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 Posted: Tue Mar 16, 2010 1:37 pm
Something about the whole situation did not seem right to the imperial agent. As he watched the walkers movements he decided it was of little consequence to him. It was unlikely Aster would have realised the walkers weapon could be set to self destruct in the time he had nor did it really matter to him if it did explode killing most of the population of Durham as long as he achieved his goals. No it was the situation around Aster himself which was troubling the agent a man capable of salvaging the walker and traveling between dimensions would hardly be killed by a fall like Aster appeared to be. Nor would such a man kill himself and abandon his companions. Obviously Aster was not dead perhaps some state of suspended animation, the records of the shadow anachronism contained numerous mentions of ways to suspend ones life and create the illusion of death. He would have to retrieve the body and deliver it to Lady Amelia.
With that the agents mind wandered to another fact which was troubling him. The previous agent assigned to the study of the Anachronism had contacted for an airlift to transport a prisoner. Nothing further had been reported. What had become of them, no one seemed to know. It was as if some will was trying to prevent the Empires plans from reaching fruition.
The agents hand went to his side where his sword hung a white blade inside of a silver and black scabbard. If some will was trying to defy the Empire it would surely be defeated by the forces now arrayed on the Empires side. As the Emperors personal champion he had received Lady Amelia's gift with pride. A new order would be brought to the worlds reachable by the breach in the multiverse by the Anachronisms experiments. An order which would bring stability, law and order to worlds governed by Chaotic nature alone. Even now the old disordered ways of this world were been eradicated one by one by the Empires efforts and these offworlders, symbols of the Chaos inherent in the multiverse would be removed as well. Yet he reminded himself Lady Amelia in her wisdom wished to speak with them. For now they would be allowed to live but in due time they must be erased as all elements of disorder in the multiverse must be erased.
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Posted: Tue Mar 16, 2010 3:57 pm
((I apologize, my good fellows, but it seems I will be disappearing for quite some time. AJ has run off and will return at a later time, so I apologize to the lot of you))
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Posted: Tue Mar 16, 2010 5:11 pm
((Two things to re-iterate, just in case anyone wants to edit a post before I add a reply.
First of all, Aster was fine when he jumped out of the walker. After he got clear of it, he continued running for a few moments, then showed the classic signs of a heart attack and keeled over.
Secondly, anyone performing more than a cursory examination of Aster's body might notice that over his heart there is a bulky mechanical cap. Opening it would reveal a smooth metal shaft, ending in a strange mechanism where the heart should be -(it actually encloses his heart, and causes it to beat with electric pulses, which are charged by the heart's own motion. Essentially, its a self-winding bio-powered clockpunk pacemaker.)- which has stopped.
Aster is sort of a steampunk version of Tony Stark, but without the money and battle armor.))
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Posted: Wed Mar 17, 2010 2:20 am
Tinker watched on from a dense bit of vegetation at the situation between the military and his fellow offworlders. After some consideration Tinker concluded that having the few people on this planet causing more of a ruckus than him imprisoned would not be a smart strategic move. He would have to move fast, he wasn't armed well enough to take on an entire military unit, but he had a few tricks in his belt holster.
Searching quickly through a side pouch on his belt he retrieved a small vial of a cloudy white liquid topped with a silver stopper.
"This should do the trick."
Tinker pulled another object from the back of his belt, a small leather bound gas mask. He handed the vial to his upper left robotic arm as he fastened the gas mask to his face. He took a deep breath and let his robotic arm fling the vial towards the group of soldiers and captives. He sped forward almost immediately as the vial flew through the air and landed at the feet of the head agent, shattering. a large choking cloud of gas rose up from the puddle of liquid, obscuring vision and causing coughing fits among the troops.
For the troops restraining Lady Erimentha, the last thing they would remember for the day was a well dressed man rushing at them amidst the chaos and smashing them in the face with a metal claw and the tip of his cane.
