Avatar of Penny

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Recent Statuses

19 days ago
Current Ethical issues aside, AI prose is just really bad.
3 likes
27 days ago
She wanted to read, she wanted to write, but the main thing she wanted was something to fight
4 likes
1 yr ago
Make it clear that you don't need him to be reading Dante tomorrow. Also suggest it would be fun if you had a private language that you could use to mock English speakers in secret.
5 likes
2 yrs ago
Luckily history suggests an infinite ability for people to be shit heads ;)
1 like
3 yrs ago
Achmed the Snake
1 like

Bio

Early 30's. I know just enough about everything to be dangerous.

Most Recent Posts

Sayeeda raced past Neil and into the broad alleyway that held the hangar door. One side of the alley was lined with what might have been storage units or small increments of warehouse space seperated off from the street by long roller doors of extruded metal. There was no foot traffic save for a large air cushioned delivery sled parked infront of one of the hangar access doors. The vehicle was open topped and empty so Junebug ignored it. A figure in dark black fatigues crouched in the door way but he was looking back over his shoulder rather than towards the mouth of the alley where Junebug and her friends were approaching.

Unslinging her submachine gun she sprinted down the alley, shifting her gait slightly so that she ran almost silently on the tips of her toes in long bounding strides. THe trick wouldn't have worked if she was wearing her armor but given the likelyhood she would be shot in the next few minutes she wasn't sure it was worth the trade of. Hoping that Neil had enough sense to follow and Taya had enough sense not to she closed the distance at a full sprint. The crouching figure, alerted by some sound of her approach or just turning his attention back to his proper bussiness at last, looked around at the last second. He had enough time to open his mouth before Junebug bought the butt of her weapon down hard on the top of his skull. The man slumped like a poleaxed ox but she was through the door before his body hit the ground.

The inside of the highlanders hangar was much like any Junebug had seen. Crates of supplies and tools lay wherever was convient interspersed with hydraulic lifters, fuel lines and electrical hook ups of all sorts. A fusion bottle, meant to replace the one in the jeep which Neil had convereted into an improvised bomb, lay on a pallet jack nearby. A dozen figures stood in the hangar. A pair of men in black body armor were affixing something to the main hatch that looked alot like a millitary grade intrusion box. Three or more figures in similar gear were in good positions around the hangar, clearly guarding team working the intrusion gear. The rest of the group maybe more like eight now that she had a chance to process the data wore black fatigues similar to the guard she had just clocked. All of them carried automatic weapons.

Carreming through the door Junebug crashed into a black clad enemy the check sending him sprawling across the floor. She put two shots into him and let the recoil of the weapon lift the barrel. Crack! Crack! the next to shots hit one of the men attempting to affix the box to the hatch, the first hitting him in the spine and snapping his head back before the second blew the back of his skull in wrapping his helmet against the hull of the highlander with a concussive clan that rivaled the submachinegun.

The hangar exploded into action, several weapons blazed at once although none of them had yet had time to take up a proper site picture and the metal walls of the hanger rang with ricochets. The figures in body armor flung themselves behind whatever cover was available. Taking the hint Junebug dived sideways sliding across the smooth concrete and rolling into cover behind a crate of vacumn rated tools the size of a large refridgerator. Gunfire roared around her as the confused mass of intruders opened fire.

"Taya! Don't come in, we need as big a distraction as you can give us!" Junebug yelled over the clang of slugs smashing into the container. She lifted her gun and fired a blind burst in the direction of the Highlanders hatch, although without real hope of hitting anything. She didn't pack grenades in her breakfast outfit, mores the pity, and she needed to draw fire away from the door.

@POOHEAD189
That looks so much like a town I once lived in (water and all).
Fear was as good as a cloak and Camilla no longer felt cold as they stumbled through the darkened snowfields. Morsliebb was swollen overhead and cast a sickly greenish light down on the ice, giving the whole spectacle a greenish nightmare gloss. There was no where to go now except to the tomb itself and so the presed onwards, hoping against hope not to stumble across more beastmen or worse horrors that haunted the night.

Cydric had a vauge notion of where the tomb was located from his previous visit but in the dark, even with the eerie moonlight, it was difficult to get ones bearing. Eventually the settled on climbing one of the small hills to see if they could place themselves. Once they got atop the rocky knoll they immediately saw wan light flashing in the distance. Several hundred yards away the chaos wraiths stood brandishing weapons and shouting silent warcries but their attention was not on the party. Opposite them, a few hundred meters distance stood a group of what were unmistakably Imperial soldiers. The Imperials were composed of the same pale witch-light as their northern adversaries. Ranks of pikeman stood in neat blocks that any drill sergeant would be proud of. There was even a small field gun, which belched a cloud of ethereal smoke.

