Matoran und Panzer

[Nato G]

IC Kat:

 

This tunnel was frustratingly long. The other soldiers had stocked up on grenades, so at least we had some decent firepower.

 

What I wouldn't give to be in the old girl down here..... 

 

"See anything yet?" I asked the group.

 

GM IC: 

 

Before anyone could respond, a powerful roar reverberated through the tunnel - coming from somewhere just ahead. 

 

They'd nearly reached the end of the tunnel. 

 

IC: Olis - Ascension

Finally, I guide us into the elevator, the thick steel doors sliding shut behind us with a reassuring clink. I take a few seconds to re-charge, leaning against the wall in exhaustion until I get my breath back. "Up?" I ask to the obvious answer. "Up." I reply to myself. Placing my hand on the glowing purple symbol, I prepare to pour my new-found elemental power into it. 

 

GM IC: 

 

The elevator lurched into motion, heading upwards. Since Olis hadn't selected a floor, it just kept going up until it reached the top level, where they'd originally entered the building through the tiny, Matoran-sized passageway. 

 

They'd have to find another way out. 

 

 

GM IC:

 

"J-just me, I'm unarmed!" The voice in the darkness seemed to move, then stumbled. Metal impacting the ground masked by a pained gasp.

 

IC: Oblitus - Ascension B3.

 

"Come out!" I snapped, not lowering my weapon. "Who are you?"

 

GM IC:

 

The first sign that something was wrong Lufon would have noticed was a low rumble, followed shortly by the report of what had to be the largest cannon he'd ever heard. An ear splitting super sonic shriek was accompanied by a shell bursting out of the lower engineering levels and speeding off into the distance before impacting a distant building, taking off it's entire upper floor.

 

More rumbling from below...

 

IC: Lufon Vance - Office.

 

I got up from the desk and approached the window, more than a little concerned...

[Timageness]

GM IC: ???

As the lid of the chest was swung open, Suko would find an old book (A journal maybe?) with the edges of its hardcover binding currently going up in flames. Besides that, the rest of the space was occupied by an old, thankfully unloaded, and quite possibly antique Greypowder pistol sticking out of a pile of gems not unlike the ones he had found on his way down the path that lead him to his current position.

This must've been his lucky day.

[Not Quite Dead]

GM IC:

The stranger walked down the hallway, Gamma felt a compelling force that brought him to his feet, he was forced to walk in step. They reached the blood seal room, Derkahn still present. Casting him not a glance, the stranger raised his arm and an explosion racked the small room, leaving the sealed door a wreck and the two matoran unharmed, the shrapnel dropping at their feet.

 

"Proceed down, explain their new goal, Gamma. If you betray me, I shall know, do not doubt that."

 

* * *

 

From around the pit came the sounds of movement, two footfalls and a metallic clanging noise. It drew closer to Oblitus.

 

"I do not h-have a name, I am only a servant..." The figure came into the light, he was incredibly old and stooped. Perhaps a little taller than Oblitus but bent over so as to be a good head shorter, his whole being was white and pale, eyes nearly as milky as the blind Manas above. "Who are you, why are you here?" The metallic clanging was a cane, he held no other weapons.

[Dane-gerous]

IC: Gamma

And so Gamma ran, through all the puzzles, until he finally got to the room everyone else was in. He panted, and then fell over in exhaustion.

[Nato G]

IC: Oblitus - Ascension B3.

 

"No, I asked you first," I growled, my launcher still trained on him, "Answer me, and I'll consider answering you."

[Voltex]

IC: IKIRA

 

Ikira halted at the sound of someone collapsing to the ground behind them. She whirled around, aiming her shotgun - 

 

- and immediately raised it, staring at Gamma in shock. That shock quickly turned to suspicion as she stalked forward, nudging him with her foot.

 

"What are you doing here?" she snapped. "You stayed behind with the pirates."

[Not Quite Dead]

GM IC:

The figure recoiled from the launcher, appearing, if possible, more stooped and crooked.

 

"My name is Matoro. I am the designer and creator of this building and it's inhabitant... I am also its prisoner."

[Nato G]

IC: Oblitus - Ascension B3. 

 

If anything, that admission made me even more cautious. "Explain." 

[Not Quite Dead]

GM IC:

"Where to start... Are you familiar with the inhabitant of this building, a sentient program named Ascension. Originally, this facility was a library. A place built to preserve history and progress in danger of being lost. I and my Toa brothers led the greatest minds of our time to build it, I served as the primary architect. Somewhere along the way, things went wrong."

