((Jack in, from => Okuden Valley))
----------
If she was honest with herself, really honest, Lyntael knew that she was not ok. She was trying, and a certain amount of her frustration had even turned inwards; it was silly for her to still be reeling like she was, even after so long... but trying or not, she wasn't sure if she'd be able to keep her promise to Rogan, that she'd be alright again soon. For now she was doing her best to fake it, but the veneer was thin, and cracks still crazed its surface all too easily. She had a job to do now, though, and however minimal it might be it was important. Rogan had given her time, like she'd asked, but even now it felt like it had been a mistake to ask that of him, no matter what her own condition was. He'd draw back from her completely and had gone back to many of his older ways, doing everything for himself even when she might have helped... and as she was, wrapped up in her own troubles, she had let him. So, the job was important. Ready or not, faking it or not, she had to show him that she could still use her.
With Rogan easing the link on his end, the transition that dropped her into the unknown network was about as smooth as could be hoped for, but Lyntael hadn't been jacked into a network at all for weeks, and she came through the far side with her teeth clenched and shuddering from the discomfort of it. It really was silly that she was such a mess still. In the recent days she'd caught her own thoughts brooding over how weak and useless she was... not just physically, but everything else too. It was stupid. It could have been so much worse. It wasn't as though anything had actually happened, in the end, so why couldn't she just be done with it? Move past the irrational terror and the flinching from thoughts, and just be better? The self-destructive thoughts formed their own spiral, as they had many times previously, and she cut them off, picking herself up instead so she could look around.
"I'm in, Sir. This part of the net is dark. I'm at a tailing hub. There's not much to see, but there's only one branch forward. There's a downlink terminal here; I think it's a node for some part of the internal surveillance, maybe?" Her voice didn't break once, while she focused on giving him details. Lyntael wondered just how convincing she sounded to her operator, then, a moment later, a touch of bitterness followed it as she wondered if it even mattered. Rogan's big admission that he felt guilty for leaving her had only been voiced to remind her that he considered her only as code. It wasn't really any kind of step forward, not like she'd hoped.
"Good. I'm using your position to scan the network as we go. You've got the splices I prepared for you already, so just upload the first one and patch it in there right away. Let me know when you're done." There was still something soothing about hearing his calm, confident voice just a little bit behind her, as she did when they spoke. He would come around, he had to, she just needed to hold on, and help him where she could, that was all.
"Yes sir." This, at least, was straight forward. She stepped across to the display and her fingers went to work on the keys in front of her, patching in the splice that matched the location. this node covered the visual surveillance for the first main hallway past the stairs and the offices either side, as well as some further passageways a little further on. The facility seemed quite large, though, so it was no surprise that each node handled several feeds, she guessed. There was something else gnawing at the corner of her mind about the situation, though, while she worked. Something wasn't quite right here, but she didn't know what, exactly. It was a sensation... like there was another layer, or something, a secondary network backed onto the first that she wasn't in, and couldn't see... there wasn't time to over think it though. Rogan had his plan and she had to do her part in it, that was all... and his plan only gave him another twenty minutes before he had to be back in his room.
"It's done, sir. You're clear up for halls one to three, and all the offices and sub labs that come off them."
"Alright. Move forward. Your network path should lead to a branch that splits into three, two of them will have one-way transits, and one won't. Take that one, until you find an open space on your left. There should be another access point there, for the next splice. Tell me when it's done."
"Yes, sir." Lyntael began to move. She knew they were doing something illegal again, but, after several weeks with nothing but her own thoughts for company, doing some simple system work like this, with Rogan's serious, sure voice over her shoulder, was strangely comforting. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad.
At first, she'd been worse than a wreck. It wasn't just Him, or the fear of hurting other people, or the pain of fighting... it had been everything and anything even remotely related to any of that. Even thinking about going back into a network again had practically paralysed her with fright, and she'd had to drag herself, slowly, out of several more sudden panic attacks in the days that followed her Yoka expedition. She'd fought it back though, gradually. First, it had been just trying to think, cautiously and abstractly, about the things that were making her break down or freeze up, then a it more clearly about them, then thinking about doing things that related to them again... and now here she was, out of her PET and doing something useful again. She still couldn't think about Him too closely without getting stuck, but progress was progress.
When Lyntael reached the branch Rogan had described she could see that one of the lanes transitioned into a zip that would probably carry her off to some deeper part of the network, while the second one seemed to be the landing point for a similar one to return to this branch. She took the plain path, running on the balls of her bare feet with a comfortable lightness. There was no true temperature in this network, and no breeze either; it felt closed and still, for the most part, but at least it wasn't cold. Rogan didn't seem to feel the cold at all and, considering his views on her, it make any complaints she wanted to make about being freezing sometimes less than futile.
The space opened up on her left just as Rogan had suggested it would, and she moved swiftly towards the terminal, but something sent a prickle down her spine as she crossed the room, and she paused, looking about the area for the source of the sudden uncertainty.
----------
((Ready for Battle 1))
((Normal Net Battle rules apply. Please draw from the equivalent list as registered Here))
Skirting Silence
last edited by
Lyntael might not be worried about the hungry, predator-like attacks of viruses here in this isolated webspace, but she was well aware that just because the operation was routine did not mean it was free of peril. A sixth sense caused her to turn her cone of vision down an otherwise inconspicuous hallway, where something gleamed out of the darkness. Its small form, held midair by two wing-like appendages, might at first have evoked the idea of a virus... but a red light flickered on its surface for just a split second, before a deafening mechanical beep reverberated through the hallway. The robot started moving slowly, then quickly flew down the hallway; Lyntael would be out of the way before it passed, but it swerved to resume chasing, narrowly avoiding a metallic gate that had half-shut to block the path; it wasn't clear why it hadn't completely closed. Another had completely shut from behind the way Lyntael came. The right hallway seemed open, but granted that Lyn knew where she wanted to go, and furthermore, given that a flying robot had been there a moment ago, Lyn probably wouldn't choose that direction.
Up ahead, two other sentries emerged, these moving across the floor. Thankfully, the main hallway was not so narrow as those intersecting it, so they wouldn't hinder her path if she had to muscle through. How they would attack, however, wasn't immediately apparent. The alarm-like warbles coming from the other flying machine, however, made it seem likely that it would be using a sound based attack; they seemed just as much designed to disorient as they did to raise alarm.
"Someone's inside? Oh, screw it, the security system's acting up again. That damned Locator thinks it's spotted an intruder every time it hears someone piss into the Okuden river," a bored, male voice scoffed from somewhere far off... it actually sounded like it was coming from an intercom down the right hallway. Perhaps that was owing to the fact that Lyntael was "off the beaten path," not the kind of place a public intercom was needed. Then, one might wonder why the person was broadcasted his mild annoyance to begin with. "Isn't there one of these robots that can turn off the other ones? No? Okay, crap... If it goes off for three minutes, go fix it," the speaker sighed. All of that was hard to pay attention to with the alarm-raising Locator flinging itself through the air, now taking another swing towards Lyn, this time having corrected its pathing a bit.
-=Mean Bots=-
Locator [Down hallway to left]: 80 HP
Turret (Light) A [Down hallway in front, left side]: 50 HP
Turret (Light) B [Down hallway in front, right side]: 50 HP
-=Mopey Girls=-
Lyntael [At intersection between hallways]: 150 HP
-=Terrain=-
100% Normal
-=Objects=-
Metal Gate [Closed, Directly behind]: ??? HP
Metal Gate [Half-Shut, Down hallway to left]: ??? HP
-=Battle 1, Start!=-
Up ahead, two other sentries emerged, these moving across the floor. Thankfully, the main hallway was not so narrow as those intersecting it, so they wouldn't hinder her path if she had to muscle through. How they would attack, however, wasn't immediately apparent. The alarm-like warbles coming from the other flying machine, however, made it seem likely that it would be using a sound based attack; they seemed just as much designed to disorient as they did to raise alarm.
"Someone's inside? Oh, screw it, the security system's acting up again. That damned Locator thinks it's spotted an intruder every time it hears someone piss into the Okuden river," a bored, male voice scoffed from somewhere far off... it actually sounded like it was coming from an intercom down the right hallway. Perhaps that was owing to the fact that Lyntael was "off the beaten path," not the kind of place a public intercom was needed. Then, one might wonder why the person was broadcasted his mild annoyance to begin with. "Isn't there one of these robots that can turn off the other ones? No? Okay, crap... If it goes off for three minutes, go fix it," the speaker sighed. All of that was hard to pay attention to with the alarm-raising Locator flinging itself through the air, now taking another swing towards Lyn, this time having corrected its pathing a bit.
-=Mean Bots=-
Locator [Down hallway to left]: 80 HP
Turret (Light) A [Down hallway in front, left side]: 50 HP
Turret (Light) B [Down hallway in front, right side]: 50 HP
-=Mopey Girls=-
Lyntael [At intersection between hallways]: 150 HP
-=Terrain=-
100% Normal
-=Objects=-
Metal Gate [Closed, Directly behind]: ??? HP
Metal Gate [Half-Shut, Down hallway to left]: ??? HP
-=Battle 1, Start!=-
last edited by
The sound of the alarm made Lyntael gasp, just a moment before her eyes landed on the machine that had spotted her. too many thoughts flitted across her mind at once; was that really an alarm? How, and what was it alerting? Was this going to cause trouble for Rogan? On top of that, there was the sudden jolt of her heart simply from the shock of being startled alone, and also, a mild, guilty sense of relief that it wasn't actually another person. Most of these were pushed aside as she darted away from it with the realisation that it was fully intent upon assaulting her, and then, that it wasn't alone either.
"Rogan! Is everything alright? There- There's a problem!" She wished it hadn't come out sounding as much like a shriek as it had. She darted around the corner of the hall, out of sight of the two small turrets ahead, a warm pulse of energy buzzing through her by reflex. The static shell radiated out from her core, stabilising itself a sit passed beyond her strikers and fading from sight as it settled around her. It had been some time since she'd felt the sensation, and it had been more automated instinct than deliberate, really, but not without a small sense of familiarity. With it, of course, came memories and the attached emotions that she strove to push away and not think about for now. Tonight, more than ever, she had to just stay calm. The formation of her barrier had left her feet and hands feeling tingly and vaguely... fuzzy.
"I'm fine, Lyntael." Rogan's voice reached her ear in a soft, serious whisper. "No games, what's happened?" She swallowed, watching the movements of the little drone as it came for her again. the alarm wasn't stopping. It only looked small, though, she could probably break it, if she had to. It didn't sound like it had had any effect on Rogan's work, on the outside. Her ears had caught the end of the mysterious voice, but between the alarm siren and her own shock, she hadn't processed it fully yet.
"It's, um, some kind of security? In here, in the network. I... I don't know what triggered it, sir, I'm sorry. I don't know what it's doing! It, um... it seems automated."
"Then do your best to shut it off, before you're discovered. And hurry, Lyntael. I need you to get the second splice done quickly." To her surprise, Rogan didn't sound as irritated at her as she'd feared he might. She nodded, even though he couldn't see. Her mind was catching up to the situation again; it hadn't stopped sounding, and two turret-type things had popped up. Maybe this one was calling more. If it was all automated, and those things were going to attack her to get rid of her, then, maybe... maybe she'd be lucky enough that it wasn't going to show up for anyone who mattered.
"Yes sir. I'll try sir." She'd need to deal with the two turrets as well; they were between her and where she needed to get to, and the way those gates had come down... or tried to anyway, she had to guess that they were some kind of containment for the alert anyway. But first, that alarm. Lyntael watched its movements carefully, taking a breath to steady herself as she let the charge that had begun to hum through her body grow. One good hit, hopefully; it was only a small machine, and it didn't look too sturdy. She reached out with both hands towards it, stretching her awareness through the space; there mightn't be any weather or temperature, but there was still air, and that was something she could work with. It started as a delicate manipulation, looping currents of air into small coils and building them up behind the little drone, then in a rush her fingers clenched and she pulled inwards and down, dragging the gathered wind down towards her in a full-bodied gust and trying to pull the machine into the right spot for her to strike it cleanly.
As her hands pulled down, the girl bent knee slightly and jumped, leading with one leg before snapping the other upwards with the extra momentum. She felt the rush coming, almost in slow motion; the charge suffusing her body drawing in on itself like a receding tide, pooled from each striker as it unified at her core, then exploding out through her leading leg in a crackling flare of electrical energy. Lyntael staggered as she landed, gasping several breaths in a row as a secondary aftershock escaped her body, pulsing energy in every direction. For all the burning, coursing pain that her charge caused, the sensation of release carried an almost euphoric relief with it, and the weeks since she'd last had to do this had left the girl off guard against both ends of the sensation.
Her body was humming, the energy beginning, gradually, to loop back around and rebuild itself all on its own. As she steadied herself and looked about quickly, Lyntael tried, again, to focus on staying calm while she dealt with this. She couldn't afford to let the charge get the better of her this time, even if there was a rush.
Summary
L1) Dodge
L2) Reflex Activation: My Heart Falters (40 Elec-Element Barrier, Buster Charge, Off-Target)(Overcharge -1)
L3) Buster Charge
L*) Sub-Type Ability: Gust, as Pull, on Locator (Drawing it nearer and attempting to assist with positioning/aim)
L4) Full-Charge Buster Strike, at Locator (80Elec, A)(Overcharge +2)
L*) Passive: A Manifest Spirit (10Elec, Nova2)(Overcharge -1)
Cooldowns and Overcharge
My Heart Falters: 1 TCD
Overcharge: Begin: 0, My Heart Falters -1, Full-Charge Strike +2, Manifest Spirit -1, End: +1
"Rogan! Is everything alright? There- There's a problem!" She wished it hadn't come out sounding as much like a shriek as it had. She darted around the corner of the hall, out of sight of the two small turrets ahead, a warm pulse of energy buzzing through her by reflex. The static shell radiated out from her core, stabilising itself a sit passed beyond her strikers and fading from sight as it settled around her. It had been some time since she'd felt the sensation, and it had been more automated instinct than deliberate, really, but not without a small sense of familiarity. With it, of course, came memories and the attached emotions that she strove to push away and not think about for now. Tonight, more than ever, she had to just stay calm. The formation of her barrier had left her feet and hands feeling tingly and vaguely... fuzzy.
"I'm fine, Lyntael." Rogan's voice reached her ear in a soft, serious whisper. "No games, what's happened?" She swallowed, watching the movements of the little drone as it came for her again. the alarm wasn't stopping. It only looked small, though, she could probably break it, if she had to. It didn't sound like it had had any effect on Rogan's work, on the outside. Her ears had caught the end of the mysterious voice, but between the alarm siren and her own shock, she hadn't processed it fully yet.
"It's, um, some kind of security? In here, in the network. I... I don't know what triggered it, sir, I'm sorry. I don't know what it's doing! It, um... it seems automated."
"Then do your best to shut it off, before you're discovered. And hurry, Lyntael. I need you to get the second splice done quickly." To her surprise, Rogan didn't sound as irritated at her as she'd feared he might. She nodded, even though he couldn't see. Her mind was catching up to the situation again; it hadn't stopped sounding, and two turret-type things had popped up. Maybe this one was calling more. If it was all automated, and those things were going to attack her to get rid of her, then, maybe... maybe she'd be lucky enough that it wasn't going to show up for anyone who mattered.
