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Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2006 12:25 am
Department 5Part SWAT team, part covert ops, part detective squad, but mostly free agents, Department 5 is a small unit with a wide scope and loose reins. In theory, they exist to fill in the grey area between GPD and GNG purview; in practice, they act as a watchdog agency to keep both sides honest... and they also wind up taking the jobs no one else wants. Since all D5 members are drawn from police or military service, they have expertise with those organizations' tactics and equipment; the D5 budget includes training to keep them up to date. Origins Department 5 is the brainchild of Senator R. S. Gainsborough and the committee she heads, the Senate Committee for Asset Management / Military, Police (SCAM/MP). The department's creation is the result of a compromise between Senator Gainsborough, an ardent cautionist and anti-military advocate, and her sparring partner within SCAM/MP, Senator Seth Iroph, an ex-GA man himself. The two often butt heads over what constitutes acceptability in military and police matters. D5 was seen as a way for the committee to actively take part in that process. Of course, in actuality, the department is largely forgotten now that it has been created; as far as the legislators are concerned, its purpose is served just as well on paper as in the flesh. The department is accountable only to SCAM/MP; there are no official liaisons or connections to the GPD or the GNG. The department is mostly self-directed, but occasional political machinations result in orders from on high. What's in it for me? A more character-driven RP environment than other branches of the GNG generally provide. D5 has an emphasis on investigation, which means lots of plot-driven interaction. There's plenty of tech-heavy action to be had, but your character's personality and history are going to be more important than his or her cybernetic pelvic action. And a small unit means more focus on you, rather than the feeling of being lost in a sea of unnamed NPCs. The latest tech in your hands - it's not just part of the environment or the automatic defense system. You decide what to use and when. You collaborate to design the upgrades based on your own field tests. D5 uses tech inspired primarily by the preexisting GNG environment, as well as Shirow Masamune's Ghost in the Shell and the derivatives thereof. A broad range of self-directed RP venues. For every taste in RP, there's a plot to develop. D5 deals in both short, standalone situations and long-term antagonistic drama - if you want to unearth a deep conspiracy that envelops the entire GNG, that's wonderful; but if your yen is for a quick chase scene with lots of shooting and jumping around, you're not stuck on your stakeout of Delacroix's offices. razz ... A cookie. Not a real one. You probably wouldn't eat it anyway. I'm not good with cookies. But I'll see what I can do. D5 is where the Antag system will truly shine. Since this is an enormously individual-directed RP, the action points will actually matter. Points will be assigned the moment the RP goes live. Be forewarned: the opposition will use their points, even if you don't use yours. wink We hope to fill between six and ten slots. Each member of D5 is a specialist. Areas of specialty may certainly overlap; there's every reason to have more than one infiltration specialist, for example, and no two people go about the same job in exactly the same way (unless one is a total copycat razz ).
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Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2006 12:26 am
Character biosYeah, nobody reads this s**t anyway unless they need to know something specific. But you know what? These are good. You'll enjoy them, I promise. Playing NPCs is encouraged for everyone. Lots of people are wary of NPCs, treating them as second characters, property of the NPC's creator. However, D5 is much too reliant on its NPCs - including its high-profile leadership - for such a lassez-faire attitude to work. Don't worry if your interpretation strays from the cardboard cutout of the NPC provided by the bio and any previous posts involving that character. It's called "character development". Don't worry. The tingling sensation will pass. whee opaj Name: Leandro Guerra Age: 31 Appearance: Leandro is a tall Spanish man, standing evenly at 6'2". While he is solidly built, he does appear slender for his height. His skin appears naturally tanned, and his black hair is kept in a neatly-kept buzz cut. Thick eyebrows adorn an overhanging brow, the bridge of his nose jutting strongly forward before hooking down. His cheeks slope into a narrow jaw, making his head seem strangely top-heavy. Apparel: Leandro likes to wear conservative but comfortable outfits. When in a professional setting or even enjoying time off, he's known to wear a suit, usual in blacks and grays. Instead of a button shirt, however, he'll usually wear a form-fitting turtleneck under his jacket. Even in field situations not requiring a uniform, he'll wear a pair of black slacks, dress shoes, and one of his turtlenecks (he's got them with long and short sleaves.). Skills: Leandro is, first and foremost, a demolitions expert. He is familiar