As you attempt to overload the pylon to hopefully damage a few more of those constructs, you fat fingered a key and set the energy in the wrong direction. Accursed foreign languages! You feel a dread wash over you as you look up to another panel that has a live feed of a large empty complex that your science team had been planning on reaching. Suddenly an explosion was recorded and the entire complex came alive. Lights flickering on as machines suddenly woke and began their old routine, which by this point, the purpose was unknown until you saw what in the depths of the drift it was.
You accidently just awoke a sleeping giant war factory, and it was now beginning to produce starships, rapidly.
Jacobs shot went a little wide, missing his intended target as it hit the wall past the construct. Meanwhile the two constructs fighting continued to wallop each other relentlessly. During their round, Molly would quickly move up closer and duck behind cover, readying to take a shot at one of them. By the time Molly got into position, one brought its club like fist down and battered its ally into shrapnel. The enemy quickly exploding from the result, showering the room with small metal fragments. The hacked Construct looked beat to hell at this point. Bishop would quickly follow Molly’s lead and move up to a better position and angle on the constructs.
Tujon’s attack would hit against the construct, but it was just a glancing bow, leaving no noticeable damage. The construct would retaliate with its own strike against him, though the vesk took one blow with a simple shrug and dodged the next.
The remaining construct took aim and fired at the quickly approaching android with its rifle, the shot breaking through his protective barrier and hitting his shoulder hard.
Before the hacked construct is destroyed, he tries to see if he can project a voice through it or any of the terminals near the scavengers.
--
If such a thing exists, he tries to communicate the following, "Help! I'm with a team of scientists trapped in a room by some of these machines. We have wounded! This whole place is waking up. I, uh, think someone did something to activate it! We need help!"
Molly's eyebrow arches up as the two robots start fighting. If I wasn't in this fight, I'd pay to watch it., she thinks. Running forwards towards the console, standing side by side with Caleb, as she turns around, facing the captain's quarry. Let's hope that's not gonna bite me in the ass..., a though crosses her mind, as she fires an aimed shot at the robot's midsection.
However, her eye seems to have misjudged the thickness of the robot's armour, as the bullet flies into the room, having ricochetted with a loud plinking noise. "Grrrikking toaster...", she swears, aiming for another shot.
Tujon spits at the beast he is fighting before swishing low for a hard tail slap.
Unsure whether it would be wise to take shots at the construct currently turned against the rest, Bishop lets it be and goes to give Caleb assistance. He moves to get a decent shot and fires at the construct currently engaged with the android.
Despite the discomfort it causes, Caleb notes the damage is minor, more or less at least. Allowing himself but a moment to look for the optimal place to strike, the android retaliates with a punch, strong enough to make a fist-sized dent in the construct's outer armor.
Behind you, you could see the doors slowly being pried open, a sliver of light sneaking through the hair thin opening as the door tried to fight the forced opening. The three scientists who werent wounded quickly tossed over some containers you had brought with you, taking cover and readying their pistols. Unfortunately you knew if the constructs got it, it would simply be a bloodbath.
Over your own personal comms you hear a crackle and hiss before a ysokis voice came over the comms, "Help! I'm with a team of scientists trapped in a room by some of these machines. We have wounded! This whole place is waking up. I, uh, think someone did something to activate it! We need help!"
Jacob would in response try and finish the fight up quickly, would move up into the hallway, trying to get angles on the construct that Tujon is fighting. The laser shot across the hallway and impacted the construct, its barriers unable to stop the energy from scouring a hole into it’s body.
Molly’s shot hit, but it did only leave what one would call a nick in its armor. Tujon’s follow up strike, a tail slap, would miss the construct as it dodged it with deft movement. As it dodged it would quickly counter attack, bringing both its club like arms down on the vesk. Tujon took the first blow, the club pounding his armor like a thundering ram. Though he was sure to dodge the next one, letting it slice above his head with a loud ‘whoosh’.
The construct that was hit by Caleb would retaliate in kind, bringing its arms down upon the android. The android would be able to dodge the first blow, but the construct seemed to have anticipated this and he would get caught by the second arm.
