5448/System Tower, Floor 80

System Tower, Floor 80
Date of Scene:	16 August 2017
Location:	The System <TS>
Synopsis:	The Tower returns to Britannica, feeding on the Drive's resources like a malevolent black parasite.
Cast of Characters:	Lexicon, 1103, Eryl Fairfax, Yomi Isayama

---

Lexicon has posed:
    Britannica is normally a pretty peaceful Drive, themed after alpine mountains with quaint European-style buildings. The rustic appearance is offset by the high-tech resource lines pulsing along the sides of roads and up walls. Resource lines that are all but gone, at the moment, pulsing weakly with pale white light every few seconds. The source of the drain is obvious to anyone approaching town-- A massive, impossibly tall tower of dull black metal-like construction. The base can be traced back to right next to the gothic-style Cathoderal itself, so close that none of the windows on one side could even open.

    Some snow-dwelling flowers appear to have been squashed by its appearance, sticking out from around the base.

    It's these flowers that Lexicon fumes over, pacing back and forth while smacking the haft of her hammer into her free hand. Muttering things like "Gonna kill 'em", "worked hard on those", and "they looked so nice damnit".

    Standing right beside the door of the Cathoderal is the door of the Tower, the number 80 glowing softly to either side of the doors. The twins Index and Codex are a few meters away, peering over the edge of one of the stocky stone walls in the Cathoderal garden.

Theurgus (1103) has posed:
    Within the System, Resources flow freely, and so the multi-coloured light of Diamond Soul's 'contrail' can be seen in the sky as the DCC flies in to assist with the Tower.

    Theurgus does a flyby of the tower, doing a spiral down towards the base before alighting beside Lexicon, transforming back to her normal state on touch down. She places a consoling hand on Lexicon's shoulder. "The Organization shall pay for the loss of your flowerbed." she offers in an attempt to comfort.

Eryl Fairfax has posed:
    Eryl is here, walking around the base of the tower, rapping upon its surface with knuckles. "It used to appear further out, did it not?" he calls to Lexicon, until he notices her apparent grief over the flowers. As silly as it seems, being upset over ruin is something he understands, even something as transient as flowers.

    "They can be replanted," he reminds her, before going to stand before the door. "And the sooner we investigate, the sooner that can be. I'll pitch in myself."

Lexicon has posed:
    "It's spite, is what it is!" Lexicon insists towards Eryl, "It showed up just to mess them up right as they were starting to bloom, damnit!" Well. Nobody's ever expected an angry person to be reasonable. And Lexicon's temper runs pretty close to the surface as it is. Theurgus provides the incentive, "--Revenge sounds pretty good right about now!" Even if it ultimately means she's agreeing with Eryl as well, in kicking the tower out.

    With a roar, she springs from where she stands and slams her hammer into the door. No dramatic, slow-opening this time. She slams her weapon into it until it opens inward, then dashes into the black 'curtain' behind it.

    The interior of this Floor is round and mostly empty. The walls are dark and the lighting is rather poor, only a single spotlight high up shines down on a raised, circular platform. In the center of that platform is... well, it's just a box with a big red switch on it, currently set to 'OFF'.

    The lack of anything to immediately pummel seems to defuse Lexicon at least a little bit, though, and she swings her hammer up to rest over her shoulder, frowning intensely, "The hell is it doing this time?"

Theurgus (1103) has posed:
    Theurgus looks to Eryl, a mysterious expression on her face as she summons her Staff and follows Lexicon in at a more sedate pace. She rests her staff over her shoulder in a similar pose to Lexicon's own. "Intriguing. Perhaps this floor is a more intellectual pursuit?" she suggests.

Eryl Fairfax has posed:
    Eryl just nods along with Lexicon's furious accusations. 'Spite' is a strong word, but perhaps the Tower does have a limited form of sentience? Frankly, he's more concerned that it seems to be moving closer to the Cathodreal, the core of the Drive. But now's not the time to bring up logic to the one in charge here.

    In they go! Right away, there is only one feature of interest to them. The switch. He casts an eye over it, before examining the walls and floors. Again, rapping a fist or stamping a foot against them. But this time, he's listening for the sound that may imply they're empty on the other side.

    "It seems like a classic trap. But it's the only thing of interest in the room. We're going to flip it." And if no one else steps up, Eryl does it himself.

