"Hah," ResearchMan responded, a brief noise between a chuckle and a grunt. Other than that, he didn't give any response to CourseMan's banter. His expression couldn't be read, but the tense pose of his body could. It was clear that he was putting all of his concentration into the fight.
CourseMan readied his Shotgun. It wasn't an especially powerful weapon, but he was using a simple tool for a simple purpose. The Navi could probably see the hit in his mind's eye. However, it seemed that ResearchMan had nothing on the brain but defense at the moment, and with the total application of his focus, he managed to get out of the way.
Suspended in mid-air from his jump out of the way, ReserachMan seemed to have abnormal hang-time as CourseMan's not-so-secret weapon finished its countdown. ResearchMan heard it going off, and turned around not nearly quickly enough to brace himself against the blast. He let out a startled cry as the blast knocked him out of the sky and flat onto his back.
When the smoke cleared, the Navi was groaning, but making his way back to his feet. "Ugh... you're not going to take it easy on an old man? Good. I've got a good idea of how this ends, now, friend." The navi readied his pose and buster again. Again, his expression couldn't be read, but he was emitting an air of intensity now. "You probably think you've got all the momentum now, but I think you'll be surprised how quickly one error can take it away."
=Enemies=
ResearchMan.EXE: 90/220 HP
=Terrain=
99% Unknown Terrain
1% ??? (Hole, plugged by Shell A)
=Friendlies=
CourseMan: 100HP (EQUIP 1: 1 Hit Shield)
CourseMan's Countbomb: DETONATED
(CourseMan and ResearchMan are a movement from each other.)
=Objects=
Shell A (half-shell of ResearchMan's pod, slightly larger both ways than a Navi is tall, plugging the hole): 20 HP
Shell B: DESTROYED
=Special=
Unknown Terrain: A luminescent, glowing white stone, taking up the entirety of the cavern floor, but not the walls.
An Attempt in Schadenfreude
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Braced safely behind his shield, CourseMan looked up as the explosion faded, relieved to find that, at last, something of substance had stuck. In the brief aftermath, he realised he'd been half expecting the other navi to pull another emergency defence from somewhere, so it was almost a pleasant surprise to note the slower pace with which his opponent picked himself up.
Even so, successful or not, it didn't change the fact that he was almost out of tools to continue the fight with. He sent a quick message to Jenny prompting her to hold off on chips for the moment, and instead turned his focus towards the researcher more directly. Time for a different approach.
"Your the one that wanted to play rough, old man. I'm not the one who asked for a fight..." the wave-whip on his free hand reformed to its full length and waved lazily back and forth while courser watched the other navi. "This tussle can be over whenever you want it to, you just got to say the word, and it stops." His decoy reformed directly behind the other man, almost creeperishly close behind his shoulder.
"Boss isn't kidding, you know. He's a lover, not a fighter." It murmured the words close by the scientist's ear, standing casually with its hands folded behind its back without concern. "Bit unstable at times, maybe... not really got the best regard for his own well being... but on the whole, he's a real teddy bear, if you play nice..." Provided ResearchMan hadn't yet taking a swipe at it, the decoy chuckled then shifted to speak into his other ear to add a last, more uncomfortable line. "Oh and the things he can do with his hands, let me tell you..."
Courser himself took his chances and moved in closer, weaving cautiously as his water current let him glide. He wasn't rushing in, exactly, and he was more than prepared to make his weaving as evasive as he needed in case the other navi decided to make an offence that his shield couldn't handle, but he also didn't intend to stop until he had closed the distance between them to uncomfortably close levels. Mindful of its place, his clone was equally ready to back off, if the scientist tried to back away; he still had an important part to play in forming the implicitly amorous Courser sandwich, after all. Regardless of his target's reaction so far, Courser was grinning by the time he manage to press in to close range.
"I can soothe your hurts and kiss it better, if you want it to stop." In for a penny, in for a pound; he made his voice a soft rumbling purr as he delivered this last line. the less playful part of his mind was still keeping at least one thought for his won defences, and he called on his shield program again while he chatted; if his first had been destroyed by now, it would be a simple matter to reform it. If not, he'd send the program activation to his free hand, for now, and would simply relinquish one of them when he next needed a hand.
Summary
C*) Decoy: Reformed behind ResearchMan, being something between gossipy and creepy.
C1) Dodge
C2) Movement: up close and personal, near enough to bite.
C3) NC Shield: Reforming if the current one is broken by this point, else forming a second on the other hand.
Even so, successful or not, it didn't change the fact that he was almost out of tools to continue the fight with. He sent a quick message to Jenny prompting her to hold off on chips for the moment, and instead turned his focus towards the researcher more directly. Time for a different approach.
"Your the one that wanted to play rough, old man. I'm not the one who asked for a fight..." the wave-whip on his free hand reformed to its full length and waved lazily back and forth while courser watched the other navi. "This tussle can be over whenever you want it to, you just got to say the word, and it stops." His decoy reformed directly behind the other man, almost creeperishly close behind his shoulder.
"Boss isn't kidding, you know. He's a lover, not a fighter." It murmured the words close by the scientist's ear, standing casually with its hands folded behind its back without concern. "Bit unstable at times, maybe... not really got the best regard for his own well being... but on the whole, he's a real teddy bear, if you play nice..." Provided ResearchMan hadn't yet taking a swipe at it, the decoy chuckled then shifted to speak into his other ear to add a last, more uncomfortable line. "Oh and the things he can do with his hands, let me tell you..."
Courser himself took his chances and moved in closer, weaving cautiously as his water current let him glide. He wasn't rushing in, exactly, and he was more than prepared to make his weaving as evasive as he needed in case the other navi decided to make an offence that his shield couldn't handle, but he also didn't intend to stop until he had closed the distance between them to uncomfortably close levels. Mindful of its place, his clone was equally ready to back off, if the scientist tried to back away; he still had an important part to play in forming the implicitly amorous Courser sandwich, after all. Regardless of his target's reaction so far, Courser was grinning by the time he manage to press in to close range.
"I can soothe your hurts and kiss it better, if you want it to stop." In for a penny, in for a pound; he made his voice a soft rumbling purr as he delivered this last line. the less playful part of his mind was still keeping at least one thought for his won defences, and he called on his shield program again while he chatted; if his first had been destroyed by now, it would be a simple matter to reform it. If not, he'd send the program activation to his free hand, for now, and would simply relinquish one of them when he next needed a hand.
Summary
C*) Decoy: Reformed behind ResearchMan, being something between gossipy and creepy.
C1) Dodge
C2) Movement: up close and personal, near enough to bite.
C3) NC Shield: Reforming if the current one is broken by this point, else forming a second on the other hand.
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"Now, how can I back out when you still haven't learned your lesson?" ResearchMan responded matter-of-factly, chuckling lightly as he held his stance. Assuming ResearchMan had reasoned out that only one CourseMan was real in the first place, CourseMan was giving him a pretty straight road map to figure out who he should be focusing on. As such, the Navi didn't show too much of a reaction to the taunting decoy. He was, however, helpless to prevent another peel of small, quieted laughter escape him at the notion of CourseMan doing something with his hands. "You don't say?" he asked the decoy without turning to address it.
