, try not to die."You realize you need to use the resources to make yourself better right? Not just cling onto them like pieces of bling?"+2 EXT points
+2 INT points
[-] Died horribly
[-] Poor positional awareness
[+] Survival
Author
Topic: Perplexicon - Down the Foxhole - Raining Mecha (Read 179662 times)