Lexicon has posed:
    "Mariwogeus started out pretty sedate," Lexicon comments, "Until that pack fenris stuck its nose where it didn't belong, anyway." She keeps her hammer out, though circles around the platform the opposite direction that Eryl's gone, investigating the room's dimensions more than its physical structure. Everything seems rather solid, the walls are quite dense and emit only dull noises when struck. "It's not like the sequential viral copies we faced recently in your Drive either," she remarks to Theurgus.

    The red switch is flipped. The word 'OFF' fades, and the word 'ON' appears. A voice suddenly speaks up, "Oh, my! Did you just flip my switch?"

    Robot arms emerge from the box, arcing around and resting on top of itself as the box itself starts wobbling from side to side, "If you flipped my switch, than that must mean...!"

    It emits a dense cloud of smoke, and an explosion for effect not unlike the cheesy blasts used in tokusatsu performances, both of which serve to completely obscure what was previously an ordinary box.

Theurgus (1103) has posed:
    Theurgus' reaction is immediate. She twirls her staff and slams the end cap into the ground, forming a half sphere of layered blue hexagons between herself and the 'explosion'. She holds the pose until the smoke either clears, or whatever the box was reveals itself. "I have a bad feeling about this." she muses, blue eyes squinting to try and make out movement.

Yomi Isayama has posed:
"I did not do this," comes the voice of Yomi as she walks up behind the others. She was distracted with sneaking the twins some very sugary sweets, as is her duty as Lexicon's friend.

"Nice entrance though, I'll give that." Yomi's hand falls to the hilt of her sword, but she doesn't move to draw it yet. "At least this one talks. Maybe this will be easier than last time with the wolves?"

Eryl Fairfax has posed:
    As the word changes and arms emerge from the box, Eryl is quickly backing away and pointing an index finger. He peers through the fog, and nods along with Theurgus. "I concur. Stay on your toes everyone."

Lexicon has posed:
    "--Damnit!" Lexicon shields her face when all hell breaks loose on top of the platform.

    OH YES~!"

    Resolving in the cloud of white smoke is a humanoid figure, and as the smoke fades, it's quite obviously a silver, black, and pink robotic man. Glamourously handsome by most standards, the virus bobs where he stands. A shift in posture, and he taps his heel while pointing. Lights flash on in the direction he points, and when his posture changes to gesture the opposite way, more lights of assorted colors flash on in that side as well.

    "It must mean you're here to clear this floor's Challenge, Darlings!"

    He raises his hands, stepping rhytmically in a circle while sections of the circular stage light up in alternating shades of pink and white, then start switching with one another, "How exciting! It's been so very long since I've ever had partner, and today--" Stopping, he shoots a smoldering look over his shoulder, "I've got ~four~."

Theurgus (1103) has posed:
    Theurgus drops her shield, twirling her staff as it flashes and dematerializes, before lifting her left hand to partly cover her face, looking with one blue eye through the parting between index and ring fingers.

    "A challenge? You should know me as Theurgus, The Mad Magician. If you know that name, you are a fool to face me."

Eryl Fairfax has posed:
    As lights strobe and the very handsome robot arise, Eryl's eyes are flicking about, taking in the shifting space and computing what is going on here. Bright lights of strong contrasting colors, rhythmic movement on behalf of their flamboyant opponent...

    He doesn't need Original Face to figure out what the deal here is.

    "The challenge is a dance battle, isn't it?" he asks. His hand comes up to his cape, taking it off and tossing it aside before he loosens his tie. "If so, then I accept. Let's get this over with.

Yomi Isayama has posed:
Yomi opens her mouth. She closes it. She looks at the others, to Theurgus and her pose, to Eryl loosening his tie, to Lexicon. Then back at the virus.

Her hand falls to her sword. "Can we just kill it instead? I think that would make me very happy."

Lexicon has posed:
    "A dance, and a battle," the virus states, "Both are beautiful, no? So why not bring them together?" As his foot taps, the entire room starts to pulse with upbeat, synthesized music in time to his movements.

    Through the door, a small figure in blue scurries in. Bunnabelle keeps to the edges of the 'stage', though, finding a place out of the way to settle down and call up her analysis screens. By the outlines, she seems rather focused on the virus himself.