both with the inner workings of architecture, and the explosives that brings architecture to its knees. In terms of combat, he is proficient with standard firearms, but nothing special. He has persued karate recreationally, and has reached the level of 8-dan in Shotokan style. He speaks English and Spanish. Cybernetic enhancements: Leandro has the standard cyberbrain network adaptor, as well as ocular enhancements allowing to see a wider spectrum than the usual eye. This enhancement can release certain types of radiation that allows Leandro to see the chemical tags lacing most explosives, as well as X-rays that allow him to see the supports under most structures. Unfortunately, when his eyes are set to this level of detection, he stands out on most sensors that extend beyond the range of visible light. He also has a minor enhancement to his brain specifically designed to carry out high-speed geometric calculations, allowing him to quickly size up a structure's integrity (and how to bring it down). Previous job / awards: Three awards of recognition in the field of architecture as the Head Architect for Manabu Seido, Ltd. Two commendations for work in the field (one construction, one demolition) as an Officer in the GA. Brief history and personality synopsis: Leandro was born to a well-off Spanish family, and his upbringing had a heavy emphasis of logic. He entered school early, and skipped half of high school. He graduated from the renowned Carter City University, and thanks to his family connections, was soon given a cooshy job with Manabu Seido, Ltd. A company that dabbled in a little bit of everything, he headed up a number of innovative building projects, and his talent was soon highly-touted within the private sector. A sizeable portion of Leandro's education was spent in boarding schools, and there he was taught hard moral values that his parents never took the time to teach him. Leandro, with his backing in science, developed a sense of justice rooted in logic. The MS company was many things, and one of these things was corrupt. Leandro turned a blind eye to this aspect of his employer at first, but soon came to despise the inneficiency caused by the corruption. After several years of sticking with the company, he finally quit. With his qualifications, he was certain he'd find a new position in no time. What he didn't take into account was the sheer amount of clout held by Manabu Seido. Seido wanted Mr. Guerra's work under the MS name, and he saw to it that no positions opened up to Leandro. The best Leandro could manage was a low-ranking position with a small demolitions company, and given his knack, he excelled in bringing buildings down as much as he did in building them up. He spent the better half of the next decade learning the ins and outs of the various explosives used in the demolitions field. He was approached with an offer from the GA about four years ago, when violent activity from the many superpowered dwellers of Gaia started to rise. They wanted someone with top-notch skills to back their structures, making them more secure, as well as someone who would give them better access to opposing defenses. Leandro was promoted quickly, aided largely by his organized and logical approach to... well, everything. With the new opportunity afforded to him by his high rank, he saw a chance to create a new balance. Eager to put things to order as he saw it, he joined up, accepting along with his new position the cybernetic enhancements that would make him that much better at his job. Leandro is highly organization-oriented. He seeks order in everything, including his demolitions. Destruction is part art, part science, and he takes it very seriously. The quest for order is also what brought him to his study of karate. Kenosha Name: Alexander Xavier Edwards Age: 25 Skills: Expertise in public speaking/mass comm, negotiation, media relations, basic law, black belt in aikido, personal training, internet surfing, post cognitive narcolepsy. He still got his 3 point shot as well. Appearance: Standing a little over six foot his frame would be considered stocky with chiseled features. His skin is lightly tanned with short black hair and a slight five oclock shadow. Overall this makes him look a bit older than he actually is, especially when he speaks in a cool, husky tone with a slight accent. His eyes, although cybernetic are made to look natural and are chocolate brown in color. Clothingwise, he always 'dresses for success'. Despite being a cop, he's fairly charming and friendly which draws reporters (female) to him, thus living somewhat of a minor celebrity life... and enjoying it without becoming overly damaging to his repuation. His involvment in charities for kids, sporting events, and victims only boosts his popularity. Cybernetic enhancements: Internal regulator (this includes body temp... never caught with wet armpits, oxygen extraction for that needed endurance, blood pressure/clotting, sugar levels, adrenaline release, pretty much a long list of common medical readings), Optical package (includes time, short/long range vision, recording and playback, the internal regulator readouts, night and thermal vision), Lie detection sys (combination of senses gather information on likelihood of whether someone is telling the truth). Previous