Etcetera

Myriad Reality

<Snipped quote by Legend>

*Naomi nods, counting down under her breath. The minute passes in quiet, apprehensive silence.*

NAOMI: Three, two, one. Move!

*There is a deep, thunderous BOOM, and the lights around the complex flicker and go dark. The guardsmen scatter, seeking cover, manning turrets as gunfire begins to ring out. People are firing from the hills, from firing positions in the very buildings behind the trio. A young woman, probably a teenager, fires long bursts from a machine gun on a nearby rooftop, at least until a burst of return fire cuts her down, and blood stains the walls behind her. Naomi doesn't wait for the fight to quiet; she's already sprinting down towards the fence, dashing from cover to cover below the noses of the soldiers.*

@Tank O The Lake

You can most certainly believe in us.
*Both of us sprint, keeping under cover and staying in the blind spots of the guards, Katherine sporting a serious expression while I maintain my whimsical grin*

Myriad Reality

<Snipped quote by Legend>

NAOMI: When we're at the spot. But they can't hang out there forever, so I'd say...

*She looks at her watch and cringes.*

NAOMI: Haul ass.

*Naomi speeds to a light jog as they pass city limits. Out here, the city seems to just drop off--or, more accurately, the habitation of it does. New, or at least maintained buildings cut abruptly into abandoned storefronts and apartment complexes, wind sighing through broken windows. Eventually, they start to see bright yellow signs posted on boarded-up doors, reading in both Chinese and English:*

WARNING

RADIOLOGICAL CONTAMINATION AREA

This building has been CONDEMNED by order of the PEARL RIVER DISTRICT, TECHNOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CHINA, SOL COOPERATIVE. Radioactive contaminants in this building are a PROVEN HAZARD TO HUMAN HEALTH, and unlawful residence in this building is a CLASS IV CRIMINAL INFRACTION, PUNISHABLE BY A FINE OF U10,000 AND/OR A PRISON SENTENCE NOT EXCEEDING ONE YEAR.

*Underneath is written a list of health hazards connected to nuclear fallout, as well as instructions on how to report radiologically-contaminated locations or items. Judging by the tarps strung up over the windows, and the way some of the doors have seemingly been broken open, it seems like certain elements of the population have been ignoring the signs for a while.*

*Eventually, the buildings wear down to mere rubble and ruins. What little work was done to keep the other buildings from collapsing over the last century was clearly not bothered with here. Slowly, but surely, the loading dock appears in the distance, glimpses of it poking through the ruins. It's located down a slope; from this height, it's possible to see all of the several dozen guardsmen in exosuits patrolling, as well as the tunnel leading into the ocean, the manned checkpoint, the four guard towers, and the electrified fence. It's also possible to locate the tunnel's maintenance door right below and to the side of its main bulkhead.*

NAOMI: There's the prize. Keep your heads down; they'll take it off if they spot us creeping.

@Tank O The Lake

*Keeps myself hidden while lurking, and local guards inexplicably seem to err on the side of being unusually but notably lax surveying our area in particular*
Is this region as dangerous as the signs seem to indicate?

Myriad Reality

This roleplay seems cool but I have no idea how my character (once accepted) would be introduced, considering there are nearly 13,000 pages of history. Does he just walk through a door and say hi?

@PalmerEldritch

We'll set you up with an intro--just read the rules/style guide and drop in your char!

Myriad Reality

<Snipped quote by Legend>

NAOMI: The analysis cluster will be as good a place as any to put it down; it's got a direct hookup to the computer network. It'll fry the alarms, fry any cameras the first bomb didn't hit, keep them disoriented enough to let you sneak out. Once you're topside, run for it; our buddies in the resistance will collect us and bring us back to Lucy's dropoff.

@Tank O The Lake

*Hands the device to Katherine*
And we leave the way we entered?

