Cath

The Skytower Rebellion

Back at BESC HQ, Tali leaned in even closer to the console. “We have a confirmed hit, the cruiser’s trajectory indicates it will crash land forty two floors up on the south face of Project Tower V1115.” The operator opened up a 3D model which showed the black and yellow hover car’s descent, marked with a looping red line. It then cut back to a live camera feed from a pursuing squad car. Huge gouts of flame were erupting from the aft section of the vehicle, spewing black smoke which obscured much of the view. Just before the squad car was forced to make evasive maneuvers to avoid a Tower, it zoomed in to ID Jack’s face as he clung to the side of his cruiser; legs dangling into the abyss below.

Tali straightened up, her eyes tracking all of the data as it poured in from various sources. Unsatisfied, she ordered “Get me our fastest car, i need to oversee this personally.” She then made to leave the command centre. “Tali, i strongly advise staying here to-” Howard protested, trotting after her. She turned around to face him, seemingly growing by eight inches in a split second; her countenance mirroring the greatest of storms. “This man has evaded capture four times now, each of them on your watch Detective Inspector Howard. Now you will accompany me and if he escapes this time, it will be on your head, do you understand me?” The little man shrunk even further, his cheeks losing all remaining lustre. “Yes Supervisor Laurent, this way.”

A blistering wind rushed past Jack, flattening him to the smooth metallic side of the cruiser. His white knuckle grip on the door handle was slipping fast. He used his left hand to grope around blindly, desperately searching for a hand hold. “Come on!” He shouted into the wind, his teeth gritted. Maybe this was it, a thought flowered at the back of his mind. Maybe i should let go. “Take my hand!” A voice shouted from above him. Opening his eyes, Jack found Ling hanging out of the open window, and couldn’t help but laugh. “WHO THE FUCK IS DRIVING THIS THING?” Ling smiled, his blind eyes locating the source of Jack’s voice. “The Mind is dead, i can’t see anything anymore; take my hand mister Thegn!” Jack grabbed one of the man’s outstretched hands and discovered the man possessed strength that didn’t match up to his spindly frame. With an almighty heave the driver pulled Jack back through the window and they landed in a heap on the car’s floor.

Untangling himself from the lanky chinaman, Jack took a look through the cracked windscreen at where they were headed. The ominous shadow of a Project tower loomed up ahead like a cactus, with snaking walkways and bridges as its bristles. They were going to crash straight into it. Jack looked at Ling but the man already knew. “Hold tight mister Thegn.” He shouted over the din of crackling electronics and roaring fire in the back. Leaning back in his seat, two fasteners shot out and secured him firmly in an X shape, Jack did the same. The tower blocked out all light as it charged headlong toward them. They were both screaming. The cruiser clipped a walkway before flipping over and crashing like a lump hammer through the side of the tower, bringing huge chunks of masonry with it. Inside the car, Jack and Ling were flipped over as the car somersaulted several times through the air before finally landing the right side up.

Taliga Laurent, Detective Inspector Howard and several armed bodyguards piled into a black dart-like hovercar that had been hastily prepared in one of the launch hangars. Seconds after the doors closed it lifted off and shot out of the doors, headed for the crash site. Inside was a full suite of equipment which allowed them to keep track of goings on in the command centre, as well as direct forces at the crime scene. The Projects in question were a hundred miles away, but the Dart could reach speeds exceeding three thousand. It weaved through traffic like a missile, flashing blue and red lights to warn other craft that couldn’t track it of its presence. Tali scanned a holographic model of the Tower, complete with architects notes and exit routes. “SRTU teams are on route to the tower, ETA two minutes. They have orders to secure the crash site and arrest everyone in the Cruiser.” Howard announced, listening in via a headset. “Excellent, full ahead both.” Taliga said, watching a live feed as armoured carriers descended on the Tower.

The dust settled slowly. After the rending scream of metal on metal the relative silence descended like a cloak of iron. The cruiser had landed in the middle of a courtyard. Scraggly shrubs in raised planters, benches looking out onto the city outside. Sets of concrete stairs led off all over the place to different parts of the Tower; lines of washing streaked across balconies and litter covered the floor. A small fire still blazed from what was left of the cruiser’s aft section. A ragged tear showed where a section of the craft had been blown clean off in the pursuit. Inside the cruiser, the metal chassis creaked and moaned as its on-board maintenance system tried vainly to rectify the massive physical damage that had been sustained by the car. Sluggishly, absent mindedly, the spiderweb crack which covered the windscreen began filling in on itself.

A thick string of foam dripped from Jack’s open mouth; his head was thrown forward, held to the seat by the fasteners. The blare of sirens registered at the back of his mind and Thegn jerked awake, his eyes wide and staring as he looked all around the cabin. His hands shaking and clumsy, he popped his fasteners and started shaking his driver by the shoulder, just as the sound of hobnailed boots began reverberating around the courtyard. “Ling, wake up. Ling!” He hissed, trying to see through the cracked and dirty windows. He was about to check the man’s pulse when he noticed a patch of blood blossoming under his shirt. Pulling away his jacket, Jack found the jagged edge of a stanchion sticking out of his chest. Glancing behind the chair, he found the rest of it had impaled his seat from behind.