(Woo action time!)
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Posted: Wed Mar 17, 2010 2:26 pm
Some sort of commotion had begun over by Erimentha, nothing the agent wasn't expecting. He had thought that the young girl was undoubtedly aiming to rescue her comrades so he dismissed the yells and screams as he wandered over to where Asters body lay. He indicated for the troops around the walker to help their comrades, while he knelt down to examine the body of Aster. Footprints led from where the walker had been before it had moved out of control. Aster had ran from the walker to where he now lay, had his heart failed him the agent wondered. An examination of his body indicated this was and wasn't the case. Yes his heart had stopped in the conventional sense but his heart was far from ordinary. A complex machine housed what the agent assumed was his heart or its equivalent.
The agent mused how had the idiotic soldier missed this. The value of Asters dead body was far more significant than any of the other finds this day. He also decided that it was impossible to judge the body to be dead. For now he would merely judge it to be inactive. The agents mind began to wonder about the nature of the device, was it a form of temporal jump or a method of augmenting the scientists body. Had it allowed him to control the walker. Yet he began to wonder why Aster was apparently dead, did he want to be captured or had the device merely failed.
His thoughts were distracted by the yells of his soldiers causing him to look over towards where the commotion was ensuring. The young girl could not still be troubling them it had to be something else. He saw the smoke and immediately assumed it to be gas. Hurriedly he drew the sword gifted to him by Lady Amelia. Its form was perfectly balanced and it sang as it cut the air so fine was its design. Yet its value was not so much in form itself but in its other qualities. The agent walked forward and the smoke parted from him and wherever he moved the sword, its song haunting as he walked past the fallen bodies of his soldiers. Many showed signs of horrendous damage as if some machine had attacked them.
He saw through the smoke a man with some sort of equipment harness and assumed this must be the cause of the commotion. Stepping over the chocking bodies of his troops he dismissively kicked those who would slow his advance out of the way. Raising his sword he yelled a challenge to the new arrival "To whoever has committed this foul act of war against the Empire I challenge you to face me in combat. So that you can be made to atone for your crimes against the law with your life." It was over dramatic but the agent knew it would get the new arrivals attention. The agent assumed a battle ready stance and watched the shape for his reaction. He had not forgotten Erimentha who by now was undoubtedly free and had vowed to kill him but he dismissed her threats and would kill her in good time. For now he had to ascertain the nature of this new arrival and dispatch him quickly so that the body of Aster could be recovered for Lady Amelia as soon as possible, as the agent assumed it could quite literally get up and walk away if he was not careful.
The soldiers who had not been assigned jobs by the agent waited beyond the smoke in discussion. They were deciding if they were to fire into the smoke randomly if it would be considered there fault if the agent was to be accidentally hit. Having watched him now executed both there sergeant and the walkers crew as well as order many of their comrades to what they assumed was their death the soldiers felt it was only a matter of time before they too would be killed. Readying their guns they prepared to fire into the smoke.
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Posted: Wed Mar 17, 2010 2:57 pm
((Morning everyone))
She slumped to the ground and then furiously rubbed her legs to get them working again, having inhaled once after she saw the vial hit the ground she needed fresh air and her eyes had started stinging. Erimentha picked up her sword and it's casing and slipped it back together, quickly exiting the fog only to be met by gun barrels pointing directly at her.
"Oh you're kidding right." She gasped air like a fish out of water then ran at them, her cane held like baton as she struck the head of one soldier snatching his gun as he hit the ground. Deftly she hoistered it up and fired it upon the other troops then dropped it as others ran at her with bayonettes.
Blocking their strikes on her cane she ran backwards trying to go around the fog and towards Aster.
"Great I just got this recased and you're chipping it again." She muttered to herself, released the catch on the cane and drew her sword again using both bits to fend off the soldiers, prefering to knock them out than to kill them. One slipped past her guard and managed to cut her on the cheek, blood slowly ran down her face. She moved in close and rammed the butt on her sword across his nose and there was a sickening crunch as it broke and he dropped to his knees cupping his hands over his face.
