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 Posted: Mon Apr 29, 2013 8:20 pm
Phase 1 Testing - Volunteers Needed! This is a control test for the current capabilities of the Argus. Hunters of all divisions and ranks are invited to help with the newly revived Argus project, by providing valuable data through testing. Running this test requires two people - one to pilot the Argus, and one to sweep the area on foot. Communication is over headsets. You can run this test as many times as you want, in either role. Lucky and Mimsy will be observing the testing from the Argus lab, and assisting if anything disastrous happens. Pilots will be hooked up to the machinery in the underground Argus lab, flying the Argus through a square of forest on the island, accompanied by a hunter to relay obstructions and investigate anything the Argus picks up on. There are five FEAR capsules hidden in the area to collect, and give off a disturbing orange glow in Argus readings. A test is concluded when all five capsules have been found, or when the hunter on the ground hits 0HP (and taken to the infirmary). When you've completed a test, just fill out a quick test report and drop it off in this thread. For science.Some Information What is the Argus?“The prequel to the golem, these are small floating discs that can be controlled by a hunter through use of a special headset and gloves (think this but with glowing hunter runes.) They offer a limited aerial view of the area's FEAR, the view works much like heat vision, only slightly more horrific and awful. They are also equipped with a remote self-destruct that can force dissipate Halloween creatures, however this feature is still very much in testing as the feedback can have a severely negative effect on the pilot. This will be the first time they've been equipped to an Argus outside of the labs.” Argus measurements are like crude heat-vision, in shades of disconcerting orange and teal on a black background. Orange is FEAR, and teal is Runic - so a Halloween creature or object will register in orange, and a hunter weapon or runic weapon will register in teal. Nothing else registers, however, so normal objects, and people, are invisible to the Argus. How To Test The Argus To run a test, create a new PRP for it, much like you would a training course. One participant is in the labs wearing the Argus equipment, and the other is outside in the jungle. Pilots will roll 1d100, and both hunters will respond to the corresponding prompt each time before a new roll. Hunters cannot see one another, but can communicate over headsets to inform each other of what's going on... or anything else they want to talk about. The test is over when you have found 5 capsules, or if the assisting hunter in the jungle hits 0HP. 1-10 - Success! Your partner finds a fear capsule hidden in the branches of a tree. 11-20 - Your partner hears something click underfoot, and has the good sense to START RUNNING. A small, experimental runic mine detonates close behind them. -25% HP 21-30 - Success! Your partner finds a fear capsule hidden in the branches of a tree. 31-40 - Your partner didn’t find a capsule... but they did find an old (deactivated!) runic-powered trap. Guess this isn’t the first test done out here in the woods. 41-50 - Success! Your partner finds a fear capsule nestled in a pile of rocks. 51-60 - A wave of thick fog rolls in, disorienting your partner. You’ll have to pilot the Argus back to them - and now you’ve lost the signal. Better luck next time? 61-70 - Your partner didn’t find a capsule... but they did find an ACTIVE trap. And by find, they mean stepped right into. Ouch. -25% HP 71-80 - Success! Your partner finds a fear capsule hidden under leaves. 81-90 - ZZZZT - the screen is starting to glitch out on you. Your partner narrowly avoids a several foot drop hidden by bushes while following your directions. 91-100 - Your partner’s searching disturbs a nest of shadowlings. They’ll have to fend them off before you can keep searching. HP: 10, auto damage 5.
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Posted: Mon Apr 29, 2013 8:58 pm
This was gonna be so cool.
It didn't matter that the technology for the Argus was currently compatible with the clunky '97 PC models because she totally saw this on like the Matrix and sci-fi movies and EEEEEEE~ Though hunter lives were practically a live action film in development all the time, it was touches like these that still allowed Stormy to act like a child in a toy store again. There had been no real contest as to who would be trying out the Argus - not to mention she had stated as a matter of factly that Gale would have an easier time surviving than she would.
Giving him a small hug for good luck (which was quite a step up from the awkwardness before; probably the glee from using runic tech), the trainee slipped on the hardware with a child's grin and slowly began going through the instructions as dictated by Lucky and Mimsy on how to operate it. The disc was a bit wobbly as it and the death hunter headed to the jungle, but at least it was hovering close by. "Thisissocoolyouguys," Stormy cooed over the headset. "Ten-four all lights are go you are cleared for take off. Ready for adventure, Gale~?"
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Posted: Mon Jun 10, 2013 4:47 pm
He had no idea what he was doing.
When Stormy had first asked him to join her on this little "mission" (for lack of a better word, even if they weren't physically leaving the island) of hers, Gale had said yes, of course; he wasn't about to reject an offer to help. Except Gale, unlike most teenagers his own age, was not exactly as technically savvy as some might be.
He also was way more excited about this than he probably should have been because he had never been able to play many video games before and this was like playing a video game.
Gale attempted to control this enthusiasm, however.
"Ready when you are," he said, tapping the side of his headset to make sure everything worked properly.