"Yes sir. I'll try sir." She'd need to deal with the two turrets as well; they were between her and where she needed to get to, and the way those gates had come down... or tried to anyway, she had to guess that they were some kind of containment for the alert anyway. But first, that alarm. Lyntael watched its movements carefully, taking a breath to steady herself as she let the charge that had begun to hum through her body grow. One good hit, hopefully; it was only a small machine, and it didn't look too sturdy. She reached out with both hands towards it, stretching her awareness through the space; there mightn't be any weather or temperature, but there was still air, and that was something she could work with. It started as a delicate manipulation, looping currents of air into small coils and building them up behind the little drone, then in a rush her fingers clenched and she pulled inwards and down, dragging the gathered wind down towards her in a full-bodied gust and trying to pull the machine into the right spot for her to strike it cleanly.
As her hands pulled down, the girl bent knee slightly and jumped, leading with one leg before snapping the other upwards with the extra momentum. She felt the rush coming, almost in slow motion; the charge suffusing her body drawing in on itself like a receding tide, pooled from each striker as it unified at her core, then exploding out through her leading leg in a crackling flare of electrical energy. Lyntael staggered as she landed, gasping several breaths in a row as a secondary aftershock escaped her body, pulsing energy in every direction. For all the burning, coursing pain that her charge caused, the sensation of release carried an almost euphoric relief with it, and the weeks since she'd last had to do this had left the girl off guard against both ends of the sensation.
Her body was humming, the energy beginning, gradually, to loop back around and rebuild itself all on its own. As she steadied herself and looked about quickly, Lyntael tried, again, to focus on staying calm while she dealt with this. She couldn't afford to let the charge get the better of her this time, even if there was a rush.
Summary
L1) Dodge
L2) Reflex Activation: My Heart Falters (40 Elec-Element Barrier, Buster Charge, Off-Target)(Overcharge -1)
L3) Buster Charge
L*) Sub-Type Ability: Gust, as Pull, on Locator (Drawing it nearer and attempting to assist with positioning/aim)
L4) Full-Charge Buster Strike, at Locator (80Elec, A)(Overcharge +2)
L*) Passive: A Manifest Spirit (10Elec, Nova2)(Overcharge -1)
Cooldowns and Overcharge
My Heart Falters: 1 TCD
Overcharge: Begin: 0, My Heart Falters -1, Full-Charge Strike +2, Manifest Spirit -1, End: +1
last edited by
A smarter, more versatile foe might take this time to press its advantage and confirm to Lyn that, yes indeed, more enemies were on the way to lock down this position. Instead, the Locator whirred noisily overhead and the Turrets maintained their position, seeming for the moment little more threatening than a pair of garbage cans. Lyn wasn't about to wait for them to show their true colors; she activated her electric barrier. Certainly, the most pressing target was the one actively making a painful amount of noise, therefore, Lyn focused her attack first on the Locator. The drone spun mid-air for a moment, losing its forward momentum and dragging backwards, before a burst of electricity centered in on it and caused it to burst into heaps of metal that quickly dissolved into junk data.
That did it for the alarm, but destroying the alarm raiser hadn't neutralized all of the defenses; the sentries remained in place, obstructing the hallway. Each lifted its rounded body and unleashed a rolling log down the hallway, covering most of its width and arranged one after the other. The logs must have been pulled from somewhere else; they seemed out of place in this setting, although it was technically an Okuden network. Lyn jumped the first one easily enough, but the second tripped her up. The barrier would cover the impact of the log, but nothing would hide the embarrassment of face-planting while trying to jump the attacks. Her localized electric shock finally went off, giving one turret light damage but the other nothing at all. Once disadvantage of fighting these robots was that, short of taking them out, they didn't exactly wail to let you know they'd been hit.
At least nobody seemed to have seen Lyn trip, excluding her operator. At this point, she could probably move in and attack with close range attacks, or possibly even run past without worrying about the turrets if she wanted. "The alarm's off? Good? Good. But now where's the Locator? It stopped responding... well, if it's offline, good riddance. Better a quiet malfunction than a loud one," the intercom voice scoffed.
-=Mean Bots=-
Locator [Down hallway to left]: DELETED
Turret (Light) A [Down hallway in front, left side]: 40 HP
Turret (Light) B [Down hallway in front, right side]: 50 HP
-=Mopey Girls=-
Lyntael [At intersection between hallways]: 150 HP (20 elec barrier)
-=Terrain=-
100% Normal
-=Objects=-
Metal Gate [Closed, Directly behind]: ??? HP
Metal Gate [Half-Shut, Down hallway to left]: ??? HP
That did it for the alarm, but destroying the alarm raiser hadn't neutralized all of the defenses; the sentries remained in place, obstructing the hallway. Each lifted its rounded body and unleashed a rolling log down the hallway, covering most of its width and arranged one after the other. The logs must have been pulled from somewhere else; they seemed out of place in this setting, although it was technically an Okuden network. Lyn jumped the first one easily enough, but the second tripped her up. The barrier would cover the impact of the log, but nothing would hide the embarrassment of face-planting while trying to jump the attacks. Her localized electric shock finally went off, giving one turret light damage but the other nothing at all. Once disadvantage of fighting these robots was that, short of taking them out, they didn't exactly wail to let you know they'd been hit.
At least nobody seemed to have seen Lyn trip, excluding her operator. At this point, she could probably move in and attack with close range attacks, or possibly even run past without worrying about the turrets if she wanted. "The alarm's off? Good? Good. But now where's the Locator? It stopped responding... well, if it's offline, good riddance. Better a quiet malfunction than a loud one," the intercom voice scoffed.
-=Mean Bots=-
Locator [Down hallway to left]: DELETED
Turret (Light) A [Down hallway in front, left side]: 40 HP
Turret (Light) B [Down hallway in front, right side]: 50 HP
-=Mopey Girls=-
Lyntael [At intersection between hallways]: 150 HP (20 elec barrier)
-=Terrain=-
100% Normal
-=Objects=-
Metal Gate [Closed, Directly behind]: ??? HP
Metal Gate [Half-Shut, Down hallway to left]: ??? HP
last edited by
((I completely forgot that Lyntael has five actions now, as of her last upgrade. Oops.))
Still blinking for the moment as she recovered from her first proper release in a while, Lyntael barely had the time to process that her strike had connected cleanly, before the two light-weight turrets were... attacking? It took her an extra second to really register what she was seeing, and the result was that her efforts at avoiding the rolling logs left her crashing to the ground in a distinctly un-graceful manner. As much as her barrier had absorbed the damaging elements of the attack for her, the collision, and the subsequent stumble still left her wincing as she picked herself up again.
This time she definitely heard the voice coming from somewhere, and the sensation of a secondary network layer waved a small flag in her mind again. There wasn't any time to think about it while the remaining defence turrets were intent upon harassing her, though; it hadn't immediately shouted warning of any sort, so she could think about it later. For now, she shook out her still-smarting ankle, then darted forward towards the two constructs, hoping to close with them before their tiny wheels could zip them away. They didn't really have anywhere to go, at least; the other passages were blocked, well, mostly, and this one terminated in the node she needed to use.
The logs that the two machines had thrown her way lay behind now, cluttering the hall way, but she guessed that the lull wouldn't last long before they tried again. sparks had begun to snap in her hair now, and the current that she'd spent before had welled back to the surface, suffusing every inch of her skin as it pulsed, straining to break free. She could feel the charge dancing just under her skin, but tried to focus on control; the familiar threads of fear she had felt in dangerous places like this was back with her, but on the back of the past few weeks, and what had come before, Lyntael wasn't finding it as bad as it had once been. If she got hit by these things, it would hurt, yes, but... they didn't really seem too dangerous, not really.
Focusing as she wove between the two, she spread some of the over-full energy that had built up out to her extremities and let it ripple away from her in a circle. It was only a fraction of everything else, but it was a stable fraction, and something she was in control of... even if it did feel a bit uncomfortable.
She didn't want to let them get too far away form her, so they could begin hurling more obstacles her way, but as tight as the hallway was that didn't seem like a problem. Still watching each of the defence systems in the moments she could, Lyntael held onto the scraps of wind she'd drawn up before, spinning them around and letting the trails spiral in towards her in a way that would hinder the little things from wheeling away, hopefully. Her heart had quickened; they'd attack again soon, she was sure of it, and the initial shock of the encounter had already started the first trails of adrenalin. Stay calm... they'd attack, she'd dodge what they threw, then strike... When the moment came, Lyntael did her best to get away from the freshly appearing attacks, moving on the balls of her feet as nimbly as a girl of her slight size and insignificant weight could, then torqued her body out of the dodge, putting one palm to the ground to sweep her left leg around at ground level. Unfortunately for even the most dedicated of surveillance that might have visuals on Lyntael's network, the modesty coding in her skirt kept it tauntingly decent all the way through the motion, until a small flare of electrical energy crackled out from her striking point.
As the low sweep carried through, Lyntael let it turn her body all the way over and put her other hand down alongside the first, pushing off the ground to spring back to her feet quickly. Despite her best efforts, though, the expenditure had left her panting a few quick breaths. It had only be a partial expend, but it was rough all the same. The pulse of her internal charge settled for a moment, then began to build again while Lyntael steadied herself and resumed a proper stance.
Summary
L1) Feint (Towards the Turrets, into close melee range)
L*) Passive: A Manifest Spirit (10Elec, Nova2)(Overcharge -1)
L2) Reflex Activation: My Pain is Real (Counter(Receiving Melee Damage): 40Elec, Nova2, Self-Slow1)(Overcharge +1 on Set)
L3) Buster Charge
L*) Sub-Type Ability: Gust, as Pull, drawing in if either turret tries to get away.
L4) Dodge
L5) Half-charge Buster Strike, at Turret B (40Elec,A B (Lyntael is suffering Off-Target this turn))(Overcharge +1)
Cooldowns and Overcharge
My Heart Falters: Cooling Down
My Pain is Real: 2TCD
Overcharge: Begin: +1, Manifest Spirit -1, My Pain is Real (Set) +1, Half-Charge Buster Strike +1, End: +2
Still blinking for the moment as she recovered from her first proper release in a while, Lyntael barely had the time to process that her strike had connected cleanly, before the two light-weight turrets were... attacking? It took her an extra second to really register what she was seeing, and the result was that her efforts at avoiding the rolling logs left her crashing to the ground in a distinctly un-graceful manner. As much as her barrier had absorbed the damaging elements of the attack for her, the collision, and the subsequent stumble still left her wincing as she picked herself up again.
This time she definitely heard the voice coming from somewhere, and the sensation of a secondary network layer waved a small flag in her mind again. There wasn't any time to think about it while the remaining defence turrets were intent upon harassing her, though; it hadn't immediately shouted warning of any sort, so she could think about it later. For now, she shook out her still-smarting ankle, then darted forward towards the two constructs, hoping to close with them before their tiny wheels could zip them away. They didn't really have anywhere to go, at least; the other passages were blocked, well, mostly, and this one terminated in the node she needed to use.
The logs that the two machines had thrown her way lay behind now, cluttering the hall way, but she guessed that the lull wouldn't last long before they tried again. sparks had begun to snap in her hair now, and the current that she'd spent before had welled back to the surface, suffusing every inch of her skin as it pulsed, straining to break free. She could feel the charge dancing just under her skin, but tried to focus on control; the familiar threads of fear she had felt in dangerous places like this was back with her, but on the back of the past few weeks, and what had come before, Lyntael wasn't finding it as bad as it had once been. If she got hit by these things, it would hurt, yes, but... they didn't really seem too dangerous, not really.
Focusing as she wove between the two, she spread some of the over-full energy that had built up out to her extremities and let it ripple away from her in a circle. It was only a fraction of everything else, but it was a stable fraction, and something she was in control of... even if it did feel a bit uncomfortable.
She didn't want to let them get too far away form her, so they could begin hurling more obstacles her way, but as tight as the hallway was that didn't seem like a problem. Still watching each of the defence systems in the moments she could, Lyntael held onto the scraps of wind she'd drawn up before, spinning them around and letting the trails spiral in towards her in a way that would hinder the little things from wheeling away, hopefully. Her heart had quickened; they'd attack again soon, she was sure of it, and the initial shock of the encounter had already started the first trails of adrenalin. Stay calm... they'd attack, she'd dodge what they threw, then strike... When the moment came, Lyntael did her best to get away from the freshly appearing attacks, moving on the balls of her feet as nimbly as a girl of her slight size and insignificant weight could, then torqued her body out of the dodge, putting one palm to the ground to sweep her left leg around at ground level. Unfortunately for even the most dedicated of surveillance that might have visuals on Lyntael's network, the modesty coding in her skirt kept it tauntingly decent all the way through the motion, until a small flare of electrical energy crackled out from her striking point.
As the low sweep carried through, Lyntael let it turn her body all the way over and put her other hand down alongside the first, pushing off the ground to spring back to her feet quickly. Despite her best efforts, though, the expenditure had left her panting a few quick breaths. It had only be a partial expend, but it was rough all the same. The pulse of her internal charge settled for a moment, then began to build again while Lyntael steadied herself and resumed a proper stance.
Summary
L1) Feint (Towards the Turrets, into close melee range)
L*) Passive: A Manifest Spirit (10Elec, Nova2)(Overcharge -1)
L2) Reflex Activation: My Pain is Real (Counter(Receiving Melee Damage): 40Elec, Nova2, Self-Slow1)(Overcharge +1 on Set)
L3) Buster Charge
L*) Sub-Type Ability: Gust, as Pull, drawing in if either turret tries to get away.
L4) Dodge
L5) Half-charge Buster Strike, at Turret B (40Elec,
Cooldowns and Overcharge
My Heart Falters: Cooling Down
My Pain is Real: 2TCD
Overcharge: Begin: +1, Manifest Spirit -1, My Pain is Real (Set) +1, Half-Charge Buster Strike +1, End: +2
last edited by
As Lyntael made her way towards the sentries, they, in turn, retreated. One who attributed personalities to them might think they were frightened, but really, something just compelled them to put a wall between Lyn and themselves once she had focused on them. Call it programming. Anyways, both were on the move, but were zapped by Lyn's shockwave as she closed in, causing them to shudder back and forth. The one on the left managed to escape, by retreating beneath a half-closed gate down its hallway. Perhaps Lyn would encounter it again later... Hopefully, it wasn't going to make a report to others, but following it under the gate would be difficult anyways. As the other continued edging down the hallway, she pushed it back towards her using a gust of wind. The wheels began squeaking noisily as the turret grinded against one spot of the floor, still trying to skid to cover. Lyn finished that quickly enough, blasting it with another electric pulse, which put it out of commission, creating an explosion within and causing parts to scatter noisily over the narrow hallway.
If the security controller (or whoever was speaking over the intercom) wasn't so lazy, he might have been alerted by that commotion, but it seemed for now, those security systems were the only parts that had really been keyed to her position. That said, conventional logic dictated that if those security robots had been alerted, the ones further in probably would be as well, even if their supervisor wasn't paying attention. It also figured that they were only going to become more numerous and on tighter watch as she got closer to her goal. No gate had closed barring the path in front of her yet. So far, she'd only seen them react to the Locator's alarm.
As with battle on the outside, a fight ended in rewards to be collected by the victor... Not great for a security administrator who wanted to disincentivize beating up his robots, but great for one forced into conflict with them!
-=Mean Bots=-
Locator [Down hallway to left]: DELETED
Turret (Light) A [Down hallway in front, left side]: ESCAPED
Turret (Light) B [Down hallway in front, right side]: DELETED
-=Mopey Girls=-
Lyntael [Down hallway, in center of intersection]: 150 HP (20 elec barrier)
-=Terrain=-
100% Normal
-=Objects=-
Metal Gate [Closed, Directly behind]: ??? HP
Metal Gate [Half-Shut, Down hallway to left]: ??? HP
-=BATTLE 1 VICTORY=-
Lyntael GET: 380 zenny
If the security controller (or whoever was speaking over the intercom) wasn't so lazy, he might have been alerted by that commotion, but it seemed for now, those security systems were the only parts that had really been keyed to her position. That said, conventional logic dictated that if those security robots had been alerted, the ones further in probably would be as well, even if their supervisor wasn't paying attention. It also figured that they were only going to become more numerous and on tighter watch as she got closer to her goal. No gate had closed barring the path in front of her yet. So far, she'd only seen them react to the Locator's alarm.