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Posted: Wed Mar 17, 2010 3:37 pm
The soldiers had been caught entirely by surprise. They responded quickly but had lost there focus because of the force of the attack. Seeing where she was going they were determined to stop her. Of the seven soldiers outside of the smoke, 3 of them drew back to shoot her while the others prepared to pin her using their swords (one of them already wavering with blood pouring down his face).
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Posted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 12:47 am
Erimentha danced backwards still blocking blows from their bayonettes, shooting in her own blows to their solar plexus or ribs, hearing a crack or crunch every so often as one gave way under her blows.
When she saw the guns and just smiled. "Nah ah think before you do that, remember Mr Madman over there wants me alive." She turned slighly to see where she was going and stumbled over a root or something close to it and almost falling flat on her face. The soldiers gained on her and she had to dodge out of the way of a blade that missed her ribs by an inch. Erimentha was now laying on her back swatting away soldiers with her cane and booting any in the crotch region who thought it was a good idea to try and grab her from that angle.
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Posted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 6:03 am
From where Aster's body lay, there came a bright momentary flash, and an angry crackle of electrical discharge as the mechanical heart sprang suddenly back to life. Anyone who has ever seen a man defibrillated is probably familiar with that moment of shock when the person leaps up. Aster had considered this, and also for the phenomenal burst of strength that takes people in desperation. What he had not counted on was the effect of the near-death experience on his judgment, vision, and coordination. Howling a berserk cry, he followed through on the last coherent thought he could remember..."take them by surprise." Deciding that the ringing of the Agent's sword offended him, he lifted a massive stone, using the same strength which enables housewives to lift automobiles, and hurled it at the source of the noise. Then he charged into the fray, whirling his heavy workbag like a morning star, with a force that strained its stout straps and buckles.
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Posted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 2:12 pm
The Imperial Agent had not been aware of the rock but his sword arm moved of its own violation as if the sword had sensed the danger and moved to block it itself. With a brilliant white flash the sword touched the stone its song rising to an almost deafening screech as it broke the sword down to its component molecules and scattered them to the wind. The agent gasped as he realised how close the rock had come to hitting him and through the dissipating smoke he saw Aster moving towards the bulk of the remaining soldiers who seemed terrified by the monsters approach, especially after witnessing the injuries and fatalities he had caused amongst the last group he had reached.
The agent realised if Aster was moving then he could lose his prize for Lady Amelia. He resolved to summon her before the prize escaped. Driving his sword down into a nearby choking body of one of his soldiers he yelled out to the sky in general "Lady Amelia the bringer of Law, Order and Justice hear me your champion and come to my call. Lady Amelia follow my voice your champion calls to you."
It started as a background noise of indeterminate origins but grew louder and then a small mechanical bird flew down from the direction of the sun. Its mechanical wings whirring and its brass and gold body clicking as it moved. It landed on the agents shoulder its little head moving enquiringly and from it came a small tinny voice "My dear sweet Ash why did you summon me you know that I am busy?" it enquired without a hint of annoyance instead it was a bemused voice as a doting parent would scold a wayward child. Its voice though tinny had a quality about it of both great age and wisdom and all who heard it felt as if they were merely children in the presence of a wise older adult who they know is innately right and any difference of opinion they hold is nothing more than petulance. "My Lady I have found several offworlders all skilled in the sciences you love so much. I thought you would like to speak to them they may be of some use to your studies." the agent said to the bird who moved its head so that it observed each of the adventurers in turn with one of its ruby eyes. "Oh Ash you do know what interests me, they are indeed fine specimens." The bird hopped along the agents shoulder until it flew up onto his head and raised its wings so that a brilliant multicoloured light emerged which became brighter and brighter until it became a dazzling white light.