    "You know what?" Lexicon tilts her head, "I think Isayama's got a good approach. Screw this asshole's gimmick--!" She kicks off, leaping onto the stage. Immediately, she scoots forward with her hammer held up, off-beat, and the platform itself emits a noticeable buzz sound just under the level of the music itself. When her hammer comes down, the virus twists around it. The followup prompts a second buzz from the platform, and the virus dips into splits when Lexicon's hammer swings overhead.

    "Oh, my! Off-rhythm attacks aren't very fashionable!" Bracing, he strikes in the same instant as the beat, earning a chime, and uses both heeled legs to launch the Silver DCC right off the platform, "Hup~!"

Theurgus (1103) has posed:
    "A game of rythmn matching. Intriguing." Theurgus says, watching Lexicon getting herself kicked back off the stage. "Fine then." she twirls, transforming and summoning her staff again, before hopping up onto the stage. "Let us dance the tango of combat."

    The Diamond DCC steps in time to the music, timing a flurry of multi-elemental 'bullets' matching the colours to the lights as they strobe. Wind, Lightning, Fire, Ice.

Eryl Fairfax has posed:
    Eryl sighs as Lexicon just jumps ahead. "We're playing by his rules, Miss Lexicon. Stick to the beat." Honestly, this is all pretty ridiculous for something that equates to a natural disaster. And from all the reports he's read on the matter, this is not an isolated incident. He can't help but wonder... is the Tower's nature intentional, or a side-effect of its actual intent?

    Either way, it needs to be dealt with.

    Eryl pivots on one foot, spinning multiple times before stopping in a pose, right hand behind his head and left arm extended horizontally, parallel to the ground. He then begins to advance on the virus's stage, stepping in time with the music in an exaggerated walk style, bobbing with the beat. When he gets close, he pivots again before pointing at the robot. A metallic slug erupts from the finger, also on time with the beat.

Yomi Isayama has posed:
As Lexicon gets booted off stage, Yomi lets out a long,e xaggerated sigh. "He's really going to make us play this game, isn't he?" She furrows her brow for a moment, casting accusing glances at Eryl and Theurgus. "And you two are playing along! Fine! Fine, I see how it is." With easy agility, she hops onto the stage and moves forward. She is not doing any exaggerated bobbing or swaying, but every movement she makes is at least on the beat as she smoothly advances toward the dancing robot. It may not be fancy, but there's a simple elegance in it.

Lexicon has posed:
    Lexicon lands in a tumble of limbs and a grunt, her hammer clattering to a stop nearby. With a groan, she hauls herself up to a sitting position, just staring at the stage and what unfolds on it.

    A few feet away, seated as well, Bunnabelle comments, "The virus' name is Metrocron, but it has the same code as an R4 security program." She points, "Look, it's being affected by something, but I can't actually isolate what part of the code doesn't belong."

    On stage, Metrocron taps his foot to the beat, head bobbing, "Oh, you're a much better performer, darling! Such poise!" He twists, planting his feet and thrusting one hand to the sky, "Oh!" Even when Eryl's slug strikes his chestplate, the response is in time to the thumping of the music, even if it's a staggering step and a spray of sparks. He holds that position for a moment, then twists the other way in sweeping gestures, suiting the inclusion of trumpets while Theurgus' elemental shots burst all around him to accentuate the percussion.

    Surrounded by colored smoke, Metrocron strikes a glamourous pose, touching his lips with two fingers for a beat or two, "You learn fast, darlings, my condolences for your friend. Shall I lead now?"

    A crescendo of trumpets is met with the virus springing from his position, thrusting his arms out to either side trough the graceful arc as he scatters motes of light. The sparkles hover when he descends, directing his heeled foot towards Eryl.

    The scattered sparks, meanwhile, start shooting off as lasers, each one a different color, all in time to the neo-techno beat.

Theurgus (1103) has posed:
    Return fire. Theurgus twirls in place, strikes her face covering pose for a beat, then twirls her staff, using it with a sheath of those same shielding hexagons to take the incoming laser fire. She can't deflect it all, of course, some of them punching clean through her body suit and robe, leaving angry red damage marks, showing damaged code, any that are Fire-element doing more damage due to her blue-white glowing Processors.

    "Feel the weight of your own sin!" she says, stepping to one side with a twirl. She slams the end-cap of her Staff into the dance floor, and unleashes an unaspected beam of magic straight down atop Metrocron. "Shiver Beam!"