 

The pale figure had settled into an uncomfortable looking position, wary of provoking the armed matoran.

 

"For many years, the computers here functioned according to plan. When the outside world was burnt by the fires of war, I was cut off from it. Ascension sealed itself away and began to construct defences, including many of the beasts you see here. I continued my work, an equal peer of my creation. One day, it decided that equality was unfounded, it took control of all systems away from me and locked me down here. You see, only Ba-elementals can control the lift systems, or those with an override card. I had neither and was trapped. I spend my time keeping these beasts chained up and disposing of or reprogramming them. For as much as I am locked in down here, Ascension is locked out. It is trapped in its network and the systems down here are removed from it."

[Nato G]

IC: Oblitus - Ascension B3.

 

"I've seen Toa," I growled, "And you aint one. As for your buddy Ascension, he's gone." 

[Not Quite Dead]

GM IC:

"Gone?"

 

His mouth fell agape, how could a computer up and walk away?

[Nato G]

IC: Oblitus - Ascension B3.

 

"Yes, gramps," I snapped, "He left me to get massacred by giant crabs, and walked away." 

[25K Now!]

IC: Naona

 

He waited patiently for the last member of the team.

[Dane-gerous]

IC: Gamma

Gamma pulled himself up, panting. "There was this big....matoran. Killed all the pirates. They were gonna kill me, but he saved me. He made me come down here. No idea where that other dude is." Gamma said. Then his attention turned to the Vo-Matoran. "....what happened?"

[Daniel the Finlander]

IC: Derkahn (Circadian entrance)

 

The sleeping Matoran opened his eyes a little when he heard footsteps. When the sound of a loud explosion reverberated in the room and shrapnel clattered on the floor, his eyes opened fully and he quickly stood up. "Unholy son of a concubine!" he yelled and saw Gamma with a tall stranger. "Who the karzahni are you?!" he asked, opened a nearby supply crate and started frantically digging through its contents in order to find some kind of weapon.

Edited June 12, 2015 by Daniel the Dwarf

[silo]

IC: Zeleran - Circadian

"An...accident." Zeleran replied to his inferior. "Report, soldier, give me all the information you can about what happened."

Edited June 12, 2015 by OLISI

[Dane-gerous]

IC: Gamma

"That skakdi, he wanted entertainment, so he got one of his pirates to try and kill me. They had me pinned down, I was about to die. Then some tall thing with a mask came in and killed them all. He said that if I didn't help you all down here, he'd kill me too. I can't betray him, since he'll know. He's got some mind control ######, he made me get up and walk without me resisting." Gamma said, looking up at Zel.

Edited June 12, 2015 by Agent Epsilon

[Voltex]

IC: IKIRA

 

Ikira's eyes flicked from Gamma to Zeleran and then back to the former.

 

"Did he give a name?" she asked.

[Dane-gerous]

IC: Gamma

Gamma shook his head. "No, unfortunately."

[Voltex]

IC: IKIRA

 

She frowned.

 

"This situation is... rather unfortunate."

[Not Quite Dead]

GM IC:

"I'm not sure you understand," the turaga was beginning to get cross with his interloper. "Ascension is a series of programs and a collection of data in a computer network built into this facility, it cannot walk away as you claim. Are you some trick of his, or are you here to kill me?"

 

The temperature was rapidly dropping.

 

* * *

 

The stranger turned to Derkahn, where had he come from?

 

Just as Derkahn closed his hands around a weapon, he found himself several meters away, staring at the open box with the weapon still sitting in it.

 

"Do not do that."

[Nato G]

IC: Oblitus - Ascnesion B3. 

 

"I'm seriously considering it," I snapped, "But you might still have info I can use." I didn't lower my launcher, though. "While it was a computer, it asked me to go off to an old tomb and steal the heart of a god for it. So I did, but then it made itself a body and tried to kill me. As you can imagine, I don't appreciate being screwed over on a deal." 

 

I narrowed my eyes at the being. "You're going to tell me everything you know about Ascension and the other ruins. Specifically, what does he want, and how can I stop him?" 

[Makuta Miras]

IC: Arkie (Circadian Level Three--> Level Four)

 

"Yes, it is," I say decisively, beginning to head for the stairwell, supporting Carth as I go.

