Caineachu
Manifest of Eye
I lost everything so I could keep you safe
Posts: 75
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Post by Caineachu on Aug 14, 2012 11:59:53 GMT -5
The officer motioned to the four, as well as others in the room that it was time to move out. They walked through the doors opposite the ones they came into the Armory through, entering the adjacent garage. Two vans from a SWAT force long disbanded were there, armored in metal plates on the outside, with slits in the sides for firearms or powers to shoot through.
"Pile in, people. We're moving out."
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nocturne
Normal
See Alvin. See Alvin Run. Run, Alvin, RUN!!!!
Posts: 23
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Post by nocturne on Aug 24, 2012 15:37:40 GMT -5
The ride over was chilling.
There were few vehicles on the road. All the cars, vans, motorcycles, transports, and busses that Edouard remembered from his youngest days were long gone, vanished with the supply of petrochemical fuels that made them possible. Coal was in evidence in some places; mostly to keep some of the secondary power plants running. But the roads were broad, straight, and empty of traffic as the Social Workers bounded to the source of the riot -- the QZ. Quarantine.
There was evidence of other units mobilizing -- Edouard himself was already building a plan based on standard response plans. Obviously IntSec would be present, to contain the riot to as small a place as possible. ConFor would establish the perimeter, have emergency services on standby, ambulance corpsmen ready to transport any injuries to the Institute. ParFor would have a surgical team in-place to counter any moves by rioters or other "interested parties".
Mankind Unbound would probably make an appearance, if they themselves were not behind the riot. They existed as something between a debate society and a terrorist group, spewing their doctrine that the Fissure was the next evolutionary step in mankind's development, and who planned to spread the Fissure further. And if Mankind Unbound was there, the People's Purity Union would be there -- the ultra-base group that preached that the only way to rebuild a healthy society was to burn out the sources of infection -- the manifested.
Edouard didn't have time for any of their polemics. His job was to treat the infection; to cure it if able or to limit it if a cure was impossible. He could no more kill an individual who had Manifested than he could one who had botulism, or bubonic plague. There was an organic reason for the changes, and as such there MUST be a means to bring the body back into shape.
He shook his head, to bring himself out of his reverie. He plugged the heavy backpack radio into the vehicle charger, and snapped on the receiver. He heard some snippets on the medical channels -- mostly a manifested crowd -- general anger and cries but no chanting of slogans or unified demands. That was good. There might be some time yet to disperse before ParFor lost its patience and went in...
He snapped over to the Pol-Mil channel, and got a slightly different picture. Agitators in the crowd, who carefully avoided sloganeering, but who put the gist out --why should the manifested be the ones in containment? Isn't the manifestation a sign of God's graciousness? Doesn't the candle that burns brightest burn half as long -- so let's burn! Reports from infiltrators, informants, and foot patrols. There was an intent, a purpose behind the agitprop, but nobody seemed able yet to piece it together.
Edouard snapped the set off, and checked his needler again. He had four standard loads: Haywire, Morpheus, Medusa, and A-Tox.
Haywire was a purgative load -- it mimicked the chemical release of the tainted lymphatic and endocrine systems during Manifestation. Essentially, it "kicked powers offline", but it had random effects, because of the very nature of Manifestation. Sometimes it simply turned abilities "off"; other times, it let them slip the control of their owners. It wasn't a load he used often.
Morpheus sapped willpower -- strong narcotic basis which caused users to become unfocussed, unwilling and unable to bring their will to bear to activate abilities. Morpheus had a smaller dose than Haywire, and could travel farther because of it; The subjects became easier to handle, usually docile and complacent. IntSec LOVED Morpheus, and there were never enough rounds in an officers' pouch. The chemical was tricky to make, however, and couldn't be replaced easily.
Medusa was a muscle stimulator, which had an effect similar to the old TASER guns -- except this was chemically based, and used the individual's system against them. Again, this had an unpredicatble effect on manifested, but it made it easier to manage the individual, who physically COULDN'T resist being moved. However, the aftereffects were brutal on the victim, with a four or five day "detox" occurring simulating the worst effects of hangover, withdrawal, and emotional collapse.
A-Tox was the worst of the lot. It was a lethal round for manifested: it typically took manifested powers out since the peculiar xenobiology of the paravirus changed under the carfully cultivated spread of a tailored retrovirus. It nullified any Manifestation by essentially kicking the Fissure paravirus into overdrive. The bodily marks of the fissure transmutation spread rapidly and uncontrollably until death by Fissure occurred. It was unpopular and often cited by some groups as "proof" that the Fissure Event was man-made. In fact, the A-Tox was one of the first attempts at a treatment, gone horribly, horribly wrong.
Through the walls of the transport, Edouard heard the slowly swelling cries of the crowds, the faint tin-sounds of cheap megaphones, and could begin to smell burning rubber, accelerants, and trash piles. They were ten or so minutes from the site. He looked at his fellow riders, wondering at their drawn, stern faces. They looked just like troopers before going into battle.