The adventurers found themselves within a room of white marble as if seamlessly cut from one piece. The tables, chairs and bed were all made of the same marble. It was if someone had gone to great effort to create a well furnished room with no understanding for the reason why people needed the rooms. It was a pretence and everyone in the room could feel it. The soldiers still fought with the adventurers but had become aware of the new surroundings and their fighting had become half hearted and more in self defence. The room held a single large window made of the finest cut marble so thin it was possible to see the vast city outside.
The city resembled a vast machine with pistons and valves. Whole sections of the city moved as if to a clockwork beat. As vast fleets of Airships moved around the city which climbed high above the surface below. The whole wall was part of the window although some areas allowed you to see could not have been from anyway but the other sides of the room as if the marble curved the world outside so that it was visible through one window. Carriages driven by unfamiliar engines past along raised roads between the buildings. At the heart of the city rose a vast spiral of buildings all built within some sort of giant mechanism which moved as giant cogs turned and sparks flew from it.
"I am so glad you could all join me." A voice said, it bore the same qualities of the mechanical bird but was human in a fashion. It came from a woman who at once seemed as if she was elderly yet was also a youth. She was truly of indeterminate age and a slight movement by her or the person looking at her could alter the appearance of her age. Yet from her came the impression that to her everyone else was just a child. "My name is Lady Amelia and this is city is called by its inhabitants London." Beside her knelt the imperial agent and at the mention of her name the soldiers also knelt. It we apparent though that she did not expect the same treatment from the adventurers. "You are not from this world."
She said turning to view the adventurers her white skin glowing with an inner light and her white hair shining as if the sun itself with a pure white radiance. Her dress to glowed though not as brightly. Her attention turned to the soldiers "You sully this room." she said and they turned to sand blown by an invisible wind beyond the walls of this room. "Their voices were like a cacophony of chaos. Far to turbulent to be allowed to exist." she said as if justifying her actions to the adventurers. "Oh I am needed elsewhere I will come speak with you later." she said as if having heard an invisible voice summoning her. A partition appeared in the wall opening out into the city with its enclosed corridors of pipes and gantries. "You may wander the city and I will find you when I wish to speak with you. Until then I ask that you do not disturb the order of my beautiful machine. If you do I will have to remove you for all that I love having company, I can not abide disharmony in my beautiful world." She smiled at them again and with the agent was gone in a burst of light.
The streets outside were a maze of corridors and small shops and buildings. Mostly inns, food and weapons shops. Evidently a travellers corner of the city as numerous languages were spoken and different clothes as if from numerous strange and exotic lands could be seen. The room the adventurers were now in seemed to have a transience about it as if it was invisible to all outside and would disappear as soon as they left it. The streets outside seemed messy and industrial with the street floor itself a mesh concealing a mess of wires and pipes while overhead was great pipes and exhausts which seemed to be continuously emitting steam. The Lady Amelia had left some money on the chair she had sat on enough for several days as she evidently felt she may be away for some time before she would return to speak to them.
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Posted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 3:13 pm
((Woo 100 posts))
Erimentha sat up quickly after the soldiers backed off and leant up against the closest wall to her, cleaning off her blade on her coat, muttering something about transmutation and teleportation and how these scientists were messed up.
When the woman entered the room Erimentha sheethed her blade into the hollow end of her cane and pulled herself up with it, she eyed the woman carefully then inclined her head slightly as a polite greeting but nothing more. Raised her eyebrows as the agent and soldiers knelt. Watched in stunned silence as the soldiers melted into sand, after the woman and the agent left she calmly walked over to one of the piles and sifted through it to pull out her death ray, the battery still very dead.
She leant against the nearest wall and started asking questions and talking to no one in particular ina very quiet voice.
