Inside the Machine God

[Psychie]

Here is our IC thread. Once characters are posted, we will begin!

 

[Psychie]

It is in the middle of a cold 'season' in this particular part of Autochthon, but we find our Champions sitting in a nicely heated and comfortable pneumatic train, standing guard over a group of engineers and some supplies that are bound for your neighbors in Yugash for a top secret project that the two nations have been working on together. Besides the Champions of Ein, there is a total of forty people on this train as it speeds through the dark recesses of the Great Maker at high speeds, twenty of them are the engineers involved in the secret project, five are crew members running the train, and the remaining fifteen are refugees from Yugash that fled during the last war with Estasia, and they are now returning home.

There are six cars in this train. Three of these are dedicated to carrying 'standard' cargo, two are passenger cars, and the last is reserved for your special cargo; a series of three boxes that were loaded onto the train under heavy guard from you, and you are the only ones allowed inside that particular car, located at the very rear of the train.

Riding with you in the rear car is Thousand Gears of Industry. This is her first time leaving Ein, and she is doing her best to hide her excitement at the thought of expanding her knowledge base of your neighbors through personal exposure.

It is expected to take you another ten hours of travel to get to Yugash.

 

[Blackadder]

Golden-Degree Developer hid a little smile, amused at his younger caste-mate's restrained exuberance. In fairness, he too was looking forward to the visit and if possible to learn about and collaborate on the classified project. Yugash and Kamak were always on good terms, but still given the Maker's shifting organ-plates, the committment to a joint project by more than one nation meant that this was undoubtedly something prodigious.

Spoiler: OOC

Starting Charm Loadout:

4th Strength Augmentation [1m]
6th [Dexterity + Martial Arts] Augmentation [1m]
6th [Stamina + Resistance] Augmentation [1m]
Pistol-Driven Megaton Hammer [1m]
Essence Irradiation Corona [0m]
Accelerated Response System (Parry) [1m]
Impenetrable Repulsor Field (Flaw of Temperance) [1m]
Pain Suppression Nodes [1m]
Exoskeletal Armor Plating x2 [2m total]

Personal: 7/16 [9 committed]
Peripheral: 35/35

 

[WlfSamurai]

Damned greenhorns. That's the best I can do as I turn over thoughts in my head. I stare at Thousand Gears of Industry trying to size her up. What will she turn out to be? In battle or war or love. Will she run? Will she stand and fight for what's right? Protect our people or fly off the handle?

I sigh. Love? What's right? These are foreign to me. I remember bits from a time long past when love and what's right were simple. Love was a feeling then, not a concept. I didn't have to push myself to feel or remember then. Simple was the right word. It was simple.

And now? I can't shake the feeling that I'm trapped and free at the same. The I'm more and less. I flex my hand and feel the motion. It's me and it's not me. No matter. I live for my God. And he requires that I cleanse the depths of his being. Right or wrong, whatever I would have called it before, it doesn't matter. I have my task: to serve Him.

"Thousand," I say to the new one. "you want some advice? Stay out of my way. Do that, and we'll be fine."

 

[Psychie]

The upbeat expression on her face is suddenly jerked away by the harsh tone of voice from Loo. She stammers, "I, uh, ok. I'll do my best to comply with your directives." Thousand leans back in her seat to make a little more room between the two of you. "I will go up front and check on our progress. Excuse me." With a quick motion, she rises and heads for the iris door between compartments and places her hand on the access plate to open the path, her crossbow slung over her shoulder. The door cycles shut behind her, leaving you locked in the cargo pod.

Half an hour later, the door once more opens up and a more subdued Thousand returns and sits in her original seat. "According to the navigational system in the lead car, we are nine and a half cycles from Yugash at our current speed." Propping up her crossbow on the floor between her feet, she then pulls out a datapad and begins to study, making a point to not look over at Loo, but does glance over at Developer with a questioning look, as if to say "What did I do wrong?".