“This is Babylon Security. Come out with your hands up.” A voice called from just outside the cruiser. Looking round, Jack could make out faint shadows all around the car. “Shit.” Jack whispered to himself, sitting back in his seat and raising a comm channel via his earpiece.

“Thegn the Second.” said a voice inside his ear.

“Dad, listen to me, i need evac from-..”

“Ahh, Jack. A car is on its way. Thirty ninth floor, north side. Ten minutes.”

The earpiece clicked to indicate he had ended the call.

The voice from outside shouted ‘You have ten seconds!”

Jack looked behind him at the floorful of powerful weaponry then up at the car’s ceiling, where the damaged alloy sunroof let a sliver of sunlight in from outside. BESC officers rarely made arrests on their own, and besides how did they even get up to the forty first floor? Militias kept most regular police patrols away. He must have landed via transport or squad car, which means there were at least two enforcers outside. Jack was a lucky shot but he didn’t fancy his chances without at least seeing what he was up against. Making a snap decision, he pressed a button on the display but the damaged sunroof didn’t budge, instead squealing loquaciously, remaining stationary.

The door it is then. Avoiding sudden movements, Jack opened the butterfly door and ducked out, his hands raised. He counted six heavily armoured BESC soldiers; all but the one addressing him had taken up defensive positions around the cruiser, weapons pointed at the mass of locals that had apparently crawled out of the woodwork. They were a faceless sea, moving slowly towards the crash site nefariously. No shots had been fired yet, but Jack could feel the tension building. The soldiers were fidgety, they were waiting till the mob got within specified boundaries to begin shouting at them to get back.

Before Jack could react, the arresting officer shoved him up against his car and secured his hands with holocuffs. “Jack Tiberius Thegn, you are under arrest for-” He never finished the charge as a round went through the side of his head, he was dead before he hit the ground. Jack realized what happened and knew what came next; wasting no time, he dived back into his car as an almighty cacophony erupted. The faceless mass surged forward, those who had weapons firing fervently, those who didn’t using debris from the crash. The BESC men and women returned fire, mowing dozens of locals down indiscriminately before the rest could find cover. Jack heard one of them scream “Urgently requesting back-up at the crash - we are being fired upon by automatic weaponry.”

The Skytower Rebellion

FortunesFaded said
Ohh, I was a bit confused about that. Thank you for the clarification! (I'll go edit my post now)

Not a problem, it's my fault. Nearly got my post ready.

The Skytower Rebellion

Leidenschaft said
I don't quite work well under pressure, Ms. Cathy.

Sorry, i'll quit my role as motivator I get it so much at work that it's kind of rubbed off.

'Cathy, i can't do it because my life hasn't been validated enough yet'
'Cathy, what's the least amount of work i can do without getting fired?'

Nice posts guys! I'd just like to clear up the issue of terminology for technology. I know i haven't put it in the OP because i haven't been focused enough but i'll put it here. Sandships are reasonably sized. When you said a medium sized Sandship i thought of the Hercules, which is where James Huxley is right now. The Hercules has over 50 crew and is on three levels including the gundeck. It's big, and difficult to board unless you're on another Sandship and you have grappling hooks or whatever.

I think what you might be referring to Fortune, is a Sand Skiff. These are like the craft i've put at the top of the IC. Small, Yacht like vessels that have only a few crew and rely instead on speed & agility.

Of course it's tricky to classify when it stops becoming a Skiff and starts being a Ship but i'd put it down to the number of decks or tonnage. More on this to come.

The Skytower Rebellion

Leidenschaft said
TSR: the self-help seminar of RPGuild.

Hehe, i can be abusive if that helps more

The Skytower Rebellion

Siphran said
Sounds good.

Nice post!

The Skytower Rebellion

Siphran said
I suppose there could be. I do hesitate to take liberties with events involving other PCs though. Any ideas on what turns the pursuit could take next?

I'll give you a little flavor via private message.

Skull said
Though I suppose that's good you're not pleased with your intro. Means it can only get better. Though I know what you mean. I just edited mine after feeling like I rushed it (which I did b/c I was excited the IC was up lol). With the talent we have on our roster, it's only natural to feel intimidated (at least I do), but it pushes me get better. Thanks! I'm on a gonna need it!

Exactly this! It's hard for posts to get worse because i know as i get into a rhythm and immerse myself in the world, it becomes easier and easier to think what needs to be written. That's when flair and the imagination start coming into their own. Plus i remember your posts in Old TSR NoSoul; they were absolutely off the scale! So far i've been delighted with every post in the IC.

The Skytower Rebellion

Fantastic bio Maxxor! I'm so glad we have a Tindrel character to relate to; and i must say you've done such a good job on Grak! Accepted.