The Navi remained still as his opponent closed in, seeming unwilling to abandon his tight fighting stance. "While I do appreciate the offer, young man, the thing I want to stop... is you!" Quite suddenly, the older man raised his buster, firing off a stream of green energy links.
CourseMan was determined to close in, but not so determined that he didn't allow himself the bit of movement it took to duck that shot. Having done so, he continued closing in and making his taunts (or offers, as the case may be).
"Well, since you've made it all the way over here, is there something you'd like to share with me? Or is there something I should share with you? Until you've defeated me, I can't tell you what I've discovered about this area... but maybe that's not what you're interested in, after all?" The Navi chuckled, a deep laugh that turned a bit coughy at the end. "Maybe... something like this?" he continued, placing his sheet in front of himself again while holding the other hand behind himself. That other hand began to glow with red energy. Links of code swirled around that hand, moving too fast for CourseMan to interpret. If he were to get a good look at it, CourseMan would notice similar fast-moving text was all over the data sheet shield ResearchMan had frequently been referring to.
"You might recall me talking about errors that can shift the momentum of a fight in an instant? My young friend... I'm afraid you've made one such error," ResearchMan stated in a patient but lecturing voice.
Mostly ignored by the two, a small pop could be heard as the miniscule remains of ResearchMan's original pod popped up from the floor. It was clear that whatever hole they had been wedged in had entirely disappeared, swallowed up by the floor below.
=Enemies=
ResearchMan.EXE: 90/220 HP (EQUIP: 1-Hit Shield)
=Terrain=
100% Unknown Terrain
(The hole has disappeared.)
=Friendlies=
CourseMan: 100HP (EQUIP 1: 1 Hit Shield) (EQUIP 2: 1 Hit Shield)
CourseMan's Countbomb: DETONATED
(CourseMan and ResearchMan are right next to each other.)
=Objects=
Shell A (half-shell of ResearchMan's pod, slightly larger both ways than a Navi is tall): 20 HP
Shell B: DESTROYED
=Special=
Unknown Terrain: A luminescent, glowing white stone, taking up the entirety of the cavern floor, but not the walls.
The Navi remained still as his opponent closed in, seeming unwilling to abandon his tight fighting stance. "While I do appreciate the offer, young man, the thing I want to stop... is you!" Quite suddenly, the older man raised his buster, firing off a stream of green energy links.
CourseMan was determined to close in, but not so determined that he didn't allow himself the bit of movement it took to duck that shot. Having done so, he continued closing in and making his taunts (or offers, as the case may be).
"Well, since you've made it all the way over here, is there something you'd like to share with me? Or is there something I should share with you? Until you've defeated me, I can't tell you what I've discovered about this area... but maybe that's not what you're interested in, after all?" The Navi chuckled, a deep laugh that turned a bit coughy at the end. "Maybe... something like this?" he continued, placing his sheet in front of himself again while holding the other hand behind himself. That other hand began to glow with red energy. Links of code swirled around that hand, moving too fast for CourseMan to interpret. If he were to get a good look at it, CourseMan would notice similar fast-moving text was all over the data sheet shield ResearchMan had frequently been referring to.
"You might recall me talking about errors that can shift the momentum of a fight in an instant? My young friend... I'm afraid you've made one such error," ResearchMan stated in a patient but lecturing voice.
Mostly ignored by the two, a small pop could be heard as the miniscule remains of ResearchMan's original pod popped up from the floor. It was clear that whatever hole they had been wedged in had entirely disappeared, swallowed up by the floor below.
=Enemies=
ResearchMan.EXE: 90/220 HP (EQUIP: 1-Hit Shield)
=Terrain=
100% Unknown Terrain
(The hole has disappeared.)
=Friendlies=
CourseMan: 100HP (EQUIP 1: 1 Hit Shield) (EQUIP 2: 1 Hit Shield)
CourseMan's Countbomb: DETONATED
(CourseMan and ResearchMan are right next to each other.)
=Objects=
Shell A (half-shell of ResearchMan's pod, slightly larger both ways than a Navi is tall): 20 HP
Shell B: DESTROYED
=Special=
Unknown Terrain: A luminescent, glowing white stone, taking up the entirety of the cavern floor, but not the walls.
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Getting in close proved to be neither as simple as he had hoped, not as difficult as he had feared, but ducking by another shot did eventually leave CourseMan pressed up almost nose to nose with his fellow spelunking enthusiast. He wasn't really expecting a surrender, though one could hope... what really mattered though was that the pretence of talk had let him get this close in the first place. He had spent enough time away from the more complex clone work that his head was clear enough to try some more, if he needed, but with luck it wouldn't come to that; he had another plan to try before that.
"Maybe I have, maybe I haven't... It's not really a mistake if one thinks the price is worth the cost, is it? Maybe I think it's worth it to be up here all nice and close, hmmm?" Behind his adversary, Courser's clone ran his fingers over the scientist's shoulders, and pressed in close with his chest. It couldn't push particularly hard, of course, but it was enough to create something of a tactile sense at least. Meanwhile, Courser himself pressed closer still, grinning as he brought his face close to the older navi.
"It's kinda romantic, don't you think..." He winked. "Here we are, all alone down in the middle of nowhere... chest to chest... our shields rubbing together in the gloom... What might we share indeed?" True to words, as Courser kept one shield between his chest and the scientist, it would be difficult to prevent the watery cover from backing up against the reverse side of ResearchMan's data sheet, provided the other navi didn't pull it out of the way just to spite his flirtations. As he purred at the other navi, and his decoy worked the shoulders, Courser slipped his arms about the researcher's waist instead, seeking to hold tight. Even if the scientist made moves to pull away now, Courser had every intention of holding on and holding close as tightly as he could. He pressed one leg forward, hooking it in between his opponent's stable combat stance, and then looping his heel back out in an effort to make a leg lock, along with his main hold.
"There's so many things I can show you, like this..." A part of CourseMan was a little relieved that the older navi wasn't actually showing any interest in responding to his flirts; he could talk the talk all day, but really wasn't sure how he'd handle it if the old chap actually wanted to dance the dance as well. Still there was always the possibility that what he'd said about his operator was true, and she was highly distractable, in which case... 'any weapon that worked' was his policy. Jenny was probably laughing herself silly at this tactic, but if so that was a win in itself.
The other shield glided around the outside of both of them, tracking with his other arm as he made his subtle grapple, but ultimately it eclipsed his opponent as well; it would be of little help there, unfortunately. Provided he could get a good grip on the other navi, though, he didn't plan to keep it around much longer anyway. He finished sending his silent request to Jenny for the next chips, and felt them arrive. The second shield faded away as the waters from it condensed back into his hand and compacted down into a miniature seed of spreading water. He already knew that, on this unusual terrain, he wouldn't get much effect from the terrain mod but even a small patch of water would be enough, in this case.