"Why didn't they just ask us to come to their wonderful city? Used Chloroform, whacked us over the head? Why did they kill so many soldiers doing their job, they could have families? These people are inhumane and disgusting and that agent is dead." She was getting tired, she had seen so many deaths and it was slowly getting to her. Sure she had fended off pirates but they always left her ship alive, with a few more scars and broken bones and a bit of damaged pride but alive.
Erimentha slid down the wall her arms resting on top of her knees as tears ran down her face leaving track marks through the dust and splatters of blood.
She wanted a bath, a long one. A hot cup of tea over a good book and her bed.
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Posted: Fri Mar 19, 2010 12:35 pm
"I would not pretend to understand the logic and reasoning of a society that takes it's orders from a machine."
Tinker was not certain about the origins of the voice, or what strange technology had brought them to this place, but he was sure of what he saw, even through the fog of battle he had seen it.
"And this place, we shouldn't tarry here long. I assume that our reprieve from battle is only temporary.
The lenses on Tinker's glasses had been flicking away the moment that the strange force had moved them to this place, looking for anything that could help him draw a logical conclusion. His mechanical arms folded back behind him as he walked around the room, taking a number of strange instruments from his belt and passing them over the furniture. The final target of his investigation led him to the mechanical heart of lord Aster.
"Well, it seems that Lord Ashen keeps strange company indeed."
He put away his tools and walked to the center of the room, silently going over the data he had collected in his head.
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Posted: Sat Mar 20, 2010 9:42 am
From the moment they had been transported to this place, Aster had done nothing but stare numbly. Only dimly aware of his surroundings, he had registered the woman's appearance, but her words had been all but drowned out by the roaring in his ears. Moments after her departure, his knees buckled, dropping him heavily to the floor on his backside. He let out a long string of curses in Irish that would have singed the ears of anyone from the Emerald Isle that had been about to hear them. They weren't directed at anyone in particular, but the fact that he lapsed into his grandparents' language was a testament to his strain.
Then, sputtering, he coughed up blood onto the pristine white floor. Adrenaline had allowed him to perform great feats of strength, but going beyond his limits had taken its toll on him. On top of that, his machine-cased heart was not as efficient as it had been before his accident, and had provided insufficient blood flow for the amount of exercise he had given his body.
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Posted: Sat Mar 20, 2010 4:02 pm
Erimentha rubbed the tears away with the back of her hand when she heard Aster curse, taking in her surroundings with a little more clarity.
She still had no idea why the tinker was here, he had not arrived with them but priority immediatly went to Aster and his heart. Picking herself up she dusted herself off wiped her hander to clean on the back of her shirt and went over to him, she directed a question at the tinker though. "So mystery man with the arms, what are you doing here, I don't think you came with us, how did you get here?"
Erimentha knelt down quietly and moved Aster shirt aside to get a better look at the mechanics, deftly she pulled out a small screwdriver, wires and a pair to tweezer head plyers from her coat pocket. "Hold still ok, this won't take a moment. Their clean don't worry i look after my tools." She said calmly and a quick smile crossed her lips as she pulled the cap from over his heart.
Studying the internals for a moment to memorise where everything went, she started her delicate work.
Soon she was finished and she replaced the cap over Asters heart.
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Posted: Wed Mar 24, 2010 9:16 am
Tinker approached the only exit in the room cautiously. It was a large set of marble double doors with ornate carvings running up and down the edges of it. Strangely unlike everything else in the room the handles seemed to be made of brass. Tinker turned towards Lady Erimentha to respond.
"That is irrelevant at this point in time, I need your help and you need mine, that is all that matters."
Tinker turned around fully to watch the procedure that tech deft woman was performing on the mechanical man. Tinker's lenses flicked about, zooming in on the mechanics of the heart, trying to gather how it worked, what it's weak points were, what kind of tools would be required for maintenance/destruction. He also casually investigated Lady Erimentha, but in a much less scientific way. A small grin grew on his face before he returned to the door.
"Well, it doesn't seem locked... But I wouldn't put anything past these sneaky bastards."
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