The construct that seemed to have turned on its allied took aim at the construct that Caleb was entangled with. Though its laser cannon shot would hit the barrier with barely a fizzle.
Ignoring the impending death, doom and destruction threatening to come through the door, Resk continues to poke at the computer. He tries to hack the least damaged construct and order it to shut down or, failing that, attack one of its allies.
If the commlink is still open, he adds (), "It would seem the machines are coming through the door. I've done all I can to help you; good luck!"
Then, if he has time, he will jump away from the computer to take cover behind the containers while pulling a grenade from his belt and popping it into a cheek pouch for later.
Bishop takes another shot at the construct before speaking into his comm unit to the stranger. I think we’re your rescue team, friend. We’re engaged with a few tin heads currently. Hold tight!
"Hey! Back off!", shouts Molly at the robot pummeling Tujon, as she starts aiming for another shot. Nodding at the vesk, she waves her arms threateningly at the robot, before lashing out with another aimed shot.
With age comes rust, however, and the shot aimed at the dented armour burrows itself in the wall behind the vesk. Oh, boy. Did this gun used to be that heavy?, she ponders.
In response to Reskk's comment about shooting at the enemy, the scientists blindly fire at the small opening, most of the shots just hitting the door, but a few get lucky and peg the construct trying to open the door, causing it hiss in anger.
"Resk... I don't know... I don't know if were going to make it out." one of the scientist blabbered as his hands shook, the pistol visibly shaking from the short distance. The dark room would get the reveal of the little sliver of light once more as the constructs once again beset at the door.
Jacob takes another shot at the construct, taking a knee and firing off two rounds at the construct engaged with the captain. The first hits the construct with a solid hit, while the other fizzled against its barrier. Tujon moves to pummel the construct with his weapon, delivering two vicious strikes. The first misses, but the second hits the enemy with a thundering crash. The club smashing the side of the armor in as it caved in and sent sparks shooting out of its side. The construct stumbled as it temporarily almost lost its power before trying to retaliate.
Caleb lays into the construct before him, delivering home another solid hit which left a sizable dent in the chassis of the construct. The rogue construct behind would raise its cannon and fire its laser at the back of the one Caleb was engaged with, the laser blasting a hole through the chest of the construct. Its lights going out as it crumpled to the floor. The rogue construct quickly moved forward to get an angle on the remaining construct.
The remaining hostile construct quickly brought its two arms down on Tujon again, spitting off a high pitched static that could easily be interpreted as a yell, though both of its attacks miss as Tujon would easily dodge the attacks without any effort.
Bishop joins the group in finishing off the last hostile construct. He approaches and harries their foe with a shot from his pistol.
As he grumbles and curses at the other scientists, Resk moves his way to the door, using it as cover against any attacks, then manipulates the atomic structure of the air to form a blast of fire that sweeps through the door and engulfs the constructs on the other side.
As he grumbles and curses at the other scientists, Resk moves behind the containers to take cover and prepares to throw the grenade through the door as soon as it's open enough for a clear throw.
--
Jacob screamed defiantly and continues firing rapidly at the construct.
Tujon continues to smash at the tin cans, this time with his claws.
"You look like you have the most experience in combat then any of us!" came a snappy and almost snarky reply, as the scientist looked at the door. The door would definitely hold for a moment longer, so you decide to move up and blast the construct who was prying the door open with a spell. The blast of heat caused the construct and its nearby compatriots to crackle in anger. The spell was enough to cause it to lose its fight with the door as it stumbled back, the door snapping shut once more.
"John! John! Come on man, stay awake. Help is on the way!" One of the scientists tending to the wounded was lightly slapping the cheek of a sullen man, whose face was a bit pale.
The resulting fir from Jacob smashed into the construct. It looked like it was just a walking pile of scrap now, just a nick could send it to its death. It struggled to continue as Tujons claws scrapped along its armor ineffectively. Molly took aim and quickly fired her pistol, aiming to put it down for good with two quick shots. The first one bounced off its armor, but the second shot nailed the construct right in its head, the projectile smashing through what could be perceived as its eye. It groaned before falling back onto the ground. The final construct stopped moving, giving a quick scan of its environment. It was silent for a moment before moving off to one of the walls, between one set of pillars. It would then place its back against the wall and power down. The hacked construct thinking their were no longer enemies around, it would power down and enter a repair cycle.
