Chapter Six: All Hands on Deck

[Purr]

"Toph," her Jeet Kune Do mentor instructed, "don't try to sound it out. Just spell out the words rapidly. If I don't get it, I'll ask you to repeat it. You good with that? Oh, and hold one moment."

Hitomi was absent for a brief time, then you heard her return. "I'm asking Captain Piper if she can send... Oh. Seems like Iris is waiting... in the hangar bay. Like she anticipated this or something. O.K., Iris will... don't ask me how... be on her way to you shortly."

"Toph, I'm ready with that Spanish!"

 

[Purr]

Captain Hesperus Tag! Psychie
(Psychie, since I don't have a post to go on, I am going to presume that Toph works with Hitomi on this. If I am mistaken, please let me know and I'll rewrite this post to reflect what is true.)

Toph and Hitomi work together, and between their sharp minds, they are able to access the following options (all translated from Spanish to English by Hitomi). The following greeting appears upon the monitor:

"Welcome, Anaconda! How would you like to proceed?"

1. Set Energy Systems Defensive Mechanisms to active, passive, or maintenance mode (currently set to passive).

2. Set Sentry Guns to active, passive, or maintenance mode (currently set to active with a red-lettered blinking warning: "SENTRY GUNS DESTROYED!".

3. Display inventory off/on (currently set to off).

4. Set Null Field to disabled (currently enabled).

5. Enter Energy System Program (ESP).

6. Set mobile pallets to active, passive, or maintenance mode (currently in maintenance mode).

The Wild Cards can see that Toph has succeeded in getting somewhere but they cannot see any details unless they stand where she is. Otherwise, the tense situation has not changed.

What do the Wild Cards do?

 

[Psychie]

Toph makes sure to relay everything as quickly and accurately to Hitomi as possible, hoping to be able to get some info from the computer before they lose the effect of the Nexus. She looks up at the others. "Any suggestions on where to go from here?"

 

[Captain Hesperus]

"Disable Null Field.", Hercules thought up immediately, "If that was what was preventing us bringing the Cyclones and Sams up, get rid of it."

 

[Psychie]

Toph nods. "I'll give it a shot. Lets see what happens." With that, she enters the selection to do just that, hoping that this will not end up biting them in the ass.

 

[Kaerri]

Elinor also nodded. She and Hercules must be on the same wavelength, 'cause that was first in her mind as well. Next up she wanted to see what the Energy Systems Program was about, but that could wait. With effort, she kept her eyes on the wandering wall-crawlers. She really wanted to watch over Toph's shoulder, but without being able to read the screen there wasn't much point. Bets would probably be off if it started showing diagrams, though...

 

[Sherwood]

Mario continues to keep watch with the flamethrower clutched in his hands. If these spider-bots start some shit, he's ready to toast them.

 

[Purr]

( Captain Hesperus Tag!

Toph enters this command and a reply comes back that she cannot understand. After relaying this to Hitomi, she responds, "All right! It's down! Let me inform Captain Piper."

The Wall-crawlers gaze upon you with inhuman interest, never blinking, completely vigilant. That is until the cool-sounding whines of protoculture-fueled motorcycle engines fill the room! The Cyclones sound like this!

Spoiler: Juuust like this.

"THIS BIKE IS AMAZING! (Ghost Recon: Breakpoint)" The Vector Blade electric motorcycle (and boy, can she move!).

The five Cyclones you were riding come flying into the room, guns at the ready. They transform into Battloid and take aim at the Wall-crawlers and the Marauder with the various Mega-damage weapons the Wild Cards had brought with them (Toph's Twins, the Centurions, and the Thundercrackers). The robots in this room are not made of hypercarbon materials; a single discharge from any of these weapons will blow them into the scrap heap. The Wall-crawlers see them and jerk back as if in fear. It is at that moment you hear Hitomi's voice coming over the polyphonic nexus. She sounds amused.

"So Captain Piper tells me that the Sam and Samantha units riding in the Cyclones have some kind of protocol that interferes with their ability to harm living creatures, even in self defense. Best they can do is stun a creature and run away." While she is telling you this, you see the Sams and Samanthas track the movement of your robotic opponents with equal machine efficiency. "That's why ships like the Esper don't have guns and even Spaceman Sam didn't enter the Zeki-Zentraedi assault scout starship with any arms whatsoever. Piper is also quick to add that Sams' protocol does not extend to other robots.

