[center][h1][color=662d91][u]Delta End: Chapter 1[/u][/color][/h1][/center] [center][h2][color=662d91]An Exercise in Futility[/color][/h2][/center] [hr] [center][h2][color=662d91]Current Location: 2nd Pillar Tower, Vehicle Bay[/color][/h2][/center] [hr] The vehicle bay appeared rather empty when the first Agents entered the room. It was a large hall with spaces for many different kinds of vehicles, technologies, and otherwise. There was plenty of room for engineers and technicians to work on whatever new knickknack they found worthy of being included in the already stacked roster of technologies for the unit. At the opposite side of the room the vehicle exit was located by the wall, or rather, lack thereof as in its stead one could see a gigantic transparently glimmering blue energy barrier that could be turned on and off by each Agent at liberty using their PDA. It offered an easy way to safely seal all this delicate technology away while also providing usefully high ease of access. However, all of this potential was not properly used at that moment, as one could find naught but one actual functional vehicle stored within. [center][hider=Emergency Fortified Personnel Transporter (EFPT)] [img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/411246373632212993/1026156753198534746/DeltaTransport.png[/img] [/hider][/center] Delta's very own emergency fortified personnel transporter stood gloriously in the middle of the hangar, the vehicle's outside coated in a polished and strong alloy, reflecting the cold blue light of the neon tubes above back to the observer. Its green color was reminiscent of military technology used in conflicts of older times, reinforced by the large caliber cannon mounted neatly on top of the rear which was fully controllable remotely from the inside. As apparent by the noticeable lack of wheels, this vehicle did not move using roads but rather was capable of flight. More precisely, its engines allowed the transporter to make use of the SU's patented 'High-Altitude Hovering' which was not quite a flight but allowed for much higher altitudes to be traversed than using common hovering vehicles. The aforementioned alloy coating combined with the thick and dense steel platings the vehicle was made of, allowed it to take quite a few hits without endangering its passengers. On the inside one could find similar state-of-the-art high-tech developed right here in the Tower's mechanical laboratories. Fighting in the name of law enforcement brought its benefits after all- While crime pays in Soma, fighting crime sometimes does even more so. The back of the vehicle could be opened up like a ramp and 2 doors on either side offered an alternative way of entry. The inside itself was separated into 2 distinct areas: In the back, there were multiple seats lined on each wall where Agents could sit shoulder-by-shoulder as they were being transported. In the front, the pilot's cockpit could be found, with the main seat for the actual pilot to sit in as well as a co-pilot seat from which the co-pilot could take over in a pinch and also control various remotely controlled devices in the vehicle, such as the autopilot or the mounted cannon. Notably, the vehicle was built for humanoids roughly the size of a tall human. Therefore, there might not be enough space in the cockpit should Rokkit take the seat as the brave pilot of the EFPT. Once all the Agents had entered the hangar one by one, their (hopefully correctly equipped and configured) PDAs would light up to confirm registration to the EFPT. At the same time, a distinct beeping noise followed by a female voice would play from everyone's headset earpiece. [center][color=00aeef]"EFPT access successfully registered. Lookin' sharp, Agents."[/color][/center] Notably, this voice was of unknown origin, as it did not sound like Alayna or anyone else they had met before. Before anyone had time to contemplate on said voice's origin or identity, another person walked up to the group coming from a different corner in the vehicle bay. The place that he came from was littered with all kinds of different tools, mechanical parts, and both functioning and broken computer monitors. He himself wore thick glasses, and a muddied labcoat with several tools like wrenches, screwdrivers, drills, etc. hanging loosely in the coat's many pockets. The unknown individual scratched his head a bit, his hair looking as if he just walked through an actual hurricane with how messy it was, before speaking up. [center][hider=Unknown Mechanic] [img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/976554656958382130/1039559192731734108/quikfix2.png[/img] [/hider][/center] [center][color=00a651]"There are no keys needed to fly this vehicle- Modern technology makes it so the internal AI recognizes you using long-distance biometric scans and the presence of your PDA and badge on your body. It's marvelous technology, really- Noone without proper authorization and parameters is able to even enter the vehicle, let alone operate it.