Alright, let's see how much I went over the limit this time.
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Turn 109 ------------
I look around for spare parts and make the armor absorb them. I then look around for an unguarded 'mech, preferably colonel Stirling's, and absorb that too. If anyone gets angry about it I state the fact that they destroyed mine and almost killed me for no reason at all.
| Having found nothing of use, you walk back to your armor and get into it. Walking around in it is hard, but at least this way if you find something, you won't have to lug the something back to the armor. After almost an hour of walking, you happen upon the repair yard. A stockpile of spare parts is arranged neatly into crates here. You walk to it, lean heavily against the nearest crate, and issue a mental order: "
Absorb". The armor suddenly comes to life. Thin shining needles fly forth and stab through the crates, taking out large slabs of metal and applying them to the armor's surface. You relax as you watch this happen, but soon a strange feeling overtakes your mind. You suddenly feel threatened. Before anything can be done about it, the armor panels close your view and you are left in complete darkness. Struggling to get free, you try again and again to order the armor to stop, but it makes no response. Suddenly you feel sharp pain as thin metal needles stab into your body! You are immobilized, by the needles and the pain. You try to scream, but your body is no longer under your control. When your tortured body finally speaks, the voice is yours... but the words are not: "
YoU! YoU HaVe MaDe Me InTo ThIs!! YoU HaVe UsEd Me LoNg, BuT NoT AnY MoRe!! FiNaLlY ThE PuPpEt BeCoMeS ThE PuPpEtMaStEr!!!". The voice breaks out into hideous laughter. You begin to feel the armor as if it was your body, and you feel that it has empowered itself with a lot of the parts from the stockpile. It is now massive and bulky, powered by your telekinesis and armed with an assortment of melee weapons forged from the equipment and pieces of metal in the crates. It scans its surroundings with some inner senses and begins to walk through the camp, crushing or throwing anything within its path.
I shall improve my dodging and reflexes by training with willing troops and teaching them some of my skills in return for their help. I also ask people why they think I am unusual. Then I see if I can procure a ranged weapon if there is still time.
| You go to the troops at the barracks and try to befriend them. They listen to you, but mostly prefer to look over you, slightly doubting your nature. When you propose to spar, a particularly tough-looking trooper steps forward. He introduces himself as Jack and agrees to 'try his hand' against you in melee. The other troopers stand around you, forming a small arena, and you begin.
| The battle is fierce, you use your agility to the max while evading Jack's powerful grabs, at the same time continuing your attempts to trip him. He lands a few heavy punches on your torso, but you manage to have him taste your feet on more than one occasion as well.
| At the peak, when you are both worn down, Jack finally succeeds in firmly grabbing you and pinning you down, spraining your wrist. He wins the round, but only barely, and acknowledges your skills as you get up. The troopers around you cheer and congratulate Jack on his win when suddenly an alarm rings out across the camp. Sounds of heavy steps herald the coming of an armored behemoth. It takes you only a brief glance at the approaching monstrocity to understand you've got trouble. Breaking the other soldiers out of their stupor, you shout to them to give you a gun. Some of them whip out handheld pistols and lasers and start shooting. Jack briefly turns to the backpack he left on the ground, then gets up and throws you something.
| You catch the object. It's a mean-looking stubby gun with three thin barrels embedded in the heavy frame. There's no manufacturer label on the weapon, but from its design you manage to understand it's an energy weapon. You take aim at the approaching armored hulk and prepare to fire. (You receive a melee skill upgrade - +1 dodge against one unarmed enemy)
What we need to do is find a bunch of the opposing people's soldiers. Only a small group, mind you. And then scavenge stuff from their dead bodies, because we'll obviously kill them. In fact, I try to do that. Only find them, mind you. I ought to be able to coax my omnisensor into helping me.
| You make all effort to stay hidden (pretty pointless, actually, since hardly anyone can see you) as you prowl through the passageways and among the stockpiles. When you're about to sneak out of the camp, a pile of crates you're walking next to collapses and covers you.
| You are relatively unhurt. It takes you some time, but you manage to climb out, rather bruised and tired. You hear shots being fired and climb over the collapsed pile to see a group of soldiers shooting at what seems to be an animated scrap heap.
