>Not sure how long I'll be able to run this, I have a plane to catch.>Thread will be slightly shorter then.>Previous threads here: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?tags=AC%20QuestYOU ARE ALEX RASTON.A few minutes ago, you delivered Cass safely back to the hangar. Currently you're sitting across the table from Dave, who seems to have passed beyond his apprehension, into a relaxed resignation."So then, Cass is safe, Molly's finally calmed down, and you have questions. You want to do this now? Or wait until we get the team together? I think Laurie and Ari left with your Mom, and I'd prefer they were here for this." He then sighs "your call though."[ ] Wait, talk on other things.[ ] Time to do this.
>>19576162[x] Wait, talk on other things.
>>19576162[x] Wait, talk on other things.Better to have the entire team here.
>>19576162[X] Wait, talk on other things.Get the team together so he only has to go through his life story and all of this once.
[x] Wait, because peer pressure and I wanna be cool.
>>19576162Alright, I won't be a dissenting voice. I wanna be, but I won't. 'cause it doesn't look like it would matter.
"Let's wait then. If you've spent this long dodging it, I'd rather get it all over with in one go.""I hear ya. Honestly, I don't care if you know, I just don't like talking about it."A moment's silence passes. "So.... how are things with you and Ari?""Weird to be perfectly frank. Normally I have flings rather than taking a shot at an actual relationship. It's.... slower than I'm used to." he catches your expression "Not that I'm complaining, I'm cool with her taking her time.""...Let's change the topic.""Yeah, that got uncomfortable fast. So.... everything's going good with you and Elsie?""So far, yeah."".... yeah, I already knew that actually. I won't beat around the bush here: Does this whole thing with Dervish weird you out as much as it does me?"[ ] Kinda.[ ] Not really.[ ] What do you mean?
>>19576331[x] Kinda.
>>19576331[X] Kinda.Aside from the robot eyes, keeping a veritable armory in his car, his mysterious and presumably dark past and so on he seems like a pretty cool guy.
>>19576331[x]Kinda.Though if I recall correctly, he has referred to himself as an assassin before. Or was that not in Alex's earshot?
"...Kinda, if I'm honest. I mean, he seems like a decent enough guy..."".... but he plays ball on a different level, has some sort of dark secretive past, and has taken way too much of an interest in our group.""And he's got a lot more kit than strictly necessary.""And he totally let you win that one fight.""...what?""First round? His core didn't take enough damage to cause the reactor failure he claimed. Apparently Mooch found out about it hanging out with Tony.">What say/do?
>>19576522That last one is weird. I'm guessing he considered letting us win more advantageous than going for it himself, or he just happened to like us and threw us a bone after we did something clever and were punching outside of our weight class.
>>19576522"Okay, that's weird. "Any idea on why he'd throw the fight?"
>>19576522.....dafuq
>>19576546>>19576582"Your guess is as good as mine. I have no idea what he was thinking, and honestly? I'd be glad to stay ignorant. his mind doesn't strike me as a pleasant place to be."At this point Lawrence and Ari wander back into the hangar, with him looking slightly upset. You give Elsie a call, and soon the entire team is gathered.[ ] Out with it then.[ ] You said you could explain some... inconsistencies?[ ] (let him approach this how he wants).
>>19576651[X] (let him approach this how he wants).This is something he doesn't really like talking about it, let him take it as he chooses.
>>19576664Some fine reasoning, that.
>>19576651 [X] (let him approach this how he wants).
>>19576651let him approach this how he wants. Am I the only one annoyed that Dervish threw our fight?
>>19576651[x] (let him approach this how he wants).>>19576811I don't mind, it's a million or 3 for us now.
You gesture for him to take it at his own pace. He looks somewhat relieved."Alright, so my father is a man obsessed with his legacy. He's spent his whole life building his reputation, his fortunes and his business. Not something everybody knows, but our family was a wreck internally when he took the reins, and then he brought us back to life. Then the world ended, and he managed to fix it a second time."His gaze seems to hit somewhere unidentifiable on the horizon "I was supposed to be his heir. The next him basically. I spent my whole life learning from him, training the skills I would need. I got into medicine because it's one of those things that will always be needed. Doctors."
