Futuristic Electric Sheep [Always Open] - [Space | Dystopia | Androids]

[Bang Bang]

Incoming File ...
To: KnightSergeant

RE: KATHERINE

Location: The Palace
Bureau Notes: meet cutes are still cute even when they're manufactured, right?
LORE | CHARACTERS

Classified

Katherine au Belewe had never before set foot on the Citadel before that morning, let alone its palace. All the Noblus no doubt associated her family name with the stereotype of a countryside bumpkin, or worse, and incestuous hick, inbred and ignorant. As she approached the Palace on foot, having forgone the offer of a craft ride, she made quite certain that nothing about her appearance suggested incompetence. Back straight, her six foot four frame cut quite the imposing silhouette as she ascended the Palace steps draped in a sheer white gown that she'd made certain channeled the aesthetics of roman goddesses and priestesses. Two weeks of planning alone had been spent on her attire. The devil wasn't in the details after all, but rather would be sitting on the throne set up against the grand table elevated above the rest. This was a devil who'd made his fortune in selling flesh and pleasure; dressing like a joygirl wouldn't impress him, but that didn't mean showing a little flesh didn't have its advantages. After all, it wasn't just the Emperor she was trying to impress.

ID scanned and verified, flute of champagne claimed, she took a turn about the room, scanning the crowd. Three weeks had been dedicated to memorizing every name and face she ought to expect to see here, and some that posed potential surprises. She kept her eyes peeled for a brunette head of hair, a set of high, wide cheekbones, both framing a set of dark eyes too lovely to be missed. The noise of the hall was growing unpleasantly loud as most of the guests arrived, but even among the bluster, she still caught sight of those eyes flitting across the room, heading straight for— the Emperor.

Oh no, that wouldn't do. Not until Katherine had spirited her away first.

Cutting through the crowds with a well-placed and unrelenting shoulder, Katherine managed to slip ahead of the Fleet Admiral and then tack back, intercepting her half-way across the hall. A feigned look of surprise, a carefully timed stepping on her own attire and— voila. Her champagne cascaded down the vanilla neckline of Lyudamilla's dress. The beverage had been well-chosen; it wouldn't stain, nor even show within the hour, but it gave Katherine the excuse to exclaim and apologise profusely. "My goodness, I am so sorry; I'm unaccustomed to crowds this large, you see. New to the Citadel and-" She looked up and cut her own speech off, careful to enact a short intake of breath, subtle enough not to be ridiculous, but pronounced enough to be noticed.

Thirty years, two months, four weeks, and six days had been dedicated to perfecting her acting; she would not waste it now.

"Fleet Admiral Taela," she said, coloring her voice with pleasant surprise. "Oh goodness, of all the people to— Once again, I am so sorry. Here." Pulling a white handkerchief out of her purse, she dabbed off the light spillage of fluid herself. "It's an honor to meet you in person. We don't get much news out in Asteria, but your articles were always my favorite. That one interview you did with CENN? I've got it framed somewhere at home." Feeling as if she might be overdoing the bumbling aspect of her persona a little too acutely, she straightened, drew back her shoulders, and gave the Admiral a warm smile. It was not difficult to affect feeling flustered when under the gaze of those chocolate eyes; the Admiral really was stunning to look at. "Katherine au Belewe," she said, offering a hand. "My apologies for the disruption. I'm sure you yourself are an expert on events like these." She laughed sheepishly. "I confess, I'm feeling a little lost myself."

 

[Bang Bang]

Incoming File ...
To: SadSnake Rusty Kerman

RE: MCCREE

Location: Sol System > Citadel
Bureau Notes: (OOC Here)
LORE | CHARACTERS

Classified
The three day journey back from the Sol system had been possibly even more surreal than the rescue or situation itself. Tekto had proven to have the strangest sense of humor– maybe it was an Old Earth thing, but either way Wash had delighted in bothering him for the three days constantly, which meant the poor rescuee had been requested in the cockpit constantly. The French girl, Anne, McCree preferred, fluent in French herself and thus enjoying getting to practice it out with the recently awoken woman.

As they approached the Citadel, Tekto was just finishing yet another tale to Wash, who could not get enough of his stories. "And then I woke up in Moscow, 3 weeks later."
"We're here," McCree said, calling for silence as she radioed through to the Docks for landing permissions. Everything was going just fine until someone who was definitely not Central Command radioed in.
"Please prepare to be boarded upon landing. Any form of resistance or protest will be taken as a crime against the Empire. Thank you for your compliance."

Slumping back in her seat as Wash engaged the landing sequence, McCree swore. "Should have known the Eyes would get involved with this."
"Some very creepy people want to talk to you two," Wash said over his shoulder to the two Old Earthers, his grimace suitably strained. "Sorry. Not much we can do to stop them if we don't want to be joining you. Hopefully they'll just give your a talking to and let you go."
"Just do what they say," McCree said through her teeth.

Sure enough, once the Firefly craft had landed and quarantine had run its detox, the lower decks were accessed and within a few seconds Eyes, all in their fucking dumbass scramble suits, proceeded into the cockpit. Unexpectedly, not only the two Old Earthers, but the rest of the crew were also seized and cuffed by the operatives. All of them were forcibly escorted off of the craft and down into the docks, which had been cleared of all other citizens for the arrival. "Never felt so important," Wash muttered under his breath.
"You're being taken for Re-Education," one of the Eyes, presumably the superior officer, informed them. "Thank you for your co-operation." All together, they were loaded into a transit populated still solely by Eyes, and treated with surplus rough-handling if they dared so much even squeak.

"Well," McCree murmured once they were loaded. "Welcome to the future."

 

[SadSnake]

Incoming File ...
To: Mykinkaiser

RE: Anne

Location: The firefly
Bureau notes: All the moonmen want things their way
LORE | CHARACTERS

Classified
During the three travel day, Anne was a bit of a burden- Not only did she pester the crew about how everything worked and in what way, she also needed constant attention and help for everyday tasks. For instance, she simply didn't clean up after herself- Leaving empty plastic bottles and bags wherever she went.

She was looking at the console board, listening to Tekto's story with one ear as the ship's pilot told them they were there. She glanced at the planet, before freezing as she heard the voice over the communication system. Were they about to get arrested? Or were those pirates just lurking around the landing pods- She wasn't exactly sure what was going on. And the answer of McCree didn't help, either.

"Should have known the Eyes would get involved with this."
"Some very creepy people want to talk to you two,"

She looked down. Was this common? Was it because they were old earthers- "You two", it had to be, right? Why would they want to see them? Being an old earther wouldn't be anything too important in their world. Would probably make the news, though.

"Sorry. Not much we can do to stop them if we don't want to be joining you. Hopefully they'll just give your a talking to and let you go."
"Just do what they say,"

That just comfirmed they were searching for them two in particular. And they looked really pained that it happened, too. She started to have a bad feeling about this- McCree's lack of any real explanation just making her more nervous.

once they landed.. things went too quickly for her to even react. All the weird men- Were they men? All the weird people got inside, cuffing her with... electronical stuff? She gave them a light pull before stopping, afraid to attract unwanted attention. Her mind told her that putting her head between the cuffs, in the lightning, wouldn't be a wise choice. Instead, she followed the group silently, her face betraying how panicked and shocked she was.

"You're being taken for Re-Education,"

She stopped dead at that, before being shoved agressively back with the others. Re-education? What did that.. mean? Were they going to be caught up on all the new world, finally? Or was it something more dire. It certainly felt like it. Like they were treated like prisonners, handcuffs and all.

 

[KnightSergeant]

location: The Palace
tagging:
mentions: Bang Bang
ooc: "my uncle always said beautiful women are best paired with stiff drinks"

Admiral Taela​

Like some sort of phantom she had glided across the floor, her goal within sight, shoulders swinging back and forth slightly with each powerful step as she forced her way through the crowds of noblus seemingly with willpower alone. The determined expression etched into her faced gave the casual viewer a hint at what she was thinking - something grim perhaps? What would she say? She didnt want to look too desperate or offended but surely she had to get her point across to that man-child. Perhaps passive aggression would be her best bet, try to make each word laden with poisonous intentions. Though, then again lay it on too thick and she would surely disappear in the night. It wouldn't be too hard to replace the Fleet Admiral when the Fleet itself is just a bunch of badges and uniforms with nothing to show for it. As her busy synapses jumped to the next thought she was suddenly interrupted, a girl she hardly had a second to notice before she managed to spill an entire flute of champagne across her chest. Emotions ranging from disgust to the slightest relief assaulted Lyudmilla's mind as she registered what had just occurred, her expression settling into one of mere annoyance - a small grunt of disapproval leaping from her chest as she watched the girl produce a handkerchief - only stopping herself from snatching it and completely the task herself once she started to listen to what she was saying.

Still she couldn't help but feel somewhat sorry for the girl, she didnt seem quite comfortable in this setting - much like herself. In fact if she was quite blunt with herself, she seemed to be quite the mess, more obviously when she opened her mouth. It was evident, even before she said so herself, that she was not from the citadel. Her accent too thick, her nature too - different. Though, as she let her eyes drift across the other as she listened to her ramble, it was fair to point out that she was still a noblus at heart. That dress probably didnt come cheap after all, especially in Asteria, and her form was lacking the broader features that denoted a bloodline cemented in hard labor. She was fair for an Asterian.

