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Safe travelling, then.
I shall similarly be departing in two days. Unlike Cav, I won't have internet access for a week.
- Last Seen: 1 yr ago
- Old Guild Username: BBeast
- Joined: 12 yrs ago
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- BBeast 12 yrs ago
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7 yrs ago
Current
I'm now a professional physicist. Isn't that awesome?
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8 yrs ago
Exams are done! I'm free!
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8 yrs ago
"Life is complex - it has real and imaginary parts."
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9 yrs ago
Science doesn't rest
9 yrs ago
Reason Reified, Lord Logiker, Sciencomancer Superbus
Bio
I am a Roleplayer with an interest in science fiction and fantasy, with a preference for Casual. I have been roleplaying for several years, and have even taken a stab at running a few RPs.
Outside the Guild, I am an Australian science student, gamer, musician and roleplayer (that's right, IRL too).
Outside the Guild, I am an Australian science student, gamer, musician and roleplayer (that's right, IRL too).
Most Recent Posts
@Cyclone, good call.
@R4inator, welcome back.
Sorry for the absolutely massive post. Cav and I between us had written more than I had anticipated. Expect part two soon. I think it will be a bit smaller.
@R4inator, welcome back.
Sorry for the absolutely massive post. Cav and I between us had written more than I had anticipated. Expect part two soon. I think it will be a bit smaller.
~BBeast and Cavalier~
Calvartem's hoard of undead cattle had been growing nicely until a fiery explosion erupted from a bull which had wandered away from the group. He turned and saw that a man with spiked red hair in a red robe, like those of the priests he had encountered last time, armed with a brilliant bow of fire standing over the charred remains. The pyromancer led attacks against the Walkers, burning the corpses and rendering them useless. This man would ruin Calvartem's plans, so he would have to be stopped.
From the back of Shadowmane, the Necromancer waved his staff over at three human Walkers, made from farmers foolish enough to try and stop his hoard without proper preparation, and they collapsed to the ground. At another wave, their flesh rippled and twisted, transferring muscle mass from the chest to the limbs and growing sharp claws and teeth. The Gremlins stood, and Calvartem ushered them away quietly. They would flank the town and attack from behind once they made it around, killing people cowering in their homes and giving Calvartem another pathway for victory. But for now, he would deal with the pyromancer personally.
He rallied up his undead cattle and set them in a charge on the resistance the pyromancer was leading. He could see that this man could easily take down his undead individually, he doubted that he would be quiet as successful in dealing with a full charge of 30 cattle. However, he did not leave things to chance. Calvartem pointed his staff at the ground and unleashed a surge of shadowy fire at it. The magical pulse buried itself into the ground and made its way under the charging cattle and towards the pyromancer at speed. Once the pulse reached where the man stood, it erupted out of the ground in an explosion comparable to a landmine, throwing stones and clods of dirt into the air as well as striking out with a rending blast that would easily incapacitate any normal man.
When the nebulous explosion tossed the singed and dazed but otherwise barely harmed fire priest into the air, however, in one piece rather than several, it became apparent that this being was more than human. The huddle of farmers that had been following him lay on the earth or against the nearest building or fence, stunned and useless. From their midst the pyromancer pushed himself to his feet, hastened by the incoming undead charge. "Finally, an enemy worth fighting!" he growled as he sighted Calvartem a few hundred feet away, majestic and terrifying atop his fiendish steed. He hadn't long to spectate, though, as in a few seconds the incoming wall of resurrected cattle would tear him limb from limb.
The necromancer's attack gave him an idea of his own. The fire priest knelt down swiftly, arms ablaze with magical energy, and began to channel his power through the ground as well. Cracks raced across its surface like jagged bolts of lightening, filled with fierce orange light. They met the stampede roughly fifteen feet from the fire priest's position and lit up as bony hooves trampled across them, releasing pillars of flame that further cracked and seared the earth while badly damaging Walkers that attempted to pass through it. Effectively, the pyromancer had created a protective wall of fire jets, spurting from the ground like miniature volcanoes. While not as directed or powerful as his bound arrows, the wall ensured that any Walkers blindly rushing his position would be damaged and slowed enough by the barrier so that the fire priest could take them down with his bow. Of course, the Walkers could ultimately just walk around the burning barrier, but that would slow them down and split them up further.