Myriad Reality

<Snipped quote by Etcetera>

*Naomi leads the group out through exit security, then out of the spaceport and straight into urban Hong Kong. It's urbanized enormously over the last few centuries; the spaceport is located a good ways out into the ocean, with the space between it and the actual landmass made up by blocks upon blocks of mixed-use districts set atop reclaimed land. With the way the sun hangs low in the west, it should be getting towards dinnertime in this time zone, but all the shops that ought to be open are boarded up; some have bars over their windows. Naomi frowns.*

NAOMI: Something's caused a stir. Looks like riot protection.

*As if on cue, there echoes out a PA announcement over the city streets, carried by a twin-rotor helicopter as it buzzes overhead. It blares out a message in Chinese, then:*

PA: Please be advised that the Pearl River Delta District Administration has set forth a curfew from 7:00 PM to 7:00 AM. Repeat, curfew begins in one hour. Violators of the curfew will be detained and identified. Thank you.

NAOMI: Definitely a riot. Let's get a move on; we can get to the place before curfew.

*She continues to lead them on down the streets towards the nearest metro station with a connection to the East Pearl River District. Along the way, they catch their first glimpse of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The soldiers are told apart by their armbands, which each bear a golden symbol, a crossed hammer and torch within a gear, over a field of black. It's the same color scheme as the Cooperative's flag. The men are wearing CBRN gear and gas masks, marching in lockstep down the sidewalk with carbines in their gloved hands. One of them holds up their hand to signal the group to stop, saying something in Chinese.*

NAOMI: Eh... bàoqiàn, xiānsheng, wǒshuōyīngyǔ.

*The MIA officer nods.*

MIA OFFICER: Identification papers, please.

NAOMI: Oh! Of course, sir.

*She looks back at the group while rifling through her pockets. Let me do the talking, she says with her eyes.*

@Tank O The Lake

*Flashes a quiet smile and shuffles through my jacket pockets, while saying absolutely nothing*
...

Myriad Reality

<Snipped quote by Etcetera>

<Snipped quote by Legend>

*The remainder of the flight is about an hour and a half; this aircraft must be moving at over 4,000 miles per hour, a reasonable estimate given how the vehicle shot out of the atmosphere like an ICBM. Around the last fifteen minutes, the earmuffs go back on as the craft rapidly descends, the first licks of reentry plasma at the window quickly turning into an all-consuming inferno before the hull panels turn transparent again for safety. Gravity returns abruptly as the craft levels out from a dead plunge into a glide, and it hits the runway with a squeal of reversing engines and a hiss of rain vaporizing on the superheated hull.*

*The robot makes another round.*

ROBOT: Please remember to take all carry-on luggage and exit in an orderly fashion. Exercise caution when opening overhead compartments, as contents may have moved during flight. Thank you for flying with us!

@Tank O The Lake

*Stands up and stretches with a smile*
Simple enough! Lead the way, Naomi.

Myriad Reality

<Snipped quote by Etcetera>

NAOMI: I've known you for less than a day, Vec. Ask me when the Devil's work's done.

*With a huff, she sinks into her chair and closes her eyes.*

@Tank O The Lake

*Chuckles*
Of course.
*Leans forward on my elbows and watches throughout the cabin, with no discernable hurry*

Myriad Reality

<Snipped quote by Etcetera>

NAOMI: He got me out of some bad stuff, what with the, uh...

*She looks around.*

NAOMI: Maybe this isn't the best place to talk about it.

@Tank O The Lake

Ah, I understand. Too emotional for public discussion.
*Winks knowingly with a glance around the cabin*

Myriad Reality

<Snipped quote by Etcetera>

*Naomi shrugs.*

NAOMI: He's a good man. They're rarer than you think. I... I need to help him.

@Tank O The Lake

Would I be correct in thinking that he helped you sometime in your past?

Myriad Reality

<Snipped quote by Etcetera>

NAOMI: He... he likes freedom more. Says it's more valuable. I don't know about that. He's a good man, but he strikes me as a person who's never really been hurt, doesn't really understand it.

@Tank O The Lake

And you still follow him.
*Holds my hands together with a curious glance*
Why is that?