The Kid turned out to look over the field when he heard the cry. He didn't have any trouble recognizing the cry of a carrion bird calling to its friends. He thought about those mushrooms on the alien inside. He couldn't think of any good that would come from a flock of birds eating somebody covered in that. He saw Pofski come n out of the house and glance his way, and figured the man must have the same idea. The Kid nodded at him and started to make his way toward the source of the noise.
Then he heard an unfamiliar voice and swung round.
There wasn't supposed to be another living soul around here and yet there it was, some little cat like thing climbing all over the ship. He didn't draw on it, partly because he wasn't that on edge but mostly out of confidence, but the man visibly tensed up. He considered how he should reply to this white spectre out of nowhere and decided that the truth couldn't hurt.
Pofski huffed at the creature on the floor. Pofski, galactic ruler and now space warrior, slayer of all things evil, and his first job is cleanup. The pompous brass would rather waste his marvelous talents on this garbage than let him fight these spirally bastards head on!? What fools!
He growled something in what the vaguely scrutable latin root words would indicate to be English, but it was impossible to tell for sure. Rather than the Russian accent befitting his stereotypical appearance, his accent sounded more like some variety of Greek, vowels stretched out or blunted in vaguely Polish/Scottish tones, consonants bent and swapped a-la French/German, with the cadence and emphasis switching back and forth between Italian and Japanese. Whatever years of speaking his native language had trained his mouth and tongue to do, his voice sounded more like an exotic vintage of liquid stroke was quietly dribbling out of his mouth, since he wasn't taking the time to annunciate or collect his words in the grammatical order that English would.
But whatever he said wasn't important, it was unimportant, scornful muttering and nothing more, as he walked to what he presumed was the kitchen. He might as well get some free booze for his trouble.
The Kid watched his companion mutter something he didn't understand and make his way into the kitchen in the reflection of the windows glass. Land sake, how was he the sociable one here? He didn't fault the man for it. Lord knows he's snooped through the private homes of an entire town, and he was ashamed to admit that he'd made off with every bit of booze and tobacco those homes had to offer.
Oh well, if he were set on splitting up that was fine too. Since his compadre seemed set on searching the inside of the house The Sundown Kid made his way outside, circling the house to search for the entrance to a cellar or any place the rest of the family would have holed up in case of trouble. He walked slow though, ear peeled listening for any sort of noise coming from the corn.
That was the name is contact had given him. It was lucky they'd even met. Rudolf had almost gotten distracted by a most interesting commotion in the hanger, but had quickly pressed onward so as not to miss his deadline. The contact had made his way back to the hanger to the safety of the Baskerville Securities ship that had carried him to Vegas and now he had a lead. If he could find this Tops then perhaps he would find a list of the mans suppliers, maybe a solid link to the whole obscure black market organization. The talk of the mans connection to Sphinx was of no consequence and didn't deter him. The luddites didn't even utilize Baskervilles so Remmy should have no problem with potentially losing a market when Rudolf shut this man down.
Rudolf thought about how to find the man, and decided that with a dearth of other leads the mans enemy would perhaps be the best place to start. That would involve going all the way to the top though, because of course Mr. Benjamin Tops was the ambition sort. He wondered how won secured a meeting with Mr. Hut?
Hmmmmmmm.
Where had he heard that name before?
He pulled out his PDA again, bringing up the Companies client list and searching the mans name. His hunch paid off. They had done a custom job for Mr. Hut around four years ago. Rudolf had personally worked on this particular Baskerville. He'd even met the man, briefly, during the familiarization period. In his file was the emergency contact information he'd supplied the company with, in the case something was found to be wrong with his purchase on their end. He leaned back against GG and dialed the number, wondering absently if the man remembered him.
Meanwhile, on the other end of the hanger, Rudolf Pendric was having some problems with security.
"I don't see the big deal is." He said indignantly. "He's a pussy cat, really. You're trying to cheat me."
The security personnel glanced over at Gorg curled restfully on the floor beside Rudolf, who proceeded to open his gaping maw and let out a yawn so deep and base that they could feel it in their bones. There was a charge for bringing animals onto the station. There was a charge for bringing Baskervilles onto the station. Then there was a charge, used very rarely, for when someone tried to bring a tank onto the station. The three security men assigned to this gate had taken one look at Rudolf's stalwart companion and decided that the third charge seemed most appropriate, and decision that Rudolf was fiercely contesting.