Dealing with such low enemies was something the fire priest both appreciated and scorned. While any battle in which he was able to exercise his might was enjoyable, there was not much satisfaction and no challenge in reducing these mindless corpses to cinders. The mounted necromancer, though--a being of intelligence and magical mastery, most like. With a head like that directing a dead army, they would surely find ways around his defences. As such, even though his current position was good, the fire priest began to back off into the relative safety of the buildings, firing as he went. He anticipated a change of tactics.
The Walkers which made it through the flames were burning but otherwise not fazed, and continued their advance towards the fire priest, where they were being shot down one by one by exploding spikes of white-hot fire. Calvartem directed the rest of the herd around the fire wall, for he needed them intact, and by that time his opponent had backed away into the village. Calvartem sent most of the remaining Walkers into another charge, to overrun the village and perhaps that pesky pyromancer too, but a few remained to bite and gore the stunned farmers before making their own ways towards the town. Calvartem galloped closer to the fresh corpses, with Shadowmane easily bounding over the wall of fire jets, and he cast tendrils of black fire from his staff which wormed their way into the corpses. A few seconds later the corpses had been transmuted into Gremlins, and he sent those out to flank the town too. Just so the pyromancer would not be able to get comfortable shooting down his undead cattle, Calvartem started firing bolts of his own dark magic at the man, if he even was a man.
A momentary look of annoyance crossed the fire priest's rough features as he realized that his burning barrier wasn't hurting the Walkers as much as he initially thought. He instantly felt gratified his decision to make an aggressive retreat, as the flaming corpses were rapidly being rejoined by others that had heeded their master's command and simply gone around the firewall. He was about to round the corner of a house and lose his line of sight to the failed barrier when the enemy commander, astride his dead horse, leaped it and began raising nearby corpses. The pyromancer took a risk and stopped moving for a moment to examine the necromancer and watch it work. This analysis was interrupted, however, as Calvartem looked his way and turned the black firebolts on him instead. After loosing a parting shot from his bound bow, the fire priest dodged around the corner and down a dirt street perpendicular to the one occupied by the necromancer. The dark magic blasted the spot he had been moments ago, throwing up ash and clods of dirt, and through the dust charged the undead. With only a dozen feet separating man and monster now, worry began to gnaw at the corners of his consciousness. A new idea crossed his mind, and he mentally banked it for potential usage later.
Calvartem was in the middle of casting his own attack when the fire priest released a counter attack, a fast fire arrow. With no time to raise a shield he could only try and lean out of the way, but that was met with only limited success as the arrow pierced through his right ribs. The bolt blasted a number of his ribs off, sending the charred, shattered bones flying across the street, and burned a large hole in his ancient robe. Fortunately the bolt passed through him before exploding, but the damage which had been dealt still angered Calvartem.
Banishing any trace of fear, the fire priest swiftly loosed two shafts. One downed the lead Walker, turning it into an inanimate, flaming wreck that partially obstructed the street and bought him a little time. The second fire spike stuck into the wooden building to his left, only a few feet away from him, and exploded. The resulting detonation flung burning lengths of lumber across the path, which would temporarily keep the skeletal herd from advancing down this street. However, it also badly burned the fire priest, melting away the skin on the left side of his face and knocking him down. A villager nearby, so far unmolested by any Walkers or Gremlins, despairingly rushed to see if his protector was dead. Grabbing the singed red robes, he pulled the fire priest onto his back, and recoiled in shock. Beneath the skin of the pyromancer's face, there was only obsidian, and his left eye socket was empty save for an intense, burning spark. Ignoring the gaping villager, he tried to move only to find himself unable. Perhaps his explosive gambit hadn't been a good plan after all. He swore loudly and colourfully and lay there, vulnerable.