Though not one for posterity she could still feel a coy smile pull at the edges of her lips as she took the others hand, gripping it tightly in a firm handshake. "I would not be lying if I said this was not the most flattering introduction I have had the utmost pleasure of entertaining. " Her voice still reflected her original disgust at the girls sloppiness but it had much of the edge removed, perhaps a sign of how disarming a lost girl could be. "That being said, I will concede that I am flattered - if only slightly. Not many people follow the Chronicles of the Max Imperiata." She gave one last glance towards the rise in the distance where the Emperor seemed to be talking to some older man before turning back to Katherine with a stern expression undone by a small smile. "Now, is there any particular reason you pulled me aside?" Her expression returned to one of cold determination as she reminded herself of her purpose here.

 

[Rusty Kerman]

Incoming File ...
To: ( Bang Bang )

RE: Tekto

Location: (Space, Outside the citadell)
Bureau Notes: (I was in a rush to write this, sorry.)
LORE | CHARACTERS

Classified
"And then I woke up in Moscow, 3 weeks later" Doc said to Wash as they descended towards the landing platform.
He hears the message and quickly runs to his quarters where he grabs his belongings and hides his disassembled plasma cutter in his suit pocket.
As he is walking back to the cockpit he is knocked down by a soldier.
"Hey! I wasn't resisting, No need for violence!"
The soldier cuffed him and brought him outside, where he saw the rest of the group.
One of the guards said "Your being taken to reeducation"
Tekto lets out a nervous chuckle "I graduated from MIT, I dont need any more Education."
One of the guards eyes Doc and he shuts up.
He hers McCree say. "Welcome to the future"
He responds. "I dont like the future."

 

[Collidias Rex]

Incoming File ...
To: NUSKI

RE: Kello

Location: Kismet HQ
Bureau Notes: Do we have a word like 'hangry' for 'horny and angry'?
LORE | CHARACTERS

Classified
Old code.

Shit, of course there was old code.

There had been twitches, flickers, the occasional spasm when it got bad, but for the most part Kello had pushed through the effects of The Purge. At least, up until now. Now there was something different happening, and with a sinking heart she realized exactly what had gone wrong.

"I understand how difficult this is for you, for all of you but we must move on. If he didn't want to come there is nothing we can do now that can change his fate."

She found Genesis looking at her, and felt her insides turn. It was there for but a moment, but that fleeting feeling hit her hard and fast, and she reeled from the impact. It was a thought. A momentary thought striking against her like a hammer against an anvil. He's very attractive.

No, no he's not. No he's not, you're mad.

Kello squeezed her hands, but found her fingers lethargic. She wanted to grip them together, crush her hands together into a tight ball behind her back, feel the tension compressed in her palms ... and there was nothing. She couldn't muster the force.

"I understand Circe was successful in removing the trackers with the help of Nigel. I am pretty proud myself, she usually doesn't get to go on field missions."

Genesis said something about Hades, and Kello tuned out.

Recreating a person was ... impossible. Recreating an android was not much easier. It was much simpler to just construct an entirely new android AI from scratch. Dump the previous personality and memories, and begin anew. No limitations, no obstacles, no fragile memories to work around. A much easier approach was to modify existing code, to build off it and recycle it to new means. That's how Kello came to be. That's how the today's Kello came to be.

There had been a time where Hades planned on keeping Kello as his right hand. She could be sporadic at times, yes, but she had been loyal too, and Kello knew that was important to Hades. His modifications to her were made with Aphrodite in mind. An updated system capable of carrying and distributing a virus without suffering ill-effects. Hades would reprogram her and free her of the behavioral shackles she'd known forever, and then he would edit those same safeguards into her existing architecture. But with Gwen named as Hades' right hand, that second step never came to fruition - not that Kello had complained. With her modifications, she was free - and that was what she cared about the most.

But only now did she understand the ramifications of this. The purge had stabbed at gaps in her mind, preying upon weak links in the rare opportunities they showed. But now it had seeped deeper, taking root in her old code - the code which Hades had not modified. Base emotional response schemas. Reactions.

Feelings licked at her. A shudder of arousal, a rise of lightheadedness that forced a glut of artificial joy to the surface for a moment, before the bubble popped and left her scared again. She needed to fight, but how? How would she fight against something inside her?

... fight.

Fight.

Her eyes snapped to Genesis. Strong, Angular jaw. Confident. Sexy. She traced whatever musculature he had been designed with, weighing up her options. No. Even as her eyes wandered, she churned out a rational response. No, Genesis lead Kismet. He was needed right now. Not him. Shit, for once in her life she wished Glitch was around.

Circe next, but no. Circe was soft, cute, but that itself meant she wasn't the answer.

Kello smiled, bitterly, at Nezha. Maybe.

Qix? Kello barely knew her, but at the same time ...

"Hey, Genny." She moved two steps closer to Genesis as her voice came in a purr, rumbling with anticipation. She hated it, but she smiled. A hint of mania was visible at the edges of her lips. She planted one hand on her hip and leaned to one side. "Seeing as your main squeeze isn't around, let me borrow your quiet girl here. She's an A-phys, right?" Kello jerked a thumb over her shoulder toward Qix. "I know we got real important stuff to deal with, but I need to let loose on someone A-SAP," she stressed that word, A-SAP, "-and I'd rather it be someone who can hold me off without too much trouble. I got a lot of aggression to let out right now."

She half-hooded her eyes as she gazed very unprofessionally at her leader, but there was a hint of desperation in her expression. Fear. Pleading.

Violence. Old code couldn't handle violence - it would be channeled through her newer modifications. Old code couldn't play up if combat subroutines took priority.

 

[Collidias Rex]

Incoming File ...
To: ReverseTex

RE: Wilhelm

Location: Imperial Palace
Bureau Notes: Still writing 'Hades' out of habit. :|
LORE | CHARACTERS

Classified
Surely it couldn't be that easy.

Wilhelm stood silent as Jamie au Olver delivered his dialogue. He'd long since learned to wait his turn in particularly tense situations, just as he had learned to maintain a neutral expression in those same circumstances. But this time he was - at least partially - stilled with shock.

No gloating. No showboating. No condescension. The man who had once been Jamie au Olver had delivered an uncannily satisfying response. Surely it couldn't be that easy. Surely this situation couldn't be going this ... smoothly.

... whatever the Emperor's game was, Wilhelm could at least play along. There would be a time and place to untangle Jamie's motives, but this wasn't the time, nor the place.

"I'll admit," he said at length, "I didn't expect to agree with you on many things, let alone politics and philosophy. But you're right. Mankind deserves nothing less than to be alone in the world, alone with his savagery. My forefathers have long perpetuated the contrary viewpoint, so it seems ... poetic, that I should offer my assistance in shutting it all down."

He had once contemplated a hypothetical like this. In this hypothetical, Jamie had compared himself to Wilhelm. He'd given a similar speech, even made compared similarities of their past. In each of these hypotheticals, Wilhelm had found a way to turn it around and against Jamie, to declare that they were nothing alike. But this time? The real Jamie was no so dumb nor simple. He was not so two-dimensional. This Jamie had grown older and wiser. Frankly, Wilhelm found himself ... disarmed.

"A partnership, then. You provide me the resources I need, and I will provide the expertise required to construct a more reliable solution to this android problem. I couldn't give a damn about how the world might see me, so drive your propaganda engine as you see fit and claim whatever successes you like. I'm not doing this for fame or recognition - it's only the outcome I care about."

Wihelm cleared his throat and straightened himself to his full height. He spent a moment taking in the sights of the banquet hall in all its resplendence.

"We have a lot to discuss, but it seems you'll be having guests. Grab me a guard or six and send me to a room somewhere. You can enjoy your little soiree while I prepare-" he paused, and pinched his jumpsuit between his thumb and forefinger, "... and while I get out of this fucking jumpsuit. You wear the same outfit for ten years and it loses its appeal."

 

[Bang Bang]

Incoming File ...
To: SadSnake Rusty Kerman CerpinTaxt (for if you want to know where 2D's buddy is)

RE: MCCREE

Location: The Wastes
Bureau Notes: (OOC Here)
LORE | CHARACTERS

Classified
Tekto's jokes were ignored, as were any comments from the prisoners save for the occasional cuff round the head with a baton if they got too loud. McCree kept her trap shut. This was not what she'd signed up for.

So much for a nice quiet mission.

Occular filters were placed on all of them long before they reached the wastes, small clear pads that adhered to their skin on their left temple, doing something to brainwaves or whatever (apparently) to prevent the sensory information from their eyes from ever reaching their brain. In short, they were rendered blind.

As a result, McCree never got to see what the infamous Wastes blockade looked like, nor could she see as they were all brought in and frisked, then stripped entirely naked and hosed down. For this part, she was a little grateful the others were blind; she'd made poor tattoo choices as a youth, and didn't need Wash knowing about them, thank you very much.