"One of you just come round, pet his neck." He invited them, patting the creature as best he could through the armored shell. The loud banging that ensued didn't seem to have the desired effect, nor did Gorg leaning into the hard knocks like an affectionate cat. "You see!" he yelled over the din. "Harmless!"
It wasn't even the fact that he was paying more than he thought he should that seemed to offend the man. It was the implication that Giant Gorg, his GG, was in any ways as dangerous and deadly as all that. It was as though he looked at this horrible abomination of flesh and metal and saw nothing but a fluffy, adorable little kitten. A kitten that could get a bit feisty at times, true, but only when it was strictly necessary. It was, first and foremost, a pet to him. A Baskerville was your friend.
That fact that people couldn't seem to grasp this idea is what brought him to Vegas Station in the first place. Like most of his excursions nowadays its purpose was related to the Black Market Baskerville trade. He had met a contact online who'd claimed to have information on an underground convention of enthusiastic hobbyists, but they hadn't felt safe discussing it over the net. They'd agreed to meet on Vegas so that Rudolf could vet their information and take them into the protective custody of Baskerville Security. It was part of the reason he'd needed to bring GG. Being accompanied by the giant custom Baskerville was the easiest way for anyone who was a fan of them to verify his identity.
None of Rudolf's pleading entreaties or open displays of affection, however, were sufficient to convince security that, despite all evidence to the contrary, GG was not a killing machine. Letting out a frustrated little growl that caused the Baskerville to tense up slightly, Rudolf whipped a PDA out of his pants pocket and began tapping on it. "Fine, I'm wiring you the money." He said, in a tone that suggested this was being done under extreme duress.
@Gentlemanvaultboy, you're allowed to Introduce yourself. You're still also allowed to introduce yourself in places other than Vegas Station, but any reply to an intro like that would have to be in a collab post for OOC reasons (like me juggling stuff).
Can I bring my dog onto the station, or would that get me held up at customs?
Does this wretched hive of scum and villainy have customs?
Appearance: A short, bald, heavyset man with a great big brown busy beard, a big nose, and playful blue eyes. He wears comfortable, loose fitting clothing of bright coloration if he can possible help it. The mans whole aspect brings to mind Santa Claus if he were on vacation.
Starting Faction: Baskerville Security, the name in personal cyber-organic protection. Baskerville, co-founded by Rudolf himself 20 years ago and named for its first product, focuses on the genetic and cybernetic modification of animals for use as personal security devices/pets and the company rose to prominence so quickly that any creature of that type, even those made by imitators and competitors, is referred to as a Baskerville in popular parlance. Though the corporate headquarters is based on New Amsterdam, branch offices can be found on nearly any civilized world to provide troubleshooting and maintenance for a growing Baskerville population. Though many of its products are high end custom jobs for rich clients it has made every effort to keep mass produced Baskeville's affordable to the average citizen.
What separates a Baskerville from the bio-organic weapons created by the Gardeners is heavy cybernetic enhancement, in particular a on-board computer allowing a VI to interface directly with the Baskervilles brain. Instead of overtaking and controlling the creature brain, however, it instead acts to augment the creatures combat abilities. It assesses situations, picks targets, and provides strategic suggestions to the Baskerville in combat, but the Baskerville is never forced or coerced by the VI allowing it to rely on its natural instincts when necessary. The two work in tandem, like an animal and its handler, allowing the Baskerville to make quick and efficient decisions in a dangerous situation.
Official Baskervilles are typically quadrupedal, based on dogs or large cats, but competitors and a thriving hobbyist black market has ensured that you can find a Baskerville model of any creature under the sun, including humans. This leads to a large range of sizes, but typically the biggest Baskerville is twice the size of the creature it was based on. Armament, again, varies wildly across models. Some favor heavy armor, some favor appearing as much like a normal animal as possible, some have mounted guns, others favor melee. No matter what every Baskerville is a deadly weapon in its own way.
The "standard" model Baskerville on the market today, the CM-9 Rover, is the size and in the general shape of a large dog. Featuring both a subdermal layer of flexible armor able to withstand most small arms fire and and a single long manipulator tentacle protruding from the back of its neck. It's head is encased in the mono eyed helmet typical of official Baskerville design, and internal cybernetic enhancements allow it to run up to 75 miles per hour for prolonged stretches and give it the jaw strength to crush a bowling ball into powder. It also features hardpoints placed strategically on the body, allowing heavy armor and weapon systems to be attached as necessary (armor and weaponry sold separately).
