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Ezekiel
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rush99999
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Syrenrei
Zeus23-393
Penny Member
STATUS: Ethical issues aside, AI prose is just really bad. 17 days ago
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Recent Statuses
17 days ago
Current
Ethical issues aside, AI prose is just really bad.
3
likes
25 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
Emmaline snickered at Amal's attempt at an upperclass Reikland accent as she through her arms around his neck. Her trepidation was begining to fade, if all the Sheriff wanted was for them to show them where they had been attacked, she could just point to the nearest section of disturbed looking earth and the guardsmen could enjoy themselves scouring the woods, whatever Vandershute wanted to believe, this was Middenland and the Drakwald was filled with beastmen and any number of other things she could claim had attacked them. Part of her wondered if perhaps they shouldn't just try to rouse the carpet and fly away, but the enchanted being was certainly exhausted from the long flight from Albion, magical circle or no.
"Well, I am certain we will find plenty of time to... rest," she replied with a grin, "but seeing as we have these stout fellows for an escort, perhaps we should explore the town a little..."
The guards were less than amused that Emmaline insisted on stopping in at a dozen different establishments on the way back to the inn. She visited a dress maker, a vintner, a leather-worker, a blacksmith and several different taverns along the way. Forcing their reluctant escort to follow and moving on the moment they appeared to grow comfortable. When the guards objected Emmaline reasonably pointed out that Vandershute had told them to keep an eye on them and that if they wanted to go back and ask for clarification they were welcome to. The guards might have pressed the issue except for the fact that they had just purchased a pair of very fine pistols from a gunsmith and neither of them felt it was worth the risk of challenging Amal. Surreptitiously she asked about the Sheriff at each of the places they stopped. The locals seemed to be both in awe of and afraid of the man in equal measure. He was ruthless in his application of the law, but the tale that there were no beastmen since he had taken over the garrison was repeated often enough that people must at least believe it was true. Emmaline did not see how that could be so, but it was hardly the most unbelievable thing she had seen in the past few months so she let it go.
The one stop she didn't make was to a bookseller, the city was too small to have vendor who dealt in magical paraphernalia, in truth such things were very rare outside Altdorf, Nuln, Marienburg and perhaps Middenheim itself, but she passed up the chance to visit even the local apothecary for now. Vadershute didn't know she was a wizard, and if she needed to make an escape she wanted to keep that to herself. It was growing very dark by the time they arrived back at the inn. Greta gaped at them like a fish as they entered, clearly not having expected to see them again.
"You are back," she stammered, "I thought... I mean..."
Emmaline arched an eyebrow at the girl who blushed furiously.
"Your rooms are as you left them Master Baba, I made up the bed with fresh linens and we.. you know.. did our best with the holes in the ceiling, nothing serious!"
"Well, I am certain we will find plenty of time to... rest," she replied with a grin, "but seeing as we have these stout fellows for an escort, perhaps we should explore the town a little..."
The guards were less than amused that Emmaline insisted on stopping in at a dozen different establishments on the way back to the inn. She visited a dress maker, a vintner, a leather-worker, a blacksmith and several different taverns along the way. Forcing their reluctant escort to follow and moving on the moment they appeared to grow comfortable. When the guards objected Emmaline reasonably pointed out that Vandershute had told them to keep an eye on them and that if they wanted to go back and ask for clarification they were welcome to. The guards might have pressed the issue except for the fact that they had just purchased a pair of very fine pistols from a gunsmith and neither of them felt it was worth the risk of challenging Amal. Surreptitiously she asked about the Sheriff at each of the places they stopped. The locals seemed to be both in awe of and afraid of the man in equal measure. He was ruthless in his application of the law, but the tale that there were no beastmen since he had taken over the garrison was repeated often enough that people must at least believe it was true. Emmaline did not see how that could be so, but it was hardly the most unbelievable thing she had seen in the past few months so she let it go.
The one stop she didn't make was to a bookseller, the city was too small to have vendor who dealt in magical paraphernalia, in truth such things were very rare outside Altdorf, Nuln, Marienburg and perhaps Middenheim itself, but she passed up the chance to visit even the local apothecary for now. Vadershute didn't know she was a wizard, and if she needed to make an escape she wanted to keep that to herself. It was growing very dark by the time they arrived back at the inn. Greta gaped at them like a fish as they entered, clearly not having expected to see them again.
"You are back," she stammered, "I thought... I mean..."
Emmaline arched an eyebrow at the girl who blushed furiously.
"Your rooms are as you left them Master Baba, I made up the bed with fresh linens and we.. you know.. did our best with the holes in the ceiling, nothing serious!"
Miranda steeped into the elevator, beckoning the others to follow her before punching in the code.
"If we claim there is a leak of some kind in the prison ventilation system, we might be able to march our guy right out of here."
"If we claim there is a leak of some kind in the prison ventilation system, we might be able to march our guy right out of here."
-391
It turned out that Kaiden was right. By manipulating the satalite archive Sabatine was able to make out the access point, a patch in the scrubby forest with a discolored turn-around that served as access for vehicles. A small structure with a corrugated iron roof could just be spotted beneath the trees in the grainy image. It was well after midnight now and there was little activity save for down by the docks where spacers from the Vickie and the civilian ships continued their liberty, unaware of what was going on. The civilian settlement itself was quiet save for the occasional all night store and a few bars that served shift workers willing to stay up late and tie one on. After a brief discussion they decided to approach the access point on foot through a few hundred meters of woodland. Higgs dutifully pulled up, clipping a park bench and startling birds out of their hides in the trees. Sabatine climbed out of the truck and stretched her legs, she manipulated her commo helmet, carroting the location they were trying to reach for its internal navigation system so they didn't get lost wandering through unfamiliar terrain in the dark.