"That Is Baron Brunwald's banner," Von Eikenhouser breathed in what was probably meant for no ears but his own but carried in the frozen silence. Camilla cut her eyes across to the Justicar. He started when he sensed her eyes on him.

"There was a battle here a year before your friend came, or rather there was an army sent, no word ever returned of them save for a single raving madman." As the watched the Chaos warriors began a silent charge towards the ghostly Imperials. Camilla managed to tear her eyes away from the scene. Beyond them stood a lowering hill. The side of it was pierced with a vast stone portico. PIllars of twisting rock rose twenty feet into the sky framing a funerial crypt sunk deep into the hillside.
The trio headed out into the street. The streets were packed and people were clearly excited vigorous debates raged in numerous cafes. Massive public vid screens showed images of the opening moves of the vote of no confidence and analysis abounded. It seemed to Sayeeda that there were more royal guard than she had seen earlier, clearly tensions were heightening. So far as she could tell no papparazzi had recognized them and they wandered off the main street and into a small noodle shop that wasn't doing much business. After they had ordered Sayeeda got down to business.

"Ok, clearly little brother is going to be watching us, we cant just waltz into his rooms and expect to get away with it. We need some kind of a distraction.

"Come in Capt'm," Looney's voice chimed in her ear. Sayeeda held up a hand for silence and touched her temple. She had never known Looney to initate a communication before.

"Just a routine report that I'm completing maintenance on circuit phi-beta-one-six-niner," the AI went on in a shockingly normal voice. It was hardly slurred with accent at all. Sayeeda shook her head in confusion, what maintence was he talking about and why in hell was he telling her.

"Neil what the hell is circuit phi-beta-one-six-niner?" she asked. Taya started immediately and both of the mercs turned to look at her.

"It.. I mean I think... Its from a holo-soap from Fornax." Sayeeda stared at Taya as though she had gone mad but the woman only licked her lips nervously.

"In the show it meant that someone was holding the protagonist at gun point but they didn't want to tip the bad guys off..."

@POOHEAD189
"Oh I'm far from finished," Alexander spat with a contemptuous glare at the whole company. Devon gave a slightly pained look to his older brother and then turned and followed him from the room. Aiden let out a sigh and relaxed. Sayeeda eased the saftey back on with an audible click that made everyone start. She shrugged her shoulder apologetically.

"Well I see someone is eager to turn a profit of a tragedy," Junebug murmured. If the prince heard he he didn't respond, instead he paced over to a large pict window that imported a view from one of the tall towers above the city. The high definition hologram was as crisp and pure as if they actually had been at the pinnacle of a tower.

A news holo sprang to life above the table. A news anchor whos skin and hair was so perfect they looked to have been grown for the job was talking animatedly with a co-host.

"Breaking news, this network has uncovered new evidence in the death of Princess Emillia. Apparently this concerns covert communications between the deceased and her brother and Heir Apparent, Aiden Amalric. More on this story as it unfolds!" Within moments most new casts would be rebroadcasting the message.

Aiden turned with a resolute look on his face and stalked to his chair to sit down. He pressed a communicator and called for Ranald and some other advisors whom Sayeeda did not recognize. That completed he turned to the Highlander crew.

"I know you don't have the background in politics to know I'm telling the truth, but you must believe me that Alexander becoming king would be a disaster for our people..." Sayeeda held up a hand to silence the prince mid sentence.

"Aiden, when I was on Praxis the government paid me to shoot at insurgents. When I was on Kennec's World the insurgents paid me to shoot at the government. I'm not really interested in politics writ large. If you are paying, we are playing. Moral issues really dont concern me." The calm bussinesslike tone seemed to rattle the prince slightly.

@POOHEAD189
Tell us more about the singularity! @catchamber
Whack an Immigrant
IT'S A WALL OF IMMIGRANTS

THERE'S PEOPLE IN THE WALL

OH DEAR GOD, THE HORROR


I imagine they would find that quite acceptable. Comparisons to the Great Wall abound.
Aiden sighed and let them to a grand sitting room, the place looked rustic with comfortably upholstered chairs of dark carved wood and tables inlaid with the same mythological scenes they had observed elsewhere, graceful naked water nymphs forming the legs, holding the hands of broad shouldered Atlas whos outstretched arms provided the crosswise pieces. For all its archaic splendor however it was thoroughly modern in function. A careful eye could pick out access points for various electronic devices and other contemporary features. The prince sat down and gestured for Sayeeda to sit beside him before motioning all the others down.