When Calvartem heard the explosion he steered Shadowmane towards the source. He approached the alleyway where the pyromancer had gone before and saw the barricade of flaming wood. The Walkers which had been going after him had given up when their path had been blocked and instead went off after other, easier targets. While such behaviour would not be tolerated by other Keepers, this did not worry the Necromancer, partly because he knew they would be better suited to killing this town's inhabitants rather than a powerful mage but mostly because through the flames he could see the fire priest on the ground, clearly injured.
Calvartem raised his staff as if it were a signal, then he spoke to the fire priest. The voice was strange, hollow, as there were no lungs or flesh to produce the sound, and to watch him talk may be unusual as his face had no flesh to form expressions. "You may be strong, but I will crush you and your kind and whatever other resistance you humans will gather." As he spoke, the burnt ribs from the cow which had been shot rose out of the ashes and moulded into Calvartem's own ribcage, repairing the damage which had been made, although not the robe yet.
Then five Gremlins jumped down from the roofs of the neighbouring houses and landed around the fallen pyromancer. They swiftly killed the startled villager, claws catching and tearing so teeth may bite and kill. Then they turned their attention to the red-robed figure, with intent to kill him also.
Calvartem's hoard of undead cattle had been growing nicely until a fiery explosion erupted from a bull which had wandered away from the group. He turned and saw that a man with spiked red hair in a red robe, like those of the priests he had encountered last time, armed with a brilliant bow of fire standing over the charred remains. The pyromancer led attacks against the Walkers, burning the corpses and rendering them useless. This man would ruin Calvartem's plans, so he would have to be stopped.
From the back of Shadowmane, the Necromancer waved his staff over at three human Walkers, made from farmers foolish enough to try and stop his hoard without proper preparation, and they collapsed to the ground. At another wave, their flesh rippled and twisted, transferring muscle mass from the chest to the limbs and growing sharp claws and teeth. The Gremlins stood, and Calvartem ushered them away quietly. They would flank the town and attack from behind once they made it around, killing people cowering in their homes and giving Calvartem another pathway for victory. But for now, he would deal with the pyromancer personally.
He rallied up his undead cattle and set them in a charge on the resistance the pyromancer was leading. He could see that this man could easily take down his undead individually, he doubted that he would be quiet as successful in dealing with a full charge of 30 cattle. However, he did not leave things to chance. Calvartem pointed his staff at the ground and unleashed a surge of shadowy fire at it. The magical pulse buried itself into the ground and made its way under the charging cattle and towards the pyromancer at speed. Once the pulse reached where the man stood, it erupted out of the ground in an explosion comparable to a landmine, throwing stones and clods of dirt into the air as well as striking out with a rending blast that would easily incapacitate any normal man.
When the nebulous explosion tossed the singed and dazed but otherwise barely harmed fire priest into the air, however, in one piece rather than several, it became apparent that this being was more than human. The huddle of farmers that had been following him lay on the earth or against the nearest building or fence, stunned and useless. From their midst the pyromancer pushed himself to his feet, hastened by the incoming undead charge. "Finally, an enemy worth fighting!" he growled as he sighted Calvartem a few hundred feet away, majestic and terrifying atop his fiendish steed. He hadn't long to spectate, though, as in a few seconds the incoming wall of resurrected cattle would tear him limb from limb.
The necromancer's attack gave him an idea of his own. The fire priest knelt down swiftly, arms ablaze with magical energy, and began to channel his power through the ground as well. Cracks raced across its surface like jagged bolts of lightening, filled with fierce orange light. They met the stampede roughly fifteen feet from the fire priest's position and lit up as bony hooves trampled across them, releasing pillars of flame that further cracked and seared the earth while badly damaging Walkers that attempted to pass through it. Effectively, the pyromancer had created a protective wall of fire jets, spurting from the ground like miniature volcanoes. While not as directed or powerful as his bound arrows, the wall ensured that any Walkers blindly rushing his position would be damaged and slowed enough by the barrier so that the fire priest could take them down with his bow. Of course, the Walkers could ultimately just walk around the burning barrier, but that would slow them down and split them up further.
