thewizardguy

HCL 2: Twisted tinkers' triumph

@Supertinyking
Alice stepped forward, sighing. "Why must you bicker so, when the path is clear. If this Bob is truly the one responsible for this place, then he must be stopped. If he cannot be killed through straightforward combat, then other means should be consider." She seems annoyed, not used to such debates. Back on her homeworld, her word had been law. After all, she was practically their messiah. "I doubt that simply holding a relative will be enough to achieve much. But if this person is likely to come to his aid, then we must eliminate or disable her before we engage. If Bob is truly as powerful as I have heard, we will need every advantage we can get."

She mostly ignored Mithias' presence, however she was counting on the vampire to assist her once more. She had seen his prowess in battle, and counted him among her allies in this strange place. Her pride prevented her from asking him for assistance, but she had seen enough of him to know that he would risk his life to save innocent people. Even if it was just to eat them later.

HCL 2: Twisted tinkers' triumph

@Tyki
Using intelligent tactics, the Sergal manage to press on through the throng of defensive turrets. Whilst a turret does once manage to surprise them by firing from directly above them into the centre of their group, there are no fatalities. However, they were faced with a secondary problem, of a far more mundane nature. Namely that they didn't have a clue where they were going. Force fields and Voidsteel made scanning nigh impossible without heavy-duty equipment, and while Matt's ship was constructed with complete order in mind, there was no way of knowing which route led to the security controls.

The current location of the Sergals was Sector 226-18, and it was mainly devoted to the generation of the force field outside the ship. It was mostly untouched by the Tyranids, who had been more focused on other targets. The still functional defensive systems had mainly kept them out of this area. However, this brought the Sergal no closer to their goal. And running around randomly they were more likely to become lost than they were to find their goal.

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(Waiting on Tiny to reply to the Nathan group of Sergal)

HCL 2: Twisted tinkers' triumph

@Tyki
Sergal weaponry exploded against Voidsteel, as the turret instantly unleashed a massive blast of flame. The entire hallway was engulfed by the fire, as the Sergal were blasted backwards. The flames tearing at their shields, it was only through their incredible combat discipline that they were able to continue firing at the turret. Using their sensory arrays and instincts they were able to pinpoint the source of the flame, and another volley destroyed the turret. The shots had breached the Voidsteel armoured plating, and destroyed the internal wiring that controlled it. Luckily, the tank had not been breached.

Having had no way to dodge and no cover to hide behind, the Sergal had been forced to resort to their natural endurance and shields to protect themselves. Regardless, they had taken a significant amount of damage. Those had not been normal flames, as highly flammable experimental liquids had been added into the mixture. The heat had been enough to melt steel, and had the Sergal not been shielded, they would all have died instantly. Even with the shields, the front two among their number had taken burns that would end up being lethal if not treated properly.

[Extermination mode activated.]

Suddenly, the Sergal's readings spiked. Radiation was filling the hallways, and high amounts of it, too. Their shields would protect them while they were up, but if some damage were to take down their shields they would very rapidly die a gruesome death. Furthermore, the turrets had been designed so as to flip down from panels in the roof that were indistinguishable from the rest. The Voidsteel would make it impossible to detect the turrets with scanners, as well. This entire defense system was a well thought out high-tech death trap designed by an insane genius.

It also explained why the local Tyranids were highly resistant to fire.

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@supertinyking
As Nathan tears his way through the Tyranid swarm, taking only several minor wounds in the process, he makes his way towards what he believes to be the control room. Undoubtedly where he would find Matt. However, on his way there he finds himself suddenly sensing something nearby. Turning to face it, he sees another figure tearing it's way through the Tyranids. Powerful blades seems to slash through the hardened carapaces as if they were butter, as a humanoid drone marches through the swarm. Their weapons strike a reactive shield that destroys the projectiles and blades before they contact his surface, and those blows that do manage to land are incapable of dealing any damage. It was a scene of slaughter.

The figure was about 2 meters tall, and built slender and elegant. It was completely smooth, possessing no real exterior features besides sets of glowing purple lines across it's body, and the blades that emerged from it's fingers. It radiated an odd power, and Nathan could sense trace amounts of Plot Energy on it. He realized then that this was one of the ancient Hands of God, the drones created by the God Emperor to control his vast realm. Although it looked different from what he had heard and seen in recordings, the purple glow and smooth appearance fit the profile perfectly.

He was left with the choice of attempting to interact with the drone, or moving on.

HCL 2: Twisted tinkers' triumph

@supertinyking
As Nathan penetrates deeper into the ship, he discovers the soruce of the disturbance. The Tyranids. The same mysterious creatures that had attacked the clone worlds mere days previous. However, perhaps even more disturbingly, was the twist. What he found was a hallway coverered in blood, and filled with Tyranid corpses. The hallway was filled with hundreds of the bodies, as if a tornado filled with lightsabers had moved through a swarm. They were cut, burnt, stabbed, occasionally nearly liquefied. And based on the stats he had received on the Tyranid, whatever did this was immensely dangerous.