>>19576842He shakes his head. "Then it happened. I got some sort of weird ass disease they don't have a name for, that basically meant my heart was going to implode. So my father, rather than look into making a new heir or any sort of sane option, like talking to me about it, had me knocked out and put under. Apparently Dr. Braun had discovered a relatively safe method of putting a person into stasis. So I woke up several years later to find out my father had taken an axe to every aspect of my life that wouldn't wait for me. My woman couldn't stay young so he chased her off, claiming I didn't love her anymore. My animals weren't going to be cared for, so he put them to sleep. And then everybody was surprised when I woke up and told him to go fuck himself." He laughs for a minute, a hollow sound with a bitter touch of self loathing. "He saved my life. He did it for the good of me, and the good of my family. He looked at everything in my life that wouldn't work, and tried to make it so I could get back on my feet as quickly as possible, once the cure for my ill was made. And god help me, I'll never forgive him for it. I left not even ten hours later, and never looked back.">Input action.
>Shit, keep this alive for me, post reactions/comments/questions, I'll pick this up and close it out as soon as I can.>I need to go to the airport, like right now.
>>19576872Right thanks for running this, hope the wedding goes swimmingly.
>>19576849I'm thinking we just pat him on the back and hand him something liquor based. Then make a comment about the odd frequency of people with daddy issues in this party.
>>19576849Not really sure how to react to that."So you've been on the run from your dad? With everything he invested in you, he try to get you back at all?"
>>19576849That seriously sucks Dave, I'm sorry you had to go through that. Pour out drinks for everyone.
>>19576926Who all does have daddy issues anyway? I know we do, with our father who died mysteriously and someone claiming to have killed him, I know Laurie does, or did to be more precise, and Dave does apparently, and Mooch.... I think Elsie does as well... Goddamn. Who the fuck doesn't have daddy issues here?
>>19577005Heck, we're sharing ours with Ari. Cass was vat grown apparently. Maybe Dervish had a good dad?
>>19577005...I was going to say our engineer but his family is all sorts of crazy. Just be glad we're not him.
>>19577057Hopefully, but honestly people with his kind of past, at least the one that is alluded to, don't have such great family lives. Maybe Lizzie has it better?
>>19577112I don't know why, but somehow, I doubt it. Maybe someone on her squad though.
I have the suspicion at this point that you can't pilot a core and have a non-traumatic past of some sort.
So, what do we think of Dervish and his badass history?
>>19577779That its a secret, he ran with the pack, and that whatever was contacting us contacted him as well and he told them to take a hike. Question is why.
>Sorry for the misunderstanding, my sister isn't getting married NOW, it's in a week or so.>I went to deal with shit like my suit early in case a clusterfuck exactly like this one happened.>I'll type up the last bit and wrap up the tread, sorry it hasn't been to consistent around here, but I can only do so much.
bump
There's a moment of silence at the table as Dave finishes his story.Laurie then pours a drink, a small dose of rum for everyone at the table. passing it around Mooch poses a question "How worried do we need to be about this? I mean, is he going to come after you...?""With guns and shit? Nah. He's probably looking, and will try to talk me into coming back one way or another. But if it comes to that he'll walk away from it. I'd have brought it up sooner if it were a security risk."You sit there and wonder to yourself if every pilot has this sort of emotional baggage carrying around. When you bring this up and speculate what the hell Dervish went through to be so good you get a dark chuckle out of the group. You look around at everybody, noting that Dave and Mooch are probably the oldest ones in the room in their earlyish twenties.And how old everyone feels. Just a few more days, and the colonists will be secure enough for everybody to relax for a little bit. It's with this same heady mixture of dark optimism soured with rum that you and Elsie make your way to bed in. Some small mercy gave you a few more hours of distance from the troubles of the world that night.Maybe the powers that be just decided that what was com8ing was enough, and gave one more night of quiet.
>3:30 am here, but if this thread's up tonight-ish I'll keep going. Otherwise I'll pick it up Tuesday.
>>19579154bump to keep this alive for tonight.
>>19579154I can help!And page 12 seems a decent point to do so.
>>19582862I suppose I'll give it another nudge, too. Pretty much because I can, I guess.
>>19585466Gettin' closer to when AC-Guy should be back around.Let's save this little beauty from gettin' deleted with a bump.
>Back. I need to check something real quick, but we're back on I guess.
>>19589118Okay, waiting on you.
I'm here.
YOU ARE ELIZA MCALLISTAIR.Currently you're thankful for Abby's quick recovery. She seems.... a little uncomfortable around you due to the awkward confession and her memory loss. while it got better after a while, it seems that she's still missing a couple of days in there.Will stopped by to ask you a couple of questions, get a feel for the crew while you sit in front of your private terminal. The screen blanked out for a moment just then, and words scrolled by on the screen: 'The traitor goes unpunished, Eliza. Tread careful, trust no-one.'It's signed by 'The Nowhere Man'."Liz." He gives you a look. "Something wrong?"[ ] Tell him about the message.[ ] Brush it aside, ask him how he is.[ ] Brush it aside, ask if he's heard of this 'Nowhere Man'."