"You know... you've got your net police funding backing you up, I've got a college friend who's just plain curious... You've got all that fancy energy weaponry, and I've got... well, actually, truth be told, I'm just about out of tricks." Behind the other navi's back, he opened his palm and released the seed; it wasn't directed at his opponent, but rather dropped directly to the ground, where it would split with a crack right beneath both of their feet. Past experience told him that it wouldn't manage to convert nearly as much terrain as it normally did, but he only needed a small pool for this, and he was more than ready for the solid ground beneath them turning to liquid, when it did. "But I do have this..." He timed his words for just when the seed hit the ground, and winked at the other navi, even as gravity took hold.
If things went as he hoped, even if he couldn't grab a hold of the other navi properly, his target's pronounced reluctance to move or give up ground would hopefully still mean they were taking the plunge into the newly formed water together. Courser was already processing the second chip that Jenny had sent for him, and the same hand that he had released the seed with grew rapidly cold and frosty, the water around his closed fist freezing solid half way up to his elbow. He extricated it from his continued attempts to hold close to the scientist, feeling small shards of ice flake off as he pulled the rough-edged spikes free, then brought it up and over into an arcing helm-breaker punch, seeking to slam the concussive blow onto ResearchMan's crown even as they dropped.
He was still expecting the other navi to have a defence prepared; even when surprised he seemed to have an extra trick up his sleeve... but whether he hit a defence or not, he was aiming for the impact of the blow to push the science navi to the bottom of the pool, then follow through himself to where he could pin him down and maybe talk some reason into the old man. Or drown him. Whichever came first.
Summary
C*) Decoy: Creepy back rubs?
C1) Contextual: Grapple ReseachMan and hold him still, or at least hold onto him.
C*) Second shield dispensed to allow for chip use; first shield placed between Courser and ResearchMan, at chest and torso height.
C2) SeaSeed: (Med Sea Terrain), Dropped directly to ground at feet.
C3) ColdPunch: (70(75)Aqua, Impact, Knockback, 6 Uses, B) @ ResearchMan (Overhand, thus with the knockback directed vertically downwards). Assassin would add 15 if he attacked something that wasn't Courser beforehand... but that seems highly unlikely.
"Maybe I have, maybe I haven't... It's not really a mistake if one thinks the price is worth the cost, is it? Maybe I think it's worth it to be up here all nice and close, hmmm?" Behind his adversary, Courser's clone ran his fingers over the scientist's shoulders, and pressed in close with his chest. It couldn't push particularly hard, of course, but it was enough to create something of a tactile sense at least. Meanwhile, Courser himself pressed closer still, grinning as he brought his face close to the older navi.
"It's kinda romantic, don't you think..." He winked. "Here we are, all alone down in the middle of nowhere... chest to chest... our shields rubbing together in the gloom... What might we share indeed?" True to words, as Courser kept one shield between his chest and the scientist, it would be difficult to prevent the watery cover from backing up against the reverse side of ResearchMan's data sheet, provided the other navi didn't pull it out of the way just to spite his flirtations. As he purred at the other navi, and his decoy worked the shoulders, Courser slipped his arms about the researcher's waist instead, seeking to hold tight. Even if the scientist made moves to pull away now, Courser had every intention of holding on and holding close as tightly as he could. He pressed one leg forward, hooking it in between his opponent's stable combat stance, and then looping his heel back out in an effort to make a leg lock, along with his main hold.
"There's so many things I can show you, like this..." A part of CourseMan was a little relieved that the older navi wasn't actually showing any interest in responding to his flirts; he could talk the talk all day, but really wasn't sure how he'd handle it if the old chap actually wanted to dance the dance as well. Still there was always the possibility that what he'd said about his operator was true, and she was highly distractable, in which case... 'any weapon that worked' was his policy. Jenny was probably laughing herself silly at this tactic, but if so that was a win in itself.
The other shield glided around the outside of both of them, tracking with his other arm as he made his subtle grapple, but ultimately it eclipsed his opponent as well; it would be of little help there, unfortunately. Provided he could get a good grip on the other navi, though, he didn't plan to keep it around much longer anyway. He finished sending his silent request to Jenny for the next chips, and felt them arrive. The second shield faded away as the waters from it condensed back into his hand and compacted down into a miniature seed of spreading water. He already knew that, on this unusual terrain, he wouldn't get much effect from the terrain mod but even a small patch of water would be enough, in this case.
"You know... you've got your net police funding backing you up, I've got a college friend who's just plain curious... You've got all that fancy energy weaponry, and I've got... well, actually, truth be told, I'm just about out of tricks." Behind the other navi's back, he opened his palm and released the seed; it wasn't directed at his opponent, but rather dropped directly to the ground, where it would split with a crack right beneath both of their feet. Past experience told him that it wouldn't manage to convert nearly as much terrain as it normally did, but he only needed a small pool for this, and he was more than ready for the solid ground beneath them turning to liquid, when it did. "But I do have this..." He timed his words for just when the seed hit the ground, and winked at the other navi, even as gravity took hold.
If things went as he hoped, even if he couldn't grab a hold of the other navi properly, his target's pronounced reluctance to move or give up ground would hopefully still mean they were taking the plunge into the newly formed water together. Courser was already processing the second chip that Jenny had sent for him, and the same hand that he had released the seed with grew rapidly cold and frosty, the water around his closed fist freezing solid half way up to his elbow. He extricated it from his continued attempts to hold close to the scientist, feeling small shards of ice flake off as he pulled the rough-edged spikes free, then brought it up and over into an arcing helm-breaker punch, seeking to slam the concussive blow onto ResearchMan's crown even as they dropped.
He was still expecting the other navi to have a defence prepared; even when surprised he seemed to have an extra trick up his sleeve... but whether he hit a defence or not, he was aiming for the impact of the blow to push the science navi to the bottom of the pool, then follow through himself to where he could pin him down and maybe talk some reason into the old man. Or drown him. Whichever came first.
Summary
C*) Decoy: Creepy back rubs?
C1) Contextual: Grapple ReseachMan and hold him still, or at least hold onto him.
C*) Second shield dispensed to allow for chip use; first shield placed between Courser and ResearchMan, at chest and torso height.
C2) SeaSeed: (Med Sea Terrain), Dropped directly to ground at feet.
C3) ColdPunch: (70(75)Aqua, Impact, Knockback, 6 Uses, B) @ ResearchMan (Overhand, thus with the knockback directed vertically downwards). Assassin would add 15 if he attacked something that wasn't Courser beforehand... but that seems highly unlikely.
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"Oh? Well, if being close to me is worth that much to you, then by all means! Far be it from me to judge another Navi's system of values. Cozy up, hm?" ResearchMan was playing along, but the comfortable drone of his voice implied he wasn't concentrating on what he was saying.
