Heroes: Endings and Beginnings

General Havoc · Post by **General Havoc** » Sun May 17, 2009 6:07 pm

It was, in a way, a good thing that Alpha was a young AI. An older, more fractally affected AI might have reacted in a human fashion, with revulsion, fear, or rage. Alpha however was much more computer than he was anything else, and he reacted with careful, quiet, dispassion.

"Multiple human remains are present," he said evenly, narrating for the benefit of the others listening in as well as for evidentiary purposes. "Remains have been literally torn to pieces. Preliminary blood volume analysis indicates between twelve and nineteen fatal casualties are present. Area exhibits signs of extreme perforation, sheering and blunt force traumas, exceeding known human physical capabilities. Unit is enacting quadrenary priority protocols and uprating hostility estimates to Gamma Force level authorization. Limited lethal force options are now in effect."

The barrel-covers of Alpha's 7.62mm machine guns slid open, as targeting lasers invisible to the naked eye crisscrossed the room.

"No immediate lifesigns are in evidence. Non-visual and forensic timeline indications suggest a better than 50% probability that suspects are still in residence within the facility. Recommend extreme care be taken by all agents. Suspects may exhibit physical or paranormal force capacities in excess of 40,000 PSI, based upon evidence on-hand."

The robot took a heavy step forward, its enormous foot splashing through the blood pooled on the floor and shaking the ground like a tyrannosaur.

"Initiating preliminary search."

SirNitram · Post by **SirNitram** » Sun May 17, 2009 7:10 pm

"I've got no connection in there." NeXT finally admitted after the long silence. He felt helpless and useless to his team. They were the first regular contact he'd had since the accident. "All the systems I can access have been fully loaded off-site and subsystems are scrubbing for viral payloads."

LadyTevar · Post by **LadyTevar** » Sun May 17, 2009 9:15 pm

From the damage Alpha is reporting, there may be nothing in there for NeXT to connect with...
Heidi frowned, looking over to Inferno. "The cameras in the security tapes were going offline as things escalated. No cameras, probably no computers, so NeXT might not be able to help at all in there."

Post by **Dark Silver** » Mon May 18, 2009 7:20 am

As a precaution, Legion already had his force field up - it was near perfectly translucent, only a slight distortion seemed to blur his edges. As Alpha light up the hallway like the mid-day sun, Legion shielded his eyes, then let them adjust.

The varying colors from his police lights clashed and distorted some of the details he needed, "Alpha," he said, "Shutdown all non-standard lights. Let's just have standard lighting here."

Legion looked out into the hallway, from what he could see of it. He head the constant dripping of liquid in some far-off corner. The charnel house setting of it didn't phase him much, he'd seen - even done - worse during his infiltration missions. Alpha's robotic voice still echoed through some of the distant hall, and Legion frowned some.

"Alpha, can you perform a thermal or bio-scan on the area ahead of us? Let's see what's hiding from plain sight."

Charon · Post by **Charon** » Sun May 24, 2009 7:58 am

Inferno listened carefully as he paced back and forth across the floor. He was not happy at not being up there. He looked over at Gemini as she spoke, "Maybe he can piggyback Alpha?"

General Havoc · Post by **General Havoc** » Sun May 24, 2009 1:43 pm

Alpha's torso slowly panned back and forth across the slaughterhouse, the slight whirring of mechanical servos the only accompanying sound.

"Thermal scans are encountering residual interference from accumulated human remains. This unit is presently unable to distinguish non-living heat sources present from potential living ones."

There was a moment's hesitation.

"This unit," said Alpha, sounding very much like someone admitting some kind of indiscretion, "is... not equipped with mechanisms to permit "bio-scan" operations. Unit's analysis protocols are based upon standard police forensic tools and DLMD (Dynamically-Linked Modular Deductive) software algorithms."

The big words notwithstanding, Alpha was admitting to Legion in his own way that he did not have the tools to determine what lay ahead with any certainty.

SirNitram · Post by **SirNitram** » Sun May 24, 2009 6:08 pm

"Unit Alpha, advise using optics to identify hearts beating in area, and comparing to confirmed living entities. Engage forensic protocols and modular analysis, geared towards identifying biological samples and matching against signs of life." NeXT suggested, before responding to the suggestion.

"The concept of 'piggybacking' through another's senses is rather rude. I imagine the suggestion you allow a psi-operative to use you as a mobile set of senses is not appealing, yes? If Unit Alpha believes I should have access, I have no doubt he will make the offer."

Charon · Post by **Charon** » Mon May 25, 2009 9:57 pm

Inferno paused at that. "Well for one it would be breaking several orders from higher-ups for any psi-operative to enter my mind, but I get your point. Just making a suggestion that maybe hadn't been thought of yet."