"Wild Cards, say the word and these Wall-crawlers and Marauders are smoking metal!"

Then you heard the clanking and clacking of more feet coming in behind the Sam-Cyclones. A large group of Samanthas and Sams along with their tall and bulky Loader companions from the Esper arrive, their hands and loading claws empty.

"By now, you should be hearing the Esper crew coming in. They're here to load all of that juicy inventory onto the Esper if you want them to?"

Cera grins at this turn of the tables. "I bet this is the last thing these Chessel Corporation humans were expecting!"

What do the Wild Cards do?

(Image credit: warosu.org)

STATUS

Location: Inside the Reactor Room at Chessel Corporation Outpost #5
Exciting Mood Music (click to play): "Loaded" (live) by Boom Boom Satellites

 

[Psychie]

Toph grins. "Good choice, Herc! That really stuffed Chessel Corporation's biscuits good! First off, lets suit up in our Cyclones before we get any other trouble coming to call. Next, lets have the Sams and Samanthas take everything that isn't nailed down." She heads over to the Sam in 'her' Cyclone and starts to suit up in her CVR-3 armor so she can once more get into the extra safety of the Cyclone.

 

[Sherwood]

Mario gives off a fist pump and offers up a high five to the next closest member of the team. "Damn skippy! I gotta say, we totally rock as a team! One thing we should do is be very careful with any of our MDC weapon fire in here. Any stray shots might hit that reactor and cause it to go boom before we are ready for it." He follows Toph in getting into his megasuit once more, feeling a bit better with each armored panel clicking into place on his body. Once that is done, he motions for the Sam in his Cyclone to unhook from it so he can take its place inside the suit of powered armor with the Thundercracker in hand once more.

 

[Kaerri]

Elinor glances at Toph, eyes narrowed, and then she slides into the seat Toph has just abandoned.

Privately to Toph: "I've no quibble with your suggestions, Muppet, but A, if you want command you'd better ask for it before you start issuing orders. And B, we were just told the Nexus could go down any minute, meaning we might lose our translator for God knows how long, and you just abandoned your post."

She looks over the screen and returns to the general Nexus. "Hall here taking over computer duty from Kirin. Do we need the inventory for prioritizing or can the Esper crew grab everything? If they can, I'd like to get into the energy system instead and see what kind of fuse we can light. Opening the overhead doors to get us all out safe would also be nice, but I didn't hear you mention anything like that?" She left it as a question in case Hitomi had mentioned the doors and she'd just missed it.

 

[Purr]

Captain Hesperus Tag! (O.K., there is a lot going on in this little scene, so heads-up! =) )

Mario gives off a fist pump and offers up a high five to the next closest member of the team.

The nearest is Cera who raises her hand and doesn't seem to know what to do. If Mario shows her, she responds in kind, a little grin added to her lips.

Toph grins. "Good choice, Herc! That really stuffed Chessel Corporation's biscuits good! First off, lets suit up in our Cyclones before we get any other trouble coming to call. Next, lets have the Sams and Samanthas take everything that isn't nailed down." She heads over to the Sam in 'her' Cyclone and starts to suit up in her CVR-3 armor so she can once more get into the extra safety of the Cyclone.

Cera pauses, looking confused as her eyes leave her Wall-crawler target and glance between Toph and Elinor. For a moment, the newly-grown Ura-Meltrandi doesn't seem to know who to follow, the half-Lisara-Meltrandi who just ordered in adequate Meltrandi manner or her human dentella who has been in charge since Mack was taken out and returned to the Broadsword.

The Cyclone-armed Sams have no such problems. Each of the Cyclone-armed Sams join each of the Wild Cards, crossing the room to meet you. They position themselves beside or in front of each of you (between you and the enemy) without hesitation. However, once there, they do not release but remain where they are. In addition, you notice each of the CVR-3 Mega-suits you have been wearing since mission start are the very suits inside the Battloid-mode Cyclones! There, you discover you have been riding inside Sam units this entire time!

The Sams remain beside you on stand-by, covering the Wall-crawlers and protecting you. They seem to be awaiting something.

Elinor glances at Toph, eyes narrowed, and then she slides into the seat Toph has just abandoned.