Dealing with such low enemies was something the fire priest both appreciated and scorned. While any battle in which he was able to exercise his might was enjoyable, there was not much satisfaction and no challenge in reducing these mindless corpses to cinders. The mounted necromancer, though--a being of intelligence and magical mastery, most like. With a head like that directing a dead army, they would surely find ways around his defences. As such, even though his current position was good, the fire priest began to back off into the relative safety of the buildings, firing as he went. He anticipated a change of tactics.
The Walkers which made it through the flames were burning but otherwise not fazed, and continued their advance towards the fire priest, where they were being shot down one by one by exploding spikes of white-hot fire. Calvartem directed the rest of the herd around the fire wall, for he needed them intact, and by that time his opponent had backed away into the village. Calvartem sent most of the remaining Walkers into another charge, to overrun the village and perhaps that pesky pyromancer too, but a few remained to bite and gore the stunned farmers before making their own ways towards the town. Calvartem galloped closer to the fresh corpses, with Shadowmane easily bounding over the wall of fire jets, and he cast tendrils of black fire from his staff which wormed their way into the corpses. A few seconds later the corpses had been transmuted into Gremlins, and he sent those out to flank the town too. Just so the pyromancer would not be able to get comfortable shooting down his undead cattle, Calvartem started firing bolts of his own dark magic at the man, if he even was a man.
A momentary look of annoyance crossed the fire priest's rough features as he realized that his burning barrier wasn't hurting the Walkers as much as he initially thought. He instantly felt gratified his decision to make an aggressive retreat, as the flaming corpses were rapidly being rejoined by others that had heeded their master's command and simply gone around the firewall. He was about to round the corner of a house and lose his line of sight to the failed barrier when the enemy commander, astride his dead horse, leaped it and began raising nearby corpses. The pyromancer took a risk and stopped moving for a moment to examine the necromancer and watch it work. This analysis was interrupted, however, as Calvartem looked his way and turned the black firebolts on him instead. After loosing a parting shot from his bound bow, the fire priest dodged around the corner and down a dirt street perpendicular to the one occupied by the necromancer. The dark magic blasted the spot he had been moments ago, throwing up ash and clods of dirt, and through the dust charged the undead. With only a dozen feet separating man and monster now, worry began to gnaw at the corners of his consciousness. A new idea crossed his mind, and he mentally banked it for potential usage later.
Calvartem was in the middle of casting his own attack when the fire priest released a counter attack, a fast fire arrow. With no time to raise a shield he could only try and lean out of the way, but that was met with only limited success as the arrow pierced through his right ribs. The bolt blasted a number of his ribs off, sending the charred, shattered bones flying across the street, and burned a large hole in his ancient robe. Fortunately the bolt passed through him before exploding, but the damage which had been dealt still angered Calvartem.
Banishing any trace of fear, the fire priest swiftly loosed two shafts. One downed the lead Walker, turning it into an inanimate, flaming wreck that partially obstructed the street and bought him a little time. The second fire spike stuck into the wooden building to his left, only a few feet away from him, and exploded. The resulting detonation flung burning lengths of lumber across the path, which would temporarily keep the skeletal herd from advancing down this street. However, it also badly burned the fire priest, melting away the skin on the left side of his face and knocking him down. A villager nearby, so far unmolested by any Walkers or Gremlins, despairingly rushed to see if his protector was dead. Grabbing the singed red robes, he pulled the fire priest onto his back, and recoiled in shock. Beneath the skin of the pyromancer's face, there was only obsidian, and his left eye socket was empty save for an intense, burning spark. Ignoring the gaping villager, he tried to move only to find himself unable. Perhaps his explosive gambit hadn't been a good plan after all. He swore loudly and colourfully and lay there, vulnerable.