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medigel rolled 1 100-sided dice:
9
Total: 9 (1-100)
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Posted: Mon Jun 10, 2013 4:54 pm
"Awesome~ I mean, roger!"
In the labs Stormy began to fiddle with the tech, moving experimentally this way and that once she figured out how to make it move forward. The disc hovered along before Gale, humming softly as it scanned.
"You ever done something like this before?" she asked, always curious to learn about what previous missions and experiments had been like. Everything at Deus, despite being in some part experimental, also was established at the same time--people knew things off the top of her head she wouldn't have known without asking. "It's so cooool~ Oh! Hey, I think I..."
The disc whirled to the left and almost bounced in place from her elation.
"Orange! I've got some, um, Fear over here!"
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Posted: Mon Jun 10, 2013 5:27 pm
The jungle was hot. And humid. And Gale was very, very grateful that he'd decided to wear short sleeves on this little excursion, even though his shirt was a button up one and he was wearing a pair of nice khakis that were rapidly getting grass stains on them.
"Nope, not at all," Gale replied, slapping away a mosquito. He eyed the disc floating beside him with some wariness, and a mild bit of suspicion, wondering if it would actually work.
It was still very cool. He cleared his throat.
"Er, right. Fear. Let me just - "
He traipsed a few feet to the left, following the little disc, reaching out a hand to brush aside a few thick, waxy leaves.
" - got it!" Gale plucked up the little device, squinting at it.
"One Fear capsule acquired, Lightning," he said. "Where to next?"
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medigel rolled 1 20-sided dice:
8
Total: 8 (1-20)
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Posted: Mon Jun 10, 2013 5:33 pm
A soft but pleased hum carried over the connection. "Excellent, Indiana Gale!" she chirped, because Stormy had completely forgotten what nickname she had assigned him. "Four to go...Oh! I think there's another one here."
She attempted to maneuver the Argus closer and ended up bouncing against a tree; wincety wince wince.
"Any particular reason you decided to go with Lightning? I'm curious now," Stormy added once she was sure she hadn't lost connection, sounding a bit scratchy over the connection but getting clearer.
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Posted: Mon Jun 10, 2013 6:10 pm
He tried not to smile at the Indiana Gale, and failed miserably at it. At least Stormy couldn't see, however, and Gale coughed, clearing his throat again. He fiddled around in the bushes, sliding a hand over the trunk of a tree and peering up into its branches.
"Your name," he said, hearing a snap of a twig beneath his foot. "Stormy. It's a weather name. I was just sort of playing off of that."
He was slightly embarrassed, and distracted himself by finding another Fear capsule in the tree, tucking it into his pocket.
"Lead on, fearless leader."
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medigel rolled 1 100-sided dice:
23
Total: 23 (1-100)
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Posted: Mon Jun 10, 2013 6:27 pm
The Argus device bounced again. "Oh. I thought you were going to say something like how I'm very bright, because I had an answer ready to tell you that you're wrong but thank you anyway."
Pause.
"Not that I don't like nicknames," she added mildly as the disc whirred on ahead carefully and, well, blindly. "Normally I give those out just fine unless someone tells me I shouldn't, like Tuck. I haven't thought of one for you . . ."
Stormy was just beginning to muse when she saw another flicker of orange and tried ot physically gesture Gale over. When all it did was spin the Argus machine around, she stopped and swallowed down the nausea. "Ah, 'nother pill in new tree here!"
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Posted: Mon Jun 10, 2013 8:49 pm
There was a pause and then -
- Gale actually laughed.
It took him a few seconds to get himself together, Gale putting the back of his hand over his mouth to stifle the sound. He leaned against the nearest tree and peered around it, looking for the disc, and said, with amusement, "Maybe that's really what I meant to say all along. It's true, though, you are very bright, you know."
Still chuckling to himself, something light was blinking a few branches away. Gale swung himself up partially onto the branch and plucked the fear capsule from the gnarled limbs, sliding it into his pocket.
"That's because I'm nickname-less," said Gale, completely disregarding the fact that Candace called him Chipmunk and Fini called him BatGale and Bix, well, Bix was just Bix.
"We're finding a lot of these capsules already."
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medigel rolled 1 100-sided dice:
19
Total: 19 (1-100)
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Posted: Mon Jun 10, 2013 8:55 pm
Oh! So she did get to say it. Clearing her throat, Stormy was quick to reply once more, almost happily even, "You're quite wrong, but thank you anyway."
But she had to pause again because this was perhaps the first time she'd heard Gale's laugh. Not a snicker or a halfway there noise, but the actual thing! She actually found herself pressing the headset to her ear a little harder.
"You have a nice laugh," Stormy remarked with a little smile of her own, even though Gale couldn't see it. "This place would be nicer if people laughed like that more . . . But if you don't want a nickname, I won't force one on you. Gale is a good name anyhow~"
As for how they kept finding capsules, well . . . "Maybe my luck's getting better? Or this thing's more accurate than Lucky and Mimsy said!"