job: Throughout his years of learning criminal justice in college, he worked as a 'calendar model' and was a member of the men's basketball team. A combination of a 4.0 GPA at graduation and excellent work in the lab and field raised eyebrows and brought attention to him. (Having the DA's teenage daughter have a major crush on you might help too...) Otherwise he spent a lot of time working at his parents seafood restaurant back home. Brief history: Nothing really extrodinary or exciting happened while growing up, for the most part he was raised as a normal, moderate view, only child by two loving parents who reside Santa Monica, California. From an early age he always wanted to be a cop, mainly in part to television's glamourization of the profession. (Yes, CHIPS was one of his favorites which is why he rides a motorcycle even now.) Prior to cybernetic enhancement, he was on medication for narcolepsy. While asleep, he would occasionally relive a moment in the past, usually within a week which his subconscious would note some small detail he had missed. (Whether he realized it or not varied depending on what was going on at the time.) Other than that the only other problem he's had is a slight addicition to drinks, not alcohol per se but mainly various juices up to a gallon a day. He believes in justice with balance since he feels every situation is conditional, thus warrants specific consideration. However, he has less tolerance for people who constantly abuse the system and moreso for those who feel they are above it. Thus, these individuals is the reason that motivates him to drop the AXE. Saoszuc Name: Kory Mouhadi Age: 27 Appearance: Egyptian skin tone and facial structure. Lanky. Short, spiky black hair. Multiple earrings in left ear. Usually wears a gender neutral charcoal suit underlain with a white ruffled shirt. Skills: Network applications (i.e. hacking), research, data analysis, sensor operations Cybernetic enhancements: E-brain, ocular implants (along with IR/starlight/MADscan sensor package, this includes a camera mode which can write still images and short videos to internal memory or an external unit) Previous job / awards: Research specialist with the GPD's investigative unit; three commendations for exceeding department requirements and general excellence, and two citations for violation of dress code. Brief history & personality analysis:Most of Kory's young life was spent in the back - the back of the classroom, the back of the bus, the back of the theater, and the back of her parents' attention. Whatever was necessary to stay out of the limelight. Zhe did quite well as far as grades, and zir long practice with introversion made zir well-suited for research projects. Which, in turn, opened up an internship with the GPD in zir senior year of high school as a research assistant. Kory was selected for induction into the GPD, with an offer for fully-paid training in investigation and research for the department. It would require attendance at the police academy - no hope of anonymity there - but would guarantee zir a spot in the investigative branch, and was almost as good as a pass to any job zhe wanted. Upon zir graduation with minor honors, zhe chose to take an open slot as director of investigative research at one of the GPD's slower precincts. Of course, being in Barton's upper-crust district meant Kory had to deal with some of the more socially conservative coworkers the GPD had to offer. Zhe had to endure such remarks as, "Why don't you just pick one? It's stupid that I should have to learn a whole new set of pronouns just because you want to be different." And then there was the classic slack jaw when someone new found out about zir intersex state, often followed by such gems as, "So, do they both, y'know, like, both work? Both sets? Y'know?" But Kory didn't want to be known as the lawsuit magnet, so zhe did zir work, earned zir awards, and told zirself that once zhe climbed the ladder a little higher, zhe would be able to lock zirself in an office and not deal with the outside world. What she hadn't expected was the glass ceiling. Sure, women had made great strides in achieving top promotions. But Kory didn't exactly fit the standard sexes or genders, and so zhe found that zhe was viewed less as a team member worthy of respect and promotion and more as a curious specimen who persisted in coming to work each day. So when the email came from Senator Iroph, Kory jumped at the opportunity. Zhe even had zir eyes replaced with a sensor suite that had a lovely set of real amethyst iris focii. (Hey, it's not like zhe was planning on using all that retirement money, anyway.) Ai Leen Name: Riley Trachtenberg Codename: Spyder Age: 27 Appearance: Brunette with a pronounced golden-brown highlight, shoulder length hair. 5'6" and athletically built jewish female. Usually dresses in designer clothing. Skills: Navy SEAL training, excels in infiltration. Has the ability to read sign language, read lips, and can read, write, and speak in a dozen different languages. She can also 'read' vibrations. Riley is a decent hacker as well, though not a "Class-A". Cybernetics: Since joining Department 5, Riley has set about creating a sizable information network tied to her, for Department 5's use. To faciliate this, Department 5 has provided