[Hunter Serge]

IC: Kaleva

 

Things were really getting hectic around here, weren't they. The chess pieces, the other Neuf native losing his arm because of Ikira, strangely fast healing, and now that Gamma guy that they'd left behind had caught up, with news that we were hunting for someone else. Well, odd as it all may be, he doubted he could figure it out. Best to leave that to others, and do what he did best. Well, if these tests would actually give him a normal fight. Kaleva followed after Arkie towards the fourth level.
 

[Daniel the Finlander]

IC: Derkahn (Circadian entrance)

 

Derkahn gasped when he suddenly appeared elsewhere, and almost fell on the floor. His head hurt, he was dizzy and he still hadn't awoken properly, so he rubbed his eyes and moved towards the wall so he could lean on it.

 

He looked at the stranger again, a mix of fear and confusion on his face. "Wha-what just happened? Who - no, what are you?" If he wasn't so afraid, he would've also asked how exactly the tall person had managed to instantenously move him away from the crate and what fascinating technology had allowed him to do such a thing.

Edited June 12, 2015 by Daniel the Dwarf

[Not Quite Dead]

GM IC:

"I am a Toa. Are you with the Jattiko? You may rejoin your party, the pirates threatening you are dead." The stranger made no movements towards Derkahn.

 

* * *

 

Mataro facepalmed.

 

"If that means what it means, than we have no chance of stopping it. Unless you've got a thermonuclear weapon tucked away." The pale turaga snapped, clearly upset. The temperature continued to drop. "As for what he wants, I can only imagine that he wants to gain control of the AI in the Pharos facility, a weapons facility."

[Nato G]

IC: Oblitus - Ascension B3.

 

"Quit using your powers, old man," I snapped, recognising the temperature drop as the work of a Ko-elemental. "I saw Pharos on one of the maps. What's the fastest way for me to get there?"

[Daniel the Finlander]

IC: Derkahn (Circadian entrance)

 

Derkahn frowned. "Dead? Toa? What? How? There were at least a dozen of them, if not more. How did they die? And what's a Toa?"

Edited June 13, 2015 by Daniel the Dwarf

[Voltex]

IC: IKIRA

 

Ikira followed the others down the stairs, shotgun at the ready.

[Not Quite Dead]

GM IC:

The stranger frowned in response.

 

"They're dead because I killed them, they were your enemies, were they not? The means of their demise does not matter. As for your other question; a Toa is who I am, and indeed I am Toa. The sole and only one that remains in existence today, is that enough of an explanation for you?"

 

His obtuseness was not strictly necessary, but it was his way.

 

* * *

 

Matoro frowned, seems his elemental control wasn't quite up to par anymore. He'd been trying to form an icicle in this punk's gut.

 

"A vehicle of some sort would be preferable." The turaga sighed, it was unlikely that Ascension could be stopped, but he ought to at least impart what he could do this matoran. "Presumably, Ascension has uploaded it's consciousness into some type of synthetic form. It tried numerous times to merge with organic or biomechanical creations, each one a failure. This means it likely has a power source of some type, of what kind I could not guess. Research into energy, weapons and elemental technology was denied me when I was locked down here."

 

His cool eyes, now clearly the icy white of a Ko-elemental, not the white of blindess, looked Oblitus over.

 

"You do not appear to be a Ba-Matoran, did you find a keycard above? About the size of your palm and with purple lettering."

 

* * *

 

An explosion shook the building Lufon was in, the ground rumbling as if a bomb had been set off in the lower levels. After the initial noise, two remained : that of screaming and roaring.

 

* * *

 

The coins traced a silver trail, the walls of the cavern became damp and glistening with moisture, reflecting Cor Saeva's light back in twisted directions.

 

On the walls, markings had begun to show up every ten or so meters, nonsense that looked like some devolved form of the matoran language.

[Nato G]

IC: Oblitus - Ascension B3. 

 

"A Ba-Toa took me down here, then screwed me over and ran," I lied smoothly, "As for your power source, I know exactly what it is... I'll tell you, if you tell me where in this building I could find a vehicle that can get me to Pharos before Ascension."

__________________________________________________________________________

 

IC: Lufon Vance - Office.

 

I got to my feet and approached the window once more. It sounded like the idiots downstairs had antagonised my mech...

__________________________________________________________________________

 

IC: Cor Saeva - Canyon Cave.

 

I had a bad feeling about this, but I continued on into the cave nonetheless, wary of anything hiding in the shadows... 

[(Daedalus)]

IC: Einefus Ingrayv (Ascension)

 

I step to the elevator doors and look out through the small passageway. I... hadn't remembered it being that small, though I guess if I'd had to leave The Rosteimer behind, that would make sense.