Post by **Dark Silver** » Tue May 26, 2009 8:23 am

Legion nodded at NeXT's suggestion, they were good. For a moment, he had forgotten Alpha wasn't a CIA forensics bot, with full access to biometric scanners. He had gotten spoiled for awhile.

Though the mech did turn off the strobe lights, so he could see.

Defiantly better.

"See if you can do what NeXT suggested - it'll be better than nothing. Keep close, let's go exploring..."

With that, Legion's forcefield remained around him - a defensive shield that only a few small "holes" remained so he could still hear and breath - as he began to walk away from the elevators, and toward the first lab down the hallway.

LadyTevar · Post by **LadyTevar** » Wed May 27, 2009 4:47 pm

"So while they go exploring, Inferno, what do WE do?" Heidi asked, her arms crossed under her breasts.

Charon · Post by **Charon** » Wed May 27, 2009 5:50 pm

I could think of a few t- That's enough of that.

"Let's check what's left of the building, either by eye or computer if they're still up." He paused "And we'll want to make sure that none of the scientists get out of this building before we question and arrest them."
[/i]

Post by **B4UTRUST** » Sun May 31, 2009 11:47 am

The giant bot tracked bloody footprints further down the hallway, lighting it up with his array of lights. All around him signs of gore, death and destruction were prevailant. Expensive lab equipment lay in pieces, notebooks and other miscelanious office supplies strewn everywhere, mostly soaked red.

But no signs of life did it find.

Legion's search fared little better. He found body parts apleanty, but no live bodies. Or any dead whole bodies for that matter. In the main testing and processing lab rolled under one of the desks though, he did find a severed hand that was still intact. Gripped in it was a small disposable pill cup and laying close by was a single pill.

Post by **Dark Silver** » Sun May 31, 2009 12:01 pm

Legion studied the scene in front of him, the pill and the severed hand before him. It took a moment, before removing a evidence bag from a inner pocket of his coat, and using his forcefield, picked up the pill and deposited it within.

"This is Legion, I've located a drug sample near a severed hand. I've bagged the sample, and continuing the search."

At the very least, the pill could be analyzed back at Ultima Labs.

Legion continued into the building, searching.

Post by **B4UTRUST** » Sun May 31, 2009 12:05 pm

The rest of the fourth floor was much the same. Blood, bones, gore, various body parts and broken equipment.

LadyTevar · Post by **LadyTevar** » Sun May 31, 2009 1:50 pm

Heidi nodded to Inferno. "Sounds like a plan."
We can take a few agents from the other buildings, set up a perimeter... I believe there were fire exits at these points...
Heidi let Jerri do the thinking, getting on the radio to call over about ten of their backup agents to help cover fire exits. She herself looked to Mike. "There's a delivery entrance in the back. You wanna take a couple agents and do that?"
Inferno might want to cover that one himself. The Delivery entrance is the biggest exit...
"That's why Mike and I will cover it, Jerri," Heidi said to thin air. "But if you want him there..." Heidi's voice had a definite teasing air before she keyed her mike. "Inferno, do we all cover the delivery entrance, or split up between the fire exits?"
That's Not What I Meant!
"Yeah yeah," Heidi smirked. "Like he wasn't looking at me when I crossed my arms."

SirNitram · Post by **SirNitram** » Sun May 31, 2009 2:07 pm

"If you're really looking for something to do, I have a good idea where the backups are." NeXT murmured to Inferno and Jerri. "Look for a basement. The computers might be dead, but the backups will be under lock and key. Confiscating those would be really, really wise."

LadyTevar · Post by **LadyTevar** » Sun May 31, 2009 7:51 pm

Heidi looked to Inferno. "Often the deliveries go right into the basement," Gemini said in perfect harmony as the thought hit them at the same time. "A service elevator, or direct access, either one."

Charon · Post by **Charon** » Sun May 31, 2009 8:27 pm

Inferno nodded at NeXT's suggestion. "Right. Gemini and I will check up on those backups. The back-up will keep an eye on all exits, nobody gets in or out without us knowing about it." Inferno walked over to the stairway and looked back at Gemini. "Ready?"

LadyTevar · Post by **LadyTevar** » Mon Jun 01, 2009 5:40 am

"Ready. Ladies first?" Heidi asked teasingly. "Or you do prefer us staring at your butt?"
I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU JUST SAID THAT!!!!
No... no, I can believe it. It's just the thing you'd do to embarrass me!!!
Omgomg what's he going to think of us??!?!?
Heidi's grin widened, waiting to see if Inferno would be blushing as deeply as she knew Jerri would be doing.