>>19589393>[x] Brush it aside, ask him how he is.OH SHIT IT'S DERVISH!
>>19589393[x] Brush it aside, ask if he's heard of this 'Nowhere Man'."
[ ] Brush it aside, ask if he's heard of this 'Nowhere Man'."
>>19589413It's possible that there are multiple people using that name. It might just be something that Dervish's faction uses when they contact people.
>BRB, need to feed animals.
>>19589393[ ] Tell him about the message.
>>19589625I mean, we're supposed to be able to trust Will, right? Right?
>>19589393[X] Tell him about the message.
rolled 7 = 7Brush aside asj how he is
>Leave to feed animals.>Return to a threeway.
>>19589944>Return to threeway.
>>19589977>A DRAW.>THREE WAY DRAW.
>>19589393[X] Quickly have a three-way
>>19589998You can't clarify George Takei's girth
>>19589998I'll switch to brushing it off, asking about Nowhere Man
"Nothing. Well, nothing unusual anyway. Just normal worries and concerns."He nods. "We got a new job offer from Omer Science. Apparently terrorists have seized one of their production facilities and they wanted to try and clear it out so they didn't have to level the place.""Damn. How bad is it?""Mostly MT kits, nothing too dangerous. Sound like something you could handle?""With someone watching my back? Sure." Your mind goes back to the message about trust. "Hey Will, you used to be Intel right? You ever hear of somebody called 'The Nowhere Man'?"That gets his interest. "Yeah, I've heard of him. Or them. Or whatever the hell is hiding behind that mask. The Nowhere Man is the spy community's equivalent to Babe Ruth AND the Boogeyman at the same time. Supposedly the name came from a CIA meeting where they said that he was nowhere to be found, which is when every computer and phone in the building got a message along the lines of 'Everyone is somewhere, quit making excuses' signed 'The Nowhere Man'." He gives you a look. "Surprised you know that name."
>>19590280"Thought I overheard something at that one blacktie thing we got dragged to last week.""Mmmm, everyone likes to speculate at things like that. People still argue about the Kennedy assassination." He's quiet for a moment. "Hey Liz? How would you feel about relocating the team to Vegas? At least temporarily. The whole Mitch thing... I can't find any leads into that attack on Abby that don't raise more questions, and I can't help but wonder that Vegas was important somehow.""So we're moving?""If the team supports it. I was wondering how you felt."[ ] Sure.[ ] If we have to.[ ] I don't know.
>>19590289[x] If we have to.
>>19590289>[ ] I don't know.
>>19590289[x] Sure.oh yes more three ways
>>19590289>[x] If we have to
>>19589944>>19589977>>19589998yeah, nocapping this
>>19590389What are you even saying?
"if we have to. I'd hate for us to walk away from the small security we've gotten here only to find out we're chasing ghosts.""...I'll look into it more, see if it's really the smart play. We just don't have much to work with at the moment, and the only other option I see is Detroit. Which doesn't even have a vague hint of a lead going for it."".... Hey Will?" you begin, putting a hand on his shoulder. "You feeling alright? You've been acting a little weird lately.">Give me a perception roll.
rolled 10 = 10>>19590478
>>19590487>It's uh...>We use percentile dice, unless noted otherwise.
rolled 55 = 55>>19590496damn sorry it really late
rolled 53 = 53>>19590478Perception? From little miss 'dense enough to sink on a neutron star'?
rolled 26 = 26>>19590478Lemme try LEMME TRY
rolled 52 = 52>>19590478
>>19590555>>19590547...Thursday......Did we win?
>>19590504>>19590508>>19590547You hear some sort of a vague humming noise when he shrugs off your hand. "I'm fine. Just a little tired."You don't quite buy it, but you're willing to let it slide for now. "Let me know if you want to talk."He nods vaguely in your direction before walking out the door. As you return to your terminal, you see that there's a new message: 'Are you sure who your friends are? - The Nowhere Man'.
YOU ARE ALEX RASTON.Currently, your team is looking into the final round of the tournament."Alright." Dave says "These guy's name is Calamity, and it's a reputation they've earned. Judges have already passed down the ruling that we're going to be fighting as a team in an abondoned factory part of town, special rules yet to be decided. We're going to be taking the stage as soon as Nine-Ball's match against this Kami guy ends.""He's good?""Real good. Weird thing is that he switched cores for the last round. Used to be a lightweight spear thing he used the whole run, but now it's a fucking quad-legged motherfucker. damn near the size of Ari's.""Huh. We ready to discuss tactics?""Let's do it on the field, since we're supposed to be ready to go at any time. We aren't expecting to fight right anyway, but they want us deployed in case it comes to that.">Questions for Dave? He seems to have done tactical analysis since you were... occupied.