All of you know that this particular pneumatic train system can reach speeds upwards of two hundred fifty kilometers an hour, but at the moment, you are cruising along at a more sedate one hundred twenty kilometers per hour in order to be on the lookout for potential damage to the transit system. If you so choose, you can have the engineers put on some more speed to get you through the reaches that much faster.

 

[Raparth]

The silver Blessed of Mog had been silently watching out the rear viewport, vigilant against the slim possible of pursuit. Not having moved for some time, the fate-fields of Compassion's Bulwark were invisible to the mortal eye. The behavior of Thousand Gears of Industry was to be expected; Gleaming Marionette had yet to visit another member of the Octet in this life. It was to be encouraged, for the Great Maker had crafted the Orichalcum to passionately drive forward Octet with their radiance. Infinite Corruption Termination Loop was not straying far form the grim considerations of the Soulsteel, either. Each Caste of the Champions served as a spindle in the thread of the Maker's Design. The many memories from before her Exaltation told her that having threads rub and wear would not lead to a proper pattern, however. Prompting the orthodox synergy was the task of the Starmetal.

Once the younger Orichalcum returned with her report, Marionette turned slightly and gave her a thankful nod, "Your diligence is appreciated, Thousand Gears. Once we reach Yugash, there will be much to see and do. Careful attention to our charges, both in this car and the entire train, is essential."

Spoiler: Current Charm Load-out

Slots: 6 Dedicated, 5 General
Strength:
[1m] Personal Gravity Manipulation Apparatus (pg 139)

Dexterity:
[1m] 4th Dexterity Augmentation x2 (pg 120), Obvious
[1m] Magnetic Joint Bearings (pg 143), ignore off-hand penalties to actions

Stamina:
[1m] 2nd Stamina Augmentation
[1m] Pain Suppression Nodes (pg133), reduces would penalties by (Stam/2, round up)
[1m] Aegis Integration System (pg 137), -2 to Armor’s Fatigue and Mobility Penalty when active
[1m] Industrial Survival Frame (pg137), Steam – Immune to temperature/pressure

Intelligence:
[1m] 6th Intelligence Augmentation (pg 121), Medicine=5 for Int+Medicine

Perception:
[1m] Aim-Calibrating Sensors (pg 125)
[2m] Perfected Lotus Matrix (pg 170), unlocks Martial Arts

 

[Psychie]

Several quiet hours pass as the train races through the tunnels, the darkness occasionally eclipsed by the flash of an Essence discharge or a cascade of lightning dancing over some relays. This appears to be a very boring assignment, up until the quake begins.

A deep rumble can be both heard and felt, shaking the entire train as it travels. Several loud pops can be heard as large cracks open up along the side of the cargo container, and the conductor immediately applies the emergency brakes causing everyone and everything to shift to the front of the car with a sudden jolt. As the train slows, the sound of ripping metal can be heard as the train begins to tip over on its side. Muffled screams from the forward passenger car can be heard through the closed entrance to the cargo car, but there is little that can be done other than hang on and hope you survive.

A final jolt brings the train to a halt as the lights flicker and go out, plunging you into darkness. The train is now at rest, lying on its side. Everyone is battered but you have not suffered any actual health levels of damage.

 

[WlfSamurai]

I pull my feet under me and stand up. A bodily damage assessment runs through my mind and finds me intact. "Everyone intact!?" I say to the rest of the car. At the same time, I move to the crates to assess their status.

Spoiler: Current Charm Load-Out

Dedicated Charm Slots 5
General Charm Slots 5

Augmentations
Second Strength Augmentation [1m]
Second Stamina Augmentation [1m]

Combat
Piston-Driven Megaton Hammer [1m]
Essence Irradiation Corona 2m [1m]
Accelerated Response System (Parry) [1m]
Impenetrable Repulsor Field (Temperance flaw) 6m [1m]

Survival
Alloyed Reinforcement Of Flesh
Body-Reweaving Matrix 12m, 1wp [1m]
Exoskeletal Armor Plating [1m] x2