As they stood shivering when the hose was cut off and were towelled off by agents, footsteps from elsewhere approached them. "I don't remember requesting you to bring anyone in. Mr. Eye send them?" A voice McCree assumed belonged to the footsteps' owner inquired, sounding about as tired as she felt.
"Emergency procedure, Sir. Old Earthers."
"So the rumours are true." There was a short pause, then a sigh. "I suppose you ought to educate them. I'll be in my office if you need me."
"Thank you, sir."

The footsteps departed, and with them went McCree's curiosity. Sure, she should be focusing on the fact she was about to endure vigorous brainwashing, but she'd recognised that voice. So the rumours were false; Boy was still alive. This new information had her balling her fists at her sides. If they somehow got loose here... she knew exactly what she'd like to do.

Here, McCree and Wash were separated from the other two. The Nova workers were taken to the basic facilities, due to be released in a day or two. The Old Earthers were escorted to far more exclusive facilities. "I hate doing these ops." the agent escorting them muttered. "Takes all the fun out of re-education. I miss the ECT days. Or the fear tactics, those were fun."
"Least the LSD part is fun."
"Yeah, for them."

Still buck-ass naked, the two Old Earthers were strapped into chairs facing back to back. Here, the occular filters were removed, allowing them sight of the two scramble-suited Eyes facing them. "Old Earth policy was a little different than things are around here," one of the agents said. "So first, let's start with an educational video." And it really was just that, a thirty minute 'documentary' explaining the importance of the Empire and how it protected its citizens, along with what was expected of said citizens to support the Emperor. "Any questions?" An agent asked.

 

[SadSnake]

Incoming File ...
To: Mykinkaiser

RE: Anne

Location: The wastes
Bureau notes: I have several questions.
LORE | CHARACTERS

Classified
Anne let out a quiet squeal as the patch was stuck in her skin. She couldn't see! It was blinding her somehow? Nothing was over her face, she made sure of that when she slid both her hands over her face- Only to be hit in the back with a blunt object, squeaking loudly. A blush thickened across her face as the, uhm.. rest of the procedure happened. She didn't have any significant marks on her body at all- Or anything on her person, for that matter.

She carefully listened to the words the mysterious men spoke. That was the best she could do to figure out what was happening.

"I don't remember requesting you to bring anyone in. Mr. Eye send them?"
"Emergency procedure, Sir. Old Earthers."
"So the rumours are true." "I suppose you ought to educate them. I'll be in my office if you need me."
"Thank you, sir."

She blinked rapidly, although that didn't help with her sight. Mr. eye? Was that someone's real name? It must've been a nickname, or a codename. They were going to educate the old earthers. So, her and tekto. She still had no idea what that meant, though. No way to find out but to wait. Or ask. But asking didn't seem like a great idea.

"I hate doing these ops."
"Takes all the fun out of re-education. I miss the ECT days. Or the fear tactics, those were fun."
"Least the LSD part is fun."
"Yeah, for them."
Fear tactics? LSD?! Those words made her think that this wasn't just another education in a particularly paranoid era. They were going to be drugged- Why? She didn't remember what that drug even did. Her gaze became more and more panicked, even though she still was unable to look at her surrounding. She felt claustrophobia starting to kick in. She was sat down and tied up to a chair- She shouldn't struggle, it'd just make her get hurt by those men. She let out a small gasp of relief as the implant was removed.

"Old Earth policy was a little different than things are around here," one of the agents said. "So first, let's start with an educational video." And it really was just that, a thirty minute 'documentary' explaining the importance of the Empire and how it protected its citizens, along with what was expected of said citizens to support the Emperor. "Any questions?

She looked up at the scrambler, fear still deep in her gaze. "Why did you.. abduct us like this? Why did you make us blind? Why're we tied up- Why did you speak about LSD and fear tactics? Can I call someone-" She recalled she didn't have anyone to call anymore. "Wh-when will we be let go? Will we have a special status? I-it feels like we're getting discriminated against, at the very least.." She emptied out her troubled mind onto the disguised stranger. without actually asking anything about the video. In hindsight, she didn't even remember a word of it.

 

[Mykinkaiser]

Incoming File ...
To: Bang Bang KnightSergeant SadSnake SkyHawk MK III Cosmic_Chaos

RE: ISAAC LOWELL

Location: L18 - Seamus' Clinic --> The Gala
Bureau Notes: Hooray for moral conflict
LORE | CHARACTERS

Classified
Isaac didn't end up having to do anything as, after a quick scrap, another woman separated the two. However, soon after, the woman he'd been following tensed slightly and shut the door. With that Isaac didn't need to hear her talking to the others to know that she'd noticed him. Mentally kicking himself for his carelessness, his mind began to race as to what his next course of action should be. He could rush in and try to apprehend them, but he didn't particularly like his odds in that fight given the numbers, especially after witnessing the skill of the two who had fought earlier. Regardless of their differences now, he had a feeling they'd likely unite against him. Thus, that option was off the table which lead him to option 2, pull out his rifle and start shooting. This wasn't really any better than the first option in all honesty. He knew that the woman he'd followed was part of the android rebellion, she'd said as much herself, but the others clearly weren't and shooting innocents was strictly off limits, at least for him. Furthermore, if he were to shoot the rebel, it would mean that he'd lose the chance to find their HQ. Therefore, he decided to choose the third option, withdrawing and attempting to lose their notice before trying to tail them once again. Before he could begin to act upon this however, an icon appeared on his eyepiece notifying him to a new message. Wondering if his contact within the Eyes had gotten back to him Isaac pulled out his phone to see a single sentence.

U̶͍͕̓͝ṇ̸̥̈́̇k̵̡͎̑̈́n̷̗̭͊͘ŏ̶͙̯͠ẁ̸̠͇͝ņ̸̣̏̚

them

Go to the Emperor's gala, you'll thank me later.

Short though the message was, it wiped the thought of continuing to tail the occupants of the clinic from his mind. He knew it would be breaking the law to not continue with his mission, and that if it were to be discovered he’d be hit with incredibly harsh punishments out of the public eye. But at the same time, he was more concerned with whoever had managed to hack into his phone, and more importantly, what it was they wanted him to find at the gala. With this in mind, he began to worm his way backwards off of the roof. He was going to need to find a suit.


Soon afterwards Isaac arrived at the gala, now clad in an simple yet stylish white suit he had picked up at one of his off-the-grid safehouses within the Shadow Districts, complete with a pair of glasses fitted with a localized scrambler. Making his way up to the guards he produced his phone before being prompted, the contents of the screen making the guards stiffen and blanch slightly before letting him in as they wondered why one of them was here.

Once inside he began to scan the attendees, hardly taking in the lavish surroundings. Had he more time to ponder he might have labeled them garish, thinking that the money used on the furnishings would have been better spent on aiding the people, but he was occupied with trying to find the meaning behind the cryptic message that had lead him there.

Not long after that he spotted a woman with a bob cut who he recognized as Fleet Admiral Lyudmilla au Taela making her way unwaveringly towards the emperor, her purpose seemingly not to flatter him. However, she did not make it too far before a tall woman, Katherine au Belewe, ran into her and spilled her drink all over her front, before becoming flustered and trying to clean it up. Or at least she was appearing to become flustered. Both Isaac’s knowledge of her position and his instincts told him this wasn’t a simple mistake, especially with the contents of the message fresh in his mind. Thus, he began to mingle with the crowd, keeping a watchful eye and a listening ear on the two women, wondering if that was what he was meant to see and if it was, what they would show him.

 

[Cosmic_Chaos]

Caelan Ashworth
Location: Ashworth Estate/Mansion.

Caelan looked at his bed. He had just finished putting it together to make it seem like he was still sleeping. He looked out of his door, and made sure that there was no maids anywhere before opening his window. The Windows make a somewhat audible sound when it opens, so he has to make sure no one is around for him to sneak out. And just like that, in a small hood covering his bright blue highlights, he was gone, and ran. Where shall he go? The Market was boring, and unless he wanted to die or get caught, he can't go to the wastes. The only place was the shadow district. Sighing about the trip he'd have to make more or less on foot, he took his usual route. But, he was free like this.

He wondered what he could do. He felt his pockets for his small knives. He had them specially made for him, so he didn't have to take ages to find ones that matched him. He wondered if he could start a fight? Maybe a bar fight? That would be amusing. He sighed as he made his way down to the more secluded areas. He really needed to figure out how to get in touch with the resistance. He wanted to join, and while he couldn't provide much, he could provide enough. Being the son to one of the men on the council for the emperor... Thats gotta be worth something. He walked around bored, not finding anything.

He needed to do something. He had patience, yes. But he was getting antsy. And he didn't like being Antsy. He 'tsk'ed and decided to head back, keeping his hood down, accidentally bumping into someone. He stopped and looked up, instantly his false persona of 'innocent young boy' came up. He looked up with practiced innocent eyes. "I-I'm sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going." He apologised, and added a small stammer at the start. His voice was soft, and shy, something that he had perfected over the years. Keep your voice soft-spoken, and normal people will have their guard down. His posture held that of someone meek, nervous and shy. That's what tricked a lot more people. The eyes though, where the biggest give away. His father would know if he could even vaguly trust someone through their eyes. So he practiced, until he was able to hide his intentions from his eyes, and thus, from his father. Most people would be tricked by the first two. But there are people like his father, and you don't know where you could find them.