a top of the line cyberbrain, enhanced tactile sensors in her hands and feet, and a 'Geordi LaForge' style interface system to allow her the use of external imaging equipment. The cyberbrain comes with all the abilities you'd expect from a computer-as-a-brain, including recording capabilities (all senses), macro creation, pattern recognition, speech translation, computer interface, and more... all backed by a 4 layer firewall system. Department 5 also gave Riley a sizable fund for use in developing her information network. She has used this to purchase 12 decots (decoy robots) which have been secreted in 12 safehouses strategically placed throughout Gaia. These decots are remote-presence operable, meaning that Riley can operate these as if they were her own body, 'downloading' her essence to the machine at the cost of not being able to operate her own body for the duration. All of them have individual names, and have advanced combat software that does the fighting for her. Two of these decots are 'shell decots'...that is to say they are wearable. One is a male made as intimidatingly as possible with a herculean physique and obvious signs of cyberization, the other a matronly and rotund woman with apply cheeks, an apron, and a rolling pin. All the rest are beautiful ("hey, why not?") women positioned in various walks of life...including one that she has managed to station as the IT Security Chief for a major satellite imaging and GPS positioning corporation. (this one required the assistance of D5's best hacker.) Each decot's job, if they hold one down, is selected for its information value and the ability to cover for frequent absences. The money made from these decots' salaries goes directly back into funding the solidification of their identities, such as the purchase of secretary robots, housing, vehicles, and clothing. (Riley was sorely tempted to use the salaries for her own life, but realized she'd lose the value of these personas if she did that...so Riley still has to live in her tiny apartment.) Optical Gear: Riley's optical gear has two forms: stylish sunglasses and rugged military-grade gear. They include Night Vision, MADScan, IR, barcode, RFID, 'X-Ray', Circlevision Visor, Netdive Interface, and binoculars. These optics are powerful, requiring more space than could fit in the eye sockets. Natural enhancements: Riley is a mutant. She has glands on her illium that secrete spidersilk, which is distributed in a mesh-like pattern all over her subdermal tissue. The spidersilk is additionally anchored along her illiac crests, and end at two small openings in her lower back flanking her spine. She can pull these non-sticky threads out, and has developed a trick where she leaves a strand of silk behind, and feels the vibrations along it to gather auditory information long after she's left the area. Not-So-Brief History and personality synopsis: Riley is addicted to the high life. Fine wines, expensive cars, top brand name merchandise, designer dresses. Unfortunately, Riley also can't afford the high life. She certainly makes enough money to live very decently thanks to her D5 salary, but decently doesn't include beluga caviar, a personal chef, or a rack of the finest in wines. Not to mention that Porsche GT Carrera she rides around town in. So instead, Riley lives in the extremes. Fine-wine-with-instant-ramen lunches, gourmet dinner and wine (served by her personal chef) eaten on a TV tray in her cramped studio apartment. On her cheap but brand name answering machine (It's a Sony! That's a good name!) are daily messages from her dear old mom, demanding to know when she's going to settle down and give her grandkids. (And did you know that babies born to women under 30 live longer lives?) But Riley isn't interested in that quite yet. Kids are for women who stay at home...and Riley has too much of adventurer in her blood to sit back and change diapers. Since the Dawn Of Time, Riley had been a tomboy. She was hanging off trees in her parents' front yard, scuffing her knees chasing down a baseball, or playing arcade games in the local pizza joint at any given day in her childhood. With her family being poor, these activities were usually punctuated by meals sponsored by Lunchables or Oscar Mayer. ("Good, upstanding brand-names", claimed her mom.) While these brandnames did do a very decent job, especially with Kraft Singles added to the occasional sandwich, the pre-teenage pallette starts to yearn for something more than coldcuts. And so when her high school 'buddy', Marissa Townsend, invited Riley over to her cousin's graduation party held at a ritzy restaurant, it was love at first bite. Unable to read French, Riley had literally randomly pointed at something on the menu: Gratinée de Coquille St Jacques. The food was so good, she nearly cried. If anything, she wanted to taste this food again, and eat it every day. Riley did the research she could. First, she seriously began studying French. Second, she realized very quickly that her wardrobe didn't hold anything in it that would be suitable to wear in such a restaurant. T-shirts and jeans were Good, Solid Choices...except if you wanted to have the very best. Money. She needed money. Working for McDonalds was out of the question...now that she'd tasted perfection, the thought of the grease filled air made her gag. Plus, she'd never be able to afford anything on that menu with the wages she'd make there. Retail was regarded, then discarded. Riley needed to make serious money now...and that's when she found the Gaian Navy ROTC brochure. Hrm. It wouldn't get her a lot of money now...but...Foreign Language Proficiency Pay! 5,000 gold per month.... what's basic pay like for an officer? 