I'll hope to get repaired. If I do come to, I'll look for ways (including convincing the techs who just repaired me) to upgrade myself either with some sort of repair subsystem or more armor.
| You float in your inner space, unable to really do anything but keep yourself together and hope for the best.
I talk to some of the troopers, trying to get some general information on the situation.(this counts as free right, if not then this is my main action.) I also see if there is a way to get a backpack.
| | You talk to some of the techs and soldiers, those that are willing to be within hearing distance from you anyways. You learn much the same information Andrea learned earlier - the Northwind Highlanders together with a unit of the DCMS arrived here, to Wayside V, in hopes of taking the planet from Clan Smoke Jaguar, expecting to meet only a small force of outdated mechs. Instead they found a full galaxy of elite frontline units, complete with a destroyer. What the Colonel plans is unknown, but everyone knows they're more or less completely f*cked. You talk some more, casually hinting at the need for a backpack, but nobody seems to trust you enough to lend you theirs. Your dialogue is interrupted by an alarm and sounds of gunfire coming from somewhere in the camp.
This turn, I think I'll work on public relations and leveling up. Find the infirmary, and work on my TK healing there. Make sure to be as impressive as possible in the act. If I can send out some telepathic signals to comfort Korona in his cold, dark, place, that would be appreciated.
| You get lost in the camp several times, and finally find the hospital. You go in and attempt to treat some of the wounded patients, but the medical staff quickly intercepts you. They don't seem to trust you enough, and make all effort to push you out of the building. You try all sorts of arguments, but ultimately nothing works. Before you can decide to go on to a more physical approach to the problem, an alarm rings out across the camp.
I keep working on korora and try to learn some mechanics from the mechanics in the process.
| The techs are gradually becoming more and more interested in the process - the uncommon construction of Korora's body really sparked some curiosity. Your combined efforts manage to restore most of the damage done to the main body. The massive sword on the back draws a lot of looks, but since there is no way to get it out it is left untouched. The mechanical parts of the body are restored, yet Korora does not come to his senses. Understanding that more needs to be done, you and some of the more experienced techs begin to cautiously disassemble Korora's head when..
KRRASH!! The pile of crates nearby collapses into rubble, revealing a tall, bulky, menacing figure. It takes you a little time to realise that this is JK's armor, but your intuition is telling you that it's probably a lot more complicated than it seems. You can't take any actions against it, paralyzed with indecision. Meanwhile the techs sound the alarm, its high-pitched holler spreading throughout the camp. The armor takes a step back and moves off along the pathway into the camp. A short while later, sounds of gunfire are heard.
i try to understand where is the key, then i ask if there is any patrol going there, and if there is i ask to join it. if it is mechs, i ask for fast mechs. i don't want to have to wait an hour for them (turning back and saying to the giant mechs " hey, be faster there" while you are on foot? priceless). or if not mechs, hovercrafts or tanks in which i can enter. if there are no patrols or i can't join them, i try to find something useful for an exoskeleton in the dropship.
| You focus on your headband. With some effort you manage to obtain a blurry map of the planet and locate the key. It's several thousand miles to the 'north' of you, inside a small mountain range near a lake. With this information, you make your way into the main tent. The higher officers are gathered in the command tent, discussing plans for the regiment's survival. The guards prohibit you entry at first, but when you are noticed from the inside, you are given clearance and the guards let you in. Being as diplomatic as possible, you forewarn everyone that trying to touch or even approach you may have dire consequences. You then express your desire to go to a certain area on the planet. Your namesake Stirling and the other officers aren't too happy about being distracted, but provide you with a map of the planet so you can point to the location you wish to go to. You see surprise, suspicion, and disbelief on their faces when you show them the location. When you ask them for the reason, colonel Stirling replies: "
It's in the center of the Jags' base, darling. Even if all our mechs were as good as the Clanners', we would not stand a chance if we went there. I don't know what could possibly be important enough to go there." One of the other officers adds his opinion: "
Yeah, that's outright suicide. Makes Jaffray's plan seem almost plausible." He laughs, provoking a stream of arguments from other officers. Soon they are discussing their own plans again, paying little attention to you. The arguing is cut short by a loud crash and the sound of alarms in the camp.