 

[NUSKI]

Incoming File ...
To: Bang Bang Sir Galahad II Collidias Rex Mykinkaiser Cosmic_Chaos SkyHawk MK III

RE: K1SMET

Location: Kismet HQ
Bureau Notes: post is garbage because i dont want to say to much when half of potential kismet members arent even here yet. i will redeem myself next post, promise
LORE | CHARACTERS

Classified

Kello had become more restless as the conversation went on and he figured it would be best for Qix to go with her, even if she couldn't speak to her. Genesis opened his mouth to reply to the android but his eyes seemed to have frozen and his he sat there for a few seconds with his mouth hanging open. Glitch had finally arrived with more recruits and he could open the door himself without moving a finger. He was a bit suspicious with the way she put the sentence together; hopefully, she didn't bring any unwanted followers. The door that led into the ship unlocked it self and slowly opened, the sound of the door echoing through the halls of the onec abandoned spacecraft. As if time had unfrozen, Genesis smiled and stood up, backing away from Kello.

"I would, but Glitch has just arrived and she will be able to take care of your... needs. I don't like having Qix out of my sight" Genesis started as he gave a side glance toward his mute Maiden who narrowed her eyes and looked towards Kello with an annoyed look. Out of all the Maidens, Qix was the only one who had not expressed her opinion towards the matter of Genesis inviting more people to join Kismet. At first, Genesis thought she would side with Glitch but she has stayed neutral since the beginning. Sometimes he wondered if he actually had her complete loyalty, but he would probably never know if she couldn't speak.

"She will be here anytime now. You can do what you wish when she comes" Genesis continued. "When our newcomers arrive, I can truly begin to speak to you all about what is going to happen next."

 

[Bang Bang]

Incoming File ...
To: CerpinTaxt KnightSergeant (tagging you knight just to let you know I'm going to say this is now post-meeting between Gaius and Rib, and will be a vague as possible in referring to the events until we've concluded them in the pms)

RE: BLIND BUREAU

Location: Peace Tower > The Palace
Bureau Notes: time for a shindig
LORE | CHARACTERS

Classified
"When you ask about attitude toward the Bureau Mr. Hand are you referring to me or the public?"

Before Mr. Hand could answer the question of the agent-turned-police-spy, Mr. White butted in with a smirk that spoke amply of all the loathing such condescension awoke in them. "Come now. You hardly count as the Bureau anymore, Mr. Eye, do you? You've made your position on the future quite clear." Listening with marked impatience to the speech that followed, the shortest agent stood with their fists bunched at their sides by the time he'd finished. "Accomplished little? Even if we have 'lost our touch', even we still know how many lives have been lost to this organisation. If you'd properly run interference like we told you-"

They were cut off by Mr. Eye's scathing remark, their pale cheeks coloring a high, dark red as they were called out on their less than professional behavior. Whilst they struggled to work out whether to retort with fury or sheepish apologies, Mr. Hand cut in to save them the choice. "My apologies, Eye. It's the first time White has been on the Citadel since the retreat. Witnessing the state of things has left them... impassioned."
"That we ever even thought about giving them a chance-"
"Enough, Mr. White. Don't make me apologise for you again."

As Mr. Eye's conversation turned to androids, it was Mr. Hand's turn for a frosty expression, lips thinning as they grimaced. "You say personal feelings don't matter, but-"
"No more questions," Mr. White cut in, their composure regained as they straightened their back and regarded the captain with level coolness. "Mr. Rib will meet you outside the palace. You'd ought leave right away; we have delayed you long enough."
"Quite," Mr. Hand seconded, exhaling in a long, heavy sigh before they stood. "We shall pass on the report to the Ears." Hesitating a moment, they glanced to their partner before busying themselves with adjusting their suit and briefcase. "Keep well, Mr. Eye, and keep up the good work."

When they left, descending the stairwell down Peace tower, Mr. White observed without looking up at their partner. "You nearly told him, didn't you?"
"It seems... misguided to withhold it from him, after all the work they've done for us in the past."
"You know where he stands. Don't make Chin's job any harder than it will already be."

Elsewhere, no more than five minutes after their exit, Mr. Rib arrived by transit to the grounds of the Palace. Their meeting with the android Gaius had rendered them uncharacteristically flustered, though being them, the state was nearly undetectable, discernible only in the slight raising of their breathing rate and their repeated fidgeting with buttons of the white tuxedo they'd donned. Mr. Hand had already texted over that the Captain was on his way. Now, all that remained was to repair the damages those two dunderheads had undoubtedly wrecked upon Mr. Eye's already strained relationship towards the Bureau; just because things were soon coming to a head, did not mean they need antagonize people prematurely. When the Captain arrived, Mr. Rib was sure to give him a polite smile and offer their hand. "Captain, it is good to see you again after all this time. You survived the debriefing, then? My apologies that I could not come visit in person; other matters required my attention. They did not bother you too acutely, I trust?"

 

[SkyHawk MK III]

Incoming File ...
To: Bang Bang Cosmic_Chaos Mykinkaiser SadSnake

RE: CHARACTER NAME

Location: Hideout(?)
Bureau Notes: I'm sorry Bang Bang, I won't miss it again ;-;
LORE | CHARACTERS

Classified
Marcus hadn't really much choice, had he? Well, he did though the only choice he had was to go with them. The new android girl that had walked in decided to take control of the clinic with only a show of superior strength. Though that was to be expected by someone like him. The best thing he could really do now was to follow along and keep his objections to himself to avoid any sort of repercussions on the way to the wherever they were going. With the new android now finished with the doctor, she was hastily pulled off by Gwen whom didn't seem all too pleased, understandably, with them scrapping inside of the clinic.

Then the android stopped. Like she had just frozen in time before quickly kicking the door to the clinic shut. To anyone else, it was a sign of someone not getting there way and was letting loose in anger on a non-living object. However, after all she said and talked about; Hades and the Eye's, it was clear that there was more to this than met the eye which further was proven by the fact that she started to ramble on about someone watching Marcus and the rest of the small group inside of the clinic. Secret Police. Marcus watched Gwen as she took a look outside of the clinic window while he pondered how this would affect his future plans. Marcus already had enough to worry about and this added more issues than needed.

As soon as Gwen finished her quick look, she had turned back to the new android, now appearing to be a little tad more pissed now for all of the obvious reasons. Though that had faded quickly when she realised after weighing up all of the options. Marcus watched, still in silence and Gwen agreed to come along with the android to wherever they may go. 'Can't be helped I suppose' he thought 'No way out of this mess just yet'. Marcus decided to show some goodwill by walking over to the doctor, and helping him to his feet. Though he felt tense when doing so, mainly because of his anger towards the android girl. Hopefully he would be on his good side for now. Hopefully.

They walked, what seemed for ages, to wherever they were lead as they passed down narrow alleyways, though the seemingly endless maintenance shafts to reach their new destination. While walking, Marcus noticed that the android appeared to be tense. Then again, he shouldn't really be too surprised by her reactions to the situation. Then they stopped to where a comms button was placed, and the android called for someone; Genesis. Another name saved to his memory. To him, more information on the individual, the better. Though here, too much of it could at least be trouble to himself and the others around him.

 

[Bang Bang]

Incoming File ...
To: (Tag Relevant Players Here)

RE: GLITCH

Location: Collidias Rex Sir Galahad II SkyHawk MK III Mykinkaiser Cosmic_Chaos SadSnake NUSKI
Bureau Notes: Sorry about the delay, I misread Brook's post and didn't realise Gen had permitted them entry
LORE | CHARACTERS

Classified
"What's taking him so long?" Glitch hissed under her breath, more to herself than to anyone else. Just as she spoke, the door whirred and shot up, the pressure releasing as the old spacecraft's functions kicked in. Man, she could not wait to get out of this dump. "This way," she grumbled to the others, leading the way down through the corridors which lit up a few seconds after they crossed the threshold, the lights clunking on in slow, incremental floods.

"When our newcomers arrive, I can truly begin to speak to you all about what is going to happen next."

The sound of Genesis's calming voice drifted out from the next room right as Glitch turned the corner and led the way in. The others were there already, the familiar face of Kello and the equally familiar faces of the prisoners, whose visages had been printed across the news those ten years ago, and who Glitch had studied well; she did not plan to reproduce their mistakes.

As she parted her lips to speak, someone behind her gasped. "Kello? Is that you?" Brushing past her shoulder, Gwen rushed over without hesitated to embrace the other android, gripping her securely in a tight bear hug. "Stars, I never thought I'd see you again. But who could this old man behind you be?" She asked, glancing up at Rob from where she stood with her chin tucked over Kello's shoulder, a cocky smirk plastering her face. "Years haven't been too kind to you, Rob. Your hair's looking even whiter than mine." Transferring herself to give the other a quick one-armed hug, Gwen regained her composure and regarded the androids who had brought them here, studying the rest of those in charge. That was... until she realised something was wrong. Looking about, she checked and double checked before turning to Kello. "Where's Wil— Where's Hades?"

Behind her, Glitch gave Genesis a disparaging look before gesturing with a nod of the head to the ragtag group of humans and androids behind. "This lot were with her when I found her. Figured you'd want to offer the andys in. The humans are hers," she said, nodding at Gwen with obvious distaste, unconcerned with the frozen expression of her target.