150k gold salary? That sounds really appealing! Besides, the military sounded like fun. ...Riley's parents didn't take it that well. Their girl, joining the military? Still, that girl was as stubborn as they come, and so they gradually had to give in. So Riley underwent ROTC training while she was in school, and thanks to the scholarship from that training, Riley was able to go to a nice brand name college in Durem, where she majored in linguistics. This education persisted alongside her continued ROTC training, which had specialized at this point to take her down the Special Warfare Officer program. It was definitely the most exciting of the branches she could have taken, and many of the others were selecting that option as well. Graduation was a double-celebration. Riley Trachtenberg not only got her bachelor's degree, but now also held the rank of Ensign. She had completed her BUDs training (Basic Underwater Demolition), and had survived SEAL training. More importantly, Riley had money...and the Navy meal program was really very decent. Ensign Trachtenberg's SEALs assignments took her to far off Communist Neopia. As the smallest and most agile of her team, she was often assigned the hardest infiltration missions. She began to take pride in this, and pulled off her missions with increasing efficiency. It was around this time period too that her mutant ability to generate spidersilk came into use. Her superiors continued to challenge her with harder and harder infiltration missions, almost always to gather intelligence. Riley developed her 'dancing web' technique here: she'd slip a strand of spider silk close to the conversations she was to monitor, then crawl off to safety where she'd feel the vibrations from the strand the conversation had created. Riley soon became well known within the SEALs as their best infiltrator, and her information gathering skills were also highly lauded. It was her information that proved key to stopping the illegal exchange of Gaian Gold and Neopia Oints, and her actions that revealed the threat of Neopia's WMD, the TC:G (aka the Trans-Continental: Gaia) nuke. Before ending her tour of duty with the SEALS, Riley had garnered the Gaian Navy Distinguished Service Medal, the DoD Distinguished Service Medal, the Purple Heart (where Navy surgeons discovered Riley's secret, and where Riley's question of whether her spidersilk could stop a bullet was answered), the Neopia Campaign Medal, and the Gold War Victory Commemorative Medal. Riley left the SEALs only after being approached via email by Senator Iroph. The pay increase and the job description intrigued her, the top of the line cybernetics lured her over, and the prospect of citylife (where fine wines and restaurants dwelt) sold her. NPC: D5 Coordinator Name: Apaffe Schimp Age: Mid-50s Appearance: Silver receding hair, somewhat stooped posture due to a back surgery turned sour. Schimp has a small frame, and his predilection for narrowly-tailored suits does little to help matters. He often accessorizes with a cane and a pince-nez. Skills: Administration, bureaucracy, protocol, data analysis, communications, department-wide coordination. Cybernetic enhancements: Only an e-brain. Schimp has refused offers by many doctors to "fix" his back. Brief history and personality analysis:Schimp was hand-selected for the position, oddly enough, by both Senators Gainsborough and Iroph. The former admired his dedication to wisdom in justice and his passionate defense of those in his employ against all fronts; the latter found his knowledge of intelligence procedures to be of paramount importance. His appointment as coordinator was by far the simplest step in the formation of Department Five. Years before his illustrious new job, Schimp served for a brief period in the local Barton legislature. He was then tapped by the fledgling GA as a potential double agent: he would act as a mole within the Yakuza. That particular position never panned out, but his ASSFAT tests triggered a recommendation for more demanding intelligence work. Soon he headed the GG-appointed commission for cross-branch intelligence analysis. He remained in this position for twenty years... and then he was approached by SCAM/MP with a proposition. Schimp is known to keep close; he doles out information on a begrudging need-to-know basis, which at first blush appears to leave his field employees without the proper knowledge to complete their objectives. However, he is a master at determining, within moments, which information is mission-sensitive and which can be held aside. Schimp always wants a holdout option, and previously unseen information is often an ace in the hole. His other notable characteristic is a fanatical devotion to his people. Schimp has never had a family of his own, and so his unit is his clan. Woe be unto those who ******** with his homies... and woe-er be the homey who turns on his coordinator.