[/color][/center] He placed his hands in his coat's pockets- one on each side where the space was not entirely taken up by his trusty tools- while looking at the imposing vehicle before turning to face the group of Agents. [center][color=00a651]"My name's Mike, but I go by the codename Mekks. Normally, I am one of the Tower's head mechanics for R&D but Nevy- I mean, [i]the Commander[/i]- has asked me to help out as a mechanic for this unit for a while to get things rolling. So until further notice, I'll be happy to give you guys a hand with your equipment. If there's anything you need in regard to equipment, vehicles, Anima, whatever- Just drop by and ask for me. If I am not here you can reach me via the PDA, I've pre-registered my contact details for you.[/color][/center] After a short and awkward silence, Mekks scratched the back of his head once more before turning his back towards the Agents and walking back to his corner. [center][color=00a651]"Be a bit careful with the vehicle, would ya? I just finished patchin' her up. If push comes to shove don't hesitate to use the autopilot. It is [i]very good[/i].[/color][/center] Mekks added, knowing full well that most Agents always jumped at the opportunity to drive/fly a hovering vehicle, as they likely had always dreamed of doing so before. Some were skilled pilots but many always came back with scratches all over the outside, causing Mekks to put in overtime to fix and polish the vehicles back up. After all, a certain standard would have to be maintained as a Security Unit. [center][color=00a651]"Good luck on your first mission. Try not to die."[/color][/center] [hr] [center][h2]Meanwhile, somewhere in the 7th Pillar...[/h2][/center] The landscape was one of ruin and desolation, with the perished remnants of buildings that once stood tall spilling rubble over almost every square inch of the ground. Shattered glass, bent and melted metal, broken concrete, tattered and flailed books- It was a project that had been abandoned since the entities had attacked. The mist was looming eerily close, not too far away from where the buildings of the 7th once stood. Yet amongst the ruins, there was a building that stood tall. While it was seemingly nothing but a small house, capable of harboring one, maybe two families, it was a testament to things that used to be. For some, it was a symbol of hope for things to come Inside of this small, rather inconspicuous house, two distinct figures were having a conversation. [center][color=a36209]"How is her extraction proceeding along?"[/color][/center] The first figure that spoke did so without possessing a mouth- They spoke telepathically. It was a man if one could call it that. A more apt description would be that of a humanoid figure, wearing a grey and slick suit with color-matched gloves so that not an inch of skin was visible. More interestingly, however, was what was to be found on their back: Two feathered, almost angelic wings arose majestically to an impressive wingspan, albeit it not visible at the moment as the person chose to angle their wings in such a way that they were able to stand in such a tight space in the first place. Yet even those wings were not the most unique aspect of them, as this spot went to the person's unique head, or rather, lack thereof. In its place, one could find a seemingly floating cluster of eyes arranged irregularly in a cloud of transparent red mist in front of a coronally oriented golden halo-like metal ring. [center][color=ed1c24]"We are working on it. Local contractors are assisting in a smooth extraction. Even if they are on our tail, we should be able to smuggle her out of the Pillar within a week or so.[/color][/center] The other figure replied. Its voice was synthetic in nature, matching up with its appearance- [center][hider=???] [img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/976554656958382130/1039920340236779610/enemy2.jpg[/img] [/hider][/center] Whether it was an android from the beginning or simply the result of a human who took body modification to a scarily extreme level was not immediately clear from its appearance. Yet it was clear that it was no longer just human. A big, red, circular eye was staring at the other odd person- The red light it emitted being a sign of hostility and danger. A feature very much by design, as was the rest of its body. A big, circular hat that served as protection, a slick but surprisingly effective coat to protect its extremities, and two deceptively thin legs gave it an impressive level of agility. While apparently not wielding a weapon, one could not predict what hid beneath its coat besides cables, tubes, and metal. Its most interesting feature was a transparent but ever so slightly glowing almost perfectly circular ring, being sagitally oriented with no apparent origin or purpose. Almost like an actual halo, except hovering around its lower abdomen, rather than above the head. [center][color=a36209]"Wonderful, I am paying good money for this, after all. It is in all of our best interest that it is finished smoothly."