As with battle on the outside, a fight ended in rewards to be collected by the victor... Not great for a security administrator who wanted to disincentivize beating up his robots, but great for one forced into conflict with them!
-=Mean Bots=-
Locator [Down hallway to left]: DELETED
Turret (Light) A [Down hallway in front, left side]: ESCAPED
Turret (Light) B [Down hallway in front, right side]: DELETED
-=Mopey Girls=-
Lyntael [Down hallway, in center of intersection]: 150 HP (20 elec barrier)
-=Terrain=-
100% Normal
-=Objects=-
Metal Gate [Closed, Directly behind]: ??? HP
Metal Gate [Half-Shut, Down hallway to left]: ??? HP
-=BATTLE 1 VICTORY=-
Lyntael GET: 380 zenny
last edited by
Still catching her breath, Lyntael watched the remaining turret scoot away from her and under the half-closed barrier. That was a worry, but it was also one she didn't have time for. Her limbs were still buzzing with charge, and she could hear the occasional crack of sparks in her hair, feel them dancing over her skin in places. It prickled, but it wasn't the painful burn that she knew it would become if she had to fight much more. She swallowed and took a long, deep breath, before her thoughts snapped back to the present. There was no time for any of this, Rogan was waiting.
"It... It's done, sir. I'm getting the second splice in place now!" She spoke to him, only a little above a whisper in between long breaths, but she'd already started running as well, returning to the side passage that held the room for the security node she needed to work with. Rogan didn't answer her, but then, he often didn't while he was working like this. She hoped she was doing it right. At the terminal, she quickly got to work patching the new splice in and checking that it was smooth. The fight hadn't been too bad, really. She'd been worried, but mostly for Rogan, and the risk of failing him. The machines trying to accost her hadn't really seemed too overtly harmful to her, even if the strangeness had made tripping up while dealing with them embarrassing. Truthfully, Lyntael knew that most navis wouldn't even consider the past few moments an actual fight at all, not really, but for her it did feel a little bit like an achievement. She'd kept herself together, after all, and nothing had gone terribly wrong.
"Ready, Sir! The second splice is in place, and you're clear to move through the next two labs and the sleeping quarters." She bit her lip, hands hovering above the keys now that she was done at this terminal, but she didn't say any more. Her mind was playing back what she'd heard of that voice, and it was sending a cold worry through her, but there wasn't really anything she could do about it until she worked out more. If she told Rogan, he'd just think she was compromised, and she'd have failed him again. No, whoever it was, it didn't sound like they were actually reporting an intrusion, or like they knew she was really there at all. That meant they couldn't see her, so, she just had to keep it that way.
"Good. You should head back to the last intersection, to the junction you passed before, then take the transit line that leads away. That will leave you at a space with two exits. Go left from where it leaves you. Head straight on that pathway, ignore the first right turning, and take the second one. The third node should be in a space at the end of that path." It occurred to Lyntael, that this was the most she and Rogan had spoken in over a week. The awkward silence and uncomfortable words seemed to have given way as long as they were talking just about the mission, and what he needed her to do. It was better than nothing, though. She started running again.
Back the way she had come, the barrier was still stuck partially closed and she tested it carefully to make sure it wasn't going anywhere before sliding under. Despite herself, Lyntael kept her skirt down with one hand while she did. There was no-one to see, and no real chance Rogan was watching her, but even so. She took a second to dust herself as she straightened, then ran onwards. The junction was as she'd left it, and her vision blurred as she stepped onto the end of the outbound transit. There was sense of static all around her, subtly different from her own though it still made her body hum in response. When her sight cleared, she found herself in another plain, unadorned space. It reminded her all too much of the inside of her PET, which, she realised, she was starting to hate.
Too many solitary days and nights present in the cold, emotionless space with nothing to do, too scared to venture into a network, too caught up in her own emotions to try talking to Rogan, and just unendingly, alone. Quick running steps carried her light feet across the cool, neutral panels of the network as she followed Rogan's directions. Nothing else had accosted her yet, hopefully that one little turret was just going to shut down for repairs or something.
The time passed so slowly, even though she hadn't had the courage or the composure to do anything more than war with her own thoughts and feelings, and let it. It seemed like an age ago now that she'd met Martia, or sent her that message. She'd thought about sending another, to apologise for the first, but... the thought alone made Lyntael wince to herself even as she moved through the security net. She had no idea how Martia would have taken getting what she'd ended up sending, with all those rambling bits and pieces she'd meant to edit out. She just didn't know what to say, or whether to say anything at all... she didn't know if sending anything else now would just make it worse, or whether Martia just hadn't answered because she was busy and had more important things to do. Whatever the reasons, though, her own trepidation had meant that, aside from the one mistaken email she hadn't contacted her friend at all in the time since. She wasn't even sure how she could begin talking to the other woman about what had happened, or even if she should at all. It wasn't the sort of thing you discussed with a new friend, really, even when it was something she knew she needed help handling... but there was no-one else, either.
Rogan's instructions led her to a small square space with four columns forming a smaller square halfway into the room. The node she needed was in the centre of the far wall and she darted quickly to it. As she crossed the centre of the room, however, a sound behind made her spin about. A security gate had slipped into place across the one entrance to the chamber, and the sounds of several wall hatches opening up on all sides made her breath catch. Not good.
((Ready for Battle 2))
((Overcharge has decreased by 1 in the intervening time, beginning at +1))
((Edit was to fix a typo that was irking me))
"It... It's done, sir. I'm getting the second splice in place now!" She spoke to him, only a little above a whisper in between long breaths, but she'd already started running as well, returning to the side passage that held the room for the security node she needed to work with. Rogan didn't answer her, but then, he often didn't while he was working like this. She hoped she was doing it right. At the terminal, she quickly got to work patching the new splice in and checking that it was smooth. The fight hadn't been too bad, really. She'd been worried, but mostly for Rogan, and the risk of failing him. The machines trying to accost her hadn't really seemed too overtly harmful to her, even if the strangeness had made tripping up while dealing with them embarrassing. Truthfully, Lyntael knew that most navis wouldn't even consider the past few moments an actual fight at all, not really, but for her it did feel a little bit like an achievement. She'd kept herself together, after all, and nothing had gone terribly wrong.
"Ready, Sir! The second splice is in place, and you're clear to move through the next two labs and the sleeping quarters." She bit her lip, hands hovering above the keys now that she was done at this terminal, but she didn't say any more. Her mind was playing back what she'd heard of that voice, and it was sending a cold worry through her, but there wasn't really anything she could do about it until she worked out more. If she told Rogan, he'd just think she was compromised, and she'd have failed him again. No, whoever it was, it didn't sound like they were actually reporting an intrusion, or like they knew she was really there at all. That meant they couldn't see her, so, she just had to keep it that way.
"Good. You should head back to the last intersection, to the junction you passed before, then take the transit line that leads away. That will leave you at a space with two exits. Go left from where it leaves you. Head straight on that pathway, ignore the first right turning, and take the second one. The third node should be in a space at the end of that path." It occurred to Lyntael, that this was the most she and Rogan had spoken in over a week. The awkward silence and uncomfortable words seemed to have given way as long as they were talking just about the mission, and what he needed her to do. It was better than nothing, though. She started running again.
Back the way she had come, the barrier was still stuck partially closed and she tested it carefully to make sure it wasn't going anywhere before sliding under. Despite herself, Lyntael kept her skirt down with one hand while she did. There was no-one to see, and no real chance Rogan was watching her, but even so. She took a second to dust herself as she straightened, then ran onwards. The junction was as she'd left it, and her vision blurred as she stepped onto the end of the outbound transit. There was sense of static all around her, subtly different from her own though it still made her body hum in response. When her sight cleared, she found herself in another plain, unadorned space. It reminded her all too much of the inside of her PET, which, she realised, she was starting to hate.
Too many solitary days and nights present in the cold, emotionless space with nothing to do, too scared to venture into a network, too caught up in her own emotions to try talking to Rogan, and just unendingly, alone. Quick running steps carried her light feet across the cool, neutral panels of the network as she followed Rogan's directions. Nothing else had accosted her yet, hopefully that one little turret was just going to shut down for repairs or something.
The time passed so slowly, even though she hadn't had the courage or the composure to do anything more than war with her own thoughts and feelings, and let it. It seemed like an age ago now that she'd met Martia, or sent her that message. She'd thought about sending another, to apologise for the first, but... the thought alone made Lyntael wince to herself even as she moved through the security net. She had no idea how Martia would have taken getting what she'd ended up sending, with all those rambling bits and pieces she'd meant to edit out. She just didn't know what to say, or whether to say anything at all... she didn't know if sending anything else now would just make it worse, or whether Martia just hadn't answered because she was busy and had more important things to do. Whatever the reasons, though, her own trepidation had meant that, aside from the one mistaken email she hadn't contacted her friend at all in the time since. She wasn't even sure how she could begin talking to the other woman about what had happened, or even if she should at all. It wasn't the sort of thing you discussed with a new friend, really, even when it was something she knew she needed help handling... but there was no-one else, either.
Rogan's instructions led her to a small square space with four columns forming a smaller square halfway into the room. The node she needed was in the centre of the far wall and she darted quickly to it. As she crossed the centre of the room, however, a sound behind made her spin about. A security gate had slipped into place across the one entrance to the chamber, and the sounds of several wall hatches opening up on all sides made her breath catch. Not good.
((Ready for Battle 2))
((Overcharge has decreased by 1 in the intervening time, beginning at +1))
((Edit was to fix a typo that was irking me))
last edited by
The security system seemed to have gone from woefully, almost comically underprepared to capable of setting a devious, no-win situation. Lyn probably knew before she approached the console that there was going to be some danger associated, and sure enough, several walls gave way to shallow compartments, each with another security robot ready to open fire on the intruder. Several turrets swiveled, their launchers ready and clearly following Lyntael's movements as they prepared a coordinated strike. It didn't seem that any additional tricks were in store yet, but there was already plenty to deal with, given that enemies surrounded Lyn on all sides. Theoretically, she could obstruct their attacks and take them on one by one using the pillars in the center of the room and perhaps the consoles themselves as shields. She might even be able to block all of their attacks simultaneously...
... But then, the room had clearly been designed rather intentionally as a trap. It seemed hard to imagine that they'd leave such a flaw if they really intended to stop intruders.
"Huh... do those systems tend to malfunction? No? Give it another three minutes, then check it out," the voice advised, sounding strangely close. It wasn't quite clear where it was coming from now, but proximity aside, it still didn't seem to have a good clue of what was going on. It was almost as if someone was willfully ignoring Lyn's invasion.
-=Mean Bots=-
Turret (Standard) A [Back wall, behind console from Lyntael]: 60 HP
Turret (Standard) B [Left wall]: 60 HP
Turret (Standard) C [Front wall]: 60 HP
Turret (Standard) D [Right wall]: 60 HP
-=Mopey Girls=-
Lyntael [Near Terminal]: 150 HP (20 elec barrier)
-=Terrain=-
100% Normal
-=Objects=-
Central Pillar Back-Left: 100 HP
Central Pillar Front-Left: 100 HP
Central Pillar Front-Right: 100 HP
Central Pillar Back-Right: 100 HP
Console in Center of the Room: 100 HP
Gate Blocking Hallway: ??? HP
-=BATTLE 2 START=-
... But then, the room had clearly been designed rather intentionally as a trap. It seemed hard to imagine that they'd leave such a flaw if they really intended to stop intruders.
"Huh... do those systems tend to malfunction? No? Give it another three minutes, then check it out," the voice advised, sounding strangely close. It wasn't quite clear where it was coming from now, but proximity aside, it still didn't seem to have a good clue of what was going on. It was almost as if someone was willfully ignoring Lyn's invasion.
-=Mean Bots=-
Turret (Standard) A [Back wall, behind console from Lyntael]: 60 HP
Turret (Standard) B [Left wall]: 60 HP
Turret (Standard) C [Front wall]: 60 HP
Turret (Standard) D [Right wall]: 60 HP
-=Mopey Girls=-
Lyntael [Near Terminal]: 150 HP (20 elec barrier)
-=Terrain=-
100% Normal
-=Objects=-
Central Pillar Back-Left: 100 HP
Central Pillar Front-Left: 100 HP
Central Pillar Front-Right: 100 HP
Central Pillar Back-Right: 100 HP
Console in Center of the Room: 100 HP
Gate Blocking Hallway: ??? HP
-=BATTLE 2 START=-
last edited by
((Lyn doesn't get to keep the barrier between battles, unfortunately; standard combat effects like that all go away, along with signature cooldown resets. Doesn't matter in the end though, since a lot of what she does comes from reflex rather than conscious choice ^.^ the console is in the centre of the back wall (opposite the gate), in this instance; the centre of the room should be clear.))
As she turned and saw the grate close over, Lyntael felt her heart lurch. Meeting small automated machines in the halls was one thing, but she didn't want to be trapped. There was no way out of the chamber, other than that doorway. Her first instinct was to rush back to it and try and get the gate open, to get out, to... to make sure she wasn't trapped, and she'd taken two steps before the thought had even processed. Her skin crackled and the initial shudder of her heart had become a race that was making her pant. The fact that there were security systems popping out of the walls all around her had barely registered over the jolt of disproportionate fear. She didn't want to be trapped again.
It took a couple of longer breaths for her to fight the panic off enough to think clearly. There were more security systems now, and they'd detected her presence. She still had to get the splice in place for Rogan, but she couldn't while they were here. They were going to attack her, probably. Would they be more dangerous than the last? What if they... Clearer for a moment, she darted further away form the console back towards the entrance of the room, turning about to try and see everything at once. She couldn't let them destroy the console and interrupt her ability to work with the node; that would be a worse disaster, but the sudden fear had sent a burst of adrenalin through her system and it came with a strong up-swell of her internal charge; it roiled beneath her skin and the pattern of electrical sparks flowing just beneath the surface burned. Forget the turrets; she couldn't afford to be anywhere near that console herself, now. How many were there, what were they going to do? Deep breaths. Four. Could she handle that? Maybe she could get them to break open the gate? Then she wouldn't be... Lyntael derailed the thought before it could get the better of her again, ducking behind the pillar on her right to try and break line of sight with one or two of the turrets. They looked like they were just guarding themselves at the moment... maybe they wouldn't actually attack? As long as she didn't do anything aggressive, they might leave her alone? Some part of her knew that it was probably a futile hope, but the rest of her clung onto it.
Without really knowing the manner in which these particular devices would attack her, Lyntael watched only the turret she could actually still see; the one above the gate. Her back was to the pillar as she kept her eyes on it, waiting to see what it would do, and her chest heaved as she tried to focus on breathing smoothly. Her charge was straining under her skin, now, just from the shock and fear alone, but she clenched her teeth, doing her best to hold it back and not make any sudden moves. She could practically feel the glow in her wrists and ankles as her strikers held their penned in charge; somewhere along the way her barrier had formed, though she hadn't noticed it happening, and the static laden field that was forming an invisible shell just beyond her body had left her extremities buzzing. Lyntael closed her eyes for a moment, willing her body to keep itself under control, then looked up towards the turret she was trying to focus on. Even with her back firmly against the pillar, she remained on the balls of her feet, ready to dart away if she needed to. By instinct she had felt out the air currents in the room and was prepared to thrust the brunt of the wind back past her body and against the column to help her get away.