When Calvartem heard the explosion he steered Shadowmane towards the source. He approached the alleyway where the pyromancer had gone before and saw the barricade of flaming wood. The Walkers which had been going after him had given up when their path had been blocked and instead went off after other, easier targets. While such behaviour would not be tolerated by other Keepers, this did not worry the Necromancer, partly because he knew they would be better suited to killing this town's inhabitants rather than a powerful mage but mostly because through the flames he could see the fire priest on the ground, clearly injured.
Calvartem raised his staff as if it were a signal, then he spoke to the fire priest. The voice was strange, hollow, as there were no lungs or flesh to produce the sound, and to watch him talk may be unusual as his face had no flesh to form expressions. "You may be strong, but I will crush you and your kind and whatever other resistance you humans will gather." As he spoke, the burnt ribs from the cow which had been shot rose out of the ashes and moulded into Calvartem's own ribcage, repairing the damage which had been made, although not the robe yet.
Then five Gremlins jumped down from the roofs of the neighbouring houses and landed around the fallen pyromancer. They swiftly killed the startled villager, claws catching and tearing so teeth may bite and kill. Then they turned their attention to the red-robed figure, with intent to kill him also.
But at the same time he had just walked out of his Heart.
For the Tormenter, your latest Construct, I would think that the crimson light of the sun would slightly mitigate the blinding effects of sunlight. It's not as if it is dim or anything, but red light is a lot less intense than white light. Just a small consideration.
For the Tormenter, your latest Construct, I would think that the crimson light of the sun would slightly mitigate the blinding effects of sunlight. It's not as if it is dim or anything, but red light is a lot less intense than white light. Just a small consideration.
I will also be going on holiday soon in about a week, for which I'll be away for about a week. I won't be able to post for that time, so don't do go breaking out of Sovereign while I'm gone.
Is it Avak? That would be a real throw-back.
Welcome back, Dawnon. I can help you with doing something, but first I need something cleared up. In your post, are you next to Opes Fluvium or next to your Dungeon? It's a bit ambiguous, and you can't be next to both given a separation of 250km.
Welcome back, Dawnon. I can help you with doing something, but first I need something cleared up. In your post, are you next to Opes Fluvium or next to your Dungeon? It's a bit ambiguous, and you can't be next to both given a separation of 250km.
Zachary opened the briefcase and unfolded the schematics on to the workbench. They were vague from an engineering standpoint, and not quite up to the mission at hand. This sonic weapon, which was entitled Sonic Disruptor, operated using mainly just a powerful sound core and a lightning core to sufficiently power the Sparker to create a high-power sound in a frequency particularly sensitive to the human ear. Zachary pulled out his engineering books, a pencil and the task requirements and began looking at how he could execute this plan. To take out the hosts in question he estimated that he would probably need a couple more orders of magnitude of power. However, cross-checking this with the sound core reference, that kind of power output would require a sound core beyond the quality or size of anything he could salvage. He could always link up several sound cores, but then he could run into problems with resonance, and the multiple parts.
But there was a way around the problem. He did not have to use a sound core to produce sound. Instead, he could use a wind core, for sound is merely the compression and rarefaction of air. Wind cores have the benefit of coming in much higher power outputs than sound cores, but at the same time they don't naturally make sound waves. In order to make sound waves he would need to pulse the wind core. Fortunately, such a solution is as simple as applying an AC current of the desired frequency and passing it through a diode. On a separate piece of paper he began sketching out a potential design. The trouble would be acquiring the AC current and voltage. He considered for a while using a rotational inverter, but then he had a better idea. He could take an oscillator used in some radios, which is perfect because it operates in the audible frequencies, and use that. It doesn't have a particularly high output voltage, but if a sensitive Sparker alloy is chosen then that would be no problem at all.
Once he had the functional components figured out he then worked on getting a proper housing. This would be no trivial task, as the stresses and vibrations on the device would be enormous. However, the schematics given did indeed cover the structure of it, although Zachary would have to make it even more robust. The air core would be attached to the rest of the device by a sort of spring, allowing it to move with some freedom without shaking the rest of the machine apart. The rest of the device would be shaped like an inverted bowl, heavy and made of metal to minimise the shaking. The shape would give it stability, as well as reflecting the sound off it. For the power Zachary wanted he would have to be sure to thoroughly weld and fasten all components in place, for if it were to shake apart mid operation that could spell ruin for Mathias, and by extension himself.