Official Baskervilles are known for their calm, stoic temperament and safety record. To this point no official Baskerville product has willfully turned on its owner of its own accord, and the line is typified for great loyalty. This safety was played up in a controversial early ad campaign where Baskerville co-founder Remmy Zaroff allowed his infant child to be carried in the closed mouth of the companies then new FM-2 Khan and in the companies slogan:
Whatever happens You have got A Baskerville and they have not
Behavior is, however, another thing that varies among competitors and black market Baskervilles. There have been more than a few tragic incidents to stain the Baskerville name. Black market models in particular have developed a reputation for violence.
Despite this many Baskervilles can be safely treated as a family pet, and act as such until they sense danger. A Baskerville, while coming pre-trained, can receive additional training from its owner allowing for a great deal of flexibility. While it will always place the safety of its owners first they can be taught to protect a whole area, to work with soldiers or other Baskervilles as a unit, to guard and herd other creatures, and to play games.
A Baskerville is created young. While still a baby it is given a variety of gene modifications and implant surgeries to achieve the desired shape and capabilities, with the only cybernetic enhancement being the VI interface. After being given time to grow and aquatint itself with any new limbs it is put through a training regiment designed to foster loyalty, good nature, discipline, and combat ability. If the Baskerville is to be a custom model it is introduced to its future owner at this point. After basic training and a health assessment the rest of its cybernetic implants are installed in another series of surgeries. After this comes another round of training much like the first and a second health and technical assessment to ensure that the Baskerville is both healthy and cooperating with its VI.
Baskervilles can be fed like any other pet, though the amount may be greater than normal. All official Baskervilles are sterile, though this is not necessarily true of black market models. Any problem with a Baskervilles health should prompt contact with a Baskerville branch office, who will send a trained medical/technical professional to diagnose the problem. Do not attempt to fix your Baskerville yourself, or "mod" it, as that would void the warranty.
Skills: It is not a complete exaggeration to say that, with the right tools, Rudolf could take apart any animal and put it back together better than new. The man is an excellent veterinarian, zoologist, and botanist, classically trained by the Gardeners, as well as an animal handler. He can get just about any animal to calm down and obey him, and seems to exert an almost supernatural control over Baskervilles in particular. In addition he is, by necessity, and expert in cybernetics and an extremely capable technician.
Standard Equipment: Rudolf travels with what he considers his masterpiece, a Baskerville the size of a small car he calls Giant Gorg or GG for short. A giant, fiercely loyal, quadrupedal monstrosity that looks like it might have been a puma or something once upon a time, GG is protected by a trifecta of subdermal armor, a sleek armored exoskeleton, and a kinetic shield. From its back sprouts not only two long manipulator tentacles strong enough to squeeze a man in half but a battery of six guns, three on either side, that lie flush to its back until needed which are controlled by the VI. It's great size belies is equally great speed and surprising agility, and its claws and fangs are strong enough to tear through the hull of a spaceship as one unfortunate group of pirates discovered. Like all Baskerville models it features an extra armored head covering with a single visible electronic eye set in the middle.
Bio: Born and raised a Gardener, Rudolf was nevertheless enchanted with the extensive cybernetics employed by the Society of Steel. After years of long and fruitful study he made his way to where he thought he would find the resources combine his passions for genetic and cybernetic enhancement in true mad scientist fashion. New Amsterdam seemed the best place and, after shopping his mad ideas around for a while, he made a friend in a fledgling entrepreneur named Remmy Zaroff. With is help Rudolf was able to find resources, create a working prototype, and attract investors. Later that year the two co-founded founded Baskerville Security with Remmy handling the management of the business while Rudolf focused on research and development. The business exploded and the two ended up creating an entire new industry which Baskerville still leads.
Things haven't been all champagne and caviar, however. As the number of Baskervilles on the market increased violent incidents have also been on the rise, in particular among the black market models assembled by what Rudolf disdainfully refers to as "hobbyists." These incidents have not only weakened the brand name but have raised question about the ethicality of creating Baskervilles at all. More and more Rudolf has been out on his own putting out fires, investigating the growing black market, and recovering abandoned and illegally modded Baskervilles. Remmy dislikes this, but allows it because it's good PR for the company and Rudolf isn't strictly necessary in the lab anymore.