The voice had spoken again. Whatever guiding light had given her an unwitting ally in the form of someone too lazy to investigate her disturbances, she still didn't have all the time in the world. Rogan would need to to have the splice done, and soon. Please, just let them leave her alone and go away...
Summary
L*) Try not to have another panic attack at being trapped in a closed space with hostiles.
L1) Reflex Activation: My Pain is Real (Counter(Receiving Physical Damage): 40Elec, Nova2, Self-Slow1)(Overcharge +1)
L2) Dodge (outer face of front-left pillar)
L3) Reflex Activation: My Heart Falters (40Elec Barrier, Buster Charge, Off-Target)(Overcharge -1)
L*) Passive: Manifest Spirit Suppressed this round.
L4) Buster Charge
L5) Dodge
L*) Subtype Ability: Gust, as Push: Only if Necessary, to assist movement with dodging.
Cooldowns and Overcharge
My Heart Falters: 1TCD
My Pain is Real: 2TCD
Overcharge: Begin: +1, My Pain is Real (Set) +1, My Heart Falters -1, End: +1
As she turned and saw the grate close over, Lyntael felt her heart lurch. Meeting small automated machines in the halls was one thing, but she didn't want to be trapped. There was no way out of the chamber, other than that doorway. Her first instinct was to rush back to it and try and get the gate open, to get out, to... to make sure she wasn't trapped, and she'd taken two steps before the thought had even processed. Her skin crackled and the initial shudder of her heart had become a race that was making her pant. The fact that there were security systems popping out of the walls all around her had barely registered over the jolt of disproportionate fear. She didn't want to be trapped again.
It took a couple of longer breaths for her to fight the panic off enough to think clearly. There were more security systems now, and they'd detected her presence. She still had to get the splice in place for Rogan, but she couldn't while they were here. They were going to attack her, probably. Would they be more dangerous than the last? What if they... Clearer for a moment, she darted further away form the console back towards the entrance of the room, turning about to try and see everything at once. She couldn't let them destroy the console and interrupt her ability to work with the node; that would be a worse disaster, but the sudden fear had sent a burst of adrenalin through her system and it came with a strong up-swell of her internal charge; it roiled beneath her skin and the pattern of electrical sparks flowing just beneath the surface burned. Forget the turrets; she couldn't afford to be anywhere near that console herself, now. How many were there, what were they going to do? Deep breaths. Four. Could she handle that? Maybe she could get them to break open the gate? Then she wouldn't be... Lyntael derailed the thought before it could get the better of her again, ducking behind the pillar on her right to try and break line of sight with one or two of the turrets. They looked like they were just guarding themselves at the moment... maybe they wouldn't actually attack? As long as she didn't do anything aggressive, they might leave her alone? Some part of her knew that it was probably a futile hope, but the rest of her clung onto it.
Without really knowing the manner in which these particular devices would attack her, Lyntael watched only the turret she could actually still see; the one above the gate. Her back was to the pillar as she kept her eyes on it, waiting to see what it would do, and her chest heaved as she tried to focus on breathing smoothly. Her charge was straining under her skin, now, just from the shock and fear alone, but she clenched her teeth, doing her best to hold it back and not make any sudden moves. She could practically feel the glow in her wrists and ankles as her strikers held their penned in charge; somewhere along the way her barrier had formed, though she hadn't noticed it happening, and the static laden field that was forming an invisible shell just beyond her body had left her extremities buzzing. Lyntael closed her eyes for a moment, willing her body to keep itself under control, then looked up towards the turret she was trying to focus on. Even with her back firmly against the pillar, she remained on the balls of her feet, ready to dart away if she needed to. By instinct she had felt out the air currents in the room and was prepared to thrust the brunt of the wind back past her body and against the column to help her get away.
The voice had spoken again. Whatever guiding light had given her an unwitting ally in the form of someone too lazy to investigate her disturbances, she still didn't have all the time in the world. Rogan would need to to have the splice done, and soon. Please, just let them leave her alone and go away...
Summary
L*) Try not to have another panic attack at being trapped in a closed space with hostiles.
L1) Reflex Activation: My Pain is Real (Counter(Receiving Physical Damage): 40Elec, Nova2, Self-Slow1)(Overcharge +1)
L2) Dodge (outer face of front-left pillar)
L3) Reflex Activation: My Heart Falters (40Elec Barrier, Buster Charge, Off-Target)(Overcharge -1)
L*) Passive: Manifest Spirit Suppressed this round.
L4) Buster Charge
L5) Dodge
L*) Subtype Ability: Gust, as Push: Only if Necessary, to assist movement with dodging.
Cooldowns and Overcharge
My Heart Falters: 1TCD
My Pain is Real: 2TCD
Overcharge: Begin: +1, My Pain is Real (Set) +1, My Heart Falters -1, End: +1
last edited by
The set of turrets whirred and beeped as they prepared to strike, but just as they launched their collective attack, Lyntael dashed off behind one of the pillars inside the room. Two of the security turrets launched a wide arc-shaped wooden projectile that appeared to follow Lyn as she fled, while the remaining two used a three-shot salvo. As she managed to find cover behind the turret, the triple-shots either whizzed past or embedded themselves in the pillar. However, the wooden projectiles unexpectedly arced around the pillar and towards her! Luckily, one of them only managed to graze the barrier that she had put up, while the other swerved and sliced a bit off of one of the other turrets.
Grazing her barrier meant that her self-defense electrical discharge would trigger, and the shockwave managed to damage a fair bit of her surroundings, which included the turret on the left wall and the column she was using for cover. Though it seemed rather unlikely that the columns were in any way load-bearing, Lyntael probably wouldn't have wanted to test the theory. It was also unlikely that whoever watched over the whole system wouldn't notice.
Yet the voice she had been hearing was oddly silent on the matter. Guess it really was sticking to its self-imposed three-minute rule, which wasn't really that short of an amount of time. Of course, the adrenaline-fueled Navi currently stuck in the room probably felt that she could use more than 180 seconds, especially given that she was nowhere near close to dispatching all of the turrets.
-=Mean Bots=-
Turret (Standard) A [Back wall, above console]: 60 HP
Turret (Standard) B [Left wall]: 20 HP
Turret (Standard) C [Front wall]: 45 HP
Turret (Standard) D [Right wall]: 60 HP
-=Mopey Girls=-
Lyntael [Center of room]: 150 HP (BusterCharge2) (Overcharge1) (Self-Slow1) (Off-Target1) (10HP ElecBarrier)
-=Terrain=-
100% Normal
-=Objects=-
Central Pillar Back-Left: 100 HP
Central Pillar Front-Left: 45 HP
Central Pillar Front-Right: 100 HP
Central Pillar Back-Right: 100 HP
Console in Back Wall: 100 HP
Gate Blocking Hallway: ??? HP
Grazing her barrier meant that her self-defense electrical discharge would trigger, and the shockwave managed to damage a fair bit of her surroundings, which included the turret on the left wall and the column she was using for cover. Though it seemed rather unlikely that the columns were in any way load-bearing, Lyntael probably wouldn't have wanted to test the theory. It was also unlikely that whoever watched over the whole system wouldn't notice.
Yet the voice she had been hearing was oddly silent on the matter. Guess it really was sticking to its self-imposed three-minute rule, which wasn't really that short of an amount of time. Of course, the adrenaline-fueled Navi currently stuck in the room probably felt that she could use more than 180 seconds, especially given that she was nowhere near close to dispatching all of the turrets.
-=Mean Bots=-
Turret (Standard) A [Back wall, above console]: 60 HP
Turret (Standard) B [Left wall]: 20 HP
Turret (Standard) C [Front wall]: 45 HP
Turret (Standard) D [Right wall]: 60 HP
-=Mopey Girls=-
Lyntael [Center of room]: 150 HP (BusterCharge2) (Overcharge1) (Self-Slow1) (Off-Target1) (10HP ElecBarrier)
-=Terrain=-
100% Normal
-=Objects=-
Central Pillar Back-Left: 100 HP
Central Pillar Front-Left: 45 HP
Central Pillar Front-Right: 100 HP
Central Pillar Back-Right: 100 HP
Console in Back Wall: 100 HP
Gate Blocking Hallway: ??? HP
last edited by
As she'd feared, the sounds of fast-paced attacks hailed down around her moments later, and Lyntael flinched as she heard them tearing lumps out of the pillar she was cowering behind. Worse than that though, was the way a couple of them arced, sneaking around what she had hoped was safety. One of them winged her; passing through her barrier robbed the projectile of its damaging properties, but it still glanced off her shoulder as it passed by and try as she might to hold it in, her body responded to the assault.
The arc of it slammed her back up against the pillar again as she was forced straight by the reflexive expenditure, the cascade of electricity exploding outwards before it let her sag again, knees bent. A couple of quick panted breaths was all she allowed herself, though. There just wasn't time for more, and as much a she could feel her charge swelling again rapidly, she knew that ending the conflict was the only way she was going to calm herself down, now. It was going to hurt, she knew it was going to hurt, and even as she grit her teeth against it she was fighting the urge to cry. Why did it keep coming down to this? She had to attack, but she had to stay calm. It was a contradiction, and there was no way around it. The electricity was humming in her chest again already. Not at breaking point yet, but it had come back fast.
With a sharp breath, Lyntael darted out, turning once to keep the four in sight. She transitioned into a roll as soon as she caught sight of the first one taking action, tumbling smoothly over one hand into the centre of the room and gathering her feet underneath as she came upright to immediately spring backwards again at a straighter angle. She was mostly focused on moving her slight form nimbly and stopping any more of the incoming attacks from reaching her, but the direction was deliberate too. Kicking off the ground backwards, Lyntael gathered the air in the room around her as she jumped and used it to spring further and quicker than she might otherwise have managed. Her target was actually the turret above the gate, that had been damaged already by one of the others. She twisted her body as she moved, bringing her right arm about back-fisted just as she reached its position.
The urge to release the entire wealth of energy that had cycled up again was almost overwhelming, but she knew what that terrible spiral was like, and tried to focus on keeping it under control. The energy drew in from her strikers, unified in her chest, then pulsed out again, creating a flare of static from her right wrist as the blow reached the point where she thought the turret ought to be. It was less than her full charge, restrained ruthlessly by the small girl, but even so an extra ripple of sparks escaped her skin, sending a smaller, secondary wave of electricity fanning out around her. As her body completed the turn, she faced the rest of the room again and thrust her left hand outwards, turning the wind swirling about her out from her body in a pulse of air that she hoped would be strong enough to push any remaining projectiles aimed her way, off course.
She landed a little less steadily than she would have preferred, but Lyntael could feel the rebound creeping up more slowly than it might have if she'd let herself expend everything at once. That was positive. The adrenalin of the moment was helping to keep some of the fear and most of the urge to burst into tears, at bay, for now. Without having the time to catch her breath though, Lyntael darted back towards the pillar she'd first taken sanctuary behind. The nearest turret was already badly damaged, and maybe... A few more quick steps carried her across to where the most damaged turret was stationed. She'd seen the way they held the wooden guards in front, but now she close with the defence turret to a distance it was probably only comfortable with a mechanic being. Taking what momentum her body had from the dash, she turned it swiftly downwards, grabbing hold of the guard with her right hand and wrenching it down and to the side as much as she could, so that she could bring her left fist in over-hand and drive it down into the guts of the machine. The same familiar loop of energy came with the action, drawing in and rushing out again in a wave that released a burst of sparks to accompany the strike.
With a small gasp, Lyntael subsided and rolled away form the hatch that the turret had entered through, leaning against the wall of the chamber with her back to it and her head up for a few seconds. She was panting more steadily now and her muscles were starting to burn from the constant resurge of electrical energy. She was trying to stay calm, but it was still getting worse. Even this small task that Rogan wanted of her, and she was already in over her head. It wasn't fair...
Summary
L*) (Overcharge +1 for Counter triggering)
L1) Dodge (out to centre of room)
L2) Dodge with Airstep; dodge and jump towards turret C
L3) Half-charge Buster-Strike at Turret C (40Elec,A B)(Overcharge +1)
L*) A Manifest Spirit (10Elec, Nova2)(Overcharge -1)
L*) Subtype Ability: Gust, as Free Action, as Push, Out from Self, aimed at aiding deflection/causing misses for physical projectiles.
L4) Feint (Movement if distance requires it), back around damage pillar, to Turret B
L5) Half-charge Buster-Strike at Turret B (40Elec,A B)(Overcharge +1)
Cooldowns and Overcharge
My Heart Falters: Cooling Down
My Pain is Real: 1TCD
Overcharge: Begin: +1, My Pain is Real (Trigger) +1, Manifest Spirit -1, Half-Charge Strike x2 +2, End: +3
The arc of it slammed her back up against the pillar again as she was forced straight by the reflexive expenditure, the cascade of electricity exploding outwards before it let her sag again, knees bent. A couple of quick panted breaths was all she allowed herself, though. There just wasn't time for more, and as much a she could feel her charge swelling again rapidly, she knew that ending the conflict was the only way she was going to calm herself down, now. It was going to hurt, she knew it was going to hurt, and even as she grit her teeth against it she was fighting the urge to cry. Why did it keep coming down to this? She had to attack, but she had to stay calm. It was a contradiction, and there was no way around it. The electricity was humming in her chest again already. Not at breaking point yet, but it had come back fast.
With a sharp breath, Lyntael darted out, turning once to keep the four in sight. She transitioned into a roll as soon as she caught sight of the first one taking action, tumbling smoothly over one hand into the centre of the room and gathering her feet underneath as she came upright to immediately spring backwards again at a straighter angle. She was mostly focused on moving her slight form nimbly and stopping any more of the incoming attacks from reaching her, but the direction was deliberate too. Kicking off the ground backwards, Lyntael gathered the air in the room around her as she jumped and used it to spring further and quicker than she might otherwise have managed. Her target was actually the turret above the gate, that had been damaged already by one of the others. She twisted her body as she moved, bringing her right arm about back-fisted just as she reached its position.
The urge to release the entire wealth of energy that had cycled up again was almost overwhelming, but she knew what that terrible spiral was like, and tried to focus on keeping it under control. The energy drew in from her strikers, unified in her chest, then pulsed out again, creating a flare of static from her right wrist as the blow reached the point where she thought the turret ought to be. It was less than her full charge, restrained ruthlessly by the small girl, but even so an extra ripple of sparks escaped her skin, sending a smaller, secondary wave of electricity fanning out around her. As her body completed the turn, she faced the rest of the room again and thrust her left hand outwards, turning the wind swirling about her out from her body in a pulse of air that she hoped would be strong enough to push any remaining projectiles aimed her way, off course.
She landed a little less steadily than she would have preferred, but Lyntael could feel the rebound creeping up more slowly than it might have if she'd let herself expend everything at once. That was positive. The adrenalin of the moment was helping to keep some of the fear and most of the urge to burst into tears, at bay, for now. Without having the time to catch her breath though, Lyntael darted back towards the pillar she'd first taken sanctuary behind. The nearest turret was already badly damaged, and maybe... A few more quick steps carried her across to where the most damaged turret was stationed. She'd seen the way they held the wooden guards in front, but now she close with the defence turret to a distance it was probably only comfortable with a mechanic being. Taking what momentum her body had from the dash, she turned it swiftly downwards, grabbing hold of the guard with her right hand and wrenching it down and to the side as much as she could, so that she could bring her left fist in over-hand and drive it down into the guts of the machine. The same familiar loop of energy came with the action, drawing in and rushing out again in a wave that released a burst of sparks to accompany the strike.