“I fear I may have been too quick to dismiss Ranald’s counsel,” he said at last. His hands rested palm down on the table as though trying to press through the heavy timber.

“Do your intelligence people have any leads?” Sayeeda asked. Aiden smiled wrly.

“We don’t have a centralized intelligence service the way you are thinking.” Sayeeda snorted in disbelief.

“What did you blow the whole budget on fancy statues?” Aiden chuckled, the expression reaching his eyes for the first time.

“Something like that,” he admitted before explaining: “Actually most of our intelligence is gathered through personal networks of various nobles, theoretically we are supposed to share what we find, and thats fine for offworld matters where we all have the same interests but…”

The doors opened unexpectedly and two men, brothers who had been at the landing ceremony strode through the doors flanked by armed guards.

“Alexander, Aire,” Aiden greeted them in surprise. Both men were rangy and strong although neither was as handsome as the Prince himself.

“Brother,” Alexander, the taller of the two and dressed in a shiny black doublet greeted. His eyes panned to the Highlander crew.

“What are these mercenaries doing here, is this the space tramp…” the man’s tone was a sneer but Aiden stood up abruptly, his face hardening into a mask.

“These are my friends, and perhaps soon my retainers, have a care brother,” Aiden responded his tone chilling markedly. Alexander stepped back slightly and cocked his hip sideways. Junebug recognised it as a move to clear a weapon and her hand, concealed beneath the table, slid to the pistol holstered at her hip. Instead of a gun though Alexander revealed a metallic cylinder similar to the one she had seen Aiden with back on the beach.

“Oh be serious,” Aiden snapped, “father will never approve a duel between us. Now did you have something of actual import to say or is this just a ‘courtesy’ call?”
@POOHEAD189

It was a brutal night for a cold camp. Camilla pulled her cloak tightly around her body. It had seemed excessive when Cydric suggested the fur lined garment but now it seemed to be hardly enough to keep the icy wind from freezing her solid. The skirmish with the beastmen and their unseen master had cost them valuable time and they had decided not to risk pressing on to the tomb through the darkness. Thaddeus had seemed ready to object but the sight of Camilla methodically thrusting her rapier into the throat or eye of each fallen beastman had been enough to quiet him. None of them had been shamming, but bitter experience had taught her that it was best to make sure.

Fortunately Cydric, who had been here in his earlier campaigns, remembered seeing a ruined windmill on one of the nearby hilltops. The structure was mostly collapsed but the wall around the ground floor was pretty much intact, giving some shelter from the tearing icy wind. What remained of the second floor was in much worse repair, time and weather having tumbled down most of the stone wall, but it did provide an ideal vantage point for a look out. With beastmen in the area a fire was out of the question and so they had to pass the night with only body heat and their own garments to shelter them.

Camilla, as was traditional, took the second watch and so found herself crouching behind the low stone wall and looking out over the sparely wooded hills for any sign of beastmen sneaking through the darkness. Cydric usually seemed to have a sixth sense for when creatures of chaos were about, but one could never be too careful. The Tilean tried very hard not to think about black fletched arrows sailing out of the darkness or arcane spells that might silence her before she could give a warning but took a little comfort that her body falling from its precarious position on one of the old oaken rafters would certainly waken her companions if she was killed.

An hour or so into her watch she caught sight of it. A gleam of greenish light on the northen horizon. At first she thought it might have been the aurora. Ivan Petrovich, a big Kislivite they had crossed paths with several times, had told stories of the strange lights in the sky many times. As she squinted at the distant light though, she realized she was in error, the light was at ground level and it was coming closer. For the hundredth time she promised herself she would buy a proper Tilean spy glass the next time she had a few pieces of silver to spare.

Although she knew she should wake the others, something held her in place as she watched the light coming closer. The night was clear as only cold northern winters could be and she could see clearly for a long way. With a gasp she realised what she was seeing. It was men, distant man shaped figures marching in a long column along the shores of a far off lake. They seemed to be made out of some sort of greenish ethereal light, almost mist like as they glided along the ground. Banners hung above the translucent effigies, still despite the snapping night breeze that brought tears to her eyes the longer she stared. As she watched ghostly horses ranged out bearing what would have been scouts in an army of the flesh.

“Myrmidia…” she breathed and finally managed to break her paralysis, slipping gracefully down to where the two men slept. Grabbing Cydric’s shoulder she gently shook him awake.

“There is something out there,” she whispered as his eyes fluttered open.
@POOHEAD189
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