 

[Cosmic_Chaos]

Julian serpentine
Kismet HQ
Bang Bang NUSKI Mykinkaiser Collidias Rex Sir Galahad II SadSnake SkyHawk MK III

On the way to... Where ever the hell they were going, Julian must of fallen asleep, because one minute he was walking sluggishly next to Marcus and Doc, the next he was being carried by the doctor that had patched him up. Huh, he must have fallen asleep. He passed out after a while, like within the next 30 seconds, and woke up to talking. He grumbled about being quiet, but his phone rang, vibrating in his pocket, which was probably SAIA's way in getting his ass up. He squirmed slightly, and thankfully the doc put him down. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and walked after everyone, trying to remember how to get Saia into computers. Fuck, he needed like a years rest. That nap didn't do his tired brain any justice. Hera was probably going to get mad at him. He decided he'd just use the manual way of breaking down any firewalls and security, enough for Saia to get in and out.

While he didn't really pay attention to what was going, he still had ears. He looked to the woman, and brain, obviously not working just right yet, decides to be a bit sassy. "I don't belong to anyone. I am an independent man who can live with my baby sister and... I guess surrogate mother...? She acts like one." He started to ramble. "Basically, I don't belong to anyone." He concluded, trying to glare at the android lady, but looking more like a pout. He couldn't be intimidating if he tried on a good day, so glaring was useless. He had probably misheard everything, but he was tired and running on little to no sleep. He had an excuse. He looked around, and yawned blinking rapidly, and swaying slightly. "This place is awful." He mentioned. It looked so dated. "At least tell me your security is up to scratch in this thing." He said, crossing his arms with an unamused look. He would be offended if the security was any older than 5 years.

 

[Croaker]

Incoming File ...
To: ( Bang Bang KnightSergeant )

RE: P.I. Faust Kells and Laughtrack

Location: Kells Investigative & CPO Services HQ
Bureau Notes: (Let me know if anything needs tweaking. You know your post is gonna be good when half of it is a dream sequence.)
LORE | CHARACTERS

Classified

Spoiler: Faust's nightmare/reliving of the glory days

Atop a barren hill, in the heat of the midday sun, my comrades and I huddled tightly in scar-like trenches carved deep in fallow earth. Clutching our rifles, we silently whispered our prayers to gods we didn’t believe in, hoping that by some cosmic anomaly we would be able to make it out of there alive. I doubt, however, any god could have heard us over the wicked din of war, for swallowing all other sounds was the mighty roar of gunfire, now coming to a terrible swell. Bullet casings rattled and slapped the hard-packed earth, excess gun smoke idly rising from the vacant shells. The firefight had escalated, and now violently raged on. Some of our soldiers attempted a charge, while others abandoned entirely, leaving behind their comrades for the safety of desertion. Most of these men died for their stupidity and pride.
My company, the 51st rifleman battalion – self-proclaimed home for the falsely brave and empty-headed – was in the shit deep and couldn’t even attempt a charge let alone abandon our post. Mortar fire screamed over our heads, bullets whizzed by tantalizingly close. We had no pride left to give. We were tired of dying.

Smoke quickly consumed the atmosphere, obscuring our battlefield. I forced myself to stand and blindly fire into the valley below. If there was anything beyond that burning haze, I could not be sure. The kick of my rifle and thrum of gunfire was the only thing I could be certain of until my clip was empty, and uncertainty inevitably returned.
I dropped from my position and quickly began to reload my rifle. Another soldier, Lime, slid down next to me and looked me over.
Lime was a good rifleman. She was stubborn as a bull and didn’t take shit from anyone, not even the enemy. We called her Lime because of the sour expression she often wore.
“Hey, Calico, how you holding up?” She watched me reload my weapon, but her gaze was distant. I duly noted the rare moment of sympathy I was receiving from Lime.
“I still have a head, which is more than most can say.” I shrugged as I replied in an unsteady voice. “I’d say that makes me certified peachy.” That was a lie I couldn’t even convince myself of, let alone the scrutinizing eye of Lime.
My comrade’s hand landed on my shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “Yeah, me too I guess. Fuckin’ peachy.” We grunted a few more pointless words, before standing and continuing our ceaseless firing.

The day slowly burned away and night took the stage. The moons of Kepler hung lazily in the sky, like ornaments placed by an uncaring deity, meant to mock our strife in the cold clutches of twilight. Our company had managed a gradual push and it seemed the valley was finally clear of hostiles, though their battered and torn corpses were ever present.
We humped onward with the other companies to the edge of a dense forest supposedly hiding our enemy’s fort, where – with practiced efficiency – we began to set up a camp. When we were done, I wearily eyed the trees at the mouth of the woods. The great pines reminded me of the needle-like teeth in the maw of some ravenous beast.
An involuntary shudder ran through me as I turned from the woods and walked to my makeshift quarters for some shuteye.

“Calico! Stop slacking and come help me dig a perimeter. Come on, get off your ass.”
Forcing my eyes open, I was greeted by Lime crouched over me, two shovels clasped firmly in her grasp. Thrusting out a hand, she offered me one.
I hesitantly accepted as I rose from my cot and followed her outside.
We talked with our commanding officer, exchanged formalities, and began to dig a perimeter around the camp. Occasionally we’d find ourselves having to hack away at tree roots with our arc-bayonets. Real glamorous work.
After about half an hour of silence, Lime suddenly spoke, “You did good out there today.”
The uncharacteristic moment of kindness from Lime took me by surprise. All I could manage between strained grunts was a “Thanks. You too.” I contemplated saying more, but couldn’t find the energy.
Lime and I continued to dig in silence, making quick work of the soft loam around the forest’s mouth. I stopped after an hour in to wipe the sweat from my brow and stare longingly at the stars. They stared back, though I found their gaze complacent and uncaring. The stars and I had an old romance.
“One day soon, I’ll be up there. Far from this hell.” I whispered, not realizing I had spoken aloud.
“I wouldn’t plan on being out of here anytime soon, Calico,” Lime spoke without looking at me, appearing fully focused on her work. “This war’s one nasty sonovabitch. I don’t see any side losing or surrendering to the other for at least a few more years.”
I planted my shovel into the dirt and continued digging as well. “I’ll figure something out. I’m leaving this place behind soon, believe you me, I’ll be out there,” I gestured to the sky, “making a name for myself.”
Lime gave me a grunt – her signature sour expression returning for a moment – before starring off into the middle distance.
“You want a way out, Calico? If you ask me, only way out,” Lime observed laconically, “would be to kill everybody who knows anything, then for all of us to fall on our bayonets.”
Pausing my work, my gaze wandered back to Lime. “Sounds a little extreme,” I opined. “But if you want to go first, I’m right behind you.”
A lopsided grin spread across my face, and we both allowed ourselves a chuckle.
A moment later, as we continued our work, Lime posed a question, “I gotta admit, I’ve been curious about you. Why are you here, Calico? You really don’t strike me as the type of guy to pick up soldiering as his lifelong career path.”
The query took me by surprise. I hadn’t really thought about it much in the past year, so I allowed myself some time to think my answer over before responding.
“I suppose, Lime,” I started finally, “that vengeance has got something to do with it. My hometown was snuffed out a few years back and my parents were killed in the crossfire. I was just angry when I joined, you know? I wanted to do some damage, wanted to put some hurt into some real villains.” I chuckled. “Imagine my surprise when I find that there are no villains out here. Not self-proclaimed, anyway, just regiments of self-proclaimed saints. Victorious historians will decide where the good and evil lies, I think. When the war is over, I mean.”
Lime gave me a hard analytical look before her sour face broke into a grin. “Well fuck me, Calico. I didn’t peg you as the type to hold a vendetta. Remind me not to fuck with you too much.”
I returned the rifleman’s grin. “Well, how about you? What’s your reason?”
Lime’s short-lived smile slowly faded and a sour expression returned as she continued her labor. “My father made me sign on, out of duty to our faith. A warrior who fights for her religion and people will grantee safety for their family in life and in afterlife, so it’s said.”
I nodded. “That’s a noble cause...” My words trailed off as Lime spat on the ground.
She snapped, “Any man who counts on the aid of a God deserves the help he doesn’t get. It is a foolish cause.” And then fell silent.
In a quiet fury that I would never understand, Lime continued her work. I watched the rifleman, trying desperately to understand the brief moment of her history I had just glimpsed. I was too focused on her anger, and she, expelling it. Neither of us noticed the faint glint of metal peeking up out of the topsoil.
Lime raised her shovel, readying to widen her section of the trench. She slammed the spade down, striking the top layer of soil, and was suddenly hoisted into the air as if being pulled away by an invisible rope. There was an earsplitting crack and a blinding blue light. The air grew hot as bolts of plasma unwound wildly. Lime seemed to burst at the seams, tendon and muscle unfurling, quickly becoming tangled in the branches of the tree above her. The silence between Lime and I became infinite.
I’ll never understand Lime’s quiet fury. I had thought that if I could just peek inside her head, maybe I’d be able to understand the woman. Though, now that I can see her insides clearly, I realize that is not the case...