With a small gasp, Lyntael subsided and rolled away form the hatch that the turret had entered through, leaning against the wall of the chamber with her back to it and her head up for a few seconds. She was panting more steadily now and her muscles were starting to burn from the constant resurge of electrical energy. She was trying to stay calm, but it was still getting worse. Even this small task that Rogan wanted of her, and she was already in over her head. It wasn't fair...
Summary
L*) (Overcharge +1 for Counter triggering)
L1) Dodge (out to centre of room)
L2) Dodge with Airstep; dodge and jump towards turret C
L3) Half-charge Buster-Strike at Turret C (40Elec,
L*) A Manifest Spirit (10Elec, Nova2)(Overcharge -1)
L*) Subtype Ability: Gust, as Free Action, as Push, Out from Self, aimed at aiding deflection/causing misses for physical projectiles.
L4) Feint (Movement if distance requires it), back around damage pillar, to Turret B
L5) Half-charge Buster-Strike at Turret B (40Elec,
Cooldowns and Overcharge
My Heart Falters: Cooling Down
My Pain is Real: 1TCD
Overcharge: Begin: +1, My Pain is Real (Trigger) +1, Manifest Spirit -1, Half-Charge Strike x2 +2, End: +3
last edited by
Dipping in and out of the array of mechanical monsters seemed to come more naturally to Lyntael, as she dashed out into the open, and then bounded all the way up to reach one of the turrets mounted on the walls. From within her innate energy came two consecutive static bursts, the second much weaker than the first. The turret that was unfortunate enough to receive both pulses crackled before standing down in inactivity. The pillars around it were also damaged slightly, though they still held. Meanwhile, the remaining turrets had opened fire, with two of them using the rapidfire mode and one launching its wooden hook projectile yet again.
Fortunately, Lyntael managed to swoop out of the way of one of the triple-fire barrages with a good landing, and absorbed the other salvo with most of her barrier and a very luckily timed pulse of air pressure. Not one to lose momentum, she then swiftly repositioned closer to the most damaged one, that had just recently launched its hook-projectile towards her. Avoiding the arc that the projectile drew, she dashed in for the kill, and destroyed a second turret with an electrically-charged blow. The turret creaked off of its hinge from the impact and crashed onto the ground, leaving two more behind.
-=Mean Bots=-
Turret (Standard) A [Back wall, above console]: 60 HP
Turret (Standard) B [Left wall]: DESTROYED
Turret (Standard) C [Front wall]: DEACTIVATED
Turret (Standard) D [Right wall]: 60 HP
-=Mopey Girls=-
Lyntael [Center of room]: 150 HP (BusterCharge0) (Overcharge3)
-=Terrain=-
100% Normal
-=Objects=-
Central Pillar Back-Left: 100 HP
Central Pillar Front-Left: 35 HP
Central Pillar Front-Right: 90 HP
Central Pillar Back-Right: 100 HP
Console in Back Wall: 100 HP
Gate Blocking Hallway: ??? HP
Fortunately, Lyntael managed to swoop out of the way of one of the triple-fire barrages with a good landing, and absorbed the other salvo with most of her barrier and a very luckily timed pulse of air pressure. Not one to lose momentum, she then swiftly repositioned closer to the most damaged one, that had just recently launched its hook-projectile towards her. Avoiding the arc that the projectile drew, she dashed in for the kill, and destroyed a second turret with an electrically-charged blow. The turret creaked off of its hinge from the impact and crashed onto the ground, leaving two more behind.
-=Mean Bots=-
Turret (Standard) A [Back wall, above console]: 60 HP
Turret (Standard) B [Left wall]: DESTROYED
Turret (Standard) C [Front wall]: DEACTIVATED
Turret (Standard) D [Right wall]: 60 HP
-=Mopey Girls=-
Lyntael [Center of room]: 150 HP (BusterCharge0) (Overcharge3)
-=Terrain=-
100% Normal
-=Objects=-
Central Pillar Back-Left: 100 HP
Central Pillar Front-Left: 35 HP
Central Pillar Front-Right: 90 HP
Central Pillar Back-Right: 100 HP
Console in Back Wall: 100 HP
Gate Blocking Hallway: ??? HP
last edited by
Back to the wall and panting, Lyntael wanted little more than to stop and rest. Even if it was just little defence machines, she wasn't cut out for this kind of thing, and it didn't seem to matter how determined she was to try and show Rogan she could be useful, it just seemed too futile. She was out of breath and her muscles hurt, but there were still two more of the systems trying to attack her, and she knew her luck wouldn't last. Worse, the cycle of her charge was getting faster, no matter how she tried to keep it cool. Already her skin was tingling and sparks jumped across the smallest gaps; her hair was crackling consistently with the small snaps. How much longer could she hold it off?
There was no time to lie still and catch her breath though, or let her body calm down. The machines weren't waiting, and the charge under her skin wasn't either; it was aching for release already, even though she'd only just drained it away. Her eyes focused on the two remaining turrets; they'd be ready to have another go at her in seconds. She brought her rest to its end and pushed off the wall, moving forward to put the back pillar between herself and the one above the console. It wasn't really useful cover, she knew now, but it was something at least. She couldn't afford to get closer to that one. She didn't have enough control, and letting the console get damaged was the last thing she wanted. Other one first, then maybe she's get a chance to calm down.
Without waiting behind the pillar, Lyntael took a deep breath and let it out again, then slipped around it and put one foot up against the side to kick off, dashing across the room swiftly. She kept low to the ground as she ran, light steps barely brushing the floor as she pulled at the air in the small room to speed her steps. As she crossed the space, she was aware of the tingling pulse of her barrier reasserting itself, the static shell blooming out from her core in response to her own actions, somehow. She still wasn't any good at doing that reliably, yet, but there wasn't really time for the thought to go any further.
She reached the wall, getting one foot against it and springing back to bend her other leg against the corner of the near pillar. the kick off that followed let her twist first her upper body, then her waist, spinning the first leg out in a swift roundhouse that looked more acrobatic than powerful. What it might have lacked in physical presence, though, Lyntael could feel bursting under her skin with its need to escape. The electricity was scouring at her body now, and it was a relief to let it flow, fluxing inwards, combining, then pouring out through her extended striker as her kick tracked towards the wall-mounted weapon. The sensation of release had her eyes squeeze shut after she'd eyed up and aimed her strike, but even if it hadn't, the flare of light that accompanied the blow would have blinded her anyway. The sensory overload was enough that she couldn't even tell properly whether her leg had actually connected with the side of the turret's housing like she'd aimed for, or not. The briefly erratic movements were too much for her skirt's modesty coding to keep up with, this time, and if anyone had been watching her they'd have gotten a good eyeful of the innocent white cotton unders that it failed to cover. Fortunately for the young girl's dignity, it didn't appear as though anyone was paying attention right now.
The relief didn't last long. Lyntael stumbled as she landed this time, muscles shaking, and she tumbled to one knee, then over onto her side as her limbs failed to catch her momentum properly. Her body pulsed again, sending out a secondary wave of energy, but Lyntael herself didn't notice this one. Gasping for breath, she put both hands down to the panels to steady herself, then scrambled up numbly. The ache was beginning to encroach on her thoughts again, along with the beginnings of that uncomfortable sensation around her eyes. Unsteady, she let her back lean against the wall once again, shuffling to keep a pillar between her and the turret above the console. She couldn't let this happen again; not here and not now.
There was no stopping it, however. Still trying to catch her breath from the last major expenditure, the up-cycle of her internal charge was racing back faster and stronger already. Already, the relief of expend had been replaced by the burning of electrical energy raging under her skin. She couldn't let this get away from her. The though was one of the few solid points for her to repeat clearly in her mind and she did so, clenching her fingers into tight fists and forcing herself to stand straight again. She had to control this; there was no alternative this time.
"Rogan... Hahh, there's more security... I'm... hahh... I'm almost there. It'll be done soon. I'm nearly there..." He'd be mad at her, for the way she sounded, she knew, but it was better than saying nothing." She waited for the inevitable scolding she'd get for playing games, or affecting emotion. In a way, his voice would be something else to focus on.
"Hurry up. I need to keep moving and time is against us." It surprised her, that he hadn't told her off. Maybe he'd just given up? She nodded, then corrected herself and answered him properly.
"Yes, sir." How much longer did she have, before she became a liability to him, she wondered. What would happen if it went too far, and her safeties cut in again? There had been a time when she had felt sure that he'd never just leave her, but, after SciLab, and after... Him... she didn't feel as certain of that any more. She didn't want to test it; she was terrified of learning the answer, but the fear remained... if he had to choose between not getting caught, or abandoning her, she knew in her heart what he'd do even if she didn't want to believe it. Tiny white teeth grit themselves as she tried to fight down the charge threatening to overwhelm her and keep going.
Summary
L1) Overcharge Precluded Action: Buster Charge
L2) Feint (as Movement if necessary) (Across room, to melee range of turret D)
L*) Subtype Ability: Gust, as Movement Assistance, as Push, to improve speed and, hopefully, avoidance.
L3) Reflex Activation: Signature: My Heart Falters (40Elec Barrier, Buster Charge, Off-Target)(Overcharge -1)
L4) Full Charge Buster Strike at Turret D (80Elec, A)(Overcharge +2)
L*) A Manifest Spirit (10Elec, Nova2)(Overcharge -1)
L5) Overcharge Precluded Action: Buster Charge
Cooldowns and Overcharge
My Heart Falters: 1TCD
My Pain is Real: Cooling Down
Overcharge: Begin: +3, My Heart Falters -1, Full-Charge Strike +2, Manifest Spirit -1, End: +3
There was no time to lie still and catch her breath though, or let her body calm down. The machines weren't waiting, and the charge under her skin wasn't either; it was aching for release already, even though she'd only just drained it away. Her eyes focused on the two remaining turrets; they'd be ready to have another go at her in seconds. She brought her rest to its end and pushed off the wall, moving forward to put the back pillar between herself and the one above the console. It wasn't really useful cover, she knew now, but it was something at least. She couldn't afford to get closer to that one. She didn't have enough control, and letting the console get damaged was the last thing she wanted. Other one first, then maybe she's get a chance to calm down.
Without waiting behind the pillar, Lyntael took a deep breath and let it out again, then slipped around it and put one foot up against the side to kick off, dashing across the room swiftly. She kept low to the ground as she ran, light steps barely brushing the floor as she pulled at the air in the small room to speed her steps. As she crossed the space, she was aware of the tingling pulse of her barrier reasserting itself, the static shell blooming out from her core in response to her own actions, somehow. She still wasn't any good at doing that reliably, yet, but there wasn't really time for the thought to go any further.
She reached the wall, getting one foot against it and springing back to bend her other leg against the corner of the near pillar. the kick off that followed let her twist first her upper body, then her waist, spinning the first leg out in a swift roundhouse that looked more acrobatic than powerful. What it might have lacked in physical presence, though, Lyntael could feel bursting under her skin with its need to escape. The electricity was scouring at her body now, and it was a relief to let it flow, fluxing inwards, combining, then pouring out through her extended striker as her kick tracked towards the wall-mounted weapon. The sensation of release had her eyes squeeze shut after she'd eyed up and aimed her strike, but even if it hadn't, the flare of light that accompanied the blow would have blinded her anyway. The sensory overload was enough that she couldn't even tell properly whether her leg had actually connected with the side of the turret's housing like she'd aimed for, or not. The briefly erratic movements were too much for her skirt's modesty coding to keep up with, this time, and if anyone had been watching her they'd have gotten a good eyeful of the innocent white cotton unders that it failed to cover. Fortunately for the young girl's dignity, it didn't appear as though anyone was paying attention right now.
The relief didn't last long. Lyntael stumbled as she landed this time, muscles shaking, and she tumbled to one knee, then over onto her side as her limbs failed to catch her momentum properly. Her body pulsed again, sending out a secondary wave of energy, but Lyntael herself didn't notice this one. Gasping for breath, she put both hands down to the panels to steady herself, then scrambled up numbly. The ache was beginning to encroach on her thoughts again, along with the beginnings of that uncomfortable sensation around her eyes. Unsteady, she let her back lean against the wall once again, shuffling to keep a pillar between her and the turret above the console. She couldn't let this happen again; not here and not now.
There was no stopping it, however. Still trying to catch her breath from the last major expenditure, the up-cycle of her internal charge was racing back faster and stronger already. Already, the relief of expend had been replaced by the burning of electrical energy raging under her skin. She couldn't let this get away from her. The though was one of the few solid points for her to repeat clearly in her mind and she did so, clenching her fingers into tight fists and forcing herself to stand straight again. She had to control this; there was no alternative this time.
"Rogan... Hahh, there's more security... I'm... hahh... I'm almost there. It'll be done soon. I'm nearly there..." He'd be mad at her, for the way she sounded, she knew, but it was better than saying nothing." She waited for the inevitable scolding she'd get for playing games, or affecting emotion. In a way, his voice would be something else to focus on.
"Hurry up. I need to keep moving and time is against us." It surprised her, that he hadn't told her off. Maybe he'd just given up? She nodded, then corrected herself and answered him properly.
"Yes, sir." How much longer did she have, before she became a liability to him, she wondered. What would happen if it went too far, and her safeties cut in again? There had been a time when she had felt sure that he'd never just leave her, but, after SciLab, and after... Him... she didn't feel as certain of that any more. She didn't want to test it; she was terrified of learning the answer, but the fear remained... if he had to choose between not getting caught, or abandoning her, she knew in her heart what he'd do even if she didn't want to believe it. Tiny white teeth grit themselves as she tried to fight down the charge threatening to overwhelm her and keep going.
Summary
L1) Overcharge Precluded Action: Buster Charge
L2) Feint (as Movement if necessary) (Across room, to melee range of turret D)
L*) Subtype Ability: Gust, as Movement Assistance, as Push, to improve speed and, hopefully, avoidance.
L3) Reflex Activation: Signature: My Heart Falters (40Elec Barrier, Buster Charge, Off-Target)(Overcharge -1)
L4) Full Charge Buster Strike at Turret D (80Elec, A)(Overcharge +2)
L*) A Manifest Spirit (10Elec, Nova2)(Overcharge -1)
L5) Overcharge Precluded Action: Buster Charge
Cooldowns and Overcharge
My Heart Falters: 1TCD
My Pain is Real: Cooling Down
Overcharge: Begin: +3, My Heart Falters -1, Full-Charge Strike +2, Manifest Spirit -1, End: +3
last edited by
Lyntael was skirting on the side of being completely overwhelmed by her innate electric charge as she stopped to take a very brief respite, before kicking off the wall and whizzing across the room. Reaching the end of the other wall quickly from her previous position near the gate, she launched herself into the air with a swift roundhouse to connect from underneath the turret. The attack bypassed its hardened frontside easily, tearing through the turret's integrity with ease. The crackle from her passive discharge damaged a couple of nearby pillars slightly, though not by much.
Meanwhile, the final turret continued its barrage of attacks, choosing to launch its large projectile towards her, but Lyntael's reflexive electric barrier deflected the arcing wooden boomerang without much fanfare.
-=Mean Bots=-
Turret (Standard) A [Back wall, above console]: 60 HP
Turret (Standard) B [Left wall]: DESTROYED
Turret (Standard) C [Front wall]: DEACTIVATED
Turret (Standard) D [Right wall]: STRUCK DOWN
-=Mopey Girls=-
Lyntael [Near right wall]: 150 HP (BusterCharge1) (Off-Target1) (Overcharge3) (10HP Barrier)
-=Terrain=-
100% Normal
-=Objects=-
Central Pillar Back-Left: 100 HP
Central Pillar Front-Left: 35 HP
Central Pillar Front-Right: 80 HP
Central Pillar Back-Right: 90 HP
Console in Back Wall: 100 HP
Gate Blocking Hallway: ??? HP
Meanwhile, the final turret continued its barrage of attacks, choosing to launch its large projectile towards her, but Lyntael's reflexive electric barrier deflected the arcing wooden boomerang without much fanfare.