Cool and composed as CourseMan's opponent was, if CourseMan was receiving any tactile sensation from his double, he'd notice a bit of an uncomfortable shift as his decoy pressed against ResearchMan's back. For what it was worth, while the Navi's labcoat normally hid his figure, ResearchMan's back would feel relatively lean and muscular, rather than bony. That was one mystery out of the way.
Although temporarily shaken, ResearchMan didn't seem to be losing his focus. "In fact, my friend, I think you'll want to... listen closely. For a stubborn young man like you... sometimes, this is the only way to get a message through!"
The Navi quickly suddenly revealed why he had been keeping his fighting stance: it was, in fact, to be prepared to fight. In a fluid motion, even as CourseMan was winding his way around, ResearchMan's held-back hand rocketed forward in a fist. Of course, his opponent had already been prepared for such an attack, having located his shield to the front and being in a perfect position to react.
What CourseMan probably hadn't been prepared for, though, was the way ResearchMan's fist dissipated the shield and kept right on moving. The water scattered from the red energy the NetPolice Navi was clenching as though he'd made his hand hydrophobic. On that course, ResearchMan's fist had no issue connecting with CourseMan's unprotected stomach, knocking wind from him.
CourseMan already had a plan in motion, though, and ResearchMan's actions didn't stop him from setting them in motion. However, to what would certainly be the Navi's horror, for a few painful seconds it looked like the seed wasn't even going to take root. After those frightening first moments, though, the tiles around the two Navis began to shimmer. With minimal warning (and just as CourseMan had planned), the two of them had fallen into the water.
Upon splashing down, ResearchMan temporarily lost his bearing. In a desparate bid, the Navi tried to raise his shield...
... But was just a moment too late! CourseMan's fist came clobbering down on his hooded head, braining the brainy Navi. Furthermore, while CourseMan had most likely expected that ResearchMan would sink into the bottom of the sea, there was an unexpected side effect to the attack. The water had begun to grow frigid. Before CourseMan could react, the two of them were painfully prying themselves out of loose ice. ResearchMan, in particular, looked completely iced over.
"E-e-enough! Enough. You win, I c-can't fight. Truce?" the NetPolice Navi offered, clutching at his chest and holding one hand out in defense. It was true that the NetPolice Navi was in no shape to continue fighting, but if CourseMan was going to finish him off, he probably needed to consider that ResearchMan hadn't actually dropped his datasheet shield. There was also the interesting terrain around them to take note of: they were on a small, personal berg of ice in the midst of a small ring of water, which was quickly being lapped up by the stones of the surrounding floor, as usual.
=Enemies=
ResearchMan.EXE: 1/220 HP (EQUIP: 1-Hit Shield) (FROZEN!)
=Terrain=
95% Unknown Terrain
1% Ice Terrain
4% Sea Terrain
(The hole has disappeared.)
=Friendlies=
CourseMan: 1 HP
CourseMan's Countbomb: DETONATED
(CourseMan and ResearchMan are right next to each other.)
=Objects=
Shell A (half-shell of ResearchMan's pod, slightly larger both ways than a Navi is tall): 20 HP
Shell B: DESTROYED
=Special=
Unknown Terrain: A luminescent, glowing white stone, taking up the entirety of the cavern floor, but not the walls.
Cool and composed as CourseMan's opponent was, if CourseMan was receiving any tactile sensation from his double, he'd notice a bit of an uncomfortable shift as his decoy pressed against ResearchMan's back. For what it was worth, while the Navi's labcoat normally hid his figure, ResearchMan's back would feel relatively lean and muscular, rather than bony. That was one mystery out of the way.
Although temporarily shaken, ResearchMan didn't seem to be losing his focus. "In fact, my friend, I think you'll want to... listen closely. For a stubborn young man like you... sometimes, this is the only way to get a message through!"
The Navi quickly suddenly revealed why he had been keeping his fighting stance: it was, in fact, to be prepared to fight. In a fluid motion, even as CourseMan was winding his way around, ResearchMan's held-back hand rocketed forward in a fist. Of course, his opponent had already been prepared for such an attack, having located his shield to the front and being in a perfect position to react.
What CourseMan probably hadn't been prepared for, though, was the way ResearchMan's fist dissipated the shield and kept right on moving. The water scattered from the red energy the NetPolice Navi was clenching as though he'd made his hand hydrophobic. On that course, ResearchMan's fist had no issue connecting with CourseMan's unprotected stomach, knocking wind from him.
CourseMan already had a plan in motion, though, and ResearchMan's actions didn't stop him from setting them in motion. However, to what would certainly be the Navi's horror, for a few painful seconds it looked like the seed wasn't even going to take root. After those frightening first moments, though, the tiles around the two Navis began to shimmer. With minimal warning (and just as CourseMan had planned), the two of them had fallen into the water.
Upon splashing down, ResearchMan temporarily lost his bearing. In a desparate bid, the Navi tried to raise his shield...
... But was just a moment too late! CourseMan's fist came clobbering down on his hooded head, braining the brainy Navi. Furthermore, while CourseMan had most likely expected that ResearchMan would sink into the bottom of the sea, there was an unexpected side effect to the attack. The water had begun to grow frigid. Before CourseMan could react, the two of them were painfully prying themselves out of loose ice. ResearchMan, in particular, looked completely iced over.
"E-e-enough! Enough. You win, I c-can't fight. Truce?" the NetPolice Navi offered, clutching at his chest and holding one hand out in defense. It was true that the NetPolice Navi was in no shape to continue fighting, but if CourseMan was going to finish him off, he probably needed to consider that ResearchMan hadn't actually dropped his datasheet shield. There was also the interesting terrain around them to take note of: they were on a small, personal berg of ice in the midst of a small ring of water, which was quickly being lapped up by the stones of the surrounding floor, as usual.
=Enemies=
ResearchMan.EXE: 1/220 HP (EQUIP: 1-Hit Shield) (FROZEN!)
=Terrain=
95% Unknown Terrain
1% Ice Terrain
4% Sea Terrain
(The hole has disappeared.)
=Friendlies=
CourseMan: 1 HP
CourseMan's Countbomb: DETONATED
(CourseMan and ResearchMan are right next to each other.)
=Objects=
Shell A (half-shell of ResearchMan's pod, slightly larger both ways than a Navi is tall): 20 HP
Shell B: DESTROYED
=Special=
Unknown Terrain: A luminescent, glowing white stone, taking up the entirety of the cavern floor, but not the walls.
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He had been curious whether the other navi would opt for a more offensive approach at close range, and to a certain extent he'd been expecting the cost of his grapple to be a body blow of some sort, but by the time he realised that his opponent was far more physically built than his appearance seemed it was far too late to do anything about it. Try as he might, he wasn't able to completely stifle the winded gasp that escaped him from the unexpectedly forceful blow. As a result, it was more instinct that made his fingers spring open to drop the seed, than a deliberate release, though the eventual result was the same.