Charon · Post by **Charon** » Mon Jun 01, 2009 9:10 am

Inferno averted his eyes and a slight blush crossed his face. He coughed once or twice, regaining his composure, then looked back to Gemini. "Ladies first."

Yeah, so that way you can stare at-- Really, not now.

Post by **Dark Silver** » Mon Jun 01, 2009 9:40 am

Legion finished up his search, shaking his head slowly. Empty.

Aside from the carnage and destruction, the entire floor he searched out was completely empty of any living being. He didn't even pick up the sounds of breathing.

"Bloody perfect..." he whispered before he spoke up over the comm, "This is Legion, Aside from the pill and a lot of spilled blood, I've found nothing. You picked up anything Alpha?"

General Havoc · Post by **General Havoc** » Mon Jun 01, 2009 3:53 pm

"Negative," came the reply over radio. Though Alpha was well within speaking distance of Legion, he wished to relay his comments in a form that everyone could hear. The enormous law enforcement mech was still slowly walking up and down the hallway, ensuring that it would not collapse before each footfall, for his three and a half tons of weight was not designed for indoor operations. The blood was literally pooled on the ground, as well as dripping from the ceilings, with the result that the robot's feet were soaked in splashed up blood, and its body and arms covered in droplets of blood that ran down its sides and frontal armor, coating the gunmetal gray paint in a new coat of red.

"This unit is unable to determine any signs of animate life," it said. "Accordingly, this unit is uploading sense data for further analysis."

The robot then began to upload the entire audiovisual record, appended with the data from whatever forensic sensors it had running, for analysis by anyone who chose to look it over, specifically the machine ghost that someone had suggested might "piggyback" onto its sensory processors (the term was unfamiliar).

LadyTevar · Post by **LadyTevar** » Mon Jun 01, 2009 8:11 pm

Heidi just grinned widely and started down the stairs.
Will you STOP the extra wiggle in your walk?
Yes, you made him blush, but do you have to be blatant about this?
"Jerri, shut up and help me watch where we're going, not who's behind us." Heidi said casually, not whispering, but not loudly. Enough that Inferno could pretend he didn't hear if he wanted to.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You.... you.... you BITCH!
Just you wait. I WILL get you back for this!
"yeah, yeah," Heidi repeated, lifting a mocking hand up to mimic a person chattering in her ear. "Mind on work, Jerri."
Ooooooooooooooo! it was the sound of anger and frustration as Jerri knew there was absolutely nothing she could do about Heidi's teasing now but sit and stew over it as they entered another door and walked down a typical basement hallway.

"no blood..." Gemini pointed out as one. "The rampage didn't touch down here. There may be survivors."

Agent Fisher · Post by **Agent Fisher** » Sat Jun 06, 2009 4:23 pm

Mike watched Gemini and Inferno leave. He looked at some of the other agents that had come with them. "All right, you guys keep watch on the cameras. Agent number three. Yeah you, guy on the left." He said pointing. "Don't know your name, but you and I'll go take a look at that delivery entrance Gemini was talking about, see if there's anything to see there." He said, turning and walking from the security room, the nameless agent in tow.

Post by **B4UTRUST** » Tue Jun 09, 2009 1:24 pm

The basement hallway Inferno and Gemini found themselves in was what one would typically associate with a building basement. Water and electrical pipes clustered around the ceiling, branching off here and there. The walls were smooth and unadorned, interspersed with doors marked with simple placards on the walls next to them. HVAC, boiler room, janitor's closet, storage, electrical, etc.

The hallway was dark, lit every dozen or so feet by emergency backup lights. The overhead florescent lights were out. Their footsteps echoed around them in the stillness.

At the end of the hall, encased in shadows where no light shone was a heavy steel door. Electronics locks were in place for passkey swipes. The placard next to the door was marked 'Server Room.' Another placard beneath it firmly warned any who read it in bold red letters that only authorized personnel were allowed entrance beyond this point and violators would be prosecuted.

--------------

Mike's investigation revealed nothing of real significance or use by the delivery doors and ramp.

--------------

Alpha's findings were relayed back to the mobile comm center in one of the trucks along for the op. The systems automatically began to record and archive the data, tagging it under the mission files for evidence and further review later on.

The pair found nothing else of any real use to them in the fourth floor labs.

LibriumArcana.Games

Heroes: Endings and Beginnings

#526

#527

#528

#529

#530

#531

#532

#533

#534

#535

#536

#537

#538

#539

#540

#541

#542

#543

#544

#545

#546

#547

#548

#549

#550