The Sundown Kid stuck out a boot, intending to nudge the alien with his toe, but thought better of it and put his foot back down. Instead he just looked with the others for a moment. He wondered how they felt when they looked at this, but he didn't ask.
God, what a sorry way to die. On a world as pretty as this there was no point in someone ending up in this sorry state, and if that scan was right they might be looking at four more just like this. There was probably all sorts of fancy science he couldn't even begin to understand they could do on the ship, learn what these mushrooms were and how they got on this poor whatever this person was. That was all beyond him though. He came from a simpler time, so he decided to do something simple and leave the fancy stuff to smarter men. "This place have a basement?" he said, walking over the the window and staring out over the nostalgic waves of corn. "If not, I reckon we'll find the rest of 'em out there."
Despite his calm demeanor the cowboy's hand was resting on the butt of his gun. Maybe it was just the eerie atmosphere of the house, but the cowboy had seen too much strangeness in his life to believe that nothing was there just because you couldn't find it. This could just be a sudden sickness that wiped them out, that was true, but if the rest of the family weren't here with this one it meant they'd fled before dying. You didn't leave family behind without good reason.
Appearance: A short, bald, heavyset man with a great big brown busy beard, a big nose, and playful blue eyes. He wears comfortable, loose fitting clothing of bright coloration if he can possible help it. The mans whole aspect brings to mind Santa Claus if he were on vacation.
Starting Faction: Baskerville Security, the name in personal cyber-organic protection. Baskerville, co-founded by Rudolf himself 20 years ago and named for its first product, focuses on the genetic and cybernetic modification of animals for use as personal security devices/pets and the company rose to prominence so quickly that any creature of that type, even those made by imitators and competitors, is referred to as a Baskerville in popular parlance. Though the corporate headquarters is based on New Amsterdam, branch offices can be found on nearly any civilized world to provide troubleshooting and maintenance for a growing Baskerville population. Though many of its products are high end custom jobs for rich clients it has made every effort to keep mass produced Baskeville's affordable to the average citizen.
What separates a Baskerville from the bio-organic weapons created by the Gardeners is heavy cybernetic enhancement, in particular a on-board computer allowing a VI to interface directly with the Baskervilles brain. Instead of overtaking and controlling the creature brain, however, it instead acts to augment the creatures combat abilities. It assesses situations, picks targets, and provides strategic suggestions to the Baskerville in combat, but the Baskerville is never forced or coerced by the VI allowing it to rely on its natural instincts when necessary. The two work in tandem, like an animal and its handler, allowing the Baskerville to make quick and efficient decisions in a dangerous situation.
Official Baskervilles are typically quadrupedal, based on dogs or large cats, but competitors and a thriving hobbyist black market has ensured that you can find a Baskerville model of any creature under the sun, including humans. This leads to a large range of sizes, but typically the biggest Baskerville is twice the size of the creature it was based on. Armament, again, varies wildly across models. Some favor heavy armor, some favor appearing as much like a normal animal as possible, some have mounted guns, others favor melee. No matter what every Baskerville is a deadly weapon in its own way.
The "standard" model Baskerville on the market today, the CM-9 Rover, is the size and in the general shape of a large dog. Featuring both a subdermal layer of flexible armor able to withstand most small arms fire and and a single long manipulator tentacle protruding from the back of its neck. It's head is encased in the mono eyed helmet typical of official Baskerville design, and internal cybernetic enhancements allow it to run up to 75 miles per hour for prolonged stretches and give it the jaw strength to crush a bowling ball into powder. It also features hardpoints placed strategically on the body, allowing heavy armor and weapon systems to be attached as necessary (armor and weaponry sold separately).
Official Baskervilles are known for their calm, stoic temperament and safety record. To this point no official Baskerville product has willfully turned on its owner of its own accord, and the line is typified for great loyalty. This safety was played up in a controversial early ad campaign where Baskerville co-founder Remmy Zaroff allowed his infant child to be carried in the closed mouth of the companies then new FM-2 Khan and in the companies slogan:
Whatever happens You have got A Baskerville and they have not
Behavior is, however, another thing that varies among competitors and black market Baskervilles. There have been more than a few tragic incidents to stain the Baskerville name. Black market models in particular have developed a reputation for violence.