The drop into the water was a welcome relief for the aqua navi and he managed to continue the execution of his last trick smoothly, but as his ice-crusted fist found its mark, the sudden spread of frost through the water caught him every bit as off guard as his opponent. It was no effort to shatter himself free as the space of water directly around them froze solid, but did it ever hurt! The result left him on his back on the broken and uneven surface of the ice, while ResearchMan struggled to free himself as well, alongside. Courser panted for a moment, and his emergency state snapped open all his normal communication lines. It was another surprise to him, but it was drowned out by Jenny freaking out vocally in his ear. She was already slotting him the other new chip she'd recently bought, whether he asked her to or now, so instead courser just let out a laugh, chuckling up towards the blackness above.
"Whooo-eee... that one stung!" He called out, trying to keep his voice light, as though they both weren't on the threshold of an emergency exit. "Nothing like living dangerously, huh?" Jenny's chip reached him a moment later, and he reached one hand out, drawing up a sheet of water from the shrinking pool and washing it over himself in a refreshing wave. As part of the same action, he rolled over and kicked to his feet on the floating ice block. ResearchMan was still a bit frozen, but Courser reached out a hand to help free him from the ice, and then, if the scientist allowed it, would shoulder enough of his weight to glide them both over the surface of the remaining water, back to solid ground before the glowing stones could cause even more trouble with their aggressive reclamation. If he'd been allowed to assist him, Courser set the other navi down again once they were both on stable ground.
"I accept." He kept it short at first, standing and stretching out for a moment, then drawing another sheet of water over himself, from his own hands this time. The wave whips dissipated once he was done, and his outfit returned to a state that looked quite dry again within seconds.
"I'm out of tricks and I'm done fighting." He kept his voice calm, but there was no keeping the edge of exhaustion out of it as well. He'd been down here a long time now, it felt like, and he was, for want of a better word, thoroughly spent. In his ear, Jenny was still fretting quit audibly about how damaged he'd gotten, but the wash of fresh water had also filled in and repaired all of the visible tears and rends on his clothing, and aside from the bone-deep exhaustion he was feeling, he was more or less fine.
"It's fine, Jen. I'm sure ResearchMan is a man of his word. He is NetPolice, after all. We're just going to have a chat now, nothing more dangerous than that." He spoke slightly to the side, and lowered his voice; the other navi would be well able to hear him communicate with his operator, but it was a polite courtesy to make the fact that he was talking to her, and not him, obvious.
Despite his words, CourseMan wasn't exactly off his guard. The Scientist had proudly proclaimed his full intention to jack him out, and hadn't given him enough reason to be completely certain he wouldn't try something. If he did try anything sneaky, Courser was more than ready to split and retaliate again, but for now, he would much rather rest, and talk.
"So... Before I let you get back to the rest of your studies unmolested, how about you pony up and share?" He managed a grin, and a soft tilt of his head towards the other navi.
Summary
C1) Recover50: (Heal 50, Self)
C2) Help ResearchMan up, and away from the water.
C3) Preparing Forked Streams: Trap(Incoming Attack against CourseMan): Multi-Stage: First (Dodge + Decoy(2 rounds)), Then (5Aqua, Shot x2 Hits), Then (Self-Slow)
Truce Offer: Accepted.
The drop into the water was a welcome relief for the aqua navi and he managed to continue the execution of his last trick smoothly, but as his ice-crusted fist found its mark, the sudden spread of frost through the water caught him every bit as off guard as his opponent. It was no effort to shatter himself free as the space of water directly around them froze solid, but did it ever hurt! The result left him on his back on the broken and uneven surface of the ice, while ResearchMan struggled to free himself as well, alongside. Courser panted for a moment, and his emergency state snapped open all his normal communication lines. It was another surprise to him, but it was drowned out by Jenny freaking out vocally in his ear. She was already slotting him the other new chip she'd recently bought, whether he asked her to or now, so instead courser just let out a laugh, chuckling up towards the blackness above.
"Whooo-eee... that one stung!" He called out, trying to keep his voice light, as though they both weren't on the threshold of an emergency exit. "Nothing like living dangerously, huh?" Jenny's chip reached him a moment later, and he reached one hand out, drawing up a sheet of water from the shrinking pool and washing it over himself in a refreshing wave. As part of the same action, he rolled over and kicked to his feet on the floating ice block. ResearchMan was still a bit frozen, but Courser reached out a hand to help free him from the ice, and then, if the scientist allowed it, would shoulder enough of his weight to glide them both over the surface of the remaining water, back to solid ground before the glowing stones could cause even more trouble with their aggressive reclamation. If he'd been allowed to assist him, Courser set the other navi down again once they were both on stable ground.
"I accept." He kept it short at first, standing and stretching out for a moment, then drawing another sheet of water over himself, from his own hands this time. The wave whips dissipated once he was done, and his outfit returned to a state that looked quite dry again within seconds.
"I'm out of tricks and I'm done fighting." He kept his voice calm, but there was no keeping the edge of exhaustion out of it as well. He'd been down here a long time now, it felt like, and he was, for want of a better word, thoroughly spent. In his ear, Jenny was still fretting quit audibly about how damaged he'd gotten, but the wash of fresh water had also filled in and repaired all of the visible tears and rends on his clothing, and aside from the bone-deep exhaustion he was feeling, he was more or less fine.
"It's fine, Jen. I'm sure ResearchMan is a man of his word. He is NetPolice, after all. We're just going to have a chat now, nothing more dangerous than that." He spoke slightly to the side, and lowered his voice; the other navi would be well able to hear him communicate with his operator, but it was a polite courtesy to make the fact that he was talking to her, and not him, obvious.
Despite his words, CourseMan wasn't exactly off his guard. The Scientist had proudly proclaimed his full intention to jack him out, and hadn't given him enough reason to be completely certain he wouldn't try something. If he did try anything sneaky, Courser was more than ready to split and retaliate again, but for now, he would much rather rest, and talk.
"So... Before I let you get back to the rest of your studies unmolested, how about you pony up and share?" He managed a grin, and a soft tilt of his head towards the other navi.
Summary
C1) Recover50: (Heal 50, Self)
C2) Help ResearchMan up, and away from the water.
C3) Preparing Forked Streams: Trap(Incoming Attack against CourseMan): Multi-Stage: First (Dodge + Decoy(2 rounds)), Then (5Aqua, Shot x2 Hits), Then (Self-Slow)
Truce Offer: Accepted.
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ResearchMan accepted CourseMan's aid without protest, leaning on his former opponent's shoulder as the two crossed the water. Once on the other side, ResearchMan climbed out of the water himself, waving off CourseMan's assistance. It seemed like his pride demanded at least that much. Once he'd emerged from the pool, the Navi rose slowly to his feet and coughed into his fist. "Yes, yes! I must confess, it's been too long since I let myself live this dangerously. I tend to do most of my work behind a desk, nowadays... I have nothing against field work, but frankly, there's other, younger guys more suited to the task. Still, the constraints of this particular project demand my personal attention..."