The final matter would be the trigger. While the schematics specified a wireless triggering mechanism, such a component would be too complex for him to build a fully reliable wireless system in such a short time-span. Instead, Zachary opted to use a switch on the end of a long cable, which he would have wound up on a hook on the device for transport and storage. As he went over the design again, tidying up numerous details, he found it funny how similar to a discus or Frisbee it appeared. He supposed that, if he built it solidly enough, it might survive being gently thrown like one. That would be a good way to get some distance between yourself and it in short notice. Except then he realised that the cable would get tangled, which may cause problems.
With the design complete, all he had to do now was build it. He looked briefly around the workshop to see what it had before taking the trap core out of his pocket, pointing it at an empty patch on the ground and pressing the button. With a burst of expanding air, flash of red light and the clanging of metal, Zachary's own scrap and his tools appeared on the floor. Putting the core back, he rubbed his hands together. He had work to do.
But there was a way around the problem. He did not have to use a sound core to produce sound. Instead, he could use a wind core, for sound is merely the compression and rarefaction of air. Wind cores have the benefit of coming in much higher power outputs than sound cores, but at the same time they don't naturally make sound waves. In order to make sound waves he would need to pulse the wind core. Fortunately, such a solution is as simple as applying an AC current of the desired frequency and passing it through a diode. On a separate piece of paper he began sketching out a potential design. The trouble would be acquiring the AC current and voltage. He considered for a while using a rotational inverter, but then he had a better idea. He could take an oscillator used in some radios, which is perfect because it operates in the audible frequencies, and use that. It doesn't have a particularly high output voltage, but if a sensitive Sparker alloy is chosen then that would be no problem at all.
Once he had the functional components figured out he then worked on getting a proper housing. This would be no trivial task, as the stresses and vibrations on the device would be enormous. However, the schematics given did indeed cover the structure of it, although Zachary would have to make it even more robust. The air core would be attached to the rest of the device by a sort of spring, allowing it to move with some freedom without shaking the rest of the machine apart. The rest of the device would be shaped like an inverted bowl, heavy and made of metal to minimise the shaking. The shape would give it stability, as well as reflecting the sound off it. For the power Zachary wanted he would have to be sure to thoroughly weld and fasten all components in place, for if it were to shake apart mid operation that could spell ruin for Mathias, and by extension himself.
The final matter would be the trigger. While the schematics specified a wireless triggering mechanism, such a component would be too complex for him to build a fully reliable wireless system in such a short time-span. Instead, Zachary opted to use a switch on the end of a long cable, which he would have wound up on a hook on the device for transport and storage. As he went over the design again, tidying up numerous details, he found it funny how similar to a discus or Frisbee it appeared. He supposed that, if he built it solidly enough, it might survive being gently thrown like one. That would be a good way to get some distance between yourself and it in short notice. Except then he realised that the cable would get tangled, which may cause problems.
With the design complete, all he had to do now was build it. He looked briefly around the workshop to see what it had before taking the trap core out of his pocket, pointing it at an empty patch on the ground and pressing the button. With a burst of expanding air, flash of red light and the clanging of metal, Zachary's own scrap and his tools appeared on the floor. Putting the core back, he rubbed his hands together. He had work to do.
Don't worry, I feel the same way too sometimes. But as long as it is good text (which it has been) then it's alright.
~Mathias and Zachary~
Zachary sat in silence with the closed suitcase on his lap and the suitcase full of money open in front of him on Mathias' lap. This was a big decision, and he was somewhat shocked at the large sum of money. Reason was his ally, however, and he quickly realised that while, in a single cash payment, that amount seemed to be a lot, it probably contained a pretty standard payment for an engineering project. He also considered how little value money has in Sovereign at the moment, but of course if and when they got out of here that money would most likely be useful. Mr Winters seemed to be a kind enough man, at least enough to allow him freedom. But before he could make his final decision he would need to look inside.
