Super Robot Wars ∀: Deep Space IC Thread - Part 2: Of Dire Tides

[Dandragon]

"Alright..." Elaine stretched as much as she could in the cockpit, before changing to a channel to talk to Thorvald, privately. "Hey, Thorvy! You and me are going down there to look for anyone alive in that facility after everything's all patched up, so might as well stay in the hangar as long as ya can." Elaine removed her helmet as she undid the belts holding her on the seat. Slipping out of the cockpit and back onto the lift, she saw mechanics already approaching the banged up mech in the hangar. This was going to take a while.

 

[scorri]

The injured co-pilot was loaded up onto the stretcher, Val wincing at the sight of the head wound, and Olivia was ready to go. Grabbing the front of the stretcher, Val led the way, her bag useless right now. The wounded needed more attention than her bag could give, and they needed Megumi. Calling back to Avery, she cautioned the mechanic, "Careful with moving her. If she thinks there's any chance of any bones being broken or any major back or head trauma, don't move her, let us come back and get her." Normally, she would have wanted to get both at once, but this was more urgent. She also would have normally liked to do a check on the girl before moving her but... This was the best they could do right now. Thankfully the elevator was still waiting for them, so all they had to do was load their patient in.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Colt stayed back as things began to kick into motion, not sure where to go first. The presence of injured people in the Artemis ruled that one out for now. He wouldn't be able to do anything until that was all sorted out. One of Buck's pet projects came in looking slightly worse for the wear. Normally Colt would have left that up to Buck, but with how much was going on right now, he figured if nothing else, he could do the initial scans. Heading that way, he passed by Buck on his way over and commented, "I'll take first look at the Herc while you wait for the Crescent Moon to come in. Anything major, I'll get your help with it, but basic patch I can handle. Don't worry though, I won't screw around with one of your projects."

~~~~~~~~~~~

Astin landed in the hangar not long after Elaine, and settled down with a sigh of relief. There hadn't been a response from Abigail, which wasn't too strange. They would have to talk to her in person then. Not a thrilling prospect, but still. The result of that final battle with Vera was still enough of a small high to keep them happy even with the though of risking getting snapped at.

The sight of Christina getting carried out on a stretcher was sobering, but they wouldn't have been rushing if she was dead, so that was a good sign amidst a bad situation. "Juria, go relax, alright? I'm sure the Captain will call us all for a debrief at some point, but take some time to yourself before that, alright? You did a really good job today. You deserve the short break." Getting on the lift and making their way to the floor, they glanced around. Abigail's robot wasn't in yet, so they headed over to the Artemis. "Avery. Is Kim alright? Can I help?"

[Phoenix]

"I'm worried about Christina," Megumi admitted with a sigh, "With how often we get thrown into fights with Apotheosis, she may have to sit out the next battle or two." That was assuming she was conscious at the time. A battle would be right out if she wasn't even out of the infirmary and back on duty the next time Apotheosis showed up. Grade 3 concussions were so annoying ...

"Other than our injured, though," Megumi shrugged. She supposed she was still accustomed to seeing at least one person die on any given mission. It was especially awful when she was out there in the field with them when it happened, something that became more and more common toward the end of her mercenary days. Things aboard the Riese were a lot better. Granted, the unit was about as well oiled and organized as a low end college dormitory, but at least everyone was still alive.

---

Well whatever Hannah wanted to call her interest in Vera, it certainly took center stage in the moment. From the sound of things, Hannah didn't have full access to her own 'mind,' so diagnosing these emotional episodes was proving nearly impossible. How disturbingly human, not having full access to one's own mind. Still, with how advanced Hannah was, that made a certain kind of sense. Most manufacturers wouldn't want their products running around completely unhinged, seeking modifications and upgrades that were never intended for them. Firmia wondered if there was a way to take a look at 'bare bones' Hannah, her complete code. She had her doubts, but it was worth looking into later.

"If we do run into her again, try and snap yourself out of it," Firmia said, sternly. It was hard to decide how to treat the android overall. Even advising her to 'snap herself out of it' sounded silly at first; she was a machine with what might be hierarchically determined decision making processes in place. At the same time, she was ... Hannah, this whimsical android that was emulating humans at an as yet unknown cost to her effectiveness as a fighter.

"The Mantle's not ready for heavy close up fighting, yet." 'Yet' was definitely the word. If Hannah wasn't capable of molding herself to the Mantle's long range support setup, Firmia would have to approach the problem from the other end, and balance the suit for all around combat, instead.

"As for your orders," Firmia sighed, wanting to get her mind off of the coming woes, "I won't hold my breath on drive salvage, but I do want some armor samples from the field. I don't want to have it out with the Riese mechanics, so ignore anything that fell off the Luna. Focus on the Cressidas and anything the big ones might have left behind." The latter was doubtful but ... well, she needed something. Incorporating the somewhat more advanced armor could make the Reign's upgrades more effective, and if handled properly, less cumbersome. She wasn't holding her breath on that one either, though.

"You won't be able to carry much in flight mode, so stick to the scraps." If anything useful turned up in the ANF's own salvage that the mechanics weren't drooling over, maybe she could purchase some of it from them.

<There might be some time before the debriefing, especially since they're securing the area and the Artemis team is being seen to ...>

---

As hilarious as it would look to have a mobile suit riding limp on the Regalia, it would be too complicated to set up, and unstable to boot. Brant opted instead to do a partial transformation, and haul the suit in from underneath, using both of the Regalia's arms to secure the heavier machine. Once he'd flicked off a few limiters and secured the rifle on the Regalia's back, Brant started the transformation and took off. "I'll try to be gentle," he assured Aliza, but honestly, this was going to seem anything but gentle at a glance. The shield protracted, as if about to fire its missiles, which gave the arms more room to maneuver. Both arms swung down to scoop the Legionary up by the shoulders. There was a shock as the Regalia nearly slowed to a stop, then the leg thrusters went to full output and dragged the Legionary a few dozen meters before lifting it off of the ground altogether.

"I can't believe that actually worked," Brant chuckled to himself. He was burning up tens of thousand of credits worth of fuel a second, but it had been a short mission, anyway ... Switching the radio back on, he said, "Oni-One here. Everything's stable up here. I'm bringing Hicks in. Keep the way clear for us."