The battle seemed over, though Caleb was upon the floor unconscious.
The comms crackled with static again, the sound of laser fire coming through. A ysoki's voice came over, though this one had that tinge to it that was obviously from the Harbinger crew. "Hey, you bucket of bolts! Come in! What the f~@$ is going on here? We've got a man wounded and were encounter pretty heavy resistance! Whats your status over?"
--------------
Unconsciousness or at least the appearance of it does not last long as Caleb sits up and then proceeds to carefully stand up, albeit somewhat unsteadily.
'It might be a good idea to use your gun next time, if only to soften the enemy up,' the familiar voice in his mind speaks up, its tone with a hint of dryness coloring it.
The android nods almost imperceptibly to seemingly nobody as he looks around, relieved that the fight is over. It would have been... annoying to have woken up after so long only to be destroyed shorty after.
"Hag's still got it, boltbag!", Molly can't help but exclaim, as she sees the robot fall to the ground and the last one slumps on the ground. Turning around to the heavily injured Caleb, Molly is surprised to see the android standing up. "Well, brisk. You are a tough one, hon.", she offers a grin, as she leans to the console, answering the channel with surprising hardness in her voice. "Harbinger, Harridan here!", she lets out. "Resistance on our side was heavy, we pushed them back. We have multiple injured, no casualties. We got proof of scientist activity, hold for update. Harridan over." She backs off the console, looking at the captain. "I'd suggest we go pick up the civvies first, before we go chasing the enemy.", she shrugs. "We're not in a condition to go charging in, and if we don't report back, some poor a!@+*$!s going to follow us in that blue-tinted killhole.", she rationalises. "Sir.", she adds with a look, suggesting she's going to be extra scrutinising in Tujon's decision.
Jacob rises to his feet and moves forward to clear the rest of the room before turning back to Tujon. "That skirmish was a mess, sir. Could you at least use a real weapon?" he asks, annoyed. "Those bots would have been easier to bust up with a Doshko."
Tujon kicks one of the robots before turning to face his crew. The sound of his metal encased foot slamming against the chest plate reverberates through the room. A look of ire and fervor seems equal parts cold calculation and impassioned hatred only a Vesk can muster.
"And when I find a suitable rifle among my enemies I will turn it against them. I am in the stream Damoritosh has chosen for me, I will not be turned aside due to the little inconvenience of being bereft a modern side arm. A Vesk is never truly unarmed. Next time, I will draw their fire with my charge, do take cover behind me.." The lizard stares over the mess in front of him. "Now, if we are done with that, their is a drone to be accessed that might lead us directly to our quarry. If not, we keep moving till we find the right room with a squad of these practice dummies in front of it. No quarter will be given."
As soon as the last enemy falls, Bishop goes to his comm and, using the line the science team opened up, speaks to the stranger from before. Science team, do you copy? Hostiles eliminated but we need your location.
Then he turns to Caleb, producing a small vial from under his cloak. Caleb, you’re hardly standing. Drink this serum. I would heal you with my gift but we don’t have the time if we are gonna make it to the team before it’s too late.
"Thank you, Bishop," the android says simply, putting up a hand to decline the offer. "I have... been provided with one such serum, it would seem. You may as well keep yours for now in case someone else needs it."
As he finishes speaking, he drinks the concoction and as soon as the vial is emptied, nanites in his body spring to life, energized by the serum, and get to work patching up his wounds. The sensation is... odd. And somewhat familiar, as if some distant memory is stirred. "Hmm...
Letting the microscopic machines do their job, he turns to look at their Captain, examining him in a way and listening to what he says to Jacob. There is the mannerism of a sigh. 'That was rash,' he ponders briefly but says nothing, his thoughts echoing Lena's words at the beginning of the fight. Instead, he focuses on resting, catching his breath so to speak.
- Jeez
If Resk can get through, he says, ”I’m sorry about your friend. I hope he’s okay. I managed to drive them back from the door here but I’m sure they’re still on the other side.”
And John is dying, but really, nobody likes John. Or I don’t.