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Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2006 12:28 am
D5 Tech Spider packThis is an autonomous mecha weighing about twelve kilos and equal in volume to a large school backpack. It has a main body, a head, and four jointed limbs. It may be worn as a pack, with the legs wrapping around the wearer's torso or acting as straps. It has the following capabilities: "Spinnerets" on the head and abdomen which release a liquid. This is comprised of two different chemicals which extrude into monofilament wire when mixed and run through the spinnerets. A spider pack carries 1000m of wire fluid. These may be deployed while worn. 1 cubic foot storage space. This may be accessed while worn. Two small solid-state laser cutters, one on either side of the head. Electronic countermeasures suite. IR/vislight camo (of the "invisibility" variety). Plants bugs of various kinds; acts as a bug sweeper. Modular data plugs to uplink to various ports. Uplinks automatically to the D5, GPD, and GNG tacnets. Can act as a scrambler unit. Lays a magnochemical trail behind it, much like an ant. The trail can be read by D5 optical magnetic scanners as a barcode; this barcode is automatically translated by D5 cyberbrain software. D5 power armor"Power armor" is a misnomer; this is more like an enhancement suit. It consists of vambrances over the arms and legs, a breastplate and lower abdomen plate, and a visorlike helmet, all underlaid with a mesh. Armor: The mesh acts as level II armor; the tougher portions are level IV. Enhanced strength: Arm, hand, and leg strength enhanced 5x. Overall upper body and lower body strenght enhanced 3x. Helmet provides HUD which links to D5 tacnet. It also provides MADscan, IR, and starlight vision modes, and up to 10x zoom. Arm vambrances contain a springloaded blade which aligns with the radius. This blade may be charged with electric current, heated, or cooled with a concurrent use of suit power. The vambrances also contain monowire fluid spinnerets; each arm has up to 500m of fluid. Finally, each arm has a hardpoint to mount modular antipersonnel weapons; these weapons, if supported, can link with the D5 tacnet (and therefore the suit's HUD). Glove and boot portions can generate strong magnetic fields. Using an alternating setting, the boots can even be used to "skate" along steel surfaces (or extremely strong EM fields) at a reasonable clip. Circlevision VisorMore like aviator goggles than a visor, this is a device which gives the user 360 degree vision in vislight, IR, and starlight modes. The wide elastic band which holds the goggles in place is studded with microcameras (and thus is only effective if not covered by hair or other obstruction). A HUD display on the interior surface of the goggles shows the rear 240 degrees of vision as a compressed bar at the top of the HUD. This is a little disorienting at first, but not so much as attempts at actual ebrain sensor input, which caused more floor rainbows than a bumpy roller coaster after a botulin-laden pizza binge. Plus, these goggles may be used by those without cybernetic enhancements, since they require no plugin.
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Posted: Sun Jul 30, 2006 11:28 pm
Asbestos. Bloody asbestos.
The most advanced civilian organization yet, they said. Top-of-the-line cybernetics, networking, security, weapons, you name it. The coffeemaker was networked. And firewalled. Department Five of the Gaian Regional Office of Public Efficiency - one of the umbrella organizations which housed all the little odds and ends that made life in the modern world run smoothly - was supposed to rock the house, and rock it all secret-like to boot.
Which meant that their every action had to be covered, veiled, given an alibi. Even their offices were to be secret. There were two options to accomplish that: have a front organization behind which they would operate ("a deadly maneuver," warned a grave Senator Bugenhagen, "as the more elaborate a secret becomes, the more it struggles to see the light of day"), or pretend that the offices didn't exist. SCAM/MP had chosen the latter venue. Thus, the department had been housed in a condemned building.
But rather than give them a perfectly good building which would subsequently be served with a false condemnation notice - and here's where it gets brilliant, kids, so wait for it -
- the department had been given a building which had originally been condemned and slated for gutting to remove asbestos.
All of that might have been the cause for the scowl gracing the apelike coordinator's face.
"Bloody asbestos," Apaffe Schimp snarled to no one in particular. His android aide nodded in assent.
Then again, the scowl could have been from the coffee. So far, no one had figured out how to hack the sucker to adjust the settings. Only one day in the building, and already the brew was threatening to devour the coffee mugs.
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Posted: Mon Jul 31, 2006 10:29 am
A few knocks on the wall to note his presence then:
"Hey hey hey.... Axe has arrived!" He tosses a brillant smile as he enters and then glances around lowering his shades some, "Hrm... the house could use a cute french maid or two hehe." He removes his shades then starts to walk over towards the coffeemaker and comments, "So how are things coming along sir? Looks like the higher ups intend to build us some character by..." he looks around at the conditions again and shrugs, "you know, workin from scratch thing."
In his tan suit with matching tie, he is quite careful not to spill anything on it. After enough sugar and cream to make the everyday child go into a hyperactive spaz, he adds coffee.
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Posted: Mon Jul 31, 2006 7:06 pm
"Good morning, Alexander." Schimp gestured with his coffee cup as a substitution for a handshake. His aide half-bowed, but otherwise maintained her wallflower posture. Good little AIs don't join in on the boss's conversation. "I can see you're not taking any chances with the brew, hrm?"
"I don't blame you," came a voice from somewhere down the hallway. "Swear to Jehosephat that sucker tried backhacking me this morning. Guess I'm still not cut out for this newfangled cyberbrain s**t just yet."
Schimp's eyes rolled heavenward. "As you can see - or hear, rather - our engineering consultant has been here since some ungodly hour of the wee morning. We've been advised to have one of these handy at all times." The aide opened the briefcase she held and withdrew a half-face respirator mask.
