It needs to be better, but I cannot think of any way to make it so. .Putting aside the idea for future deliberation, you return to your room, entering into the hastily-repaired section where Cephelia made an attempt on your life not long ago. The wall has been patched and cleaned, but the window could not be so easily replaced. Instead, the great armored shutter keeps out the cold of the windy mountain early morning. You open it with a press of the button, resting upon the remaining bench.
Cold air bites at you, but your body regulates it quickly, leaving you comfortable as snow trickles in through the opening. You watch the sunrise, watch as it paints the dark sky with vivid reds and gold. The indigo of morning fading into the blue of day as the sun scorches the crater plains below with hues of gold and white. You rise from your meditations, drifting away from the idle thought processes that consume you. The fears, the stresses -- you let them fade away like the cold mountain morning beneath the burning resolution of the rising sun.
You shut the shutter on your way out. You don your underlay, then your panoply, leaving the spare gauntlet and upper arm guard on a table nearby. And you find a package, from Emma. You open it to find a heavy capelet for your lack of an arm. The cloth is fire-resistant on the inside and heavy, water-resistant kevlar on the other. Etched in red is your new sigil, ['SOL'] printed down in it in the old scripts of the Families.
[19]
[Good morning Pheobe.] Lucille chimes pleasantly as you awaken her, feeling the familiar sting of the needles give way to her omnipresent comfort.
With a check of your equipment, you head down to the pads, the docks, shrugging on your duffle bag as you go
The Crusaders you meet are wearing strange robes, with heavy, entire leg covering boots and thick, rubberized gloves that swaddle their arms. Their gasmasks hiss of their own volition, supplying filtered, pure air. They identify themselves politely as the platoon in charge of scouting with you. Fifty brave men and women. The rest will remain in the Hovercrafts, and limit their exposure to a minimum of an hour.
Lieutenant Peter Byrd introduces himself to you -- a thin man, once he peels away the protective clothing. The two of you board one of the vessels, and it lifts off. He explains the plan. You will lead the scouting Platoon through the Hydrogen Plant. If all goes well, everything will be intact and relatively free of radiation. You will light flares and the other platoons will extract the parts. After that is finished, all materials will be scrubbed in a mountain stream far away from civilization, to remove any radioactive dust that may be present. You dip a nod at the polite, calm explanation, and settle in for the ride.
[19] "We're at safe levels to operate without protective equipment."
"We will do so anyway." Lieutenant Byrd states, bluntly. "Same precautions."
Dust and ash drift down with snow upon the ruined remains of the city. Buildings are collapsed into piles of broken rubble upon the streets, or reduced to cold cinders. Half burned corpses lay in the streets and buried beneath the concrete. The factory is close by -- its a sturdy building of pre-fabricated make, still intact after the ground rending earthquake and blazing firestorms. You slowly make your approach with the Crusaders at your back, hesitant.
[1] You enter first, breaking away from your assigned platoon, feeling claustrophobic in their presence. They do not protest, beginning to divide into squads to search through the building. You stumble through, not really paying much attention to the machinery that surrounds you, content with letting the Crusaders handle it for the time being -- that is, until something approaches. The darkness disorientates you, for once, and you lose your direction.
Abominations, ten of them, with twisting shifting forms that writhe towards you with the smell of fresh human. Their las-guns angle toward you and you dodge out of the way without thinking. Lucille is chiming an alarm, but you cannot hear it -- your adrenaline pounds in your ears as your bloodlust rises in your veins. Black ichor drips wetly from the ceiling, and the smell of cordite fills your nose.
You are Pheobe Gainer and Pheonix
Local Time: [1200] 11/22/2011
Personal Time: 5 months
Empyreal Time: NO NETWORK CONNECTION.
You're missing an arm.
You are comfortable in your second skin.
Anger and bloodlust boils in your veins
Cohesion: 75%
You are satiated.
Nanofeasts Remaining:8
On Body: Mark 15 Battle Armor (Active, Incompatible:Override)
Over Empty Shoulder: A water-resistant, heat-resistant capelet[/acronym
On Body, Beneath Armor:A black and gold armored gambeson.