[Ether]

"Yeah... just... make sure okay." Kim replied, her vision blurring further as Avery brought Christina out of her seat and began to take her down the lift. Avery said something about bleeding... was that blood? It looked red, it was probably blood. That wasn't good. Hopefully she'd be okay-

Kim's thoughts cut out at that point, the last of her adrenaline fading as she slipped out of consciousness, slumping forward in her seat.

[Balcerzak]

Okay, and that just about wrapped things up. A pile of some of their better fighters threw themselves one after another at Vera's ferocious machine, and the terrorist had decided enough was enough and just pulled the plug on their operation, the enemy units warping away one after another. Time to see about following through with Tarquin's request. He'd felt bad about postponing it, but this unknown, this Talia Haley, while understandably distraught, had not appeared to be imminently suicidal, and attempting to calm her while the primary source of her terror was still rampaging about the area was more likely than not a futile effort.

That all said, the level of concern the younger pilot displayed toward the newcomer was noteworthy in itself. Tarquin had slipped into what seemed to be an almost familiar mode of address, and had already begun conversing with her on subjects that remained a mystery to Thorvald and the others who had chased after him. Perhaps the captain knew more she wasn't telling, but that was a little doubtful as well. Deep secrets this one had, and with an event like this, they couldn't much afford to let them remain that way any longer.

"Miss Haley?" Thorvald attempted to raise the other pilot, unsuccessfully it seemed, after she'd trailed off from her reply to Tarquin. She was still quite a distance away from their current location, and didn't seem to be immediately proceeding to board the Riese. Time to make his way over there directly and see if that would make any difference.

Along the way he passed one of their own, in Buck's latest project, similarly not making any moves nor responding to a hail of "Abigail?" Apparently she hadn't logged a new call-sign in with Bright Eyes either, so there was little else to try. She had barely taken any damage, so she was probably fine, just occupied with something else. Still...

With a bit of a playful shrug, he carefully manipulated the controls--precision would be important here--and had his Legionary give her Crescent Moon a flick to the forehead with one of its fingers. "Wake up, sleepyhead. Party's over." Then he continued along his way until he'd pulled up alongside the Umbra.

Trying channels once again, in case he could get a response this time, he hope he wouldn't have to resort to external speakers, though he certainly was close enough now that he'd be sure to be heard if he did. That was a worse came to worst, fallback, but for now, Thorvald offered another gentle invitation to Tarquin's... classmate?

"Listen, Talia. It's okay now, you don't have to be afraid, you're not alone anymore, not unless you want to be. And if you do just want to be alone, at least won't you follow us on board the ship and get a nice room, rather than staying cramped up inside a cockpit. You did well to have piloted it in a pinch, but the crisis is passed. It's safe to come out."

An incoming line, private, from Elaine raised an eyebrow at first, but listening to her cleared things up a bit. Popping quick reply back while waiting for T-2, he told her, "Still working on something out here in the field, but sure, after I'm wrapped up, after Tarquin, Makoto, and everyone gets on board, I'll gear up for a foot mission with you. Maybe try getting some info from one of the locals while you wait for me."

 

---

 

She'd scored a nasty hit on the Luna, undaunted by its imposing countenance and its master's skilled blade. Somehow adrenaline and primal instincts had even managed to help Abigail dodge the counter-strike, a feat only matched so far by the lieutenant, and even that had been only a passing thing as circumstances had continued to unfold. Knowing how fond of posturing the woman could be, Abby was supremely pleased that the only thing she could hear were the echoes of her own streams of curses directed at the easiest face she could put to the source of all her recent troubles. Even better was the knowledge that there would be nobody gloating over the raw pathos and soul-crushing grief that would have been betrayed by her screams.

A few heavy breaths, and a quick back and forth snap of the neck to shake the sweat from her eyes, the small beads splashing to the sides of her helmet's viewport, Abigail wheeled about for another pass, but Doyle was already on the case. Already... losing, "Fuck!" But even as she gunned the engines, trying desperately to assist, the unassuming soldier had managed to turn things around. Skittering to a halt, Abigail managed to avoid plowing through what rapidly became thin air as the Apotheosis lieutenant warped out, an occurrence which would have certainly ended in the Crescent Moon joining in on the pool party Elaine was hosting with her stolen ride.

Almost immediately, with the stressors removed, the tension sapped from her body. It had been a long time since Abby had felt so exhausted, the lack of sleep from the night before making itself abundantly known, and soon enough the heat of battle that had been filling her was once again replaced with a gaping hole inside her. Nothing had changed. She'd done well, managed what she'd hoped for hadn't she, what had been asked of her, but to what end?

The floodgates opened. Vaguely aware it would cut down on mess, Abigail yanked on the clasps securing it, then threw her helmet to floor as great snotty sobs wracked her frame. When the worst of those passed, she leaned deeply forward, resting her forehead on the dash and closed her eyes for awhile.

She couldn't go on like this forever. Fuck forever, she couldn't stand it for even that much longer at all. Something needed to change. She needed to change. Was she strong enough to pull it off, though?

A sudden sway rose her from the half sleep she'd fallen into. The awakening wasn't as bad as if she'd been upright, as there was none of that feeling of falling that tends to accompany one's head lolling forward, then jerking itself back up. But it still wasn't pleasant to be startled out of a position of almost comfort. "Oh fuck, someone's come to bother me because I've tuned them all out. Shit, forgot about that." Quick, flipping the comms back online, she swiftly piloted her craft into the hangar, feeling slightly guilty. Before she exited, she made sure to blow her nose on one of her sleeves, and dry her eyes with the other, doing her best to make herself appear presentable, hopefully dodging suspicion from any casual viewers.

Edited November 8, 2017 by Balcerzak

[Nanami Touko]

Hold Steady!

"Yeah, 'course. Jus' gonna help 'er outta th' machine. That's all." Avery let the medics haul Christina off, already on her way back up the lift when Astin came over. "Hol' on a sec, hun! Jus' gonna help Kim outta... Kim?" The scene had changed drastically when she got back up, the Lieutenant had passed out. Hopefully just passed out. Avery jumped over and pressed fingers against her wrist, trying to find a pulse... Lucky for her, the SKIN was thin enough, the soft beats telling her the girl's heart was still beating. "Jesus, fuck, yer gonna give me a heart attack. Now... Nice an' careful." Avery undid her belts and, with as much care and precision as she'd give her machines, tried to lift the admittedly lighter girl out of the machine. "Astin! She's out like a light! Gonna need ye helpin' me with takin' her up there. Ain't gonna be worth waitin' fer the nurses t'get back."