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Posted: Thu Aug 03, 2006 4:15 pm
Riley entered soon after Alex did....sort of. The soil and grass stains on her casual wear indicated that this was in fact Kylie, Riley's twin decot back from her observation and field test of the circlevisor. "Hmm, I was really hoping it was just this way on the outside." she said in a contemplative tone. Then she blinked. "Alri~ight...why the respirator?"
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Posted: Sat Aug 05, 2006 9:55 am
Nida, clad in a wifebeater, overalls, engineering boots, a respirator, and a hail of fine white dust, came clomping toward the group, wiping her forehead with a glove-covered forearm. "Asbestos. So put it on. Unless you're full-prosthetic. I forget who's full-prosthetic." To be honest, Nida hadn't even really learned names yet. She'd been too busy playing with - and tweaking - the department's new toys.
Schimp cursed and waved Nida away. He grabbed a respirator from the briefcase and hurriedly drew it over his face. "Back into the dungeon with you! Don't bring that stuff out when there's all-naturals in here!" With a sigh, the coordinator turned to face Kylie and nod welcome. "It's not much for now, but our command center is fully installed. And asbestos-free. Kory's already there." Schimp sketched an offhand wave to his aide. "Unit 0A will take you in, show you around. Grab some coffee for the trip; at least it's safe to drink in the command center."
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Posted: Sat Aug 05, 2006 6:24 pm
Axe downed a good amount of his creaffee (creamed coffee) before throwing on the respirator with a sly remark, "Yes, the Axe can't be talking all hoarse in front of the cameras and ladies now can he? Hehe... besides I'll pass on the future breathing difficulties." If only that winning smile could be seen behind the respirator.
With the others present he seemed to give appraising nods, not so much figure as was an overall impression from Kylie and Nida. o O (Hrm, both not afraid to get dirty it seems so looks like we got some hard workers. Gonna have to bring my A game 24/7... oh but Axe always comes with it or not at all hehe...) From his brief daydream he looks to 'aide', "A tour sounds good to me..." then he looks to Riley and being the gentleman motions a hand, "After you miss."
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Posted: Mon Aug 07, 2006 7:48 pm
Riley/Kylie picked up one of the asbestos respirators, and drew it over her face as well though with no real haste. "Asbestos? You should really check who makes these things before you buy them." The comment seemed half serious...a bit of levity with a conviction buried in there somewhere. Kylie looked to the coffee machine. <<Wonder if I can somehow digitize the stuff and send it back.>> The e-thought was to herself, not leaving her local net, though apparently she had decided not to try, as she took Alex's offer to follow along after Unit 0A first. As she passed, she looked up at him for a brief moment, allowing her visual sensors to record his appearance to be reviewed if this proved to be a long walk.
She was definitely shorter than he was...a little over 9 inches, which put him around the neighborhood of 6'1" to her known height of 5'4". <<I'll have to replay his visual and auditory feeds later, once I'm back in my body...>> ...it was a habit that Riley had been picking up since she received her cyberbrain...the sound of her own voice, with a slight digital edge to it, clear as a bell yet with no one else to hear it was strangely appealing to her. <<I'll have to break this habit soon. Don't want it alerting others while I'm netdiving.>>
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Posted: Tue Aug 08, 2006 10:33 pm
It wasn't much of a long walk - perhaps a minute's worth of corridor, then through a clear plastic curtain, cut into vertical flaps like some car wash appendage, anteceded by a powerful fan unit which blew down at a forty-five degree angle, ostensibly to knock any excess dust from their bodies before entering the "clean" area of the building. That sort of setup wasn't at the front door, of course; nor was there any signage indicating danger. Perhaps it was a heavy precaution? An early install in preparation for the serious stage of the asbestos removal effort? Or was it just negiligence that the setup wasn't replicated at all points of ingress/egress?
Upon entering the "clean" area, the group entered a fully networked and surveilled area. All entities moving, making sound, or giving off energy - EM and thermal were the only two being tracked at this stage - were inspected, tagged, and catalogued by the system. Any D5 or authorized friendly unit received this feed automatically. It could be displayed as a map of the sort you might expect to find in a video game, but Nida and a few other techs were working on getting it to operate as a spider-sense, allowing the recipient to feel those nearby with relative intensities based on size, mass, energy emission, and proximity. Right now, the system showed only a few units: the AIde, Kylie, Axe, Schimp... and up ahead, in a room designed like a movie theater or small concert venue which could be sealed off with blast doors, two more AIdes (units 0B and 1A) and Kory.