Eryl Fairfax has posed:
    He even flinches on the beat. Eryl can't help but be impressed. He pays an ear to Bunnabel's words and shouts, "Keep trying. We'll try and drag this fight out long enough for you to get it. Every clue is important." He looks back, just in time to see Metrocron leap from the stage and divekick him.

    Eryl's arms come up to block the hit, but it still has enough force to drive him to a knee. He pushes back, attempting to launch the virus back into the air. And then, he does the Monkey.

    The arms aren't quite correct though. Rather than straight out, they're bent at a 90 degree angle. And then, heavy slugs erupt from the elbows as he does it, right as they point at the virus. They splinter into a cluster of ball bearings, aiming to fill the air with as many projectiles as possible. As graceful as he is, he can't dodge them all in mid-air, can he?

Yomi Isayama has posed:
Lasers. Yomi has never actually tested if Shishiou can deflect lasers. Now seems like... definitely not the best time to try that.

Instead, she quickly slides out of the way, drawing her blade. Her feet land to the rhythm of the music, but her motions remain less dancing and more like a kata. Well, everyone has their own style, right? As she passes the beam, the exorcist brings Shishiou down, neatly deflecting the laser away from... well, the nothingness it would have hit. She's not just going to stand in the path to test it. "Huh. Well, now I know."

Tilting her head slightly, she glances at the virus. "As to you..." Yomi darts forward and, in the span of a single beat, is right there next to Metrocron. "I'm a little more of a leader than a follower. Mind if I cut in here?" She twirls in place, hair flowing behind her, and slashes out with Shishiou, leaving a streak of chi along its path of motion. At least she's on beat still.

Lexicon has posed:
    Metrocron springs off Eryl's arms, just as predicted, only to meet a hail of metal bearings while he's unable to do anything about his trajectory. He throws one arm up over his face, the other sweeping to one side while his body takes the rhythmic beating, metal pelting metal until he lands in a graceful crouch, "Clever--" And then it's simply a magic laser from the ceiling courtesy of Theurgus' spell. Metrocron lets out a surprised shout, the off-beat nature of his response prompting a buzzer sound and throwing off his reaction. And before he can recover, Yomi is there, her sword flashing.

    There's an explosive sound, similar to the cheap effect from earlier, and the virus hops back in tune to the beat, smoke pouring from the sockets where his arms had been attached. The arms themselves, dissolve into raw code bits.

    "Well! What an impressive on-rhythm combination! I'd give you a hand, but it looks like I already have, Darlings." His expression turns coy, a smirk on his lips, "Oh don't worry too much about it. After all, who needs ~arms~ with ~legs~ like these?"

    The virus skips forward, pirouetting on a single toetip with his other leg raised, only to bring it down in an axe-kick towards Yomi just as the music's beat shifts. A twist when his heel strikes (ground or girl, he's not picky) sends him hurtling straight at Eryl, leading with his knee. A maneuver that becomes an armless cartwheel that brings his heel down towards Theurgus, ultimately ending with the robotic virus landing in a perfect split, "Burn up that dance floor, oh yes!"

Theurgus (1103) has posed:
    Theurgus lifts her staff, striking a pose as the music shifts. "Operation Revelation, can now begin." Her eyes track the motion, but by the time she finishes calculating the trajectory, that heel comes down on her shoulder, forcing her to a knee and leaving a nasty broken-code gash in her left shoulder.

    She doesn't stand, instead using one hand to tap the rhythm on the ground, while focussing her Resources into her Staff. This will take careful timing, pinpoint accuracy, and the cooperation of her two allies to pull off. She speaks her plan through the radio. "Just make sure he does not see me activate it. That will be sufficient."

    For now, the Mad Magician appears to be out for the count, but she's making sure she's not taken off the stage by continuing to move to the beat, even as her staff begins to shift and rotate oddly within its own Geordian Knot configuration, power slowly building within the marble held at the center of the non-Euclidian head.

Eryl Fairfax has posed:
    Eryl smirks a little with satisfaction as Metrocron's arms come off as a result of going off-beat. He can appreciate someone who plays by his own rules. A brief conversation happens over the radio, and Eryl's plan for this next stage is clear. The virus is no less dangerous due to lack of arms, something it shows by lashing out with vicious kicks.