It sure sucked that Kim was just that much taller than Christina. Girl might've been heavier, but at least Avery had some leeway on getting the girl on her back. With Kim being this tall, it was a struggle to get the girl onto her shoulders properly. "This'll have t'do... Don't go losin' her, it's a short ride." Taking a big gulp, and gingerly placing her foot on the lift, Avery tried to stay perfectly still all the way down... She didn't even breathe until her foot hit the floor, letting out a heavy gasp and shaking her head. "Alright, you take one side, I got th'other. One helluva battle, huh? How'd the Ceres hold up? I wasn't watchin' stuff like Buck was."

Clear Space

"Wha, yeah, uh, sure! You do that Colt!" Too many robots were going in for Buck to overly care at the moment, and with their new Legionary friends arriving, they were starting to run out of space. As big as the Riese was, it was housing more than twenty robots now... That was more than two Kraken class fleets, the smaller ships able to house eight, max. They were going to have to unload so much once they got back to Central... All of his precious toys, what a cruel world.

Brant came in on general chatter, Buck picked up. It felt like a question he could field. "Sure thing, Brant! Just watch where you land it! There's a lotta people running around the hangar right now. If you crushed someone, well... I don't gotta tell you how bad that would be." They had enough space for the rest of the machines coming back, it really was just the case of all the personnel rushing around. Hopefully none of them were too focused to clue into things.

It was then that Buck's newest toy came back, and the list got put to second priority. Abigail came down and... Well, he wasn't really a people person, but she didn't look happy. That was the best way to put it. Leaving her alone and taking the lift back up, he started going over the combat data. "This thing fought that monster and survived! Oh, MAN, I am gonna have a field day with these simulations!"

Scavenge

"I will do my best," was all she could say for Vera. As long as she left a reminder, perhaps an alarm, in her system, she'd be able to try and control herself better in the future. The best case scenario would be for the Riese to simply never engage Vera again, but... With how important a vessel it was for the ANF, that seemed like an inevitability. She sighed. I sighed? An odd reflex. Remembering her assumptions from moments, she quickly looked into her subroutines, and... "Bingo."

"Firmia, while I am searching for the materials that you would like me to collect, I have found something regarding myself. It is no longer visible, but, as I sighed, a program called 'Galatea'. I attempted to access it, and I was told... This is difficult to say of my own body, but, I was informed that I did not have administrator's permissions... It is safe to assume that all of my... Uniqueness, so to speak, is stemming in part from whatever subroutine this is." That aside, was it really a bad thing? It felt weird and a bit frightening that she couldn't access it, but it wasn't like it was a necessarily bad addition. Perhaps for Firmia, but Hannah felt rather pleased to have been given the opportunity to be... This.

That was something taken care of, at least. She could focus more on Firmia's objectives with that being less pertinent. "I had... Something I wished to discuss as well, while I am gathering. Is that alright? Or would you prefer radio silence?"

Are You Okay

Jess left Megumi to her devices and began the descent to hangar... While she was worried about Kim and Christina, she couldn't stop thinking about Abby. During the last few minutes of battle, she'd gone radio silent. The rest of the crew might not have noticed, but Jess picked up everything that happened to comms during a fight. She didn't know why the woman had gone dark, or what had happened... Hopefully nothing, but that didn't stop her worrying. It was only compounding what had happened before. Abby had put on a strong face, but... "Why do I care so much?"

It was a terrible thing to ask, but really... "I don't know her, I've been around her for two days at best, and she tried to kill us... All while attacking a colony. So why... I..." Jess sighed, leaning against the elevator wall, and placing her head against it. "I just don't want to see anyone that broken, I suppose. I don't know if I can do anything about it, though..."

There was no harm in trying until she was told to stop. The doors opened, and after hesitating for what felt like ten minutes, she finally walked into the hangar's main hallway... There was Kim, getting helped along by Avery and Astin. She didn't look great. Not at all... Was she even conscious? That was grim... Not seeing Christina anywhere, hopefully the medics had already taken her and gone. That was another bout of stress gone.

Not wanting to crowd an unconscious girl, and get in the way of her helpers, Jess stayed out of their path and... Wow, she sure was punctual, huh? Already back and outside of the mech. Jess started to walk towards her... and stopped. Who was she to get involved in this business? Did she even know how to console someone over this? Like Abby wanted to see her, anyway, a Captain of the ANF, the people that had tore her entire family right out of her heart...

Her feet kept going. As much as she had no idea what to do, what to say, or if there was anything to be done... Something was better than nothing, right? Jess took her hat off when she got closer, finally in front of Abby with a half smile on her face, trying to get her lips all the way up. It wasn't working very well. "I... Uhm..." Don't stutter. Don't stammer. "Good work, Abby.' Good work? Great job fighting? Jess, come on, just... "I... Are you, okay...?" The smile fell, Jess couldn't help her facade hold any longer. She was probably gleaming distressed eyes up at her, too. Don't make her feel guilty, this isn't her fault! "Sorry. I, I noticed you go dark near the end of the fight, and... I can't stop worrying about if you'll be alright or not. Aren't I stupid?"

Going-- Nowhere?

Getting back to their elevator... It was closed. "Damn..." Someone else must've used it, but luckily for them when the doors opened-- "Megumi! The one needing immediate attention is right here. Make some room, we might as well go right back up." Hopefully the doctor didn't have a problem getting ordered about like that. If she was going to say in the hangar to see about Kim or any of the other pilots, though, she had to make her decision quickly.

Edited November 8, 2017 by SnakeMomMelissa

[Balcerzak]

"What, no 'Didn't I tell you not to do anything reckless?'" Abby smiled weakly, resting a hand on the captain's shoulder. "But, I guess since I didn't end up in a Vera-esper sandwich I'll have to try harder next time." After a small squeeze, her voice dropped lower, out of the false cheer she'd been using for the fake front. "Honestly, I'm dead tired. Exhausted. I'm just gonna, stay out of everyone's hair and make my way to my room. That should be fine, right? If I skip the debrief?"

That didn't answer any of the other woman's specific questions at all, and Abigail knew it. But, what was she supposed to say? No, I'm not okay, but I'm working on it. Did she really need to hear I turned off all comms because I was afraid I'd embarrass myself and break down in public. Or fuck, maybe worse. I'd lose my head and throw away the edge the XO worked hard to grant us by bellowing out at the enemy. She couldn't possibly expect to be told, You're not stupid, you're just not being honest with yourself.