Unit 0A was less than chatty; the AIdes were capable of intense self-determination with regards to gathering, analyzing, and relating information during the heat of a mission, but were otherwise lacking in the personality department. Which, of course, was how most "professionals" liked their artificial assistants: unintrusive and single-minded. So far, Department 5's units had kept to that ideal. Currently, there were six AIdes in commission: 0-series and 1-series, with three units each designated A, B, and C.
D5's 0-series appeared as South Pacific females attired in the sort of sleek, grey professional getup that an office girl in a powerful commodities corporation might wear. The 1-series kept the attire but instead put forth a West African appearance. More were on the way pending the department's demonstrated success and the necessity of further AI assistance.
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Posted: Wed Aug 09, 2006 11:44 am
Axe looked around with an eye of curiosity then after entering the 'clean' area took off his mask, "Man, is it okay to take this off here now? Starting to irritate some..." as he scratched his light facial hair. He then took a long, observing look at the AIdes before commenting, "So... where and when can I get one of these assistants to help me around the 'Axe pad'? hehe.."
Despite the way it came out, in a sense he was very serious as he thought about the amount of paperwork, articles, person photos, leads, and other source info laying around his place all waiting to be compiled. "Quick question though..." he stopped to look at Unit A0, "Just what all will happen in case unauthorized personnel enter and will areas have different clearance levels?"
He looked to 'Riky' (Rye - kye) and joked with a smile, "I mean, that'd be bad to set off alarms and such for bringing coffee in a no drink area... or somethin silly like that."
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Posted: Thu Aug 10, 2006 11:38 am
The AIde had enough capability to recognize a general-address rhetorical question, and therefore didn't respond to Axe's first two inquiries. The third, however, warranted a reply.
"Aside from the dummy areas - the front lobby, first-floor offices, and parking garage - the entire building falls under a single level of security clearance. In the case of unauthorized entry, the AI units will determine the level of response necessary. AI units are capable of providing an armed escort out of the building if the entry was mistaken or uninformed. For attempted infiltration, the team will be alerted and stronger measures will be employed, up to sealing the area with blast doors to trap the infiltrating entity."
And they were at the double-door entry to the command center. Well, it would eventually be a doorway, once the doors were installed. The lighting within was minimal, but it was enough to reveal the layout: very much like a movie theater, indeed, with a twenty-five-foot ceiling and five tiers of long desk surfaces, terraced down to the ground level. Several holoterminals were embedded in each desk. A few of these were manned by the 1-series units; the images hovering before each AIde's face were distorted by distance and couldn't be identified just yet.
On the top tier, standing behind a broad desk cordoned by terminals hanging from tracks, was Kory, jacked in at three different locations, eyes affixed to the main screen. Ze waved hello without looking in the newcomers' direction.
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Posted: Sat Aug 12, 2006 2:14 am
Surely there is some mistake.
Leandro Guerra stood outside the building, just on the edge of the property. His grooming impeccable, he wore a pitch-black blazer and black slacks, shiny black shoes, and a soft-gray turtleneck that covered the bottom half of his throat. His right fingers were alternating between a tight and loose grip around the handle of his briefcase.
He had been standing there for several minutes, taking in dozens upon dozens of minute details about the condemned structure. Already he had determined five ways to efficiently level the building, and he had yet to use any of his new enhancements.
Might as well give it a try.
A small click in his brain, and his eyes began emitting x-raysMystery Science Rays. The building's supporting structure revealed itself to him, as well as the few occupants remaining in the non-restricted areas (assuming the top secret sections are shielded from x-raysMystery Science Rays and whatnot). His cyberbrain quickly picked out key points of integrity, weaknesses in the construction, and several other important details for a person in Mr. Guerra's field.
Glancing at his feet, Leandro took a deep breath and his eyes went cold. He was uncharacteristicly late to his first day of a very promising position. Hopefully it would not cast him in too unfavorable of a light.
He pushed the door open and immediately saw the exposed asbestos.
Surely there is some mistake.
[Edit: Finally fixed, half a year later. eek ]
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Posted: Sat Aug 12, 2006 10:40 am
opaj A small click in his brain, and his eyes began emitting x-rays. [OOC]Congratulations, you've raised their risk of cancer about as much as a cross country flight. However, the way x-rays work you aren't going to see anything. X-rays are either absorbed or not absorbed, they don't get reflected. When you get x-ray'd at a hospitol they stick you between an emitter and a detector, and places which are less exposed have a denser substance in them - such as bone or a tumor. You could use EM fields to sense any ferrous metal in the building's construction, although chances are you would just pick up on a bunch of nails and screws rather than anything useful. You could also see unshielded cybernetics, but not people.[/OOC]
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