-=Mean Bots=-
Turret (Standard) A [Back wall, above console]: 60 HP
Turret (Standard) B [Left wall]: DESTROYED
Turret (Standard) C [Front wall]: DEACTIVATED
Turret (Standard) D [Right wall]: STRUCK DOWN
-=Mopey Girls=-
Lyntael [Near right wall]: 150 HP (BusterCharge1) (Off-Target1) (Overcharge3) (10HP Barrier)
-=Terrain=-
100% Normal
-=Objects=-
Central Pillar Back-Left: 100 HP
Central Pillar Front-Left: 35 HP
Central Pillar Front-Right: 80 HP
Central Pillar Back-Right: 90 HP
Console in Back Wall: 100 HP
Gate Blocking Hallway: ??? HP
last edited by
She should have been relieved that she was down to one turret now, but this last one was the biggest problem, and in retrospect, leaving it until last had only made the problem harder. Breathing through clenched teeth, Lyntael tried to keep her thoughts together, but the burning of energy hazed her mind as much as it made her muscles ache. Her eyes had started to sting more noticeably now; another stray through said that that was a bad sign. She had to release it again, and soon; the pain was getting bad, but if she did, the cost of a few moments respite would be it growing worse. Focus. She only had the vaguest idea of where her safety limit actually was, but she could still string thoughts together, so that meant she had room yet. Enough to end the conflict and buy herself some time to calm down, maybe.
She stole a peek from around the nearest pillar. Couldn't get close, not when she was like this; the console was too near. Her eye was drawn for a moment to the way the lightning current was dancing a pattern under her skin, mirroring the rending sensation as it tried to drown out her thoughts. Why did it hurt like this? The strain under her skin begged to escape but she fought it off, held it in. Too close. It would attack soon, stop guarding, then... a thought surfaced; another memory of another bad time, but she knew it was what she needed now. She didn't want to, but what choice was there? She remembered how it felt, the sensation of her strikers connecting... right now she could barely feel her extremities over the rush of current.
A desperate thought cut through the rest, telling Lyntael that she'd already wasted too long waiting and thinking. A part of her wished it hadn't. Couldn't she just hide? No, Rogan was waiting. She braced herself then darted out, backing off into the middle of the room, between the far pillars opposite the remaining turret so she could put more distance between herself and the console. It was hard to focus her gaze on the turret properly; the sting in her eyes kept making her blink, but she watched it all the same as she gathered a cushion of wind around and behind her again, wrapping it into a shell about her body while she aimed carefully with her eyes and waited for the defence system to strike. If anyone had been watching, they'd be able to see the beginnings of electrical fall-off spilling in tiny sparklets from the corners of her eyes, but Lyntael herself couldn't see the effect. Small static cracks sounded each time her toes touched or left the panels, though the sounds were lost under the constant crackle of smaller arcs jumping between the strands of her hair. She just had to hold it a little longer, just until the turret attacked again. Just until...
At the first sign of movement from her target, Lyntael turned the shell of air about her outward in as much of a blast as she could push it to, then dropped to one knee and brought her arms up together, outstretched in front of her. Her eyes were locked onto the defence system, even as her wrists connected and the current flowed. Just like the first time, the full weight of charge suffusing her body joined the cycle of energy that channelled through her core and out to each of her joined wrist strikers, emerging as a solid bolt of raw power. The lightning charge struck out towards her target, but once it began the surge held her in its grip, draining her body completely as she expended it. Her eyes closed tightly against the rush of sensation; there was relief, yes, and euphoria at the release of energy, but even so there was pain as the force of it burned and scoured through her. Somewhere in the static white-out she heard her own voice crying out. Surely it hadn't been this bad last time, had it? It was several seconds that felt far longer before the last of the electricity released her and she fell forward, collapsing to her other knee as both palms hit the panels to either side.
For a moment there was emptiness, enough to gasp in an uneven breath, before the void was answered by a resurgent roar, her inner charge rebounding almost right away this time. It was too much and too soon, again. She was losing it. Awareness of her surroundings had faded to vague at best; her thoughts were awash in a confusion of electrical shorting while her limbs shook beneath her. Fingers curled to fists on the panels while she fought to draw longer deeper breaths. When her eyes opened again, she was watching small streams of sparks falling towards the floor beneath her, head down; a white static had covered her eyes now, to someone looking at her, though all Lyntael was aware of was the constant stinging it caused.
The main thought that she clung to in the moments that followed was that she had to hold herself together. No more expenditures at all; any more and she would be too far gone. While she fought to bear out the strain of her overcharge, though, she was left more or less at the mercy of anything that remained in the room. For Lyntael, this wasn't a conscious thought; her awareness was too broken and scattered for that. More, it was a sense that there was more she had to focus on, outside of getting herself under control, even if she couldn't think about what any of those other things actually were. For now, it was just a focus on trying to breath while her skin and hair blazed with resurgent current.
Summary
L1) Overcharge Precluded Action: Buster Charge
L2) Delayed Dodge (Waiting for turret to act)
L*) Subtype Ability: Gust, as Push, as Dodge/Deflection assist.
L*) Manifest Spirit: Suppressed this round.
L3) Take Aim
L4) Signature: My Anger Directed, at Turret A (90Elec, A, Charge-Burner 1)(Overcharge +2)
L*) Too much, too soon.
L5) Overcharge Precluded Action: Buster Charge
Cooldowns and Overcharge
My Heart Falters: Cooling Down
My Anger Directed: 3TCD
Overcharge: Begin: +3, My Anger Directed +2, End: +5
She stole a peek from around the nearest pillar. Couldn't get close, not when she was like this; the console was too near. Her eye was drawn for a moment to the way the lightning current was dancing a pattern under her skin, mirroring the rending sensation as it tried to drown out her thoughts. Why did it hurt like this? The strain under her skin begged to escape but she fought it off, held it in. Too close. It would attack soon, stop guarding, then... a thought surfaced; another memory of another bad time, but she knew it was what she needed now. She didn't want to, but what choice was there? She remembered how it felt, the sensation of her strikers connecting... right now she could barely feel her extremities over the rush of current.
A desperate thought cut through the rest, telling Lyntael that she'd already wasted too long waiting and thinking. A part of her wished it hadn't. Couldn't she just hide? No, Rogan was waiting. She braced herself then darted out, backing off into the middle of the room, between the far pillars opposite the remaining turret so she could put more distance between herself and the console. It was hard to focus her gaze on the turret properly; the sting in her eyes kept making her blink, but she watched it all the same as she gathered a cushion of wind around and behind her again, wrapping it into a shell about her body while she aimed carefully with her eyes and waited for the defence system to strike. If anyone had been watching, they'd be able to see the beginnings of electrical fall-off spilling in tiny sparklets from the corners of her eyes, but Lyntael herself couldn't see the effect. Small static cracks sounded each time her toes touched or left the panels, though the sounds were lost under the constant crackle of smaller arcs jumping between the strands of her hair. She just had to hold it a little longer, just until the turret attacked again. Just until...
At the first sign of movement from her target, Lyntael turned the shell of air about her outward in as much of a blast as she could push it to, then dropped to one knee and brought her arms up together, outstretched in front of her. Her eyes were locked onto the defence system, even as her wrists connected and the current flowed. Just like the first time, the full weight of charge suffusing her body joined the cycle of energy that channelled through her core and out to each of her joined wrist strikers, emerging as a solid bolt of raw power. The lightning charge struck out towards her target, but once it began the surge held her in its grip, draining her body completely as she expended it. Her eyes closed tightly against the rush of sensation; there was relief, yes, and euphoria at the release of energy, but even so there was pain as the force of it burned and scoured through her. Somewhere in the static white-out she heard her own voice crying out. Surely it hadn't been this bad last time, had it? It was several seconds that felt far longer before the last of the electricity released her and she fell forward, collapsing to her other knee as both palms hit the panels to either side.
For a moment there was emptiness, enough to gasp in an uneven breath, before the void was answered by a resurgent roar, her inner charge rebounding almost right away this time. It was too much and too soon, again. She was losing it. Awareness of her surroundings had faded to vague at best; her thoughts were awash in a confusion of electrical shorting while her limbs shook beneath her. Fingers curled to fists on the panels while she fought to draw longer deeper breaths. When her eyes opened again, she was watching small streams of sparks falling towards the floor beneath her, head down; a white static had covered her eyes now, to someone looking at her, though all Lyntael was aware of was the constant stinging it caused.
The main thought that she clung to in the moments that followed was that she had to hold herself together. No more expenditures at all; any more and she would be too far gone. While she fought to bear out the strain of her overcharge, though, she was left more or less at the mercy of anything that remained in the room. For Lyntael, this wasn't a conscious thought; her awareness was too broken and scattered for that. More, it was a sense that there was more she had to focus on, outside of getting herself under control, even if she couldn't think about what any of those other things actually were. For now, it was just a focus on trying to breath while her skin and hair blazed with resurgent current.
Summary
L1) Overcharge Precluded Action: Buster Charge
L2) Delayed Dodge (Waiting for turret to act)
L*) Subtype Ability: Gust, as Push, as Dodge/Deflection assist.
L*) Manifest Spirit: Suppressed this round.
L3) Take Aim
L4) Signature: My Anger Directed, at Turret A (90Elec, A, Charge-Burner 1)(Overcharge +2)
L*) Too much, too soon.
L5) Overcharge Precluded Action: Buster Charge
Cooldowns and Overcharge
My Heart Falters: Cooling Down
My Anger Directed: 3TCD
Overcharge: Begin: +3, My Anger Directed +2, End: +5
last edited by
The final showdown was at hand. For most other Navis, it would be an average end to a battle, but for Lyntael, it was asking a lot out of her. Her internal limiters were already being strained to their absolute limit. Staring down the last turret, she waited for it to make its move. Then, she suddenly dropped her position, and launched the last vestiges of her power into a one-shot attack. It struck home easily, catching the turret directly as it exposed its maw in an attack. However, just as Lyntael finished her attack, she collapsed onto the floor, and literally everything shut down.
Or, well, almost everything. When Lyntael would come to her senses, the only sources of illumination that would remain in the room would be her own electrical sparks, and the surviving console in the far back wall. Everything else was dark, and the turrets around her silently coalesced into zenny data for her to gather.
"A blackout now? Ugh, that's even more of a bother. I guess I'll go look at that in a little bit," the voice from earlier suddenly commented. It seems like, at the very least, her unseeing overseer was still around.
-=Mean Bots=-
Turret (Standard) A [Back wall, above console]: DELETED
Turret (Standard) B [Left wall]: DESTROYED
Turret (Standard) C [Front wall]: DEACTIVATED
Turret (Standard) D [Right wall]: STRUCK DOWN
-=Mopey Girls=-
Lyntael [Around center of room]: 150 HP (Overcharge5) (10HP Barrier)
-=Terrain=-
100% Normal
-=Objects=-
Central Pillar Back-Left: 100 HP
Central Pillar Front-Left: 35 HP
Central Pillar Front-Right: 80 HP
Central Pillar Back-Right: 90 HP
Console in Back Wall: 100 HP
Gate Blocking Hallway: ??? HP
-=Battle 2 Complete!=-
Reward: 840z
Or, well, almost everything. When Lyntael would come to her senses, the only sources of illumination that would remain in the room would be her own electrical sparks, and the surviving console in the far back wall. Everything else was dark, and the turrets around her silently coalesced into zenny data for her to gather.
"A blackout now? Ugh, that's even more of a bother. I guess I'll go look at that in a little bit," the voice from earlier suddenly commented. It seems like, at the very least, her unseeing overseer was still around.
-=Mean Bots=-
Turret (Standard) A [Back wall, above console]: DELETED
Turret (Standard) B [Left wall]: DESTROYED
Turret (Standard) C [Front wall]: DEACTIVATED
Turret (Standard) D [Right wall]: STRUCK DOWN
-=Mopey Girls=-
Lyntael [Around center of room]: 150 HP (Overcharge5) (10HP Barrier)
-=Terrain=-
100% Normal
-=Objects=-
Central Pillar Back-Left: 100 HP
Central Pillar Front-Left: 35 HP
Central Pillar Front-Right: 80 HP
Central Pillar Back-Right: 90 HP
Console in Back Wall: 100 HP
Gate Blocking Hallway: ??? HP
-=Battle 2 Complete!=-
Reward: 840z
last edited by
Oblivious to the fact that the conflict was over, and even to the shorting lights, Lyntael remained on her hands and knees for many long seconds, gritting her teeth and trying to take longer, deeper breaths. The charge raged beneath her skin, but she held it down, trembling. She had no friends with her this time; no Martia to help keep her safe, or help cool her charge; no Ion to speak slow, comforting words while she calmed. Just her, and her own painfully scourging electrical storm. In the centre of the room, a wave of sparks pulsed off her body, spilling out and sinking into the panels. It came again after a few more breaths and the bleeding cascade of excess fall-off from her eyes slowed and stopped.
Gradually, her thoughts came together enough to realise that she hadn't moved for almost a minute, and she lifted her head. The room was dark, the defences stopped. In the relative darkness, the young girl pushed back to sit on her knees, still breathing hard but not quite as raggedly as before. It was over, for now at least. The node. With a last deep breath she stood, testing her limbs cautiously, then stretching out and shaking herself off. Her charge was gradually cooling back from its limits, the pain subsiding into discomfort, and then back to the warm internal hum that she was able to handle. With the pain gone, the need to expend herself slipped away as well and Lyntael approached the terminal with delicate steps.
When she stood before it, she paused to examine her own hands carefully and shut her eyes, focusing. She might recover quickly from the bad moments, but there was still enough charge racing through her to cause problems if she didn't keep a careful check on it. When she was certain, she put her fingers to the keys at last, and got to work. If the lights had gone out, maybe that meant she wouldn't have to deal with any more of the sub-net's security systems? She hoped so. There were still a few more splices that Rogan needed placed, and if she got held up any more... Well, they were on a tight enough clock already.
As she worked on putting the splice in place for her operator, Lyntael found herself wondering at the futility of her situation. Even in a closed, heavily private sub-net like this, that was completely free of viruses, somewhere where even Rogan had assumed she'd be spared any real risk of getting hurt, here she was caught fighting for her life and being consumed by the trappings of power she couldn't really control properly at all, all over again. She had to wonder if there really was any way out of it.
"Sir... Sir it's done. I'm — I'm sorry it took so long." She opened her mouth to say more, but the words died on her lips. Was there a point? She had been about to explain, to tell him that she'd almost lost control again, tell him how much it hurt, but... but he 'wasn't playing'. So what did it matter, trying to talk to him? What could she do? Her head dropped and she looked at the ground while she waited for his answer. It came, brusque and serious.
"Good. Head back out of the room and turn left at the junction. Follow it past two left branches, until you pass a drop shaft. Go down, and then left once you reach the bottom. You'll pass through a wider section with several terminals. The node I need will be the second one on your right. Quickly this time."
"Yes sir." She turned to run, but stopped short as soon as she'd crossed the room. The gate was still down, and there was no way she could shift it. Biting her lip, Lyntael reached out a hand to rest it against the unexpected barrier. "Rogan, I'm trapped. The security system, it closed the room and it's locked shut, I can't get out of here." She heard a quiet curse whispered through the line on the other end, and winced, unconsciously hunching her shoulders against her failure.