Edited November 8, 2017 by Balcerzak

[Nanami Touko]

Tell Me

"No, none of that. I'm... I'm really worried, Abigail. And..." Tired. Dead tired. Dead. Jess shivered. "Yeah... That's fine. You don't need to go to the debrief... I... I'm bothering you, aren't I?" She let that question sit, it didn't feel right to put it on Abby, but it was starting to eat at Jess. "After what you saw... Talking with a captain like me. It's probably taking everything you have not to snap at me, isn't it?" Jess bit her lip and smiled wryly at herself, almost hiding her face behind her hat. "Just tell me, and... And I'll leave you alone. I promise. Can't believe, I tried to be so friendly... Like I deserve to be." So that's what this is about. You blame yourself. "I even promised... I... I'm sorry..." Her face went behind her hat this time, trying not to cry. You told her they'd all be fine. You told her they'd be okay! You told her so much, and now they're dead! I hate myself! Why did I do that!? Why, why did they have to...

Edited November 8, 2017 by SnakeMomMelissa

[scorri]

So Kim had gone from being able to pilot the mech to unconscious in so short a time... It was definitely good that Vera had called for a retreat after losing the Luna's hand. Still, it wasn't a comfortable thought. How close had they come to everything falling apart? 

As Avery landed safely with Kim, Astin put those thoughts to the side and made their way over, carefully drapping Kim's limp arm over their shoulder. Wrapping their arm around her waist, they took a good portion of the weight off of Avery. "Here we go. Alright, let's get her up to the doctor." 

As they set off, Avery questioned the performance of the Ceres. Astin winced slightly, thinking of the damage the sword had taken. "Err, well, I didn't really do much to be honest. Just a couple of quick scraps and then... IsortafoughtVera." The last bit was quickly spat out as they glanced over at her with an almost guilty look on their face. "I know you told me to be careful but... I was going to try and distract her but she got to Kim first and everything that happened there and... Well the Ceres is fine for the most part. Needs a new paint job but fine beyond that. But err... I sort of... Used my sword to block hers and it... Cut about halfway through it. But then I used the fist to crush her bot's hand! And stole the sword from her! Oh I need to tell Buck to get that when he sends out the scavenging crews. If we, well you guys could figure out how that works, that'd be crazy. A sword that can change forms? Can you imagine?" They were safely in the elevator by now and starting the short journey up to the medbay.

[Shin]

Talia froze, the act of kindess Thorvald had stunned her. Was someone willing to accept her after all of this? "Me? I can come... with you?" she marvelled, desperate for any sort of personal connection. She didn't know who he was, but he actively wanted to keep her safe rather than out of obligation. It wasn't just pity, was it? She shuddered at the thought, maybe she was some wretched little girl who was too pathetic to leave by herself? That couldn't be it, right? Regardless of his motives, Thorvald's offer was the best thing she had - living in an empty facility surrounded by dead bodies didn't really appeal to her.

"Yes-... yes please!" Talia replied hurriedly, as if any hesitance would render the offer invalid. It had been terrifying, her hands were still shaking, but she'd left not only her room, but Corona Ten for the first time in over two years. The buildings all seemed so small from up in the sky, her chest grew tight just thinking about it all. She hadn't really contributed much to the battle, every moment she'd spent in the Umbra was making her feel sick. 

It was then she realised one downfall of accepting the offer. Her younger brother, the little gremlin who had stolen everything she had, would be there too. Was this the salvation she wanted? She shook her hand, breathing rapidly as she tried to process the situation, she'd have to suffer no matter where she went. "Would... would it be possible to gather my belongings from the base?" she asked sheepishly. She'd changed her mind entirely from earlier - she needed her toys and games to cope with it all.

Tarquin, on the other hand remained silent. The Professor? With Apotheosis? He was starting to piece things together in his head, but the Professor's request for him to go to the base didn't make sense. If he hand't been kidnapped, why did he need Corona Ten to be attacked? He had a few minutes to think things over before they returned to the ship, but it wasn't long enough to come to a sensible conclusion.

-

Both Tarquin's Velite and Talia's Umbra docked at roughly the same time. Leaving his unit, Tarquin spotted Jess talking to Abby. He knew he'd have to talk with her at some point. Talia was more focused on Tarquin himself. His face was just like from the pictures she seen, just looking at him made her angry. He was tiny, how could he be so much "superior", especially at his age? What did he have that she didn't? She grit her teeth as she descended to the hangar, her legs wobbling with each step.

[TheRoon]

Soon enough Aliza had finally docked her Legionary into the ship hanger. She hatch opened and she hopped out with a sigh. Leaving the messy cockpit where it was. She'd clean it later. Getting some air after that fight was far more important. Oh and talking to the captain of course. "Mm..." She rubbed her face a bit with her right hand, trying very hard to shake off what had happened. Sledge was gone, and Hicks is out like a light. Though thankfully that nice pilot in the super cool mech was bringing him to safety like a taxi cab. She really had to thank him for that later, and the female pilot who talked her into staying. If she hadn't done that Hicks probably would be dead too. Either way it was so much to take in. After a minute of steady breaths the Italian made her way down. "Time to find the captain..." She spoke aloud and took a look around for someone to help out.

[Phoenix]

Megumi meant what she'd said about it being a good battle. No casualties ... buuut she still was none too thrilled about how she was going to be spending the rest of her day. It came with the territory, and the daily scuffles with Apotheosis. The doctor couldn't wait to get back to her room. Now that the ship was active, and there was more help around, the infirmary just wasn't the solitary lair it used to be.

The captain got out of the way and went on into the hangar as the minions arrived with what Megumi hoped was the worst of the two known cases. She stepped aside on reflex, hoping the stretcher would get moved in quickly and she could have a look at Christina on the way back up to the infirmary. "How was Lieutenant Kim when you last saw her?" The question came while Megumi carefully examined Christina's head injury. If she was still conscious then great. If not ... blast. Still a good battle, just an annoying aftermath for the doctor, herself.

---

Galatea? Firmia suddenly felt a strong urge to change Hannah's callsign from Terminator to Ivory, and Brant's from Oni to Magic. This was at least partially the latter's fault, what with all that positive reinforcement he gave. Referential inklings aside, it was good that Hannah managed to isolate which program--hopefully not one of many--that was currently stonewalling her. Hannah seemed to think it was the sole culprit, at any rate. "Keep an eye out for it, and make a log file for any time it pops up. Also note what you were doing at the time." It wasn't Firmia's field of expertise, though she was better equipped than most, but Brant could help out with it ... take responsibility for his part in all of this.