@Tyki
The Sergal troop that followed Nathan was treated to the same scene. However, the other two each found themselves their own issues. One of these troops (referred to as #1) entered an area that seemed completely undamaged. Upon entering this area, several large turrets slid out from the roof, even as an automated message played.

[This ship is in emergency mode. All intruders will be exterminated. Lay down your weapons, and surrender.]

The turrets seemed to be fairly simple weapons. Two barrels per turret, each attached to a tank of unknown substances. Potentially some form of acid or flame thrower. However, it would undoubtedly be designed to deal with intruders as efficiently as possible.

The #2 group had instead found themselves in Tyranid territory. The group's sensors picked up several large life forms closing in from around them. They had been surrounded, the Tyrranid making use of their hyperadvanced senses to outmanoeuvre the Sergal. Within moments, they would be swarmed by gaunts.

HCL 2: Twisted tinkers' triumph

@supertinyking
Working his way through the shields costs some effort, but Nathan is able to push himself through. He then rapidly finds one of the holes to enter, stepping into the massive hull. The first thing he notices is that the standard lights are off, and only the red emergency lights still function. The hallway is wide enough to drive a truck through, reaching far into the distance. It would most likely extend for several miles. The sides were lined with hundreds of doors, leading Nathan through a perfectly ordered grid of rooms connected by hallways. He was currently in an area dedicated to weaponry, and most rooms he explores are filled with power generators, munitions loading mechanisms, and occasionally storages for maintenance drones. Around the area he first explores a wide variety of turrets and self-defence systems have been destroyed, appearing to have been ripped apart. However, in later areas no destruction has been inflicted.

He can sense no magical sources of energy within the confines of the ship, excluding the faint presence of the Plot Hole. However, his senses do detect noise and heat coming from the depths of the ship. It was clear that he was not alone here, and that whatever was responsible for the destruction of Matt's defences was still around somewhere.

HCL 2: Twisted tinkers' triumph

@Tyki
As the forcefields are still in place, the scans find layers of disruptive signals blocking their scans. It would be impossible to retrieve an accurate reading from outside the shields. However, from what information they could gather, it was clear that there were multiple life forms on the ship. Any greater details than this were impossible to discern.

HCL 2: Twisted tinkers' triumph

@Tyki@supertinyking
At the location, the two scout forces discover a rather unexpected sight. Babylon IV, the massive flagship of the United Empire, was floating freely through space. It's drive seemed to have been cut, and there were a number of holes in the hull. However, the external damage seemed almost superficial to the huge ship, and the force fields were fully functional. The weaponry seemed to be fully operational, and there was no sign of any other ships or opponents within the system. Scanners would detect, however, a massive power source in an adjacent solar system, easily readable even across vast distances.

The broadcast clearly originated from Babylon IV, although no further communications were initiated. There was no hail, no priming of weapons, nor even the usual automated warning message. The entire scenario defied all logic.

Nathan, unlike the Sergal, would of course realize what the power source in the adjacent galaxy was. The readings were familiar from the reports he had previously received, although it seemed to have moved hundreds of lightyears since the last patrol. It was Ygdrassil, the ancient bastion of the God Emperor, before Matt had lost control of the Plot Hole. He would further recognize trace amounts of Plot Hole energy within Babylon, indicating perhaps that this cataclym came as a result of tinkering with the ancient weapon.

HCL 2: Twisted tinkers' triumph

@supertinyking
As Nathan monitored his realm, a surprising report reached him. A high-powered transmission had been sent throughout this universe, reaching even it's furthest stars. The type of signal made it clear that the origin was a highly technologically advanced species or empire, and it's nature made it clear that it was urgent. The message, once decoded, contains a set of coordinates for a nearby solar system, only about 36 lightyears from the border of the Clone Empire, and suspiciously close to the area of First Contact with the Tyranid. Accompanying the coordinates is a simple phrase. "Help me."

HCL 2: Twisted tinkers' triumph

@Wraithblade6
The very instant he mentioned Bob's daughter to Bug, Mithias felt something tug at his soul. A long, thing but extremely powerful string closing around the very essence of his being. A burning pain filled him, as letters in an ancient language flared up on his skin, burning him in a way no regeneration could save him from. He could feel Bob's hand around his heart, and he knew that with a mere whim the fickle God of Madness could take his soul. He had broken the conditions of the Contract by mentioning Alice, even if not by name, and the ramifications would be severe. He could already feel himself being pulled from his body, torn into the infinite torture grounds of the Theatre, where Bob would play with him both for amusement, and to satisfy his dark appetite.

But not for now.

The script receded, nothing more than burn marks remaining, and Mithias was in control of his body once more. And yet, very tangibly, he still felt the grip around his heart. The string tied to his soul. His fate had merely been delayed, not removed. There would be no point in harvesting his soul now. After all, Mithias was working as Bob's agent. But should he falter in his task, or deviate from the path set before him, there was no doubt his end would be swift. And his future was inevitably drawn towards the hellish playground, nothing more than a source of suffering for Bob to feed on.

The vampiric warrior had misjudged the perils of entering an arrangement with Bob, and now perhaps would pay the ultimate price.

Portal Hoppers *REMAKE*

Yo, I was linked here by Ven. This still open?