[/color][/center] The telepathic voice replied to the android. The angelic figure then checked an expensive-looking old-school watch strapped around its left wrist while some available eyes were scanning the environment thoroughly. The android, however, grew impatient and spoke with a slightly agitated tone. [center][color=ed1c24]"Us meeting here required the burning of a trusted safe-house location. I sincerely hope it was not a simple catch-up meeting on the contract status?"[/color][/center] In a snap, all eyes focused directly on the android as the suit-wearing person stopped looking at his watch. Following this dramatic shift in tone, he would give a slight telepathic chuckle. [center][color=a36209]"Au contraire, M-02. I took a great risk even coming here in the first place, I would not do such a thing if I did not find the investment worthy. No, I actually did want to discuss something else."[/color][/center] He reached behind the kitchen counter next to which the two had been standing and pulled out a military-grade briefcase, locked by an outwardly impressive mechanism. [center][color=a36209]"I have another job for WIZARD."[/color][/center] [hr] The flight to the location was not a very long one, with the time it took to get there and the overall experience of the flight vastly depending on Rokkit's piloting abilities. Worst case scenario the crew could always stage a mutiny and turn on autopilot which would get them to the target safely. Being able to hover/fly above most of the buildings of the city was sure to provide a very scenic route through the 2nd Pillar- And while there was an apparent lack of windows anywhere in the vehicle except for the cockpit, multiple screens were set up even in the passenger's area so the Agents could observe the outside while being transported. It was a peaceful view, disconnected from the gritty reality that actually occurred behind the walls of each building or out on the streets. Instead, from their position, one could only see giant, glassy skyscrapers, occasional flying vehicles, and brightly lit streets below. This place was so far away from the fog that it was not even visible beyond the horizon from up here. And, of course, the Tower was towering far above any other building in the second. The only other thing that could compete in size with the Tower was the barrier to the First. Even from this high up, they could not see what was behind it as it stood tall in the distance. Their destination was a small restaurant located in the "Backstreets", a name given by locals for a small area at the outer border of the Commercial District. It was the most crime-riddled area one could find within the 2nd Pillar. Only a few streets ran through this area with most activity being confined to the area's namesake: the backstreets that were between the comparatively small buildings which housed plenty of cheap stores for all kinds of things. The buildings provided stark contrast to the glassy and futuristic skyscrapers of the center Commercial District, as they were more akin to concrete boxes, or slabs. It was the perfect place for the criminal underworld to conduct their business as it was also quite far from the nearest police station. Whether an unintentional oversight or lack of care by the governing body was up for debate. Within these backstreet locales, the target restaurant could be found. Next to a larger street, two large buildings would form a small alleyway between them inside of which a singular manual door was located with a metal sign hanging above the frame reading "Restaurant". It was very inconspicuous, and probably not a place anyone would like to enter without being specifically instructed to do so as it was not very promising in terms of culinary experiences from the outside. Not even a single window was in sight, giving no way of knowing what was to be found beyond the entrance. Now it was up to the Agents to decide their approach- They knew nothing more than the fact that an extremely dangerous and hostile fugitive was likely to be within this gray, cold building. The space between the buildings did not allow enough room for the transporter to land between them, but the adjacent larger street would do the job just fine- Even if it meant blocking almost the entire road with the massive vehicle. [@AThousandCurses] [@FatPrincess] [@PigeonOfAstora] [@Silver Carrot] [@Conscripts] [@Lucius Cypher] [@pkken] [@Birby]