The Navi put a hand to his neck and rotated it, as if checking as if everything still worked right. "I don't think I fought too shabby... In fact, I think you might have been closer to a loss than you realize. However, I must admit I got ahead of myself poking and prodding so much. Truthfully, it gets rather boring down here, investigating this area with only my operator for company. I thought a little sparring match might be a good way to get a feel for what other type of man would be down here investigating this phenomenon. I hope you'll forgive me, and please, take this for your trouble.
The Navi drew his datasheet out again and punched some numbers, causing a green data packet to appear floating ahead of him. He punched another button, and that sent the packet floating over to CourseMan's air space. "It's just some zenny to make up for the fact that you aren't sending me to an EJO, and in respect for your fighting abilities. You're taking it from me personally and not the NetPolice, so don't feel nervous! Nobody's coming after you or me for misappropriation of funds, aheh."
[2500z attached]
"Unfortunately, it's also offered as an advanced apology. I'll admit that, along with my earlier jeers, my offer of information was mostly to feel you out. To be honest, I didn't have much notion that you could beat me, so I didn't put much thought as to what happened if we ended up here. That's not to say I'm empty-handed... just that, if you were expecting a full report to either satisfy your curiosity or carry off to the NetMafia, I'm afraid you're going to have to be disappointed. Still, let me give you what I can."
The Navi turned in place, folding his arms behind his back and casting his eyes to the receding water before him. Already, the stones of this Net had retaken the ice patch, leaving a gradually shrinking moat. "Our resources to explore this phenomenon have been limited, but I'm sure you've noticed that there isn't exactly a red carpet leading down here. What we're seeing is a deep portion of Hades Net. As I'm sure you're aware, in general, the deeper one delves into a given Net, the more intense the viral activity tends to become. My suspicion is that very few viruses are even able to reach this place... however, it may be that in the even deeper regions, the viral activity picks up. As for us, we made our way here after a single citizen reported accidentally finding himself among these caverns."
ResearchMan coughed briefly, beating his chest once before he continued. "Really, the value in this project for NetPolice interests is limited. As I'm sure you've noticed, the terrain here behaves similar to living tissue: surprisingly durable, and capable of regeneration. Our research into why this is the case has been, largely, fruitless: the material is incredibly difficult to harvest in large enough quantities to subject to proper scientific testing, and furthermore, once removed from this space, appears to leave behind the remarkable properties it demonstrates in-situ. In case I trumped up your excitement with the comparison, you should keep your expectations in check. The material's qualities, under material analysis, show only tenuous relationship to known code strings of traditional 'living' denizens of the Net: say, viruses or Navis."
ResearchMan turned back to CourseMan, shrugging. "Unfortunately, that's about as far as our confirmation goes. I will make you aware of a couple of our current lines of investigation as well: the first is the large funnel construct I imagine you saw earlier. Now, I don't know if its destruction was due to your or viruses, and I'd advise you not to worry about it. The material cost of that equipment is miniscule. Don't ask me about the labor cost, heh, but the material is miniscule, so don't worry about paying for it. Anyway, the purpose of that funnel was to try and concentrate a continuous, natural source of alternative terrain on the floor of the Net below it. The test was inconclusive. The rock formations above us shift such that maintaining a concentrated, powerful stream of lava to attempt and alter the terrain is a fool's errand. Furthermore, you've already seen how the terrain reacts: depending on the rate, the rocks easily lap up whatever other base one attempts to supplant it with."
"The second is simply a spelunking adventure, which is what I was here for... I was going to attempt to see how deep I could delve in this space. I suspect that whatever the cause of this is... the heart of it must be much, much deeper in the Net. However, I believe I'm going to discuss the prospect of reallocating alternative staff to that venture. If I couldn't even beat a youngster like yourself, the viruses in the deep Net here would probably be eating me alive before I got much farther."
ResearchMan rubbed the back of his neck again, groaning lightly. "So there you have it. I'm afraid that's more or less all I have to share. Of course, it's your right to ask any questions, but know that a certain amount beyond what I told you... in fact, frankly, a certain amount of what I have told you, is technically classified."
BATTLE 5 END
The Navi put a hand to his neck and rotated it, as if checking as if everything still worked right. "I don't think I fought too shabby... In fact, I think you might have been closer to a loss than you realize. However, I must admit I got ahead of myself poking and prodding so much. Truthfully, it gets rather boring down here, investigating this area with only my operator for company. I thought a little sparring match might be a good way to get a feel for what other type of man would be down here investigating this phenomenon. I hope you'll forgive me, and please, take this for your trouble.
The Navi drew his datasheet out again and punched some numbers, causing a green data packet to appear floating ahead of him. He punched another button, and that sent the packet floating over to CourseMan's air space. "It's just some zenny to make up for the fact that you aren't sending me to an EJO, and in respect for your fighting abilities. You're taking it from me personally and not the NetPolice, so don't feel nervous! Nobody's coming after you or me for misappropriation of funds, aheh."
[2500z attached]
"Unfortunately, it's also offered as an advanced apology. I'll admit that, along with my earlier jeers, my offer of information was mostly to feel you out. To be honest, I didn't have much notion that you could beat me, so I didn't put much thought as to what happened if we ended up here. That's not to say I'm empty-handed... just that, if you were expecting a full report to either satisfy your curiosity or carry off to the NetMafia, I'm afraid you're going to have to be disappointed. Still, let me give you what I can."
The Navi turned in place, folding his arms behind his back and casting his eyes to the receding water before him. Already, the stones of this Net had retaken the ice patch, leaving a gradually shrinking moat. "Our resources to explore this phenomenon have been limited, but I'm sure you've noticed that there isn't exactly a red carpet leading down here. What we're seeing is a deep portion of Hades Net. As I'm sure you're aware, in general, the deeper one delves into a given Net, the more intense the viral activity tends to become. My suspicion is that very few viruses are even able to reach this place... however, it may be that in the even deeper regions, the viral activity picks up. As for us, we made our way here after a single citizen reported accidentally finding himself among these caverns."
ResearchMan coughed briefly, beating his chest once before he continued. "Really, the value in this project for NetPolice interests is limited. As I'm sure you've noticed, the terrain here behaves similar to living tissue: surprisingly durable, and capable of regeneration. Our research into why this is the case has been, largely, fruitless: the material is incredibly difficult to harvest in large enough quantities to subject to proper scientific testing, and furthermore, once removed from this space, appears to leave behind the remarkable properties it demonstrates in-situ. In case I trumped up your excitement with the comparison, you should keep your expectations in check. The material's qualities, under material analysis, show only tenuous relationship to known code strings of traditional 'living' denizens of the Net: say, viruses or Navis."
ResearchMan turned back to CourseMan, shrugging. "Unfortunately, that's about as far as our confirmation goes. I will make you aware of a couple of our current lines of investigation as well: the first is the large funnel construct I imagine you saw earlier. Now, I don't know if its destruction was due to your or viruses, and I'd advise you not to worry about it. The material cost of that equipment is miniscule. Don't ask me about the labor cost, heh, but the material is miniscule, so don't worry about paying for it. Anyway, the purpose of that funnel was to try and concentrate a continuous, natural source of alternative terrain on the floor of the Net below it. The test was inconclusive. The rock formations above us shift such that maintaining a concentrated, powerful stream of lava to attempt and alter the terrain is a fool's errand. Furthermore, you've already seen how the terrain reacts: depending on the rate, the rocks easily lap up whatever other base one attempts to supplant it with."
