[Taocow PBEM] Book 3 - Chapter XVII

Sun Feb 21 19:17:21 UTC 2016

>>> [Alex]
>>> Alex taps the pilot on the shoulder, "Let us wait a
>>> few moments. They seem like they are most likely
>>> friendly but prudence dictates we be cautious."
>>> [/Alex]

>> [GM]
>> The pilot nods. "Aye ma'am," he says. Moments later, Captain Neeson
>> radios the pilot and Alex, "The ship is making ready to leave
>> immediately. Keep a parallel course, and keep your eyes open."
>>
>> Two of these newcomers skycycles' move to flank the skycycle Alex is
>> on. Alex sees the pilot keep one hand close to the targeting system on
>> the Skycycle, though not selecting any targets. "I hope they're
>> friendly," he says to Alex, "there's two of them and one of us."
>>
>> One of the pilots of the other skycycles waves at Alex. "Lieutenant
>> Maxwell Jones here," he says over an open line. "Again, I repeat, we
>> are not a threat."
>> [/GM]

>>>> [GM]
>>>> Vesper is finally completing the exorcism when both
>>>> he and Alter-Ted get radio communication, "We see
>>>> you are treating an injured person. Do you require
>>>> medical assistance?"
>>>> [/GM]

>>> [Vesper]
>>> Vesper nods to Alter Ted since he thinks after the
>>> exorcism the woman may indeed require some medical
>>> help. Though he continues staying focused on the
>>> ritual itself.
>>> [Vesper]

>> [Alter-Ted]
>> Alter-Ted nods and signals for these newcomers to land and give assistance.
>> [/Alter-Ted]

>> [GM]
>> As these newcomers land, suddenly the woman roars. "Pain thou shalt
>> have, mage! I will remember thee, and your soul will be mine!"
>>
>> With that a strange mist seems to seep from the woman's mouth, nose
>> and ears, and she screams, and then passes out. So far as Vesper can
>> tell, whatever was possessing is gone. A pool of blood starts to form
>> underneath.
>>
>> One of the newcomers, a young and rather pretty woman, comes up with a
>> medkit. "Flight Officer Muir!" she announces, before leaning down and
>> looking at the woman. "She's just had a stillbirth," Muir says. She
>> carefully picks up the fetus and her eyes widen. "By the Powers," she
>> says, holding up a bloody and horrific thing that only has the barest
>> resemblance to a human; with scales and reptilian eyes, and little
>> nodules all over its body, each with a small tentacles. The young
>> woman is clearly horrified by what she sees, and cannot speak.
>> [/GM]

> [Vesper]
> Vesper let's out a sigh of relief exorcisms were not one his favorite things.
>
> "The woman was possessed she is clean now but will need your medical
> assistance."
>
> "If you have biologists you might wish to keep that for study."
>
> Vesper leaned heavily on some nearby wreckage. "I am ready to go Ted."
> Getting on the Radio, "Alex, you ok ?"
> [/Vesper]

> [Ted]
> "I am ready, too," the lizard man replies. He adds, "Let me know if you
> need me. I am going to find Louissa." He then leaves the cockpit.
> [/Ted]

> [Alex]
> To the pilot, Alex states, "Well, if they are hostile, not much we can do."
> With that comment, she slings her rifle and shuts down her force field.
> Interestingly though, because she is touching the pilot, he would have
> been protected by the impervious to energy from her wand as well.
>
> Once she hears Vesper respond, she radios back, "I am fine. Anything
> I can do to help down there?"
> [/Alex]

> [Vesper]
> "There is a medical crew down here to help the woman. She has been
> cleansed of the possessing force."
>
> "Just a lift back to the ship if your able too. Things look to have calmed
> down."
>
> Vesper terned to the Alter Ted, "Thanks for your help, I really appreciate
> it."
> [/Vesper]

> [Oz]
> "I will be happy to meet with you as soon as we are out of danger,
> General." Oz snorts at the idea of being out of danger. "Immediate
> danger, in any case. We are preparing for immediate departure,
> General. Give us one minute then lead us out of here."
> [/Oz]

> [Vesper]
> Vesper will get aboard then if he is able making sure the Ted
> duplicate comes along.
> [/Vesper]

[GM]
Soon enough Vesper and Alter-Ted are climbing up a ladder and back on
to the ship. The woman is taken by the medical unit, where, Vesper is
assured, she will be looked after until she can be reunited with her
people.

The skycycle Alex is on continues, with the other skycyle, to flank
the ley line ship. The pilot does offer to drop Alex off if she
wishes.

Captain Neeson sets a course along the ley line that runs closest to
the course the New Strathclyde craft are going, and with the greater
mystical energy from the recent ley line storm the ship is able to
move at near its full pace.

Below them the ruins of the vast metropolis fly by. The city rivals
Old Chicago in size and seems to go on forever, a vast forest of
crumbling towers.

A few minutes after departure they see the Fomorians. There must be at
least two hundred of them, all at least nine feet tall giants [OOC:
see attached]. Some are riding white ghostly war houses, smoke pouring
from their nostrils.With them are several companies of the Maligs,
many with looks of terror on their faces. They look more like slaves
than allies to these fearsome horrific giants.

The Fomorians fire at the ley line vessel with Borg-sized railguns and
plasma rifles, but do only cursory damage, but still, the sight of
these giant warriors is a harrowing one.

The ley line vessel is moving steadily northwestward, and in the
distance can be seen the coastline of the Irish Sea, amazingly almost
completely frozen over in this cold winter. The ruins of the city
extend beyond the coast line, with skyscrapers going out a good mile
into the water. It is towards one of these that they are being lead.

As they approach, it becomes clear that there is something between
these semi-submerged skyscrapers. They are now out and over the frozen
sea, and that's when they finally clearly see what lies there; a great
island hidden from view, walled between great towering skyscrapers. A
fortress sits there, a great circular wall at least ten miles in
diameter. There are barracks, storage sheds, an airfield with a couple
of aerodromes, and beyond the walls a small harbor with three warships
docked, though these appear to be frozen in place.

The ley line itself doesn't come closer than a half mile from the
island, so Captain Neeson is forced to put the ley line ship on
batteries to make a landing. The craft leading the ship guide to a
berth that looks to have been constructed for ley line ships.

Finally, as the ship lands, several people come walking towards the
ley line ship. All are in military garb, and with them are several
armed and armored soldiers, though none have weapons drawn. The leader
is a tall woman with ranks of insignia that indicate she is a Colonel.
At the gang plank she asks in a thick Scottish accent, "I am Colonel
Alison McLaren. General Campbell begs his forgiveness as he has some
important business to attend to. He hopes you will join him for
breakfast at the Officer's Mess. In the meantime, can we offer any
assistance? We have quarters set aside for any officers, but I'm
afraid the barracks are rather full, so the crew might be more
comfortable on the ship."

Indeed, it appears that there are hundreds of soldiers training as
they speak, running laps, doing open fire exercises at the other end
of the compound, some scaling the wall, which is a good forty feet
high. A quick estimate would suggest upwards of 1,500 soldiers here.
One other thing is clear that is while the equipment appears to be
well maintained, it is also rather old, thirty years at the minimum.

The Colonel awaits the company's response.
[/GM]

-- 
Aaron Clausen
mightymartianca at gmail.com
 fomorian.png

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