Speed & Mobility
Personal Gravity Manipulation Apparatus 4m [1m]

 

[Raparth]

Marionette began her calculations as soon as they felt the quake. Either a result of the Maker's body acting on its own, His body responding to some Void-taint that could be nearby or even a great distance, or a truly dedicated assault that would require a sizeable amount of explosives. The first two options meant that priority fell to treatment of any damages taken by the mortals under her charge. The last would require a quickly established perimeter, before a tactical withdrawal (due to the likely superior force they would be facing, unless their attackers had seriously underestimated the number of Champions on escort). When the lights failed, any movement out of the train would notify an attacking force of both the presence of Champions.

Focusing a moment, Gleaming Marionette of Relentless Progress used the smallest quantum of Essence to cause her body to glow a blue-white that illuminated the chamber. When the Starmetal moved, the glow shimmered with small waves of prismatic spectra. She gave her companions a quick glance to ensure they were not significantly damaged, then moved to the now-sideways door of the car and on to the other compartments, in order to offer any physical or medical assistance necessary. As she went, her feet and hands left softly-glowing prints of the same blue-white that faded to green, yellow, orange, red, then went dark.

(1m to push anima flare to 8-10 range, giving torchlight-level illumination, also leaves trace amounts of glowing starmetal on contacted objects for Essence actions)

 

[Psychie]

When Marionette activates her anima glow, you can see that the train car is a pile of twisted metal and plastic, showing the effects of the crash. Thousand is clearly injured, lying in a pile of rubble, with her arm ripped from her body between the elbow and her shoulder and several spars of metal piercing her body. Several miniature repair bots are already swarming across her body, doing their best to fix the damage, so at least she is still functional.

Several cries of pain and fear can be heard coming from the forward compartment, but the iris is bent up and unable to open without breaking through to the other side.

 

[Raparth]

(OOC: I don't want to run over other people so they don't get a chance to post, but just to clarify what Marionette does since she can't go through the door.)

Thousand Gears was damaged, but not in imminent danger of expiration, so Marionette continued on with her plan. The broken portal meant that she had to pull out her right gyroscopic chakram, Edge of Temperance, which spun to life in her hand. She had to use it to carefully cut through sections of the iris in order to create an opening large enough to move through, without causing something to collapse further. Hopefully, the auspicious nature of the artifact and its material would aid in avoiding that particularly damaging result.

 

[Blackadder]

Developer aided Marionette with her task, helping to carefully remove the pieces of the iris that were cut out so that the fractures did not extend into further structural damage.

 

[Psychie]

The work is slow going as you cut through the iris, but with the aid of Developer, Marionette is able to make a opening large enough to crawl through. In the passenger compartment there is a dim red glow from the emergency lights that have kicked on. The scene inside is one of horror. Broken bodies are piled on top of one another in the forward end, with a few still living trying to crawl out from the mass of human flesh. There are a pair of people that are standing, trying to help pull survivors out. A third figure is trying to get into the emergency medical supplies that are stored in a wall compartment, which is now the ceiling.

The good news of this, if there can be any good news in a situation like the one you are in now, is that it does not appear to be an act of aggression from a hostile force. If it were, the wreck would have immediately been set upon by raiders taking advantage of the chaos. Perhaps this was just caused by simple tectonic shifting of the interior of Autochthon. Hopefully it was just that, and not something worse.

With the added light of the anima reaching into the passenger car, the confusion of the scene begins to resolve itself in your trained eyes. One of the rescuers looks over at you, and through the blood streaming down his face, he says, "Thank the Maker! I was afraid that we were the only ones that survived the crash. There are still survivors down here! Please help us!"

 

[Raparth]

The Starmetal carefully maneuvered through the opening before shifting gravity upwards, allowing her to retrieve the medical supplies [4m], before returning to the floor. "Assist those who are still trapped, or who need other immediate assistance. I'll start with those most in need."