"The second is simply a spelunking adventure, which is what I was here for... I was going to attempt to see how deep I could delve in this space. I suspect that whatever the cause of this is... the heart of it must be much, much deeper in the Net. However, I believe I'm going to discuss the prospect of reallocating alternative staff to that venture. If I couldn't even beat a youngster like yourself, the viruses in the deep Net here would probably be eating me alive before I got much farther."
ResearchMan rubbed the back of his neck again, groaning lightly. "So there you have it. I'm afraid that's more or less all I have to share. Of course, it's your right to ask any questions, but know that a certain amount beyond what I told you... in fact, frankly, a certain amount of what I have told you, is technically classified."
BATTLE 5 END
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Once they were both back on safe ground and sorting themselves out, Courser found himself nodding politely to ResearchMan's explanations. Chances were, if the other navi knew exactly how fresh-made and green CourseMan really was, he'd be more angry at himself for even being driven to a draw, let alone surrender. He elected not to mention the fact, though he did accept the recompense with a grin.
"Oh aye, not shabby at all, really. First time I've tousled with anyone using one of my own favourite tricks," For a moment he called up his shield to one arm, then let it dissipate again quickly. "And now I think I know how the viruses feel against it. Trying to land a square one on you felt a lot like trying to punch water, for a bit there. Had to get sneaky." Over his shoulder one of his clones popped up, draping an arm about the real Courser and hanging out of him with a smirk.
"Boss is sorry for calling you old, too. He can be a right prat when he thinks he's being witty, you know..." Courser glared at his decoy.
"Hush you, that's enough..." Chastising himself for insulting himself aside, they were actually able to get down to hearing some of the interesting research notes. In truth, Couser himself wasn't too interested at all; it had mostly been an initial cover story to try and prevent a fight, but at the same time, it hadn't been a lie that Rachel would be fascinated, so he was a little bit disappointed to hear that even the small sample he'd gathered would likely revert to more generic rubble if he jacked out with it. Damn.
The rest of the information was a slightly more empirical explanation of most of the features he'd already observed, but he found himself able to engage a little bit at least.
"When I asked for your notes, I was offering to share mine too, so, share and share alike as they say. Don't have much more to offer than you've got either, but I can say that while it might not have much link to proper live tissue, it's definitely growth, at least. It's not just keeping to itself and eating up anything that tries to change it; from what I've been able to tell, it's downright spreading to any extension you give it, too. Don't have the mod to show you, but I wager you ten to one, you bring someone down here who can create fresh extension with new terrain structure, and this stuff will creep. There's got to be a limit, though; if it can't travel, like you say, then if you find that limit, you'll be able to extrapolate to wherever the most central core of the stuff is. That ought to be enlightening, you think?" He tilted his head and raised an eyebrow.
"I will say there were a few viruses when I first got here and encountered the stuff, and they were nastier than I expected... but not a one showing up while we had our tussle. Given all the space above, and the difficulty punching through, might be that this is a clear space; something of a dead-zone save those that end up unlucky enough to wind up here by accident. So then... if it's a great big old shell of protected space... what's it a shell about, eh? That's a money question." A thought occurred to him and he folded his arms, buffing his knuckles against the centre of his chest thoughtfully.
"You better want to hope it's not some kind of cocoon, because that, my friend, would be terrifying." He shook his head, then laughed the idea off. "Anyhow, if you want to keep looking around down here, you're welcome to it, of course. I think I'm about done for one day, myself." Over his other shoulder, a second clone slipped out of his shadow, grinning to the scientists.
"Oi, and you needn't worry about the whole mafia thing none. Boss might fly a pirate flag, true enough, but they're all his own colours, you know? No pigeons here. Who'd be crazy enough to take him anyhow?" The clone glanced up at the real Courser. "No offence, boss, but you've got a screw loose... you know that, right?"
"Hush you!" Again, CourseMan had to chastise his fully self-controlled decoy with a frown. the clone just smirked and looked back to ResearchMan. It made a helpless gesture, then faded from sight again. Courser himself was feeling as though he was just about ready to call it in and jack out, but he waited around a little longer to see if his former opponent had anything more to say or add.
"Oh aye, not shabby at all, really. First time I've tousled with anyone using one of my own favourite tricks," For a moment he called up his shield to one arm, then let it dissipate again quickly. "And now I think I know how the viruses feel against it. Trying to land a square one on you felt a lot like trying to punch water, for a bit there. Had to get sneaky." Over his shoulder one of his clones popped up, draping an arm about the real Courser and hanging out of him with a smirk.
"Boss is sorry for calling you old, too. He can be a right prat when he thinks he's being witty, you know..." Courser glared at his decoy.
"Hush you, that's enough..." Chastising himself for insulting himself aside, they were actually able to get down to hearing some of the interesting research notes. In truth, Couser himself wasn't too interested at all; it had mostly been an initial cover story to try and prevent a fight, but at the same time, it hadn't been a lie that Rachel would be fascinated, so he was a little bit disappointed to hear that even the small sample he'd gathered would likely revert to more generic rubble if he jacked out with it. Damn.
The rest of the information was a slightly more empirical explanation of most of the features he'd already observed, but he found himself able to engage a little bit at least.
"When I asked for your notes, I was offering to share mine too, so, share and share alike as they say. Don't have much more to offer than you've got either, but I can say that while it might not have much link to proper live tissue, it's definitely growth, at least. It's not just keeping to itself and eating up anything that tries to change it; from what I've been able to tell, it's downright spreading to any extension you give it, too. Don't have the mod to show you, but I wager you ten to one, you bring someone down here who can create fresh extension with new terrain structure, and this stuff will creep. There's got to be a limit, though; if it can't travel, like you say, then if you find that limit, you'll be able to extrapolate to wherever the most central core of the stuff is. That ought to be enlightening, you think?" He tilted his head and raised an eyebrow.
"I will say there were a few viruses when I first got here and encountered the stuff, and they were nastier than I expected... but not a one showing up while we had our tussle. Given all the space above, and the difficulty punching through, might be that this is a clear space; something of a dead-zone save those that end up unlucky enough to wind up here by accident. So then... if it's a great big old shell of protected space... what's it a shell about, eh? That's a money question." A thought occurred to him and he folded his arms, buffing his knuckles against the centre of his chest thoughtfully.
"You better want to hope it's not some kind of cocoon, because that, my friend, would be terrifying." He shook his head, then laughed the idea off. "Anyhow, if you want to keep looking around down here, you're welcome to it, of course. I think I'm about done for one day, myself." Over his other shoulder, a second clone slipped out of his shadow, grinning to the scientists.