"I can't just jack you out and put you back in, Lyntael, you know that. You need to be able to get back to the emulation point before I can reach you cleanly." He was right, of course. She had to get out of the room, as much to go back as to go forward. Pulling her out directly would be like leaving a neon sign for them to see, and that was even if he could do it in the first place. "To your left." His voice continued suddenly, and she lifted her head again, looking the way he said. "There are access passages scattered all through that sub space. If the automated systems you've seen are mobile, then it's probably for them. The hatch that opened on the wall to your left has a passage behind the housing. It's only a crawl space but you'll fit. Follow it until it hits a star junction." Unconsciously, Lyntael swallowed; her throat had gone ever so slightly dry as he supplied his solution to her. She didn't like the sound of that.
"Yes sir. I'm going." Regardless, she went. There wasn't much left of the housing she'd broken before; it had shorn away as the turret degraded, leaving a blank fixing, ready for a fresh install. Small conveniences. She still wasn't too thankful that it meant getting up and into the narrow crawl space was easier. Despite her best intentions, Lyntael paused to brace herself before crawling in. Rogan had been right that it was narrow. It wasn't so much the width as the height; the tunnel was too low for her to even crawl properly, and she was reduced to an elbows and knees shuffle as she made her way through.
The thoughts came back as she pushed forward. Was the rest of her life going to be like this? Biting back what she wanted to say, because there was no point in saying it to someone who treated everything she did like a false act? Being terrified of the work she had to do, with no real chance of refusing it because, more than her own fear and worry, she still desperately wanted to be useful to him? Being upset and frustrated by it, because she knew it was wrong, but she had to do it anyway, to help him, and struggling to even do it despite trying her best? Lyntael gasped a short breath as her body shook, and she blinked back tears that she hadn't realised were building up.
A sudden echo of sounds made her flinch. It sounded like things rattling along the passages. It the security system wasn't shut down, then... Her chest went tight. The sounds stopped and Lyntael began to shuffle forward again, heart racing. Eventually she reached the junction Rogan had described. It was the meeting of four passaged on the same level, as well as a shaft coming straight down in the centre.
"Now what!?" She hadn't meant to shout, or to sound quite so desperate to him, but if he was paying attention, Rogan didn't let it show.
"The centre of the junction will be closed, but the vertical shaft continues down. Open it and drop through to the bottom." For a moment she wanted to ask if he was serious, but once again bit it back. Instead, she examined the central panel. Sure enough, it was a sealed hatch as well, and the manual operation switch was easy to work. A brief gust of slightly different pressured air rushed upwards past her face as it opened. She was just pondering how best to turn about so that she could put her feet into the drop first when another clatter in the tunnels made her freeze, then flinch in against the wall of the passage as tight as she could. The sound had been so close and she was right in a main junction. The feeling of her heart in her chest was a solid, rapid thump. Please be nothing, please go away. Many seconds passed as she barely dared to breathe.
"Lyntael, why have you stopped?" Rogan's voice sounded.... impatient. She couldn't make herself answer at first, trembling as she was. But even if she could, what could she really say? When she didn't respond, he repeated, more firmly. "Lyntael!"
"What do you want me to say!?"
"I expect you to report when I ask."
"I'm scared, Rogan. I'm terrified. And I know you don't believe it, and I know you don't care, I know! But I am. I'm in a tiny crawl space, and it's tight, and it's cold, and there's sounds, and the things that have been trying to hurt me move through here, and if they find me here there won't be anything I can do. And, and I'm scared of small spaces, and I don't like cold places. And I hate trespassing, and I hate... I hate the feeling of cold metal on my skin... it... it reminds me." The outburst flowed rapidly once it started, and her voice rose, thin but very close to shouting all the same. Rogan's response was not what she expected, though.
"Better. Now that you've got that our of your system, get moving, Lyntael. The sooner you move, the sooner you will be out of the situation you say you hate." It wasn't the response she'd been expecting, but it still made her want to cry all the same. Maybe he really had given up on scolding her. It didn't feel the way she thought it would.
"I- I-" She fought off a sigh. "Yes sir."
There wasn't anything else for it, but to press on, in the end, and she did her best to fight off the thoughts about machines scuttling along the too-narrow passages and finding her. It was awkward to tun herself about, and instead she ended up crawling over the exposed shaft until she could slip her legs into it by shuffling back. It was a long drop, but the initial worry for that had faded once she'd shaken herself through her other fears; heights and drops were not a problem for her, so long as there was enough air for her to work with, and it felt like there was. She held herself by her hands on either side of the shaft, then dropped. Gathering the updraught she needed to keep herself falling at a safe landing speed came naturally and easily. Compared to everything else it was really almost relaxingly simple. At the bottom, Rogan spoke again.
"The right tunnel will take you out to another access hatch, which will put you in the lower passage. Head to your left as you come out, and that will lead you to the terminal room." She nodded, then caught herself and answered as well, before carefully kneeling down and sliding herself into the new crawl space with a bit more haste. She was eager to be done with the tight, cold passageways. The last hatch opened automatically as she approached it, and Lyntael was quick to pull herself out, dropping to the floor of the new hallway with a relieved sigh. She couldn't rest though, and stood again, dusting herself off and following Rogan's directions.
Her outburst had gone more or less ignored. He hadn't scolded her for it, or corrected her, true, and she had often wished for such a thing in the past, but this new approach he was taking... This felt even worse, somehow. At least, when he was scolding her for making 'affectations', well, he was scolding her; that was something you only did to real person. You didn't tell a machine off. So as much as his reprimands and denials of her feelings had hurt and upset her at times, and as much as she'd longed for the day when he wouldn't do it... this wasn't what she'd wanted at all. She shook her head to clear it as she reached the broader space he had described earlier, and walked to the terminal he needed her to work with. It only took a moment to get the third splice in place.
"Third one done, sir. Where do I—" As she spoke, a sound made Lyntael's breath catch and she spun about quickly, searching for the source of it.
((Ready for battle 3))
((Time has elapsed, Lyntael's Overcharge has cooled by 4, down to +1)
Gradually, her thoughts came together enough to realise that she hadn't moved for almost a minute, and she lifted her head. The room was dark, the defences stopped. In the relative darkness, the young girl pushed back to sit on her knees, still breathing hard but not quite as raggedly as before. It was over, for now at least. The node. With a last deep breath she stood, testing her limbs cautiously, then stretching out and shaking herself off. Her charge was gradually cooling back from its limits, the pain subsiding into discomfort, and then back to the warm internal hum that she was able to handle. With the pain gone, the need to expend herself slipped away as well and Lyntael approached the terminal with delicate steps.
When she stood before it, she paused to examine her own hands carefully and shut her eyes, focusing. She might recover quickly from the bad moments, but there was still enough charge racing through her to cause problems if she didn't keep a careful check on it. When she was certain, she put her fingers to the keys at last, and got to work. If the lights had gone out, maybe that meant she wouldn't have to deal with any more of the sub-net's security systems? She hoped so. There were still a few more splices that Rogan needed placed, and if she got held up any more... Well, they were on a tight enough clock already.
As she worked on putting the splice in place for her operator, Lyntael found herself wondering at the futility of her situation. Even in a closed, heavily private sub-net like this, that was completely free of viruses, somewhere where even Rogan had assumed she'd be spared any real risk of getting hurt, here she was caught fighting for her life and being consumed by the trappings of power she couldn't really control properly at all, all over again. She had to wonder if there really was any way out of it.
"Sir... Sir it's done. I'm — I'm sorry it took so long." She opened her mouth to say more, but the words died on her lips. Was there a point? She had been about to explain, to tell him that she'd almost lost control again, tell him how much it hurt, but... but he 'wasn't playing'. So what did it matter, trying to talk to him? What could she do? Her head dropped and she looked at the ground while she waited for his answer. It came, brusque and serious.
"Good. Head back out of the room and turn left at the junction. Follow it past two left branches, until you pass a drop shaft. Go down, and then left once you reach the bottom. You'll pass through a wider section with several terminals. The node I need will be the second one on your right. Quickly this time."
"Yes sir." She turned to run, but stopped short as soon as she'd crossed the room. The gate was still down, and there was no way she could shift it. Biting her lip, Lyntael reached out a hand to rest it against the unexpected barrier. "Rogan, I'm trapped. The security system, it closed the room and it's locked shut, I can't get out of here." She heard a quiet curse whispered through the line on the other end, and winced, unconsciously hunching her shoulders against her failure.
"I can't just jack you out and put you back in, Lyntael, you know that. You need to be able to get back to the emulation point before I can reach you cleanly." He was right, of course. She had to get out of the room, as much to go back as to go forward. Pulling her out directly would be like leaving a neon sign for them to see, and that was even if he could do it in the first place. "To your left." His voice continued suddenly, and she lifted her head again, looking the way he said. "There are access passages scattered all through that sub space. If the automated systems you've seen are mobile, then it's probably for them. The hatch that opened on the wall to your left has a passage behind the housing. It's only a crawl space but you'll fit. Follow it until it hits a star junction." Unconsciously, Lyntael swallowed; her throat had gone ever so slightly dry as he supplied his solution to her. She didn't like the sound of that.
"Yes sir. I'm going." Regardless, she went. There wasn't much left of the housing she'd broken before; it had shorn away as the turret degraded, leaving a blank fixing, ready for a fresh install. Small conveniences. She still wasn't too thankful that it meant getting up and into the narrow crawl space was easier. Despite her best intentions, Lyntael paused to brace herself before crawling in. Rogan had been right that it was narrow. It wasn't so much the width as the height; the tunnel was too low for her to even crawl properly, and she was reduced to an elbows and knees shuffle as she made her way through.
The thoughts came back as she pushed forward. Was the rest of her life going to be like this? Biting back what she wanted to say, because there was no point in saying it to someone who treated everything she did like a false act? Being terrified of the work she had to do, with no real chance of refusing it because, more than her own fear and worry, she still desperately wanted to be useful to him? Being upset and frustrated by it, because she knew it was wrong, but she had to do it anyway, to help him, and struggling to even do it despite trying her best? Lyntael gasped a short breath as her body shook, and she blinked back tears that she hadn't realised were building up.
A sudden echo of sounds made her flinch. It sounded like things rattling along the passages. It the security system wasn't shut down, then... Her chest went tight. The sounds stopped and Lyntael began to shuffle forward again, heart racing. Eventually she reached the junction Rogan had described. It was the meeting of four passaged on the same level, as well as a shaft coming straight down in the centre.
"Now what!?" She hadn't meant to shout, or to sound quite so desperate to him, but if he was paying attention, Rogan didn't let it show.
"The centre of the junction will be closed, but the vertical shaft continues down. Open it and drop through to the bottom." For a moment she wanted to ask if he was serious, but once again bit it back. Instead, she examined the central panel. Sure enough, it was a sealed hatch as well, and the manual operation switch was easy to work. A brief gust of slightly different pressured air rushed upwards past her face as it opened. She was just pondering how best to turn about so that she could put her feet into the drop first when another clatter in the tunnels made her freeze, then flinch in against the wall of the passage as tight as she could. The sound had been so close and she was right in a main junction. The feeling of her heart in her chest was a solid, rapid thump. Please be nothing, please go away. Many seconds passed as she barely dared to breathe.
"Lyntael, why have you stopped?" Rogan's voice sounded.... impatient. She couldn't make herself answer at first, trembling as she was. But even if she could, what could she really say? When she didn't respond, he repeated, more firmly. "Lyntael!"
"What do you want me to say!?"
"I expect you to report when I ask."
"I'm scared, Rogan. I'm terrified. And I know you don't believe it, and I know you don't care, I know! But I am. I'm in a tiny crawl space, and it's tight, and it's cold, and there's sounds, and the things that have been trying to hurt me move through here, and if they find me here there won't be anything I can do. And, and I'm scared of small spaces, and I don't like cold places. And I hate trespassing, and I hate... I hate the feeling of cold metal on my skin... it... it reminds me." The outburst flowed rapidly once it started, and her voice rose, thin but very close to shouting all the same. Rogan's response was not what she expected, though.
"Better. Now that you've got that our of your system, get moving, Lyntael. The sooner you move, the sooner you will be out of the situation you say you hate." It wasn't the response she'd been expecting, but it still made her want to cry all the same. Maybe he really had given up on scolding her. It didn't feel the way she thought it would.
"I- I-" She fought off a sigh. "Yes sir."
There wasn't anything else for it, but to press on, in the end, and she did her best to fight off the thoughts about machines scuttling along the too-narrow passages and finding her. It was awkward to tun herself about, and instead she ended up crawling over the exposed shaft until she could slip her legs into it by shuffling back. It was a long drop, but the initial worry for that had faded once she'd shaken herself through her other fears; heights and drops were not a problem for her, so long as there was enough air for her to work with, and it felt like there was. She held herself by her hands on either side of the shaft, then dropped. Gathering the updraught she needed to keep herself falling at a safe landing speed came naturally and easily. Compared to everything else it was really almost relaxingly simple. At the bottom, Rogan spoke again.
"The right tunnel will take you out to another access hatch, which will put you in the lower passage. Head to your left as you come out, and that will lead you to the terminal room." She nodded, then caught herself and answered as well, before carefully kneeling down and sliding herself into the new crawl space with a bit more haste. She was eager to be done with the tight, cold passageways. The last hatch opened automatically as she approached it, and Lyntael was quick to pull herself out, dropping to the floor of the new hallway with a relieved sigh. She couldn't rest though, and stood again, dusting herself off and following Rogan's directions.
Her outburst had gone more or less ignored. He hadn't scolded her for it, or corrected her, true, and she had often wished for such a thing in the past, but this new approach he was taking... This felt even worse, somehow. At least, when he was scolding her for making 'affectations', well, he was scolding her; that was something you only did to real person. You didn't tell a machine off. So as much as his reprimands and denials of her feelings had hurt and upset her at times, and as much as she'd longed for the day when he wouldn't do it... this wasn't what she'd wanted at all. She shook her head to clear it as she reached the broader space he had described earlier, and walked to the terminal he needed her to work with. It only took a moment to get the third splice in place.
"Third one done, sir. Where do I—" As she spoke, a sound made Lyntael's breath catch and she spun about quickly, searching for the source of it.
((Ready for battle 3))
((Time has elapsed, Lyntael's Overcharge has cooled by 4, down to +1)
last edited by
Lyntael found herself in a small maintenance alcove in the hallway she had exited into. Her right side extended into a long, featureless walkway with doors lining it very sparingly, and her left went into a much shorter one with only one doorway in it, presumably the terminal room she was instructed to go to. She went into the terminal room to her left as instructed, and inside was a reasonably spacious room, with a couple of enormous screens overlooking a few rows of terminals, forming little mini-walkways from the door. To her right, a much larger terminal sat directly below the two screens, being the target of her third splice. Lyntael got to work quickly.
Then, just as she was done, a clanking noise echoed out from the hallway she came from, as if something was quickly running along it. It was oddly erratic given that she had heard mostly consistent, mechanical sounds before this. Then, from the door, an unexpected surprise came into Lyntael's view: a lone Metool. It raced into the room quickly, but immediately upon seeing Lyntael, it tried to turn back towards the door.
Unfortunately for the wayward virus, it had a few pursuing robots! Lured towards the room through the hallway were a hovering trio of what looked like maintenance robots, equipped with a whole host of mechanical gadgets and limbs. Behind the three were a couple of transporters, floating along with some containers stacked on top of them, presumably assisting the maintenance robots. The Metool's reaction to being trapped on both sides was to hide in its helmet, leaving Lyntael to deal with the problem!
