Post by Jakob on Mar 27, 2014 3:03:59 GMT -4
"Say again, Fender?" Quebec asked.
"It's interesting," Fender replied, "How perspectives shift when we can do something as simple as teleportation."
They, along with Stylus Agent Mask, were drifting in an uncharted sector of deep space. The visual sensors on their mechs captured a magnificent vista of the Milky Way. Besides a second galaxy far into the distance, the Milky Way was the only source of starlight for the Stylus troopers. "Easy to see why some would be attracted to our galaxy," Fender said, "We're not unlike moths."
Their Heads-Up Displays emitted a red flush, followed by a short block of text.
//AGENTS RECEIVING THIS MESSAGE, PASS IT ON TO OTHERS. WE WILL RENDEZVOUS AT THE FOLLOWING COORDINATES.
"Wait," Mask said, "These coordinates are at Cluster Prime."
"Those Averni guys did wreck them something nasty. My hope is reconstruction," Quebec replied.
"I hope so too," Mask added, "We've been keeping away from that hot zone for too long, personally."
They pinged the message onward. In Deep Space, however, the chances of there being a receiver conveniently set on the same frequency was literally none. Afterwards, the three agents simultaneously blinked. The very next moment, over four hundred mechs appeared in a ruined courtyard in front of the palace. Numerous Cluster citizens and officials were still trying to pick up the pieces.
"Stylus," Jakob's voice emitted in every cockpit, "Split up, priorities are repair any and all damaged personnel, repair any vehicles that can be used to transport supplies, repair infrastructure."
"Do we have permission for this Op?" Fender asked.
"Unfortunately, the Queen and Mother are both away to deal with politics on Earth. It doesn't matter. What does matter is we help civilians. Move out."
Most mechs blinked to other sections of Cluster Prime to make do with the three multi-jointed arms the mechs used to manipulate objects. With their cannons set on lower settings, they conducted repairs on everything that needed fixing. Though most were shocked to find armoured strangers appearing in and out of existence, they reluctantly accepted the help they all offered. For those who were suspicious, the nearest agent explained their origin and objective.
"We are Stylus, a branch of humans sent to assist in reconstruction after the Averni invasion."
"I've never heard of you guys," was often the response.
"No, you have not," was always the retort.
The troopers worked diligently, and at a time of need like this, almost none were unwilling to accept help from the relative strangers.
---
Mask blinked into a residential area. The air was dead, mainly due to the smouldering houses that appeared to have been split open by battleship weapons fire.
"Agent Mask here. Gonna need an extra set of hands, my coordinates," Mask immediately said into the Comms.
"On my way," Jakob's metallic voice replied. A moment later, the prototype's mech blinked in.
Mask turned to Jakob and asked, "Do you know what did this?"
"Looks like Avernian energy," Jakob replied. "The energy signatures match with my long-distance observations during the battle."
"Let the AI take over," Jakob ordered, "These places have basements, we'll need to fit into them."
Mask unhooked herself from the neural network and hopped out of the mech. Jakob did the same, and the both of them jogged to the first house on the first block. The two mechs, however, began to slice slabs of houses into easy-to-manage chunks, and puled the scrap neatly for later use.
In the first basement, Jakob and Masks personal helmet lights lit up. The basement was in abysmal condition. Anywhere the floor didn't cave in, the furniture was ruined. However, the two of them entered the house for a good reason: There was a positive Cluster signature within. They first found two wrecks sprawled over a shockingly intact desk. Underneath the desk, behind the corpses, a metallic whimpering emitted. Jakob grabbed at the two bodies and pulled them away from the desk to lay flat on the ground. Both of them received serious damage to the memory banks, and he wasn't sure if any data could be saved.
Underneath the desk was a newer-looking Cluster robot, a child in all senses of the word. The kid practically had his metallic hands glued over his visual sensors.
"Hey there," Mask chimed. "Are you okay?"
The child managed to remove a hand. "Mum... Dad..."
Jakob glanced between Mask, and then the two corpses. Masked looked at Jakob, wordlessly asking a question they both knew was going to be asked.
"I... won't be able to save them," Jakob replied, "Not even their memory banks."
"Well, it's not safe here," Mask continued, "Come on, let's get you out of here."
"Who are you?" the child asked, more afraid of the strangers than his own dead parents.
"We..." Mask paused. Adults would more readily understand the more automatic response "We are Stylus", but this child didn't appear complex enough to understand the meaning behind the response.
Jakob finished for Mask, however. "We're Superheroes."
Underneath her helmet, Mask gave a confused expression.
"Late superheroes," Jakob glanced at the corpses again. "Do you know anyone who can take care of you?"
"I have friends... but they live on this block!" The child began to worry once more.