”And I’m afraid one my team is succumbing to his wounds. I’ll try to find out how to route you here but it may take a moment. These computers are ancient and wholly alien to me...”
Add a personal connection. That helps with some people.
”My name is Resk, by the way. What’s yours?”
Jacob scowls. "It's not an 'inconvenience', its g&@&@&n tactical stupidity! This isn't some game, and we aren't the frakking Vesk military! We are a civilian operation and you need to remember that! Save your showboating for the g+*!$%n military parades and stop trying to get us killed!"
He will glare down Tujonvrek, not flinching or backing down. "I've seen enough incompetent commanders ruin their unit. We don't need that on this operation."
-Posted with Wayfinder
Bishop doesn't receive an immediate reply to his query over the comm, but about thirty seconds later the voice returned:
"I’m sorry about your friend. I hope he’s okay. I managed to drive them back from the door here but I’m sure they’re still on the other side. And I’m afraid one my team is succumbing to his wounds. I’ll try to find out how to route you here but it may take a moment. These computers are ancient and wholly alien to me... My name is Resk, by the way. What’s yours?”
Back where he sits, Resk begins to poke around in the computers for a map or schematic of the area.
Resk is able to find the most direct path, cutting any travel time remaining to just under half an hour. Though he could hear the constructs on the other side of the door, he believes the door would hold for that long.
Molly, having sat on the ground and reached into her pack, stares at the two soldiers beginning an argument. She straightens her back towards the console and takes a bottle of water from her pack, offering it to Bishop and Caleb. "Hey! Soldier-men!", she shouts at the two participants of the budding argument. "If you two are going to fight, at least take off your armour and find some mud.", she lets out in her raspy, sarcastic tone.
"Or if you want to act like adults, sit your rears out, shut your grub orifices, take a good breather and leave it for after we get the eggheads back." Taking off her headwrap, she wipes her sweat with it, before putting it back on. S!#$, Molly, what the hell'd you find yourself into..., she starts analysing the situation. Ancient vaults, ancient killer robots..., she shakes her head, before grinning. I nailed that last one, though. S&$&, I'm rusty..., she thinks, reloading her pistol and checking her spare ammo, as the small rest draws closer to its end.
Tujon smiles as he reaches down and rests the barrel of his gunnery officers rifle against what you are pretty sure is his heart. "If you think I am mad, then pull your trigger. It is not showboating, it is not play, it is not for your cameras." He taps his chest to accent each word, the sound of his knuckles rapping the metal getting louder as he says what it is not for. "The Veskarium has a proud history of tactics that work, my mistake was I forgot we have not trained for this. I forget, your scaleless hides do not spend every day in practice and meditation, I some times wonder how your world's did not fall long before we came."
"It is good though. We will train, or you will shoot me... the choice is yours."
Jacob will keep his eyes locked on Tujonvrek's. "We get it. You had a way of doing things. They do not work when everyone else isn't on the same page. You forgot that. I agree. We remember that until we get out of here, and I will gladly work with you to adapt those tried and true methods to work with the rest of the crew."
He lowers his rifle. "I've seen enough people die because someone in charge was careless. Too many friends..."
He sits down for his breather, using the time to go over his weapon and the mission recordings.
-Posted with Wayfinder
Tujon stands against the wall and rests. "We have all lost. Otherwise none of us would tack on with a ship headed out into the far unknown."
Bishop declines the offer of water from Molly with a wave as he continues talking in his comm. Nice to meet you, Resk. Name’s Bishop. I am picking up a slight Akitonian accent. That is the first familiar thing I have experienced yet on this incredible moon. You tell your comrades help is on the way. If any of you can fight don’t hesitate to open that door and assist when you start hearing those hunks of metal drop. As he speaks, the sound of a heated argument can be heard in the background. Just uh...tell them not to fire at the vesk. He looks meaner than any of these bots but he’s on our side for better or worse.
Molly stands up, putting the water back on her hip. "What?", she winks at Tujon, sending a grim smile. "You're not here because of the thrill of adventure?", she asks sarcastically. "Same here, but I don't think everyone here's a f%*!-up who has nothing left. Some people actually enjoy the thrill of the unknown.", she throws in, chucking as Bishop mentions the vesk.