Perhaps that truly is what they are. he thought to himself.
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Caineachu
Manifest of Eye
I lost everything so I could keep you safe
Posts: 75
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Post by Caineachu on Aug 24, 2012 22:39:00 GMT -5
Alex hated coming into the Quarantine Zone.
She raised her hands up under her chin, resting her head on them as the van tried to find a place to stop. She'd never call herself a follower or listener of any groups besides the Social Workers, but some of what they were spewing out there was true. The QZ was absolutely terrible to live in, and no one was doing anything to fix that. In different circumstances, she might've been in that crowd that was now shouting and chanting outside their armored van. But she wasn't. She was on the opposite side, about to extinguish the riot in the streets.
She'd try to stay nonlethal as long as it didn't put her life on the line.
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nocturne
Normal
See Alvin. See Alvin Run. Run, Alvin, RUN!!!!
Posts: 23
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Post by nocturne on Sept 1, 2012 18:06:09 GMT -5
The whine of the tires over the rough-paved road made the abrupt transition to the crunch of gravel, dirt, and rock being ground beneath the heavy vehicle. The back lurched as the heavy transport turned; Edouard put his arm out and braced himself against the centripetal pull. Then sunlight blazed and the loading brace banged as the back of the transport fell open, and the four Social Workers debarked.
Edouard looked at the crowd. No banners, no fires, no obvious weapons. That was the good news. Lots of angry voices, lots of upraised fists, and lots of tainted flesh being sported around; that was the bad news.
There was a platform raised; a broad-shouldered man stood, glaring at the crowd, a slenderer, taller man spoke in bursts over a megaphone. The shorter man would gesticulate wildly, avidly, almost fanatically; then the other would translate for the crowd. It was almost surreal -- it would have been comical if the crowd hadn't stared at the pair with such open hostility, anger, and suppressed rage.
Other men were on the platform, a couple with Kinetic Impact guns -- air-compressed tubes that spat out expanding-foam projectiles weighted with hyperdense cores that allowed them to travel far. They held them gingerly, aimed in no particular direction.
Edouard climbed up on a pile of rubble to get a better vantage; the transport had been allowed through a ConFor cordon. These men held old-fashioned batons and riot shields. Some few had stunners; others had KI guns of their own. These men held their weapons in position, ready for the spark to crackle, and they would surge forward.
"Look guys! We're not the ones that decide who stays in QZ and who gets visitation out! You don't want to mess this up! It took us a long time to get the permits for this build, and if you do anything crazy, it's not gonna be NewLanc Construction that pays for it! They'll just go back and build in the other 'Zones. It'll be you guys! This'll just mean that their opinion was right, that we don't deserve new construction here, that we'll just burn it down..."
This was the wrong approach, Edouard sensed. The mutter of the crowd, almost pacified at first, suddenly surged. The translator wasn't one of them He could leave whenever he wanted. Even if the mute couldn't.
There was a low hum; a tension that was rising, like a violin string on a single note thrumming and then given higher torsion with the twist of the key. There was a bottle now, and the first spark of flame coming from the spout...
Edouard began to rush the stage, hoping to get there before the idiot went on blindly translating his own undoing.
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Caineachu
Manifest of Eye
I lost everything so I could keep you safe
Posts: 75
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Post by Caineachu on Oct 16, 2012 0:59:55 GMT -5
All Edouard probably saw next was a flash of red hair as Alex passed him, clearing the few stairs on the side of the stage with one leap. She, too, had sensed the tension in the crowd. This guy had his chance of pacifying, now it was her turn. She pushed past two guards and walked up to the translator, taking the megaphone from him.
"Thank you for trying."
She turned to face the crowd. There was a lot more than she first thought. She took a breath before speaking.
"Citizens, I know the last thing most of you wanted to see this morning was a bunch of armored trucks and guards on a stage. It's the last thing I'd want to see, if I was in your shoes."
She paused, trying to articulate thoughts into words.
"I may not look it, but I have been in this situation before. On the other side of the walls, your side. Not just as a visitor, either, not like most of the other officers here. I was stuck here just like you."
She raised her forearm up, her sleeve sliding down, showing the Manifestation scars.
"And I know it's hard not to get angry at the people sitting on their high horses, watching you suffer. I know how that is, I was through it all, too. But we're not here to watch, we're here to help. You have the permits for the build, after a struggle to get them that was way too long. The only reason we're here is to make sure no one gets hurt during that build, nothing more."