    And so, as it flies at him with a knee, Eryl retaliates with his own rising knee. He aims to make it contact with Metrocron's own, creating a resounding clang. As he comes back down, his arms go behind his back, and he swings with another kick. He's grinning at the robot, his intent clear; "Let's compare, legs against legs." Essentially, trying to bait the robot into a kick rush battle, on beat of course. Such a thing would tie up a lot of attention, and hopefully give Theurgus the time she needs for her attack.

    And should this work, Metrocron would likely start winning. Eryl's legs are just not as long. So he probably takes a few hits during it.

Yomi Isayama has posed:
How about sword? As Metrocron leaps toward her, Yomi brings her blade up, catching the virus' foot. She shoves away, which probably lets him lead into a bigger leap, and spins again. "I hate to break it to you, Eryl, but I think he's got you beat in the leg department." Briefly, she considers calling out Ranguren as a very big distraction, but she knows that there's no way the nue can keep on any sort of beat. She won't risk him getting hurt over that.

She doesn't allow herself be drawn into a kick battle, but she does rush back across the dance floor. This having to move to the beat thing is getting to her, but she throws in a few zigs and zags to make sure she isn't disqualified. "Kagura would never let me hear the end of this if she was here..." Once more, her sword lashes out, though not directly at the virus. Instead, she swings it in a way he'll have to step off beat to avoid both it and Eryl. Or tries to, anyway. Choreography is not her specialty.

Lexicon has posed:
    Metacron's knee clangs against Eryl's, and this distracts him from pursuing Theurgus any further. Springing up from his stylish landing, the robotic virus regards Fairfax, "Oh, so you fancy yourself with amazing legs, too?" Attention pulled from the Mad Magician, he closes on Eryl and crouches. It's not just a kick battle, but an on-beat variation of the famous Russian 'squat dance' while his legs snap out, "Hah! You really are something, though not quite on my calibre..!"

    Suddenly, sword-wielding exorcist, "--eh?" He ducks to one side to avoid the blade, which throws his rhythm off. The buzzer sounds, and before he can recover, one of Eryl's kicks knocks Metacron off his feet.

    There's an opening! Though he's already curling his legs up to his chest in preparation to spring back to his feet in a stylishly armless way, "Tricky, darlings!"

    On the sideline, Bunnabelle's eyes squint at her readouts, "The foreign code is... his /legs/..?"

Theurgus (1103) has posed:
    Chance! Theurgus surges to her feet, twirls her Staff, which trails multihue light in the wake of its headcap, then points the head at Metrocron. "Behold my Ultimate Scientific Theory taken form!" a spell seal forms under the prone Virus. Four dark hued spheres appear at the cardinal points, and spears of purple light erupt from above, aiming to stab through Metrocron to keep him pinned.

    It isn't over though, she lifts her staff aiming the apex of the maneuver with the beat. Dark Magic erupts within the spell circle, like an inverse of the 'ceiling laser' from before. "Now, let me hear your final words!" a pirouette brings the staff head pointing directly at Metrocron again, a condensing sphere surrounding the marble within the head of her staff. This mirrors the spell circle turning 3D, and shrinking around the Virus, attempting to crush him within its confines.

Eryl Fairfax has posed:
    CLANG CLANG CLANG! Each kick resounds, and few manage to sink some hard blows into Eryl's torso, which is still flesh and bone. It bruise and cracks under the assault, but he holds out until Yomi manages to take the virus off-guard, making him break the assault.

    Bunnabelle calls out, and Eryl's eyes glance towards Theurgus, who has completed her spell. "Take the right leg!" he yells to Yomi, before a blade extends from his right arm. It begins to glow as it vibrates, creating a powerful cutting edge that he slashes at Metrocron's left leg, trying to carve it off!

Yomi Isayama has posed:
"His legs? Really?" Yomi squints at the virus incredulously, but it really isn't the strangest thing she's ever seen in the tower. That's still the poochooze man. "Right! Better be quick before Theurgus does her thing.." She isn't sure -what- that spell will do, but it sounds bad at least. Maybe he'll be distracted giving his final words...

As soon as Eryl's blade pops out, Yomi shifts her grip on Shishiou and swings it down. She plants one foot and waits for the next beat before arcing it over and up, trying to lop off the right leg before the shrinking circle gets too near!