She then began to move around the compartments, beginning to do a trauma triage assessment, to ensure that she could do the most good and preserve the most life. Marionette wanted to believe that she had not lead her soldiers here to die, but the scientists would play a larger role in aiding Autochthonia, and so she fervently hoped that she would not be faced with the decision to save one mortal at the expense of another.

 

[Psychie]

The men on their feet immediately leap into action at Marionette's command. The sight of the Champions of Autochthon has given them the reassurance needed to be effective in their work once more. Body by body, they carefully shift the pile of injured men and women that have been thrown against the forward bulkhead. Most of the people from that pile of bodies are injured in one form or another, with only four of the passengers being dead. The worst of the injured are suffering multiple broken bones and lacerations from ripped metal, and they are in need of being hospitalized as soon as possible. All you can do with the emergency medical pack that you have right now is to stabilize the injured.

In the cargo compartment, Thousand is starting to stir as the metallic spiders swarming over her body continue to do the work of repairing the injured Exalt. She is no longer bleeding, and several of the shards of metal that have impaled her have been pushed out of her body and the miniature automations have managed to seal off the puncture wounds. Her severed arm will take much longer to repair. She lets out a groan and her eyes flutter open. "Oh, my. What in the name of the Void happened?" Thousand glances down at the damage to her form with a shocked expression. "Ungh! My arm! At least I still function. Are we under attack or is this a quake inside the body of Autochthon?"

 

[Blackadder]

"As it stands, unknown." Developer summarized, before stepping out and away from the train to observe the surrounding area and confirm the nature of the situation they were in.

 

[Raparth]

The subtle tug of the Magnetic Metrocore within the Aegis of Valor, oriented ahead along their path, rather than behind, made the appropriate course of action apparent. Gleaming Marionette raised her voice enough to be clearly heard by her fellow Champions. "We are within Yugash. The way to safety is forward. We will need to get everyone ready to move, as well as what is feasible to transport of the cargo."

The Dagger of Autochthon made the best use of their current supplies that she could, thanks to the implanted Sixth Intelligence Augmentation that imprinted her with the greatest medical knowledge available in the Octet. As she worked, a grim yet holy necessity made itself clear. She turned to one of her soldiers, "Dava, check to see if there are any Pious Harvesters on board. If not, let me know, and one of we Champions will bear their souls." That taste momentarily managed, she finished fastening the split around the broken leg of one of the Yugashi civilians.

 

[Psychie]

Dava nods. "As you command, Champion." He turns and begins his search through the cars of the train for those trained in handling the sacred soul gems.

Developer gets out of the train and begins to look around, and at the moment, you can see little in the way of activity. There are a few of the Maker's repair drones that are starting to respond to the area to restore function to the tramline, but fortunately there is no signs of any hostile force that has caused the train to wreck.

Inside the train, Thousand is now able to rise, and despite her injuries is doing her best in her crippled state to help those that are the most grievously wounded. She sits down next to one of the critically injured scientists and directs her repair drones onto his body to stabilize him. She looks up to the other Champions in the car, "It will take me several hours of uninterrupted work to get this woman restored enough to travel, but I can at least keep her from dying as I move to treat some of the others that are in the greatest need. Triage the injured to determine who else needs my services next."

Over the course of the next several hours, you are able to determine the extent of the damage done. Casualty-wise, there is a total of ten dead. That number would have been much higher if the train's crew hadn't been so quick to respond to the quake and start to apply the brakes before the worst of the wreck could take place. Unfortunately, these dedicated men were among the casualties, but their soul gems have been collected to be returned to the cycle of rebirth.

Of the survivors, many are suffering from broken bones, but at least there are no more in danger of dying from their injuries. Thousand is moving between the most seriously injured, using her Essence to power her repair drones to heal the most critically wounded, but has to stop when her Essence reserves are depleted. It will take some time before she has recovered enough energy to be able to continue her work healing, not only her own damaged arm, but repairing the broken bones of the Populat.