Cera nods and continues to cover with her flamethrower. "The ceiling! Look!" she warns. From the ceiling, three of the Wall-crawlers swiftly (urgently?) crawl toward the vacated seat, but each of them hesitate (uncertainly?) and then remain still as Elinor glides in to take Toph's spot. Cera is about to ask for orders but when the strange robots cease their movement, she stays her thought.

Hitomi comes back. She speaks a little faster than normal like someone who is expecting to lose communication any moment. "Elinor? Listen, hon'! Decision time! Iris is going to have a hell of a time getting to you because you're so deep in the outpost. The Esper crew has found much safer route - a weak point in the ceiling small enough to allow her directly into the hangar - but it'll take 'em some time to cut through it. ETA 20 minutes tops if she doesn't run into trouble. Remember - she needs to see you in order to create a nexus of her own.

"Piper says, at your order, the Esper Sams will grab everything; there's still room on the Esper for all of it.

"And..." after a pause she adds as if relaying this information, "... the Broadsword Sams need the squad leader's order... to take action? It looks like the immediate presence of the enemy changes Sam's protocols! Piper says for you to 'start telling them what to do and they'll do it.'

"Oh. The robots are very likely recording you. Both Piper and I recommend you blast them into scrap before they sneak off deeper into the reactor room and take away the opportunity."

What do the Wild Cards do?

 

[Sherwood]

Mario looks over at Elinor and says, "Ma'am? I strongly suggest we eliminate the bots, the sooner the better."

 

[Kaerri]

Elinor nods sharply. "On it, all three points." Her thought ends abruptly as she switches to vocalizing. "Broadsword Sams, take out the bots in this room ASAP, mind the reactor." Assuming they get right to work, she raises her voice to be heard over their fire, "Esper Sams, leave enough of you working on Iris's entry hole to keep her ETA on schedule, but the rest, grab all inventory you can fit aboard the Esper. Let's leave this place as empty as we can!"

 

[Purr]

Captain Hesperus Tag!

Opening the overhead doors to get us all out safe would also be nice, but I didn't hear you mention anything like that?" She left it as a question in case Hitomi had mentioned the doors and she'd just missed it.

Hitomi hurriedly says, "There's nothing at this workstation that says anything about those doors. By chance, is there another synchronic scrambler in the hangar bay somewhere? That's the best place to--"

And then, without warning, all is silent in your minds. It is as if you are awoken from a strange dream. Your minds are suddenly left with a great, wide void - a strange loneliness that replaces the polyphonic nexus which has just vanished from your consciousnesses. The polyphonic nexus provided feelings, thoughts, sometimes even visions across a network that was completely unbreachable by outside forces. Now? Now all you sense... is yourself.

Cera's face distorts as if she had just swallowed a live frog. She looks to each of you, blinks a few times in concentration, then shrugs in irritation.

* * *​

"Broadsword Sams, take out the bots in this room ASAP, mind the reactor." Assuming they get right to work, she raises her voice to be heard over their fire, "Esper Sams, leave enough of you working on Iris's entry hole to keep her ETA on schedule, but the rest, grab all inventory you can fit aboard the Esper. Let's leave this place as empty as we can!"

The Broadsword Cyclones go about this in a methodical, team-oriented fashion that is remarkable. The first thing they do is put away the Twins and the Thundercrackers and position themselves closer to the Wall-crawlers. Plasma-infused swords emerge from the Cyclone forearm housings glowing hauntingly like legendary swords of magical fantasy. Two Cyclones in particular (Elinor's and Cera's) leave them to put their backs to the reactor, their Centurion rifles at the ready.

They strike at the Chessel Corporation robots as one!

The first robot targeted is the Marauder. Hercules's Cyclone puts itself between the Marauder and Hercules. It rears back and puts its blade puncturing straight into and through the Marauder's chest, precisely where the heart would be on a human. There is a great shower of sparks as the Marauder briefly comes alive (for all of about two seconds). There is a secondary explosion as the Marauder suddenly and violently erupts into a burning ball of molten metal. Hercules, however, is in no danger whatsoever as the Sam piloting the Cyclone steps in and using its body, it absorbs as much of the blast as it can. When the Cyclone straightens up, only its paint is damaged.