"Sir, I think three or four or us are as good as the lot if we are trying to get in unnoticed," Sabatine told Kaiden in a low voice. The spacers were brave and enthusiastic, but that didn't make them quiet or careful. Kaiden considered it and nodded.
"Caparelii, Higgs, you two with us, the rest of you..." he paused considering what to do with the rest of them. Sabatine wondered if he had picked Caparelii at random or if he knew something of the spacers background. Either way it was a good choice, the small man might swagger about, but he was steady and Sabatine had seen him in enough bar fights to know that he wasn't squeamish when it came to putting the boot into the other guy.
"Can anyone else drive the truck?" Sabatine asked, three or four voices, stated that they could with varying degrees of confidence.
"Stay here and keep the truck ready in case we need an extraction team," Kaiden told them. Sabatine inwardly sighed with relief. Such a task was plausible enough that the spacers wouldn't realize they were being deliberately sidelined and who knew, maybe they would need them.
"I'm coming too," Tilda declared unexpectedly.
"Like hell, that won't be necessary," Kaiden and Sabatine's responses mingled together but Tilda folded her arms.
"I was an investigative reporter remember, do either of you have any experience picking locks or breaking and entering?" she asked tartly. Sabatine and Kaiden exchanged looks. Sabatine was spared from the need to respond by Capperelli coming forward with a burlap wrapped bundle, which was just as well as it really wasn't her place to give orders to her superior officers servant.
"Best I could do ma'am," Capperelli declared as he thrust the bundle into her arms. She unwrapped the loose covering to reveal a stocked impeller. The electromotive rifle was a light sporting model rather than the heavier military variant but that was actually closer to what Sabatine had used on the academy shooting team. There were a pair of magazines of dull greenish plastic each looking to contain about twenty rounds. Well if she needed more than than that things had gone very badly wrong indeed.
"Do you have a gun?" she asked in a neutral tone. She had asked him to pick one up for her and had given him enough coin that he might have picked one up for himself. Instead he pulled out a short electric shock baton and a pair of brass knuckles.
"Never been much for'em ma'am," he admitted. Higgs pulled a short length of high pressure tubing from his belt to make his choice of weapon clear.
"Googles?" Sabatine asked. Each man produced a pair of RCN googles, that could be set to view a variety of spectrum including light enhancement. Higgs pulled a second set from his pocket and passed it to Kaiden. They weren't meant for night assaults, nor did they have the functionality of commo helmets, but they were good tools for their purposes. Sabatine slung the impeller over her shoulder and turned back to Kaiden and Tilda.
"Ready sir," she reported, scanning the bush to the immediate front, a slight jitter of nerves tingling in her stomach. Spacer's weren't trained for dismounted duty, but as the academy instructors were keen to point out, the needs of the service were diverse and unexpected.
"Sir, I think three or four or us are as good as the lot if we are trying to get in unnoticed," Sabatine told Kaiden in a low voice. The spacers were brave and enthusiastic, but that didn't make them quiet or careful. Kaiden considered it and nodded.
"Caparelii, Higgs, you two with us, the rest of you..." he paused considering what to do with the rest of them. Sabatine wondered if he had picked Caparelii at random or if he knew something of the spacers background. Either way it was a good choice, the small man might swagger about, but he was steady and Sabatine had seen him in enough bar fights to know that he wasn't squeamish when it came to putting the boot into the other guy.
"Can anyone else drive the truck?" Sabatine asked, three or four voices, stated that they could with varying degrees of confidence.
"Stay here and keep the truck ready in case we need an extraction team," Kaiden told them. Sabatine inwardly sighed with relief. Such a task was plausible enough that the spacers wouldn't realize they were being deliberately sidelined and who knew, maybe they would need them.
"I'm coming too," Tilda declared unexpectedly.
"Like hell, that won't be necessary," Kaiden and Sabatine's responses mingled together but Tilda folded her arms.
"I was an investigative reporter remember, do either of you have any experience picking locks or breaking and entering?" she asked tartly. Sabatine and Kaiden exchanged looks. Sabatine was spared from the need to respond by Capperelli coming forward with a burlap wrapped bundle, which was just as well as it really wasn't her place to give orders to her superior officers servant.
"Best I could do ma'am," Capperelli declared as he thrust the bundle into her arms. She unwrapped the loose covering to reveal a stocked impeller. The electromotive rifle was a light sporting model rather than the heavier military variant but that was actually closer to what Sabatine had used on the academy shooting team. There were a pair of magazines of dull greenish plastic each looking to contain about twenty rounds. Well if she needed more than than that things had gone very badly wrong indeed.
"Do you have a gun?" she asked in a neutral tone. She had asked him to pick one up for her and had given him enough coin that he might have picked one up for himself. Instead he pulled out a short electric shock baton and a pair of brass knuckles.
"Never been much for'em ma'am," he admitted. Higgs pulled a short length of high pressure tubing from his belt to make his choice of weapon clear.
"Googles?" Sabatine asked. Each man produced a pair of RCN googles, that could be set to view a variety of spectrum including light enhancement. Higgs pulled a second set from his pocket and passed it to Kaiden. They weren't meant for night assaults, nor did they have the functionality of commo helmets, but they were good tools for their purposes. Sabatine slung the impeller over her shoulder and turned back to Kaiden and Tilda.
"Ready sir," she reported, scanning the bush to the immediate front, a slight jitter of nerves tingling in her stomach. Spacer's weren't trained for dismounted duty, but as the academy instructors were keen to point out, the needs of the service were diverse and unexpected.
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