At this point, the lead scientist, a man named Rufuko, approaches the assembled Champions. "Hero's of Autochthon, your work here has been most beneficial. If it were not for your service today, more lives would most certainly be lost. I heard it said that we are inside the borders of Yugash. What is the plan now? Other than the members of your security force, none of us are physically fit enough to handle a long journey through the Reaches, and then there is the question of the wounded. Most of them are not going to be able to be transported for some time. There is also the question of the cargo. It needs to be brought to Ot for the good of both nations."

 

[WlfSamurai]

Loo steps away from her guard over the cargo and to the rest of the group. Her light amplification visor folds back away into her head. She folds her arms and looks Rufuko up and down. "The cargo is or main directive. It's safety takes priority. Our best option is to have someone scout ahead for transport while the rest guard the cargo."

 

[Psychie]

Thousand then speaks up, "If that is the case, I will stay here and continue my work to repair the injured. The bulk of the mortal security forces with us are ambulatory, and they can help to keep watch over the scientists and refugees." She stops for a moment, gathering her thoughts. "If the disaster had not happened, we would have been at Ot already, and our arrival was expected. Depending on how extensive the damage that this quake is, they may be preparing a rescue mission to come look for us. It might be in our best interest to remain here, together, and wait."

Rufuko shakes his head. "We are already in Yugash, so getting to one of the many outposts that border the Paratopolis should be easy for our Champions. With the level of damage unknown, we cannot sit here and just assume that rescue will come. I say that we send one or two of the Exalts to one of the nearby towns and have them signal our plight, with the rest staying here to help keep our cargo secure."

 

[Raparth]

All of the advice was sound. With her dexterous augmentations and Personal Gravity Manipulation Apparatus, Marionette could run extremely quickly. Her armament should also provide enough protection against threats within the boundaries of one of the Octet. The risk was further lowered, thanks to the guidance of the Magnetic Metrocore from Ein. The choice, given her current information, seemed clear enough. "One or two Exalts should not significantly weaken the survival of those that remain, when weighed against the assurance of assistance from Ot. Unless one of my fellow Champions is better equipped for the trek, I will do it myself. I can achieve a rapid pace, although not up to a Plasma Thruster Assembly. "

Blue jade eyes scanned her fellow Chosen, "If not, I shall begin immediately."

 

[WlfSamurai]

Loo knew she could do it herself. Perhaps not as fast as Marionette. But given the chance, she'd have done fine. Fighting was her specialty, however. It was about the only thing she was good at. With that in mind, she nods. "You are the better choice than myself. I will continue to guard the cargo."

A circuit twitched in her shoulder. She was itching for a fight. Hopefully, she wouldn't be disappointed.

 

[Psychie]

It would seem that there are no other Exalted that want to try and match Marionette's speed to get to some kind of civilization and possible rescue for the cargo and the survivors. There are a few options available to you for a destination; you can continue on your way to Ot, or try and locate one of the smaller, outlying towns that might be closer. Both of those routes will be faster than turning around and heading back into Kamaki territory, but that is still a viable choice open to you.

As Marionette prepares to leave, Thousand continues her meditations, trying to recover her Essence as fast as she can in order to continue her own healing and to be able to treat the injured men and women that still suffer. The leader of the mortal guards, Dava, is wrangling up those capable of work and is getting them busy setting up defensible points in the rubble of the train. Who knows what hostile force might try to take advantage of your current state.

What does Loo and Developer do during this time?

 

[Psychie]

Bump for WlfSamurai Raparth Blackadder

 

[WlfSamurai]

Loo checks her equipment again, a ritualistic tick from a secret war. It once had utility, but now is just comforting. She steps up to Marionette while she prepares. "Once you leave, I'll walk a perimeter so we know where we're vulnerable," Loo says, unsure what more to say. Armed cultists or destructive sorcerers were easy to cut down for the Soulsteel Alchemical. But simple or light social situations had a way of stopping het in her tracks. She lets a few moments hang before she can find more words. "Don't stop for anything suspicious. And be sure to approach every situation with an escape plan in mind. And keep a low profile."