>>19590707I'm terrible at questions.What sort of armaments should we expect?
>>19590769>but now it's a fucking quad-legged motherfucker. damn near the size of Ari'sProlly lots of armor, and lotsa giant lasers.Silly Udz.....
>>19590803Now, see, it seems to me that Dave's talking about Kami there, not Calamity.
"They got a pretty basic set up. One guys close range, one guys a mid-range type like you, and they've got a sniper watching over them. They like to deploy in a staggered pattern with the melee guy going fo the kills, the mid-range guy running interference for the other two, and the sniper shooting anybody trying to jump one of the others. Between smart deployment, good communication, and playing defensive..... they've been steamrolling people. Best bet would be to try and trick the melee guy into a baited trap, and seeing if we can take them out one at a time. Divide and conquer. Only problem is....""We'd have to get them to walk into a trap without them knowing it.""Hard to do in a tournament context. They know they're safe until the match starts, and once the countdown ends the bullets are gonna fly."
>>19590834>This is true. So, assuming no more questions come up between here and when I get back from checking on my Dad, I'll start typing up the last round stuff.
>>19590842Could always do Mooch plan #397The Trojan HorseAnd that is, Have fastest AC distract the team while the two heavy hitters knock down a object around them depending on the Location.Then they hollow that out.Fastest AC then brings them near that wrecked peice of scenary and the two burst through the now not so thick object and beat the crud outta the enemy.......This probobly wont work at all in any practical sense....just a suggestion...
Your team sets the deployment on the field. The enemy captain introduces himself as Chris, and after a brief conversation you decide that he seems like a decent enough guy. You tune into Nine-Ball's match pre-show thing while you try to figure out a plan to fight them.>Give me a tactics roll.
rolled 54 = 54>>19591044MoochBrand MoochTatics!!>(We're all dead I just subconsiously know it)
rolled 25 = 25>>19591044Hopin' for some good old MooghTatics!
>>19591097MooghTatics are appearntly better then MoochTatics it appears.
rolled 71 = 71>>19591044
You slip past the security gate with no hesitation, knowing the cameras are already spoofing you out of the picture.Walking into the main broadcast studio, your portable still playing the live commentary broadcast from inside.The silent studio. Walking over to the stage, you see the body of 'Mr Smooth' lying on a broken table in the room, while listening to his excited chatter about Nine-Ball being in for 'the fight of his life'.Then you notice that 'Kami' is flying a core named 'Wind'. Most people in Vegas wouldn't think twice about it, since his last core was named 'Fire'.Most people in Vegas don't speak Japanese.
>>19591114typo.Shit.
>>19591178Is cool Asuka....I dont hold typos against people...Because its a zombie...And I hate zombies..
>>19591044You get a call from Dervish on the coms, while Smooth announces that Nine-Ball was in for the fight of his life.Be a hell of a thing to see.[ ] Answer.[ ] Wait until Nine-Ball's match is over.
>Uh.... did something happen to the thread?
>>19591258Everyone vanished?Yes....>Answer.Because its Dervish...he knows everything...if you dont...he'll prolly kill you...
>>19591194[x] Answer.We'll catch Nine-Ball's fight on video later.
"Hey Derv-""Get your team the fuck out of there.""Wait what?""It's an ambush. This whole tournament was a trap."[ ] Get out.[ ] Tell other team to get out while you run.[ ] Ask for proof.
>>19591292>OtherLeave, while blowing shit up.FUCKERS TRY TO AMBUSH US.WE AMBUSH THEM AMBUSHING US!THEN WE TAKE THEM BY SURPRISE!
>>19591292Got any proof?
>>19591292Ask for proof.It's potentially the funniest option.
>>19591292[x] Get out.He hasn't steered us wrong before.
>>19591292>[x] Tell other team to get out while you run.
>'Prove it' wins?"Wait, what're you...." and tyhen you catch the match in the corner of your eye. The second core boosted stright into Nine-Balls sword, then overloaded it's reactor. The camera goes dead immediately."HOLY SHIT." Chris screams into the Coms. "What the fuck just-"Dervish's voice cuts him off. "Dammit Alex, MOVE. I'll explain while you go.">Give me a piloting check.
rolled 91, 46, 25, 13, 72 = 247>>19591361>>19591366>So of course someone else posts, after I wait for several minutes to make sure everyoner had their say.
rolled 37 = 37>>19591366Whatever. Piloting check.
>>19591372No big deal.