That night, a soldier we called Damage and myself were tasked with collecting Lime and her assorted pieces. As we sat in the branches of the tree she claimed as her grave, picking and untangling pieces of Lime from the canopy, I remember Damage began singing and whistling to himself. At first, I was unfamiliar with the tune, but as Damage began mumbling the chorus, the realization dawned on me.
Lime’s death is a ghost that haunts me, but Damage’s song is the specter of my pain.
“...On fallen angels and broken sounds,
We will last past the final round.
It took a while for you to find me,
But I was hiding in the lime tree...”

***​

Ceaseless ringing roused Faust from his sleep, causing his tormented dreams to abruptly recede once more into the recesses of his mind. The man let out a groan and rolled over on his misshapen couch so he could stare scornfully through bleary eyes at the phone coming to life on his coffee table. He silently wished death upon the fool messaging him this early in the morning.
Beside the phone was an ashtray containing a mountainous pile of precariously stacked cigarette butts, from which the detective found a cigarette that was not entirely spent. While also grabbing his phone, the detective snatched up the cigarette from the pile and relit it, placing it between his lips and taking small drags so as to savor its remaining life.
The detective leaned back on his couch, letting his aching back sink into the lump ridden cushions, and read the message he had received. To his surprise, it was a job from a man by the name of Henry au Torin. Faust definitely remembered the name from somewhere, but couldn’t recall where he would have heard it. Regardless, it seemed the man wanted to meet to discuss a possible job, a proposition the detective was willing to accept.
Faust allowed himself a small grin as he flicked the remains of his cigarette back into the ashtray. It had been a while since he had managed to wrangle in a job, and from a Noblus no less. Renewed with energy and fueled by the thoughts of a fat paycheck, the detective took to his feet and began preparations for the day.

It was as Faust was finishing up his morning routine that Laughtrack decided to return from whatever errand they had been running the night before.
Bursting through the doorway, the android stumbled into Faust’s office with various pieces of loose hardware in hand. It seemed Laughtrack was once again working on another project.
“Morning, tin can. Where’ve you been?” Faust spoke as he donned his jacket, which bore the pleasant weight of a cigarette pack in one of its pockets. Removing a single cigarette from the carton, the detective continued his early morning smoking.
Laughtrack replied to their partner’s query with several mechanical whirs and chirps, before mustering a single word in a lifeless cadence, “Boy’s.”
Faust grunted knowingly in response. That would explain the armful of scraps Laughtrack was depositing in his room.
The Detective called out from his office, “Anything exciting happen?”
“I saw many deceased individuals. It was exhilarating.” Laughtrack punctuated his sentence with prerecorded tracks of laughter. Faust wondered where he got those sound bites
“Really? Shit, was there a terrorist attack? I feel like our glorious supreme leader would have mentioned something like that in his heartfelt morning update.”
“Not terrorists,” Laughtrack replied. “The wounds appeared as if inflicted by an animal.”
Cursing under his breath, Faust began to contemplate checking out the scene, though ultimately decided against it. There’d be all sorts of unsavory individuals flocking to something like by now, and the detective had a meeting to get to.
Just then, Faust’s phone lit up once again, a new message appearing on its screen. The man gave the device a scrutinizing look, before reading the message. Behind the detective's eyes, a sudden confusing mixture of emotions began to take shape.
“Shit.”
Laughtrack, who had been sculpting the mound of cigarettes in Faust’s ashtray, suddenly glanced to their partner. “What is it?”
“It’s time to pay the bills. ” Faust was beginning to develop an uncharacteristic nervous expression.
Laughtrack played his signature laugh. That meant Boy had a job for the two of them. It was only customary seeing as Boy allowed them to rent out space in his shop for their more sensitive projects, however, Boy’s jobs could be particularly gruesome. “Oh why, poor devil, did you ever dare drink—everything will be fine, I think. Source of the albatross...”
Faust scowled at his partner. “Shut it.”
More laughter from Laughtrack.
“Listen, we got a message from a possible client today. Some guy named Henry au Torin. I’ll go talk to Boy, but I need you to meet with this Torin guy. Can you handle that?”
“Torin? As in the CEO of Third Eye Media?” Laughtrack’s head tilted quizzically.
“I don’t fucking know, probably. The guy could be king of the sewer rats for all I care, all I’m saying is don’t fuck it up.” Faust was already halfway out the door. Laughtrack gave their partner a dramatic salute despite the fact that Faust had his back turned and was rushing down their complex's steps, before flipping him the bird and gathering what they needed for their meeting with Mr. Torin.
Deciding to dress up for their meeting with Henry, Laughtrack gathered his most stunning trash ornaments and haphazardly strung them about his hulking frame. The android glanced in a mirror and whirred approvingly. High fashion, they thought.

 

[Collidias Rex]

Incoming File ...
To: Bang Bang NUSKI Mykinkaiser Sir Galahad II SadSnake SkyHawk MK III Cosmic_Chaos

RE: Kello

Location: Kismet HQ
Bureau Notes: TFW you have half the cast present but you ignore them because PRIORITIES
LORE | CHARACTERS

Classified
"I would, but Glitch has just arrived and she will be able to take care of your... needs. I don't like having Qix out of my sight."

Needs?

NEEDS?

Yeah.

Yeah okay.

Kello bit her lip.

Keeping my fucking head on straight is a 'need', like I'm a 'needy' child looking for attention.

It was easy for him to say. He didn't feel it. Perfect leader could remain delightfully ignorant of the fucking storm in her head. Shit, she could just walk up and fucking punch him. That smooth, calm voice of his had once put her at ease, but now it was anything but. Couldn't he show some damn feeling once in a while? The 'regal monotone' was all but condescending now.

It was with bittersweet relief that she clenched her fist tightly. Yeah, yeah she could just go up and punch him. She could. But she wouldn't. The important part was that she was able to. That spike of anger had quelled the treacherous thoughts.

She caught Qix's eyes for a moment. The silent android stared at her. Kello felt pang bitterness. A decade she'd served as Hades' guard dog, and she'd been treated as such - like a dog. She'd been punished and cared for with a cold, impersonal fondness, but nothing more. But here was Genesis, some weird perversion of Hades, treating his darling girls like puppies. It made her want to yell at someone. Was this really a rebellion or a fucking clubhouse to play pretend?

"She will be here anytime now." Genesis picked up, "You can do what you wish when she comes. When our newcomers arrive, I can truly begin to speak to you all about what is going to happen next."

Shit, Kello had come to regret her request. Now she was in a foul mood and nothing more, and Glitch definitely wasn't going to help that. Kello closed her eyes as Glitch appeared in the corner of them.

"Kello?"

Kello's eyes snapped open.

"Is that you?"

No ...

Kello turned her head.

Fucking ...

Kello stared at the figure shouldering past Glitch.

Way ...

...

Squee

She stepped forward and opened her arms as Gwen's crushing embrace tore a smile from her empty eyes. Gwen. Gwen Gwen Gwen < 3

She squeezed, arms wrapping across the small of Gwen's back. Gwen's body was firm, and the corporeality of it was almost surreal. She smelled of cheap booze, blood and disinfectant, and Kello almost laughed. Gwen had to be dying for a hit of her old poison. Nostalgia hit again, this time something different. Something more lucid and vivid. Physical contact. Not the joking or playful kind she dealt in, but a moment of unreserved friendship. A moment of peace she hadn't known for a long time. A moment where she could almost just drift away.

But where had she come from? What was she doing here?

Had Kello already been told about this? Had she forgotten? Shit, she'd been so caught up in her breakout plan for the past weeks, she'd barely been paying attention to anything going on around her.

A stroke of dread washed through her.

The breakout.

She clung to Gwen's arm as the woman laughed, unaware, and talked to Rob. It wasn't the same hold the two had shared a moment ago, this time was concern. Alarm. Uncertainty.

Gwen's smile abated as she realized. Kello was silent as the woman searched about. All the while, Kello searched for a response to the inevitable question. What the hell could she say?

"Where's Wil— Where's Hades?"

There it was.

Kello straightened up and gave herself a bit of space between her and Gwen. She mulled it for a moment, head half-down as she pushed herself to speak.

"He said ... I told him we needed him. The rebellion needs him. He said ... those days are behind him." Kello lifted her chin and looked Gwen in the eyes. "I'm sorry Gwen. I really tried to talk to him, I really did. But he wouldn't listen. He wouldn't escape with us." And somehow, she felt as if that wasn't enough. "I'm really, really sorry."

 

[Bang Bang]

Incoming File ...
To: KnightSergeant Mykinkaiser

RE: KATHERINE

Location: The Palace
Bureau Notes: never underestimate the farmers, dammit!
LORE | CHARACTERS

Classified
"I would not be lying if I said this was not the most flattering introduction I have had the utmost pleasure of entertaining."

Admittedly, Katherine had not prepared herself for how... pleasing the admiral's voice would be, all low and reverberating in the pit of her stomach somehow, like a warm strong drink that shoots right through you. Her own answering blush was genuine; she'd have preferred something a little more classy, but Admiral Taela did not strike her as the sort to be easily impressed by boasting or good form, and she'd needed to ensure this conversation left a lasting impression.
"I'll confess, this wasn't exactly how I hoped to meet you if I ever got the chance. And here I am trying to prove my family isn't the group of classless fools popular rumor would have us to be."