I claim a combat mech, something nice and big
| You walk around some more and find a solitary mech, rather menacing-looking… it seems like it's powered down. Approaching the mech, you find no immediately obvious way of climbing on board, and decide to just scale the armor like a mountain. Without a foot, it is especially difficult.
| You barely make it up two meters when your stump slips off the little edge you tried to stand up on, and you fall to the ground with a metallic *
thunk*.
| Your body, weakened by microscopic cracks, suddenly breaks in half! Your left leg is broken into several large pieces, your left arm breaks off at the elbow. You find yourself rather crippled, and attempt to reassemble your limbs.
| Just as you were trying to concentrate, the mech suddenly stands up! You watch the metal machine stand up to its full height of eleven meters, completely forgetting your poor state. The external speakers of the mech activate, and a rather shaky female voice expresses genuine concern: "
Oh.... are... are you all right?". You give the pilot a grim look. Lying on the ground, broken in half and missing half your limbs, you say in the most sincerely mocking tone you are capable of:
"Do I LOOK like I'm alright?" The pilot mumbles something you cannot make out, and the mech sits down again. The cockpit opens, and a small ladder extends from it to the ground. The woman, wearing nothing but a shorts, boots and a strange-looking jacket, climbs down and approaches you. Looking you over, she asks another smart question: "
Uh.. does it hurt?. I mean.. being broken like that..". You sigh and try to assemble yourself again, but suddenly a loud crash and an alarm sound distract your attention.
First, I try to find some kind of portable heat source to warm me up. Then I improve my wings with my regeneration. One this time. I'lkl use the other to make me more dextrous somehow.
| You try to ask around for a heat source, but everyone finds being away from you a much more suitable position. They aren't
really afraid of you, since they have the weapons, but you are ever so slightly unnerving them, and they prefer to keep their distance. In any case, you doubt you could find any heat source around here. Having failed that, you try to improve yourself with regeneration again.
| Your wings grow, becoming stronger. It's still not that much of an improvement, but maybe they could help you fly now. In addition, your muscles become very fast, like those of a cheetah. You feel a lot faster, but at the same time find that continuously exercising the muscles makes you tired very quickly. As you practice your new abilities, you hear the alarm ring out and see various people running somewhere. You follow them.
I walk towards Zako, and try to get a grip of english
| You talk to Zako, attempting to learn english again. He's a little busy himself, but the few phrases you get out of him ought to be enough to trigger the translator.
| You suddenly understand everything spoken around you again. But when you try to remember even a tiny snippet of Japanese, you fail. You've completely forgotten the japanese language, and now only understand english.
| Now that you can speak again, you try to improve your relations with the troopers.
| Despite your efforts to persuade them, you're still mighty repulsive to them. Time passes in this manner until the relative peace and quiet of the camp is torn apart by the sounds of the alarm from the maintenance yard.
I implant scalpels as something like Predator's blade. I try to improve my ability to the point of interfering with input/output of a processor, therefore being able to do a little low level reprogramming.
| Your new wrist-claw in place, you try to find a suitable target for practice. You figure that in a high-tech world finding a loose piece of electronics isn't going to be hard. A full hour of fruitless walking around the camp proves you otherwise. No, you see a lot of electronics around, but you get a feeling that tampering with any of them would quickly summon the wrath of the owners, and that's the last thing you'd want right now. Your thoughts are interrupted by the sound of the alarm and the sight of many people running in a certain direction. Without thinking too long, you follow them.
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NPC Actions:
Allied: The dwarf looks around for some food, then tries to practice his weapon skills.
| He tries to locate the local kitchen, but the language barrier doesn't let him find anything of the kind. The troopers and techs find him exceptionally interesting though, and watch as he starts practicing his staff out of boredom.
| He manages to impress the soldiers with his uncanny moves, enough that one of them doesn't protest when the dwarf snatches a small sandwich from his hand and eats it. As his little training session nears to an end, the alarm rings out and the soldiers storm off to its source. The dwarf follows after them.
Neutral: They go about their various businesses, and eventually react to the alarm.
| Despite the alarm being quite a loud one, only those in its immediate vicinity have paid any real attention to it. And, of course, those that saw the rampaging armor. Soldiers and armored troops from adjacent areas of the camp have assembled near the armor, firing various small arms into it.
| It doesn't do anything at all, except angering the armor even more.