That didn't seem to be everything Hannah wanted to bring up, however. Whatever else she wanted to talk about seemed important enough to broach during a salvage run, but she still offered Firmia radio silence as an option. Communications were shabby enough around here, so Firmia would pass on that. "Radio silence is for mouth breathers and snack eaters. What did you want to discuss, Hannah?"

---

Thanks to the relative simplicity of the AMS series' transformation, Brant didn't even have to let go of the Legionary before returning to MS mode. Normally the option wouldn't be green lit unless there were no detected obstructions, and despite the shield normally being carried by the left arm, it was still green lit. Brant hadn't been paying attention when he entered flight mode with the shield on his back, so he didn't see how the shield wound up on the nose like it was supposed to. He only knew that he didn't need either arm available to get the shield back and forth, necessarily. As they came near the mech lift, The Regalia returned to MS mode, letting the Legionary down gently ... and the shield swung up over the Regalia's head and onto its back using a series of short scrawny arms that flanked the internal missile launcher. They obviously weren't made for walking, but Brant couldn't help but imagine his shield crawling around like an armadillo as he guided the Legionary into position and the mech lift brought them both down into the hangar.

"Lieutenant Abrams to Hicks. Do you copy?" It was worth checking in on the man every now and then, but Brant honestly wasn't expecting a response.

[Nanami Touko]

Fought Vera

"Huh... Other'n th' sword breakin', that's great! Guess I did enough work t'make it Astin proof, huh?" Avery smiled, worried as she was that Astin had gone toe to toe with the strongest machine they'd encountered yet. "How'd the fight play out? Y'do anythin' substantial to 'er?" Astin's brief recount of how their encounter went left Avery with an incredibly important list of things to collect from the battlefield. From the hilt of that monstrous katana, to any scraps of metal that managed to get themselves torn off of the Luna... And the hand! An entire piece of an Apotheosis Lieutenant's machine! Even it it was crushed or damage, that was worth... So much. They could analyze what these things were made of, find so much data, especially if it was the sword hand, and... Just, wow. "That's really impressive, hun... You thinkin' I'd be mad? Heh. Maybe iffin ye'd gotten yerself hurt. But yer a pilot, I know you gotta do dangerous things sometimes. And hell, y'brought up all that! That's insane. Don't gimme yer sheepish reports, hold that head high. Yer the most damn valuable pilot here, managin' t'do that."

View on Kim

Luckily for Megumi's question, it answered itself, through the other elevator. "Looks good enough, I suppose," as the door closed on Astin and Avery, having moved the girl despite orders otherwise. That was fine, as long as they didn't harm her, it made things a lot faster. "Seemed awake when we arrived, but... Didn't look conscious when she got brought down. Probably passed out from the exertion, she didn't report any physical trauma. Christina, though... She's out like a light. Pretty big gash on the right side of her head, probably bashed herself against the copilot seat. Likely some form of concussion... Not fun." The stretched was moved into the elevator while this was explained, wasting no time to get going, even reaching over and pressing the up button. The girl needed attention now, not later.

Discussion

"... Promise me that you will not be upset at me." She prefaced the talk with that. If Firmia was up for speaking then she wanted to know it wouldn't be followed by immediate shouting. She was only asking her because of her relation to him anyway, and maybe she would be able to shed some light on what was going on. "I... I have done a lot of searching and researching into the subject, because I did not want to blindly walk into a new emotion and be unsure of what it was. Yet, every topic of discussion that I come across leads to the same thing. It is worrying, even for myself, and I do not think you will appreciate the implications, so please... I will ask again to not get upset at me."

With another hefty sigh, and a further recorded instance of that Galatea program, for Firmia's sake, Hannah tried to muse out what she was stuck on. "I... Believe, that... I have a 'crush', on Lieutenant Abrams." Now, with how new Hannah's recent realization of existence was, you would be led to believe that she would not feel silly to say something like this, as it wouldn't entirely make sense to her. Yet, even with only a few days under her newly cognizant belt, the phrase brought an uncommon warmth to her face, and she registered that as embarrassment immediately. No confusing this one.

"I do not know what to do about it. And... I only ask you, because you seem to be his friend, from what your files say. As foolish as it is... Please take this seriously. I do not entirely understand human convention yet, and I do not wish to create a scene, or upset Brant with these uncontrollable developments..."

Edited November 8, 2017 by SnakeMomMelissa

[Sandalphon]

Nikolai docked the machine carelessly, not particularly paying attention to any fine details like "parking in the lines" or "not scratching the paint" or "avoiding involuntary manslaughter". If anyone died at some point, then so be it. Dead or Not Dead, someone was going to get grounded.

His eyes scanned the hangar wildly as he clambered down gracelessly, his limbs moving in a manner not unlike some strange creature from a horror film, and then again, with his bubbling migraine and temper, he might very well have been. Finally, his eyes fell on his quarry and the girl who had disembarked from the other mech, although he couldn't (and frankly, didn't want to) find the energy within him to give two flying fucks about her.

No, he had bigger fish to fry.  He was going to extract an explanation and if he didn't get one, well he'd try extracting a few teeth first and seeing if the diplomatic process would go more smoothly after that.

"Oi," He barked as he made his way across the room, his steps small and tense as he walked with an unnaturally quick pace. A smile pulled unnaturally at the corners of his lips, but it clearly did not reach his eyes, "Tarquin my friend can you please kindly explain what the  fuck it is you do and why I should not kick your ass for being so fucking stupid?"

All things considered, it could go worse. Really, is being nice right now... 

 

[scorri]

Astin hadn't known exactly what to expect. Anger, maybe. Worry, certainly. Not... pride? Avery seemed happy and all the compliments left Astin stuttering like Jess from a few days ago. "I... I n-no, it... it r-really wasn't any... anything. I didn't do that much. I just... finished the job everyone else started. Kim was the real hero... Damaged the enemy, took on both Vera and another custom bot, and managed to get back alive..." Glancing at the unconscious pilot as the elevator dinged and opened up to their destination, Astin shook their head. "She's the best pilot we have. Pretty sure I'm just the most foolhardy. If I'd played one step wrong, she would have been able to kill me. Even with an Astin-proof bot, I'm not sure I could have survived that."