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Post by Tilting Clock on Jun 19, 2013 14:35:15 GMT -5
(Trying a subversive way of getting this neat little idea kicked back into life. In the future, please refrain from taking direct control of my characters, guys. He can be phased into the background. ) Jesse was getting off script, damn it all, this was not the time to get a damn improvisational itch! Ashton's bear paws caught his assistant by the scruff of his collar, pouring a litany of foul gestures into his face. The two of them swapped back and forth while some newcomers came and got up onto the platform, started trying to get control of the situation. Blast it again, Ashton let his friend off, crossing his throat at him with a sharp jab of his thumb. Next, he was relieved of the megaphone, and Ashton bit sourly on the inside of his cheek, feeling like his very voice box was being torn out by some strangers who didn't even bother with an introduction. He jabbed a finger at the lady with -his- loudspeaker, again exploding into a flurry of sign so that left Jesse with no spare time to wander off on him again. Jesse started again, on cue as always, although Ashton could hear the warbling reluctance in his voice to speak coarsely to the authorities. Ashton did his best to keep his body language muted, couldn't give the crowd more fuel to spark something really dire. "Hold the hell up there, men in black. I want names and identification before you utter another syllable to my people. While we're at it, you're not doing anyone any favors by just coming up here with -guns-" Ashton emphasized the word, spelling it out letter for letter, "and effectively making these guys feel boxed in. I'm trying to get them away from the line over," he jabbed his thumb at the line of guards across the way whom had been the focus of the protesters' ire, "-there- and then you go and form another flank over here!" Ashton motioned something crude again, but Jesse simply murmured, a change in tone announcing that he was no longer translating, "Erm... I'm not translating that to her, Boss." While he'd been motioning, he caught sight of the other man, brown hair and moving in severe jabs, and traced his expression out into the crowd. He couldn't track what the older man had seen, but couldn't afford to present himself toward the crowd, either, too many faces gets to looking like an enemy
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Caineachu
Manifest of Eye
I lost everything so I could keep you safe
Posts: 75
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Post by Caineachu on Jun 22, 2013 22:07:13 GMT -5
(Wow, I totally forgot what was going on and who's talking to who. Give me a little to figure it out.)
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nocturne
Normal
See Alvin. See Alvin Run. Run, Alvin, RUN!!!!
Posts: 23
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Post by nocturne on Jun 23, 2013 17:57:57 GMT -5
Edouard gazed impassively at the strange pair of men, the standard with the harried expression and the furious mute Manifested. Inside, he cursed; there was no teamwork here, no coordination. No precision.
The mute made frantic motions at his aide, who gazed glumly at Ms. Wilhelm and the Doctor as he translated, "Hold the hell up there, men in black. I want names and identification before you utter another syllable to my people. While we're at it, you're not doing anyone any favors by just coming up here with -guns-and effectively making these guys feel boxed in. I'm trying to get them away from the line over there- and then you go and form another flank over here!"
Edouard's expression darkened as the standard spoke. He drew out a sheaf of papers contained in a leather wallet and flipped his credential. "Peeses. Unattached Doctor. IntSec seconded to Social Work. I haven't said anything to these people. Ms. Wilhelm manages that."
"As to the men," he waved at the ConFor line, "Those ones have batons, stunners, and nonlethals. Those men over there," he indicated the IntSec men who were beyond, "are the deadline." These people," and he indicated the crowd, "are causing a disturbance, requiring the other two lines to be here. I fail to see how any of this is the fault of the Armed Force."
As he spoke, his eyes darted over the Manifested's visible flesh, looking for the paravirus fissures. He noted the man's throat, the taint going down into his upper chest. Esophageal, perhaps laryngeal; Edouard had no idea what the man might be capable of; he longed to see the dataplate on this man. As he replaced his credential, his thumb flipped the needler over to Morpheus feed.
"I am willing to treat those who wish my services. I am willing to permit those who wish to depart to do so. I am unwilling to let this riot expand into the general QZ. I am sure Ms. Wilhelm will agree that no one is served by that course of action."
"So, no. The security men will NOT just 'go away'."
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Caineachu
Manifest of Eye
I lost everything so I could keep you safe
Posts: 75
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Post by Caineachu on Jan 24, 2014 21:20:51 GMT -5
(Super delayed reply wooooo)
Alex turned to face the other people on the stage, her hand placed over the end of the megaphone so her words wouldn't be broadcasted to the crowd anymore.
"Sorry for the lack of showing ID, I didn't feel like having to fight a crowd of angry people today. I'm Alex Wilhelm, Social Worker. Also, sorry to burst your bubble here, bucko, but you weren't doing a terrific job up here after a certain point."
She turned her body to face him fully.
"You're beating around the bush, wasting time just spraying imprecise words at them that don't mean anything. This crowd, these people, need someone who's actually been in this shithole for longer than a few hours for patrol work to tell them what's going on. The more they can relate to the person who's telling them what to do, the more they're willing to listen. That's how it works."
She glanced at the crowd, who was calmed down a suitable amount again, just watching the stage.
"They know I've been in the same exact boat before, so I have their attention better than you did. If you have something you need to say, I'll be the one to say it to them."
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