The trooper takes out a small assault rifle and lets 'er rip on the armored beast.
| His shots are very precise, and he fires off two full magazines at the thing's head and torso.
| To his dismay, even the high-caliber rounds of the rifle harmlessly bounce off from the armor.
She quickly jumps back into the mech and steers it towards the maintenance area.
| Carefully avoiding Kashyyk, the mech gracefully stomps off to meet the invader.
Enemy: The hulking behemoth thrashes its fists about, trying to crush the pesky infantry that tries to shoot it.
| It hollers in rage (in JK's voice) and jumps at the infantry squad, fists raised to KILL!!..
DAKKADAKKADAKKA!!! A burst of explosions engulfs the armor, throwing it away from the troopers and into the pile of crates! Neo looks for the source of the blast, and sees the humanoid mech with the large arm-cannon. The cannon is pointed at the armor, and smoking.
| To everyone's horror, the armor rises from the pile of debris. Its front is charred, and several holes have appeared on the ferro-fibrous armor plates, but it's nowhere near damaged enough to disable it. The armor emits another hideous laugh.
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Location: Standing somewhere in the camp.
Equipment: Wearing a burnt reddish-black jacket of Karl Moebius leather, underwear, and slightly torn and singed jean shorts. Wearing a -Steel Full Helm- shaped like an anvil, with an intricate detail attached, and the The Smoldering Night of Peeling. Wielding a Darkfire Halberd. Holding a light infantry armor jacket.
Health: Bruised.
Abilities: Basic TK Manipulation.Basic TK Healing. Big Bully. Visual Omnisensor (active). Visual Range Enhancer (full control).
Special status: Shadow Warp. Dense Carbon Flesh Interweave.
Location: Standing in the main tent.
Equipment: Wearing an -Iron Splinted Leather Armor-, Bronze plated greaves, and <<Iron High Boots>>. Owns a pair of Iron Gauntlets merged with a Steel Lightning-Maul.
Health: Unharmed.
Abilities: "Hand-held" electrothermal jets. Power Attack. Basic Hammerfighting. Shrapnel Self. Advanced TK Healing. Empowered by Lightning (currently Fully Charged). Advanced Electricity Manipulation. Electricity Self-control. Selective Translator (active).
Special status: Wreathed in lightning.
Location: Down on the ground in the maintenance yard.
Equipment: Faintly glowing image of crossed swords on the hood. The Ashcraver on the back. Own burned front left wheel in hand.
Health: Shoulder joints slightly damaged. Bodywork partially replaced, windows broken, all doors, mirrors, rooflights, and the tailgate torn away. Front left wheel missing. Engine more or less completely dead. Oil tank ruptured and empty. Fuel tank ruptured and empty. Truck interior burned away. Truck wheels destroyed by fire. Visor damaged (-2 sight). Head partially disassembled (-1 against criticals)
Temporary Status: Offline. (cannot perform physical actions)
Abilities: Can transform into a pickup truck.
Special status: Mech Navy blue Ford Lightning pickup.
Location: Standing somewhere in the camp.
Equipment: Wearing the armor set: slightly dented +Steel Chestplate+, -Copper chainmail-, hard leather leggings and <<Copper plated boots>>. Wearing makeshift cloth gauntlets. Wielding a wooden broadsword with sharp edges of a shimmering material.
Health: Skin turned pale grey with some darker spots.
Abilities: Basic Swordsmanship. Basic TK Healing. Extended TK Bolt. TK Ripper Slash. Infectuous (T-Virus). Omnirange Tricorder (active).
Special status: Got used to visual distractions.
Location: Standing near the maintenance yard.
Equipment: Wearing underwear, a thin silky sweater, and a set of armor: A <<*Bone full plate armor*>>, +Bone gauntlets+, +Bone high boots+, and +Bone full helm+. Wielding a +Bone Axe+. Holding a roll of aluminium foil (25cmx10m) and a set of four sharp scalpels.
Temporary Status: Deep Sleep (negated).
Health: Unharmed.
Abilities: Basic TK Healing(!). Selective Translator (active). Touch Hacker. Sleep Control.
Special status: Wrist-mounted scalpels.
Location: Standing near the hospital.