Skull said I'll try and get a small news post in but I won't be able to get any character posts up until next tues/weds. I've got a hectic work week + its finals next week. Until then, I'll be lurking about and reading everyone's excellent posts in the meantime.

Okay, noted. Good luck with your finals for next week! :D That's some serious work.

Siphran said
Workin on a post now, might take a bit though, trying to find some way to worm my way into interacting with some other PC.

There could be an opportunity to try and catch Jack? Shit just hit the fan for him and he's currently careering out of control (and indeed out of car ) in the Projects. Antelope Dreaming is gone so the pursuit is in a shambles.

Endgame said
Currently typing up my first IC for this RP! :)

Fantastic!

Leidenschaft said
Ech, I'm not pleased with my intro. Hopefully, the next post's better.

Your first post was brilliant, don't beat yourself up. Self improvement is what TSR is all about

The Skytower Rebellion

Posted Jack's introduction! Sorry i couldn't wait any longer, it's just so exciting!

The Skytower Rebellion

The Projects were the creation of a housing conglomerate that supplied dirt cheap accommodation in the most economical way possible. They have sprung up in several places around Babylon but they all look identical, which is why you never hear the District name alongside it. Normally said district wants nothing to do with the Projects. Geometrically perfect tower blocks in square grids, connected up by a web of walkways and gantries. The hallways, bridges and lobbies are full of ramshackle markets selling everything from shoes to pharmaceuticals, the grounds around it are full of ganglands and decrepit leisure facilities. The inhabitants are from all over the known galaxy, mostly migrants who came from nothing and in order to pay for their living space must work in sponsored factories or positions.

A black and yellow hover cruiser, long sleek and dangerous, screamed through the Projects; zigzagging faster than any normal mind could comprehend to avoid walkways, buildings and other hover cars. It span, ducked, dived and raced with inhuman accuracy through every nook and cranny of the superstructures. Behind it swarmed an immense cloud of BESC pursuit vehicles; blue and red lights blaring an intolerable screech as they struggled to keep pace with the black and yellow bumblebee which kept flitting improbably from their clutches. Three of the four windows were down and men in black clothing desperately sprayed BESC with a blistering volley of energy fire. Well, two of the three gunners were desperate. One of them was enjoying himself immensely, firing intelligent missiles from a disposable launcher into the throng of vehicles.

With a ping, the launcher announced it had run out of missiles. Jack Thegn the Third tossed it aside and ducked back inside the cruiser. Loud and hectic music was vibrating the whole interior. It was synthesized using a mixture of the car Mind’s brain activity, the rhythm of the energy rifles and the pheromones released by the men themselves. In the back were two of Jack’s lieutenants, big bruisers with a penchant for heavy weaponry. They were head and shoulders out of each back seat window and the boom of the guns was loud. In the drivers seat was his ‘chauffeur’, Ling. He had an access port at the back of his skull which connected via a scraggle of snaking wires to the dashboard in front of him. He was talking to the car’s brain with incredible fidelity, in effect they had merged. His hands were manipulating the steering wheel and various other controls with lightning fast dexterity, turning the long beast into a sparrow as it wheeled through impossible gaps, forcing BESC to take longer routes.

Littering the floor of the cabin was an arsenal of weaponry that would put the Sand Pirates to shame. Assault rifles, good old fashioned rocket launchers, particle accelerators, energy weapons. They rustled around the car’s floor as it flew. Leaning out of his seat, Jack plucked up a beefy looking specimen and inspected it closely. “Jack, they’re all over us, and they’ve started firing!” One of his henchmen shouted over the din. “That’ll be Tali trying to kill me again. More speed Ling!” Jack yelled absently, turning his new toy on. It glowed with a green light. Jack fiddled with a few more of the guns controls before leaning back out of the Cruiser’s window and firing it at the cars behind. Four brightly illuminated shells flew out of the gun’s barrels and knifed away, leaving trails of smoke behind. They were ungainly and wobbled massively, but their payload was devastating.

All four hit a target, including the gunship which held the mind Antelope Dreaming. The projectile clipped one of it’s jet engines, taking it right off; the ship began spinning radically to one side, crashing into another squad car before disappearing through the wall of an apartment building with a giant rending sound. Three other fiery explosions filled Jack’s vision. He began laughing triumphant, shaking his free fist at the BESC pursuers before another explosion, much closer this time, shook his very core. The force of the blow first knocked the gun from his hands, it went spinning off to hit the ground. There was only time for a momentary glance at where the back of the car had once been, and how it had been replaced by a blazing abyss before he was next; his grip shaken loose as his cruiser began losing altitude rapidly. Before he knew it he was out of the window and hanging onto his car for dear life.

The Skytower Rebellion

Sauron The Dark Lord said
I am very sorry, but the delay of the IC has stripped me of my freetime and now that the IC is open I have none to spare. I won't be able to commit myself to the IC or even RP at all, or atleast not something of this magnitude.

Aww noes. That's a shame. :( You're free to commence any time you find yourself with time to spare.