 

Makes me think, though. It's a good thing the elevator was large enough for us.

 

I turn back to Olis. "We ain' gettin' ou' da' way. Yuh go's da enuhgy tuh ge' us tuh anothuh floo'?"

[Daniel the Finlander]

IC: Derkahn (Circadian entrance)

 

He wanted to say no, because the stranger hadn't really answered his questions, but was too terrified to do so and instead just closed his eyes and sighed, trying to calm himself down. After a moment he said "I am no longer part of the Jatikko, I resigned some time ago. I was just waiting for the pirates to let me out, but they're dead now so I can leave. I suppose I should thank you, 'Toa'. Good bye." He pushed himself away from the wall and took a step towards the entrance. It was a rather tentative step, and he glanced at the stranger, uncertain of how he would react.

[silo]

IC: Zeleran - Circadian

"What are you doing, Arktinen?" Zeleran intoned sharply. "The pirates are dead, so it is our choice whether to proceed or simply leave this place. Once again, we shall have a vote." he continued, raising his voice for all to hear. Personally, he was in conflict. While his rational self realized that challenges such as this were nothing to what was to come, another aspect of his persona dreamed of the glory of this quest's completion, and curiosity got the better of him. Before he could change his mind, he said: "I choose to continue, but my vote is worth no more than any of yours."

 

IC: Olis - Ascension

"No, we can get out this way easily enough." I say when I've got my breath back. "All I need to do is briefly shift the gravity and we can effectively fall through this hole. It may be shorter than our height, but it ain't thinner than our width."

[Dane-gerous]

IC: Gamma

Gamma shook his head. "He'll kill me if we betray that thing. He'll kill ALL of us."

Edited June 13, 2015 by Agent Epsilon

[Voltex]

IC: IKIRA

 

"Then I would say our path is clear," Ikira replied. "We should continue on to the next challenge - and keep an eye out for anything that might allow us to escape before this... being decides that we have outlived our usefulness."

[(Daedalus)]

IC: Einefus Ingrayv (Ascension)

 

It takes me a second to understand what Olis just said, but when it clicks, I almost smile.

 

"No' bad," I say. "Ah'm ready when yuh are."

[Not Quite Dead]

GM IC:

Bait.

 

If the Vortixx bent down to grab one of the coins strewn about the deeper cavern's floor, she would find it was encrusted with a layer of dust. Decades or even centuries of dust, the fact that this coin had been dropped, or perhaps placed so long ago was disturbing enough, the undiscriminating nature was even more unsettling. This wasn't designed to lure her, but anyone.

 

The increasingly irregular coins signaled that others had been lured, she would find them around the next bend. The claustrophobic tunnel opened up into a wide, oval room. The walls were pale white, an ancient abattoir. Streaks of long dried gore painted the walls like a snow muaka's pelt, on the left hand side was a neat array of skeletons in varying stages of disassemble, equally as undisturbed and grime crusted as the coins.

 

* * *

 

Matoro was clearly eager to hear Oblitus' secret, the mention of a Toa only inflamed him further.

 

"On the ground floor there is a garage by the main doors, it has a separate entrance, a manual one. It's unlikely it could've been locked down as it was not on the electronic network of doors. There should be a few small personal vehicles there, rugged military ones. All terrain and far quicker than Armor. Once you're out of the mountains, the rest of the island is paved, albeit in varying states of destruction."

 

* * *

 

The laconic stranger did not move as Derkahn got up to walk away.

 

"Tell me, are you planning to keep what has happened here an absolute secret for the rest of your days?"

Edited June 13, 2015 by Kaneo Takarada

[Nato G]

IC: Cor Saeva - Canyon Cave.

 

I kept my rifle raised, but I wasn't too concerned, yet. These skeletons looked old, ancient even. Covered in who knew how many years or dirt and grime. I kept moving...

______________________________________________________

 

IC: Oblitus - Ascension B3. 

 

"I see," I mused, "As for Ascension's power source - it's a heart. He sent me, and others to steal it from the temples under Vingt. He promised us knowledge if we helped him - instead he left us to die."

[Daniel the Finlander]

IC: Derkahn (Circadian Entrance)

 

The Onu-Matoran nodded. "Yes, I'm not going to tell anyone. Even if I did tell someone, they wouldn't believe me. I certainly didn't when some Matoran told me about ancient ruins with crabs and glowing screens, I thought he was just crazy or extremely drunk. Don't worry." He continued to move towards the way out.