~~~~~~~~

A frown crossed Val's face as she saw Avery and Astin carrying Kim into the elevator. She'd told them not to move her... Then again, it seemed like she was unconscious, so it might have been the right call after all. A dangerous move, but hopefully one that would turn out alright. "I would worry about other stress as well. All that slamming around can't have been good for the rest of her body. I would suspect possible broken ribs, as well as potential internal bleeding if she was jolted hard enough. And I would worry about the same with Lieutenant Kim, especially if she fainted."

[Xinnidy]

Stuck

Things were still so confusing... Tarquin hadn't managed to formulate a good reply yet, pensive ever since his talk with the Haley girl. What had happened that was so shocking? Who was this professor? Why were they still calling each other serial codes? Oh, and Makoto'd just been left unanswered... "H-Hey, Tarquin..." Was the boy ok? Perhaps it wasn't a good idea to keep pestering through the comms? In retrospect, perhaps giving the chance to load onto the hangar was for the best. Tarquin did seem at some state of shock, at least enough that the boy had been absorbed in his own worries. This is all weird... what is this place to Tarquin, anyways? Corona Ten didn't look like a place that should hold some sort of significance for him, and yet...

Thorvald himself was busy dealing with the girl, and as it seemed she was enthusiastic about their help... until she asked to gather her belongings, a bit more hesitant. Guess she had a lot of valuables there. Makoto could relate, there were a lot of possessions with sentimental value he left in his damaged apartment back in Colony One, but there was no time for entertainment when they were on the verge of being attacked by a mysterious organization at any mo-- wait, there was the pool break... I guess I should see if I have anything in my backpack. Ah, but that was a matter for another time. "Thorvald, if everything is okay, I'm going to follow them." As long as the Riese wasn't going to fly too high, the Phalanx's jump could--...wait, this was the heavy frame. "Actually, uh, could you give me a lift?" He asked, sheepishly.

Aftershock

Under... stood. Roxanna didn't even have the will to acknowledge Jessica as she was given praise, shaking her head as an almost automatic response as her eyes still laid focused on the screen in front of her. The battlefield was clear, but the vision of Apotheosis' battleship firing back at them was still vivid on her mind. If that had been a direct hit... There was no good to come from imagining it, but Roxanna still couldn't help it.

"E-Ensign..." The XO finally mustered, "Please verify that the ground crew is ready to salvage. Make sure to emphasize they will be handing unique material. It's imperative not to break it further." The Apotheosis' monstrous mobile suit was able to be matched, in some capacity, and left hints the engineers would kill for. "Next, send a signal to Corona Ten. If that winged suit survived, there might be others still there." It was a different situation to great lake, where they had come too late, in all senses of the word.

I guess this is it, huh? The way Roxanna dropped her head on the control desk was perhaps a bit more comical than intended, the XO clearly not acting the soundest. Why did you say that to me, uncle?

"...Ensign Calvin." Roxanna spoke up, enthusiasm still not on her voice. "What do you think makes a good captain?" Hopefully he'd not second guess her intentions. This one had way less to do with Jess.

Newcomer

Ignatius wasn't liking it one bit, the state which the mechs returned was far worse than last time, and they'd fought less in terms of numbers. "So that was the colony menace, huh..." He'd have to ask Avery for footage on the Artemis' camera again. Somehow that unit just gravitated towards the more dangerous situations. It's a wonder they're alive, honestly. Good thing the Artemis was Avery's to fix, that would be too much time lost from his projects to patch it up at a reasonable time! On top of that, two units of a new model were being loaded into the hangar. Ignatius recognized the design as a prototype he'd learned of before the Riese's first field test. I knew they were on the later half of prototyping, but I didn't expect this close to mass-producing! Perhaps the colony attack really put R&D into high gear, the old man mused.

One of the pilots had left their machine already, apparently checking their surroundings. "Hey, how long has it been since you had that machine?" He walked towards the woman, curious eyes on the unit, shifting through its weaponry. "Do you know who provided them to you? They look far more functional than prototypes." The old man's curiosity took priority, but he was still sensible enough to realize she was probably lost on her own. "My name is Ignatius, one of the mechanics. Do you need someone?"

Edited November 9, 2017 by Xinnidy

[Phoenix]

Promise she wouldn't be upset? Firmia spent a moment in silence wondering if Hannah was about to make a confession about some technical issue with the Mantle. Perhaps something so obvious that it would be impossible for her to overlook when she next inspected the machine. That didn't seem to be the case, though, not with the information she already had direct access to. Admittedly there could be something that wasn't in the feed, something she would only discover by being there in the cockpit, but Hannah didn't seem nearly so clumsy as to cause any sort of mechanical problem.

As the android continued to elaborate, it began to sound less and less related to the Mantle, and Firmia's worries began to subside, a little. Even so, it had to be something serious enough that Hannah would want to have Firmia prepared to rein in her gut reaction to it. That warranted a minimum of concern. "No promises, but I'll hear you out ..." Firmia eventually said.

With that, Firmia listened to the rest of Hannah's explanation ... and goodness was that an unexpected function. Emotions, sure. Maybe they would be useful somewhere, sometime. Sexual attraction, though? Who thought it would be a good idea to make an android with the capacity for that ...? "... Hannah, who exactly designed you?" Firmia managed to suppress the rest of her feelings on the issue, which could have only been articulated as mild critique of the crew in general. She thought it helpful not to use the word 'made' in her question, since the distinction between builder and designer was as important here as the distinction between a construction worker and an architect. She wanted to ask what they were thinking while she was at it, but Hannah obviously didn't know, at least not where this Galatea program was concerned.

 

((OoC: Did what I could manage. Brant and Megumi will be covered later. Not in this post lol))

[Dandragon]

Elaine had been silent ever since the lift had lowered her to the floor, observing all the events around her. People had gone to greet each other thankful that they were alive, most likely. And yet, the air in the hangar felt anything but thankful, much less anything positive. The sheer aura that the post-mission status of the hangar gave felt empty and tense, almost oppressively so. There was little that could be said to lift the spirits of the place beyond ‘at least we’re still alive’, and with two pilots carried off to the med bay, Elaine wondered how long that theoretical statement would be true.

Elaine spotted the pilot of the robot that had appeared from Corona Ten in the middle of the battle, slowly making her way down from the cockpit. Now that she could see what they looked like, Elaine felt something was off about them. The similarities in her appearance to Tarquin was uncanny, and yet so very different. She carried herself with none of the confidence that Tarquin had, nor any of the emotional stability. The pilot looked halfway to tears, but also ready to fly into a rage. It almost made Elaine not want to try talking until she seemed calm enough, but... she was a local. So, Elaine approached.

”’Scuse me,” She said. “I’m  Sergeant Elaine Hendrick of the Heion Riese. I’d like to ask you a few questions about the attack, possibly Corona Ten itself.” The closer she was, the more identifiable the physical traits that she can Tarquin seemed to share. But, Tarquin never mentioned any sort of family, much less a sister. Those were questions for another time, she supposed.

Edited November 9, 2017 by Dandragon

[Nanami Touko]

Hero Olympics

"This ain't 'bout who did more fer the fight. I'm a mechanic, Astin. What ye did? That's MVP in my books, ain't no two ways 'bout it. I don't even think ye can imagine what we're gonna be able t'come up with, what with somma that Luna armor. That stuff's crazy. Saw what a sniper round did to it on th'colony-- Nothin'! That stuff's tough. Ain't no way what we're gonna get back from yer fight isn't th' most important thing here... Sorry, Kim." Avery offered an apologetic smile to the unconscious pilot, hoping she wouldn't be offended, if she'd heard all of that.