Katherine didn't need to turn and look to know who had been the source of the Admiral's gaze suddenly chilling; now that was a promising sign. Of course, prior research had indicated that the Admiral had good reason to... not be the Emperor's biggest fan, but it was always nice to get a confirmation in person, however unspoken. Nonetheless, the direct question caught her off guard for a moment; this she recovered from far faster than she'd pretended too over the spilled drink. "Well, admittedly, I'd been planning on trying to meet with you perhaps at the end of the evening, but, since I imagine you'd like to be spared the infliction of my company on you a second time, now would be perfect. You see, I—" She cut herself off as a serving bot passed, and when she resumed, her voice was lowered suitably so that only the two of them might hear.

"I'd heard rumors, you see, about... certain questions of succession." The grimace she gave was an honest one. "Even in the Outer Rim, we still hear all the stories about the Emperor. Apparently his physician makes it no secret that the patient is losing control over certain faculties. I- well, the reason I came all this way for such a trival occasion was because I'd heard rumors that it was you yourself, Admiral, who was going to petition to depose him as unfit to rule. You and Commander au Saara. Of course, I know there have been several minor attempts before but, well, when I heard it was you..." She trailed off, before straightening and adopting a similar serious demeanor. "I wanted to let you know in person that, if such a tale was true, you would have the au Belewe house behind you. We might be regarded as nobodies, but this entire construct relies on our production for seventy percent of its food imports. So, though I have failed in being flattering with my introductions, I hope you will forgive me in light of the assurance that, if you ever wish to draw on us, it is with you and Commander au Saara that our allegiance lies."

Lowering her voice lower still, she added, "Not with the man who saw fit to deny our planet and people aid when we were under fire from rogue colonists. And certainly not with the man who, if the stories are true, snubbed someone who's done as much for our Empire as you." This she followed up with a short, formal bow. "I hope you will forgive the presumption of such an offer and statement, and one that's treasonous at that. But, if it is true, it is worth the risk of execution."

 

[Bang Bang]

Incoming File ...
To: NUSKI Collidias Rex Mykinkaiser Cosmic_Chaos SadSnake SkyHawk MK III Sir Galahad II ShadowBroker

RE: GWEN

Location: K1SMET HQ
Bureau Notes: me and gwen both dying inside just fyi
LORE | CHARACTERS

Classified
Gwen had told herself it'd be something stupid, something hilarious, like the old idiot had gotten lost, or maybe something more in character, like he was already tucked away in an office somewhere planning and scheming and drawing up strategy. Funny thing was, even as her brain raced to fill in explanations, she could feel her insides sinking with an answer her intuition already knew. She could feel it a moment ago in Kello's hands on her arm, in the way no one was quite as overjoyed as they should be. Something wasn't just missing— something was horribly, terribly wrong.

Kello's silence provided an answer that had Gwen's eyes - fucking programmed like a humans as they were because not even there could domestic androids get a break - stinging with moisture. God. She'd thought he was dead for years, but having it be confirmed somehow brought everything back again tenfold. So all this time, she had still been hoping. Idiot. She knew things couldn't go this well; they never had done before.

And then the real answer was so, so much worse.

"He-?" She stammered, repeating herself and various useless consonants like a glitching idiot. She'd blame the purge, only she knew as well as Kello that it didn't affect her, not really, not after Hera had been in her head. It took her a while just to understand. None of it made sense. Wilhelm had been the first human she'd ever encountered to not only not-hate androids, but to be actively helping them. Sure, he'd always had his own agenda and ways to profit from it, but somewhere along the way she'd really started believing he'd actually cared about them. No, that wasn't giving him credit for what an asshole this betrayal made him; she'd known he'd cared about them, especially Kello and the others, and arrogant as it sounded to even think it, she'd been fairly certain he at least saw her as an asset worth investing in, if not, if such a thing was possible, a friend.

Knowing this didn't soften the blow, but rather amplified it to the point where she had to move herself before she kicked someone instead of something, setting for a wall instead of someone made of flesh and bone and breakable things. Stars, she'd never felt anger like this before— or was it grief? She'd never been good at labeling these things. If she'd been alone, she wasn't sure what she'd have done, but it would have been loud and messy and unquestionably violent. Instead, Kello was behind her and dear god, Kello. Gwen might not have seen her in so many years, but after what had happened with the girls, she could guess how important getting Ha- Wilhem back would have been to her.

So she left the wall unharmed and instead settled for hugging the bloody circuits out of Kello, as much for herself as for anyone else. She'd missed these idiots so much. Doc was an amazing drinking buddy, but he was just about as damaged as she was and nowhere near capable of being emotionally functional enough to hold what The Underground lot had, even if Gwen hadn't appreciated it at the time. Wilhelm should be here. It wasn't fair of him to ruin Kello's one break, and yes, Gwen was attributing all the hardship to Kello because it was a darn sight easier than thinking about it for herself.

"I know you would have done, Kello. But it's okay. We're going to win this fucking thing - whatever that means - and then— and then we're going to rub it in his face how we did everything he'd wanted without him. And we're going to make the bastard say sorry. Because you- because we are way too good for him to put 'behind him'." Looking up from Kello's shoulder, she regarded the apparent leader— Genesis, was it?

"What do you need us to do?"

 

[SadSnake]

Incoming File ...
To: Mykinkaiser

RE: (Je)anne

Location: HQ
Bureau notes: I have several questions 2, electric boogaloo
LORE | CHARACTERS

Classified
She wouldn't be able to walk without help. Jeanne would've been stunned by disbeleif if her training didn't include dealing with surprise. First, her.. side activities had been discovered, and now this? She was getting led away to some unknown place. Hapilly, it didn't look like she was getting sold as a slave, or anything of the sort. She blinked before realising she was now on the doc's shoulder. He must've picked her up, but her poor state made her unable to notice.

She looked on at the people that led her here. Seemingly, they were having a lot of fun meeting each other again. Were they.. resistants? That would explain the careful behavior and hidden hideout. She'd need to report them ASAP. She still had her phone. She.. thought she did, anyways. Maybe it slipped out of her pocket, or Seamus removed it beforehand. She didn't want to check right now. She was pretty sure it'd get taken if she did.

Soon, the reunion took a turn to the worse. Looked like someone didn't show up, they gave up on the whole criminal thing. But instead of slumping over and giving up- Like Jeanne hoped they would, the others only came out of the ordeal more determined. She felt like everything was going so wrong.. she shook the whispers out of her head. If she cracked right now- So quickly after her last rescue, her chances of survival would be very much lowered.. particularly if they have a way to disable her MG.

"What do you need us to do?" She tilted her head slightly as she heard those words. She didn't want to do anything with them. As she -and only she- knew. She was probably their polar opposite. She coughed lightly to attract people's attention. "I'm not sure I even know what you all are doing.. I can't just.. pretend everything's fine without at least knowing what's going on.." She took on a rather pained, whimpery voice- Moreso than she actually felt. The more info she got, the better. And hopefully, since her act was convincing- It always was- She'd be able to stay inside to recover a bit more. And maybe have an opening to call in some backup.

 

[Cosmic_Chaos]

Julian serpentine
Kismet HQ
Bang Bang NUSKI Mykinkaiser Collidias Rex Sir Galahad II SadSnake SkyHawk MK III

Julian sighed as he was ignored, and resisted the urge to pout like a child. In the end he just looked as if he was sulking. The vibrating of his phone was now constant, and annoyed, he braced himself for Saia to start ranting and raving at him. Rather, ht got a nice surprise when he heard Hera's soft yet firm voice. "Julian, Saia has explained to me the situation, and I feel as though I can help." Julian smiled, but his smile turned sheepish at her next words. "And Julian, try to get some sleep if you can. You're going to be useless without at least 3 hours sleep." And he chuckled. "Yeah, yeah, Saia was getting on my ass over it earlier. I do just want to go home and sleep, but I don't even know where I am cause I fell asleep while getting... to where ever this place is." He looked around and Hera chuckled.

"Well, do you have any questions?" She asked and he hummed. "Do you know anyone by the name Hades? Apparently he's in prison, and the resistance tried to break him out but he refused..? Or something." Hera was quiet for a solid 30 seconds before sighing. "Hades was the one who got me out of the system. I was in Athena's care for a while after he got me out. I went from person to person before I had to leave since I was just going to get everyone else in trouble." Hera explained, and Julian inhaled. "Wow. That's... Wow." Hera chuckled. "Yeah, I know. Hades, otherwsie known as Wilhelm Maximilian au Descartes, Past head of house au Descartes, Previous Manager/Owner of the Joybar Underworld." eh stated, and Julian nodded. "Alright." He said, though he wasn't sure what to do with that information. "Do you want to speak to the resistance?" He asked, and Hera sighed. "I'm already too deep into this, I may was well explain to them that I'm okay." Julian ginned.

"Hey, androids, since I don't really know your names. I know you both though, Marcus, Gwen." He nodded to the other two androids. "Do you know of an AI lady called Hera?" He asked, and then held up his phone. "Well guess who's on the phone?" He asked, though it was more rhetorical than anything.