Conveniently, he didn't have to open his case or even move to identify the contents. Using his powers of machine reading he was able to identify the contents (as well as the workings of the suitcase, but he ignored that part) in great detail while merely looking contemplative on the outside. And what he found was quite an interesting project. The schematics outlined the function of a sonic weapon, designed to incapacitate a soldier by emitting an intense sound which causes severe pain in the ear.
To make things more interesting was a brief hand-written document describing the purpose and requirements of this sonic bomb, such requirements requiring modification to the basic design. The strength of this weapon needed to be increased in order to be powerful enough to incapacitate large, strong hosts, which would naturally be more resistant to incapacitation. Attached were a couple of photos of these hosts, illustrating their size and strength. Already he was milling over how he might complete this project and what information he might need. He was not particularly advanced in knowledge of acoustics, but he would be able to suss it out or find the knowledge he needed.
Kaa'is did not have any objections. In fact, the large sum of money seemed to kindle a sense of greed within him, followed by a spate of cynicism but that was not enough to counter the sense of agreement.
With that finally settled, Zachary returned his mind to reality, opened his case and feigned closely examining the papers. "So, you want a sonic weapon?" Zachary said looking up with a smirk, "What's the deadline?"
Mathias was impressed by the use of Zachary's power. He had thought the case would go unopened and such proof pleased him. "You have 96 hours...Are you up to the challenge?" At his own remark Mathias waited with anticipation.
"Of course I'm up to it," Zachary replied confidently, "I should be able to get something together in four days." Especially with the help of his carriage, he added to himself, although the rebellion which was bound to break loose at some point could slow him down.
Quickly downing the remaining contents of the glass, Mathias rose from his chair and stood before the fire. "I can offer you safe passage too, the grounds of this estate are vast, the north-most fields back onto the wall. Help me, and I'll see to it that you are transported safely out of the city when the defences are down...Well...That's presuming you'd want to leave of course? Would you stay? I know it may sound strange my friend, but I have heard rumours that many plan to call Sovereign their home for years to come. I mean to stay is one thing...but some actually LIKE this way of life! The slaughter, the thievery, the completely lack of respect...savages!"
Zachary was in agreement with Mathias on this one, but something itched at the back of his mind, how he had himself savagely slaughtered a man just last night in a host-driven hormonally fuelled rage. He tried to push it back before the grimness made it to his face.
Mathias' glance moving higher, away from the dancing flames, Mathias spies a small framed photograph, his wife and children smile back at him and all thoughts of the cities horrors vanish, as if the embers from the hearth below. "Do you have anyone on the outside Zachary? A loved on?"
This shift of topic brought Zachary away from the dark thoughts of murder and reminded him of why he wanted to get out of Sovereign in the first place. He followed Mathias' gaze and noticed the photograph of what he presumed must be his family. "Indeed I do. My own family. Mother, father, two brothers and a sister. I wasn't going to be in Sovereign for long, I was just going to be here for a short while to do some work on my PhD, but then the Wall came up. My family don't even know if I'm alive..." His voice trailed off, sadness creeping into it. He shook that off and continued, "But hopefully that should change soon. Have you got a workshop or garage I could use?"
"Yes, there's a workshop on the estate: just east of the Manor, next to the garage. We've developed a small scrap heap of sorts around there too, bits and bobs, nobody around here knows what half the materials could possibly be used for, perhaps you might be able to find something there." With that Mathias stood up and walked Zachary to the door, "You will see them again." He said with a gentle tone, the sort only old friends and fathers use. "I promise you Zachary, we will make it out of this city."
"Thank you, Mathias," Zachary replied, "I shall get to work immediately."