Lexicon has posed:
    "Wait, what are you--" Theurgus' chanting catches Metrocron's attention, at last, and he shoots a look her way in surprise. Snapping up on-beat insurprise, he twists to view the spell circle closing in around him. Crouching, he prepares to leap, when Eryl carves into his left leg at the hip. Yomi's sword gets the right, and with a shout the virus topples right off his own legs.

    Magic erupts, engulfing him, while his legs are taken away. Separated from them and surrounded by the shrinking panes of Therugus's Driver, the virus' figure actually changes, reverting into a rather nondescript, faceless, limbless robot with a single red eye near the top of its body. The voice is the same, though has a digital reverbration to it, "Ahh, this is the end, isn't it? Was it at least... entertaining?"

    And then the spell collapses, and the virus ceases to exist.

    The legs likewise change. They cease being 'legs' and, bleeding off pixellated light, revert to what is presumably their own core form. A pair of metallic plates shaped to fit over shoes and shins, sweeping up to either side in a design similar to feathers. Or thorns.

    The lightshow fades, then changes to regular pale white lighting. Bunnabelle, to her credit, hops to her feet and claps with enthusiasm. Beside her, begrudgingly, Lexicon joins in with a flat expression.

Eryl Fairfax has posed:
    "Very entertaining," Eryl reassures Metrotron as the spell crushes him into nothing. He seems a little remorseful... but shakes his head. "A life born for a single purpose, born to present a challenge and to be overcome... is that truly life?" He doesn't really seem to be asking anyone, just asking himself.

    He bends down to pick up the leg armor and carries it over to Bunnabelle. "Here you are. I hope you can glen something useful from these."

Theurgus (1103) has posed:
    Theurgus pants softly, as she actually lands back on the ground, instead of hovering a few inches off it as normal. She seems tired, worn after using that spell, and her transformation reverts in a rush of white light and code. She wobbles a bit on her feet, but uses her staff to balance herself. "Good work, everyone."

Yomi Isayama has posed:
With the virus gone, Yomi sheathes Shishiou again. "Mmm. I think he would have been happier on an actual stage for an audience, not a place like this." She picks up the leg armor and glances to the others as she walks it down to Bunnabelle. "Too bad, though. I would have liked to see Lexicon dancing." Yomi flashes the shorter girl a wicked grin as she passes on the pieces. "I bet her sisters would have, too... You okay, Theurgus?"

Lexicon has posed:
    "Over Alea's dead body," Lexicon remarks when Yomi muses about her dancing, "I'm a writer and a leader, not a stage performer." With a sigh, she folds her arms, "But, good work. I guess I let my temper get the best of me that time..." Her eyebrows knit, and she thinks out loud, "A robot whose only desire is to entertain, but everyone's afraid of him... That could be a compelling story..."

    The small doll-like program Bunnabelle reaches out when Eryl and Yomi hand over the artifacts. One is taken, tucked under her arm, while the other is accepted with both hands to be looked over more closely, "Yes, thank you, sir." Running her fingertips over the metal piece, she contemplates for a moment, her rabbit-like ears swaying with her head's movements, "This is in line with what I've come to expect from the Tower's artifacts thus far. Like the Tower itself, highly compressed data, but this is not just random code-- it's an equipment item." She glances aside, "Lady Silver Soul mentioned once that it was not a format she's ever seen, and was incompatible. I suspect this may be very old code that is no longer supported. Ancient artifacts from when the System was young. And a probable clue to the Tower's origin."

Yomi Isayama has posed:
Somehow, the idea that someone would die to force Lexicon to dance on a stage does not seem too far-fetched, even if Yomi has never met Alea. "We'll see about that." She gives Lexicon an exaggerated wink and pats her on the shoulder. "Don't worry, you did still help out today. Of all of us, you're probably the one most capable of taking a kick like that and not being seriously hurt. And, uh... moral support?" Yomi coughs softly. "I'm not really helping, am I?" She lets out a sigh and puts her hand against her hip. "Anyway, I'm glad we could help." She pauses a moment. "...and I take no responsibility for what may be waiting outside." Without further explanation, she makes her way toward the tower door.

It's possible she may be referring to the rather large bag of sweets she gave the twins on the way in.