As this is taking place, Elinor and Cera's Sams begin picking off Wall-crawlers with single shots while Mario and Toph's Sams lift off the ground and engage the Wall-crawlers with their plasma swords. The Wall-crawlers do not stand a chance and they seem to know it. They scatter like bugs, but the Sams are prepared for this tactic. The Centurion lasers hit the Wall-crawlers and blow clean through them putting damaging holes in the walls behind them while the melee-based Cyclones corner the Wall-crawlers and efficiently finish them off. By the time Elinor is done speaking, the deed is done. All enemy forces have been quite handily eliminated with no casualties among your own.

* * *​

The hostilities finished, the Broadsword Sams resume their previous positions by their respective Wild Cards, appearing to bodyguard each of you, guns at the ready. The Esper Sams spring into action forming a long chain with the humanoid Sams and Samanthas passing down hand over hand and crate after crate all the way to the Esper. It is almost like watching ants work. The Loaders take on the larger, more cumbersome crates into their various limbs and march them down the corridor and out of your sight. Looking at the rows of crates, you come to realize that the crates easily number into the dozens! The Esper units will be busy for a bit. That's about the time an idea hits Cera. She asks one of the Esper Sams a question. It replies in the voice of Hiroshi Kirin even though you can't quite tell what's been asked or answered. Then Cera approaches Elinor.

"Elly Nor?" Cera asks with an Ura-Meltrandi salute involving her flat palm covering her breast, it's an act she seems to do almost mechanically as if it were bred into her. "I have a request regarding Unit One's rendezvous with us." She turns briefly to the Esper crew. "I asked them what they are using to cut through this hole of theirs in the hangar. Sam replied, 'the standard-issue cutting torches from the Esper. Well... here we are sitting on a pair of Thundercrackers, a pair of Centurions, and a set of the Twins." She pointed these weapons out as she spoke then indicated the hallway to the hangar.

"Why waste time using cutting torches when we could blast a Scrath-sized hole using these? What are they going to do - run out of ammunition? It may cut down on our rendezvous time with Unit One and lessen the danger to her by enemy units considerably. What is your will, Squad Leader?"

 

[Kaerri]

Now all you sense... is yourself.

Funny the things you get used to, Elinor mused, then remembered no one else could "hear" that. Which only made it funnier, somehow. "Gonna have to learn how to do that myself, I think," she said aloud. "Gets handy. Well, at least the professor's gettin' some well-earned shuteye." She watched the Sams eliminate the Chessel bots with glee. "Betcha didn't see that comin', did ya?" she told the destroyed droids., then added to the Sam who returned to guard her, "Nice work!"


"Why waste time using cutting torches when we could blast a Scrath-sized hole using these? What are they going to do - run out of ammunition? It may cut down on our rendezvous time with Unit One and lessen the danger to her by enemy units considerably. What is your will, Squad Leader?"

Elinor had returned to staring at the screen, trying to puzzle out its meaning even though she didn't speak a lick of Spanish. On Cera's coming back and speaking to her, however, she looked up. "Well, there's a thought," she said approvingly. "Sooner the better, right? We can't accomplish much here without either Hitomi or heading into the Blue World, and I don't care to go there with the Nexus down." She looked at the rest of the squad. "How's about it? Feel like blowing a hole in the ceiling?" While she spoke, she swung herself up from the chair and reached for her own megasuit, though she kept an eye on the computer screen in case something changed. What she could do about it if it did, she couldn't say, but that wasn't the point. Which reminded her, should they all go shoot up the ceiling? That would leave no one, or at least no human -- no organic, she corrected herself, keeping an eye on the computer. Maybe one of the squad ought to stay on watch. Herself or Toph, most like, seeing as Toph had more experience, such as it was, with this particular computer, and Elinor had rather a bit with computers in general. Plus, she figured the boys and Cera would get a kick out of making Iris's entryway. A deciding factor made its way into her mind. "Besides, Hitomi was askin' about another scrambler-thing. Wasn't there some of that noise comin' from the computer in the hangar? Toph, maybe you can do your thing with that one while you're in there? Might be as it controls the hangar doors."

 

[Purr]

Captain Hesperus Tag!

(Fast Forwarding.)