Zachary sat in silence with the closed suitcase on his lap and the suitcase full of money open in front of him on Mathias' lap. This was a big decision, and he was somewhat shocked at the large sum of money. Reason was his ally, however, and he quickly realised that while, in a single cash payment, that amount seemed to be a lot, it probably contained a pretty standard payment for an engineering project. He also considered how little value money has in Sovereign at the moment, but of course if and when they got out of here that money would most likely be useful. Mr Winters seemed to be a kind enough man, at least enough to allow him freedom. But before he could make his final decision he would need to look inside.
Conveniently, he didn't have to open his case or even move to identify the contents. Using his powers of machine reading he was able to identify the contents (as well as the workings of the suitcase, but he ignored that part) in great detail while merely looking contemplative on the outside. And what he found was quite an interesting project. The schematics outlined the function of a sonic weapon, designed to incapacitate a soldier by emitting an intense sound which causes severe pain in the ear.
To make things more interesting was a brief hand-written document describing the purpose and requirements of this sonic bomb, such requirements requiring modification to the basic design. The strength of this weapon needed to be increased in order to be powerful enough to incapacitate large, strong hosts, which would naturally be more resistant to incapacitation. Attached were a couple of photos of these hosts, illustrating their size and strength. Already he was milling over how he might complete this project and what information he might need. He was not particularly advanced in knowledge of acoustics, but he would be able to suss it out or find the knowledge he needed.
Kaa'is did not have any objections. In fact, the large sum of money seemed to kindle a sense of greed within him, followed by a spate of cynicism but that was not enough to counter the sense of agreement.
With that finally settled, Zachary returned his mind to reality, opened his case and feigned closely examining the papers. "So, you want a sonic weapon?" Zachary said looking up with a smirk, "What's the deadline?"
Mathias was impressed by the use of Zachary's power. He had thought the case would go unopened and such proof pleased him. "You have 96 hours...Are you up to the challenge?" At his own remark Mathias waited with anticipation.
"Of course I'm up to it," Zachary replied confidently, "I should be able to get something together in four days." Especially with the help of his carriage, he added to himself, although the rebellion which was bound to break loose at some point could slow him down.
Quickly downing the remaining contents of the glass, Mathias rose from his chair and stood before the fire. "I can offer you safe passage too, the grounds of this estate are vast, the north-most fields back onto the wall. Help me, and I'll see to it that you are transported safely out of the city when the defences are down...Well...That's presuming you'd want to leave of course? Would you stay? I know it may sound strange my friend, but I have heard rumours that many plan to call Sovereign their home for years to come. I mean to stay is one thing...but some actually LIKE this way of life! The slaughter, the thievery, the completely lack of respect...savages!"
Zachary was in agreement with Mathias on this one, but something itched at the back of his mind, how he had himself savagely slaughtered a man just last night in a host-driven hormonally fuelled rage. He tried to push it back before the grimness made it to his face.
Mathias' glance moving higher, away from the dancing flames, Mathias spies a small framed photograph, his wife and children smile back at him and all thoughts of the cities horrors vanish, as if the embers from the hearth below. "Do you have anyone on the outside Zachary? A loved on?"
This shift of topic brought Zachary away from the dark thoughts of murder and reminded him of why he wanted to get out of Sovereign in the first place. He followed Mathias' gaze and noticed the photograph of what he presumed must be his family. "Indeed I do. My own family. Mother, father, two brothers and a sister. I wasn't going to be in Sovereign for long, I was just going to be here for a short while to do some work on my PhD, but then the Wall came up. My family don't even know if I'm alive..." His voice trailed off, sadness creeping into it. He shook that off and continued, "But hopefully that should change soon. Have you got a workshop or garage I could use?"
"Yes, there's a workshop on the estate: just east of the Manor, next to the garage. We've developed a small scrap heap of sorts around there too, bits and bobs, nobody around here knows what half the materials could possibly be used for, perhaps you might be able to find something there." With that Mathias stood up and walked Zachary to the door, "You will see them again." He said with a gentle tone, the sort only old friends and fathers use. "I promise you Zachary, we will make it out of this city."
"Thank you, Mathias," Zachary replied, "I shall get to work immediately."
A collab with Godfather is in the works.
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