In Holster: A Crusader Cutter Hilt (250/250)
In Dufflebag: Thirty-eight nutrient cube meals, seven red flares
Overload: Trained
Bird of Sol's Reign: Qualified
Conquerer's Aura: Initiated
Inferno : Great
Healing Factor: Apprentice
-
Endurance Boost: Amateur.
-
Strength Boost: Amateur.
Matter Manipulation:Silicon:: Competent
Skill:
Charisma: Apprentice
Skill:
Attrition Warfare: Apprentice
Skill:
Marksmanship: Proficient
Cephie Lavoisier's Verbal Oath Grandmother(adopted), Handler: Mother Nicole Gainer
--Contactable in person.
--High Influence with Scholars, Crusaders, the Thornton Family
--Current lawful ruler of Steelworks 9 Region (Crusader Supported)
Ruled Nation: Pheonix's Holy Fortress-State
A dominant power on McCreary's Planet, despite its recent foundation. Currently pursuing a policy of aggressive reclamation.
-Ruled by a council, headed by yourself.
-Theocratic Dictatorship
-The citizens revere you as their new God.
Organization: The Children of SEED
Ten individuals, with the minds of automata and the bodies of men and women. Their very presence grates on your nerves.
--Contactable in person, or by radio.
Organization: The Thornton Family
--Contactable through Emma, radio.
--High Influence within Steelworks 9 Region
--Allied with Nicole Gainer, you
*Researching: Radio towers*
Organization: Thornton Mercenaries
--A complement of hulking Thornton soldiers turned into cybernetically augmented heavy-duty infantry. Equipped with fusion reactor based las-gun assault rifles, Inferno Shotguns, super thick armor, and technicians standing by. They are also equipped with inter and intra-squad radio communicators.
--Lead by William Thornton
Servant, ? ? ?: Cephie Laviosier.
--An ascended under contract to you for the next twelve years. She manipulates carbon and carbon based structures.
--Contactable in person, or by radio.
Ally, Subservient: William Thornton
Leader of the Thornton Family of Businessmen.
--Contactable in person, or by radio.
--High influence within the Thornton Mercenaries
--High influence within The Thornton Family
--Feared within Steelworks 9 Region
*Coordinating Thornton Family Evacuation*
Personal Scientist, Ally: Silas Thornton
--High influence within The Thornton Family
Lover, Consort: Emma Thornton
--Contactable in person, or by radio.
--High influence within The Thornton Family
*Coordinating Thornton Family Evacuation*
Pet, Threat: Mitch, the Barker
A bristly furred, stubby faced hellion of a canine that will possibly mutate in the future.
-9/50 Obedience
-?/50 Affection
-1/50 Respect
Pheonix's Fortress-State (McCreary's Planet)
Theocractic Dictactorship
Capital: Fortress City of Stormmont
Population: 0.5*10^6
Military: One (1) Corps of Active Duty Hover Craft Deployed Crusaders (Baseline, Mark 1, Hardened){Stationed in Stormmont, Fortified}
One (1) Corps of Active Duty Hover Craft Deployed Crusaders (Baseline, Mark 1, Hardened){Invading Steelworks Region 4-5}
One (1) Corps Reserve Crusaders (Baseline, Mark 1, Underequipped){Stationed in Stormmont, Fortified}
One (1) Company of Thornton Warmachines (Baseline, Mark ~1, Hardened Veterans){Stationed in Stormmont, Fortified}
Commodities of Note: Nutrient Bar Rations [Food Stuffs] (equilibrium), Hydrogen Fuel Supplies (deficit), Medical Supplies (deficit), Consumer Goods (deficit), Electronics (deficit), Steel (deficit), Bioplastics (deficit), Chemicals (deficit), Luxury goods (deficit)
Standards of living: Food, clean water, lighting, sanitation, universal literacy, universal healthcare, universal higher education, lack of culture, lack of luxury, religious restrictions, lack of universal rights
Population Morale: Medium
Government Legitimacy: High.
Economy: Non-existant, survival focus
Ethnic Groups of Note: Thornton Family Group (Unified, Loyal, Criminal), Western Outlanders (Remnants, ? ? ?), Eastern Outlanders (Four Clans, ? ? ?)