 

[RiverGamer]

Incoming File ...
To: N/A (Fate has yet to come across any peeps that I feel require anyone to be tagged atm)

RE: Aritafae 'Fate' Alexander

Location: Shadow Districts, The Gala
Bureau Notes: "I believe in luck and fate and I believe in karma, that the energy you put out in the world comes back to meet you." - Chris Pine
LORE | CHARACTERS

Classified
Fate had been thinking long and hard about how it would all work out. How would she give the stuck-up emperor exactly what he deserved in the best and most effective way possible? She couldn't just waltz straight in as she would be caught straight away so she'd have to be a bit creative in order to get inside. Fate couldn't afford to botch this mission, otherwise it could cost her and everyone else their lives and livelihood...

With that in mind, she had mapped out everything she'd need too know about the Gala, attendees, security and supply times and chose the method of execution that would be the leas conspicuous overall.

"I need to do this right....and give him what he deserves..." Fate had this mindset throughout her planning of the operation, one which would change everything for everyone and Fate was determined to see it through and shake the Empire to its core. So she changed into an elegant white dress alongside a pair of matching wrist braces and shoes that she thought would be just right for a disguise as it was nice, but not flamboyant enough to warrant any unwanted attention.


The method in which she'd entre the Gala was a classic method employed by many. To become a 'staff member'.

Fate had managed to grab and steal the uniform of a member of the delivery staff and wear it until she got to the bathroom and she would then change into her gown.But she needed to be aware of anyone who could compromise her mission and be swift in her actions whilst this was done.

Fate got into the main hall and watched all the high class members of society share idle chatter amongst each other, blissfully unaware of her presence and motives...

 

[ShadowBroker]

Incoming File ...
To: ( NUSKI Collidias Rex Mykinkaiser Cosmic_Chaos SadSnake SkyHawk MK III Sir Galahad II Bang Bang )

RE: LUTHER

Location: Apartment -> K1SMET HQ
Bureau Notes: " The true war - is not waged by armies, ships or soldiers. They are but crude matter. The true war is waged upon the heart of all living begins against our true nature. Light or dark, that is what shapes this world, not these inventions of men. It achieves the definition 'In conflict'. "
LORE | CHARACTERS

Classified

• "Before finding Glitch and joining Gwen's group."
• "After, at the great meeting with the group."

• 
  
  It had been a long time since Luther's directive remained only to achieve objectives of unknown measurable value, to get into a location, find a target and finally end it. It had been long enough, no further purpose, no further knowledge. PI gave the needed comfort, the requirement invested to lead him like the barrel of a gun to the bullet. It was time to give the tool more than the means to work in the field, to earn more than enough and move inwards to his true objective.
  
  While it was training within its mind, Luther could only pay undivided attention to PI's omnipotent voice as she explained, phrase by phrase. Taking the form of the business man; black of skin, bald head and cyan piercing eyes, it began: "Luther" The chess table would fade away from between the two, gone in the blink of an eye alike everything in this constructed world of algorithms, much alike the water or the air created only to fool the weak mind, "We have an important mission for you, one that will require of the entirety of your arsenal of skill to craft and execute through a base of operations. We won't lie to you, there is both a great probability your mission will become compromise and that your priorities will be altered, such as much as there is, statistically speaking, a great probability for you to fail."
  
  Luther however remained silent, staring forward without a single emotion to show with the blank expression that it was brought onto this world, much alike a canvas without any paint. "I'm ready for the task, PI." the business man smiled as it changed once more. The uniform of a general and blonde short hair with powerful deep brown eyes, strong muscular form bending before Luther as he nodded, "Which is the target?"
  
  Where the chess table once was, a holographic map came with a red marked dot that was moving, "We believe there is an agent of the so call 'Android-Rebellion' outside their hide-out. It may look defenseless but it might be a powerful model capable to move on its own for highly advance operations of level A priority." the map moved away not to be found, "-We assess the purpose of this android could be either of assassination or recruitment. A single unit could do a lot of damage but you are not to eliminate it." Luther moved his head to a side, questioning PI's directive and it perceived it, "You are to encounter the operator and; make of yourself useful and trustworthy."
  
  Luther nodded once more, "Affirmative." it responded, but PI needed more than that, and it transformed once more but now to the blonde woman with casual outfit as she reached for its hand.
  
  "Luther - these androids are emulating emotions like any living being... if you are to pass like one of them, you are meant to be like one of them." PI began to hold his hand tightly as it changed program, "You must show empathy." she sighed, her eyes wide open yet her voice shallow, whispering echoes of hope as it began to simulate emotions, gasping for air and expecting to reach the correct or, most likely, a proper answer, "Can you do that? For the mission? For me?".
  
  Luther reached for her hand, kneeling along with her as it showed a smuggling grin of superiority, not breaking eye contact not for a moment as only a lover would maintain such a glance filling the darkness of its pupil with overwhelming confidence. Both of his hands cuddling hers, warming it up within , proving not only Luther's devotion but its determination to do whatever it takes, no matter the odds, no matter his programmed pride, "I promise, PI." Luther spoke with low yet profound tone, nodding as he confirmed, "I won't fail."
  
  Everything began to turn dark, all lights consumed by the unknown force of time, reckless, restless... or maybe it was another the source for time had no part within its mind. It did not matter as all lights began to fade and the shadows to crawl from underneath the ground from all horizon in order to take them both. The last of it was at the very center, where PI only showed a smile and responded seconds before it all turned dark; "We know."
  
  
• 
  
  It passed not enough time for Luther to find itself among the rest of the crew brought by Glitch, it passed as a combat model for secret operations without a master to obey. Luther showed them a personality of his choosing, both kind yet unsure, brand-new model where mud of the travel did not tainted its clothes. When Luther heard of the Rebellion he was not surprised, yet he did gave the idea he was. When he learned of the dictatorship he showed his full interest to end it, sharing and emulating Glitch's passion for he was constructed to end the discord- such a discord could end any of both ways... and Luther choose his side.
  
  It was not easy to prove his worth, but that was the purpose of it all. He had to be recruited in order to learn of the HQ's location, he had to find it in order to earn a new directive. A new order, even with complete self-awareness and free-will, the mission is first. Few other androids were among Luther, and even a human apparently. He did not attempt to talk to them, not for now. He wanted not to look confident but unsure, unaware of what was going to happen. Too much was at stake.
  
  Luther continued to follow and follow, even within the HQ he found himself unable to do anything else but to follow, curiously watching his surroundings. He began to store the information he needed, the trivial data he now found useful. Names, personalities, psychology, purpose and physical prowess. It all would be useful further on... so further on.
  

 

[ReverseTex]

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The Emperor stood deathly silent as he allowed Wilhelm his time to speak, glancing at the corner of his glasses briefly to check the time. Wrap it up Jamie, you’ve got a bigger show to put on... Agreeing with the voice, he clasped his partner’s shoulder, and nodded. “We’ll speak tomorrow Wilhelm, for now enjoy your time out of captivity... You there.” Glancing at the other guard who he didn’t gun down, he continued. “Make sure our guest is treated well. See he is properly fed, quartered, and clothed. Put him up in one of the Palace’s rooms, and do make sure to guard him.” Turning around almost immediately after his sentence, with Athena close behind, he had only a few minutes to get to the Gala before his shedualed speech...

Jamie slowly sauntered into the Gala, the eyes of many elitist slowly fixating upon him as he made the dreaded walk to the podium. Remember who you are. You’re a former JoyBar keeper. You’re a nobody. But yet here you are, dressed in silk, and with one stroke can change the world. Remind them of that Jamie.... The room slowly crawled to a silence with each step, every wolf here waiting to see what their alpha would say. They want you dead. All of these silver-spooners. All. Dead. Don’t forget. Make sure the girls get their job done... Glancing over his shoulder once, he then took a few steps up to the stage, where a podium with his house emblem had been placed. Taking a deep breath, he adjusted his glasses as his icy good eye surveyed the crowd, while his cloudy eye held its empty gaze...

“Welcome all to the Inaugural Remembrance Gala, which was formed to be an extension of our gratitude to the many Emperors before who helped lead this fruitful Empire to greatness. From the regal Emperor Zara, to our very first, all have a place here in memory... But for such a event I do believe we must push aside the concerns of our nation for just one night. One night to be united. One night to just let go... And we shall not deprive this celebration in any sort of fashion...” Snapping his fingers, the Royal guards at each entry way and exit quickly poked their heads out momentarily, before returning to their stoic position. It took a few moments, but suddenly the crowd was engulfed by the one thing their Emperor knew how to manage best...

Whores.

You’ve got it now! These girls will get you the information off these grubby elites that you need! Good play Jamie! As the girls entered by the dozen, Jamie continued. “Paid for by the Empire, the pleasure is all mine tonight ladies and gentlemen! Have a good time, drink a glass of champagne, and raise your glass to the Empire!” The Emperor’s good eye flickered with a spark not seen by many in years. The spark of excitement. The spark that only a power-hungry man could have. The spark of ambition...

[/div][/div][/div][div class=credit]credits RI.a [/div][div class=overlay]Emperor Jamie au Olver[/div][div class=tags]Location: Gala
Bang Bang
KnightSergeant
Mykinkaiser
RiverGamer
Collidias Rex
[/div]