Designer Product

"Designed? I... Uhm..." Hannah had to halt the Mantle, gently landing on the ground. This was information buried pretty deep in her files, so she had to actually process bringing it back up. "My files state that my series was designed by two people in specific. A Doctor Tabitha Gaertner, and a Doctor Liu Yon Qian. It does not say anything else about them... Just listing their names. I don't know anything else aside from that. I have four sister models that are currently stationed on Colony One, though... They were disabled during the attack, but I made sure they were active before I left. I did not want to leave the colony without protection." Would that be more worrying for Firmia? Four other Hannahs...? She seemed disturbed by the prospects that had already come up, or... Maybe not disturbed, that was too strong. Confused, and perhaps worried.

"Should... I not discuss this with you? I do not wish to bother anyone, as... As much as I wish to discover why I am feeling as I am."

[TheRoon]

"Hm?" Well Aliza found someone, or rather someone found Aliza. An old curious man questioned her. "Oh uh hiya." She greeted, a bit wary about suddenly being approached with so many questions. But she kept her cool. "We got these Legionaries from Corona Ten, straight from Central. We've had them for a few days." She took a salute. "My name is Aliza Silvavolke. I was just looking for the captain...?" Then her attention was pulled toward Brant's machine pulling inside with the other Legionary. Hicks was inside. "Actually excuse me for a sec. Gotta help a friend out. Nice meeting you!" She gave the mechanic a warm smile before bolting off toward Hicks and the other pilot.

If Brant were to approach the hatch Hicks would still be out like a light. Thankfully he was still alive, just exhausted.

Edited November 10, 2017 by TheRoon

[riariadne]

Dwight gave a heavy sigh after the battle completed. Once again, they had been victorious, but the margins of victory were narrowing. Was only time in the way of paying a steeper price in battle? He certainly hoped that wasn't the case, but the future was never certain, a fact that was clear now more than ever before with the intense battles playing out. "Good work, everyone," he reaffirmed, somewhat less confident than usual- but for now, at least, a victory was a victory.

He headed over towards Roxanna "Officer Martinson, you did well to react as quickly as you did. Although the goal of leadership seems important to you... sometimes playing the supportive role can be equally essential. From my perspective, you're quite well-suited to it." He hoped she'd find the advice encouraging rather than demeaning... though it could be tough to tell.

[Balcerzak]

Talia's sudden exuberance to Thorvald's rather run-of-the-mill suggestion caught him a little off-guard, and he was a bit at a loss to reply. The poor girl must've mistaken the momentary pause as some sort of second thoughts, however, as she hurriedly transitioned from disbelief into fervent acceptance. After he confirmed that, yes, the Heion wouldn't just up and leave without her (in quite a bit different language), she'd asked if it wouldn't be too much bother to recover some of her possessions from the now deserted facility.

"It's no problem at all," Thorvald replied cheerily, "In fact, a colleague and I were already planning on making a stop back down, after taking a moment to rest and regroup. Gotta make sure we don't overlook anything important, and all. Would you be planning on coming along, or rather we just gather your things and bring them back for you?"

Before he caught wind of her reply, however, Makoto had approached, a tad gingerly, with a request of his own. Now that the urgency of chasing after Tarquin had passed, or perhaps some other factor was at play, it seemed the boy was a bit let sure of his handling of the Phalanx to get it back into the Riese without a bit of a boost. Thorvald nodded, but since that wasn't going to be visible outside the cockpit, had his Legionary give a big thumbs up. "All aboard," he called out, nearly chuckling as he appreciated just how much better of a situation this palm ride was compared to hauling back a badly damaged Hannah just last mission.

And then, everyone made it to the hangar and was disembarking. All in a dad's work.

 

---

 

Apparently Jess was going to be a little harder to deter than with just a joke or two, as she re-iterated just how worried Abigail had made her. At least Abby had managed to secure a free pass to skip out on the meeting, she'd take this trade in a heartbeat. But then, rather than pressing her once again for answers, for demanding to know what she was thinking when she went unplugged, the captain started to fret about her own current behavior. Ordinarily, someone feeling concerned that they weren't handling her with kid gloves would have really rankled Abigail. Right now, she couldn't spare much energy for anger. It helped that Jess seemed to be honestly contrite, and that she genuinely cared about her feelings, a far cry from patronizing coddling. Could she respond in kind to such legitimate sensitivity?

Almost.

Pulling the captain in close for a hug, letting her rest her head on her shoulder in the process, Abigail laughed softly. It wasn't real mirth, almost closer to derision, but layered with indulgence. "You needn't worry about the responsibility of your position. Your own actions have spoken louder than that. And besides, heh, if I really blamed you for what's happened, I'd kill you myself." Abby punctuated the joke(?) by lightly jabbing Jess with the hand around her waist.

"I'll just have to..." find something else to live for, other people to care for, Abigail's words caught in her throat. She couldn't bring herself to say that yet. Her voice cracked, but she managed to continue without breaking down any further than that. "I'll figure something out. I always have."

Edited November 10, 2017 by Balcerzak

[Phoenix]

Megumi stopped herself from sighing at the sight of Lieutenant Kim being moved into the opposing elevator and focused on Christina for the moment. She was breathing, and breathing normally. Her pulse was good. That left the finer details, only some of which Megumi could check within the confines of the lift. Carefully, she checked the Christina for any signs of broken bones or hard spots from internal injuries. Nothing so far but like usual, the doctor wouldn't let anything pass without a thorough scan, especially not after a spectacular clash like that. Those SKIN suits were coming off once they were inside the infirmary, one way or another, so the Megumi made a mental note to grab a pair of gowns at some point.

When the elevator doors opened, Megumi lead the way into the infirmary and pointed out the nearest two beds. There was no reason to be picky, right now. Next, she got herself some nice gloves for the delicate work ahead. Unless the girls wanted fresh scars and uneven hairs in certain places, they would need a little cosmetic treatment once the danger had passed. "Set them both down carefully. Don't move their heads anymore than necessary."

Scanner get! "Alright, prepare to start cleaning up the wounds while I check for anything serious." Hopefully there weren't any fractures; Megumi wasn't getting her hopes up.

---

Firmia put the names in a search engine as they came. "It's fine to talk about it," she assured Hannah. Really, the last thing Firmia wanted was to avoid potentially useful information. It didn't really matter if it was pleasant or not; life as a whole was rather unpleasant for the moment. "Okay let's see ..." ... it just figured that Tabitha was an expert in AI development. Firmia probably could have gotten most of what she was seeing here directly from Brant.