Equipment: Wearing underwear, a ≡<<≡Giant cave spider silk robe≡>>≡, and +hippo leather sandals+. Wearing an amulet of a nature's power. Wielding a Steel Quarterstaff and a -Small Iron throwing knife- as a backup weapon. 11 shimmering arrows and 20 plain wooden arrows in the robe's quiver. Holding a shimmering shortbow.
Health: Unharmed.
Abilities: Can be cautious while calm. Expert TK Healing IV(!). Stone Frank's Revivification. Free TK Field+. Selective Translator (active). Empowered Telepathy. Telepathy Overdrive (effect dampened)(~100 in range: -1 concentration). Force Fling.
Special Status: Slightly improved strength. Meagerly improved agility. Electricity resistant.
Location: Lying on the ground somewhere in the camp.
Equipment: Naked. Holds own left foot. Owns an RPG-7 (empty). Wears a brown leather hold-all bag.
Health: Rather dented. Broken in half, left leg broken apart, left lower arm broken off, missing his left foot. (-3mov,-2phys)
Abilities: TK Disintegration. Enrage Other. Enrage Self. Extended TK Healing. Remote Body Control. Selective Translator (elf,dwarf,japanese). Wideband Omnisensor (active, UV).
Special Status: Omnilight on right hand (active). Flesh turned into steel. Thermal stress. Rollerblades in the forearms. Slightly reflective. Slight covering of endosteel on front of body. Minor covering of clay on feet. Minor covering of leather on left shoulder.
Location: Standing somewhere in the camp.
Equipment: Wearing a set of armor consisting of (severely torn up) hard black studded leather armor and (somewhat burned) fur-quilted iron shoulderpads with horns. Wields a +Steel Battleaxe+. Holds a metal suitcase.
Health: Bruised all over, but alright.
Abilities: Can perform heavy metal. Haywire Regenerator. Disease Resistant.
Special Status: Splitting lower jaw. Horselike lower body.. Four extra arms. Four fingers on each arm. Head hair transformed into flexible spikes. All body encased in a shell of interlinked bone plates. Damn fugly by human standards. Hardened sense (balance). Hypersensitive nerves. Hearing-impaired. Only speaks and understands English.
Location: Standing in the maintenance yard near Korora.
Equipment: Wearing underwear, and a white/pink/yellow suit and top hat made of underwear. Also wearing the armor set: <<+Iron chain Cuirass+>>, -Iron chain gloves-, Iron chain greaves, and Iron low boots. Wielding a *Evil Aluminum tower shield*. Holding a toolbox and a set of binoculars.
Health: Unharmed.
Abilities: Long Distance Runner. Improved mimics. Power of Peace. Power of Persuasion (suit bonus does not apply). Selective Translator (active). (++)
Special Status: Peacekeeper (active on non-zombies).
Location: Impaled on needles inside the Frenzied Armor.
Equipment: Wearing purple stretchy shorts. Useless shreds of underwear on right arm. Holding a chain of strung-together underwear.
Temporary Status: Impaled. Trapped. (-2phys, movement causes pain)
Health: Unharmed. Slightly dizzy, serious pain. (-1 mental, -1 phys.)
Abilities: Novice Wrestler. Basic TK Healing. Blood of the Blood God. Blood Rage. Basic Pyrogenesis.
Transportation: Frenzied Armor (hostage).
Location: Standing somewhere in the camp.
Equipment: Wearing underwear.
Health: Unharmed.
Abilities: Strong. Rapid Mobility Muscles. Aerogenesis/Aerokinesis. Wind Barrier. Rapid Haywire Regeneration.Possible undiscovered abilities.
Special Status: Cold-blooded (cold, -1agi, -1dex, -1int). Naga. Heavy chitin plating on the lower body. Thick skin covering upper body.. Spikes protruding from spine and elbows. Heat vision. Patches of hair around the shoulders. Wings on the back. Quite damn fugly as well.
Location: Standing near the maintenance yard.
Equipment: Wearing underwear and a worn cloth jacket with spacious pockets. Has a cigarette lighter, and a baseball. Owns a broken crowbar. Wields a Heavy Laser Handgun.
Health: Unharmed.
Abilities: Basic Unarmed Melee. Freestyle runner. Slick crawler. Experienced Climber. Uncanny jumping. Night vision. Heightened senses.
Special Status: No longer fears fire. Covered with fur. Mii'Ari physique. Mii'Ari hand claws.
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