"Lost? Yes, we have," Caleb mutters softly, the words appearing to indicate agreement with the vesk's own, even if the tone is slightly odd. "Although I must admit finding myself on the ship was not exactly by choice as much as it was by circumstance," he adds then and shrugs, a very human-like mannerism indeed. "Regardless, here we all are."
By the directions Resk provides, you find yourselves entering old unused corridors and passageways, all with the film of dust. Luckily no other constructs appear to be between you and your target. Occasional comm chatter would break the silence of the pounding boots on the hard metal floor. It sounded like the other two teams were meeting heavier resistance then what you've encounters. The situation seemed to be growing grim and dire. Whatever this complex is was not good news. Only your suit lanterns lit the way for the most part, the darkness was unnerving. Sometimes you thought you say a pair of lights down a few corridors you passed, lights very similar to those of the constructs.
As you round the last corner, you see the constructs trying to rip at the door, one interfacing with the controls on the left as it attempted to regain control over them and open it, while the other two continued to try and pull the door open by force. The constructs looked very much the same as the ones before, except for a single one that stood back. Its build was slightly different, it seemed to have some red painted or material shoulder, denoting it differently from the rest. Its laser arm seemed to be build differently with external tubing interlacing through the framework that led up its arm to a more hunch back. Its head also had a different array of lenses. The tubing emitted a soft orange glow, as well as the lights of its weapon arm.
It does not seem to have noticed the group yet.
Jacob gets into optimal position to ambush the constructs, readying his frag grenade. He glances at the rest of the team and gives a little wave of the grenade when he catches Tujonvrek's eye.
Bishop readies his pistol and waits for the captain’s inevitable charge into their enemies.
"Ysoki, tell your new friend to back everyone away from the door."
Tujon motions for Jacob to toss his ordnance while holding up three fingers.
Earlier, Resk doesn’t confirm or deny Bishop’s observation of an Akitonian accent. Damn. Oh well. It’s a big planet. What are the odds they would know the old crew...
While waiting for the “rescue party” to arrive, Resk sits quietly at the computer terminal or tinkering with the door’s mechanics, trying to make sure the biomechanicsl robots on the other side gain entry. He suffers the mewlings of his fellow scientists with an aura of impatience bordering on indifference. ”Help should be arriving soon,” he says flatly, not at all in a tone of encouragement. ”Just be patient.”
Ugh, if Bena were here, she’d have shot them for whining so much. Hmm. Odd to think of her at a time like this.
Figuring the others must be arriving soon, Resk places both grenades in his cheek pouches, palms his pistol and keeps a hand free for what the lay people called magic.
Caleb opts to ready his pistol this time and waits for the explosion soon to come and the fighting that may follow.
Noticing that the others are approaching, Resk tells the other scientists to take cover and lay low. "Things are about to get interesting. I'm going to have to open that door and give the rescue team some assistance. So, if you want to get out of here alive, stay down and out of the line of fire..." He pauses in thought, then adds. "Unless those things have grenades. In which case you should run. But I don't think they do." He shrugs, then returns to the terminal to watch for when the fireworks start.
Bishop whispers into his comm. Resk, we’re in position. Leading with explosives. Be ready.
"Fire in the hole" he mutters to himself by reflex.
Jacob lobs the grenade low, skittering it down the corridor to the door.
Molly moves in closer, remaining quiet while for the latter part of the break. Well, Molly, you wanted a shake-up from Monotonia. Giant robots is s*+$, but it ain't no monotony., she thinks to herself.
As the ambush is being prepared, she takes a couple of steps forwards, but remembers to stay behind Tujon. Nodding as Jacob prepares to throw the grenade, she takes aim at the big robot. Badly, as it turns out, as just as the grenade explodes, a bullet, aimed at the pipe of the massive laser, slams into the wall and disappears down the corridor.
The constructs don't even seem to notice the frag grenade skittering below them before it exploded with shrapnel shredding the vicinity and all of the constructs. A multitude of screeches could be heard as they turned to find out the source of the grenade. The red designated construct turns to the group, screeching in what only could be guessed as anger.