Using the futuristic weaponry they have in their power, the now-Cyclone-clad Wild Cards blow the hole through the roof of Chessel Corporation's Outpost #5. Somewhere, high in the desert floor above them, a fountain of red Mega-damage laser fire create a hole easily large enough for a certain camouflaged Scrath who is waiting with bated interest nearby. Showers of red molten steel, black burned rock, and floating yellow sand rain down over the flat golden Mexican desert with only the sun and Scrath as witness to it all. Unit One, affectionately known as Iris, compacts her insectoid body as best she can and, after testing the edges of the hole with one cautious pincer, she slips with stunning swiftness into the hole and into the restricted hangar bay where below her, the Wild Cards and the Sams of the Esper and Broadsword continue their work.

Elinor sees the Sams and Loaders of the Espers now in a "conga line" of hauling of the last of the dozens and dozens of sealed crates taken from the Reactor Room, passing by the smashed and burned sentry guns that once faithfully guarded these secreted treasures.

Inside the minds of the Wild Cards, an odd - one could certainly call it alien - series of letters and symbols flash through their consciousnesses. It is Iris. She is establishing a polyphonic nexus to replace Professor Stein's. Unless resisted, there is a feeling of something inside your brains opening up like the petals of a flower welcoming the brightness and life-giving rays of the sun. A feeling of relief and calm floods over you and then each of you realize - this is not your relief. This is not your calm. It is Iris's and she is sharing it with you as she establishes mental contact. Soon, the symbols and matronly voice inside of your minds goes from absolute gibberish into something you can understand.

"tpz... KkKkkkwuuuuuuu pic! xlxlxlnoooomie ta--

"Polyphonic nexus established! Human language. American-English dialect. 'Greetings?' Negative. 'We mean you no harm?' Negative. Ah! Of course!

"'WAAAAZAAAAAAP?!?!!?!' This One is pleased to reconnect with the Wild Cards! Query: How is it hanging? Further query: Precisely what is hanging when one uses this informal greeting? Conclusion: 'Nevermind. It is aaall gooood.' Wild Cards! Your creation of the entry point This One utilized has an unintended but useful benefit! The Broadsword and Esper crews now has unimpeded wireless connection with one another! Is this not fruitful?"

"Unit One!" Cera jogs over to Unit One and there, they share a long hug. Cera's arms wrap around Iris's grass-green carapace and now streetlight-green eyes and Iris's deadly pincers drape gently over Cera's shoulder and back. It is a rare sight of affection between Ura-Meltrandi and the otherworldly Scrath that towers over twice Cera's height. Cera's red eyes close in a moment of real peacefunless.

Then you hear Hitomi's voice in your minds again. "Hi Wild Cards! You can hear me, right? I've got Captain Piper on the other line. She's going to want to talk to you soon."

As this occurs, the Wild Cards, Elinor especially, see two immediate changes in the Sams' and Loaders' actions.

The first action you witness is one of the Broadsword Samanthas in the hangar bay running up to the synchronic scrambler you had passed earlier. The Samantha tosses her red-haired braid over her shoulder with a girlish gesture and then inserts a cable from "her" forearm into the scrambler's interface. Within seconds, pulsing red and yellow warning lights shine from all parts of the hangar bay. Samantha looks up and as you follow her gaze, you see green lights all around the ceiling hatch that has kept the Esper imprisoned all this while. Pre-recorded warnings in a female Spanish voice blare over the P.A. system as the second action takes place.

The dust and dirt-covered Esper Sams and Loaders finish hauling the last of the crates up the ramp of the aged starship, but then comes a quartet of Loaders led by an Esper Sam unit. They are offloading something from the Esper! Down the ramp and toward the Reactor Room, they roll some black and gray Mega-damage device about eight feet around. Whatever it is, it appears like it has seen weapons-fire but is still functional and pulsing with energy.

As if in response to any Wild Card queries, one of the nearby Broadsword Sams speaks in the voice of Toph's late father, Hiroshi. "Wild Cards! Doctor Hitomi Yashida has made Captain Piper aware of your desire to cause serious property damage to this installation. What you see before you is a damaged spare drive core from the Esper. Once placed beside Outpost #5's reactor, we can use our demolitions to remotely destroy the drive core. Captain Piper has ordered us to provide you with the detonation switch which is now on the bridge of the Esper." Sam points towards the unarmed vessel from the future.

With urgency, "he" points. "Please board the Esper now!"