Even without a T-Link, Firmia could sense much of the surrounding people now that the Artemis was asleep. She hit a few keys and the Reign's imaging system switched back to its native view, revealing that the hangar was starting to get rather crowded. "How many suits can this ship carry?" Firmia murmured. Someone was going to get stepped on or punted at this rate. It looked like the Regalia had just finished half dragging, half shoving the Legionary into one of the vacant spots. A small part of her wanted to see if Brant could head back out and help Hannah pick up some samples, but Firmia quickly dismissed the idea. Better to let him finish helping with the silent Legionary.

"Well," Firmia focused back on Hannah, again, forwarding the initial searches to her, "that's what turned up so far. This seems like a Brant issue, so I'll have him or Sasha look more into those two, later." Normally she'd do it herself, but she was getting busier all the time. Not only was there the Reign's upgrade to personally oversee, but she also had to figure out how to make the Mantle more Hannahproof. Making the Regalia more Brantproof didn't seem like a bad idea, either. If they got enough samples from the Cressidas, the shields on both suits could probably be upgraded, soon.

---

"Whew," Brant breathed. "Wait, why am I tired? My suit did all the work." It was some delicate piloting, admittedly. "Hey, Hicks. ... still alive?" No response, yet, but at this point, Brant was only calling to Hicks in the hopes his voice would eventually pull the man back to consciousness. The Legionary was propped up to its neutral standing position, but the suit hadn't been powered down, so hopefully Hicks didn't eventually slump over onto the controls. If he was harnessed properly, it shouldn't be an issue, but it was better to be cautious. Being cautious, Brant kept the Regalia between the Legionary and the rest of the hangar. Keeping one arm firmly pressed against the Legionary, and setting up the other's hand to act as a bridge between cockpits, Brant exited the Regalia and stepped out onto the open palm. "Abrams here," Brant radio'd Buck, "I've got no idea what the override codes for this Legionary are. If you'd rather someone else take care of this, I can get out of your way, but this thing is still online, and Hicks is still out cold."

[Nanami Touko]

Small Replacement

Jess hadn't expected much of anything, to get a hug was... Beyond what could've happened. A slap, angry Abby, her simply walking off, some complain of 'why are you sad this happened to me, not you', but... This was almost awkward, were it not for how heartfelt it seemed. Jess slid her hat down and let her tears dry up, there wouldn't be any crying today-- not yet, at least. Unfortunately... Old sensitivities died hard. The poke against her back made her shiver and squeak, nearly blushing, and instantly being reminded of a recently similar scenario. "You're, d-definitely doing that on purpose!"

She sighed a tiny sigh. Maybe worrying over this wouldn't do her that much good... Abby was, in all ways, shapes and forms, an incredibly strong woman. She'd probably broken in some aspect, but that she'd scraped herself back together-- even if the glue was still drying between pieces --was incredibly impressive. Was there nothing to worry about? No. But Jess didn't have to worry about her doing something incredibly stupid in the middle of a fight. At least, this talk was helping her hope that. "Alright, Abby... If... If there's anything at all I can do, please. Not as captain, just... As Jess. I know you don't want favors, but, I can still be a friend. I think... Even if it's just getting prodded more." She seemed to like doing that. Maybe it was the small things that kept her going?

Set Up

The stretcher followed Megumi into the infirmary without delay, Olivia helping to get Christina off of it and into the bed. Don't move the head, don't jostle her in any way. "Should we take off her suit, or leave that to you, doctor?" Preparing to clean wounds was something Olivia could do, even if Val would be better off doing the cleaning. Gloves first...

Service

"Oh. Are you sure? Alright, then... If you're saying that it is a Brant issue, by the way, I would be happy to speak with him about it, and field any answers that I can. Shall I start gathering more information on these names while I work and then present it to him for his own thoughts at a later date?" She'd immediately jumped onto the chance to spend more time with the lieutenant, likely to Firmia's chagrin, but talking about Brant just made Hannah worry a bit. "I... Suppose, that you were originally upset by my asking this because I am a robot? My apologies if that is the case. If you are worried about Brant's satisfaction, I am fully equipped for all functions. So there would be no issue of keeping him... 'Covered', so to speak. I-Is that too much to mention?" She had said that continuing on with this line of discussion was fine...

"Ah, here's a good piece..." A small bit of a Cressida's arm, meters from its body, rather light and easy for the Mantle to carry. Perfect. And next was... Whoa... "When you are finished parsing what I have said previously, Firmia, I believe that something of use has just made itself apparent to us." That was... Definitely something useful. "The Riese must have blown this off during its engagements with the enemy battleship. It appears to be a large slab of the armor. Shall I attempt to bring it back? or slice a section off and bring that back instead? Battleship armor is quite unique compared to MS, from my understanding."

Code Breaker

Buck was having a giggle bit, just wishing he had popcorn right now. Going over the battle data and camera of the Crescent Moon was making him so happy! His baby, doing so well! It was a dream to watch, like his own personally directed cinema, all gorgeously acted out by Abigail. Brant radioing in didn't dampen his mood much, but depending on how long he had to pause this stuff, it would. "Override code? Hnnnnn... Well, it is a new model... Try 003ML37-ANFGSC, and if that doesn't work, try 004ML38-ANFGDC instead. The second one's just an educated guess. These machines are too new to have documentation on them yet... At least, from the outside. Stuff's probably listed in the manuals in the cockpit, somewhere. Anyway, hit me if neither of those work! I'll have to think harder if they don't."

Edited November 10, 2017 by SnakeMomMelissa

[scorri]

Astin didn't really have a response for Avery and was thankfully saved from needing one by Megumi directing them on how to deal with Kim as they entered the infirmary. "Ah, yes Doctor." With Avery's help, they gently laid Kim down on the bed. Taking a step back and looking over the situation, they realized that they were likely just going to get in the way, so they solved that problem by leaving the room once they were sure that Kim was safe on the bed.

As they waited by the elevator, they looked back at Avery, finally giving her their response. "I guess I see what you were saying. That stuff is important too. I just wish I could have done more. That's all. Kim and Christina getting hurt should have never happened. This crew is the best chance to beat Apotheosis I think. And I'm going to need to get better if that's the case. That's what today told me."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kim and Christina were both safely on the beds, and Val set to work, getting gloves on and then turning back to the two unconscious girls. The question about the SKIN suits was a good one. They weren't exactly going to be easy to remove, but they needed to come off most likely. It looked like Olivia was willing to take care of the cleaning part, so Val headed over to Kim to give her a quick once over, making sure that she didn't have any similar wounds to the one that had left Christina unconscious.