"Oi, and you needn't worry about the whole mafia thing none. Boss might fly a pirate flag, true enough, but they're all his own colours, you know? No pigeons here. Who'd be crazy enough to take him anyhow?" The clone glanced up at the real Courser. "No offence, boss, but you've got a screw loose... you know that, right?"
"Hush you!" Again, CourseMan had to chastise his fully self-controlled decoy with a frown. the clone just smirked and looked back to ResearchMan. It made a helpless gesture, then faded from sight again. Courser himself was feeling as though he was just about ready to call it in and jack out, but he waited around a little longer to see if his former opponent had anything more to say or add.
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"Yes, well, the shield is an excellent tool for one such as myself who is more interested in personal protection than seeking combat," ResearchMan commented, putting away his own data sheet temporarily. "Of course, that probably sounds pretty rich coming from me, seeing as I instigated our fight out of boredom and frustration! Hahaha..." the Navi laughed, rubbing the back of his head again. "You'll have to take my word on the fact that I'm not normally like that."
"Regarding terrain creep... I'll tell you this much: this layer isn't solid all the way through. Just like layers of the earth, there are caverns, systems of pores, and the like. I presume we're in one such layer now, although... quite strange! I can't believe I hadn't thought of this, but this area is open almost as far as the eye can see. You'll eventually encounter a wall, of course, but I haven't seen any indication that there are any immediate support columns for the system above us. Ah, well. Theorizing over geology in the Net, where any Tom, Dick, or Harry can make a patch of ocean at their feet is a waste of time, wouldn't you say? I'm sure there's something behind it, but that's low on my list of priorities."
"The idea of it being a shell of protected space... now that's an interesting thought, to be sure. Unfortunately, I only get two questions from it. If we ask 'what is it protecting,' the true 'money question,' as you put it... well, there's nothing for that but for someone much better equipped than myself to go find out! If we ask 'who made it,' well, trying to trace the source of creation of anything on Hades Island Net is, again, a wild goose chase."
"A cocoon..." ResearchMan continued, seeming to finally wind down and become contemplative. "Hah. Thinking about that, I think I'm about ready to clock out, as well. A pleasure to have met you, young man," the Navi finished, reaching out one arm for a handshake. "If we don't meet again, you try to take better care of yourself, understand?"
The Navi drew his datasheet from the sleeve of his coat once again, rubbing the back of his neck. It was becoming more than a little obvious that CourseMan had probably done a number on it with his last strike, but that was probably something ResearchMan could fix with a little time off in his PET. After hitting a few buttons, a swift beam of light enveloped him and carried him from the Net, leaving CourseMan alone...
... But for how long? CourseMan had probably been pushing his luck for a long time now, having seen no viruses throughout that entire altercation.
"Regarding terrain creep... I'll tell you this much: this layer isn't solid all the way through. Just like layers of the earth, there are caverns, systems of pores, and the like. I presume we're in one such layer now, although... quite strange! I can't believe I hadn't thought of this, but this area is open almost as far as the eye can see. You'll eventually encounter a wall, of course, but I haven't seen any indication that there are any immediate support columns for the system above us. Ah, well. Theorizing over geology in the Net, where any Tom, Dick, or Harry can make a patch of ocean at their feet is a waste of time, wouldn't you say? I'm sure there's something behind it, but that's low on my list of priorities."
"The idea of it being a shell of protected space... now that's an interesting thought, to be sure. Unfortunately, I only get two questions from it. If we ask 'what is it protecting,' the true 'money question,' as you put it... well, there's nothing for that but for someone much better equipped than myself to go find out! If we ask 'who made it,' well, trying to trace the source of creation of anything on Hades Island Net is, again, a wild goose chase."
"A cocoon..." ResearchMan continued, seeming to finally wind down and become contemplative. "Hah. Thinking about that, I think I'm about ready to clock out, as well. A pleasure to have met you, young man," the Navi finished, reaching out one arm for a handshake. "If we don't meet again, you try to take better care of yourself, understand?"
The Navi drew his datasheet from the sleeve of his coat once again, rubbing the back of his neck. It was becoming more than a little obvious that CourseMan had probably done a number on it with his last strike, but that was probably something ResearchMan could fix with a little time off in his PET. After hitting a few buttons, a swift beam of light enveloped him and carried him from the Net, leaving CourseMan alone...
... But for how long? CourseMan had probably been pushing his luck for a long time now, having seen no viruses throughout that entire altercation.
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Nodding and shaking hands one last time, CourseMan waited until the other navi had disappeared, then let out a long, slow breath. He rolled his shoulders, stretched, and cracked his neck.
"Ok, Jen... You win, that's enough excitement." He tapped a toe point on the strange glowing terrain again, shaking his head at it. It was a mystery, perhaps, but he was only playing at scientist, for the sake of keeping up appearances. It was a puzzle that he was just going to have to let go. In his ear, he heard the faint sounds of the household, then the crumpling noises of Jenny getting back under her quilt and snuggling up. She must have darted away while he was talking.
"I'm back. You ready to come out, now Courser? Please, you don't have to keep going just to distract me, I'm feeling better, really, and I nearly freaked out there when you got hurt." she did sound more perked up, but pain-killers probably helped with that rather a lot. He flexed his arms wide the rubbed at his chest again for a moment.
"Yeah, I'm beat, Jenny. That's enough for now. I've got a sample of the stone, but if what that researcher said is true, it'll just be normal rubble by the time I get it back to the PET. I did manage to save some shots of the stuff, though, so maybe Rach will be able to get something from that. Whenever you're ready, Jen."
It was a little bit harder to find a shadow to slip into, in the flat, luminescent environment, but as his operator pulled him out, Courser's form dulled, then faded to a silhouette, before disappearing completely and leaving the odd and unfriendly depths of Hades behind.
((CourseMan Jacking Out, back to -> Jenny's Home))
"Ok, Jen... You win, that's enough excitement." He tapped a toe point on the strange glowing terrain again, shaking his head at it. It was a mystery, perhaps, but he was only playing at scientist, for the sake of keeping up appearances. It was a puzzle that he was just going to have to let go. In his ear, he heard the faint sounds of the household, then the crumpling noises of Jenny getting back under her quilt and snuggling up. She must have darted away while he was talking.
"I'm back. You ready to come out, now Courser? Please, you don't have to keep going just to distract me, I'm feeling better, really, and I nearly freaked out there when you got hurt." she did sound more perked up, but pain-killers probably helped with that rather a lot. He flexed his arms wide the rubbed at his chest again for a moment.
"Yeah, I'm beat, Jenny. That's enough for now. I've got a sample of the stone, but if what that researcher said is true, it'll just be normal rubble by the time I get it back to the PET. I did manage to save some shots of the stuff, though, so maybe Rach will be able to get something from that. Whenever you're ready, Jen."
It was a little bit harder to find a shadow to slip into, in the flat, luminescent environment, but as his operator pulled him out, Courser's form dulled, then faded to a silhouette, before disappearing completely and leaving the odd and unfriendly depths of Hades behind.
((CourseMan Jacking Out, back to -> Jenny's Home))