>>19591392>I'm sorry, it was going into the next post, but you're rolling because the building you're standing on just exploded.
>>19591414So wait, are we doing a different course of action now?
rolled 71 = 71>>19591366rollan
>>19591420>No, Dervish told you to run, and then you were asked to roll a piloting check as a result of not running when he told you to.>You actually passed your tactics roll, which gave you >>19591174>Which explained how Dervish realized it was a trap.>And now we're here.
rolled 69 = 69I would have posted, but I got distracted by The Secret World "beta" weekend, and now I should have been in bed like, an hour ago, so is like to leave this roll, for whatever needs a roll, if I might.
>>19591457>Wait, secret world got a Beta thing? While I have shitty internet?>Oh god, I am so pissed off right now. I've been looking forward to that game since it was announced.
>>19591469Yeah, I'm in the exact same boat. Though, they could have done a lot more to get the beta out on time.
The explosion rocks you, and you take some light damage as you jump clear. Dave and Laurie both make it out, as does Chris.Neither of his team-mates are so fortunate."What the fuck?!" You yell into the com.Dervish responds "I just found Smooth's corpse. He's been dead since day one. The funds people payed into the tourney with? Went to buying weapons. The whole thing was a setup: get all the pilots to wreck their cores in the Arena with the promise of prize money, steal the money in the confusion, and then attack the weakened and disoriented city at the same time. Brilliantly planned actually. I didn't figure out their game until about ten seconds ago."[ ] Ask him for more info.[ ] Ask him for status on____.[ ] Ask him if he has a plan.
rolled 53 = 53>>19591498What's the plan?
>>19591498>[x] Ask him if he has a plan.
>>19591498 [X] Ask him if he has a plan.
"You have a plan?""Currently the plan is to get to my core and try to get more information. I'll let you know when I have something more solid for you, but right now you need to start making calls and mobilizing as many people as possible.""Alright." the line goes dead.>Who call first?[ ] Your Base.[ ] Josh.[ ] Captain Brenner.[ ] Duke at the Raven's Nest.
>>19591532Call Duke.He can put more firepower in one place in less time than anyone else in Vegas.
>>19591532 [X] Your Base.We should see about getting some of our cores over to the Hope settlement.
>Back in five.
>>19591532[X] Josh.Alright lets get someone we can trust in here
>>19591582>>19591555>>19591552>You motherfuckers.
Call Duke
>>19591599Call Mooch's sentient core...Maybe he can actually pilot now?
You opt to call Duke first.After a few rings, you get his voice. "Hello?""Duke, listen. It's Alex. Alex Raston. you've been watching the tournament?""Yeah, what the hell happened? I go and grab the popcorn and the cameras all go out?""Whole tournament was a sham. Vegas is under attack."You hear him choke on his beer. "Are you fucking serious?"Dervish sends you pictures of what look to be MTs headed onto the strip. you forward them without hesitation. "Dead serious. We need to scramble everybody we can.""Shit. I'll start by putting a red alert over the Local Raven's Net, and then start making calls.">Who next?
>>19591664Our base make sure everyone is mobile and ready to move out
>>19591664The base.
>>19591664Our base.
You ring up the Base, and Elsie answers."Alex? What the fuck is going on?""We're under attack. Someone's attacking Vegas, the whole Tourney was a ruse to get money and get as many cores wrecked as possible.""WHAT?!?!""Yeah, apparently Dervish found something weird and put enough together in time to try and warn us. Get everyone mobilized, we have no idea how bad this is yet.""... Alright. Ari to?"[ ] Yeah, we might need her.[ ] Not yet, but make sure she's ready just in case.
>>19591725Yeah, I don't like it, but we might need her.
>>19591725 [X] Yeah, we might need her. If theres one place a teenage girl is safe its at the helm of a weapon of mass destruction.
Now call Brenner and Josh, c'mon c'mon c'mon*We need those fucking fuckersWhy am I so excited damnit
>>19591725[ ]As much as I hate to admit it Yeah, we might need her.
>>19591664Our base get everyone on full alert.
>>19591725Yeah, this is your chance kid. 'If you die I'm going to drag you back and inflict a hell the likes of which you've never imagined upon you.'
>>19591725Also maybe add a stay safe and love you in there to Elsie.
"... Yeah, we might need her.""Alright." she says. You get a message from Josh that Dervish already contacted him.That's when you hear a voice come over the radio. A voice you remember well."Damn, and here I thought my little trap would get you. I made the explosion MUCH bigger than I was going to because of the impression you left on me in the sims. Oh well. I guess we'll just have to do this the old fashioned way.">To be continued next time.>I need sleep.