Spoiler: Once again, the Esper

(Image credit: Billy Knight 33 DeviantArt)

The Wild Cards head to the loading ramp and board as the Sam and Loaders disappear inside the Reactor Room. They emerge moments later, hustling toward the starship as fast as they are able to manage. The inside of the Esper's loading bay is crammed with Tetris-style perfection with section after section of the military-grade crates you found in the Chessel Corporation's Reactor Room. Tension fills the air as the last of the Samanthas not onboard continues to interact with the hangar bay's workstation sans synchronic scrambler. Warning lights and recordings continue to blare annoyingly all over the hangar.

Then, simultaneously, the Esper shakes to life as its engines roar and tremble one by one. Above you, a great, near-blinding crack appears in the hangar bay's twin doors. It is sunlight! Grinding sounds of gears rarely used drown out the sounds of the last Samantha's feet racing across the deck. You help haul her onboard and the Esper's loading ramp pulls upward and sheathes shut. You are directed to exit your Cyclones and, with only your CVR-3 Mega-suits about you for protection, to be taken directly to the bridge of the Esper. Iris stays in the Esper's loading bay where the Sams are gently but firmly tying her down for flight. Iris does not struggle but complies agreeably. Once you are in the bridge, you begin to feel like you are on the set of some science fiction movie except all of this is real! No directors, no cameras, no film crews, and definitely no actors. The Wild Cards are onboard their second starship from Earth's distant future yet here in the year 2025.

Like mechanical clockwork, the Sams make your safety their absolute first priority as they strap you in and triple-check the fasteners in the chairs normally filled by a human crew and not a tightly-networked team of empty Mega-suits operating flawlessly all around you.

You hear Toph's voice, or rather a Samantha's, come over the intercom. "Liftoff commencing in... 3... 2... 1..." There is a tremendous vibration as the Esper pulls free from Earth's gravity and up off of the hangar bay deck. Then the vibration soothes without ceasing. All around you, you can almost feel the ship as she takes to the air. Every bit of her seems to hum in freedom. "We have liftoff." Above you, for the first time in what feels like hours, you see the bright yellow sunbeams cast down from the Mexican afternoon sun. You experience it all firsthand. The bay doors above you are open, the Esper's engines are carrying the interstellar starship up and away. In moments, you see below you a plain flat desert with but a handful of trees and that one giant opening into Chessel Corporation's Secret Outpost #5 that so denied the Esper and its crew prior to your arrival.

Hitomi comes over the polyphonic nexus. "Heads up, Wild Cards! Captain Piper is hailing the Esper. She wants to talk to you."

Captain Piper's freckled face ringed with short red hair appears inside a section of the main monitor on the Esper's bridge. She is on the magnificent military bridge of the Broadsword. Piper is smiling, looking dreamy. Then you see a white porcelain cup of what can only be sake in her left hand touch down on a table beside her. - Captain Bethany Piper is feeling no pain right now. "Traversers! Heyyy. Guess what? I discovered sake. It's not as bad as I thought. In fact, it's kinda nice. So, listen up. This is your show. You decide how it ends." One of the Broadsword Sams comes from the aft of the ship and joins you on the bridge. In his hands is a folding laptop taken from the housing in his left forearm. The screen is lit with all kinds of scientific data and graphs but one image stands out. It is a list of safeties in the 'on' position followed by one of two commands:

"Detonate - contained" and "Detonate - unimpeded."

Captain Piper gives a little frown as she leans into her chair - the captain's chair - as if she is still getting used to it. "The Esper is on her way to join us out in the Gulf of Mexico. We have to destroy to that damaged spare drive core of the Esper's there to make room for the goodies you procured. You got two plays in your deck as it were.

"Option #1 - What I call the, 'we can play nice because we're better than you,' option. You can just destroy our old drive core in a 'contained' blast. That will leave the Reactor Room active and send a clear warning to Chessel Corporation a.k.a. the heartless Anti-Unification League that we can be merciful.

"Or...

"...Option #2. This is the, as I like to call it, 'Eat my shorts, you sons of bitches!' option. You can choose to set off the drive core with an 'unimpeded' blast. This is likely to blow the whole damned reactor room, hangar, and everything in it and near it. We're talking billions of credits in damage and humiliation. Not to mention one big friggin' hole in the earth belching black smoke that can be seen for miles and for hours.