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Posted: Mon Jun 10, 2013 9:21 pm
"You can think what you want to think," said Gale, sounding amused. "But I know you're rather bright already, so there's no changing my mind."
It had been a very long time since he'd laughed like that - just normally, without any stress or confusion or mess. There was precious little left to make him open up, but somehow Stormy's comments had done the trick. He smiled, though she couldn't see it either, and kept traipsing through the jungle, pushing aside thick leaves and vines.
His cheeks were pink from the compliment - or maybe it was just from the sweltering heat that surrounded him like a thick fog. "Thank you," he said, and quickly shifted topics. "I didn't say I didn't want a nickname, just that I can't think of a proper one for me to have, really. I'm not terribly exciting."
There was a sudden click beneath his boot - Gale froze where he stood, the disc hovering a few inches away from him.
"Bloody h - "
He booked it, but it wasn't quite fast enough to get away from the explosion. There was a sharp crash, a boom, and Gale flung himself to the ground, arms thrown over his head. He could feel a scorching heat behind him that wasn't just from the weather here.
After a few moments the dust seemed to settle, and Gale chanced a glance up, blinking in the haze. He got to his feet again, wincing a little, and brushed ash and leaves from his arms and legs.
"...well, that was unpleasant."
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medigel rolled 1 100-sided dice:
81
Total: 81 (1-100)
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Posted: Mon Jun 10, 2013 9:38 pm
"Neither am I, so we can be terribly unexciting together~" the trainee concluded, oddly cheerful. "The duo that can stand any weather--"
And then she got massive feedback as a wall of white noise as the disc spun around in a drunken manner from the explosion, the only visual indicator she had being the faint blue glow of the trap that had just gone off. Stormy gasped and flailed reflexively as though she were there in the jungle with him, spazzing the disc further.
"Gale?" The Lifers had mentioned there would be traps, but they hadn't been specific as to the degree; she couldn't hide the hint of concern, full hunter or not. Only when the Argus device bopped against the equally invisible Gale (and didn't make a wooden noise like if he had been a tree) did she let her breath come out in a sigh. "I think I won't tempt Fate like that anymore," Stormy mumbled as a sort of apology, like it was her fault they'd run into a trap.
There seemed to be lingering effects, however, for her screen began to fizz out. "Oh, um . . . Getting some technical difficulties . . Hmmm . . . If the readings are right, I think I saw something ahead? Could you summon your weapon so I can see you?" she asked, tempted to tap her own screen and see if that magically set it right. Oh gosh, if the equipment got broken, she'd probably have to pay wouldn't she . . .
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Posted: Mon Jun 10, 2013 9:53 pm
"I'm all right," said Gale, though there was a nasty burn down the back of one arm - the same arm, coincidentally, that already had black burn marks all the way up to his shoulder, thanks to Caelius. He scowled at it, and dug a set of bandages out of his bag, awkwardly trying to wrap them around one handed. "I'm here, I'm fine. Just a bit banged up, is all. Bloody trap mines set on the ground here."
He took another few steps, these ones more cautious than the last, and navigated around a series of thick, towering plants with bright pink and orange flowers blossoming from their depths.
There was a buzzing sound on his headset. Gale stopped looking for more Fear capsules and tapped the side of his headphones.
"Everything going all right?" he asked, holding out his free hand. The ring on his left index finger glowed bright white momentarily and then in the next second the rifle was out, Gale holding onto it by the barrel.
"I don't see any this way, do you?"
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medigel rolled 1 100-sided dice:
3
Total: 3 (1-100)
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Posted: Mon Jun 10, 2013 9:56 pm
"I--think it---king hold on----mething-----"
A few seconds later the hissing in their headsets faded away as the Argus corrected itself. Stormy wiped at her brow and had the device "nod" in the direction of the long blue figure on her screen.
"Back online, Indie," she reported as the disc hovered onwards with a little more trepidation, using Gale's weapon as a point of reference as they moved. Then she frowned to herself. ". . . Okay yeah, that doesn't fit. This is why I stick to Disney names; I can't name things right on my own, even myself. What were we talking about again?"
And before he could even answer that, her screen was lighting up with another burst of orange aura. "Capsule to the right, it's at a slight angle! How many's that now?"
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Posted: Mon Jun 10, 2013 10:15 pm
It was a few seconds before the buzzing sound left his ears, Gale pulling one of the headphones away from his head just for a moment's peace. But then it slowly faded and he settled it back into place, poking the ground with the end of his rifle.
"We were talking about Disney," said Gale, even though they hadn't been. "All right, so Indie doesn't work. What about a Disney character, then? I remind you of any in particular?"
Not that he could think of any off of the top of his head, but that was beside the point.
He followed the little disc a few feet to the right and reached up into the tree, brushing aside a few waxy leaves that were a vibrant emerald color.
"Got it. And that makes...four," said Gale, shifting them around in his palm. "How many did we need to collect again?"
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