// Maintenance Crew
Needle Platform A: 70 HP (Behind Repair Drones)
Needle Platform B: 70 HP (Behind Repair Drones)
Repair Drone A: 30 HP (Near the door)
Repair Drone B: 30 HP (Near the door)
Repair Drone C: 30 HP (Near the door)
// Wayward Little One
Metool: 40 HP (Hiding under helmet!) (Near the door)
// Unfortunately Caught
Lyntael: 150 HP (Overcharge1) (A little ways away from the door inside the room)
// Terrain
100% Normal
// Objects
Row of Terminals A: 40 HP (Furthest away from Lyntael)
Row of Terminals B: 40 HP (Middle of room)
Row of Terminals C: 40 HP (Nearest to Lyntael)
Nondescript Container A: 200 HP (On top of Needle Platform A)
Nondescript Container B: 200 HP (On top of Needle Platform B)
-- BATTLE 3, START!! --
Then, just as she was done, a clanking noise echoed out from the hallway she came from, as if something was quickly running along it. It was oddly erratic given that she had heard mostly consistent, mechanical sounds before this. Then, from the door, an unexpected surprise came into Lyntael's view: a lone Metool. It raced into the room quickly, but immediately upon seeing Lyntael, it tried to turn back towards the door.
Unfortunately for the wayward virus, it had a few pursuing robots! Lured towards the room through the hallway were a hovering trio of what looked like maintenance robots, equipped with a whole host of mechanical gadgets and limbs. Behind the three were a couple of transporters, floating along with some containers stacked on top of them, presumably assisting the maintenance robots. The Metool's reaction to being trapped on both sides was to hide in its helmet, leaving Lyntael to deal with the problem!
// Maintenance Crew
Needle Platform A: 70 HP (Behind Repair Drones)
Needle Platform B: 70 HP (Behind Repair Drones)
Repair Drone A: 30 HP (Near the door)
Repair Drone B: 30 HP (Near the door)
Repair Drone C: 30 HP (Near the door)
// Wayward Little One
Metool: 40 HP (Hiding under helmet!) (Near the door)
// Unfortunately Caught
Lyntael: 150 HP (Overcharge1) (A little ways away from the door inside the room)
// Terrain
100% Normal
// Objects
Row of Terminals A: 40 HP (Furthest away from Lyntael)
Row of Terminals B: 40 HP (Middle of room)
Row of Terminals C: 40 HP (Nearest to Lyntael)
Nondescript Container A: 200 HP (On top of Needle Platform A)
Nondescript Container B: 200 HP (On top of Needle Platform B)
-- BATTLE 3, START!! --
last edited by
The sudden sound had startled Lyntael, but when she saw the single, fairly small metool approaching, what she felt was... strange. The first time she'd encountered one of these viruses, they had been aggressive, and had attacked her, and she remembered being afraid of them while she fought. Now, after everything else that had happened... after things, and people that were so much worse... the thing she found herself most afraid of was accidentally hurting the little guy. She'd had enough hurt and destruction caused by her own lack of control, falling onto beings that meant no harm. She was done with that, no matter what Rogan said. Machines were one thing, but some viruses, she knew, were every bit as self-aware as she was, and she couldn't stomach the thought of being responsible for seeing any more like that destroyed.
At first she had meant to step cautiously to the side, hiding herself to let the little guy pass, wherever he was going in this secluded net, but as it turned out he was being chased, and no sooner had the virus seen her and cowered, than the pursuing security systems showed up. this time she did dart backwards falling unconsciously into a combat stance even as her eyes darted over the new arrivals. Her head tilted slightly. They didn't exactly look like security machines either. Part of the internal system, sure, but... those looked like transports, and the smaller ones looked... Ok they looked bit creepy with all those tools and gadgets and little arms, but, they weren't exactly weapons... She moved her initial back dodge into taking cover behind the terminal she'd just finished working with, peeking out to see what they meant to do while she planned. The small metool was guarding itself for now, so she had a moment to assess, surely.
"Lyntael. What is the problem? You cut off." With a small gasp, Lyntael realised she hadn't muted the line, since she'd just been surprised by the sudden arrival. As if in response to the startled jolt, a small cascade of energy radiated from her skin, spilling over the consoles around her and she wince. So much for hiding and watching.
"More security, sir. I'll get clear as quickly as I can, sir." Normally, that would just mean running away until they gave up, but something was stopping her this time. For one thing, they might not stop at all, and she might run into more right away, if this was an automated net. More than that, she felt strangely like she wanted to see if the little metool was able to be friendly, and if so, make sure she didn't leave him to get deleted.
"Very well. If you must run, continue down the corridor and take your first right."
"Yes sir." In the back of her mind, she still caught herself wondering if his words were different now. When it was all business like this, they sounded the same, but... there was no time for the thought right now. Instead, she focused, put one hand to her chest, then turned it outwards. It was one of the few times that she'd focused on ding things like this deliberately, but her body responded as she'd hoped. The formation of her barrier was a softer, more even pulse than other responses, and she felt the wave of it expand from her core in a globe, forming a static shell that drew presence as it passed out through her strikers and leaving them tingling. When it fully covered her body, the visible shell faded form sight, but she could still sense it all around her, tethered through each of her strikers. The last time the barrier had collapsed, the reflexive feedback hadn't been nearly as painful as previous times. Maybe she was getting used to it, like Martia said?
Either way, she had to at least see about dealing with the security machines that were harassing the hiding metool. How though? If she was lucky they might not even be completely hostile. Maybe a test? For a moment she closed her eyes and felt the movement of the air in the space they were in, then began to gather it up. She peeked out from behind the console again as she swirled the air, helping it pick up some speed, before making a small side-swiping gesture with two fingers. It coincided with a release of the wind in a tight side-ways gust that she directed against the side of one of the box-carrying platforms. Her aim was to crash one into the other and see how they responded, but there was a chance that it wouldn't work, depending on how stable their flight actually was, and another besides that she'd just end up knocking both of their boxes off, depending what was in them.
Either way it would hopefully tell her something about what each of the devices were going to do, and it might also be a small distraction as well. She used the moment to crouch down again, looking out around her console hide-away towards the little metool. If he peeked out at any point, she was hoping to catch its attention, putting a finger to her lips to suggest silence, and then an equally small, quick wave towards herself, beckoning him to come over and hide. If he was simply determined to keep hiding, that was safe enough as well, and if he was just going to treat her like an enemy... well... she'd deal with that if it came to it and not before. She was determined to give him a chance first.
Summary
L1) Dodge
L2) Take Cover behind nearest console
L*) Passive: A Manifest Spirit (10elec, Nova2)(Overcharge-1)
L3) Signature: My Heart Falters (40Elec Barrier, buster Charge, Off-Target)(Overcharge -1) (Controlled Activation! Yay for Lyn!)
L*) Subtype Ability: Gust, as Free Action, As Push (Platform A into Platform B)
L4) Buster Charge
L5) Try to see what Metool is doing, and show peaceable intentions if possible.
Cooldowns and Overcharge
My Heart Falters: 1TCD
Overcharge: Begin: +1, Manifest Spirit -1, My Heart Falters -1, End: 0
At first she had meant to step cautiously to the side, hiding herself to let the little guy pass, wherever he was going in this secluded net, but as it turned out he was being chased, and no sooner had the virus seen her and cowered, than the pursuing security systems showed up. this time she did dart backwards falling unconsciously into a combat stance even as her eyes darted over the new arrivals. Her head tilted slightly. They didn't exactly look like security machines either. Part of the internal system, sure, but... those looked like transports, and the smaller ones looked... Ok they looked bit creepy with all those tools and gadgets and little arms, but, they weren't exactly weapons... She moved her initial back dodge into taking cover behind the terminal she'd just finished working with, peeking out to see what they meant to do while she planned. The small metool was guarding itself for now, so she had a moment to assess, surely.
"Lyntael. What is the problem? You cut off." With a small gasp, Lyntael realised she hadn't muted the line, since she'd just been surprised by the sudden arrival. As if in response to the startled jolt, a small cascade of energy radiated from her skin, spilling over the consoles around her and she wince. So much for hiding and watching.
"More security, sir. I'll get clear as quickly as I can, sir." Normally, that would just mean running away until they gave up, but something was stopping her this time. For one thing, they might not stop at all, and she might run into more right away, if this was an automated net. More than that, she felt strangely like she wanted to see if the little metool was able to be friendly, and if so, make sure she didn't leave him to get deleted.
"Very well. If you must run, continue down the corridor and take your first right."
"Yes sir." In the back of her mind, she still caught herself wondering if his words were different now. When it was all business like this, they sounded the same, but... there was no time for the thought right now. Instead, she focused, put one hand to her chest, then turned it outwards. It was one of the few times that she'd focused on ding things like this deliberately, but her body responded as she'd hoped. The formation of her barrier was a softer, more even pulse than other responses, and she felt the wave of it expand from her core in a globe, forming a static shell that drew presence as it passed out through her strikers and leaving them tingling. When it fully covered her body, the visible shell faded form sight, but she could still sense it all around her, tethered through each of her strikers. The last time the barrier had collapsed, the reflexive feedback hadn't been nearly as painful as previous times. Maybe she was getting used to it, like Martia said?
Either way, she had to at least see about dealing with the security machines that were harassing the hiding metool. How though? If she was lucky they might not even be completely hostile. Maybe a test? For a moment she closed her eyes and felt the movement of the air in the space they were in, then began to gather it up. She peeked out from behind the console again as she swirled the air, helping it pick up some speed, before making a small side-swiping gesture with two fingers. It coincided with a release of the wind in a tight side-ways gust that she directed against the side of one of the box-carrying platforms. Her aim was to crash one into the other and see how they responded, but there was a chance that it wouldn't work, depending on how stable their flight actually was, and another besides that she'd just end up knocking both of their boxes off, depending what was in them.
Either way it would hopefully tell her something about what each of the devices were going to do, and it might also be a small distraction as well. She used the moment to crouch down again, looking out around her console hide-away towards the little metool. If he peeked out at any point, she was hoping to catch its attention, putting a finger to her lips to suggest silence, and then an equally small, quick wave towards herself, beckoning him to come over and hide. If he was simply determined to keep hiding, that was safe enough as well, and if he was just going to treat her like an enemy... well... she'd deal with that if it came to it and not before. She was determined to give him a chance first.
Summary
L1) Dodge
L2) Take Cover behind nearest console
L*) Passive: A Manifest Spirit (10elec, Nova2)(Overcharge-1)
L3) Signature: My Heart Falters (40Elec Barrier, buster Charge, Off-Target)(Overcharge -1) (Controlled Activation! Yay for Lyn!)
L*) Subtype Ability: Gust, as Free Action, As Push (Platform A into Platform B)
L4) Buster Charge
L5) Try to see what Metool is doing, and show peaceable intentions if possible.
Cooldowns and Overcharge
My Heart Falters: 1TCD
Overcharge: Begin: +1, Manifest Spirit -1, My Heart Falters -1, End: 0
last edited by
With the appearance of the distraught virus, Lyntael decided that she would try to help it out, and ducked behind one of the rows of terminals that were inside the room. Her electrical discharge from Rogan's surprise communication caused the terminal she was hiding behind to fuzz out slightly, but it still held strong. The noise did cause the Metool to jump slightly, peeking out of its helmet momentarily. It seemed like it spotted Lyntael, though only for a little while before going under the helmet again. Two of the tool-equipped repair drones hovered over to the virus, intending to inspect it.
However, they were interrupted rather rudely by Lyntael's windy prank, as she caused a small gust to shove one of the transporter drones into the other. The platforms stayed relatively stable, but her windy jostle caused one of the boxes to hang precariously from the platform's edge. The repair drones that were hovering near the Metool turned around, but by then, the fate of the box was sealed, and it crashed noisily onto the ground. Judging by the sound, there was probably a lot of smaller parts inside of it. Luckily, it seemed to be properly secured, as it didn't break, but it was already enough to send the repair bots into a frenzy. The drones turned back towards the dropped box, and Lyntael could hear what seemed to be some erratic beeps and boops, before one of them disappeared from her view abruptly into thin air. Where did it go?
Lyntael took this opportunity to attempt to signal to the Metool, which had also heard the noise and peeked out from its helmet yet again. It then turned towards Lyntael, who was trying to beckon the virus towards her. The small eyes under the helmet blinked twice and turned its sights on the drones again, before dashing over towards Lyntael's hiding place. Seems like she had its trust.
While this was happening, one of the drones hovered back towards the door, and emitted a single beep as it looked around. It didn't seem to have noticed Lyntael, but it did look down at the floor, most likely noting the absence of the Metool that had just been there five seconds ago. It then entered the room, hovering about the set of terminals furthest away from Lyntael's current position, scanning about the area.
// Maintenance Crew
Needle Platform A: 70 HP (Behind Repair Drones)
Needle Platform B: 70 HP (Behind Repair Drones)
Repair Drone A: 30 HP (Dealing with the mess)
Repair Drone B: 30 HP (Inside room near TerminalsA, looking around)
Repair Drone C: Vanished?
// Wayward Little One
Metool: 40 HP (Behind TerminalsC)
// Unfortunately Caught
Lyntael: 150 HP (40HP Elec Barrier) (BusterCharge2) (Off-Target1) (Behind TerminalsC)
// Terrain
100% Normal
// Objects
Row of Terminals A: 40 HP (Furthest away from Lyntael)
Row of Terminals B: 40 HP (Middle of room)
Row of Terminals C: 30 HP (Nearest to Lyntael)
Nondescript Container A: 200 HP (On top of Needle Platform A)
Nondescript Container B: 200 HP (Crashed onto floor)
However, they were interrupted rather rudely by Lyntael's windy prank, as she caused a small gust to shove one of the transporter drones into the other. The platforms stayed relatively stable, but her windy jostle caused one of the boxes to hang precariously from the platform's edge. The repair drones that were hovering near the Metool turned around, but by then, the fate of the box was sealed, and it crashed noisily onto the ground. Judging by the sound, there was probably a lot of smaller parts inside of it. Luckily, it seemed to be properly secured, as it didn't break, but it was already enough to send the repair bots into a frenzy. The drones turned back towards the dropped box, and Lyntael could hear what seemed to be some erratic beeps and boops, before one of them disappeared from her view abruptly into thin air. Where did it go?
Lyntael took this opportunity to attempt to signal to the Metool, which had also heard the noise and peeked out from its helmet yet again. It then turned towards Lyntael, who was trying to beckon the virus towards her. The small eyes under the helmet blinked twice and turned its sights on the drones again, before dashing over towards Lyntael's hiding place. Seems like she had its trust.
While this was happening, one of the drones hovered back towards the door, and emitted a single beep as it looked around. It didn't seem to have noticed Lyntael, but it did look down at the floor, most likely noting the absence of the Metool that had just been there five seconds ago. It then entered the room, hovering about the set of terminals furthest away from Lyntael's current position, scanning about the area.
// Maintenance Crew
Needle Platform A: 70 HP (Behind Repair Drones)
Needle Platform B: 70 HP (Behind Repair Drones)
Repair Drone A: 30 HP (Dealing with the mess)
Repair Drone B: 30 HP (Inside room near TerminalsA, looking around)
Repair Drone C: Vanished?
// Wayward Little One
Metool: 40 HP (Behind TerminalsC)
// Unfortunately Caught
Lyntael: 150 HP (40HP Elec Barrier) (BusterCharge2) (Off-Target1) (Behind TerminalsC)
// Terrain
100% Normal
// Objects
Row of Terminals A: 40 HP (Furthest away from Lyntael)
Row of Terminals B: 40 HP (Middle of room)
Row of Terminals C: 30 HP (Nearest to Lyntael)
Nondescript Container A: 200 HP (On top of Needle Platform A)
Nondescript Container B: 200 HP (Crashed onto floor)