"So, let's get to know each other a little better here, Traversers. You decide. Contained or unimpeded?" Piper's smirk tells you she's really curious about how you'll answer. Some of the Sams and Samanthas sharing the Esper's bridge with you turn as if curious too.

"What's it gonna be, Traversers?"

 

[Sherwood]

Mario is quick with his answer. "I say blow it all to hell and let Satan sort out the costs in the biggest blast you can arrange. Kick Chessel Corp in their AUL asses and have them suck it." He then suddenly remembers his manners, and quickly adds, "Ma'am."

 

[Kaerri]

Elinor grins at Mario, then nods at the woman on the screen. "Well, ma'am, if our info was that there were living people in there, I might make an argument for the nice option. Seein' as last I heard, there's nothin' there but automation and robots, I'm all for the biggest boom possible. Besides the aesthetics of a really nice explosion, the more damage we cause, the longer it'll be before they can get it workin' again, and I'd as soon they aren't back to work for a long time." She glances at the rest of the squad, clearly interested in their opinion and not speaking on their behalf.

 

[Purr]

Cera replies with one single, Ura-Meltrandi-strong, statement. "We owe the enemy for what they did to Leader Mack!"

 

[Psychie]

Toph adds her assent to the discussion. "I have had run-ins with these AUL assholes before, and if we can give them a kick to the nads as we leave, I say go for it. This is a robotic facility, so we won't have a bunch of innocent lives on our conscience. Lets see how big of a crater we can make."

 

[Captain Hesperus]

“What kind of aftereffects would an uncontained detonation result in, ma’am?”, Hercules asked with a degree of concern in his voice.
Much as he’d like to turn the Chessel Corp base into a glowing cloud, he’d rather not do it if it turned the desert into another radioactive wasteland. Mother Nature had been beaten hard enough already.

 

[Purr]

Captain Hesperus

Captain Piper winks and shakes her white cup at Hercules. "Would you look at that? A gentle giant? Ahhh, if you're thinking we're turning Veracruz into some kind of radioactive wasteland, you've gotta... er... you're two credits short of a... Hmm... it ain't gonna happen, okay?" Piper chuckles. "I ran this by the Sams first - he tells me that energy generator down there isn't nuclear fusion in nature, but driven by nanotech solar cells. There are four such collectors all around Outpost #5 and pleeenty of sunlight out here.

"As for the boom? I think we're talking about something big enough to take out the outpost. The Esper's old drive core is protoculture-based. No nukey-fallout crap from there too. Took us this long to finally find Earth, damned if I'm going to turn it into another Praxis incident." She hiccups and makes an uncertain face. "Wait. You guys wouldn't know about that.

"So there it is. Other questions, Traversers?"

 

[Captain Hesperus]

Satisfied, Hercules leans back.
”If there’s no risk to the environment, I have no further issues. As an artillerist, I’ll be interested in seeing what kind of damage an uncontained detonation can achieve.”

 

[Purr]

Captain Hesperus Tag!

Inside the Esper cockpit, Sam says in Hiroshi Kirin's voice, "Wild Cards. Please attend the viewscreen and see the results for yourselves." Using what appears to be a rear-facing camera, you see the entirety of Outpost #5. The parking lot, the anti-aircraft guns you faced, the still-smoldering wreckages of the drones you shot out of the sky, and each and every building baking out there in the hot Veracruz sun.

And then you see it all... vanish.

"Detonation in 3... 2... 1... Mark."

Spoiler: Safe For Work

Unlike some other videos I've watched, this one is good enough to get the point across and still keep things "role-playing gamey" if you follow my meaning. Pick any of these explosions, multiply it by about 5, and that's what your characters see! =)

The insides of the hangar bay and a large part of the buildings on the surface erupt into a tremendous underground explosion quickly followed by a number of secondary explosions as other items of burnable nature are caught! The resulting devastation throws heaps of sand and a round shockwave so large you can see it barely from the air! Black smoke rises in huge wafting plumes as the core of Outpost #5 is sent straight to oblivion!

The Sams and Samanthas turn to you and begin clapping heartily.

Over the polyphonic nexus, you hear Hitomi and she sounds in great spirits. "Wow!" she exclaims. "Would you look at that! There's a hit that place will never recover from!"

Her words appear true - the guts of Outpost #5 have been either destroyed or sent high into the air as useless chunks of burning debris!