Despite this many Baskervilles can be safely treated as a family pet, and act as such until they sense danger. A Baskerville, while coming pre-trained, can receive additional training from its owner allowing for a great deal of flexibility. While it will always place the safety of its owners first they can be taught to protect a whole area, to work with soldiers or other Baskervilles as a unit, to guard and herd other creatures, and to play games.
A Baskerville is created young. While still a baby it is given a variety of gene modifications and implant surgeries to achieve the desired shape and capabilities, with the only cybernetic enhancement being the VI interface. After being given time to grow and aquatint itself with any new limbs it is put through a training regiment designed to foster loyalty, good nature, discipline, and combat ability. If the Baskerville is to be a custom model it is introduced to its future owner at this point. After basic training and a health assessment the rest of its cybernetic implants are installed in another series of surgeries. After this comes another round of training much like the first and a second health and technical assessment to ensure that the Baskerville is both healthy and cooperating with its VI.
Baskervilles can be fed like any other pet, though the amount may be greater than normal. All official Baskervilles are sterile, though this is not necessarily true of black market models. Any problem with a Baskervilles health should prompt contact with a Baskerville branch office, who will send a trained medical/technical professional to diagnose the problem. Do not attempt to fix your Baskerville yourself, or "mod" it, as that would void the warranty.
Skills: It is not a complete exaggeration to say that, with the right tools, Rudolf could take apart any animal and put it back together better than new. The man is an excellent veterinarian, zoologist, and botanist, classically trained by the Gardeners, as well as an animal handler. He can get just about any animal to calm down and obey him, and seems to exert an almost supernatural control over Baskervilles in particular. In addition he is, by necessity, and expert in cybernetics and an extremely capable technician.
Standard Equipment: Rudolf travels with what he considers his masterpiece, a Baskerville the size of a small car he calls Giant Gorg or GG for short. A giant, fiercely loyal, quadrupedal monstrosity that looks like it might have been a puma or something once upon a time, GG is protected by a trifecta of subdermal armor, a sleek armored exoskeleton, and a kinetic shield. From its back sprouts not only two long manipulator tentacles strong enough to squeeze a man in half but a battery of six guns, three on either side, that lie flush to its back until needed which are controlled by the VI. It's great size belies is equally great speed and surprising agility, and its claws and fangs are strong enough to tear through the hull of a spaceship as one unfortunate group of pirates discovered. Like all Baskerville models it features an extra armored head covering with a single visible electronic eye set in the middle.
Bio: Born and raised a Gardener, Rudolf was nevertheless enchanted with the extensive cybernetics employed by the Society of Steel. After years of long and fruitful study he made his way to where he thought he would find the resources combine his passions for genetic and cybernetic enhancement in true mad scientist fashion. New Amsterdam seemed the best place and, after shopping his mad ideas around for a while, he made a friend in a fledgling entrepreneur named Remmy Zaroff. With is help Rudolf was able to find resources, create a working prototype, and attract investors. Later that year the two co-founded founded Baskerville Security with Remmy handling the management of the business while Rudolf focused on research and development. The business exploded and the two ended up creating an entire new industry which Baskerville still leads.
Things haven't been all champagne and caviar, however. As the number of Baskervilles on the market increased violent incidents have also been on the rise, in particular among the black market models assembled by what Rudolf disdainfully refers to as "hobbyists." These incidents have not only weakened the brand name but have raised question about the ethicality of creating Baskervilles at all. More and more Rudolf has been out on his own putting out fires, investigating the growing black market, and recovering abandoned and illegally modded Baskervilles. Remmy dislikes this, but allows it because it's good PR for the company and Rudolf isn't strictly necessary in the lab anymore.
@Moonman Yay Mechs! This guy looks like he belongs in the Gurren Lagann universe himself XD
Accepted.
@Blight Bug Accepted, but only if you nerf his ping pong skills.
@Sombrero Descriptions are fine. And based on the question, I'll also answer what I believe to be your next. OC's are allowed, yes.
That guy is Gurren Lagannas great great granddaddy. Spiral Ppwer is basically just Getter Rays, but without the implication that the energy is alive and hates dinosaurs.