"Don't worry," Mask reassured, "We'll find them."
"It's interesting," Fender replied, "How perspectives shift when we can do something as simple as teleportation."
They, along with Stylus Agent Mask, were drifting in an uncharted sector of deep space. The visual sensors on their mechs captured a magnificent vista of the Milky Way. Besides a second galaxy far into the distance, the Milky Way was the only source of starlight for the Stylus troopers. "Easy to see why some would be attracted to our galaxy," Fender said, "We're not unlike moths."
Their Heads-Up Displays emitted a red flush, followed by a short block of text.
//AGENTS RECEIVING THIS MESSAGE, PASS IT ON TO OTHERS. WE WILL RENDEZVOUS AT THE FOLLOWING COORDINATES.
"Wait," Mask said, "These coordinates are at Cluster Prime."
"Those Averni guys did wreck them something nasty. My hope is reconstruction," Quebec replied.
"I hope so too," Mask added, "We've been keeping away from that hot zone for too long, personally."
They pinged the message onward. In Deep Space, however, the chances of there being a receiver conveniently set on the same frequency was literally none. Afterwards, the three agents simultaneously blinked. The very next moment, over four hundred mechs appeared in a ruined courtyard in front of the palace. Numerous Cluster citizens and officials were still trying to pick up the pieces.
"Stylus," Jakob's voice emitted in every cockpit, "Split up, priorities are repair any and all damaged personnel, repair any vehicles that can be used to transport supplies, repair infrastructure."
"Do we have permission for this Op?" Fender asked.
"Unfortunately, the Queen and Mother are both away to deal with politics on Earth. It doesn't matter. What does matter is we help civilians. Move out."
Most mechs blinked to other sections of Cluster Prime to make do with the three multi-jointed arms the mechs used to manipulate objects. With their cannons set on lower settings, they conducted repairs on everything that needed fixing. Though most were shocked to find armoured strangers appearing in and out of existence, they reluctantly accepted the help they all offered. For those who were suspicious, the nearest agent explained their origin and objective.
"We are Stylus, a branch of humans sent to assist in reconstruction after the Averni invasion."
"I've never heard of you guys," was often the response.
"No, you have not," was always the retort.
The troopers worked diligently, and at a time of need like this, almost none were unwilling to accept help from the relative strangers.
---
Mask blinked into a residential area. The air was dead, mainly due to the smouldering houses that appeared to have been split open by battleship weapons fire.
"Agent Mask here. Gonna need an extra set of hands, my coordinates," Mask immediately said into the Comms.
"On my way," Jakob's metallic voice replied. A moment later, the prototype's mech blinked in.
Mask turned to Jakob and asked, "Do you know what did this?"
"Looks like Avernian energy," Jakob replied. "The energy signatures match with my long-distance observations during the battle."
"Let the AI take over," Jakob ordered, "These places have basements, we'll need to fit into them."
Mask unhooked herself from the neural network and hopped out of the mech. Jakob did the same, and the both of them jogged to the first house on the first block. The two mechs, however, began to slice slabs of houses into easy-to-manage chunks, and puled the scrap neatly for later use.
In the first basement, Jakob and Masks personal helmet lights lit up. The basement was in abysmal condition. Anywhere the floor didn't cave in, the furniture was ruined. However, the two of them entered the house for a good reason: There was a positive Cluster signature within. They first found two wrecks sprawled over a shockingly intact desk. Underneath the desk, behind the corpses, a metallic whimpering emitted. Jakob grabbed at the two bodies and pulled them away from the desk to lay flat on the ground. Both of them received serious damage to the memory banks, and he wasn't sure if any data could be saved.
Underneath the desk was a newer-looking Cluster robot, a child in all senses of the word. The kid practically had his metallic hands glued over his visual sensors.
"Hey there," Mask chimed. "Are you okay?"
The child managed to remove a hand. "Mum... Dad..."
Jakob glanced between Mask, and then the two corpses. Masked looked at Jakob, wordlessly asking a question they both knew was going to be asked.
"I... won't be able to save them," Jakob replied, "Not even their memory banks."
"Well, it's not safe here," Mask continued, "Come on, let's get you out of here."
"Who are you?" the child asked, more afraid of the strangers than his own dead parents.
"We..." Mask paused. Adults would more readily understand the more automatic response "We are Stylus", but this child didn't appear complex enough to understand the meaning behind the response.
Jakob finished for Mask, however. "We're Superheroes."
Underneath her helmet, Mask gave a confused expression.
"Late superheroes," Jakob glanced at the corpses again. "Do you know anyone who can take care of you?"
"I have friends... but they live on this block!" The child began to worry once more.
"Don't worry," Mask reassured, "We'll find them."